Patti Cotton

Sam came to me because he felt stuck on a new project and needed advice.

 

“This project is a huge opportunity for me to flex my influence in the community,” said Sam.  “But I’m tapped out right now, and can’t get traction on ideas for some of the pieces.”

 

“Have you asked for help?” I replied.  “You must have some pretty bright people in your network.”

 

Sam looked puzzled, but as we sat through the next hour brainstorming about colleagues he knew who might be able to help, he started to relax.

 

“Wow. I’d forgotten about some of my connections – and tapping into their expertise will help this project speed along!”

 

I was glad Sam realized he already had the resources to complete this project – but it also told me that people who knew him did not consider him a powerful part of their own networks. 

 

“Sam, you said you want more influence in this community.  And you are looking to make more impact – to stand out above the crowd.  But you are neglecting the one thing that could do just that for you – tapping into your network.”

 

Over the next few weeks, Sam and I worked on identifying his present network and coming up with a plan to cultivate it in a powerful way.  Within the next year, Sam had reached the level of influence he needed in order to run successfully for an elected position – something he had wanted for quite awhile.

 

What was Sam’s initial problem?  He was not building powerful bonds.  He had a cache of great names in his circle – but he was not nurturing these relationships through connecting on a deeper level.  He wasn’t reaching out on a regular basis, and he had never volunteered to see how he might be of assistance to these contacts.  People knew who he was – but only on a superficial basis.

 

What are the secrets to building powerful bonds?  Here’s a handy checklist of the most important ones.  Take a moment to see how you rate!

• Are you cultivating and maintaining extensive networks to exchange ideas and rally support?  Or do you not think of reaching out?
• Are you seeking out relationships that are mutually beneficial, rather than to view others in competition with you?
• Do you build rapport with others and keep them in the loop, or are you hesitant to be collaborative?
• Are you able to respect and appreciate individual differences in perspective and background, or do you seek to align yourself only with those who are similar to you and agree with you?
• Can you pick up the phone and call contacts to get answers or to get past obstacles – or do you feel you are very limited in who you can call?
• Do you have the respect and support of people at various levels of your organization or community?

To your success!

 

 

 

“When do I reap the rewards?” asked the law firm owner. 

 

“My partner and I are the top producers in the firm – the only producers if I am honest with myself – and we aren’t spring chickens.  What’s more, we are stalled at 6 figures – very healthy, mind you, but still…”

 

After some light investigation, I discovered that the two partners were indeed the only producers, in addition to serving as administrators.

 

“You won’t reap any more rewards unless you shift the way you work,” I shared.  “You’ve already told me that when you stop working, the money stops rolling in.  And you are right – with that, you can’t ever look forward to taking a day off, much less a long vacation or retirement.”

 

I continued.  “You won’t make the leap to 7 figures unless you address some critical issues.  You have an outdated business model, and your systems are inadequate.  You’ve basically set yourselves up to continue working at this pace while staying stuck at this income level till you drop.”

 

This situation is prevalent with business owners and other decision-makers, no matter what the industry.  They have grown into a certain way of doing which produces well – but they can’t move beyond this.  They are tapped out and stuck.

 

Making the leap from 6 figures to 7 figures requires some fundamental shifts, and three, in particular.  As you look through this checklist, where are you?

 

To your success!

 

A First Checklist For Making Your Leap

Mindset: 

• How you see your role.  Do you see yourself as a practitioner instead of a company owner?  Do you believe that you have to be present in order for the company to run well?  These concepts are self-defeating and will keep you from moving ahead.

 

• Your paradigm about the journey to ultimate success.  Do you believe you have to work hard and long to succeed?  Is your language riddled with words and phrases like “push hard; trying; it will pay off someday?”  These are self-limiting, heavy thoughts that can keep you stalled.

 

Habits: 

• How do you manage income?  How you manage money is how you conduct business and life.  Are you living from month to month?  Or are you able to invest income back into the company to make it more robust? 

 

• Playing your biggest game.  Are you playing it small and safe with your products and services, and with your price points?  Or are you taking calculated risks based on market demand and your ability to deliver?  Are you avoiding conflict or crucial communication because “it is just easier?”  Avoiding success by overscheduling?  Other?

 

Strategies: 

• How you envision the company.  Have you reviewed your business plan recently?  Tested your products and services in the market to ensure they are still viable?  How effective is your marketing?  Can you measure your ROI?  Do you have the systems in place to receive more business?

 

• Who’s in your corner?  Do you have team?  Are the right people on board?  Do they know what you expect and perform to satisfaction?  How do you hold them accountable for results?

 

Are you oxygenating?  It may seem a funny question, but a recent academic health sciences center study found that 1-2 minutes of an oxygenating exercise each hour of the workday lowered stress and its effects for participants, increasing their focus and effectiveness.

 

Today’s article shares 3 techniques of what I call “Radical Self-Care,” or the neuroscience of effectiveness, including oxygenating (and how to do it!), that you can use immediately to raise the bar on your focus and productivity, and lower the stress that comes with multiple projects and responsibilities. 

 

1.  Oxygenating.  A recent study at an academic health sciences centered showed that participants who practiced an exercise to get the blood flowing and oxygenated reported more calm, focus, energy, and some other happy surprises, including lowered blood pressure, lowered blood sugar, and other positive aspects of their health.*   The great news is that you can do this right at your desk!  Here is the exercise concept:

 

Once every hour while working:

1. stand up, breathe in while putting your arms out in front of you are though you are reaching.
2. Now, breathe out slowly while doing what I call a “cross-country ski move” – a half squat while bringing your arms down and back, as though you are helping imaginary ski poles guide you forward.
3. Come up to standing position while breathing in, arms outstretched.
4. Repeat 15-20 times. 

We will be teaching exercises, tips and tools like this one at the upcoming Radical Self-Care Retreat in La Jolla on June 25 and 26.

 

2.  Prioritizing.  Each evening before you close up your office, select the three top items or concerns you must address the next workday.  Focus on these three items first, one at a time (uni-tasking for increased effectiveness in focus and saving time!), before moving on to the rest of your workday.

 

3.  List-Making to Remove Distractors.  When distractors and multiple demands keeps your brain juggling, it can cause concern or worry, which causes stress.  Unfortunately, when you are stressed or worried, your decision-making moves from the creative part of the brain to another place, rendering you less effective.  One simple step you can take right now to begin creating brain space and energy as distractors come your way? 

As you recall items and concerns you need to address, jot these down on a piece of paper.  This actually de-stresses, freeing up the brain from worrying about recall, and clears the mind for increased focus.

 

While these techniques may seem simple, the results are profound. 

 

* Disclaimer:  these results were study outcomes.  Individuals who practice this technique may have varying results.

 

My dad remembers World War II and being 10 years old.  He longed to enlist as a soldier, but being too young, he remained stateside.  The voices of Roosevelt and Churchill sounded over the old radio while he did his part at home.

As soldiers fought overseas, Dad and his family, as well as thousands of other families here in the United States, sacrificed food, gas, clothing, and more.  Women, men, and school-aged children would also “knit their bit,” knitting socks, mufflers, caps, and mittens for the soldiers at war.  The stories of community banding together to do what they could are heart-warming.

It took a dedicated team to win.

Who’s in your corner?  Whether you are an executive or a business owner, a leader of a movement or in another decision-making role, team efforts can make or break your effort.

Here are five commitments that winning teams must have. 

As leader, you will want to ask yourself the questions behind each commitment, and make changes, as necessary:

1.    Meaningful shared purpose.  It is no longer enough to purpose for – you, as a leader, must purpose with.  Team members are active participants in your success.  Is your team 100% excited about your shared purpose?  If not, what do you need to do in order to reconcile this?

2.    Mutual trust and commitment.  Your team members want to know if they can trust you and the others to have their backs in order to feel rapport and perform well. Do you feel the team enjoys a mutual trust and commitment to each other?  How trustworthy are you?  How committed are you to the success of each of the individuals on the team? 

3.    Clear goals and roles.  Do team members know what success looks like, and what work needs to be accomplished in order to achieve goals?  Have you asked them lately?  What might you need to clarify or change?

4.    Effective communication and collaboration.  Poor communication means little or no collaboration.  Try to reach goals with that scenario!  Does your team enjoy a high level of communication and collaboration – or are there unspoken conversations and tensions?  What needs to happen in order to rectify this? 

5.    Personal leadership. Leadership is not a position – it is an attitude.  Winning teams are filled with great leaders.  Are all members of your team rising to their personal leadership potential?  If not, what is needed?  What can you offer to support this growth?

Do you have a winning team?  Who’s in your corner?

A woman in charge of an international non-profit recently reached out to me for help.  “I’ve lost my edge,” she complained.  “I am going around in a fog and I’m fatigued all the time.”

Her decision-making was beginning to suffer, and motivating her team and volunteers was not even on her radar screen.  The non-profit was on the brink of disaster from a disengaged leader headed for burnout.

As we worked together, I discovered that she had long left behind the vision for the movement’s work.  Further, she had neglected to guard boundaries and balance around personal time.

“When was the last time you gave yourself permission to stop and do something for yourself?” I asked.

“Oh, that’s a frightening thought,” she answered.  “I feel that if I stop, everything will stop.  And I know this is unhealthy.  What do I do?”

Have you ever felt like that?

If you’re in charge of great responsibility, you no doubt have great passion for a mission or a cause. You’re experienced, you’re good at what you do, and you have ideas and beliefs about making a larger impact that keep you going each day.

Let’s face it, though—no matter how much passion you started with, being in charge can drain your energy. Leadership is demanding. You have extra responsibilities, weighty decisions to make, and people who depend on you, and, just like everyone else, you get tired.

If you find yourself losing your energy and verve, it may be time to make some intentional shifts – to take steps to regain your passion and your energy.

Here are 5 places to start:  

1.  Get back in touch with your “why”

Remind yourself why you’re there in the first place.

What’s your purpose?

What would the world be missing if you were not able to do what you do?

How do you make a difference where you are?

Answering these questions can help you re-engage your original excitement.

2.  Start the morning with a success routine 

Bring focus and clarity to your day by starting each morning with an intentional ritual. Don’t reach for technology as soon as you get out of bed. Try to completely unplug. Have a quiet place where, upon rising, you can go to meditate, journal, or whatever helps bring quiet focus. This time is meant to clear your mind, bring clarity to your day, energize you and stave off tyranny of the urgent. Try this for ten minutes every morning.

For the Morning Success Routine similar to that of Margaret Thatcher, Steve Jobs, and other leaders, click here.

3.  Practice prioritized uni-tasking

This helps you avoid becoming a slave to distractors. Here are some simple steps:

• Review your projects and rate them by importance and urgency

• Now, order the projects and tasks by how much effort each one will take. Begin with the task that takes the most effort.

• Practice uni-tasking with each project on your prioritized list, giving yourself permission to complete only that which is most important and urgent.

• Save the rest for the next day.

4.  Take breaks and move around

Recent studies have shown that taking frequent breaks is good for your productivity, focus, and creativity.  The best ratio is 52 minutes of work followed by a 17-minute break—completely away from your computer screen. Get up, walk around, do a quick exercise routine, anything that helps you reboot.

5.  Define your own success

Are you allowing others’ definition of success to cloud your judgment? Give yourself permission to define success in your own terms. Don’t let the opinions of other people get in the way of your vision.  Check in with yourself every once in a while to make sure you’re drawing your own map.