Mother Teresa once said, "There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread."

I think this is such a powerful statement because appreciation and gratitude is such a powerful tool, and when people are appreciated, it brings about a huge sense of accomplishment, value, power, and happiness to their life.

The great part about appreciating others is that it's so easy!

So, who have you appreciated today?

I'd like to encourage you to think about who you have (or haven't) appreciated lately. Take just a minute or two to write people's names down...and the next time you see them, make a point to appreciate them for the blessings they bring to your life.

I know I make this point frequently and Jack Canfield probably reaches more than I ever will in my lifetime, but that doesn't make the message that less important for today and tomorrow!  

So, who have you appreciated today?  Let me know! Anissa

Most major change initiatives--boosting quality, improving culture--generate lukewarm results. Why? Managers don't realize transformation is a process, not an event. It advances through stages that build on each other. Skip a stage, and the effort backfires.

Start by establishing a sense of urgency. Drawing on market and competitive data, convince at least 75% of your managers that the status quo is more dangerous than the unknown. Once they're convinced, you can move through the remaining stages--such as forming a change team--confident that the change initiative is off to a healthy start.

How does your company manage change initiatives?

 

Adapted from Harvard's Management Tip of the Day -- "Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail" by John P. Kotter.

Leaders who live with power stress -- chronic, intense pressure resulting from responsibilities, crises and demands -- can easily slip into what is known as "the sacrifice syndrome." Simply put, we burn up, burn out, and lose our effectiveness.

We know from neuroscience and psychology that when people experience chronic stress, cognitive functioning is diminished and we get sick more often. We lose sight of the big picture and make bad decisions. Our self awareness dwindles, empathy is in short supply, and self management is compromised. We lose the emotional and social competencies that enable us to be successful leaders.

Paradoxically, the best leaders are most susceptible to the sacrifice syndrome. Why? Because we take our responsibilities seriously. We care. We strive. We try harder. What about you? Are you a bit on the edge, ready to slip into behaviors you know won't work?

There is plenty that you can do about it. But first, you have to get over the fantasy that a nice summer vacation is going to fix everything. It isn't. You are walking back into the 24/7 environment. The same pressures are there. They're not going away.

Next: admit it. You aren't a superhero and you never will be. Sure, you're strong, resilient and clever. Good. Capitalize on these gifts. But you need to do more. You need to interrupt the sacrifice syndrome with real renewal. You have to build regular practices into daily life that spark psychological and physical renewal. It's as important as eating, sleeping and breathing. Here's how to start:

1. Listen to life's quiet wake-up calls. Perhaps your wake-up calls aren't as dramatic as some I've seen--the broken marriages, plateaued careers. But maybe you don't laugh as much as you used to, you've quit going to the gym or don't do things you enjoy most. Listen! Make course adjustments now.

2. Practice mindfulness. Pay attention to your mind, body, heart and spirit. This doesn't happen by accident. Most of us need to develop and then practice the art of reflection. Try finding a few minutes of quiet time alone each day, even if it's just five minutes before getting up in the morning, walking from the train to work, or a quiet moment in the park.

3. Find hope. Hope is a powerful force. On a neurological level, it actually helps us to counter the negative effects of life's pressures and burdens. Hope--an image of a positive and feasible future--inspires us to dig deep down, to find the strength to move in the direction of our dreams. So imagine your life in ten years: what will you be doing? Who's sharing your life? What will capture your passion?

4. Practice Compassion. Focus on the needs and desires of the people around you. Act on what you see--do something to support others achieving their goals. Make someone's day better. Like hope, compassion engages positive emotions, which in turn engage renewal.

Change starts with you. And when linked to a meaningful outcome, change can be exciting and fun. Start small. Start today. But start. It will be worth it!! Anissa

 

adapted from http://conversationstarter.hbsp.com/2008/09/four_steps_to_beat_back_the_pr.html?cm_mmc=npv-_-WEEKLY_HOTLIST-_-SEPT_2008-_-HOTLIST0904

There is nothing like a poorly executed evaluation to breed resentment on the part of an employee--and frustration on the part of a supervisor.

Therefore, do you then err on the side of caution when evaluating employees' performance, to avoid causing offense? If so, you're missing opportunities to help subordinates improve. And you are doing a great dis-service to yourself and to the organization.

To deliver feedback that effects real change, frame it in palatable terms.

How? First deliver the good news: the employee's recent accomplishments, goals moving forward, a plan for achieving those goals.

Then address performance issues. Couch your constructive criticism in terms of the shared greater good, rather than delivering a personal indictment. For example, don't say, "I want you to stop engaging in turf battles with your counterparts in other groups." Instead, say, "I want you and your counterparts to commit to making cross-functional collaboration a priority."

For other ideas and data, give me a call! Anissa

Complacency--comfort with the status quo--can destroy a change initiative.

How to identify complacency?

By asking some of the following questions:

• Are highly selective facts used to shoot down data suggesting your firm's in big trouble?
• Do people bring up past failures to stall new initiatives rather than to learn?
• Do people say "We must act now!" but then don't do anything?
• Do cynical jokes pervade important discussions?
• Are assignments around critical issues frequently completed late or sloppily?
• Do people regularly blame others for the company's problems?

If you answered yes to these questions, your company is suffering from complacency that needs eradication--stat!  Let me know how I can help! Anissa

(excerpted from Harvard Business Review)

I just read this amazing quote that I wanted to share. "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." Helen Keller.  I have had a few profound experiences like this lately in which I was not able to put into words how I felt.  Sure this can be true when talking about love, but that wasn't my topic the other day.

I felt like Jodie Foster's character in the movie Contact in which she is in the cosmos seeing the beauty of it all and she remarks that they should have sent a poet because she didn't know how to describe how amazing everything looked to her.  Well, that happened to me recently in which I was touched by a friend's heart with regard to an issue I was chatting about with her.  Right now, my gratitude overfloweth.  Do you ever have those moments?

One of the most significant moment of the 29th Olympics in Beijing came in the water cube.  Yes, Michael Phelps just amazed the heck out of me and watched every race with great anticipation and nervousness.  He is a truly gifted athlete.

But the moment I am referring to is when Dara Torres helped another swimmer by stalling the judges before the start of one of the races to allow the Swede to get another suit on.  Dara went to most of the swimmers and made sure that all would wait for a few more seconds to allow for a full meet.  This is NOT usual.  The judges do not have to wait for any swimmer.  They determine when to start and if someone is not ready and on the blocks, so be it.  

But Dara took the spirit of sportsmanship to a new level.  I was so impressed with her courage and her ability to think beyond herself, I already thought her a winner before she even entered the water.  When is the last time you saw that level of selflessness?  It's a rarity for sure.