Set Your Goals from the Inside Out
Genuine goal setting is the first step toward positive, deliberate action. Although goals are often imaginative and visionary, they are always a prelude to action, a track to run on, a course to take; they are never a substitute for reality. They are an expression of your noblest qualities; they are an exercise of your desire for personal leadership – the desire to be a bit better today than you were yesterday, and the determination to be even better tomorrow. To set optimally effective goals, you need standards to follow. It is like playing basketball: you need to know the object of the game and the rules; otherwise, you would not know whether to run with the ball, kick it, throw it, or roll it. For your goals to have the magnetic attraction that draws you toward them and propels you toward success, follow these principles of goal setting – these “rules of the game”: 1. Your goals must be your own personal goals. It is obvious that you are more likely to accomplish goals you choose for yourself than those urged upon you by others. But your goals must also be “personal” in the sense of “private.” If you know that your goals plan will be seen by someone else, you may tend to distort it to impress others instead of to satisfy your real needs. Unless they are based on your own internalized values, your goals will have little or no meaning, no appeal and no value. 2. Your goals must be stated positively. Your mind functions through mental images; you literally “see” through the mind’s eye a picture of each thought. A goal expressed negatively eliminates a mental image, and the mind cannot picture a void or a vacuum. Take a simple illustration. You may say, “I’m…
Reshaping Attitudes about Productivity
– Consider these time use practices that affect productivity and see how attitudes are involved. Because actions come from attitudes, increasing productivity may require reshaping some of the attitudes that now dictate how you use time. Consider these time use practices that affect productivity and see how attitudes are involved: Concentrate on high priority activities. The quickest and most effective route to increasing productivity is to spend time on tasks that advance important goals. Make certain you spend your time on work that really matters; otherwise, you may be completely consumed by trivial details. Hours may be spent solving problems that can be solved by others. Respond to concerns expressed by various team members through empowering them to solve their own problems. This approach saves you valuable time and gives others the opportunity to develop commitment, a sense of ownership, and skill to solve significant problems. Help others spend their time on their high priority activities, and concentrate your time and effort on high priority activities that lead to the achievement of your goals. Exercise self-discipline. Self discipline enables people to stay focused on a task and work on it until it is complete. Establish your priorities and then refuse to let distractions, interruptions, or happenings of the moment destroy your concentration. Discipline yourself to give tasks only the amount of time and effort they truly deserve from you, or delegate them to other appropriate team members. Either alternative requires thoughtful evaluation and consideration – and conscientious self discipline. Perfectionists especially must learn to exert the self-discipline to delegate selected jobs to someone else who may not do the job quite as well as they would but who can still meet essential quality standards. How else will another learn to perform this job? In such cases, perfectionists must learn to…
June 2010 LMI Journal Featured Article on – Staff Development
The June issue includes the following featured article titled: “Becoming Better by Doing Better” – Productivity is concerned with the overall effectiveness of getting things done. Read Complete Article Here> LMI JOURNAL, VOLUME IV, NUMBER 6 Leadership Management® Institute Reprinted with permission
May 2010 LMI Journal Featured Article on – Staff Development
The May issue includes the following featured article titled: “Give Your Team the Freedom to Perform”: Use the following ideas to develop appropriate attitudes for delegation effectiveness. Read Complete Article Here: LMI JOURNAL, VOLUME IV, NUMBER 5 Leadership Management® Institute Reprinted with permission
March 2010 LMI Journal Featured Article on – Staff Development
The March issue includes the following featured article titled: “Gain Control with the Power of Silence” – Silence doesn’t mean communication is dead; it may have simply lost its direction. Read Complete Article Here: LMI JOURNAL, VOLUME IV, NUMBER 3 Leadership Management® Institute Reprinted with permission
February 2010 LMI Journal “Staff Development” Featured Article
The February issue includes the following article: “Transmit Information to Promote Success”- Define the three elements of clear and effective communication. Click Here to Read Complete Article: LMI JOURNAL, VOLUME IV, NUMBER 2 Leadership Management® Institute Reprinted with permission
January 2010 LMI Journal “Staff Development” Featured Article
The January issue includes the following article: “Encourage Good Behavior on Your Team”- Feedback has a greater impact on productivity when you observe these principles. Read Complete Article Here: LMI JOURNAL, VOLUME IV, NUMBER 1 Leadership Management® Institute Reprinted with permission
December Issue of LMI Journal- Staff Development-Featured Article- “Enhance Your Fire Fighting Skills”
Topic: “Effectively handling emergencies that require pushing aside planned activities.” To read this excellent article click on the Title Link below: “Enhance Your Fire Fighting Skills” Stay tuned and engaged. Release of each article in sequence will be followed by a final blog with link to the entire LMI Journal Available for download as a PDF document. LMI JOURNAL, VOLUME III, NUMBER 12 Leadership Management® Institute Reprinted with permission === Strategic Essentials is a Managing Partner for Leadership Management® International, Inc. For more information about Strategic Essentials small business training and education programs or our coaching and consultation services please call our Reno office at 775.826.8282 today! Strategic Essentials serves business owners, business leaders, entrepreneurs, managers, supervisors and decision makers in Reno, Sparks, Carson City, Tahoe, Truckee Meadows and surrounding communities
