How do effective people manage their energy? Self-compassion

 How do effective people manage their energy?

 Self-compassion 
(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)

 

In continuation of last week's discussion on how effective people manage energy levels at the workplace so that they always display enthusiasm and balanced mental emotions to get things done, one more energy booster is self-compassion.

Self-compassion:

Self-compassion is being kind to ourselves whenever we fail, make mistakes or feel low.

For example, when some of our friends feel low due to a mistake, we tend to look at things from a distance and be kind to our friends. But, when we make mistakes, we are harsh ourselves and self-critics. That is due to a lack of self-compassion. When we do not understand ourselves and are kind enough, that moment drains our energy level further.

The ability to differentiate between our decision and self-worth improves our energy level. Some people are trained to be more self-compassionate despite failures or mistakes. They tend to bounce back from low energy levels quickly.

I have a friend who is a serial entrepreneur who has ventured into many businesses in the last 20 years, and unfortunately, many failed or shut down due to bad decisions. From a materialistic perspective, the world may perceive him as yet to be a successful entrepreneur, but what i have observed in him is a real example of self-compassion.

He always presents himself with professional attire and a smiley look and is highly energetic during any conversation. He is very active in the task throughout the day and always strives to be better in his profession. Not even a single instance he regretted his mistakes and self-critic himself.

He is clear in differentiating the wrong decisions and being a good person. That is the essence of self-compassion. He can differentiate his bad decisions/outcomes and himself as worthy. That is self-compassion. ( There is a thin line difference between being self-critical and self-realization of mistakes). i always look up to him whenever i feel low.
 
In professional life, we are bound to make many mistakes due to our decisions, thoughts, and actions. How we react when things go wrong affects our ability to differentiate ourselves and our decisions.

It is challenging to be self-compassionate as most of us choose to be harsh or blame others or the environment. It needs awareness and practice of looking at ourselves with kindness and differentiating from our mistakes.

Being self-compassionate helps to be at a high energy level, at least not at a low energy level.

Pl relate how much you are kind to yourself when you make mistakes..

Have a great week ahead.

How good are you at managing energy?

 How good are you at managing energy?   

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)

Last week, we discussed the importance of managing energy at the self-level to get things done from others in a professional environment.

I came across a checklist devised by Tony Schwartz, the Author of the book " The power of full engagement," which broadly indicates our energy management level.

This checklist may help assess our energy management level on a day-to-day basis.
 
Please Tick the statements below that are valid for you.

Body

• I don't regularly get at least seven to eight hours of sleep, and I often wake up feeling tired.
•  I frequently skip breakfast or settle for something that isn't nutritious.
•  I don't work out enough.
•  I don't take regular breaks during the day to truly renew and recharge

Emotions

• I frequently feel irritable, impatient, or anxious at work, especially when work is demanding.
• I don't have enough time with my family, and when I'm with them, I'm not always really with them.
• I have too little time for the activities I most deeply enjoy.
• I don't have time to express my appreciation to others and feel grateful for my accomplishments.

Mind

• I have difficulty focusing on one thing at a time, and I am easily distracted during the day by email and social media / WhatsApp
• I spend much of my day reacting to immediate crises and demands rather than focusing on activities with longer-term value.
• I don't take enough time for reflection, strategizing, and creative thinking.
• I work in the evenings or on weekends, and I rarely take an e-mail–free vacation.

Spirit

• I don't spend enough time at work doing what I enjoy best.
• There are significant gaps between what I say is most important to me and how I allocate my time and energy.
• My decisions at work are more often influenced by external demands than by a strong, clear sense of my purpose.
• I don't invest enough time and energy to make a positive difference to others or the world.

How is your overall energy?

Total number of statements checked: __

Guide to scores

0–3: Excellent energy management skills
4–6: Reasonable energy management skills
7–10: Significant energy management deficits
11–16: Energy management crisis
 
Having an awareness of the existing SKILL LEVEL in managing energy level,we can talk about the practical ways to improve energy management in all aspects in the next week.
 
Have a great week ahead.

Managing Energy

  Managing Energy

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)
 

As we discuss the art of getting things done in the workplace, managers/ leaders must organize themselves effectively.

We have discussed some elements of self-organization like Time Management, Managing expectations, being focused and Building Trust.

The next important element in self-organizing is Managing Energy. 
 
Managing Energy is all about how we are well-being physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
 
Why is managing Energy essential?

All energies are interrelated.
When we do not manage any one of the energy levels, it will affect other energy. Eventually, it will affect the performance and execution capabilities. For example, when we are not well physically due to some pain, it affects us emotionally as feeling low, mentally we are not in a position to concentrate on anything, and we disconnect from our purpose (spiritually).

Energy is contagious.
When you observe people with high energy levels, they always display a pleasing appearance, say a smiling face, firm tone, straight posture, and present themselves with enthusiasm. We also tend to be at a high energy level in their presence. That is why when we attend any motivational training program, the trainer displays high energy, and we are also at a high energy level. After the program, we return to our natural energy level and seek a similar energizing experience.

In a professional context, when the leader is not at a high energy level and displays a lack of enthusiasm in walking, talking, and carrying out routines, the followers also lose their energy.
No one would like to work with a lousy person with low energy levels.

You may relate to your experience with some people.

I have worked with one very charismatic, soft, and firm-spoken boss, always with enthusiasm. Everyone liked to work with him, and i never said no to him when he assigned some tasks. Relatively, he used to get things done easily. He was respected by all and quite successful in his career. The one thing i can attribute to his success is his highly energetic, enthusiastic, and influential power in the workplace.
 
From this perspective, maintaining a high energy level and being active are essential.

Let us discuss some practical ways people enhance their energy levels next week.

Have a great week ahead!
 

How to Build Trust in the workplace?

 How to Build Trust in the workplace?   

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)

 

 

Having discussed the definition of Trust in the workplace and its importance in gaining the influencing power to get things done, now let us understand how some effective people build Trust among their colleagues and clients.

As mentioned, building trust is not a one-time activity; it is a continuous effort. An individual must earn it despite being given any positional status or designation.

There is no single path to building Trust. It combines many repetitive behaviors and practices by which we can build Trust in character and competency.

Listed below are some of my observations from effective people whom i admire most for their effort in building Trust. They build Trust over some time and gain respect in their respective field or industry.

Demonstrating consistency:

Being consistent is one of the founding stones for building Trust. We generally do not like uncertainties and prefer certainty as it gives comfort. When someone is consistent in their behavior and does what they say consistently,it gives comfort to trust them.

Would you trust a person who delivers inconsistently in terms of timeline commitment?

Ease of approachability:

A person who is easily approachable either physically or digitally is believed more trustworthy than a person who cannot be easily reachable.

i have observed some people respond to the mail within a day or two, even if they agree or disagree with the content. Some people are disciplined to return the mobile call if they miss it the first time due to being preoccupied with something. That is approachability.

When we deal with those people, we feel the friendliness and enhance Trust.

More focused on business:

They are more focused on business than gossiping and spending time on the nitty-gritty of tasks or petty things. When we deal with those people, we feel secure, and the security feeling enhances Trust.

Admit mistakes and being vulnerable:

They openly admit when they make mistakes to show their confidence in themselves. Some people admit when they do not know the answer to the question than trying to give solutions for everything. That behavior of demonstrating confidence enhances Trust and their solutions.

Connect with care:

They look at the problems from others' views and display empathy for others which enhances Trust.

You may add something more from your experience. 

The point is that the trust-building process combines many efforts and being consistent in our positive behavior. It takes time; however, it is worth building to enhance our influencing power to get things done in the workplace.

Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy, prosperous new year ahead!

Need for Trust Building in a professional environment

 Need for Trust Building in a professional environment  

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)

 

Having discussed the definition of building trust in a professional environment last week, let us understand the need for building trust to get things done.

Trust is an essential evergreen quality in any relationship in the workplace, and it can be between a boss and junior colleagues or among colleagues.

Need for building Trust

1) When we have trust in something or someone, it indirectly enhances influencing power to get things done.

For example, when we want to purchase something online, we prefer AMAZON over any other new, unknown e-commerce portal. We have more trust in the amazon brand, which influences the transaction ( things getting done).

In the same way, if we trust someone ( they earned their trust from us), they have more power over us to get things done.

The point is to influence anyone in the professional environment; the primary ingredient is building trust in character, competency, or both.

2) And today's change in the working environment calls for influencing rather than commanding, which indirectly demands trust building. 

The workplace relationship is changing from commanding to inspiring to get things done.

The change could be due to social changes, affordabilities, and opportunities compared to the past. Earlier, people look up to someone for knowledge, information, age, and experience they possess. Now with the abundance of information available thanks to digital evolution and humungous opportunities across the world for survival and growth, people are no more looking up to someone for the reason stated above.

Instead, people are now looking up to someone for their wisdom, insights, mentoring, or solution-providing capabilities for specific challenges. When someone demonstrates consistently, trust is built, and they become inspired and an influencer. They can get things done relatively easier than others.
 
For any one-time transaction or short-term benefits, commanding or pushing may help to get things done. Building trust is required if you are looking for a long-term association, positively influencing others to get things done, and peaceful transaction between you and others.

You shall deserve yourself as a person to look up to only when you develop yourself and you are proven as "TRUSTED "by your colleagues or networks.

In the above context, trust-building becomes essential.

Let us discuss the approaches for developing trust-building next week.
 
Have a great week ahead.

Building Trust

  Building Trust 

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)

 

As we discuss the art of getting things done in the workplace, managers/ leaders must organize themselves effectively. We have discussed some elements of "organizing self," like Time management, Managing expectations, and Being focused.

The next important element in self-organizing is BUILDING TRUST.
 
What is meant by Trust?
 
Trust is a conviction or strong belief we have in others on some qualities which are built slowly, through repeated interactions or behaviors.
 
To understand this definition easily, let us relate our association with some brands or companies.

We have a strong belief about some brands or companies that their product or service is either reliable or value for money or the best user experience, and so on. This strong belief comes from the repeated experience we have gained from using their product or service.

For example, we firmly believe that the TATA brand means it is reliable; APPLE brand means Innovation; AMAZON means convenience in online purchasing; INFOSYS means Governance, and so on. That is Trust.

From a business perspective, we term it as branding; however, business is all about connecting with people's emotions, which is TRUST.

Similarly, in the professional setup, we develop strong beliefs or convictions with some people for some qualities. That emotional connection is TRUST.
 
For example, we trust some people for their punctuality since they demonstrate it regularly over some time.
We never consider a person being punctual if they demonstrate punctuality only on a few occasions or once in a while.
We trust some people as problem solvers as they demonstrate their thought leadership in some subjects regularly over some time.
We never consider a person as a solution provider if they demonstrate once in a while or few situations.
We trust some people as dependable since they demonstrate their commitment on time without follow-up.
 
From the above examples, Building Trust Consists of 2 elements

• Repeatability
• Long-time duration

 Trust needs to be earned by an individual; it is not given by position or title.
 
You may relate yourself to what qualities your peers / junior colleagues trust you most.
 
Let us discuss the relevance of building Trust with execution capabilities and the ways of building Trust in a professional environment in the next week.

Have a great week ahead.

Book on "Execution"

  Book on "Execution"   

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)
 

                           

Related to our topic on " Execution Excellence- Ability to get things done " in a professional environment, introducing the book " Execution" written by world-renowned Management thinker, and CEO coach " Ram charan " along with other two authors.

The Author Ram charan defines execution as a discipline than conventional thinking as either art or skill. And the authors explain how strategy, people and operations can be integrated to get things done in a competitive organization with their practical / client's examples.

Read the book recently.In my opinion, this book is not for beginners,however,it is a good read  for those people who get into senior management and practicing business heads to get a wide perspective on the execution capabilities at both self-level and for inculcating the capabilities in the organization.

Recommend to senior professionals.

https://amzn.to/3FjJ80Y

Have a great week ahead.

Staying focused in a day to day life

  Staying focused in a day to day life 

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)

As part of managing self to get things done, one of the self-development areas is being focused. Last few weeks, we have discussed how the leaders demonstrate the focus in the organization and make the team also focus at the macro level/organization level / medium term.

Now let us discuss how effectively people stay focused in day-to-day activities/micro level / individual level.

It is very challenging to remain focused on our daily activities and results as distractions may be created by ourselves through our practices and others. Some effective people overcome by consciously practicing some behaviors which i observe and learn from them.

1. They have clarity about what they want or what agenda to fulfill in a day.
2. They maintain a "To do list" on a piece of paper and ensure to check at the end of the day.
3. They convert their agenda into key performance indicators (KPIs) that they measure and track periodically. We speak ideas most and forget them, but converting the idea into metrics will improve the focus.
4. They will always start with END. This habit will help them focus on the result rather than being distracted by the activities.
5. They are more prudent about "what not to do or what not to talk" about than what to do. Focus is all about what not to do and what to do.

In one of the firms, the business head casually shared his plan to go about technology degradation through investment. The team was then working on solving quality issues in the existing technology. When they heard about the business head's plan for upgradation, they stopped working on problem-solving. They pointed out the new technology could be the panacea for all the problems ...complete focus distraction!! by sharing untimely information.

6. They manage and conduct the meetings very well, as distractions mostly happen in meeting forums. They organize themselves very well by certain behaviors like putting the mobile in silent mode, going by the agenda, taking notes, and involving all stakeholders.
7. Even if someone distracts from the agenda, they will bring it back to the agenda quickly as they know it is one of the core jobs of chairing the meetings. Sometimes when the discussion gets into conflict, they brilliantly handle it or, worst case, make it offline to remain focused.

 
You might have observed the above behaviors and something more.
 
The point is that staying focused is a choice irrespective of the environment, and this is one of the mindsets that help us to stay focused. When we, as leaders/managers, remain focused, the team will also stay focused and enable us to get things done.

Have a great week ahead.

Being focused-How do effective people display?

 Being focused-How do effective people display?  

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)

As part of "managing self" to get things done, one of the self-development areas is being focused. Last week, we discussed how the leaders demonstrate the focus in the organization and make the team also focus.

In continuation of it one more example in the Indian automobile industry is Bajaj auto's transformation from being a domestic scooter manufacturing organization to one of the world's largest exporters of motorcycle organizations in a decade.

Before 2000, Bajaj auto was widely known as a scooter manufacturing company with a decent presence in motorcycles. They focused more on the Indian market, with a sizable market share in the two-wheeler industry. That is the legacy created by Rahul Bajaj as a founder. In 2005, the next generation Rajiv Bajaj took the managing director role and decided to focus only on motorcycles to take the company globally and dropped the scooter business completely. At that time, there was skepticism about his decision to leave the scooter legacy even at the family and industry levels.
Despite all the concerns and noises, he single-mindedly focussed only on motorcycles, developed new products in all the ranges, tied up with many international companies as partners, and exported to many countries apart from the domestic market.

To cut short the story, today, Bajaj is exporting to more than 70 countries, and the export sales are around 53 % of its overall sales. No other Indian company achieved this sales performance. The other achievements are company is globalized and cash rich.
 
Now having achieved significant results in motorcycles, he is again entering into the  EV scooter segment with the old brand of Chetak.

That is the focus till achieving the result.

Scholars and Business consultants may define the above achievement as strategy or specialization, but i  see it as a demonstration of the focus of the business head to get things done without distraction. Most of us are good at planning and need to be more disciplined in execution. That calls for focus as a behavior.

In this way, only the leader demonstrates to others what is priority or focus, and the team or organization is also focused.

Let us discuss how effective people demonstrate the focus on a day-to-day basis next week
.
Have a great week ahead.

Being Focused

 Being Focused 

(Execution Excellence -"Ability to get things done" Series)

 

As we discuss the art of getting things done in the workplace, managers/ leaders must organize themselves effectively. In line with this, we have discussed the importance of managing time and expectations. The next aspect of managing self is FOCUS.

What is meant by FOCUS?

Focus means directing our thoughts, energy, and time into something. It is beyond the ordinary meaning of concentration in a single activity.

From an execution capability development of point of view, focus means knowing the priority and pursuing it till the end without distraction.

The priority can be achieving the task or business goal, strengthening relationships with stakeholders, building a foundation or stability, etc.

Most of us need clarity on WHAT to focus on and HOW to remain focused in any endeavor.

Focus is one of the leadership skills which can be acquired through awareness and practice.

Why is FOCUS required for anyone?

• When we don't focus on the result, we quickly get distracted with activities and end up managing activities or being busy rather than getting things done.

• When we do not intend to complete the task or achieve some goal, how can we expect our colleagues, peers, and junior colleagues to stick to our plan? People follow a leader who is focused on the end objective.

A few years ago, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates were asked, "what is the single factor that contributes to your success?" Both immediately responded with one word: FOCUS

FOCUS differentiates between dreamers and achievers in any profession.

Staying focused is essential, but it is not easy for everyone to remain focused as numerous distractions and opportunities will derail.Effective executives always begin with the end in mind and remain focused till they reach the end.Hence they are quite effective in getting things done.

Let us discuss how effective people trained themselves to remain focused and the behaviors they display to others to stay focused next week.

Have a great week ahead.