Often, the real problem comes when there are multiple options: a choice between two very different careers, choosing between two or more equally appealing companies to work for, selecting the right option between pursuing higher studies and landing a plum job.

In most of these cases my clients go through a detailed analysis of their options. In the case where a client has multiple job options they will analyze the salary package, promotional possibilities, a company’s competitive position, market trends, and so on. Once they have armed themselves with these analyses they come to me with their preference, which is often a result of picking something based on pure analysis.

But, when I ask them how do they feel about working at the company—or the boss—they have selected, sometimes the response I get from them is different from the one stemming from the pure analysis of the parameters they chose to dissect. As we get in a deeper discussion about their feelings, if there is a conflict between what the analysis (logic) indicates and what their feeling (heart) prompts they often feel paralyzed by their inability to choose between what their mind is telling them and what their heart is prompting them.

It is here when I intervene and ask them to listen to their gut (intuition). In my view your gut derives its signals from your intuitive powers. In most cases your intuitive powers have the ability to dig far deeper than any complex analysis, and any emotional sense you may have about a decision. Intuition is a gift that we all have, and it comes from synthesis of many factors that go beyond merely what your mind and heart can fathom. It often comes as a flash!

In most cases when they are confused between competing options, after listening to the logical (mind) and emotional (heart) components to choose from, the winning choice for the client comes from listening to their intuition (gut). So, when you are faced with a difficult choice between competing options, here is my guidance on how to come to the right decision:

1. If you have many options from which to choose, discard those that are unworthy of any further consideration and narrow your choice to a select few.
2. Do a thorough analysis of each remaining option through rigorous breakdown of elements that have impact in your life now, and in the future.
3. Consult your loved ones and share your analysis, and why that is prompting you to choose the best option so far. Present your conclusion to those, who are going to be affected by your choice, and have an open discussion of the pros and cons.
4. It is at this point that you need to bring in the feeling factor (your heart) in the decision-making process. Your family members will give their inputs based on their own needs and how they see you in your everyday relationships with them now and in the future (when you make the impending change).
5. If there is conflict between what your analysis (mind) is prompting you to do, and what your feelings (heart signals) are suggesting as a result of your discussion with your family, it is time to rely on your intuition.
6. Go away and reflect on the pros and cons of your decision based on your analysis and your feelings, and meditate on the possibilities in the privacy of your own thoughts.
7. Consult an expert—in the matters of job and career, a career coach—and present your thoughts using the expert as an objective sounding board. Let the expert challenge you in your assessment of which choice would be best. Do not let the expert dictate you the final choice. If they do walk away from them.
8. As you get involved in coming to the right decision you will often have a sudden flash of new insight (your intuition is now kicking in), which will give you a very different perspective of what the change means, and what the right change to make for you is.
9. Loop back with your family and share your insight. Let them share their thoughts about your insights. At this point you must listen to all inputs with care. At this point you may be surprised to learn how your intuited decision suits everyone’s agenda.

10.  Once you have gone through these steps you are ready to make the final decision. Go ahead and take the plunge, and do not look back. In most cases a decision so made will be the best one for you.

Good luck!

Enjoy!

It’s been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes two years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It’s a rule!

Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense

of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to possess a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish.

They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold many meetings, and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

• Sweden has 2 million inhabitants

• Stockholm has 500,000 people

• Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, are some of its renowned companies. Volvo even supplies to NASA.

The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at the

hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2,000 employees arrive in their car to work).

The first day, I didn’t say anything, neither the second or third days. One morning I asked him, “Do you have a fixed parking space? I’ve noticed we

park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot.” He replied, “Since we’re here early we’ll have time to walk, don’t you

think that those get in late will need a place closer to the door?”

Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there’s a movement in Europe named Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart, Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.

Basically, the movement questions the sense of “hurry” and “craziness”

generated by globalization, fuelled by the desire of “having in quantity”

(life status) versus “having with quality,” “life quality,” or the “quality

of being”.

French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity going up by 20%. This slow attitude has come to the notice of the USA, the pupils of the fast and “do it now” brigade.

This no-rush attitude doesn’t represent doing less or having a lower

productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality,

productivity, perfection, with attention to detail, and with less stress. It means re-establishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the “now,” present, and concrete, versus the “global,” undefined and illusory.

It means taking humans’ essential values, the simplicity of living. It

stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter, and more productive work place where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It’s time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence.

In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there’s a scene where Al Pacino asks a

girl to dance and she replies, “I can’t, my boyfriend will be here any

minute now.” To which Al Pacino responds, “A life is lived in an instant.”

Then they dance the tango!

Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only catch up when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious to live for the future that they forget to live the present,

which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time throughout

the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in what each one of

us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said,

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

Congratulations for reading this email till the end of this message. There

are many who will have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in this “Globalized” world, where we have more important and pressing things to do!

When an individual contributor is promoted to become a first-level manager that change signifies a profound shift in how one needs to manage their work from then on!

Why?

An individual contributor is acknowledged for excellence in their work by promoting them to a first-level manager. The company’s management is granting this rare reward because it sees the individual contributor’s value and their management potential. The person getting this promotion is not entirely sure of what that entails other than knowing that suddenly they will be responsible for managing the work output of those reporting to them, a first experience that is not grounded in any preparation other than perhaps remotely watching their own manager and others around them as to what is expected of them as managers. Most newly promoted first-level managers are under the misapprehension that since they have been promoted for their great individual contributions they must do more of the same to be seen as doing well as a manager in their new role. Since no one has told them what the functions of a manager are they assume that other than directing their subordinates on how they should do their work there is nothing different about doing management work to do well in that role!

They are dead wrong!

For starters, there is no correlation between management work and the work of someone as an individual contributor. A manager is expected to perform four functions of management:

Lead,

Organize,

Plan, and

Set up Controls.

Each of these functions, in turn, has a number of activities that fall under them. For example, Lead subsumes under it: recruiting and developing new talent, communicating, initiating change, motivating people under you, making decisions, among others. Other three also have their own tasks that, together, make an articulate and inseparable system.

The only place where an individual contributor’s technical work is relevant in a manager’s role is in making the right work assignment (the “what” and the “who”) and evaluating the work done by their subordinates (using Controls and objectively measuring their output). This does not require that the manager re-do the work already done by their subordinates so that it looks like what the manager might have done as an individual contributor, but to check for its accuracy and quality, providing constructive feedback to improve the skill levels of those who report to them. Not knowing this, many first-level managers often roundly pan the work done by their subordinates and then spend wasteful time redoing it the way they might have done it; all of this without adding any value to the process! In fact by so doing, they suck the very oxygen from the process that grows the team and to create an environment of positive leadership. Since a first-level manager is responsible for several individual contributors the amount of time they need to spend to re-do everyone’s work (unnecessarily) is inestimably large. Also, in the process of doing this they have not only alienated their team, but have also created a morale problem.

What a manager should do, instead, is set parameters around the work their subordinates do (Lead, set up Controls) and create clear expectations about how that work will be evaluated (Plan, Organize), holding them accountable and giving them feedback to improve their skills (Set up Controls, Lead). Shifting one’s mindset to apply your energies in new direction (from an individual contributor to a manager expected to perform these four management functions) requires a disciplined mind and shifted perspective, which is not always easy to come for someone who has never done this before. Herein lies the rub for most first-level manager’s leadership growth: How does one quickly shift their outlook from doing hands-on work to setting up ways to get this work done by others without your having to redo it? How do you inspire others to do better than they would do on their own, without redoing what they do? This is at the heart of what a first-level (or any level) manager must do.

So, here is my prescription for new first-level managers and their bosses to become effective managers:

1. Understand the difference between management work and technical work
2. Understand the four functions of management and what their breakdown tasks are
3. Find the balance between the technical and management work you must do at your level. The balance shifts in the direction of more management work as you move up the chain.
4. Do the work that only you can do and delegate all other work
5. Shift your focus from “right,” “wrong,” to understanding the context and from shepherding technical minutia to managing relationships.
6. Understand how to manage upwards and maintain a good balance between managing upwards and downwards
7. Hold people clearly accountable. Those who consistently fall short must be removed from your team (even terminated) to keep the team morale high.
8. Seek feedback from those around you (360 degrees) and learn how to become an effective leader. Not all managers are effective leaders. Management is not merely barking orders and punishing people. If you understand the four functions of management you are half-way there!
9. Get help from others who are seen as good managers and see if you can develop your own management style.
10. Understand the difference between leadership and management and keep working at being an effective manger until you get it!

Good luck!

This article is about another “F” word that I deal with almost daily in my coaching practice: Failure! In my Client Intake Questionnaire one of the questions is, What would you attempt to do if you knew that you would not fail.

I purposely designed this question to elicit from my clients before we engage what dreams they hold that they would like to fulfill in this lifetime and what coaching help they could use to get there. Here, I am expecting some lofty responses such as, I would like to change the way the world looks at poverty and eradicate it; I would change the way people look at race and bring equality, etc. But, because a large percentage of my client pool is technology based most of the responses tend to be grounded in technology. For example someone might respond by saying, I’d devise a single chip that does…., etc.

I think that the problem here is not of not having big enough imagination or ambition to state your lofty dream, but it is that of the fear of failure from not having accomplished that dream. This is a real tragedy! What I find in my coaching practice is how consistently and how deeply most clients discount themselves: their potential, their abilities, and what they can achieve if they just set their mind to it.

The reality is that those who clearly state their lofty ambitions and diligently work on their agreed plans, start heading in the direction of their goal a lot faster than they ever imagined. Some are even pleasantly surprised by how it all came together for them once they surrendered themselves to their vision and committed to it.

So, what is the secret to achieving what you truly wish to attain? Well, here are my observations about the pattern I see in why certain clients “succeed:”

1. Your dream or vision must be grounded in true purpose and not in some dehydrated and ersatz yardstick that you think is important to others: Wealth, fame, power, adoration, etc. By focusing in what others view as important you become their proxy and you focus on those goals as important. Often, these outcomes are the by-products of achieving your juicy dream and are not their intended outcome.
2. Decide for yourself what you want to do and what you want to BE. Now you have chosen your own path and not someone else’s. Once you are on that Path your life begins to have a greater purpose. Once you are driven by your purpose some mysterious forces begin to create tailwinds for you to help you move forward in ways that you cannot, if you do not have this alignment of purpose.
3. Shift your focus from “Success” to “Achievement.” Success often has Failure as its opposite and that can scare many from even trying. But, focusing on achievement, instead, is empowering. So, for an entrepreneur their achievement could be that they started a new venture that they always wanted to start. “Success” in the context of our societal norms depends on so many uncontrolled and uncontrollable parameters that if things do not line-up the outcome should not be held hostage to your trying out your dream.
4. Focus on the learning more than on the outcome. When people succeed in whatever it is that they undertake it is difficult to identify exactly what caused them to be successful. But, when they do not succeed in achieving their goals, the lessons learned are invaluable. Fail early, fail often, and fail big for really big lessons and quickly!
5. Take advice from others but do not let them be your proxy in how you drive yourself. Hear them out but finally listen to your own self. Trust your instincts and believe in yourself.
6. Avoid copying what worked for someone else. If there is a template that works use that template, but do not blindly copy someone to duplicate their success.
7. Replace the “F” word with the “L” word. So, no matter what the outcome is you have always Learned something.
8. Stay connected with positive risk takers who methodically—not recklessly—deal with risks and conquer them. Also, hold positive thoughts about what you are doing and how this is going to turn out. Once you program your mind to stamp out any negative thoughts you would be surprised by how much clarity you create in moving forward to achieve what you set out to achieve.
9. Remember that there are many famous people who died broke: Charles Goodyear, Samuel Johnson, Leonardo da Vinci. So, what are you afraid of?
10. Now, go and write to Joe Biden that there is yet another “F” word that he should avoid in his lexicon. Also, go after your dream and make it come to life!

I often have clients who come to me asking, how is that when I answered ALL the interview questions and aced them I was not offered the job?! During an interview most candidates pay so much attention to their verbal responses that they do not keep the most important part of the interview in proper focus—how they communicate their “inner” message and how they decode the one transmitted by the interviewer in the same exchange. There is an entirely different dynamic at play here, while the verbal exchange is going on. It is as if there are mystical factors conspiring to make or break your interview on the basis of your subconscious signals that your body is transmitting. It is understood that the verbal component of an exchange constitutes less than 10% of the exchange; the tone assumes 35% and body language, a whopping 55%. There is unique and unambiguous signaling protocol of the body language, which constitutes our physical vocabulary and it is a learned and managed way of communicating effectively. Actors, especially stage actors, are adept at their physical vocabulary to master the right affect with the audience. Interestingly, much of this vocabulary is universal. The following list shows what happens in an interview. Each item is codified with annotation in parentheses.

The following checklist will help you with the process where it is a 1:1 interview:

1. Once you enter the room where the interview will take place, take charge. When asked, sit comfortably in the designated chair with confidence with both feet on the ground firmly planted, not crossed. Put your briefcase down and not on the table or the desk! Relax. Smile! (Translation: I am at ease and confident! I also respect your space)
2. Look at your host and smile. Breathe easy. You are naturally anxious. Do not show it by making solicitous comments: “Gee, I am really sorry you are catching cold,” if you just saw your host sniffling. He may be allergic to something you are wearing and not really catching a cold! (Translation: Being obsequious often shows insecurity and diffidence)
3. Thank your host for taking the time for the interview. Ask politely, how much time is set for the interview, who else might see you, and anything else that is logistically relevant. (Translation: I am not afraid to take charge when appropriate)
4. Let this host launch the formal part of the interview with the first question–the informal interview began when you first shook hands! Make sure you understand the question. Generally, the first questions are easier. But, do not assume if you do not understand something. The interviewer is nervous, too; use that to your advantage. (Translation: Being present and open to asking “dumb” question actually shows that you are at ease)
5. There are two things critical to the interview dynamics: the person asking the questions is in charge of the interview; the person doing the talking is doing the selling. You should not automatically assume that your host is in charge of the interview after the first question. They are just in charge of the arrangements for the interview, and that is why they are your host! (Translation: Know how to take charge of the interview without showing it overtly).
6. One way to take charge of the interview without overtly showing that you have now done so, is to first answer the question in a leading way. Then ask back a question at the end of your response, so that the interviewer has to respond with a thoughtful answer. (Translation: “I am not here for an interrogation!”)
7. Once the interviewer launches into an answer, take brief notes on what is critical in their response. Watch their body language carefully. Do they betray a discord in stating what is being said, or do they really believe what they’re saying? (Translation: Early ethos building gives an advantage during the remainder of the interview)
8. Once you have come to this point, you have probably crossed the tipping point in who holds the control of the interview. Now you can bandy questions and answers back and forth, and you both are having a dialog, not an interrogation.  (Translation: Take your tennis racket to the interview, not your machine gun!)
9. Do not make responses to anything based on your assumptions. Do not infer anything from what you know, especially if it puts the company in a negative light. Let the interviewer suggest, rather than your insinuating something to make a point. This can back fire quickly and is very difficult to get out of!

(Translation: Staying on a positive track and with the flow of the interview will show your inner confidence and respect for the process)

10.  If you see the interviewer disengaging from the interview, as suggested by their leaning back, showing distracted gestures, or looking at their watch, quickly recognize it, and back peddle what you just said and see if you can recover. It is good to recognize early a potential derailment before it is about to happen than to wait for complete derailment or even a train wreck. (Translation: Being present and taking in all the physical cues show you’re in charge.)

11.  One clue on how the interview is going is to check the elapsed time. This is why asking up-front how long the scheduled interview is–item # 3–can be critical.  (Translation: Time flies when you are having fun)

12.  Throughout the interview, take notes, if you do not have an answer to any arcane or unexpected question, despite all your preparations, make a note of it, smile, and politely say that you would get back with an answer. In fact, this strategy will help you reconnect with the interviewer in ways not possible otherwise. (Translation: When an interview “ends” is really up to you based on how you decide to follow-up).

13.  If the interview has progressed to a heart-to-heart dialog, then it is safe to assume that you have aced the interview. You are not out of the woods yet. You’ve got to establish yourself as the only and ideal candidate. There are smart ways of asking to ascertain this. Ask the right questions, without asking how the interview went; that shows insecurity (Translation: Competence, Communication, and Confidence are the three Cs of interview success and you achieved that through proper balance of verbal and physical vocabulary)

14.  As the interview is winding down, be mindful of the time and make sure to ask questions so that, not only you get answers to these, but also, more importantly, make the interviewer think of the significance of your questions. (Translation: “ I know that asking the right questions is more important than having all the right answers.”)

15.  Throughout the interview maintain eye contact and smile in a relaxed way. Feel empowered by what is happening in front of you; your body language should project this state. You should radiate confidence, control, and calm! The interviewer will be impressed by your aplomb. (Translation: “I am comfortable having a conversation in a high-risk environment.”

16.  As the interview comes to a close and you see things are winding down–you will sense the energy–ask, at an appropriate time, what the next step is. (Translation: “I am confident in the most difficult situations.”)

17.  At the end, once again thank the interviewer for their time and express how much you learned from this exchange! Also, express that you are now even more excited about this position than before and would look forward to working for this manager. (Translation: It’s not over until it is over)

18.  On the way out make sure you pick up all your trash, put all your papers away in your case, and leave everything behind as you found it when you entered the room. The interviewer will probably escort you to the lobby or to the next spot for the interview. (Translation: Leaving a good impression is always a good idea).

The other day a client of mine came to see me, crestfallen, having been rejected from going further in the interview process right after the first round. So, I asked him what happened and he went on to tell me his tale of woes and how it got worse as the interview proceeded. I asked him what the sequence of events was during the interview, and what he proceeded to tell me sounded danger signals aloud. After he finished telling me about his defeat I began to reflect on what happened in his case and what happens in general when similar situations arise during an interview:

1. If you are going to an interview—even your first screening call—go as if this is your first date, where you have to be on your best behavior. This does not mean that you want to start this process with a lie or with a pack of lies to protect your options, but it means that you must disclose the appropriate information strategically to keep the entire discussion on a positive track.
2. Early interviews are typically with low-level screeners, so you have to be cautious in how you present any information that may quickly disqualify you from moving forward. Instead of saying, Sorry I am not very coherent today, I had too much to drink last night before driving home. This shows three things that are irresponsible: You did not plan to stay alert for your screening interview; you drove home drunk; and worst of all, you went drinking before an important event. In your desire to be honest and to disclose fully your situation you just compromised your prospects for moving forward. If you must acknowledge your groggy state, if you cannot avoid it, it might be better to say, I took some over-the-counter pills to deal with the cold and I guess I am reacting to it. Best is to say nothing.
3. If you were fired from your previous job it is best to not go into the details about your incompetent boss, lousy company, and the snitches in your team. Just say that we both realized that the fit was not as we expected and decided to mutually separate, and leave it at that. If you move ahead with further interviews and the topic comes up, bring it up appropriately without bad-mouthing anyone or your past company.
4. If you have something adverse on you that is readily known, first Google yourself and find out. This takes just a few seconds. Sometimes, the interviewer has already done this and if you do not preemptively deal with it early in the interview when it is in the right context, you might get disqualified from moving further.
5. If you get caught in telling something that might derail your interview catch yourself early and stop before it is too late. In one instance a client applying for a law-enforcement position went on and on about sexual habits in an interview and was disqualified because the agency did not want to take any chances with this one.  Most of the disclosure was gratuitous. The other problem with early disclosures of truths about yourself is that the other person might infer, if this what I am hearing in our first encounter I wonder what else this person has to tell me when we get to know better.
6. Do not casually make statements about your personal life that may disclose details to disqualify you. Instead of saying, I need to wrap up here because I need to watch my grand kids next door, say that I have a tennis game planned later, so we need to stop at 4:00 PM. If you deem this to be a lie then stop from saying anything at all.

Initial screening or early interviews are designed to quickly disqualify candidates, so keep that in mind and manage your message to keep your options protected. Do not lie, but that does not mean that you must disclose everything about yourself in the first 15 minutes.

Almost everyone is an entrepreneur at heart! Some go about becoming one aggressively, some wait for the right opportunity, and yet others pine away wondering what the next opportunity and the right conditions may be for them to start their venture, and keep wondering!

As a starting point a self-assessment is always a good idea. The test, called the Isenberg Entrepreneur Test, was developed by a business professor and is based on years of study of successful entrepreneurs at Harvard University. I have modified this test to incorporate my own experience with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and of those around the world. So, here it goes (and answer honestly):

1. I don’t like being told what to do by people who are less capable than I am.
2. I like challenging myself.
3. I like to accomplish things and occasionally win.
4. Not only do I know what to do, I know how to get it done!
5. I like being my own boss.
6. I don’t want to die wondering!
7. I always look for new and better ways to do things.
8. I like to question conventional wisdom.
9. I like to get people together in order to get things done.

10.  People get excited by my ideas; I get jazzed when people respond positively to mine!

11.  I am rarely satisfied or complacent.

12.  I can’t sit still.

13.  I can usually work my way out of a difficult situation.

14.  I would rather fail at my own thing than succeed at someone else’s.

15.  Whenever there is a problem, I am ready to jump right in.

16.  I think old dogs can learn—even invent—new tricks.

17.  Members of my family run their own businesses.

18.  I have friends who run their own businesses.

19.  I worked after school and during vacations when I was growing up.

20.  I get an adrenaline rush from selling things.

21.  I am an Introvert, but I know how to team with others to get what I want

22.  I am exhilarated by achieving results.

23.  People often underestimate their capabilities. I want to use that to build a great team and a great business by inspiring them.

24.  I am OK with running a business that is not glamorous.

25.  I could have written a better test than this (and here is what I would change …).

(Note: If you noticed “I want to be rich” and “I like to take risks” aren’t on the test, give yourself extra credit. The professor’s study shows that a desire for wealth and risky behavior aren’t core traits of successful entrepreneurs.)

If you answered “yes” to at least 20 of the questions, you should be running your own show. If you think that the economy is bad right now, Hewlett-Packard, FedEx, and Farmers’ Insurance were started in severe economic downturns. Colonel Sanders was 70 when he started KFC and Ray Kroc was over 55 when he pursued franchising McDonalds!

So, get on with it!

1. Why is it so important for executives to have accountability, both in their personal and professional lives? How can this help them more successfully achieve their goals? Can/will such a strategy help executives become committed to achieving their goals and retain their focus on their end goals? Can this help them remain motivated?

Dilip

An executive’s success is measured by the results they produce in growing, both the top and the bottom lines of a business. Ideas, visions, and promises are plentiful, but what differentiates a winner from the rest is their ability to execute and deliver results. For a successful executive delivering results requires clear accountabilities and setting up responsibilities so that there is no doubt who has done what to create the right outcomes. This is hard work and it constantly demands inspiration for the front-liners. This inspiration is best provided by clear examples of leadership and not by merely repeating empty exhortations.

Dilip

Executive success requires clear accountabilities and to set an example they must set their own standards of holding themselves accountable beyond reproach. This is hard for many, so they must work on setting the right tone of accountability across the entire chain of command and throughout the organization. Recent study of women-led organizations has shown that women CEOs outperformed male-led businesses by a substantial margin (in FY-2009) and beat S&P returns also by large margins. One reason for their success has been their ability to hold others clearly accountable and by measuring everyone by the same objective standards of performance.

There is no greater motivator than the one coming from creating successful outcomes. This requires leadership, discipline, and clear accountability, starting from the top.

2. Sometimes it really is difficult to accomplish those goals without the support and guidance of trusted connections (friends, mentors, peers). How should an executive select his/her “accountability group”? Who should be included in the group? And what type of guidance should they be able to offer? (personal experience) What kinds of issues can an accountability group help address? (business challenges, etc.) Can this also be accomplished in a larger (and sometimes less formal) networking meeting setting or should it be a more personal exchange?

Dilip

When it comes to delivering on the personal front, in reality, the same rules apply. You cannot have two different sets of rules for personal and business accountabilities. Support groups have been shown to be more effective when overcoming something negative—obesity, anger management, addiction, and keeping fit through exercise—than they are when achieving something positive—a promotion, growth, or personal development goals. For stopping something negative often a support group can play a major role in keeping you on the right path. Such a support group can play an influential role in keeping one on track by reciprocal gestures: you provide someone critical inputs and they, in turn, reciprocate by being equally critical in keeping you on track. Support groups thus help each other through sharing of common goals and sharing their experiences to keep everyone motivated. But, even there, when it comes to action and results there is not substitute for taking charge of your own destiny.

When it comes to professional success such support groups do not always work. Why? One reason is, perhaps, because it is much easier to give advice than it is to make it work and to create the right outcomes for others. Because, peer groups, when it comes to helping someone else become successful, and letting them make you successful, in return, work less effectively than the groups that help you overcome personal weaknesses such as weight loss and addiction. Metaphorically, support groups are more effective safety nets than they are promoters of achievements; they are good at rescuing an errant fellow human being than they are at making someone else a hero! Heroes often have to fight their own personal battles. Such endeavors can often benefit more from hooking up with a personal coach than they do from joining a support group—even a purposefully designed one! Perhaps it is the basic human nature to feel good about rescuing someone than it is helping someone become a success. So, be careful in setting up a support group that does not have your basic interest at its heart. In such matters there is no substitute for holding oneself totally accountable.

3. How often should an executive meet with his accountability group? How much should an executive rely on his “board of advisors” for guidance? Sometimes leaders are afraid to share their concerns with others and/or take advice from other individuals. Can an accountability group help them overcome such concerns?

Dilip

The success of participating in an accountability group depends on how much you are willing to disclose and how much help you expect to get from the group as a whole. Executive leadership has unique challenges, not all of which can be easily articulated, framed, and presented for a reasonable solution. The meeting frequency of such a group should depend on how effective they are able to provide support to each person in that group and how much the group feels rewarded by how they create the right outcomes each time.

4. If an executive is asked to become part of an accountability group, what are the benefits to all involved? How can advising other executives help an executive with his own career and issues? What are some of the qualities of an “advice giver”? How can this become a win-win for all group participants?

Dilip

Forming such groups for the right support that will benefit all participants is the most important decision. Once again, when it comes to disabusing the negative—weight, addiction, negative behaviors, and personal growth—can be good topics for addressing through such groups. But, when it comes to creating executive accountabilities and career matters for personal growth the utility and effectiveness of such groups can be a matter of each design and how the group is organized, including the expectations of the participants. Individual coaching can be far more meaningful in such cases.

5. How are the processes used (through this accountability group) able to be transferred to help executives achieve both professional goals and personal goals? Can the same formula be used if an executive is trying to accomplish personal goals (such as those connected with health and wellness)? And can this be used for all facets of an executive’s career, from job search to career development (to gain knowledge regarding various business ideas and issues)?

Dilip

Groups of peers helping each other can do a much better job of helping participants in their personal growth and overcoming negative behaviors. When it comes to professional success, humans tend to be very competitive and they are reluctant to share their growth patterns, needs, and recipes with others readily. So, before setting such a support group be careful what the human needs are.

6. Is accountability required for executives to move to the next place in their careers as well as their personal lives? If they find that it’s missing in their lives, what can they do – in addition to creating an accountability group – to achieve it?

Dilip

Accountability comes from personal commitment to a cause—any cause. Without that accountability and personal commitment nothing useful can ever be achieved. It is required in both their personal lives and in their professional lives. The only difference stems from how the outcomes impact one’s immediate livelihood: a missed target can jeopardize the annual bonus, so keeping on tract there is not just a matter of personal pride, but of economic benefit. On the other hand not losing all that weight you signed-up for is not going to create an immediate jeopardy to everyday existence. This is where holding oneself accountable regardless of the benefit—economic or not—is critical.

By any standards, this year has been a whirlwind period with many sudden developments and some exciting changes. The financial headache that started late in 2008 came to full convulsion early this year with frozen credit to a point where even established businesses, which enjoyed AAA credit rating before, had to borrow cash from whatever sources available—as GE did from Warren Buffet’s personal account!—to keep their businesses financed. The new Obama administration brought with it its own excitement and anticipation—and uncertainty.

The result of these shifts was a major regrouping for most corporations, where they had to re-purpose themselves and put aside their carefully crafted yearly strategic plans just to deal with the tsunami. Now that the economy is on the uptick it is time to repair some of the damage that has been done as a result of this uncertainty and to revisit what they started a year ago to get back on track. The following is a checklist of what executives can focus on as the year comes to a close:
I. Most employees have been shell-shocked by witnessing the massive lay-offs of those around them and are facing “survivors’ guilt.” The managers who laid them off (and the HR people involved) are also suffering from “executioners’ shame!” Starting with the employees and managers it is a good idea to reassure them that better times are now ahead and that they should focus on serving the customer and that they should not worry about further lay-offs. This is an important step in stabilizing morale at the workplace.
II. Many companies ignored the customers during the tough times and got focused on cutting costs, reducing services, and treating customer as an impediment to their objectives. It is time to revisit that mindset and start repairing the damage caused by it. Everyone in the company must be reminded that they are in their jobs because of the customers and they must keep customers their top priority.
III. Many companies are working with minimal staff forcing those employed to put in inordinate hours just to keep up. Hiring additional help, even contract workers, will show that the company appreciates their extra efforts and is now ready to provide them some relief.
IV. Working with teams for finding avenues to make the entire organization more agile to deal with changes that cycle through economies, playing havoc if the organization cannot deal with them adequately. Agility is the next competency that all organizations are going to have to develop.
V. Providing employees some avenues of support for their own professional development—which was put aside for cost reasons during the year—must be brought back to develop loyalty and to increase employee value to the organization.
VI. Finding new ways to be more effective, not just efficient, to free employees from boredom at work and unleashing their creativity. Providing a work environment where repetitive and boring tasks are handled through automation and robust processes is one way to reward employees through better work environment.
Many of the initiatives that organizations undertake such as team building, cost cutting, quality improvement, and productivity enhancement, among others, as a reaction to changing environment must now be integrated in everyday workings as each employee’s habits. Managers must set up infrastructure, measurements, and provide incentives to make these habits a part and parcel of their job description. This is now required because the uncertainties that we saw in 2009 are going to be more of a norm than an exception. So, to deal with this every organization must have its act together to be able to succeed despite these uncertainties. The spirit of renewal must also suffuse through all executive actions as the year comes to a close. This will provide a reenergized outlook on the part of employees to rededicate themselves to their jobs in the coming New Year!

2. What are some individual goals an executive should now work to achieve? Do these include networking and other career management efforts?

On the personal front many executives suffered through a traumatic year because of their changed responsibilities during very tough times. In the processes their personal and family lives took a toll. The first order of business for most executives on their personal front is to bring back some balance to their work-life calculus. Work-life integration is a less stressful phrase to describe what must be achieved because work-life “balance” is almost impossible to achieve without causing stress by adhering to the very concept of balance.

The next priority is to build the friendships back and to nurture them where a good support system is once again available in times of crises. Networking with peers and professionals is the next priority. Because in these uncertain times you must have a strong network to land on your feet when going gets tough even for you.

If you feel burnt out and are looking for a career change this is the time to visit a career coach and get some guidance on how to pursue your passion to reenergize yourself and rededicate the next phase of your life to a new and exciting pursuit.

3. How can an executive best determine which goals deserve the most attention at this point in the year? How should he or she prioritize these goals, and perhaps designate some goals to instead work on in 2010?

The goals that deserve the most attention are those that allow you to keep your business going, especially because how little time is now left before the dawn of the new year. So, if the revenues are down and profits are suffering this year it is time to do some end-runs to achieve those goals to the best of your abilities. If your actions now will better position the business in the coming year it is time to focus on those so that as the new year approaches you are better positioned to move forward in earnest.

4. If these goals are related to tasks that executives don’t like or aren’t good at (and perhaps that’s why they haven’t accomplished them yet), what suggestions would you offer to help them get over their apprehension (or procrastination, if that is the true cause)?

Regardless of your affinity to doing a particular task or completing a favorite goal its importance to the success of your company must be well recognized. If there is a good correlation between completing the task/goal and the future success of the company then you must find avenues to completing that goal. Delegate the task, hire an expert, seek guidance, ask peers for help, find some inspiration from others who have completed similar tasks. You cannot afford to let your aversion to completing an important task get in the way of your company’s success. That is selfish and self-defeating. Besides, conquering something new by overcoming your aversion to a task that is abhorrent to you, but that which must be done as a part of your duty, is inherently rewarding!

5. Is now the best time to focus only on these goals or should executives also work on building (and attacking) a list of goals for 2010?

Time flows continuously. The yearly end of a business cycle is only for the accounting books and the Wall Street. So, if you have missed your numbers this year it is your duty to redouble your efforts to make-up for them in the coming year. Sometimes it takes a heroic effort to catch up before a deadline, but a lesser and more meaningful effort to make-up for missed targets over a longer period. So, keep the perspective and do not burn yourself out—and your organization—just to be a hero momentarily. Think long-term and save yourself—and your organization from burning out.

The other day, an up-and-coming executive client was interested in getting into a growing company that has made a big name in the Valley and that had an open position that he was very interested in. I also had a senior executive at this company who has been my client and who was willing to help him navigate through the “entrance gate.” So, after I made the email introduction to them, I was hoping that the right things would transpire.

Well, they did not!

Without looking up the senior executive’s background, my client, who was in transition, sent him a short email asking him to look up both his LinkedIn Profile and the job that was open (of several) at his company, hoping to get a favorable response through this action. I was, of course, not aware of this and was quite surprised—and annoyed—when the senior executive suggested to me that my other client needed to be coached on how to handle such requests gracefully.

That got me thinking: How many times prospecting clients blow their introductions because they do not follow the most well-understood introduction etiquette, and not even know that they blew it; big time!

This etiquette requires that the person seeking a favor look up the contact and assess the tone in which he must handle the request, and all subsequent communication.  Showing proper respect and consideration, the supplicant must show enough care so that they ingratiate themselves with the contact to help them get what they are seeking, making them feel good for having done a beneficial deed. This is the social lubricant that keeps the moving parts moving without squeaks. Doing so reflects well on the person who made the initial introduction in the first place, too!

In this specific instance, my client in transition should have been graceful in his initial contact and should have shown adequate respect for the inside contact to get what he wanted. Such opportunities are often a gateway into your personality and in how you handle matters that deal with building and sustaining important relationships. Consistent with this behavior was that the client whom I introduced did not even send me note of thanks for making this introduction!  That is the last time I am going to introduce him to anyone else, unless he takes the coaching I gave him after this incident to heart!

So, those engaged in businesses that rely on introductions to other people to pursue their cause, please be mindful that, often, it is you that are making it easy for others to reject you!