| |
| |
|
Go Back | About | Contact | Web Design News | |
|
|
|
Do You Want to Get Others to Improve Their Performance? Then Expect the Best
Recently I decided to stretch my athletic abilities and add a running program to my regular exercise routine. Although I had tried to run in the past, my level of success was pretty pathetic. This time, however, I decided to follow my own advice and find some expert runners who could teach me how to run. And that is exactly what I did. Our local roadrunner's organization was about to begin a running clinic for inexperienced runners. I immediately signed up for the program. During the second class, we were asked to run one mile at our top speed. What I lack in skill and endurance, I make up for in competitiveness, so I clocked in a mile at 9:28 (9 minutes and 28 seconds). While this may seem paltry for an experienced runner, I can assure you that it was a major accomplishment for me. During this speed test, I began to see outstanding leadership qualities of one of my coaches emerge. Vera, one of the trainers, was absolutely thrilled with my time. She told me what a wonderful time it was for someone so new to running. I started to think that maybe I could finally learn to run after all. Almost two weeks later, I had a major lapse in judgment and signed up for a 5K (3.1 mile race). Now remember, I had just started running 3 1/2 weeks before and here I was ready to compete with 1,100 runners, some of whom could run a 5K in between commercials (not quite, but they were very fast). When I arrived at the race, I saw Vera at the registration desk and went over to her. "Vera," I said, "I don't know how to run a race. What do I do?" She looked up at me with a big smile and said, "You ran a 9:28 as your fast mile. Just aim for a 10 minute pace for the first mile and you'll be fine." I walked away thinking that she had totally lost her mind. I couldn't possibly sustain a 10-minute per mile pace for 3 miles. The best I had been able to do was just over 11 minutes per mile. I ran the race, running part of the way, walking part of the way, huffing and puffing most of the way, and wondering what I was doing there when I could be home sitting on the couch watching TV. A short while after the race ended, I discovered my time. I had run at a pace of 9:55 (9 minutes and 55 seconds) per mile. I couldn't wait to share my success with Vera. At the next class, I told Vera my time and she was delighted. "That's wonderful," she said, again with a huge smile and total conviction. "You'll definitely be able to get down to an 8 minute mile." An 8-minute mile? At this point, I can't even imagine running 5 miles without having to walk. However, Vera is an expert and if she thinks I can, maybe I can. Vera believed in me. While I didn't believe that I could live up to Vera's expectation of an 8 minute mile, I was willing to borrow her belief in me and continue to try to get my endurance up and my time down. As I struggled to run and breathe at the same time, wanting to quit more than once, I repeated to myself, "Vera says I can do an 8 minute mile." This kept my motivation in gear and my feet in motion, even when I wanted to chuck the whole idea of becoming a runner. You can use Vera's leadership strategy to get your team and other people in your life to strive for better performance. SET A HIGHER GOAL Look at where your team member is currently performing and set a higher goal. Make sure the goal is realistic for that individual. It must be something that you believe he or she can achieve. If, after I ran a 9:28 mile, Vera told me that I could run a 5-minute mile, I never would have believed her. She gave me a goal that she believed was possible for me, and since it was not that far away from what I had already done, it seemed that if I put forth the effort then I could achieve it. COMMUNICATE YOUR EXPECTATION Let the person know what your expectation is of him or her. Too often, people underestimate their own abilities. However, there is a part of them that would like to believe they could do better. People usually meet the expectations that others have of them. Let your team members borrow your faith in them, while they might not yet have enough faith in their own abilities. BE A CHEERLEADER Things don't always go smoothly when people try to achieve something and there is a strong tendency to get discouraged and give up. That's when you must encourage your team to keep on trying. Again, communicate your faith in their ability to succeed. When I complained to Vera that I was still having a hard time breathing during my runs, she told me not to worry, that I would get there if I kept up with my workouts. Your consistent positive attitude is a critical to your team's success. CARE ABOUT YOUR TEAM The bottom line that makes this entire strategy work is that you must genuinely care about your team members. Make them feel special. When Vera told me the exact time of my fast run, I was shocked that she remembered it without looking at her notes. This made me feel that she really cared about me and I began to trust her more. If your team doesn't trust you, they will perceive everything that you say and do as manipulation. When they know that you value them, they will gladly let you lead them to greater accomplishments. Follow this strategy with your team and watch their performance soar. As for me, I still don't know if I'll ever be able to run an 8-minute mile. Vera thinks I can, so I'll continue to practice even when I feel like quitting, and hopefully, one day I'll live up to her expectation of me. Della Menechella is a speaker, author, and trainer who helps organizations achieve greater success by improving the performance of their people. She is a contributing author to Thriving in the Midst of Change and the author of the videotape The Twelve Commandments of Goal Setting. She can be reached at della@dellamenechella.com. Subscribe to free Peak Performance Pointers e-zine - send blank e-mail to subscribe@dellamenechella.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Team-Building - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Mastermind Team: Do You Have One? The key to life is to be around the people who will empower you to reach the next level in life! In order to exceed your present reach, you need to be around people who will help you stretch a little farther. The secret to a productive mastermind team is for you to surround yourself with people who you can always learn from. Recruiting Government Workers As Franchisees Many believe a leaner government promotes better freedoms with respect to free enterprise and the right to free contract. Leaner governments make fewer laws because of their enforcement capabilities. Virtual Team Work At a time when many companies are scaling down their marketing budgets, big design firms are finding it harder to win new clients and projects. Things maybe tough for the larger design firms, but the situation could be ideal for freelancers and other smaller boutique operations that can operate virtually. The 3 Secrets of Team Motivation Are workers telling the truth when they say they are ill?This question was posed on the Money Programme on BBCTelevision in December 2004. British Bosses are reportingthat more and more of their staff appear to be skiving offwith faked illnesses and many firms are taking new steps tocrack down on malingerers. Team Communication Critical To Success I'm often asked, "Why is my team always fighting fires instead of preparing for changes?" Finding the answer may take some digging. Here are a few possibilities. Teaming - How to Build a Team Team building takes work but the results are worth it. The essential ingredient is time and patience. How Leaders Unlock Potential in Teams Leaders are faced with unlocking the potential in the people that they lead and motivating the individual is a key part of this process. Motivation is not something that is done to an individual as they already posses it. Building Your Dream Marketing Team The Fantasy: Your marketing budget is packed to the brim with money to help build your dream marketing team. You hire nothing short of the best and life is good. Working with Difficult People: 3 Questions to Help You Turn Your Tormentors into Teachers The Dance of ConflictWhen faced with the prospect of meeting with a confrontational employee, the project manager of a New Hampshire insurance company heaved a sigh. Not again, he thought to himself. Feedback - How to Make it Effective Let's look at the detail of giving feedback. Whether youwant to reinforce behaviour - Confirming feedback or changeunacceptable behaviour - Productive feedback, there arecertain steps you need to follow to make it work. Company Picnic Ideas and Planning Tips The company picnic is a beloved tradition at many firms.It's an opportunity for employees to mingle and "let down their hair. Motivate People with Feedback Someone once said - "Feedback is the breakfast ofchampions." Personally, I think that pancakes, crispy baconand maple syrup are the breakfast of champions. Top Ten Things About Team Building People who lead the best teams realise early on that they cannot run their business alone. It will either kill them or they will fail. 4 Tips for Keeping a Team Motivated Companies often have incentives for reps, but sometimes that isn't enough. To keep your team motivated, you could do a number of things:1. The Magic and Mystery of Teams As the world of manufacturing has become increasingly competitive, managers have diligently searched out new and innovative ways to increase productivity, multiply the power of every employee, and better utilize every resource in order to positively impact the bottom line.For more than a decade one of the most popular "Hot Trend" innovations has been the idea of "Team". Teamwork in the Workplace: A Definition A tight knit team is a group of competent individuals who care deeply about each other. They are fiercely committed to their mission, and are highly motivated to combing their energy and expertise to achieve a common objective. Team Building Survey Reveals Clues, Not Answers Team Building Question:I'm a manager of a team of 20 people and here is my question. At this year's survey, the results show that my team members don't think their colleagues (from my section and from other sections) often act on their own initiative. How the P.R.I.D.E. Team Changed my Call Center Several years ago I took an assignment as a Manager in an outsourcing Call Center. Shortly after I started it became clear that several areas within the department needed improvement; absenteeism was high (19%), call takers lacked the enthusiasm about the programs to deliver quality customer service and seemed unconnected to the goals and metrics. How to Boost Morale In Your Organisation Who keeps the wheels turning in your organisation? Who holds it all together when chaos reigns supreme? Who can you rely on to run your department/business in your absence?Generally it's the admin/secretarial/support staff who toil away at their computers day after day, week after week and maybe year after year.Tell me?when's the last time you thanked or rewarded them for their efforts? I'm sure you did what everyone else does at Xmas - take them out to lunch or dinner. Whats Your REAL problem?? When was the last time you spent excessive time and money solving a problem only to discover the problem you thought you had wasn't really the problem at all?Recognizing the real problem is crucial to any problem-solving venture. John Dewey said, "A problem is half solved if it is properly stated.
|
ChicagoAnimation's Acquisitions: Market Polls - 1pennyStock.com
Sponsors: Paving | VTL's | Religious Statues
