Being Point

Month: October 2008

  • Design of results October 31, 2008

    Our last day in considering the role of design in achieving your results.

    Yesterday, we discussed what change you could make that would be a “game changer”?  Something that has implications and impacts almost all of your life in a positive way?  This is the kind of thinking that dramatically shifts results for the better.

    We discussed items that we could eliminate and items that we could add.
    Some examples that we discussed:  add a regular bedtime, change the addiction to negative news and election coverage, add planning every day before the end of the day.

    Designing something *before* you build it makes sense.

    Removing elements that are not part of a good results design simply increases the odds of what you want.

    Getting support for your results is part of the design – just as is your attitude.
    By this time in our work, you’re experiencing a far greater understanding of how results occur.  We’ll end today by considering the relationship between self-esteem and results – the topic of next week’s class.

  • Design of results October 30, 2008

    In this week’s focus on design as it relates to improving our results, today we’ll continue to consider the relative importance of design elements.  Clearly, elements differ in importance.  One might say that elements range from structural as the most important to minor details as the least important.

    There’s a saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff; it’s all small stuff,” and perhaps from a grand philosophical perspective, that’s true.  However, in the study of results, there’s big, small, medium and all kinds of sizes and shapes of “stuff” to be considered.

    Today, please think about a design element that you could remove altogether and / or improve the quality of it in order to make a significant difference in your result. For example, removing or reducing sugar from one’s diet could have a tremendous beneficial impact on health.  We’ve all heard that before, but this time, think about it from the perspective of sugar as simply among the design elements that make up your physical results.  It’s a variable whose quantity makes a difference in overall health.  Try to be dispassionate about it.

    Today, let’s choose a design variable to reduce or remove altogether – and then perhaps conduct an experiment for a period of time.  You can then assess the wisdom of having that variable included or excluded.

  • Design of results October 29, 2008

    As we continue to consider the role of design in achieving your results, today we’ll think about your role and responsibility as primary designer.

    Every human has the ability to impact results by taking an active role in designing. There’s an old saying that “Design is problem solving.”  When we think about it, every “design decision” impacts in some way the outcome.  Good design is the sum of its parts.

    A simple example:  a vacation.  If you’ve planned ahead, you’ve designed an airline schedule and price that works for you.  You’ve researched your destination and you have created a plan about where to visit.  You may have bought a travel guide.  Perhaps you’ve talked to people who have visited your destination to get their recommendations.  Although you may not think of it in these terms, you have a “design” for your trip.

    All of these actions are design elements.  If you change any one of them, you change the result.  The more important the design element, obviously, the more impact it has on the outcome.  The more problems you solve effectively, the better the design.

    Consider your role as chief designer of your life.  What can you change?  What can you increase?  Decrease?  Today in Study Hall, we’ll consider how your life’s results shift by making changes in design.

  • Design of results October 28, 2008

    Charles Eames was a famous 20th Century American designer and architect .  He is famous for his furniture and iconic homes.  He said:

    “Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose.”

    We normally think about design in conjunction with an item of furniture, a home, a landscape.  We imagine creativity and beauty.

    Try on the notion that using design skills for all results can be a very productive approach.  Today, we’ll discuss a design improvement – tangible or intangible – that you may wish to include in how you “accomplish a particular purpose.”

  • Design of results October 27, 2008

    I’m hoping that everyone enjoyed a bit of weekend time to rest. Our topic this week is the design of your results.

    In this context, the word “design” means all the elements that go into creating a specific result.  Suppose the desired result is a birthday party:  lots of resources, ideas, work and materials go into the birthday celebration.  Think of all of these as design elements – just as a car would have four tires, a steering wheel, an engine.

    Having superior results requires attention to design.  A car without an engine is going nowhere.  If a birthday party had no birthday cake, its lack would negatively impact the desired specific result of celebrating the birthday.

    What these examples teach us is the necessity of thinking through all of the design elements:  material, labor, skill, imagination, finances, etc. – even intangibles like attitude and psychological perspective.

    In class this week, let’s work with one of your projects and, for the exercise, we’ll go into deep detail about all of the design elements required for its success.  Consider the example of a mission into space with humans on board, and you’ll understand the “mission critical” nature of design.  Everything has to be considered and included for success.

  • Completion October 24, 2008

    We’ll “complete” our week about completion today.  Our work has examined various strategies to facilitate finishing projects.  Completion can be had in three ways:

    1. Actually getting the project done in its original form;

    2. Making a conscious decision to change the scope of the project and then getting it done;

    3. Deciding that you will not complete the project.

    The first two are obvious, so let’s examine the third alternative.  Deciding against completing a project is not losing.  There is nothing about which to be ashamed.

    You’re making a set of mental calculations about your priorities which results in your opting not to continue – and then making a clean break.

    Many people experience great freedom during the coaching process because they are able to release projects that have been with them mentally for a long time – but which have actually ceased to have viability a while ago.

    Here’s an example:  a client thought that he wanted to grow and sell his business so that he could retire.  After our working together, he realized that he loved his business – and especially the people in it – so he released his desire to sell, and he embraced the notion of working in his business as part of what he loves about his life.  He was able to thoroughly enjoy his business again without feeling that he was failing.

    The important part about this process is the three choices:

    1. Complete as is, or;

    2. Modify and complete, or;

    3. Analyze and release.

    What examples of expanded freedom can you remember about your own and / or someone else’s experience where the third option was chosen successfully?

  • Completion October 23, 2008

    Continuing our discussion of completion this week, let’s examine the benefits of a specific kind of positive outlook called “planned optimism.”  Planned optimism is “optimism on steriods,” meaning that it only allows a positive outcome in your mind when considering completing a project.

    A primary enemy of optimism has been doubt, so having a plan to be optimistic no matter what can be very wise.  Doubt has been erosive on our confidence; and doubt has had a way of insidiously growing if left unaddressed.  The originator of the term “planned optimism” also describes a mindset called “planned hopelessness,” which one might consider “doubt on steroids.”

    A primary benefit of planned optimism is that it is a disciplined approach to allowing only that which moves a project forward.  Planned optimism teaches that if something “goes wrong,” you seek to find ways to use it to your advantage.

    For example, suppose you lose a customer in your plan to expand your business.  A person practicing planned optimism would ask, “How does this give me a new advantage or a new outlook that benefits the completion of my project?”

    Planned optimism can be an effective antidote to doubt — which can help you complete projects.

    By the way, how are you doing on completing Friday’s project?

  • Completion October 22, 2008

    While we’re on the subject of completion this week, what do we say and how do we behave to that voice that has told us in the past that we can’t complete a project?

    Is that voice correct?  Should we not pursue and complete a dream?  What if it fails? Have we feared completion before – or, more accurately, the lack of completion? What role does solid belief play in completing something large?

    Particularly in the area of our life’s goals and dreams, it’s critical to have trusted friends and family who can “reality check” our big dreams.  Much more to be written on this later – for this morning, suffice it to say that those big dreams can be wisely pursued while someone with credibility believes in you – sometimes more than you do yourself – AND assuming that you’ve talked it through with them and they have helped you understand the risks and rewards.  And the key point:  that they see a favorable risk-reward analysis for that big dream- and they keep monitoring the situation with you as you proceed.

    How are you doing today relative to the short-term completion goal that everyone has established for this Friday?  What kind of support, imagination, brainstorming and “just-do-it-ness” is required?

  • Completion October 21, 2008

    This week, we are exploring completion of projects.  Clients are choosing one short-term, one medium-term and one long-term coaching project to complete.

    Short term is defined as by this Friday, medium-term by Thanksgiving, and long-term by year’s end.

    We’re discussing a variety of strategies that can be useful for completion.  One of the most effective is called “kaizen,” a Japanese word roughly translated into “Some daily progress, however small.”  Consider the logic:  putting positive attention on something daily will inevitably cause it to progress.

    Now, imagine what would happen if we chose to be attentive for 15 minutes a day or an hour – some small, manageable number that we can fit into most days.  The actual results experienced by clients are astounding.  The most common surprise?

    What needs to be done usually takes a far shorter time than originally thought.

    Consider giving the strategy a try with a small amount of time applied daily.  Let us know how you’re doing.

    For those of you who have not replied with  your goals, please do so today if possible.

  • Completion October 20, 2008

    Our topic this week is completion.  Nothing to fear – just a great topic to explore.

    Most of us have projects that we’d like to complete – some of long standing.

    Speaking in the past tense, what has been in the way of completion for you?

    Perhaps it’s been a goal that has seemed too big?

    Let’s make completion a fun topic. Imagine the end of the day on Friday: what could you complete by then that would bring you joy?

    Be realistic and not overly ambitious – we’re simply exercising a muscle so that we can grow it.  What would genuinely bring you satisfaction and fulfillment?  It could be an hour of work on a big project.  It could be a small project.  Call a different friend every day.  Organize your desk. Take a look at your inventory if you desire for ideas!