Being Point

Tag: risk

  • Risk Is Often Presented As A Justification For Command And Control

    Among the primary reasons advanced for command and control cultures is risk management – that is, how does a group best prevent bad things from happening while doing it best to accomplish its mission?

    Perhaps the most notorious command and control entity was the Soviet Politboro which famously created the Soviet Five-Year Plan for Agriculture in the belief that results could be mandated and commanded. Dismal crops year after year proved that their assumptions were wrong in large part because motivation was missing.

    Margaret J. Wheatley writes: “Successful organizations, including the military, have learned that the higher the risk, the more necessary it is to engage everyone’s commitment and intelligence.”

    Do you ever buy into the idea that command and control is “necessary” for the “benefit of all concerned”? How does that square with your personal values? How do you believe these kinds of risk-reward questions are best resolved? How, if at all – in your personal life and / or your professional life – do you engage the “commitment and intelligence” of others?

  • “The Best Way To Gain Self-Confidence Is To Do What You Are Afraid To Do” ~ Author Unknown

    Who are among the most confident people you know? What do you think accounts for their high level of confidence? How do you see yourself in terms of confidence?

    Confidence – and especially supreme confidence – is a magical topic. Confidence has a huge influence on all personal and professional results. An unknown author said, “The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do.”

    What if that’s the secret of having supreme confidence? Clearly, we’re not talking about jumping off of cliffs. But we are talking about what Joseph Campbell called “following our bliss,” and being willing to take risks for what and who we love.

    How have you increased or decreased your level of self-confidence in your own life? What factors work for you? What have worked against you?

  • Use Feedback From Others to Enhance Personal Productivity

    Getting insight about how to expand personal productivity needn’t be complicated. Each of us is surrounded by people who can give us valuable feedback.

    Asking “How can I be more productive” may feel risky because you may fear that you’re opening yourself up to criticism . . . . . and that you may be hurt.

    Conversely, depending on YOUR attitude, you may find that receiving frank, constructive feedback feels useful and, well, “productive.” Be in a mindset that you won’t take anything that is said to you personally, that you’ll only hear the positive intent, and you’ll refrain from judging or shaming yourself or others.

    Everyone can improve, and our business colleagues, friends, family members, customers – almost everyone who knows us – can provide intelligence for us that we may have been unable or unwilling to see.

    Be particularly curious as you solicit the opinions of those whom you perceive have less power than you – children, students, employees, vendors and the like. Assure them that their feedback can be frank as long as it’s constructive.

    And then listen without interrupting. Ask for clarification if desired. Don’t defend. This is a learning exercise. Take the information and assess its value. Experiment with it and utilize it to grow.

    Most of all, have fun! The payoff promises to be significantly enhanced productivity and results.

    Copyright 2009. E. B. Hutt Bush and Coaching for Results, Inc.