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	<title>Self Leadership Coaching Blog &#187; Coaching</title>
	<atom:link href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/category/coaching/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://selfleadership.com/blog</link>
	<description>Thoughts and Techniques for achieving Self Leadership in life and work</description>
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		<title>How to achieve Mastery</title>
		<link>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/how-to-achieve-mastery/</link>
		<comments>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/how-to-achieve-mastery/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2010 03:56:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Andrew Bryant, CSP</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Professional Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Compulsives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[concentration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dablers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[focus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Genius]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[George Leonard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Howard Gardner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[magician]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Masters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mastery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Bandler]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://selfleadership.com/blog/?p=1389</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This weekend I watched a magician enthral an audience with his art. As he performed his sleight of hand and misdirection I wondered at the thousands of hours he must have invested to achieve mastery.
 Mastery involves focus, concentration, passion, intention, commitment, and discipline.  We can’t achieve mastery in everything in fact most people are unlikely [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/mastery.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1391" title="mastery" src="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/mastery.jpg" alt="" width="280" height="215" /></a>This weekend I watched a magician enthral an audience with his art. As he performed his sleight of hand and misdirection I wondered at the thousands of hours he must have invested to achieve mastery.</p>
<p> Mastery involves focus, concentration, passion, intention, commitment, and discipline.  We can’t achieve mastery in everything in fact most people are unlikely to achieve mastery in anything as they dabble in this and hack about at that.<span id="more-1389"></span></p>
<p> I know I have gotten all excited about something bought all the equipment only to have it gather dust some month later.</p>
<p>George Leonard identified four types of people that he experienced over the years: Dabblers, Hackers, Compulsives, and Masters.  As you read these descriptions perhaps you will recognise some elements of yourself, your friends or your colleagues?</p>
<p><strong>Dabblers</strong> get into one thing, develop a certain level of skill, get bored, drop it, and move on to something else. Or they have one business idea try it for a few months and then want to do something else.</p>
<p>You can identify dabblers because they are always “trying” – “I will try this”.</p>
<p><strong>Hackers</strong> develop a certain level of basic skill and then are content to sit on the plateau and never rise in skill or ability.  Hackers can evolve to new levels of skill, but usually do so only in response to some immediate need or crisis.</p>
<p>For example a social tennis player gets beaten and then takes lessons so that s/he can maintain face or an employee threatened by a new employee’s abilities and lifts their game so as not to be shown up.</p>
<p>You can identify hackers because they are always “Shoulding” – “I should get better at this.”</p>
<p><strong>Compulsives</strong> reach the first plateau and become uncomfortable with their level of performance and so push harder and harder to get better faster.  They may reach another plateau or two, but ultimately they burn out.</p>
<p>Compulsives are always struggling and you can identify them by them always saying, “I <span style="text-decoration: underline;">have</span> to do this.”</p>
<p><strong>Masters</strong> understand that the plateau is part and parcel of the mastery process.  They recognise that there are a never-ending series of plateaus on the path toward mastery.  They recognise that being on the plateau and practicing is every bit as exciting as spurts of growth.  So they are undaunted by plateaus; they view them as an expected part of the ebb and flow of life.</p>
<p>The path of the master involves getting instruction, practicing, surrendering to the practice, keeping a clear intention to be the best, periodically pushing the “edge of the envelop.”</p>
<p>Howard Gardner (Creating Minds) wrote extensive descriptions of 7 Geniuses of the 20th century, one as a representative of his Seven Intelligences.  In that work, he describes his research about the pattern that it typically takes a person Ten Years to Master a Field of study.</p>
<p>As a <a href="http://andrew-bryant.com">speaker</a>, trainer and coach I know that I am always learning and I know why I am learning; each time I engage with a client I feel that same passion and excitement as when I first started many, many years ago.</p>
<p>Are you on the path of mastery? Have you committed to continual improvement? Let’s hear your stories.</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/the-ultimate-meta-state-trance/" title="The Ultimate Meta State Trance (April 13, 2010)">The Ultimate Meta State Trance</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/thinking-time/" title="Thinking Time (March 31, 2009)">Thinking Time</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/nlp/master-practitioner-in-nlp-and-neurosemantics/" title="NLP Master Practitioner in Singapore (December 21, 2008)">NLP Master Practitioner in Singapore</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/year-of-the-tiger-2010/" title="Year of the Tiger 2010 (February 13, 2010)">Year of the Tiger 2010</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/nlp/what-is-nlp/" title="What is NLP? (December 21, 2008)">What is NLP?</a> (0)</li>
</ul>

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		<title>Speaking about Sex, Politics and Religion</title>
		<link>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/speaking-about-sex-politics-and-religion/</link>
		<comments>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/speaking-about-sex-politics-and-religion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 18 Jul 2010 08:36:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Andrew Bryant, CSP</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Communication]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Professional Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[moral code]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pluralism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politicans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politicis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public speaking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://selfleadership.com/blog/?p=1324</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I recently engaged in an online dialogue on, sex, politics and religion. The person who started the post made the comment that we should NEVER talk about these topics.
Now I understand where the writer was coming from;talking about  sex, politics and religion can break rapport, create conflict and ruin the career of the unwary but I have [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/silenced.gif"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1329" title="silenced" src="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/silenced.gif" alt="" width="300" height="275" /></a>I recently engaged in an online dialogue on, sex, politics and religion. The person who started the post made the comment that we should NEVER talk about these topics.</p>
<p>Now I understand where the writer was coming from;talking about  sex, politics and religion can break rapport, create conflict and ruin the career of the unwary but I have a different perspective. As humans, sex, politics and religion play a significant part of our lives and the biases and meanings we bring to these topics will significantly affect our behaviour; so to not talk about them can be equally dangerous. <span id="more-1324"></span></p>
<p>Let&#8217;s start by considering why talking about sex, religion and politics is like juggling with live ammunition or walking the tight rope without a safety net.</p>
<p>Animals have sex to provide offspring, some are monogamous some are not; and some masturbate or engage in homosexual behaviour. Humans unlike animals have the cognitive power to make meanings and therefore judgements about the act of sex. Humans have the ability to codify behaviour and even communicate these judgements through language. We are social animals and have survived by moral codes communicated by our leaders (politicians), the first recorded being The Code of Hammurabi,King of Babylon about 2250 B.C although the Egyptians probably had an earlier code. The Code of Hammurabi contain 282 sections that set forth business, family, social, and political rules. A universally agreed moral code should remove the need for discussion but not everyone does agree. A device to make argument impossible is to suggest that your rules come from an omnipotent and omniscient deity and so therefore who are you, a mere mortal to challenge this?</p>
<p>Now my last sentence was probably inflammatory to millions of people who believe that their moral code is divinely inspired.  This is why talking about how to behave is fraught with danger because instead of just having a different view on how we should behave we can run foul of the ruling party or even the big G.</p>
<p>If we were to stop all talk of sex, politics and religion we would be effectively outlawing comedy and fun. Comedy and fun allow us step back from our &#8216;frames of mind&#8217; and consider alternative views. I don&#8217;t know if Galileo had a sense of humour but he ran foul of religion when he suggested that that the earth rotates around the sun instead of the other way around. I seriously doubt the Roman Inquisition had much of a sense of humour when they held his feet to the fire to silence him.</p>
<p>Mahatma Gandhi ran foul of politics when he spoke up against the moral authority of the British Empire. His speaking up was successful in removing the occupiers but his pluralism was not sufficient to prevent the separation of the Indian sub-continent along religious lines.</p>
<p>My point is that speaking about sex, religion and politics is called for when we need to shift points of view, especially when there is injustice. The challenge will always be that to have an effective discussion we need to agree on points of reference. When discussing the 3 &#8216;taboo&#8217; topics it is often not possible to agree on the reference and so we have to &#8216;frame&#8217; our discussions delicately, for the moment someone feels judged or take something personally they are likely to respond defensively or aggressively.</p>
<p>I speak on leadership and specifically Self-Leadership and in both these disciplines it is important to know what we believe and why we believe it. It is also necessary to be able to deal with paradox and consider multiple perspectives. To this end I make it my business to be knowledgeable of other people&#8217;s beliefs and to respect them without needing to agree with them. So by all means speak about sex, politics and religion but do your homework first!</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/why-should-makes-you-angry/" title="Why &#8220;should&#8221; makes you ANGRY (June 11, 2009)">Why &#8220;should&#8221; makes you ANGRY</a> (1)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/business-communication/what-to-do-if-you-forget-your-words-when-public-speaking/" title="What to do if you forget your words when public speaking? (August 6, 2010)">What to do if you forget your words when public speaking?</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/what-is-self-leadership/" title="What is Self Leadership? (December 21, 2008)">What is Self Leadership?</a> (4)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/presentation-skills/" title="Presentation Skills (January 16, 2009)">Presentation Skills</a> (3)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/preparing-a-new-year-resolution/" title="Preparing a New Year Resolution (December 31, 2008)">Preparing a New Year Resolution</a> (4)</li>
</ul>

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		<title>Identifying De-Motivation</title>
		<link>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/identifying-de-motivation/</link>
		<comments>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/identifying-de-motivation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:37:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Andrew Bryant, CSP</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[de-motivated]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[demotivated]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[employees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[engagement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivated]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pride]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[productive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[staff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[workshop]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://selfleadership.com/blog/?p=1259</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ 
How do you know when your employees are feeling disengaged or demotivated?
The following behavioural markers should give you a clue:

Following the letter of the instruction rather than the spirit as evidenced by, ‘But you didn’t tell me to do X” when X was implied by the instruction and necessary to the completion of the task.
Going early and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> <a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Emotions1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1266" title="Emotions" src="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Emotions1.jpg" alt="" width="575" height="232" /></a><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Emotions.jpg"></a></p>
<h2>How do you know when your employees are feeling disengaged or demotivated?</h2>
<p>The following behavioural markers should give you a clue:</p>
<ul>
<li>Following the letter of the instruction rather than the spirit as evidenced by, ‘But you didn’t tell me to do X” when X was implied by the instruction and necessary to the completion of the task.</li>
<li>Going early and coming late, using up all sick days and even taking unpaid leave days. Days off are mostly on a Monday or Friday.</li>
<li>Increase use of social media, youtube and instant messaging at work.</li>
<li>Silence – not contributing to discussions or dialogues.</li>
</ul>
<p>When I am conducting <a href="http://www.andrew-bryant.com" target="_blank">workshops</a>within an organisation I hear the following complaints from dis-empowered of demotivated employees:</p>
<ul>
<li>&#8220;My boss doesn’t listen.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Why isn’t my boss here as he needs to hear this stuff?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Why don’t senior management do what it says in the value statement?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;I can’t influence head office in USA/Europe and they make unreasonable demand on my time and resources.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
<p>Motivated and enaged employees are more creative and productive; disengaged employees will lose customers, money and have more accidents at work. Therefore to re-engage employees you should talk to your staff and listen to the answers. Ask questions like;</p>
<ul>
<li>“What do you like best about working here?”</li>
<li>“What do you like least about working here?”</li>
<li>“What would you change if you could?”</li>
</ul>
<p>Of course if you ask these questions you must be prepared to do something about the answers otherwise it will increase cynicism.</p>
<p>And what if you are feeling de-motivated and disengaged? Then get back in touch with what your work means to you above  and beyond the paycheck. What about your work gives you an intrinsic sense of achievement? Ask yourself, “if this was my company, how would I behaving?” Above all look for the fun and pride in what you do because your work is an extension of who you are (see posts on Self Leadership).</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/do-you-love-your-job/" title="Do you love your job? (January 10, 2009)">Do you love your job?</a> (2)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/winning-the-communication-game/" title="Winning the Communication Skills Game (February 11, 2009)">Winning the Communication Skills Game</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/what-is-self-leadership/" title="What is Self Leadership? (December 21, 2008)">What is Self Leadership?</a> (4)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/what-is-coaching/" title="What is Coaching? (December 30, 2008)">What is Coaching?</a> (1)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/nlp/what-do-you-really-want/" title="What Do You Really Want? (January 1, 2009)">What Do You Really Want?</a> (2)</li>
</ul>

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		<item>
		<title>People, Performance and Results</title>
		<link>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/people-performance-and-results/</link>
		<comments>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/people-performance-and-results/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:02:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Andrew Bryant, CSP</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[factors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Herzberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manager]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[people]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pygmalion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[results]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SMART goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teams]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://selfleadership.com/blog/?p=1235</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Managers and leaders are ultimately responsible for the results that they achieve through people, it is therefore essential that they understand the principles involved in raising the performance of their people and teams.
The formula in the above diagram that brings the essential components into focus and causes us to realise that if; expectations, ability or [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1234" title="performance" src="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/performance.jpg" alt="performance" width="575" height="130" /></p>
<p>Managers and leaders are ultimately responsible for the results that they achieve through people, it is therefore essential that they understand the principles involved in raising the performance of their people and teams.</p>
<p>The formula in the above diagram that brings the essential components into focus and causes us to realise that if; expectations, ability or attitude are at zero then results will be too.<span id="more-1235"></span></p>
<p>The first key to performance and results is to set expectations and it my experience that this is an area that can usually be improved. Most managers know about SMART goals:</p>
<p><strong>Specific: </strong>And clear enough for employees to carry out the task.</p>
<p><strong>Measurable: </strong>By quality, quantity, cost or timeliness.</p>
<p><strong>Achievable: </strong>Within the influence control, capacity, knowledge, skills and authority of the employees.</p>
<p><strong>Realistic: </strong>In terms of ability, the goal must also be relevant to the individual, team and organisation.</p>
<p><strong>Time Bound: </strong>Must include specific timeline for achievement.</p>
<p>Even with this knowledge only about 20% of managers set SMART Goals for their direct reports. A common misconception is that goals must be numeric but they can be behavioural and qualitative providing clear expectations are set; for example if you want one of your managers to listen more to internal stakeholders the goal might be:</p>
<p>“Can we agree that you will improve your listening skills in stakeholder meetings (S) and that we would know this has occurred when you are speaking less than 50% of the time and can accurately articulate their needs, wants and drivers to me at the end of the meeting (M). To do this is up to you and you can role model how I have done this at previous meetings (A). Achieving this will not only be of benefit to our relationship with stakeholders but will position you to take on more responsibility in the future (R). Can we agree that you will have achieved this by our next review meeting in two months? (T)”</p>
<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1238" title="pygmalion" src="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/pygmalion-300x190.jpg" alt="pygmalion" width="300" height="190" />Setting expectations that stretch the employee coupled with a belief that they can achieve these goals creates a ‘Pygmalion Effect.’ The Pygmalion effect is phenomena in which the greater the expectation that is placed on the individual the better they perform. Most people have experienced this effect when a teacher or lecturer believed in them more than they believed in themselves; the result was that they excelled in that topic (see the graphic).</p>
<p>If an employee lacks the ability to do the task then it shouldn’t have been delegated to them until they have received sufficient on-the-job or classroom training to be able to perform to the required standard.</p>
<p>Attitude can be a more challenging problem to solve as it requires the skills to uncover what the employee really values and align this to the company’s values and vision (to be addressed in a future post). Herzberg listed the common de-motivators (hygiene factor) as poor working conditions, insufficient pay and benefits, boredom or poor relationship with supervisor. Jack Welch said, “People join good companies, but leave bad managers.”</p>
<p>When an employee has a bad attitude we must enquire what is important to them and check that the hygiene factors are addressed. Often we need to look in the mirror because the reason for their poor attitude is there relationship with us.</p>
<p>In summary performance in individuals or teams can usually be increased 20 to 30% by addressing the factors of expectation, ability and attitude. Can you afford not to make the change?</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/change-a-behaviour-coach-your-children-and-other-forms-of-influence/" title="Change a Behaviour, Coach your Children, and other forms of Influence (February 16, 2009)">Change a Behaviour, Coach your Children, and other forms of Influence</a> (2)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/what-is-coaching/" title="What is Coaching? (December 30, 2008)">What is Coaching?</a> (1)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/what-do-children-teach-us-about-leadership/" title="What do Children Teach us about Leadership? (April 27, 2009)">What do Children Teach us about Leadership?</a> (2)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/transformational-leadership/" title="Transformational Leadership (February 9, 2009)">Transformational Leadership</a> (4)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/leadership-for-managers-part-2/" title="Leadership for Managers Part 2 (December 20, 2008)">Leadership for Managers Part 2</a> (1)</li>
</ul>

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		<title>The Evolution of Coaching</title>
		<link>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/the-evolution-of-coaching/</link>
		<comments>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/the-evolution-of-coaching/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:03:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>L.  Michael Hall, Ph.D.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Meta Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[methodology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tom Peters]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://selfleadership.com/blog/?p=1221</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Coaching, circ. 1984
As part of my study of leadership and business, I recently read a classic— Tom Peters’ 1985 book, A Passion for Excellence: The Leadership Difference.  This book followed his best selling book on great companies, Search for Excellence (1982).  By the time I read over 300 pages, I knew that I was going [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1224" title="Stepping-Stones" src="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Stepping-Stones.jpg" alt="Stepping-Stones" width="200" height="234" />Coaching, circ. 1984</h3>
<p>As part of my study of leadership and business, I recently read a classic— Tom Peters’ 1985 book, A Passion for Excellence: The Leadership Difference.  This book followed his best selling book on great companies, Search for Excellence (1982).  By the time I read over 300 pages, I knew that I was going to use a number of quotes on “coaching.”  Then I turned the page to Chapter 18.  It has a one line title, Coaching.<span id="more-1221"></span></p>
<p>Now if that doesn’t surprise you as it did me, then let me remind you that Thomas Leonard did not create the field of “Coaching” until 1991.  So this chapter was published 6 years earlier!  And while there’s a few things I’ll mention in a minute that doesn’t fit for Meta-Coaching, mostly it is right on target.  Chapter 18 is addressed to executive leaders and managerial leaders in an organization about how to be a leader coach.  Now is that relevant?  To see for yourself, here are a few key quotations from the book:</p>
<p><em>“Coaching is face-to-face leadership that pulls together people with diverse backgrounds, talents, experiences and interests, encourages them to step up to responsibility and continued achievement, and treats them as full-scale partners and contributions.  Coaching is not about memorizing techniques or devising the perfect game plan.  It is about really paying attention to people— really believing them, really caring about them, really involving them.</em></p>
<p><em>“To coach is largely to facilitate, which literally means ‘to make easy’ —not less demanding, less interesting or less intense, but less discouraging, less bound up with excessive controls and complications.  A coach/facilitator works tirelessly to free the team from needless restrictions on performance, even when they are self-imposed.  In these next few pages we will talk about some of the most vital aspects of coaching: visibility, listening, limit-setting, value-shaping, skill-stretching.” (325-326)</em></p>
<p>Under the title of “Coaching by Wandering Around,” Tom Peters writes about leaders and managers who use coaching as their methodology for leading:<br />
<em><br />
“Coaching is the process of enabling others to act, of building on their strengths.  It’s counting on people to use their own special skill and competence, and then giving them enough room and enough time to do it.  Coaching at its heart involves caring enough about people to take the time to build a personal relationship with them.” (328)</em></p>
<p><em>“Coaching is tough-minded.  It’s nurturing and bring out the best; it’s demanding that the team play as a team.” (329)<br />
</em><br />
<em>“Every coach, at every level, is above all a value-shaper.  The value-shaper not only brings company philosophy to life by paying extraordinary attention to communicating and symbolizing it.” (330)</em></p>
<p><em>“The best coaches spend as much time developing the team’s ability to believe in what each member can contribute as they do working with individual players.  It sets the tone for the way people should aim to work together and trust evolves in the process.” (334)</em></p>
<p>Now for what Tom Peters wrote that does not fit for coaching today as we know it via Meta-Coaching.  This indicates the way coaching has evolved from 1984 to today:<br />
<em><br />
“Five Coaching Roles: In short, sometimes coaching is not coaching, but counseling, or sponsoring, or confronting, or educating.” (337)</em></p>
<p><em>“It turns out that successful coaches instinctively vary their approaches to meet the needs of this person at this time, or that group at that time.  They perform five distinctly different roles: they educate, sponsor, coach, counsel, and confront.” (338)</em></p>
<p>The theme of this chapter on Coaching is that the leader is a coach and the leader who coaches appeals to the best in each person, has an open door, is a problem-solver and cheerleader, thinks of ways to make people more productive, manages by wandering around, is a good listener, etc. (354-357).</p>
<p><em>“Effective coaching means creating winners, keeping the faith in the thick of turmoil, building momentum, finding tiny glimmers of light (to reinforce) in the midst of darkness&#8230;” (357)</em><br />
<em><br />
“Effective leadership is full-time people development. &#8230; In coaching, the name of the game is execution.” (359)<br />
</em><br />
<em>“Coaching includes praise— expressing approval or admiration, applauding, commending and lauding small (and large) victories.” (361)<br />
</em><br />
<em>“Coaching is ongoing leadership. &#8230;  Coaches stretch you to your limit, a limit often beyond what you thought possible.” (362)</em></p>
<p><em>“The best coaches set in motion a continuing learning process —one that helps people develop a tolerance for their own struggles and accelerates the unfolding of skill and contributions that would not have been possible without the ‘magic’ attention of a dedicated coach.” (377)</em></p>
<p><em>“Leading is a hands-on art.  Coaching is the essence of leading– developing those with whom we work.  Coaching is MBWA (management by wandering around.” (384)</em></p>
<p>As I reflect on these writings some 26 years ago, no wonder coaching has become such a powerful modality in the business world.  And today we stand on the shoulders of such giants as Tom Peters.</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/what-is-coaching/" title="What is Coaching? (December 30, 2008)">What is Coaching?</a> (1)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/what-do-children-teach-us-about-leadership/" title="What do Children Teach us about Leadership? (April 27, 2009)">What do Children Teach us about Leadership?</a> (2)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/presentation-skills/" title="Presentation Skills (January 16, 2009)">Presentation Skills</a> (3)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/learning-from-pain-the-gift-of-feedback/" title="Learning from Pain &#8211; The Gift of Feedback (February 1, 2009)">Learning from Pain &#8211; The Gift of Feedback</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/human_resources/hr-summit-singapore-2009/" title="HR Summit Singapore 2009 (April 29, 2009)">HR Summit Singapore 2009</a> (0)</li>
</ul>

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		<title>Make 2010 a Positive Year</title>
		<link>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/make-2010-a-positive-year/</link>
		<comments>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/make-2010-a-positive-year/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:06:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Andrew Bryant, CSP</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Positive Psychology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2009]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[choices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emotion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emotions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feedback]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feeling good]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Innovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[negative]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[optimistic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skills]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://selfleadership.com/blog/?p=1212</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
2009 could be associated with many negative emotion; fear, anxiety, uncertainty, regret etc. This is not all bad because emotions have &#8216;motivational consequences&#8217;. If we view our emotions as a feedback system, we can use the information to change our behaviours or make better choices.
Positive Emotions
My opening paragraph is unlikely to be a surprise because [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1216" title="daisy" src="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/daisy.jpg" alt="daisy" width="500" height="122" /></p>
<p>2009 could be associated with many negative emotion; fear, anxiety, uncertainty, regret etc. This is not all bad because emotions have <em><strong>&#8216;motivational consequences&#8217;</strong></em>. If we view our emotions as a feedback system, we can use the information to change our behaviours or make better choices.<span id="more-1212"></span></p>
<h2>Positive Emotions</h2>
<p>My opening paragraph is unlikely to be a surprise because there has been copious research into so called <em><strong>&#8216;negative&#8217; </strong></em>emotions, in fact studies into negative emotions outnumbers those on positive emotions by 25 to 1!</p>
<p>What has been revealed is that negative emotions, narrow our focus and actions but feeling good broadens our interests and helps us build our capablilities. Positive emotions make us more curious and interested and therefore more likely to try new activities and develop new skills. Postive emotions have been shown to make people more creative and better problem solvers and therefore an essential ingredient for innovation.</p>
<h2>Benefits of Positive Emotion</h2>
<p>A 2005 article by Lyubomirsky, King and Diener in Psychological Bulletin listed the proven benefits of positive emotion. I have summarised them here for you to consider your outlook for 2010.</p>
<h3>At Work</h3>
<p>Being positive is associate with:</p>
<ul>
<li>Higher salaries</li>
<li>Better supervisor evaluations</li>
<li>Better customer evaluations</li>
<li>Less absenteeism</li>
<li>Less employee turnover</li>
<li>Better organizational behavior</li>
<li>Better relationship with colleagues</li>
</ul>
<h3>Health and Social</h3>
<ul>
<li>Positive people are less likely than negative people to develop a cold, and when they did the symptoms were far less severe.</li>
<li>Positivity linked to less pain, physical symptoms, fewer hospital visits.</li>
<li>Good relationships associated with better health and mental health.</li>
<li>Happiest 10% are more sociable, have stronger friendships, and romantic relationships.</li>
<li>Positive people volunteer more and are more willing to help others.</li>
<li>Positive people are more extroverted and are less selfish.</li>
</ul>
<p>The list speaks for itself and I know having had a few days off at Christmas, spending time with family and exercising has increased my positivity. Speaking to friends and colleagues all have mentioned a more positive and optimistic outlook for 2010 and so I for one will be making <em><strong>&#8216;being more positive&#8217; </strong></em>a goal for next year &#8211; how about you?</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/reflecting-and-leaning-2009-to-2010/" title="Reflecting and Learning: 2009 to 2010 (December 4, 2009)">Reflecting and Learning: 2009 to 2010</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/presentation-skills-and-personal-brand/" title="Presentation Skills and Personal Brand (August 28, 2009)">Presentation Skills and Personal Brand</a> (1)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/nlp/what-do-i-do-with-my-hands-when-im-speaking/" title="What do I do with my hands when I&#8217;m speaking? (July 19, 2010)">What do I do with my hands when I&#8217;m speaking?</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/what-do-children-teach-us-about-leadership/" title="What do Children Teach us about Leadership? (April 27, 2009)">What do Children Teach us about Leadership?</a> (2)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/personal-development/self-leadership-and-choice/" title="Self Leadership and Choice (August 4, 2009)">Self Leadership and Choice</a> (0)</li>
</ul>

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		<title>It&#8217;s Christmas</title>
		<link>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/coaching/its-christmas/</link>
		<comments>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/coaching/its-christmas/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:02:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Andrew Bryant, CSP</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self leadershp]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://selfleadership.com/blog/?p=1206</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Happy Holidays to all our readers &#8211; whether you celebrate this holiday as religious festival or just get caught up in the spirit of goodwill.
Spend your Money like a Wise Man
If you want to be happy this Christmas you may or may not be surprised that research proves that spending money on other people increases [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1207" title="header" src="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/header.png" alt="header" width="605" height="71" /></p>
<p>Happy Holidays to all our readers &#8211; whether you celebrate this holiday as religious festival or just get caught up in the spirit of goodwill.</p>
<h3>Spend your Money like a Wise Man</h3>
<p>If you want to be happy this Christmas you may or may not be surprised that <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/319/5870/1687">research </a>proves that spending money on other people increases happiness.<span id="more-1206"></span></p>
<h3>It Really is the Thought that Counts</h3>
<p>Other <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&amp;_udi=B6V8H-45F93V8-3V&amp;_user=10&amp;_rdoc=1&amp;_fmt=&amp;_orig=search&amp;_sort=d&amp;_docanchor=&amp;view=c&amp;_acct=C000050221&amp;_version=1&amp;_urlVersion=0&amp;_userid=10&amp;md5=f6ee4a85d55ec19273d5308ce379404e">research </a>shows that giving money does not give a message of &#8216;intimacy&#8217;.</p>
<p>I had an interesting conversation with Alysson an HR director about her team wanting to increase the value of a Kriscringle from $10 to $25 because it was so &#8220;hard&#8221; to find a gift for $10. Alysson rejected the request saying that it was not about the money but the effort, it cost very little to bake some cookies but it really shows thoughtfulness.</p>
<p>In the past I have found buying presents a chore and usually spent too much at the last minute. This year I have put in a bit of extra effort to buy more thoughtful (and less expensive) gifts for my wife. The effort was pleasurable for me &#8211; I hope do hope she likes them <img src='http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<h3>Eat Drink and be Merry</h3>
<p>I have no research to back this last statement but experience tells me that eating and good conversation with friends and family will increase happiness and refocus us on the important relationships in our lives. A caveat is that you don&#8217;t need to overeat or get a hangover to get maximum satisfaction.</p>
<p>So have a great Christmas and I look forward to sharing more self leadership tips in 2010.</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/professional_development/you-cant-teach-leadership-at-a-seminar/" title="You can&#8217;t teach leadership at a seminar (March 19, 2009)">You can&#8217;t teach leadership at a seminar</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/what-do-children-teach-us-about-leadership/" title="What do Children Teach us about Leadership? (April 27, 2009)">What do Children Teach us about Leadership?</a> (2)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/self-leadership-website/" title="Self Leadership Website (April 15, 2009)">Self Leadership Website</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/nlp/self-leadership-for-children/" title="Self Leadership for children (December 29, 2008)">Self Leadership for children</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/remembering-the-internet/" title="Remembering The Internet (April 28, 2009)">Remembering The Internet</a> (1)</li>
</ul>

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		<title>Reflecting and Learning: 2009 to 2010</title>
		<link>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/reflecting-and-leaning-2009-to-2010/</link>
		<comments>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/reflecting-and-leaning-2009-to-2010/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:15:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Andrew Bryant, CSP</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Professional Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2009]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Action Learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andrew Bryant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Argyris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[assumptions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bookings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[challenges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[double loop]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[financial meltdown]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[trusted friend]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://selfleadership.com/blog/?p=1189</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
As Christmas approaches we get time to reflect upon what we have learned from 2009; here are a few things that come to my mind.
It has undoubtedly been a tough year with a global financial meltdown and  H1N1 amongst the challenges we have all faced &#8211; so what have we learned?
Most people learn by feedback  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1196" title="Rocks" src="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Rocks.jpg" alt="Rocks" width="499" height="209" /></p>
<p>As Christmas approaches we get time to reflect upon what we have learned from 2009; here are a few things that come to my mind.</p>
<p>It has undoubtedly been a tough year with a global financial meltdown and  H1N1 amongst the challenges we have all faced &#8211; so what have we learned?<span id="more-1189"></span></p>
<p>Most people learn by feedback  or single loop learning; we take action using existing strategies, get a result and if it isn&#8217;t what we want we adjust the action and or the strategy in the hope that we get a better result. The events of 2009 need us to question some of the assumptions we have made about the world and business.</p>
<h2>Double Loop Learning</h2>
<p>Argyris &amp; Schon (1974) proposed double loop learning theory which promotes learning to change underlying values and assumptions. The following diagram explains it.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1190" title="AL 2" src="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/AL-2.jpg" alt="AL 2" width="592" height="337" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: left;">Personally I had assumed 2009 was going to be pretty much the same as 2008 and that our clients would just keep booking training and coaching &#8211; duh!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I soon realised that just because I believed that coaching and training improves engagement, effectiveness and productivity did not mean that my clients would continue to purchase these programs when they were offered the choice, &#8220;slash costs or slash head count.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Now 2009 has not been all bad, as it has caused me to reflect how I can better serve my clients and build <a href="http://www.selfleadership.com" target="_blank">programs </a>that deliver more return on investment and more organisational learning. I am happy to report that our earnings this year are equal to last year and we are already have significant bookings for 2010.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&#8220;So what!&#8221; I hear you cry, &#8220;but what about me?&#8221; Well here are some Action Learning questions to help you acheive some double loop learning:</p>
<ul>
<li>What am I trying to do?</li>
<li>What is stopping me from doing it?</li>
<li>What can I do about it</li>
<li>Who knows what I am trying to do?</li>
<li>Who else can do anthing to help?</li>
</ul>
<p>Now if you have a coach or a trusted friend you can get them to ask you:</p>
<ul>
<li>How do you feel about what is going on?</li>
<li>What questions does that raise?</li>
<li>How would someone you most admire deal with this situation?</li>
<li>Can you think of three options for action?</li>
<li>What are the pros and cons of each of these options?</li>
<li>What first steps are you going to take?</li>
</ul>
<p>As adults we learn best when we reflect and question what we do and then take action- make sure you spend some time reflecting this holiday season so that you make a difference in 2010.</p>
<p>HAPPY HOLIDAYS!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: left;">

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/creating-a-new-vision-after-the-meltdown/" title="Creating a New Vision after the Meltdown (March 23, 2009)">Creating a New Vision after the Meltdown</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/what-is-coaching/" title="What is Coaching? (December 30, 2008)">What is Coaching?</a> (1)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/make-2010-a-positive-year/" title="Make 2010 a Positive Year (December 29, 2009)">Make 2010 a Positive Year</a> (1)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/human_resources/hr-summit-singapore-2009/" title="HR Summit Singapore 2009 (April 29, 2009)">HR Summit Singapore 2009</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/does-singapore-lack-leadership-skills/" title="Does Singapore lack Leadership Skills? (January 3, 2009)">Does Singapore lack Leadership Skills?</a> (2)</li>
</ul>

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		<title>The Fifth Discipline and Self-Actualization Psychology</title>
		<link>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/the-fifth-discipline-and-self-actualization-psychology/</link>
		<comments>http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/the-fifth-discipline-and-self-actualization-psychology/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:22:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>L.  Michael Hall, Ph.D.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NeuroSemantics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Positive Psychology]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[effectiveness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fifth Discipline.leaders]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[managers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mental models]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal mastery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Peter Senge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Psychology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-actualization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shared vision]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[systems thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Team]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Theory X]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Theory Y]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://selfleadership.com/blog/?p=1170</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
In 1990 Peter Senge published a book that has become a classic, a book that most people in leadership and management roles in business, most who consult or coach within organizations, and those who seek to stay on the cutting edge of business have read.  I’m speaking, of course, about the book The Fifth Discipline. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1174" title="Cogs" src="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/cogs_498x259.jpg" alt="Cogs" width="498" height="207" /></p>
<p>In 1990 <em><strong>Peter Senge</strong></em> published a book that has become a classic, a book that most people in leadership and management roles in business, most who consult or coach within organizations, and those who seek to stay on the cutting edge of business have read.  I’m speaking, of course, about the book <em>The <strong>Fifth Discipline</strong>. </em> The theme and central focus of this book is on learning to think and work systemically.</p>
<p>Senge was convinced that the key to business success rested in five disciplines, which when synergized by leaders and managers, will launch an organization or business into a creative mode and take it to a whole new level of effectiveness.  Like the five critical component technologies that came together in 1935 for the McDonnell Douglas DC-3 and which ushered in the era of commercial air travel— Senge argued that the five components he discovered would create <em><strong>great companies</strong>.</em></p>
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<p>What are those five components?  <em><strong>Systems thinking</strong></em>, <em><strong>personal mastery</strong></em>, <em><strong>mental models</strong></em>, <em><strong>building shared vision</strong></em>, and <em><strong>team learning</strong></em>.  Together “each provides a vital dimension in building organizations that can truly ‘learn,’ that can continually enhance their capacity to realize their highest aspirations” (p. 6).  Then unlike most contemporary organizations that are reactive, companies can become responsive or even generative.</p>
<p>Senge focuses on enabling companies to become “<em><strong>learning organizations</strong></em>.”  He writes about organizations going beyond the old traditional hierarchical structures to an enlivening vision, people collaborating and experiencing team learning, a whole new level of openness, and leadership that evolves beyond being politically power oriented.  Now does that sound like self-actualization or the self-actualizing leaders and companies that I describe in <em>Unleashing Leadership? </em>That’s what I also thought!   <em>The Fifth Discipline</em> is about self-actualization in organizations.</p>
<p>Yet because Senge did not use the term self-actualization or frame things in terms of moving beyond<em><strong> Theory X </strong></em>to <em><strong>Theory Y</strong></em> of management, I did not make the connection.  In spite of not using the language, throughout the work <em>the vision and premises of self-actualization psychology informs his argument for the emergence of a whole new kind of organization— self-actualizing organizations. </em></p>
<p>In fact, for Senge “systems thinking” and “personal mastery” are two of his expressions for self-actualization.  What I suddenly now realize in re-reading <em>The Fifth Discipline</em> is that “personal mastery” in this model <em>is </em>what we call “self-actualization” in Maslow’s model!  Here’s my evidence.</p>
<p>Senge described “personal mastery” as a high level of proficiency in an area that deeply matters to you.  And to develop that level of mastery, you need to do two things: 1) Clarify what’s truly important to you and 2) See current reality more clearly. (p. 141).  Senge says that personal mastery goes beyond competence.</p>
<p>“It goes beyond spiritual unfolding or opening, although it requires spiritual growth.  It means approaching one’s life as a creative work, living life from a creative as opposed to reactive viewpoint.” (p. 141)</p>
<p>In an amazing paragraph where he described people of personal mastery, Senge’s description sounds very, very similar to how Maslow described self-actualizing people.</p>
<p>“People with a high level of personal mastery share several basic characteristics.  They have a special sense of purpose that lies behind their visions and goals.  <em>For such a person, a vision is a calling rather than simply a good idea.</em> They see ‘current reality’ as an ally, not an enemy.  They have learned how to perceive and work with forces of change rather than resist those forces.  They are deeply inquisitive, committed to continuing seeing reality more and more accurately.  They feel connected to others and to life itself.  Yet they sacrifice none of their uniqueness.  They feel as if they are part of a larger creative process, which they can influence but cannot unilaterally control.</p>
<p>“People with a high level of personal mastery live in a continual learning mode.  They never ‘arrive.’ &#8230; Personal mastery is not something you possess.  It is a process.  It is a lifelong discipline.  People with a high level of personal mastery are acutely aware of their ignorance, their incompetence, their growth areas.” (p. 142)</p>
<p>“People with high levels of personal mastery are more committed.  They take more initiative.  They have a broader and deeper sense of responsibility in their work.  They learn faster.  For all these reasons, a great many organizations espouse a commitment to fostering personal growth among their employees because they believe it will make the organization stronger.” (p. 143)</p>
<p>And systems thinking?  Senge describes this as “contemplating the whole as a pattern,” being able to see the unity of snapshots of isolated parts and how they work together.  He describes the building blocks of systems thinking as feedback loops and delays in the system and from there the recognition of patterns that arise that indicate specific kinds of systems (archetypes).</p>
<p>When we apply systems thinking to human beings, we recognize that our experiences are made up of multiple systems—our mind-body system, our meaning-making system, our neuro-semantic system.  And within these systems are reinforcing processes, limiting processes, balancing (stabilizing) processes.  And as in a business or political system, we also experience problems at various levels.  Some of our problems are mere symptoms of the system rather than the fundamental causes.  That’s why the symptoms keep resurfacing over time.  That’s why “solutions” which work at one level or for the short-term, never actually takes care of the real problem.</p>
<p>So what do we discover when we “contemplate the whole” and look for patterns in human beings?  We discover that there is within us an inner drive to self-actualize and that this is itself our most fundamental inner dynamic system.  This is our primary system for growing, developing, and actualizing our highest meanings and performances.  And Self-Actualization Psychology is the psychology that describes this whole.</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/what-do-children-teach-us-about-leadership/" title="What do Children Teach us about Leadership? (April 27, 2009)">What do Children Teach us about Leadership?</a> (2)</li>
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</ul>

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		<title>Learning to Walk the Talk</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:09:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Radu Palamariu</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[
It is more than a year ago that I walked through the door of the Self Leadership International office for the first time. I was a young graduate of psychology, coming all the way from Romania to learn about training and leadership development in Singapore; with very little idea of what my internship will bring [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1164" title="walk the talk" src="http://selfleadership.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/walk-the-talk.jpg" alt="walk the talk" width="498" height="259" /></p>
<p>It is more than a year ago that I walked through the door of the <a href="http://selfleadership.com">Self Leadership International</a> office for the first time. I was a young graduate of psychology, coming all the way from Romania to learn about training and leadership development in Singapore; with very little idea of what my internship will bring about.</p>
<p>Now, one year later, I can whole heartedly say that it was the greatest learning experience of my life.</p>
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<p>Not only did I learn tremendously in the area of <a href="http://www.selfleadership.com/services/leadership_development/">leadership development</a>, but even more importantly I developed myself imensely on a personal level. I can’t possibly name all the things I learnt, as it would be a post too long for anyone to read…but I do want to share with you three of the most important ones:</p>
<h2><strong>1. The importance of open and honest communication </strong></h2>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>A lot of companies actually have this somewhere in their guidelines, but in the Self Leadership office this was indeed a ground rule. And it was great to realize how saying things openly and directly can make so much of a difference in my working relationships, in the way I related to my colleagues and in the overall atmosphere in the office.</p>
<p>It also leads to no politics, as everybody knows pretty much everything and there is no need to hide anything. Plus, the most powerful breakthrough for me was to start saying what I thought, even if I was afraid. I especially refer to giving negative feedback or to stating opinions contrary to the others.</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
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	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/creating-a-new-vision-after-the-meltdown/" title="Creating a New Vision after the Meltdown (March 23, 2009)">Creating a New Vision after the Meltdown</a> (0)</li>
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	<li><a href="http://selfleadership.com/blog/topic/leadership/singapore-leadership-development-congress/" title="Singapore Leadership Development Congress (April 10, 2010)">Singapore Leadership Development Congress</a> (1)</li>
</ul>

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