 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
2010 Executive Tidbits
Price of denim jeans: 47% under $25, 37% $25-50, and 16% over $50. |
 |
 |
 |
|
Check out Keith's other site:
Virtual Writing Coach |
|
|
| |
|
|
The Executive Connection SM
a publication of The Virtual Executive Coach SM
"Vision + Accountability = Success!"
www.virtualexecutivecoach.com
September, 2007
In This Issue:
1. Preview
2. Executive Summary
3. Go With Your Strengths
4. Helpful Hints
1. Preview
The Executive Connection explores the creative and analytical process of business development,
team-building, and executive development.
We are an interactive community of executives and small business owners who desire to network
with like-minded high-performance executives
to enhance our knowledge, skills, and aptitudes in the competitive business world.
Published monthly, the Newsletter offers coaching suggestions around the topics of: business development, financing, marketing, networking,
incorporations, mergers, human resources, governmental regulations, and tax laws.
Topics are presented from the perspective of Keith Barton and represent only his ideas on creating and running your business.
Because we are an interactive community of executives and business owners, other viewpoints are welcomed and may be printed in future monthly
newsletters with permission from Keith Barton.
2. Executive Summary
September, 2007
Dear Executive Connection Subscriber,
This month's newsletter features information on Go With Your Strengths.
3. Go With Your Strengths
Marcus Buckingham has written an informative book, Go Put Your Strengths To Work,
which focuses on the “glass being half full” in each of our talent banks. The author had 17
years of research working with the Gallup Organization before forming his own consulting
company. I had the good fortune of hearing a live telecast of Marcus on a worldwide leadership
conference in Chicago among other notable speakers such as Jimmy Carter, Colin Powell, Michael
Porter, Carly Fiorina, and John Ortberg.
Buckingham makes the valid point that in most Western societies weaknesses are given too much
attention in our school, parenting, employee performance which tries to correct our inadequacies
so that everyone should be at the same level of skill in all areas. He talks about our
personalities being formed by age six as to competitiveness, cooperation, logical thinking, and
team-building. What remains in this nature vs. nurture controversy is to build on individual
strengths that complement other co-workers rather than everyone being “utility players.” In Jack Welch’s terms (author of Winning), everyone has the potential to be a “star” player in their
chosen skill which should be managed and integrated for the best result.
His definition of strength are those activities that make you feel strong. In his language of
SIGN one uses:
Success: those activities that you’re successful at
Instinct: Intuitive skills that one is drawn to before the activity
Growth: Inquisitiveness that makes one want to practice repeatedly during
the activity; for others it’s being in the Zone, where focus and time intersect
Needs: is how one feels after the activity is completed; exhilaration,
tiredness, a sense of a job well done.
Capture, clarify, and confirm: your strengths in the first step in identifying
one’s strengths. A simple 3x5 will suffice for this exercise. Examples of capturing your
strengths include: I am strong when...
- I’m coaching my team to meet their quarterly goals
- Collaborating with others to develop content for our new service offerings
- Designing powerful conversations to help people have the impact they intend
- Leading or participating in brainstorming sessions for engineering solutions to problems
- Synthesize and compile information into a clear report
A strengths-based model leads to feelings of: powerful, confident, natural, smooth, on fire,
great, authentic, that was easy, awesome, when can I do this again?
A weak-based model leads to feelings of: drained, time’s going by slowly, I can’t concentrate,
frustrated, wiped out, irritated, bored, forced.
A quick way to look at your strengths and weaknesses is to write down your activities for a week
and put them under two columns, labeled: “I loved it or I hated it.” The feelings noted above
will give you a clue as to whether or not your talents are being used in a tactical and
productive way to impact your department, section, team, or other working unit.
A strengths-based approach to skill development is a continuous learning process. If you find
yourself in a job that underutilizes your strengths or your boss doesn’t know how to work from
your strengths there are four strategies before leaving your current position or negotiating a
new role for you in the company.
- Identify exactly how and where each strength helps you in your current role
- Find missed opportunities to leverage each strength in your current role
- Learn new skills and techniques to sharpen each strength
- Build your job toward each strength
If one is fortunate to have a boss who is not intimidated by your candor and suggestions for
redefining your role, Buckingham advises one to have a “strengths chat” with their boss to
capture, clarify, and confirm their greater utility to the team and company.
Implicit in this strength-based model is development of “high performance teams” led by
competent and intuitive managers who collectively use individual team members’ strengths to
achieve a common goal—e.g. innovative produce design at lower cost, redefining branding,
reducing lead time from product design to implementation. This team-building approach requires
the manager to keep a list of each member’s top three strengths and how they uniquely contribute
to the overall goal of the mission, goal, activity, etc.
The author’s concluding affirmation to all of us is three-fold:
- You’ve always known what your strengths are.
- You’ve always known what lies within you.
- So trust your strengths, be proud of them, and take your stand.
Helpful Hints:
- Pick up a copy of Buckingham’s book and take the strengths test at
www.simplystrengths.com
- What are your top three strengths? How often do you get to use these at work? If the answer
is less than weekly, you will feel drained and not very useful in your job.
- What are your top three weaknesses? Does your boss know about these? Are you still trying to
“fit in” with your co-workers? What is your boss doing to help you work around your
weaknesses as opposed to correcting or worse yet, ignoring them.
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
The Executive Connection SM is a free publication. If you want to continue to receive this Newsletter, you can
SUBSCRIBE by clicking here or by sending a blank email message to
keith_barton@att.net
with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
To UNSUBSCRIBE click here or send a message to
keith_barton@att.net
with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
Be assured your name and email address are confidential. We do not sell, rent or share our mailing list with anyone.
Contact Information:
Keith Barton, Ph.D.
Voice: 281-583-5005
Fax: 281-583-5008
Web: http://www.virtualexecutivecoach.com
E-Mail:
keith_barton@att.net
(c) Copyright 2010,
Virtual Executive Coach SM and A. Keith Barton, Ph.D.
All rights reserved.
Distribution Rights:
The Executive Connection SM is copyrighted, but you may retransmit or
distribute it to whomever you wish as long as not a single word is changed, added, or deleted, including the contact information. However, you may not copy
it to a web site.
Republication of The Executive Connection SM in paper media is encouraged and permitted by individuals, organizations and associations, as long
as the issue is reprinted in its entirety, without change, and includes the contact information.
With advance permission, we are happy to edit an issue to fit your space requirements. Republication also is encouraged under other circumstances.
However, the advance permission of
A. Keith Barton, Ph.D. must be obtained in the event that changes in the text are desired.
The Executive Connection SM Mission:
The Executive Connection SM is dedicated to helping first-time business owners and executives to recognize resistance to change, while they create
and manage their own businesses. My goal is to help you transform your vision into a successful business venture with the addition of accountability structures
and silent partner.
The Executive Connection SM is a publication of The Virtual Executive Coach SM and Keith Barton, Ph.D.
We would like The Executive Connection SM to be as interactive as possible. If you have feedback, comments, topics you would like addressed, or can
suggest additional resources to benefit us all, please email us at any time. Send your e-mail to
keith_barton@att.net
.
Please forward this issue to anyone you think would find The Executive Connection SM interesting and beneficial. Your recommendation helps us
keep growing, and ensures an excellent exchange of information and techniques.
Archives:
You can read previous issues of The Executive Connection SM in our archive section.
About Keith Barton, Ph.D
Dr. Barton received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Texas at Austin and has been a practicing therapist for over thirty years. He is a graduate of
MentorCoach and is accepting new clients.
He has been an adjunct professor at the University of
South Carolina, consultant to Fortune 500 companies in
executive development, founded and managed Texas Community
Living Ventures, Inc., in 1986 for providing group home
services to persons with mental retardation. Keith founded
and has been running a clinical practice in Northwest Houston since 1990.
He writes part-time with the goal of completing one novel a year. His desire to coach others derives from his passionate interest in helping others become
attuned to their creative powers of storytelling.
Dr. Barton has training in coaching, cognitive and family therapy and health psychology. He has published articles, made presentations and conducted workshops about:
Small Business Development
Employee Wellness Programs
Anxiety and achievement
Stress management
Self-esteem
Communication skills
Leadership styles
Core values in the workplace
Executive Development
High-performance groups
Physician support groups
Writer support groups
© 2010
The Virtual Executive Coach SM and Keith Barton.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
