Unaverage Leadership

The New Year's Resolution

It has been an interesting holiday season.  There seems to be a real need for everyone to take a break, regroup, and look to a new and better year.  It is the time of year where new resolutions are made, verbalized, and even printed.  Individuals and organizations declare the resolutions, the changes needed to support them, and talk about the new person or organization that will emerge when the resolutions are completed.  Unfortunately, the vast, vast majority of resolutions die in a very short period of time.

What is needed is "resolution obsession".  The resolution needs to be an obsession for the organization, which ultimately requires individuals to have this same obsession.  If the organization is fighting for survival, then individuals are more likely to move to "resolution obsession".  If the organization is doing fine, getting individuals to this state of mind is tough.

For individuals to reach a state of "resolution obsession", they must be able to fully understand and visualize the benefit they will receive either short term or long term.  An even better way to create a resolution that will garner results, find out what people are obsessed with in your organization.  

Stated in a different and simpler way - In 2011 approach new resolutions using an "obsession resolution" mind set and success will follow. 

Flickr photo by las vegas lass

The Means Or The End?

 This time of year gives us pause to evaluate what life has given us and what more do we want from life.

When we evaluate life we have to evaluate work, since this is where most of our time is spent.  How do you evaluate your work - is it the means or the end?  The end, meaning it consumes your life and negatively impacts all other life activities or...The means, meaning work feeds a full and balanced life.

We can choose the answer ourselves, but the culture of our company plays heavily on this choice.  A company that supports a culture where it is a priority for employees to attend the ball game, music recital or visit the sick family or friend in the hospital, will get back ten times more effort from their employees.  The saying "the more you give the more you live" is so true.

There are many companies that support the scrooge mentality that work is first no matter what.  The rest of your life is captive to the demands of work and there are no alternatives.  Work is the end and when the ghosts of Christmas come calling, these companies will suffer in the end.

To put it in perspective, a year from now, five years from now, ten or twenty years from now, what will you remember?  The fact that you missed a half day or full day from work or the fact you missed the ball game, music recital, or failed to visit the sick family or friend.  What will be your answer when the ghosts of Christmas call on you?  The means or the end?