Looking for a way to turn the bottom line from red to black?

Think about this:  Accountability is the new “black.”

Leadership without accountability is a sham.  Managing change can’t happen without accountability.  Effective communication requires accountability.  Delegation, Profitability, Performance Improvement, Team Building, Strategic Planning …

Accountability is the foundation for success.

Why, then, have so many organizations spent countless dollars to turn their organization around and nothing has changed?

No accountability.

If you’re not getting the return on your investment that you expect – check to see where accountability is missing.

P.S. Don’t forget to look in the mirror when you’re checking!

Marty Stanley, Dynamic Dialog, Inc. Call Marty to speak at your next conference, at your organization and to facilitate your visioning, planning and team building sessions.  Accountability works!

816-822-4047

martystanley@alteringoutcomes.com

www.alteringoutcomes.com

One way to reduce the clutter in your communication and get what you want is to “make a request.”  A “request” is similar to an invitation. When you receive an invitation, you can accept it or decline.  In addition, a “request” can provide an opportunity for a counter-offer.

When you start a sentence with the words: “I have a request,” it forces you to be clear about what you want.  It also alerts the listener to pay attention, without the fear, manipulation or apprehension that can occur when someone barks “I need this now!” or candy-coats “Can you do me a favor?”

For example, instead of blurting out: “You’re late again!” or being passive-aggressive about it by sighing, rolling your eyes and looking at your watch as the offender strolls past your office 30 minutes late, try this:

Think through what you really want and how you want to come across as a leader and manager. Align your thoughts words and actions to that image. Now you’re ready make your request.

“Bill, I have a request. When I hired you, you said you would work from 8 – 4. The past couple weeks, you’re not here until 8:15, sometime later.  I request that you honor your commitment to work from 8 to 4.”

In this example, the manager is holding Bill accountable for keeping his commitment.  There is no drama, blame or opportunity for excuses.  It does provide, however, an opening for Bill to make another request or counter offer, such as: “I’m taking the kids to school now. Would it be possible to start at 9 and leave at 5?”

Remember: when making a request, you need to be prepared for it to be declined or engage in a counter offer.  If you’re not willing to accept a “no” or a counter offer, then don’t make a request.

Instead, you need to state your expectations.

Sometimes we think we’ve communicated expectations, but maybe we’ve only been rehearsing the dialogue in our heads!  Did you actually tell the person what is expected?    Or did you say something like: “you should know this is part of the job…”

Please note:  saying “you should know” can put the other person on the defensive and rarely results in a good outcome.

So next time, instead of being snarky and saying, “Why can’t you get this right consistently?”  Try this:

“Karen, we’ve reviewed this customer’s specifications for this job.  I expect you to consistently do the work according to these requirements. If this happens again, there will be a written warning.”

Make sure your expectations are reasonable and actually part of the job.  It helps to refer to documentation to support the expectation, such as a job description, product specifications, or legal requirements. People also need to know what happens if they don’t meet expectations.

Finally, keep your promises.  If you say you’ll do something, do it.  If you find that you are over committed or can’t follow through, the best thing you can do is acknowledge it to the person to whom you made the commitment.  Do it as soon as you’re aware that you can’t keep the promise.  (Now we know you’re smarter than a fifth grader, but don’t act like one by saying “but I didn’t say: ‘I promise.’”)  All you have is your word. Don’t diminish your integrity by not keeping your word to someone.

One of the best ways to have others keep their “promises” to you is to model this behavior.  However there are times when we need to hold people accountable for not following through their commitments to us.

For example, “Jim, you said you’d have the analysis completed by today. I was counting on including that information for my presentation next week. What happened and when will it be completed?”

Again, there’s no need for drama.

So there you have it.  Here’s the formula for clear communication:

Clarity of thinking+ Aligning your words to your thoughts

+ Taking action that is consistent with your thoughts and words

=  Getting the results you want.

Marty Stanley, Dynamic Dialog, Inc. Call Marty to speak at your next conference, in your organization and to facilitate your visioning, planning and teambuilding sessions.

816-822-4047 martystanley@alteringoutcomes.com

www.alteringoutcomes.com

She says: “When we are nourished we know who we are. We know how we feel. We understand our priorities. We have a clearer understanding of our deep purpose in life.”

It was at that point I realized my corn dog and funnel cake were not going to lead me to nirvana. If I wanted to gain that kind of clarity, more fruits and veggies were needed.

But we’ve also heard that man does not live by bread alone.

The question piqued my curiosity: how do we nourish ourselves? What are we doing to really sustain ourselves?

When a client asked “Is it ok to claim time that’s just for me? And how do I do it?” I realized she was asking permission for self-nourishment.  We’re so naïve at experiencing the kind of real nourishment that Schatz described. I think there’s an underlying fear that it may be considered selfish or self-indulgent.

Sure, massages or manicures are often a way to wind down,  but often they sound like just another thing on the to-do list – like we’re fitting it in.  Our lives are filled with busy-ness.

At the end of the day, can we point to one thing we did that left us feeling nourished in body, mind or spirit? To be able to sit back and relish that time and feel replenished?

7 Things We Can Do to Nourish Ourselves in 30 minutes:

1. Read – During the day! Not before you go to sleep when you’re exhausted and can’t remember what you read. Take a break to read something pleasurable that lifts your spirits or engages your imagination

1. Walk –in a park, at an arboretum, along a river. Leave the ipod in the car. 

1. Nap – take a guilt-free nap – just because you want to

1. Listen – to the sounds in nature, to beautiful music – let your mind wander and soul soar

1. Pray or meditate

1. Prepare a wonderful meal – enjoy the colors, the smells, the textures and tastes of each item

1. Play – what would make you laugh or feel carefree? Try flying a giant dragon kite and see if it doesn’t make you smile!

Vote For Me to Host My OWN Talk Show!

I’m auditioning to host a talk show on Oprah’s new TV network OWN. I’ve sent in my audition video and now I need your votes! The 5 people with the most votes will be considered for their own show. You can vote as many times as you want until July 3.

VOTE HERE!

Please vote early and vote often! (it’s a 3 minute video and you don’t even have to watch it to vote!)

Share with your friends and networks! Help make this go viral! Wouldn’t it be great to say “I helped her win!”?
I’ve reached a lot of people with the Get Out of BED and New Normal messages. This show could help me get the message out to even more people who need it! Thanks for your support!

-Marty

Transformation Lessons From our Slithering Friends.

When a snake sheds its skin, it does so in one continuous piece. It starts by brushing against something hard to cause a rip in the skin.  Then it slowly works on the rip until it sheds the skin completely.

During this process the snake moves about its world with raw, new skin at the top and then dragging the old skin behind until the transformation is complete.  It does this several times a year.

When we experience change, we usually are bumping up against something we resist. It can be raw and uncomfortable.  We’re not quite in our “new skin” yet and are still dragging parts of the past behind us that no longer serve us.

This is just another cycle of life. The snake doesn’t resist the change, it just works with it until it’s complete.

How different would our lives be if we took a similar approach?

Marty Stanley helps organizations change by facilitating visioning and strategic planning sessions that really stick. Contact Marty at 816-822-4047  or www.alteringoutcomes.com to see how she can help your organization succeed in the 21^st century.

Are you tired of not getting what you want?

Prepare yourself for a little Feng Shui for your mind…

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this ancient Chinese practice, it is about placement and design to create spaces of harmony and balance.  Proponents say good Feng Shui and “Chi,” or flow, have a positive effect on health, prosperity, reaching goals and good relationships.

So when I think  about how to use words to remove clutter and barriers, I think of Feng Shui and  how to use careful placement of words to achieve balance, flow and harmony.

Sometimes I think we spend more time crafting our words to order coffee than we do to communicate goals, wants, likes, dislikes, or disappointments.

I used to order “a double mocha frappacino with a shot of expresso, “skinny,” Grande in a Venti cup with shake of nutmeg and vanilla bean…”  and hope  for the best.

Now, I just order a small coffee.  It’s a lot  easier.  And I get what I want:  A cup of coffee.  It’s not very glamorous without all the filler, fluff, and calories, but how often does one really need all that?  Even if you want it, a steady diet of it is not good for your waistline or pocketbook.

And that’s what Feng Shui and uncluttered communication have in common: Clarity and Simplicity.

If you’re not getting what you want, I invite you to step back and listen to your choice of words.  Now step back even further … Are you clear about what you really want before you start talking?

In this era of things being “on-demand,” instant messaging and texting, we feel compelled to speak before thinking.  STOP! Take a few minutes to remove the clutter, to balance your thoughts.  What do you really want?  What is the intended outcome that you want from this interaction?  I recommend writing it down.  Look at it.  Is that what you want?  If you got that, would that make you happy or deliver the results you want?  If not, continue writing until you’ve found the clarity and simplicity of your thoughts.

Marty Stanley, Dynamic Dialog, Inc. helps people and organizations change and alter their outcomes by speaking at conferences, in organizations and facilitating visioning and planning sessions.

www.alteringoutcomes.com

Can’t See this Video? Click Here: Marty Stanley at KC MIC Speaker Showcase

If you would like to hire Marty for an upcoming planning session, keynote or workshop, please call 816-822-4047 or complete our contact form.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics discovered in 1997 that direct consequences of organizational change (including changes in leadership, a lack of communication or miscommunication), had the following effect:

• Productivity dropped 75% from 4.8 hours/day to 1.2 hours/day
• Social chat and gossip increased more than 100% from 1.5 hours/day to 3.2 hours/day
• Retraining increased 25% from 0 hours to 1.8 hours per person.

This study was before Twitter, blogs and Facebook. One can only imagine the impact of poorly managed change now.  It can go well beyond productivity and morale and can extend to public image and perception.

People are creatures of habit and change can be unsettling.  Organizational change can be anything from a new software program to be learned, to a move to a new location or new reporting structures.  Even staff changes disrupt the group dynamics, “pecking order” or accountability for job duties if an open position isn’t going to be replaced.

Here are some tips for planning and communicating changes:

1)      Know, and be as clear as possible, about what the change is and how people will be impacted before it is announced

2)      Involve people, whenever possible, in planning or implementing the changes so they have some ownership

3)      If a change must be imposed without opportunities for participation in planning or implementation, be open to fielding questions and keep an open door policy.

Remember: When leaders appear secretive or are unavailable during a change, it causes unrest and gossip and speculation. Save yourself and your organization time and money by being open and receptive to communicating about changes in a way that will address people’s concerns.

Marty Stanley helps organizations change by facilitating visioning and strategic planning sessions that really stick. Contact Marty at 816-822-4047  or www.alteringoutcomes.com to see how she can help your organization succeed in the 21^st century.

Guess where I saw the binders of a new client’s past strategic plans?

On the top shelf in the utility room, next to the toilet…Seriously.

Have you ever spent a lot of time and money on a project that never got off the ground? Here’s one reason why this can happen.

Tunnel Vision.  Sometimes groups become so focused on DOING that they forget to uncover the underlying beliefs and behaviors that could prevent the success of the initiatives.  If people don’t think anything will change – even after developing the plan, guess what? It’s headed for the top shelf of the utility room and your money down the drain.

It’s critical for groups to identify positive beliefs and behaviors for the future state, as the plan is unfolding and what the end result will look and sound like.  This type of “heavy lifting” on this topic is typically ignored or by-passed in the effort to “get things done.” But it’s these very issues that de-rail projects that end up being the 3-ringed binders on the shelf.

Align Beliefs and Behaviors. When creating a vision or plan for the future, people need to think “Are my (or our), current beliefs and behaviors aligned with the future goals?”  And do we have the right structures in place to support them?

For example, if a team is envisioning a more empowered and accountable workforce, are structures for communicating performance expectations and feedback in place? Are they currently being used effectively?  If not, then what’s preventing the communication?  The forms? Is training needed? Or is there a culture of lack of accountability in this area?

What does the leadership team need to be thinking, saying and doing to create the environment to fulfill the future plans?

Marty Stanley helps organizations change by facilitating visioning and strategic planning sessions that really stick. Contact Marty at 816-822-4047  or www.alteringoutcomes.com to see how she can help your organization succeed in the 21^st century.

This event is open to the public. Details:

Location: Central Exchange South
Time: 12 p.m.
Call 816-471-7560 for more information.