by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Goals, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries, Planning, Productivity, Time, Tools
Other parts of the miniseries:
Winning the war for time–Part 1
Winning the war for time–Part 3
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 37 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Winning the war for time–Part 2
— From Learning to Lead: Bringing Out the Best in People by Fred Smith (1915-2007)
In yesterday’s post, we learned the importance of having clarity on our philosophy on time: Fred Smith, leadership guru, taught us some powerful questions to ask ourselves in his book Learning to Lead to determine why we want to get more out of time.
Today, we’ll see why Smith questions the idea of spending time and, instead, prefers to see time as an investment.
He says, “There are two ways to approach time. One is technological: minutes as units. The other is the philosophical: minutes as meaning. […] Too often people don’t know the difference between a fast track and a frantic track.” Smith enjoys a fast-track life, but he doesn’t relish being frantic. That’s an incredibly important distinction.
“It’s just as foolish to use every minute for activity as it is to spend every nickel you’ve got.”
The author goes on to say, “Some people think they have to spend time, use it up one way or another—while others invest it.” His philosophy is to invest it, which means looking for a return on what he does. “Some of that return will be in dollars or other visible achievement, but some will be more internal. Investing time wisely does something for you. Over a period of time it brings an appreciation, a patina to life; it generates maturity and fullness.”
A key thing to consider, as Smith points out, is that “Opportunity is not a mandate to do. Your mandate comes from what you have chosen to try to accomplish.” And he illustrates this by saying, “If a farmer has a bushel of corn and several different fields in which to plant it, he will pick the most fertile field.”
This is a great concept to keep in mind nowadays, when we all live with FOMO, the Fear Of Missing Out, and thus try to do too much as we don’t want to miss any opportunities.
Another important point that Smith makes is that of earning respect for our time.
Just as we respect and value other people’s time and effort, we should expect and demand that people respect ours the same way.
People respect us when we address their problems quickly. “There’s something professional about that,” writes the author. “If through reading as well as living we have developed the intuition, knowledge and experience to be helpful to others, and if we have the courage to go right at the issue and not be afraid of conflict, people will see we mean business with our time.”
In practical terms, the best way to do this is to “train people to think in terms of schedule” by saying things that will signal such respect for our time and that of others.
For instance, “You can set definite times for meetings. Even if the calendar is open, you don’t say, ‘Well, come any time Tuesday.’ Instead you say, ‘I’ll be glad to see you. How long do you think you’ll need?’ or ‘How long will it take us to accomplish what you’ve got in mind?’”
Also, Smith says, “You can telegraph your view of time by cutting the conversation off promptly at the end. ‘Is there anything else that we should talk about, or are we finished?’ This establishes the reason why we’re talking: to accomplish something.”
I like Smith’s approach to time because I think it’s sensible and practical. Come back tomorrow for another installment of this miniseries. Smith will be guiding us through personal habits to avoid wasting time, among other topics.
ACTION
TODAY: Think of times when you have spent more time than you wanted in a meeting or a project. What is the common denominator among all those times? How do you give people access to your time? How can you change that access? Work on the language you use with yourself and with others to think in terms of schedule.
FUTURE: Once you’ve figured out how to improve the ways in which you handle your time with others, begin to test. Slowly but surely, you’ll be getting used to the language that works best in each occasion, to the point where you won’t make the mistakes of the past again. Test and rehearse many times until it all comes naturally.
Know someone who is always battling time? Please share this post with that person. Thank you! Email, Facebook or Twitter.
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Goals, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries, Planning, Productivity, Time, Tools
Other parts of the miniseries:
Winning the war for time–Part 2
Winning the war for time–Part 3
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 56 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Winning the war for time–Part 1
— From Learning to Lead: Bringing Out the Best in People by Fred Smith (1915-2007)
If you find yourself in a crunch and need to make or find time, Fred Smith, leadership guru, gave us this miniseries a while back: How to find 5 extra hours per week.
However, those tactics are geared to win a short battle for time, as you cannot sustain them for the long run. Enter this new miniseries as a continuation of the previous one, also from Fred Smith’s book Learning to Lead. This time we will focus on, in the author’s words, winning the war for time.
“You can only win the war with a philosophical base,” says Smith. This means asking WHY you want to get more out of time: “Is it because [you] want to become famous or make money? [Are you] part of a peer group that always seems busy? What’s the real reason to squeeze more into [your] days and weeks?”
“These days, haste has become a status symbol. People assume, If I’m busier than you are, I must be more important.”
Smith confesses to being perplexed: “Maybe I’m missing something, but I always thought if you were successful, you had more time, not less. […] Lack of time is a status symbol, and that, to me, is backwards. If you really are somebody, you are in control of your time.”
What, then, should the best approach to time be? A very American idea is that of utilizing time to its fullest. Smith shares his thoughts: “I think optimizing opportunities and talents… is a valid reason to use time well.” And he says that this point of view arises from his philosophical cornerstones:
- Time is simply life’s clock. “Time is a tool—a means in life, never an end. […] Time is not something to be pursued for it’s own sake but for what can be done with it.”
- Life is measured by time. “I have a responsibility to control it,” says Smith. “Most of us don’t let other people spend our money; likewise, we should limit their power to spend our time also.”
- We all have the same amount of time each day as everybody else. “The great achievers of the world don’t have any more time than [we] do. It’s simply untrue to say, ‘I don’t have enough time.’ What is not the same for everybody is energy. Unless I recognize my level of energy and recognize that it comes in ebbs and surges, I won’t accomplish all I could.” (This miniseries can help with harnessing your energy and creating the time and space for being awesomely effective.)
- Know the ultimate purpose of your life. This is the only way you’ll be able to know whether you are using your time properly and wisely. Smith mentions that, if you don’t know that ultimate purpose, you have no way of judging your efficiency.
And I’ll leave you to ponder these thoughts today. Please come back tomorrow for another installment of this miniseries where Smith shares why it’s better to invest time than to spend it.
ACTION
TODAY: Ask yourself: What is your philosophical approach to time? Why do you want to get more out of time? Your answers will help bring you clarity.
FUTURE: With your newfound clarity about your philosophy of time, apply it now to your purpose. What activities do you think will be the best use of your time?
Know someone who is always battling time? Please share this post with that person. Thank you! Email, Facebook or Twitter.
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Celebration, Goals, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries, Opportunity, Planning, Resources, Tools
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 56 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: The Encore Effect – Part 6
— From The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do by Mark Sanborn
Welcome back to the last part of this miniseries. So far, we have learned what the Encore Effect is (from the book by the same name from leadership guru and author Mark Sanborn) and understood what it takes to create a remarkable performance, the one that causes your audience to want more and more.
The author has focused on several Ps along the way: passion, preparation, practice, etc., as the ingredients to create a remarkable performance. However, all the while, he’s been wondering what came first: the remarkable performance or the remarkable person?
“Distinguishing between remarkable performances and remarkable people is like asking which came first—the chicken or the egg?”
Sanborn says that remarkable performances often result in increased rewards. “These rewards may include money, but they also come as increased exposure, recognition, influence and opportunity. […] The person who strives to perform more remarkably without also focusing on becoming a more remarkable person is missing the larger point.”
So, how do we ensure that, along with our remarkable performances, there is also growth in the personal area?
Sanborn suggests “six areas of focus that, when developed and mastered, can’t help but make anyone a remarkable person.” He calls this The Pyramid of Possibility, and pictures each of the six areas—each one starting with a P—like an inverted pyramid (that is, in a V shape) “with potential as the foundation for being remarkable and personalization as the highest expression of it.”
It looks like this:
The Pyramid of Possibility
\ Personalization /
\ Persistence /
\ Principles /
\ Passion /
\ Purpose /
\ Potential /
Let’s take a quick look at each of the six Ps on the Pyramid.
Potential: “Our potential—both individually and collectively—has no known limits. Many of us know how good we are at our jobs and responsibilities, but none of us knows how good we could be. That is the magic and mystery of our potential.”
Purpose: “Potential without purpose is like a sheet of metal that has not yet been formed to make a useful object. Feed that sheet of metal into a press and its value is transformed. Every human being has unlimited potential. But we need the press of purpose to create a channel for expression and action. Purpose focuses potential.”
Passion: “Passion is the fire-in-the-belly that we bring to human endeavors. Of course, passion that is not tied to purpose is like lightning firing in the sky… But electricity that has a purpose—well, that’s a different story. That kind of energy can run a household of light up a city.” (For more on passion, read this post.)
Principles: “What are the beliefs that allow you to shape your world your performances) instead of being shaped by it? [… Remarkable people are] unswervingly committed to their core values, ethics and personal and spiritual beliefs…When what you say is reflected and amplified by how you live, you are almost certain to live a remarkable life.”
Persistence: There’s an important difference between persistence and endurance. “ Remarkable performers and people don’t simply endure—they exercise persistence. They refuse to give in to despair, and they work hard at doing what’s right. Persistence is a strategic word that suggests purposeful action…”
Personalization: England’s equivalent to the U.S.’ American Idol is The X Factor, where the X refers to that one “elusive and indefinable ‘star’ quality that separates one performer from the rest.” For the purposes of personalization, Sanborn wants you to think instead on what he calls the “U Factor”: “those qualities that make you unique among the world’s performers. The U Factor is not something that you have to acquire or search for. It’s something you already possess, and something no one else has… It’s how you use purpose, passion, principles and persistence to make your actions you.”
And with that, this miniseries on The Encore Effect comes to a close. I hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it. What was your favorite part? Did you get any a-ha moments while reading it? Let me know in the comments here.
ACTION
TODAY: Think about your potential. How do you see yourself? How do you see others? The author asks us to ponder, “do you see yourself as ‘finished’ in terms of your spiritual and career advancement or as just getting started?”
FUTURE: Think about your goals. On which of them are you just enduring vs. purposely persisting to make them happen? Make a list of next steps to move that goal forward – there are 100 days left in the year for you to make it happen or to advance it significantly!
Know someone who is an encore performer? Please share this miniseries with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Miniseries
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 29 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: The Encore Effect – Part 5
— From The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do by Mark Sanborn
Welcome back! In yesterday’s post, we looked at the difference between living our passions and living passionately. While subtle in language, there is a great difference in making it a reality.
As promised, today we will continue to examine other necessary Ps to achieve remarkable performances: Preparation and Practice.
In The Encore Effect, Mark Sanborn points out that each of us is creating our future, right now. “Whether the future is five minutes from now or five years, it is determined by our preparation—or lack of it.”
There is a lot of information on preparing for standardized tests, or for disasters, or preparedness in general for so many things… Unfortunately, Sanborn mentions, “there is a lot less information available on the extra effort that will enable you to perform remarkably and the preparation that will separate your performance from everyone else’s. Sometimes the difference between remarkable and ordinary—between ‘Thanks for coming’ and ‘When can you come back?’ is razor-thin.”
What makes the difference is preparation. Learn all you can about your audience, anticipate every question, and rehearse every problem. Always have a backup plan.
Sanborn goes on to say that “the link between preparation, practice and proficiency applies to every kind of performance. It’s found everywhere from parenting and software programming to pastoring and public relations.”
“The confidence you need can only come from doing something again and again.”
Practice. Practice. Practice.
Sanborn points out that “remarkable performers don’t practice to become perfect but to become better.” But “let’s face it,” he says, “practice sounds like something artists, athletes and actors do—not people in the everyday work world… The closest they come to it is a kind of ‘practice in process,’ based on the hope that the longer they do their job, the better they’ll get at it.”
Practice in process rarely works, says the author. He recommends being deliberate and intentional about our practice, figuring out what success will look like, and measuring every step of the way to see our improvement.
Further, Sanborn urges us to make time for the important things each day. “Few of us have time. We’re already busy… [but] practice is critical if you want to turn in a remarkable performance.”
Preparation and practice. There you have it. A couple of indispensable Ps for remarkable performances.
How do you prepare and practice? Please let me know in the comments here.
Please come back tomorrow to learn about the other Ps in remarkable performances. The miniseries is coming to an end soon, but I still have a few Ps I want to share with you.
ACTION
TODAY: Take some time to think: Where have you been winging it? That’s exactly the area of your life that needs deliberate practice.
FUTURE: Prepare to practice intentionally and deliberately in the area that you just identified. The more you prepare and the more you practice, the better results you’ll attain.
Know someone who is an encore performer? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Celebration, Goals, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries, Opportunity, Planning, Tools
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 17 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: The Encore Effect – Part 4
— From The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do by Mark Sanborn
As promised, today we’re going to talk about PASSION. This is one of the various Ps that are needed to achieve a remarkable performance as explained in the book The Encore Effect. Stay tuned over the next few days of this miniseries to learn about the other “P” components.
In yesterday’s post, the author, Mark Sanborn, said, “Passion is the fuel that drives performance.” Today, he expands on a very important point about passion: “remarkable performance isn’t just about what we do; it’s also about how we do it.”
And he centers on an important point. “Life isn’t just about living our passions but about living passionately.” And while subtle when reading, this makes a world of difference once we understand it.
Sanborn explains, “In the everyday world, most of us don’t get to focus exclusively on doing those things we are passionate about. The solution? Do everything important with passion.”
No matter your role, if you infuse it with passion, creativity, and enthusiasm, you’ll guarantee increased value in the eyes of those around you. This, in turn, will generate opportunities and doors will open for you. “As a parent or spouse, as a volunteer in your church or community, as an employee making a sales call, teaching a class, or leading a company, bringing passion to what you do each day is an exercise in living fully and influencing others by your example.”
“The good news is that passion can be created and stoked. It’s up to you to do so.”
So, how can we develop and cultivate passion?
Sanborn suggests the following five things:
1. Study and learn. “You can go a long way toward becoming a passionate performer by buying the best books, subscribing to the best magazines and going to free university lectures [online]. […] Given the unlimited amounts of information available today, there is little justification for anyone not being a reader [hmmm, let me tell you about a blog that can help you with this… 😉 ] There is no shortage of ways to become an expert in your field—and grow more passionate in the process.”
2. Use small achievements or successes to fuel larger ones. “Remarkable performances are like losing weight. Which goal sounds more achievable—losing one pound per week for a year or losing fifty-two pounds? The result may be the same, but psychologically these goals are as different as night and day. Focus on achieving a remarkable performance today, then another one tomorrow.”
3. Look to other passionate people as role models. “Reach out to people you respect for their passion and performance. Start a group of like-minded people with similar goals. Avoid the people who act as ‘blockers.’ Remember, passion begets passion.”
4. Plug the leaks. “Examine those areas in your life where your resources (your time, talent, and skills) are not being put to the best use. […] Don’t spend time on things that diffuse your focus and do not advance your goals.”
In here, Sanborn tells the story of a student asking Albert Einstein how many feet were in a mile, and him saying he didn’t know. Upon seeing the student’s amazement, Einstein explained, “I make it a rule not to clutter my mind with simple information that I can find in a book in five minutes.”
5. Make passion part of your life. “Where the head goes, the heart will follow. You may not feel passionate, but when you decide you are going to become a passionate person, you will become one. If you act the part and succeed in the part, one day you will discover that you have become the part! If you deliberately and consciously act with passion, you will come to feel that passion.”
All remarkable performances require effort and energy, but they start with and continue to be fueled by passion all along.
As you know, I’m passionate about sharing the ideas I come across in the books I read (…barely noticeable, huh?). What are you passionate about? Let me know in the comments here.
And please come back tomorrow, as we will take a look at more of the “P” elements for remarkable performances in this miniseries.
ACTION
TODAY: Let’s plug the leaks today: find your sources of distraction and eliminate [or appease] them. For example, social media. If I don’t set limits for myself, I go in to read ONE tweet and I’ll still be there 2 hours later… ugh!… (#NotProud). While you don’t have to eliminate it, can you give yourself a set amount of time, timer-in-hand, so that you don’t get sucked into a time vortex? Can you silence or eliminate the notifications on your phone so that they don’t distract you until you are actually on your specified time for this? What other leaks are there in your life that you might be able to plug today?
FUTURE: Create the intention and commit to develop and cultivate passion in those areas of your life and business that are important for you. You will enjoy them more and become a remarkable performer at them.
Know someone who is an encore performer? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Celebration, Goals, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries, Opportunity, Planning, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 57 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: The Encore Effect – Part 3
— From The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do by Mark Sanborn
This miniseries on The Encore Effect has focused so far on explaining and understanding all about remarkable performances. But what do we need to make those performances happen?
According to the author, Mark Sanborn, the formula is simple:
P+D+A = RP
Where: P = Passion, D = Discipline, A = Action and RP = Remarkable Performance.
While this formula is not a panacea, it serves very well to convey the requisites needed to achieve a remarkable performance.
Let’s take a quick look at each:
Passion: “Encounters with passionate people are memorable,” says the author. “You are captivated not only by what they do but by the way they do it. You may not agree with them, but there’s no doubt that what they believe is important.”
Discipline: “Passion is the fuel that drives performance. But without discipline, passion is just loud talk and noise… When discipline is lacking, results are inconsistent and sporadic. It is discipline that enables us to do what needs to be done even when we are not at our best.”
Sanborn explains that discipline is the things that we do over and over again, “often behind the scenes, that ultimately result in remarkable performances.” For figuring this out, he suggests asking ourselves questions, such as:
- How many times did I rehearse and refine my sales presentation before giving it?
- How many books did I read (and re-read) about my industry/career/service/skills?
- How much time do I spend each day in the gym and how many days each week, to keep myself physically fit?
- How many thank-you notes and follow up e-mails do I send to important customers, clients, volunteers, or friends?
- How much of my income do I invest in myself to further my vocations and my passion?
- How much space do I make in my schedule to do the things that matter to me the most, whether developing my skills, spending time with my family, or giving back to my congregation or community?
Action: The most important thing, the author cautions, is not to confuse activity with action. “You can think the right thoughts all day long, but even if those thoughts make you feel good, nothing happens until you take action. […] Activity is effort without effect. Action is what achieves a desired outcome.”
Sanborn mentions that “some people hide behind activity and use it as an excuse to absolve themselves of responsibility (‘I’m so busy!’).” But it’s precisely that busyness that leads to lots of activity but no specific action to move forward.
The author closes by pointing out that “remarkable performers focus on the outcome they’re striving to achieve and say no to any activity that would divert their efforts. They know exactly where they are going, and they focus on how to get there.”
Come back tomorrow to read a bit more about passion. I’ve reserved a whole post for it, given that passion is the fuel for powering remarkable performances.
ACTION
TODAY: Sanborn suggests, “to discover what you are passionate about, ask yourself: What would I like to spend the rest of my life doing?” And says, “How you answer that question will lead you to your true passion.” Take a moment today to answer that question.
FUTURE: Look at your performances and see where they have had or have lacked passion, discipline, and action. Going forward, determine to have these three components whenever you need to do a remarkable performance. Commit to incorporating the three elements into, both, the preparations and the performance itself.
Know someone who is an encore performer? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
