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The How Affects the Why?

The How Affects the Why? By Arnie Wohlgemut

Stop asking yourself “why”. It’s not helping you.

Why means – for what reason, because, etc.

Why is used for questions on what you see, hear or feel. Why questions invariably lead to more questions and distract your focus on action.

Why did that contract not work?

Why am I not successful?

Why is my client not happy?

Why am I always so far behind in my work?

“Solving our toughest problems may not be as simple as asking better questions, but it’s certainly the right way to start.“
Clayton Christensen

How means – in what manner, by what method, with what means, etc.

How is used for questions of quantity and degree. How can quickly lead to an answer because, it requires you to focus on the changes needed or actions to be taken.

How could I have made that contract work?

How can I be more successful?

How will I meet my client’s expectations?

How am I ever going to get all this work done?

I know that why you do things can motivate your team, and achieve buy-in. However, success in today’s world, is measured by your answers to the “how”questions, not by simply knowing the why.

Pose as… – Pretend to be… – And Fake it?

Pose as… – Pretend to be… – And Fake it? – by Arnie Wohlgemut

No matter where you find yourself, either at work or in a social setting, there is always big pressure to fit in. Even in healthy workplaces, the challenge is to keep your own identity and still fit into the work culture.

This can create tremendous pressure to pose or pretend to be someone you’re not!

We live in a competitive world where being successful or appearing successful has become a way of life. I have seen where the pressure to be successful, has changed a person into giving up their identity ie: becoming someone they are not.

Why do we have to “fake it” just to fit in?

The truth is we should never have to pretend to be someone we are not. It takes courage to keep your identity and to know your self-worth.

“Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess.”
Samuel Johnson

We are encouraged by leadership experts and authors to “be yourself because everyone else is taken”. Very good advice, however that is not the complete picture. I believe what is missing is the goal of becoming a better you!

Everything in this world is either in a state of growth or in a state of decay.

Think of the world around you. If a tree is not growing or is cut off from its source of nutrition, it starts to die and will decay.

The very building you live in or work in, unless it is maintained, will decay. Paint peels and carpet wears out, roofs leak, bricks crack and mortar falls out. It’s a fact of life.

What we can do is to develop new skills that will help us no matter where we find ourselves. These are life skills, not “fit in” skills! These are skills that will lead to new experiences.

The introvert might develop improved conversation skills and the extravert might develop improved listening skills.

“The equation that we carry around in our head is flawed … your ability is not equivalent to your worth. Our worth derives from our human qualities of kindness and thoughtfulness and our vulnerabilities.”
Nic Voge

Being yourself allows you to see your strengths and growth opportunities and most importantly, being yourself allows you to demonstrate your unique contribution to your community.

I encourage you to become a better you, a value contributor not a chameleon that gives up oneself to fit in.

The Power of Little Decisions

The Power of Little Decisions – by Arnie Wohlgemut

At the end of each year we set out to make resolutions and setting goals for the year to come. It is a proven fact that we seldom follow through on them, thus it becomes an exercise of little value.

At the same time each year we are encouraged to buy planners, download a planning app or attend a goal setting workshop.

While the activity of goal setting is important, what appears to be missing are deliberately planned activities and goalposts along the way.

I too have fallen victim to this tradition, and eventually learned that unless I take action, my resolution is worthless. What I have learned is that little decisions are directional! Therefore, every little decision has power.

“There is power in the small decisions; the ones we make are often without thinking.”

Think of the game basketball; the need for a pivot is usually the result of being closely guarded, making other moves risky or difficult.

First, each pivot starts with the player making a seemingly small decision to stop and “plant” one foot on the court. Without knowing how things would turn out, a player’s small decision to pivot can become a big decision instantly.

Secondly, the rest of the team knows that for any pivot to be successful, they need to be in motion; moving themselves into position for the next play. They clearly know that from that spot, another decision must be made!

Thirdly, a successful pivot is directional. It leads to more action, with the goal of scoring some points.

“The seemingly small decisions set direction! Failure to make them eventually forces us to make big decisions.”
Arnie Wohlgemut

Similarly in our workplace, a leader must know where they are at a moment’s notice and determine what action needs to be taken. With input from the team and options measured up against the goalpost, they make a little or a big decision on the next move forward.

Moving forward after a decision is made, is easier and quicker if your team is in motion and not sitting on their hands waiting for the next move.

“How do you know the little decision isn’t a big decision?”
Steven Furtick

As we plan, set goals and make new year’s resolutions, be willing to make the little decisions every day, you never know if that decision will be a big one someday.

Good To Know!

“Good to Know!” – by Arnie Wohlgemut

I recently had the opportunity to speak on the change management challenges created by mergers and acquisitions. A key part to a successful offer and detailed due diligence process is secrecy.

Unfortunately, the use of the need-to-know approach in management extends beyond the requirements of mergers and acquisitions and is used as a power play.

“While we each can accomplish a lot individually, a diverse, inclusive, motivated and empowered team can accomplish so much more.”
Procter & Gamble CEO David Taylor

Like other security measures, “need-to-know” can be misused by persons who wish to refuse others access to information they hold, in an attempt to increase their personal power, prevent unwelcome review of their work or prevent embarrassment resulting from actions or thoughts. After all, information is power – so we have been told.

Time and time again I have seen individuals who adapt the “need-to-know” mindset as a management style. Using it to control people or protect their position within a company. Equally, I have seen this lead to a waste of valuable resources and time.

As a management style, need-to-know can be detrimental to a workers’ efficiency. It is also a reflection of your inner, deep down motivation.

“The best leaders focus on others, not themselves. Pay attention. Listen. Communicate. That is the key to making sure your team and clients feel valued and empowered to make the right decisions. Not only will those you lead start to perform at their natural best, but you will too.”
Former Bank of America vice chairman John Thiel

There is no time like the present to switch to a “good-to-know” mindset. This is not the “good-to-know” used when you find out information that is beneficial to you. It is the mindset that knows timely information leads to better decisions.

Having a “this is something that would be good for you to know” mindset is an influence and growth multiplier. It also empowers your team; trusting that with all the information you have provided, they will make the best decisions.

I challenge you to adapt an information sharing mindset and leadership style. Your team will benefit greatly from it.

3 Tips to Cure Busyness

3 Tips to Cure Busyness – by Arnie Wohlgemut

I have noticed that if my business goes through a slow time, I start to get ‘busy’. I find myself doing things that aren’t on task and doesn’t move me forward towards my goal. It’s as if all the less important “things” in the back of my mind, suddenly push out the important tasks that could build my business.

This is not a challenge unique to me, I believe it happens to everyone.

One of the services my company provides is organizational reviews. Unlike employee engagement surveys, that have a reputation of “nothing ever changes”, organizational reviews tend to put folks on edge. Very quickly folks become busy to secure their position.

“Being busy has almost become our identity – we think the busier we are, the more impressive we seem – it’s a story we tell ourselves every day. …Instead, it’s time we all got into the habit of stopping and pausing once in a while – after all, making the time to think is where we’ll find the real route to success.”
Alistair Cox

Being busy seldom adds the value needed to secure a position or lead to future success. We have all heard it: “Add value.” This comment is prevalent in the leadership and training circles, however it’s seldom clear what adding value means. Here are some quick tips to keeping you and your people from plodding away on the treadmill for the sake of appearing busy allowing you to add value:

Focus your efforts on tasks you have control over or have influence on the outcome. Mastery of this focusing skill will serve you well in many other life situations.
Eliminate tasks and processes that do not help you achieve what you have been hired to do. If you’re not sure why something is being done, “think it through, figure out exactly what you want to know, then ask your superiors as clearly as you can”, says TimeShare CMO’s Melinda Byerley.
Automate as many remaining tasks that you can. If you must dig deep into data to generate a quarterly report, then you have not automated enough route processes.

Mastery of these three tips along is an important demonstration of the added value you provide.

Flipping the Flow

Flipping the Flow. – By Arnie Wohlgemut

There are times when we simply repeat learned behaviour and reinforce our self-made limitations, not realizing they are not helping us reach our goals.

True to my human nature, I have a tendency to see others confusing their insecurities for truth before I see it in myself.

Recently I heard Steven Furtick speak and he posed several great questions: “When you react to something a person does or says to you, ask yourself: Where did this come from? What are my beliefs behind the behaviour?”

He goes on to talk about the importance of knowing what we put into our mind from our experiences as a truth; may not be!

“Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin. They will betray you.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi

These questions challenged me to review some of my habits and thoughts. I need to ask them when I behave out of character. In particular, whenever I lose my cool.

In my experience, we lose our temper with those people who we know will forgive us. However, that doesn’t make it right.

For me, this happens when my insecurities are exposed.

I know better! I know in my heart that I have way more ability, than I believe I have.

“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.”
Bruce Lee

The truth is our insecurities fade when we take our eyes off ourselves and focus on our goals.

Ask yourself, is what I believe an insecurity or the truth; new beginning vs insecurities.

Flipping the flow!

A Problem to Every Solution

A Problem to Every Solution – by Arnie Wohlgemut

“Put yourself in places and with people who will inspire you.”
John C. Maxwell

A year ago, I was asked by a former colleague if I “miss the crazy over here.”

The reality I have experienced is that, in a politically charged environment, crazy is the norm. It is a struggle to maintain a solution biased mindset.

We are all prone to do things in ways that simply generate more problems. Dr. Robert A. Rohm explains, “Most people are better at creating problems than they are at solving them. It is rare that you will find someone who thinks in terms of solutions.”

Here are three premises that have helped me maintain a solution biased mindset:
1. A solution biased mindset is key to choosing your own destiny — both in professional and personal terms. If you don’t choose your own destiny, someone will choose it for you.

“I’ve always been more successful when I focused my energies on how I could get something done, rather than how impossible the task was.”
Dane Holmes

2. Adopting a solution biased mindset will require you to believe that you already have a solution. It will demand more conscious thoughts to determine the real problem. The solution may be found in your subconscious mind that has stored every sense, impression and thought that has ever reached your brain, and presents itself in the form of an instinct or a gut feeling.

“Instincts help you explore the possibilities instead of protecting the probabilities.”
Angela Ahrendts

3. The solution biased mindset will also require you to believe that you have access to the solution. The solution may come from the mind of another person who has just shared it with you. It could be in the form of a thought, picture or concept. This often highlights the importance of selecting who you work with in a friendly alliance of minds for the purpose of finding a solution. These alliances in spirit of harmony, will stimulate your brain causing the solution to appear as inspiration.

Negative people who have a problem mindset can be found everywhere. You can identify these people by listening to the way they talk. They will explain the problem, go over the problem, review the problem, compound the problem, rehearse the problem over and over, and finally get stuck in the problem. Wow, not a place I want to encourage my people to be!!

“Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.”
Albert Einstein

4 Essentials to being Promotion Ready!

4 Essentials to being Promotion Ready! – By Arnie Wohlgemut

Over my career I have reviewed hundreds of resumes, looking to find that person best suited for the position I was looking to fill.

There are many reasons why people quit or look for new employment. One reason is the desire for career advancement. In essence, a promotion.

The challenge for hiring managers is to ascertain if the potential candidate, is capable of additional responsibility and can help to move the company forward. I believe this is often easier when hiring from within. Internal candidates often have a captive audience, where they can easily prove that they are capable for advancement.

The challenge is to demonstrate that you have the ambition and potential for the new position in your resume and in the interview. Here are 4 essentials activities, when used, that can demonstrate to any hiring manager you will help their company thrive:

A. “Nail your job.” This is a term I have heard often and I have used when mentoring someone. Getting that dream job always starts with excelling at the one you have. Far to often I have seen people with potential become bored with their role and start to let their work quality and integrity slip. They go through the motions, eventually developing a poor attitude towards the role they have.

* Demonstrating your potential by laying a solid foundation that establishes your dependability, your stick-to-itiveness, and your follow-through. This is an essential skill needed by all potential leaders.

“Whatever you’ve been asked to do – whatever your role is now – do it really well and do it with integrity. Deliver results.”
Doug McMillon

B. Study to Show Yourself Approved. With additional responsibility comes new and exciting things to do! These could very well be things you have never done. In order to be successful, engage in intense, consistent study of the field or area you want to excel in. I encourage you to do what I did: Read. Assist more experienced people. Go to workshops and conferences. Watch skilled professionals at work and take note of everything they do. If you don’t understand why they did something, ask. You’ll be surprised how willing most people will be to give you a response to well thought out questions.

* Demonstrate your proven willingness to learn and excel in your current and career path.

“If you want to be healthy, study health… if you want to be wealthy, study wealth… if you want to be happy, study happiness.”
Jim Rohn

C. Be a Value Creator. This means going above and beyond what is expected of you. Being a value creator applies to your current role, and any opportunity to take on projects with more responsibility. The truth is that most managers have several new projects in mind at all times! They often delay starting one or more because the entire team is deeply involved in the whirlwind of daily activity. Offering to lead one is the quickest way to get noticed and indicates your willingness to add value to your company.

* Demonstrate this by taking on projects over and above your current position. Add value to the organization and show how this experience could add value to the position you are pursuing.

“Be assertive, be attentive and be creative. The world needs people who can add value.”
Gift Gugu Mona

D. No Discipline, No Destiny. Leadership is influence and everyone has influence. However, leadership is something to be practiced. It doesn’t just happen overnight. Part of taking on new projects should not only demonstrate your ability to deliver successfully, it is also an opportunity to develop your leadership skills. It is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to create team synergy and influence the outcome. Do an assessment of your leadership discipline and look for areas where you are not as disciplined to be a leader as you need to be, make adjustments immediately.

* Demonstrate your ability to take on new responsibility successfully and the leadership development opportunity those provided.

“It takes constant effort and time to develop the skills, experience, and trust to become a leader and be seen as such by others.”
Andreas. Von dr Heydt

These 4 essential activities provide a win-win situation for you. If you are not successful in immediately securing a new position, the experience and knowledge you have gained will be worth it! My challenge for you is to practice them until they become a habit.

Your Company Culture is your Internal Brand?

Your Company Culture is your Internal Brand? – By Arnie Wohlgemut

In an interview at the 2019 Global Leadership Summit, Bosoma Saint John made this statement: “Your culture is your internal brand.” Having worked in marketing at Pepsi, Apple and Uber, I believed she has experience which supports that statement!

One of the consulting services I offer is assistance in change management. This often includes internal culture change. Seeing how internal cultures at Uber and Google are currently bubbling to the surface, affecting their company’s brand image, Bosoma’s words made sense.

Over the course of my career, I’ve learned many things about brand image and company cultures. Not surprisingly, I have witnessed some amazing similarities and important ties between a company’s internal brand and its brand image.

For example, your internal brand has the power to consistently compliment and reinforce your public brand image and brand identity. Please allow me to explain.

Internal brand is a reflection of how a company views itself and functions internally. It’s more than framed mission / vision statements, HR policies and a flexible work environment. It is a reflection of how management demonstrates the company’s purpose and it’s promise to the employees. Employees witness daily, management’s personality and values, and behave accordingly. This is where toxic workplace cultures begin, or where thriving employees are nurtured.

To build and maintain a positive internal brand or healthy workplace culture, you need strong and consistent leadership. When employees share the same understanding of the management promise, personality and values, they begin to demonstrate company and brand loyalty.

Brand image is more than logos, catch phrases and marketing efforts. Brand image is intended to demonstrate a service promise or product purpose. A brand image, is to showcase the company’s intended personality and values, and is part of the brand identity. Brand image cannot shape or improve the internal brand or change toxic workplace cultures.

To build and maintain your brand image and brand identity, you need strong and consistent leadership. When a customer shares the same understanding of the brand image and brand identity, they begin to demonstrate brand loyalty.

The common thread is strong and consistent leadership.

“Everyone wins when the leader gets better.”
Tim Price

Ever wonder why our “internal brand” is not taken seriously? It is more powerful that any marketing efforts you could launch: It has the power to undue a company’s reputation; It has the power to bring your business to new heights or to new lows. It is your internal brand that can impact your brand image and shape your company’s “perceived reputation”.

I encourage you to step up to your leadership responsibilities and build a team that has a positive internal brand, you won’t regret it!

Legacy

Legacy – by Arnie Wohlgemut

Recent events in my life have lead me to wonder, if leaving a legacy is a deliberate process or just a byproduct of a life well lived.

As I get older, the question about adding value to another person’s career or life seems all to frequent. Is this a way of leaving a legacy?

Many years ago, I made a decision to give back where-ever I could. It occurred to me that my life experiences, particularly my work experience, may help someone from making some of the same mistakes I made. This was a deliberate decision and resulted in deliberate actions on my part. As a result, leaving a legacy was something I thought I knew how to do.

My mom was a stay at home mom. She didn’t have the chance to invest in others in a workplace setting, but invested in others she did! She deliberately added value to others by the way she lived her life.

Over the course of 90 plus years, she lived a life that demonstrated love for those close to her, building strong relationships on mutual respect, trust, and modelled restraint in many difficult life situations.

As I reflect back on the lessons of my childhood, one of the most significant one she taught my siblings and I was that if you want a friend, you have to be a friend. She always greeted people with a smile. For an introvert like me, making friends was not easy. Despite that, my Mother taught me differently. Introverts do make friends!

“If you surround yourself with good people who believe in you, they’re going to help you carry that ball over the line.”
Melinda Gates

The second lesson she taught me was the importance of selecting good friends. I have come to realize that I have had good and loyal friendships in various seasons of my life. Invariably, many of those played a role in holding me up in the moments of self doubt, and many, many difficulties that come with life. Many of those that believed in me are still my friends today.

Together with selecting good friends and being a loyal friend, is a powerful and challenging lesson. LOYALTY plays a vital role in driving growth and success. It always has for me.

“Choose your loyalties wisely. They will influence your life, and define your legacy.”
Fred Reichheld

The question remains for each of us to resolve, what type of legacy are you building? How will your legacy be described?

THANK YOU MOM!

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