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No 68                                                                               August 2005

Want to Work for Yourself or Work Portfolio? - Part 5

Continuing from the last NEWORKer the list of myths that discourage the entry to Portfolio work

Have you ever had a work or business related role model? If you have, think about what it is about them that you admire. Is it their zest for life, their enthusiasm about what they do, their creative entrepreneurial ways of manifesting business opportunities, and ultimately money? There could be a number of characteristics you admire, but if these sound familiar – then I rest my case. I don’t often refer to ‘rules’ as being a positive thing to have, however, in this case I’ll make an exception because if there’s one thing that underlies every role model I’ve ever had with these characteristics, it’s that they love what they do for a living. So here it is – an unwritten but universally acknowledged ‘rule’ – when you do what you love for a living, you’re generally pretty good at it. If you’re good at it then you’ll be financially compensated accordingly and receive the recognition you deserve. In short, you look after the passion and the money will look after itself. If you’re chasing the money but are bored with what you do for a living then yes, eventually you may very well get to where you want to be financially, but my question to you is – wouldn’t you rather have both?

In coaching ,one size doesn’t fit all – and that goes for coaching styles as well as approaches. For some, coaching may feel the same way as it did for a colleague I once had, who described it as that ‘kissing yourself in the mirror stuff". For others, many find bringing an objective perspective to a current life or work situation a useful thing to have in their toolbox. At the end of the day, a coach is only there to help you find the answers – not give them to you. You already know what the answers are, it’s just that sometimes we have trouble seeing the wood for the trees. Coaching can help people in all sorts of ways. Think of them more as a friend to help you on the journey rather than an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, which let’s face it, has negative connotations whichever way you look at it. You’re either at the edge of a cliff, falling off it or about to make a rapid and painful entrance in to the ambulance via the roof on your way down. Personally, I don’t like heights and I don’t like to be ‘ambulance’. A coach can be as challenging as you want them to be - it’s all up to you, your needs and your agenda. If you’re thinking about bringing a coach on to your own team, but unsure if it’s the right move, why not arrange to have a one hour session with a coach of your choice on a specific topic, for example, goal setting. Explore it as an option. If it works for you – great - if it doesn’t explore another one, but as always, I’d encourage you to make a decision from a place of fact and not perception.

This series started out from one discussion but like a lot of things the discussion carried on as we met over the subsequent weeks.

I personally have found this a useful reflection for where I stand. I hope it has been for you as well.

Will You Have A Business After The Big One

On TV One in mid-April, there was a TV Programme that gave the scenarios for natural disasters in various areas of the country.

As a business owner, I have thought about of some of the protections required but they have generally related to the failure of equipment and in particular the information that is stored on my computer - so I have back-ups all over the place.

One aspect that I have given little thought to is what might happen to my business after a natural disaster. Of course for Wellington City where I live, the publicity and indeed that television programme was focussed on the big-one striking - earthquake.

But when I think about it there are other disasters that can and do happen around Wellington City let alone the flat areas of Lower Hutt and areas of Kapiti.

Just some possibilities are

Would your small business/home business be able to operate after one or more of these?

There are some overseas statistics that tell us that unpreparedness is a major reason why 40 percent of all businesses hit by a natural disaster fail to reopen, and another 25 percent that reopen close within a year. Such a high failure rate is not surprising, say experts. Many small businesses operate on thin margins, and any major disruption in cash flow is often fatal. Businesses that reopen often are crippled by staff turnover, increased debt, or, in the event of a widespread disaster, a regional or even national economic downturn.

While a small business cannot always prevent Mother Nature or terrorists from striking, it can prepare financially for such a catastrophe.

There are some good resources (mostly overseas) available on the www that can assist small businesses in planning for and after the disaster. The following are worth a look

http://www.ibhs.net/business_protection which has "A Disaster Planning Toolkit for the Small Business Owner"

Prepare.co.nz

http://www.prepare.co.nz

A private company that sells emergency gear. contains useful information on preparedness for dealing with a number of different types of emergency response.

Public Entity Risk Institute

http://www.riskinstitute.org

Includes (in the "resources" section, analysis tools for small businesses of many types of risks,

Peak Performer

One of the wonderful by-products of high self-esteem is that you become a "Peak Performer."

Every day you become more aware of your abilities and recognize that opportunities to stretch your capabilities are limitless. You desire change, growth, and challenge, and a healthy self-esteem provides the energy.

Peak performers have more than goals, they have a vision of what their life will mean to themselves and others. Peak performers do not live in the future. Peak performers make sure each step taken in the present keeps them on the road toward their life goal.

Peak Performers Can Say:

1. I am motivated and have a mission with realistic and measurable goals.
2. I accept complete responsibility for everything I think, say, feel, and do.
3. I look for the window of opportunity in every situation and know that I will learn from every experience if I choose.
4. I always help others to do their best, and I encourage everyone to contribute something.
5. I correct my course when I reach an obstacle. This way, when things go wrong, I am still headed in the right direction.
6. I expect and appreciate change. It does not overwhelm me because I am prepared.
7. I stand up for my own opinions and values and respect others.
8. I am able to manage myself. I do not require instruction every step of the way.
9. I am not afraid of making mistakes or of taking reasonable risks.
10. I am my own coach. I engage in positive self-talk and rehearsal.
11. I am a life-long student. I am always ready to learn, and I know growth takes sustained effort.
12. I know myself well and still expect to find hidden talents, resources, strengths, weaknesses, energy, and interests.
13. I respect reality both pleasant and painful.
14. I engage in self-confrontation and do not blame others.
15. I readily forgive others and myself and correct mistakes when possible.
16. I am patient, kind, gentle, and compassionate with myself.
17. I have no need to prove I am better or worse than anybody else.

Owning Up When The Going Gets Rough - The Power of "I Was Wrong"

They say that the 3 most important words in a marriage are "I love you" and that the five most important words are "I'm sorry, I was wrong"

When foam fell off the Shuttle Discovery during it's last launch, NASA faced a whole set of decisions. Most important was what to do about the astronauts. Thankfully, they made the right set of decisions and brought them home safely.

One other key decision they faced was whether to be honest or to follow the traditional path of bureaucratic obfuscation. In a move that is increasingly becoming best practice, NASA chose to come clean.

Michael D. Griffin, NASA's administrator bluntly stated several times that the decision to not deal with the risk of foam breaking off from the Discovery's liquid fuel tank at the spot where it did "was clearly wrong."

And William W. Parsons, the shuttle program manager stated: "You have to admit when you're wrong. (The) foam should not have come off. It came off. We've got to do something about that."

How refreshing! "We were wrong" rather than "it's under investigation".

Michelin (the tire company) learned this lesson too late last June when faults in their tires caused 14 of the 20 cars in the US Grand Prix to drop out of the race. Michelin chose to do nothing and their brand got hammered in the racing press and the consumer's mind. A week later they finally came clean, admitted their fault, and agreed to rebate admission prices for all attendees and to buy all of the tickets for next year's race - a 12 million dollar out-of-pocket error, plus the results from all of the bad will this problem has caused.

The decision to come clean when you're wrong fits with the times. While the kinder, gentler media environment of the past would tacitly accept announcements and answers that revealed nothing, today's reporters (and today's public) want to know the facts. What really did happen and why?

This next statement will make lawyers cringe all over the world, but I believe that admitting you were wrong, when you actually were, is generally better for the long-term health of your brand than the alternative.

Think of it this way - which will hurt your brand more? A devastatingly quick "we were wrong and now we're going to fix it" or months of denials, investigations, negative news stories and huge lawsuits?

In the end, doing the right thing, doing it quickly, and doing it completely will almost always win over trying to hide the truth.

Plus, it may well cost you far less in the long run and keep you out of jail (think Martha Stewart...)

It goes back to what your Mother has always said "just do the right thing." What is it that makes business people forget that?

Unfortunately, these decisions are often faced during moments of crisis, when the pressure's on and millions of factors are influencing your thought process. There are ways to prevent this, to plan ahead, to make preparations and decisions in advance, so that your mind is clear to make those that are situationally-dependent.

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