Friday’s New York Times article, A Sea Change in Treating Heart Attacks, is a great example of dramatically improving results, not because of subject matter expertise, but because of attention to process. Heart attack death rates have dropped 38% in a decade. And that number probably under reports the real success due to changing demographics and increasing numbers of diabetic, obese, and other high risk patients. The improvement is not the result of new medical techniques. Doctors still remove blockages using a catheter, tiny balloon, and stent. What’s different is speed. The longer a blockage remains in place, the more damage is done to the heart and the more likely the patient is to die. Typical times between emergency calls and blockage removal have dropped from as much as two hours to under 60 minutes. At one hospital, that interval was cut from more than 150 minutes to 57. Some hospitals are now under 50 minutes. This is progress easily measured in lives saved. In hindsight, the changes seem simple and obvious. So simple you may think there is nothing your business could learn from them. I challenge that. Here is what you can learn.
I recently worked with 24 leaders and participants of regular virtual meetings. A few weeks later, I asked co-workers of this group for evidence of improvement and I thought I would share the results. My group was seen: Driving toward clearer criteria for making decisions Prioritizing more effectively Communicating more clearly Choosing a variety of approaches to move things forward rather than waiting for the standing meetings Bringing greater value to discussions Proposing better ideas Maintaining perspective relative to the “big picture” One co-worker summed it up as follows: “Their performance has jumped to the next level.”
Some situations are simply loaded. The tension, fear, and/or anger are palpable and crippling. Turf wars, individual vulnerabilities, personality conflicts, frustration over slow progress, and past insults are among the most common causes. Other situations start off on better footing, but decay quickly despite everyone’s best intentions. I’ve walked into both situations numerous times. In some cases, I’ve been hired because of these problems. Other times, the CEO is oblivious to the dysfunction. In one such case, a Board member told me confidentially that they all needed psychotherapy. I laughed, but she was dead serious. When leaders recognize they have a problem like this, their tendency is to take everyone to an off-site retreat or hire someone to do team building. Millions are spent on activities ranging from ropes courses to group dinners every year. Most fail miserably. The best have a fleeting impact. Why?
As I look ahead to 2015, I’m pretty sure I want the same things you want. The details differ, but most of us are in pursuit of three things: happiness, health, and prosperity. If you agree, this is the one resolution you should make: Take care of your energy level! Why? Because we need energy to create happiness, health, and prosperity. When we are energetic, we are happier. Period. That part is pretty simple. But it goes beyond that. Far beyond. When we are energetic, we are more determined and more able to overcome obstacles. When we fall down, the energetic jump up and try again. Energy fuels our ability to take actions that create happiness. Furthermore, our energy does not just create happiness for ourselves. When we are energetic, we are also more able and willing to help others. We can be more generous with our time and energy. And we all know that helping others is a source of happiness for others as well as for ourselves. Energy is essential to being healthy too. The lethargic don’t take care of themselves. They skip the exercise and eat whatever is handy or comforting. This, obviously, is a downward spiral. It takes energy to maintain your health. Energy is also a necessary ingredient for increasing prosperity. Your chances of winning the lottery or having a rosy future handed to you on a silver platter are nearly zero. You must take action to better your situation and action takes energy. The early bird gets the worm. Carpe diem. We create our own luck. Thus, for a great 2015, take care of your energy! Want to know the 8 steps to game-changing energy in 2015? Read on!
“Dear Ann, I loved your webinar on meetings, your newsletters are so informative, and I have a couple of your books too! What I could really use is some advice on thinking quickly on my feet, especially when answering to a VP or Director.” Great question! Since I couldn’t recall answering this question before, I was intrigued. My reader and I exchanged a few emails so I could clarify the situation and ensure my answer was on target. My reader works in healthcare. Since accurate communication is so important to patient care, they use a proven technique called SBAR, which stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. This framework creates a structured and standardized format so that health care workers can exchange important information quickly and effectively. It creates shared clarity! I asked my reader if she has trouble thinking quickly on her feet when responding to questions within the context of SBAR. “No,” she replied. “It is only when senior people show up and ask me questions that catch me by surprise.” By probing further, I discovered that the questions that leave her struggling are all incredibly vague. They are the equivalent of asking me what I do. Let’s see, how many ways might I answer that question? I create clarity. I help my clients get better results faster. I consult, coach, and speak, I travel and read as much as I can, …. I could go on! Consider my reader’s plight: She is eager to be concise and helpful and waste no one’s time She is faced with a totally unclear question that could be answered in many ways She blames herself What should she do?
If you have downloaded Ann’s Clarity App but aren’t sure how to use it for the greatest value, here are three simple ideas with immediate rewards. First, encourage your colleagues to download the App. After all, the greatest benefits of increased clarity come in the form of Shared Clarity. Second, pick one of the following opportunities to practice creating clarity together: At your next meeting, don’t begin discussing any topic without first identifying which of the six possible outcomes you seek. (see Meetings – Meeting Process – Before a Meeting – Only 6 Possible Outcomes) Whether meeting, emailing, or talking on the phone, SOAR through a decision by consciously following each of the four steps of the process in order. (see Decisions – Decision Process) Next time you are planning, discuss which tasks belong in each of the quadrants in the diagram “The Trouble with Plans”. (see Planning – Top Planning Mistakes – Planning the Wrong Things!) Stay tuned for more pointers, both here and in the App itself!
My husband and I rendezvoused with our daughter and her husband in the Reykjavik airport a few weeks ago and continued on to Oslo together. While waiting to board our plane, one of us, probably me, brought up the question of the actual time back home. “There is only one time zone.” said my son-in-law. “The one you are in.” In that instant, I realized he was absolutely right. It was 6:30 AM Icelandic time. That meant 2:30 AM East Coast time. We would arrive in Oslo at 12:30 PM, which would be 6:30 AM at home after a night without sleep. What do calculations like these accomplish? Nothing. Actually, they are worse than nothing! They make you feel sorry for yourself. They make you agonize about the missed sleep. They make you dread something about the day ahead. I’m struggling to come up with a time when self-pity, agonizing, and dread were of value! When was the last time those improved your day? There is only one time zone that matters and that is the one you are in. If you are tired, get over it. You’ve probably been tired before. I sure have. And I don’t even have to get on an airplane to get a bad night’s sleep. Sleep is overrated. You don’t need a great night’s sleep every single night. More often than not, yes, but not every day. Talking and agonizing about the “real time” that is only “real” somewhere else, somewhere you aren’t, is like complaining about having too much to do. It is like complaining about the weather. It is like complaining about your boss. The only time zone that matters is the one you are in. Don’t whine! Especially around my son-in-law! And we didn’t. Instead, we enjoyed a beautiful afternoon admiring the sculptures of Vigeland Park in Oslo.
I know few companies that would tolerate frequent disruptions to a production processes. So why do most companies tolerate daily disruptions to their thought and communication processes? Why do they put up with cumbersome decision-making, confusing roles and responsibilities, lengthy and worthless meetings, and much, much more on a daily basis? Because they can’t see what they can’t see. They are clarity blind. Clarity blindness prevents you from seeing the 74 sources of fog and confusion that are crippling your productivity. It leads you to accept as unavoidable the ubiquitous complaints that everything takes longer than it should because you can’t see the common thread – the lack of clarity – that is swallowing up your time, profits, and opportunities. When I am clear about my message, I can write with ease and speed. When I am unclear, I get stuck and circle back and around multiple times. When I am clear about what needs to be accomplished, I know exactly what to do and I make it happen. When I am unclear, I “wander” in, or not. I may check my email instead. Time slips by and I can’t honestly say I’ve begun. When I am clear about my deadline, I am disciplined, determined, and fast. When I am unclear, tasks expand to fill all available time. When I am clear about my objectives, I am articulate, persuasive, and helpful. When I am unclear, I am silent. These statements likely apply to you and many of your employees, except maybe the silent part. Some people talk regardless of the circumstances.
My work just received a boost from science! “Your Brain at Work” by David Rock explains how brains function and how that knowledge can help you improve the way you work. What’s cool is that my advice for creating clarity fits perfectly and provides tangible tips that will not only make your brain work better but will also maximize the performance of the brains with whom you are collaborating. I could write a whole book on this, but let me start by sharing one important point. The prefrontal cortex, according to David Rock: is where much of the heavy lifting occurs in our brains tires easily because it is the newest evolutionarily speaking and simply not energy efficient can only focus on one thing at a time must simultaneously select and retrieve relevant information, push away irrelevant information, and process whatever needs processing That’s a big job for a seriously limited resource!
It’s here! The cheat sheet for clarity! The best quick tips for getting better results faster with greater confidence and commitment at your fingertips! Download Ann’s Clarity App from the iTunes store today! It’s loaded with tips you can use and share immediately to improve decisions, meetings, planning, holding others accountable, and more! Imagine the value gained from sharing and using nuggets such as the: only 6 types of outcomes for any meeting 4 steps to better decisions, 3 of which are usually skipped biggest mistakes people make when planning how victim-hood prevents us from managing our time 2 criteria you should use to include others in your decisions 4 words that will make your productivity soar and more, including more to come! Since shared clarity is the most powerful clarity, encourage your colleagues to download Ann’s Clarity App right away as well. Need another incentive to act now? The introductory price can’t be beat! Once you’ve tried the app, I’d love to hear your reaction. And don’t forget, new content is on its way!