In their book, “The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge Into Action”, Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton highlight the discrepancy between ideals and actions in the corporate world, and give important insight into basic ways to successfully close the gap between the two.
Because companies are simply a sum of the people working in them, I believe the premises they detail in their book can also be adapted to apply to the people themselves.
Companies like yours and mine.
People like you and me.
That motivated me to develop a three-part self-coaching mini-series on podcast to help people (re-)discover direct ways they can bridge the gap between what they know they should do - and how they act upon that knowledge.
“…Advertising adds value to a product by changing our perception, rather than the product itself. Rory Sutherland makes the daring assertion that a change in perceived value can be just as satisfying as what we consider real value — and his conclusion has interesting consequences for how we look at life…”
Have you passed on the latest quarterly figures to headquarters?
Did you make 20 more ‘cold calls’ last week?
Whether at the office, on our to-do lists, or in our own heads, we are always being held accountable for something by someone - incl. ourselves. For many, there is even a list of specific tasks you must perform that make up the basis for your regular job evaluation.
I know you’ve all seen it happen - and probably done it yourself. While giving a presentation, it seems impossible to prevent your eyes from wandering to the ceiling as though you expected God herself to draw the diagram from the next chart on the ceiling for you. For others, of course, you’d swear their next response was written in invisible ink on the tips of their shoes.
The process of setting goals for 2008 has me curious about what has helped me successfully change my attitudes and behaviours in the past in order to move forward and upward along the path I have chosen for myself.
In other words: What did I do right before, so I can continue doing it in the future?
We’re coming down to the wire with 2007 now. Time for me to reflect on the challenges and victories of the past year, as well as focus on the goals I will set for myself in 2008.
For me 2007 meant the 2nd full year of living my dream of self-employment, and - because of that - leading a life extremely different from the one I had lead for the previous 20-odd years.
Limit the overall number of resolutions you make! Having a long list of resolutions does not mean you are more serious about manifesting change in your personal or professional life. It just puts more stress on you, and unnecessarily distracts energy from the things you really want (or need) to accomplish.
Be honest with yourself about why you really want to achieve each specific goal. Make sure the issues you choose to focus on truly reflect your values and beliefs in life, as well as the purpose you would like to fulfill.
Be sure you are addressing the real issues in your life in defining your goals, and not simply doctoring a symptom for something much larger that you are reluctant to confront.
Make sure all your goals are S.M.A.R.T.In other words, all your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Based.
Divide your goal(s) into tangible steps and concrete phases. This will give you significant short- and mid-term milestones - and plenty of motivation all along the way.
Decide beforehand how YOU define success for each step/phase/overall goal. Remember that you are doing what you are doing for yourself, so do not measure your progress using someone else’s measuring stick.
Based on the type of person you are, decide what tools and strategies will be most effective in helping you stay on course to reach your goals
Recruit personal or professional “cheerleaders” who will constructively encourage and motivate you along the way.
Do not be afraid to “fall off the wagon” from time to time during the coming twelve months - just do not forget to get back onit again!
Things will happen during the year that you can’t foresee right now, so do not hesitate to adjust/revise your goals accordingly.
For years now I’ve collected articles and reports that catch my attention when I read them. Whether it’s a business-related publication, a newspaper, or one of the magazines I like to pick up when I dash through the train station or airport, I seldom put one down without having ripped out something that resonates with me.
Diversity has many faces, and it’s not only a question of racial, ethnic or gender differences.
The way in which the generations work together hasn’t been left unaffected. With the many rapid changes taking place in the workplace, traditional structures and formal hierarchies are no longer the most effective way to work.
The website Women For Hire features an insightful article called “Handling Generational Diversity” which pinpoints some of the generational myths still common in the workplace. The article also highlights areas in which people on either side of the age divide risk falling into the trap of stereotyping:
