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Leading by Giving People What They Want

By gayle – February 9, 2012

At Catch Your Limit we help individuals, teams and organizations develop the skill sets and mind sets they need to catch their limit.

Over the last decade or so we as a team have developed a core competency helping people manage change.  After all when you’re working on catching your limit you’re de facto changing the status quo.

Tom Laughon likes to say, “If there were no need for change, there would be no need for leaders.”

Hence, we’re always exploring how people successfully lead.

The Gallup people, too, spend a lot of their time asking the same kinds of questions trying to understand what makes people successful leaders.

After querying 10 million people they’ve discerned that followers look for four things from leaders:

  • Trust
  • Compassion
  • Stability
  • Hope
In light of this revelation, I’m spending a fair amount of time lately thinking about the leaders I’ve admired  as well as evaluating my own track record as a leader through this lens.
I’ll share my thoughts as I keep reflecting.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about leaders you’ve known in this context or if you’re willing to share how does this impact your assessment of your performance as a leader?

 

><(("> Gayle Turner

Gayle is a ><(("> Team Member at Catch Your Limit, a consulting firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.


Posted in Change, Leadership.

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Giving Thanks in Hard Times

By Mandy Lou Stark – November 23, 2011

It’s Thanksgiving Eve. Most are preparing for festive gatherings with family and friends, wrapped up a rush of finishing a never-ending list of things we must accomplish in order to enjoy a day of peace, quiet and lots and lots of eating.

While we are preoccupied with our to-dos, the reason for the season sometimes slips out of our minds.

Feeling and expressing gratitude and goodwill are what Thanksgiving is meant to be.

For some, though, it may not be easy to be grateful. The United States is facing some of the most economically difficult times in history. The future is uncertain.  Life is a little scary.

In the midst of the discord in our country, friends I know are suffering through family crises, personal loss, financial hardships and extreme uncertainty.

I can’t imagine how hard it would be to try to find joy in a holiday that almost makes us feel guilty if we don’t want to give thanks because we’re wondering what there is to say thanks about.

To make matters worse, “Black Friday” – the day after Thanksgiving that kicks off the shopping season and entices shoppers with deep discounts and sales − has now even started much earlier than Friday.

Retailers such as Wal-Mart are opening their doors as early as 9:00 p.m. Thursday night, meaning Americans don’t even get one full day of freedom from thinking about spending money they may not even have, which emphasizes even more whey people are in despair.

A vicious cycle of circumstances and events just continue to hold people down and prohibit them from even enjoying one designated day a year to give thanks and praise.

Hopefully, though, no matter where you are, what your situation and how you’re feeling that you will find at least one thing for which to be thankful. If you’re reading this, you’re alive and that is definitely one thing for which to be thankful. Hopefully, if you think about it even more, your list will grow and multiply.

Looking back on the last many years, thinking of all of the varied Thanksgiving days I’ve lived, I have a hard time remembering the specifics. I can’t remember what I was going through, or what I was sad, unsettled or upset about.

All I remember about my last many Thanksgivings is the joy and love I felt. And I remember being thankful. Maybe it was because I was supposed to be or maybe because I truly was, but that feeling can stay with you, if you want it and if you let it. Obviously, no matter what I was going through, it has resolved itself.

 I hope for you to let go of any hardships and the sorrow you’re experiencing and instead of letting it overcome you, to just be thankful. You may be surprised that next year when you look back, you’ll barely remember the troubles you were having, but the courage you had to say thanks anyway.

 “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”  ~Melody Beattie

><(("> Mandy Stark

Mandy is a ><(("> Friend of Catch Your Limit, a marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. To contact Mandy email her at misslou20@aol.com or to learn more about Catch Your Limit, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.


Posted in Miscellaneous.

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Halloween & Year End Planning – Anything Worth Doing is Worth Doing Right

By Melissa Laughon – October 26, 2011

With just days before the trick-or-treaters arrive, I’m still not sure of what I want to be for Halloween.  And, when I wait to the last minute (which is usually), I begin to talk myself out of the whole thing.  My conversation with myself today went a little like this:

Melissa (the good):  Tonight’s the night – make a choice and start putting your costume together

Melissa (the bad): What’s the point?  In a few days, the cobwebs will be swept away and skeletons will be put back in their closet.  The costumed kids will have their photos spread all over creation digitally.  We’ll eat the last of the candy corn and remember why we don’t really miss it the other 11 months out of the year.

Melissa (the good):  But, it’s fun and everyone loves it and it’s my favorite time of year!  Always has been!

Melissa (the bad): This is really not that much of a priority. I’m way too busy with more important things.  No need to waste time and energy.  For the rest of the year, our calendars will be overbooked, we’ll be overstuffed – and if you’re like me – you’ll be over 2011!

So, there you go.  I’m at war with myself over Halloween.  But, as I was having this conversation (with myself), I realized that I’ve been doing the same damn thing with the whole idea of end-of-year planning.  It’s this time of year when we’re busiest facilitating strategic planning sessions and year-end retreats for our clients.  It’s also when we need to be practicing what we preach and doing these basics for ourselves.  So, we’re looking at our schedules and trying to find the time to work “on” our organization vs. being caught up “in” the day to day trenches.  And, here’s what’s going on in my head.

Melissa (the good): This time of year is so exciting.  So much opportunity.  So many ideas.  So fun!

Melissa (the bad) is thinking:  “we don’t have time”, “there’s no point”, “it can wait”, “now is just not the right time”.  But, I don’t say it out loud because these are the words that I loathe for our clients to say. 

Melissa (the good):  The planning process may be chaotic and time consuming, but the output is well worth it.

So, in my blender of a brain, I’m thinking of the planning that I need to do here at work and I’m thinking that I need a costume.   And, here’s what my brain tells me:


Samantha from Bewitched would be nice. With a wiggle of my nose, everyone here in ><((“>ville would clearly understand and be able to articulate our vision and our plan to get there.

Dorothy is always a great choice.  Click Click Click and repeat three times “catch your limit” and we won’t need to be at the table having positive conflict around the sticky issues that will hold us back if they go unresolved.

Or, perhaps the Fairy Godmother is what these times call for.  Just imagine, a wave of my magic wand would be all it took to understand our roles and responsibilities moving forward.

I wish it worked that way!

But, I know (and you know) that anything worth doing is worth doing right!  And, whether it’s getting into the holiday spirit or developing your plan for next year at work, doing it right means investing of yourself.

Planning  takes hard work, a lot of heart and an amazing amount of prep and teamwork.  And, courage … the courage to keep going, the courage to commit and say that I’m going to give it MY ALL another day, another week, another month, another year even when I don’t know what tomorrow holds … even when there are no guarantees because I believe in what I’m doing.

If this time of year doesn’t make you stop and think hard about your journey …  if it all seems really easy … then stop to ask yourself if you’re just going through the motions … that could be the spookiest proposition of them all.

Ok … first steps first – what am I going to be for Halloween?

><(("> Melissa Laughon

Melissa is a ><(("> Team Member at Catch Your Limit, a management consulting firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.


Posted in Fun, Miscellaneous, Strategic Planning.

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The Power of Talking – Association Executive Roundtable Recap

By Melissa Laughon – October 25, 2011

By Tom Laughon & Melissa Laughon

Are we up or are we down? Are we heading towards success or irrelevancy?  Is the recession over or just about to begin again?  Are we growing or shrinking?

Our sense is that the answer depends on who you are talking to.  And, we were particularly interested in taking a pulse with associations.  When the opportunity arose for Tom Laughon, Catch Your Limit’s Founder/CEO, to be the VIP guest at an executive roundtable on September 22, 2011 sponsored by the Colorado Society of Association Executives in Denver, we leapt at it.  The roundtable was such a meaningful experience; we decided to keep the conversation going.  The very next week, we held a similar roundtable in Richmond with association executives.  We posed a variety of questions including:

  • We’re all trying to do more with less.  How are you staying focused, energized and enthusiastic?  What are you doing/what could we do to combat fatigue in ourselves and our organizations?
  • In these challenging economic times, how do we balance needing to be strategic, innovative leaders for our categories (+ members + staff) while at the same needing job security?
  • Looking into 2012 … what behaviors/trends do you expect to see with your members that you’re taking notice of? How are you (+ your association) responding?
  • Over the past few years …
    • Where have you cut resources (time, energy, $) and found that it paid off in a positive way? How are you (+ your association) responding?
    • Where have you cut resources (time, energy, $) and found that it was costly and detrimental?  How are you (+ your association) responding?

The questions were powerful and they served their purpose … they got folks talking.  But, it was what was shared during the conversations that left us laughing, crying, hoping and cursing … the power of peers coming together to share their experiences was most impactful.

From the roundtables in Denver and Richmond, as well as the conversations that we’re having with association executives around the nation, we’ve listed a few of our observations.  Please note that the association executives that we’ve talked with and that we work with are a small sample size and this summary is not a research report.  Also, insights may be slightly skewed as we surround ourselves with executives that are setting standards for best practices and are leading the industry in various ways.

Observation 1: You’re Up For the Challenge
If someone thought that you’d back down from a challenge without a fight, they were dead wrong. There may have been an initial “shock and awe” aspect to the impacts the recession and the economy were having on you and your members, but you’ve bounced back as leaders.  You’re growing as leaders as you guide your board, staff and members during tumultuous times.  You’re making much needed changes that should prove to be beneficial, although they have taken a toll in the short run. You’re asking hard questions, you’re problem solving  and you’re more than willing to roll up your sleeves and do what it takes to be successful.

Observation 2: You Have Needs, Too
As the times have taken their toll on your members, you’ve been there to empathize, be supportive and offer to help in a variety of ways.  You’ve seen the categories that you represent from a unique perspective.  Some of you have had to say good-bye and mourn long time industry players that you could never have imagined closing their doors.  Or, perhaps you’ve seen your industry shrink as mergers and acquisitions continue. Some of you have had to educate new start-ups on the importance of an association that advocates on your behalf.  Others have seen impressive growth and have been scurrying around to meet increasing needs.  Whatever the situation, you are there.  You are there caring for your members and your category.  But, you haven’t always cared for yourself.  It’s critical that you find time to tend to the care and well being of you so that you can continue to serve others.  Talking with other association peers can be a positive way to stay focused and energized.

Observation 3: A Roadmap Is Difficult To Come By
Dorothy said it best, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”  You are doing your part to assess the new landscape and identify opportunities but things are changing quickly.  You’re trying to move things along but you recognize that the structure you’ve operated in for years can be slow and clunky and not conducive to creativity and innovation.  You’re working with your volunteer leaders to change mindsets and skillsets so that you’ll be open to new ideas and in a position to act on them. You’ve asked your volunteer leaders for special sessions or to move up dates so that you can get their hearts and brains in the game and come up with the best possible roadmap given what you know today and what scenarios might occur in the future.

Observation 4: Money matters. Performance Counts. Time is the Enemy.
This mantra is posted in everyone’s office at Catch Your Limit.  But, we’re certain that you’ve got this as a tattoo!  You get that money matters, especially to your boards.  You’re having debates over whether to cut costs or invest new directions.  This is especially tricky and sensitive when you’re dealing with downturns and reserves.  You’re having to earn your keep and your staff is doing more than ever before with less.  And, with unrelenting meeting schedules, perhaps the resource you covet the most is time … time to be strategic, time to innovate, time to lead.

Observation 5: Work smarter, Not Harder
Your association is changing.  You’re coming up with new plans and are trying new things.  You have less resources.  In this environment, a “stop doing” list is crucial.  And, although you’ve been through lots of change in recent years, you must never underestimate how difficult change can be and how powerful “but we’ve always done it that way” can be.  Where does your focus need to be? What is getting in the way?  What programs have little to no ROI? The time is right to examine what you need to stop investing resources (time, $ and energy) in.  Also, be sure that you’re leveraging your staff, board and committees to the fullest.  Where is the highest and best use of your time?

Join the conversation.
Use the questions to generate discussions for your organization.  Share what you learn/observe with us.

Melissa Laughon
melissa@catchyourlimit.com
804-767-1702

><(("> Melissa Laughon

Melissa is a ><(("> Team Member at Catch Your Limit, a management consulting firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.


Posted in Change, Leadership, Miscellaneous.

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Post2Post Virtual Book Tour – An Interview with Kevin Maney, Co-Author of The Two-Second Advantage

By Melissa Laughon – October 12, 2011

Welcome! to the Post2Post Virtual Blog tour featuring Melissa Laughon’s interview with Kevin Maney, co-author of  The Two-Second Advantage: How We Succeed by Anticipating the Future—Just Enough.

A few months ago, I agreed to interview Kevin Maney as part of Idea Sandbox’s Post 2Post Virtual Book Tour (which we think is great).

A few days after committing to the project, The Two-Second Advantage arrived at the office and made its way to my desk (which is to say that this book landed in the Bermuda Triangle).   For days it sat on my desk – not too close to interfere with the deadlines at hand, but not too far as to get out of my stream of consciousness.  And, on my desk, this interesting book stayed untouched for days – ok weeks.

I had not even opened the book and knew very little about it, but each time I glanced at this book, it told stories to me every day … stories of all of the “one more things” I’ve elected to read, to write, to do, to cram into an already busy schedule and all of the book ideas and blogs and articles and interviews and research papers of my very own that have gone unwritten.  After a few weeks of being tortured by the book (and the impending interview deadline), I was faced with a decision.  I could write to Idea Sandbox and share with them the paranormal nature of my desk and how the book had disappeared under mysterious circumstances.  Or, I could follow through with my commitment and pick up the book, open the book, read the book and interview Kevin.

So, I did what I normally do in these situations, I asked my 8ball – should I follow through and interview Kevin?  And, it said, “better not tell you now.”  Great.  Maybe YouTube could help me craft my excuses involving extraterrestrials.  Yes, for the record, YouTube can help with that.  And, it can also tell you a little about this book - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3XSR6turQs.

Click on book cover to see book trailer

True Story

And, after watching the trailer, I thought how silly of me to have put this off for so long!  P2P always features great books and this was one that I knew I’d be fascinated by!

So, on that note, me, my book and I, walked down the street to a little Thai restaurant and got to know each other.  After just a few chapters, I was excited to talk with Kevin and started counting down the days until our interview.

And, just in case you’re a little like me and have a short attention span and like to skip around a bit, we’ve edited the interview down into shorter segments that you can take a self-guided tour of .  The audio links are included below.

I highly recommend this book.  The concepts of how human brainpower and a new evolution of IT will work together in a predictive manner to help us succeed in the future is as useful as it is fascinating.  The stories that are shared as examples are captivating and inspiring.  And, the bottom line is that this is a change in mindset and we need to understand it and embrace it or we’ll be left in the dust … you know … that “change or die” stuff people have been talking about.

  • Kevin Maney on how having a two-second advantage can make the world a better place

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  • Kevin Maney on how the need for a two-second advantage will impact recruiting in the future

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  • Kevin Maney on the relevancy of strategic planning and scenario planning in the future

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  • Kevin Maney on our education system and the two-second advantage

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  • Kevin Maney on more data vs. better answers

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  • Kevin Maney on the ones to watch re: the two-second advantage

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  • Kevin Maney on how having a two-second advantage is about more than technology, it requires a cultural change

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Thanks Idea Sandbox and Kevin Maney! To follow the tour – check out the previous stop  http://collaborativeinnovation.org/2011/10/can-predictive-technology-solve-crowdsourcing/  and the next stop http://innovationtools.com/.

><(("> Melissa Laughon

Melissa is a ><(("> Team Member at Catch Your Limit, a management consulting firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.


Posted in Change, Creativity/Innovation, Leadership, Miscellaneous, Organizational Culture.

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