As we begin another year it’s good to look ahead and to be intentional about what we would like to achieve and be. After all if you don’t know where you are planning to be in 12 months time it is not likely to just happen.

Perhaps though you have set goals before or made resolutions in the past only to forget them by February. What’s the secret then for making this year a year of real, sustained achievement and growth?

In a series of studies Golwitzer (1999) found that when people had clear ‘implementation intentions’ around their goals and plans they were much more likely to persist in striving to achieve these goals than if they did not. So what do these implementations look like? In fact they relate closely to the Tactics and Habits steps in the gci GROWTH Model.

Golwitzer’s research supported the value of:

• Identifying specific next steps and the what, when and where around these next steps. When these things were identified and made explicit the actions were more likely to take place. So in coaching conversations it is worth pushing for specifics of time and place when next step actions begin to emerge. Leaving them vague and unclear, almost always mean they just won’t happen. It is helpful to ask: What is the very next thing you need to do to progress this? What day next week will you do it? What time?
  
  
• Anticipating barriers to achievement and identifying specific actions to be ‘triggered’ if these barriers occurred. When these contingency actions were pre-identified before the potential derailing event, goal achievement was again, much more likely.

It is helpful to ask: What might happen that could get in the way of you sustaining your     focus and effort on this? If that does happen what alternative actions could you put in place to respond to that?
And some additional tried and proven tips for ensuring your plan for the year really does lead to sustained achievement...

• Start quickly
  Begin to get your plan for the year moving within 24 hours of finalising it. Getting started immediately gets the momentum going and gives a sense of being on your way. That feeling of getting started provides fuel for the longer journey.


• Make it visible
  Post your plan up somewhere you can see it on a daily basis. This way it stays top of mind and means that you are more likely to keep doing things that contribute to achieving your plan.


• Make it public
  Talking through your plan with a partner or friend puts you ‘on the line’ and builds your commitment to keep going when things get tough.


• Get some help
  Regular check in times with a coach or someone who will keep you on track may well be the best action you can take to achieve your goals. Making a time to connect monthly with this person to rate your progress, celebrate successes and set tasks for the next month is a powerful way to keep the momentum going for a successful year.

So get going and make it a great year!

Reference: Golwitzer ,P.M.(1999) Implementation intentions: simple effects of simple plans. American Psychologist 54(7) 493-503

While reading a recent biography these words, No reserve, No retreat, No regrets, emerged as a wonderful summary of this person’s very full life. As we head towards the close of one year and the start of another, it can be helpful for us to reflect on what’s been happening and to set our sights on how to make the most of the coming year.

How would things be different in your work world, in your personal world, if come December 2010 -No reserve, No retreat, No regrets - captured the essence of the way you had led your team, managed your department or school and lived your life? What would it take for this to be true for you this coming year?

What would it take for you to work and live with No Reserve?

It is not uncommon for many of us to live and work holding things back. Somehow if we have not committed 100% to a task or project we protect ourselves if things don’t work out. Giving all we have to a project and then seeing it unravel is too much to contemplate.

What difference would it make though if you went for it with No Reserve this coming year? How much more impact would you have if you did this? How much more would you have to celebrate if you did this? What’s getting in the way of you doing this?

What would it take for you to work and live with No Retreat?

Sometimes we start well – with good intentions - but the obstacles make things messy and difficult. It all starts to get too hard so we pull back, perhaps modifying our goal to something easier or putting it off until later when circumstances will be more favourable. Now these may well be the right choices to make but all too often we retreat from our original plan through default rather than deliberate choice.

What would it look like if you pursued your goals with vigour and persistence? What could you contribute if you worked and lived fully engaged in every priority project and relationship? What would you enjoy most about every project and relationship if you had contributed in this way?

What would it take for you to work and live with No Regrets?

We are where we are - we are who we are as a result of a host of decisions we have made across our lifetimes. We constantly decide about study, about career, about relationships, about family and a myriad of other things. All of these choices take place in a given moment in time, all of them with future implications that we cannot entirely predict. So what would it take for you to get to the end of next year with no regrets, having confidently made the calls that will shape next year’s experiences?

2010: a year with no reserve, no retreat and no regrets. Imagine what it would like look like...

Now get started on making a great year happen.

John Campbell, Director

Influence is a 24-7-365 occupation. Whether at home, work or school, we are all attempting to influence others as well as being the objects of others’ attempted influence.

We are asked for our support, our opinion, our cooperation, our input, our attention, our compliance. And we try to get others to support our projects, give us their input, cooperate with us, attend to our priorities.

The reality, however, is that influence is a challenge. And often we “err on the side of caution” or lower our expectations about the likely outcome of our influencing attempts.

“People tend to be better copers than influencers,” write the authors of Influencer: The power to change anything (McGraw-Hill 2008). “The fact that many of us don’t realise that it’s our duty to become good at exerting influence causes us a great deal of grief. Instead of owning up to our responsibility of becoming effective agents of change and then going about the task of improving our influence repertoire (much like an athlete running laps or a chess player learning moves), we grumble, threaten, ridicule, and, more often than not, find ways to cope.”

Now, you and I aren’t like that, of course, but we probably know people who are … So, how can we move from simply “coping” to more effective influence?

“The breakthrough discovery of most influence geniuses is that enormous influence comes from focusing on just a few vital behaviours,” write the authors of Influencer. “They start by asking: In order to improve our existing situation, what must people actually do?”

This is an apparently obvious point, but one that is commonly neglected. We want something done, we want something changed, we want something stopped. And of course the primary tool we have to use is communication - words. So we talk. We explain, we reason, we argue, we (try to) persuade. And sometimes we get the change, improvement, task or problem fixed.

Sometimes, of course, nothing really changes. Or the response is confused, uncertain, or only partial. And sometimes our exhortations are ignored.

Just because there is a good reason for something, just because it makes sense, just because we see the value in it doesn’t mean action will follow. It doesn’t mean people know what action to take - or what course of action is the best.

Perhaps what is missing in such instances is a clear focus on the behaviour we want changed or adopted.

Sometimes, particularly for those who are “wired” to reason and explain, the information flow can confuse or obscure the actions required. The assumption is that if we’ve explained the situation or the rationale, people will intuitively know what to do.

But it’s not always that clear. “So what do you want me to do?” we’ve all sometimes find ourselves wondering after a lengthy explanation of some situation. The reason we ask is because there’s no clarity about what, if any, behaviours or actions are required. And the absence of clarity around this leads to hesitation, assumptions, guesswork or inaction.

We know from communication research that there’s a “pyramid” of responsiveness to information. At the base level we are aware that we’ve been communicated with. At the next level we pay attention to the message. Higher up the pyramid we may acknowledge the message, we may take an attitude toward it, we may even agree with it … but still we haven’t taken any action! Of course, the assumption we often work from when we communicate is that our information will “naturally” lead to action.

So before attempting to influence someone the following clear steps are helpful…

1. Clarify for yourself what the task is - what specifically needs to be done in order to comply with your request, desire, preference or requirement? What should the new/changed/improved situation look like? What specifically will those involved need to do to effect the change?
2. Remind yourself that not everyone is as ready (able, willing, confident) as you may be to carry out the required behaviours. Do your readiness diagnosis to determine how much you need to prescribe the behaviours and how much you can negotiate or delegate.
3. Having clarified the realities of task and readiness, you can now go about your influencing task using the appropriate influencing behaviours: using the most effective mix of directive and/or supportive behaviours to direct, explain, encourage or enable the change you are seeking. And be sure to keep the focus on behaviours: what needs to be done. Just imparting knowledge or information does not mean you’re going to get behaviours that lead to action.

Focusing on required behaviours is a key to effective influence and an important means of improving performance. As W. Edwards Deming said: “It is not enough to do your best; you must know what to do and then do your best.”

Reference: Patterson, K., Grenny, J., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R.(2008) Influencer: The power to change anything. McGraw-Hill. NY:NY

Aubrey Warren represents growth coaching international in Queensland and is Australia’s only Master Trainer of Situational Leadership®. He will be one of the facilitators of our new Leading People Performance program..

 

 

 

Our working lives are consumed by conversations:

• we have various one to one conversations with colleagues, peers, customers, senior managers, staff and more;
• we have range of group conversations with some or all of these people in the same place at the same time;
• we even have conversations with ourselves!

Our working week is wall to wall conversations.

Given the significant time given in any week to these various ‘conversations’ the way we talk as well as what we talk about emerges as a very important factor in organisational effectiveness. Some recent research (Losada & Heaphy, 2004) sheds some light on how the what and how of conversations is a key indicator of success. What emerged from the study was how the pattern of language in high performing, average performing and low performing teams was strikingly different.

Positive v Negative

In essence the study found that high performing teams had a ratio of 5 to 1 positive statement to negative statement ratio. (Positive comments were supportive, encouraging complimentary and expressed appreciation; negative comments were critical, disapproving, and cynical). Average performing teams had a 1.8 to 1 while low performing teams had a 0.3 to 1 ratio of positive to negative comments.

Questions v Statements

In addition it emerged that that high performing teams had a balanced Inquiry to Advocacy ratio.

They asked questions and made statements in balance where less well performing teams asked less questions and made more assertions.

It seems that these measures have an important influence on building ‘connectivity’ within teams and within the broader organisation. When these kinds of communication patterns are present people are more likely to engage with each other, to participate rather than withdraw and to open up information flows so that things get done and issues move forward.

Other v Self focus

High performing teams also demonstrated a balanced outward focus toward others and towards other sections of the organisation, compared with less well performed teams that focused more internally on their own issues at the expense of keeping the broader focus in mind.

Good coaching conversations have long provided a model for these ‘ways of talking’. Maintaining positive focus and positive emotion is a way of building resourcefulness and energy and has always been central to the gci coaching approach. And of course ‘asking questions’ and helping coachees explore and discover their own solutions is widely advocated by many coaching practitioners as a foundation coaching skill.

Now it seems that these practices have relevance beyond the coaching context.
How would your team rate on these measures?

Reference: Losada,M.& Heaphy,E.D (2004).Positivity and connectivity. American Behavioral Scientist, 47(6):740-765

John Campbell

There are two common questions that many people ask us about leadership coaching.

One is, ‘What does a coaching conversation sound like?’

The other is ‘How long does a typical coaching session last?’

The answer to the second question is that coaching conversation can be managed in a structured, formal mode and may last from 30-90 minutes every few weeks. Or they might be short, on-the-run conversations that last only 3-6 minutes. The latter I sometimes call ‘corridor coaching’. Either way, the conversations are designed with a similar purpose: - to help the coachee ‘move forward’ with a particular issue or goal.

The following script demonstrates an example of how a ‘corridor coaching conversation’ might sound. The script also shows how the coach has applied our GROWTH coaching structure, even in an informal situation such as this.

Remember gci’s GROWTH coaching model looks like this:

 

Leadership Coach (LC) / Coachee (C):

LC	Michael, I noticed you’ve seemed a little …..anxious lately. I’ve been concerned for you. What’s that about if you don’t mind me asking. (Build the relationship)
C	Yeah well Jane…I’m so busy all the time. I never get time to myself to just stop, think and plan. I feel like I’m doing everything on the run.
LC	That must be frustrating... How would you like things to be different?
C	Look, even if I could somehow find ten minutes private thinking time, each day – with no interruptions, that would bring back a bit of sanity to my life!
LC	OK. So we need to find you 10 minutes private thinking time each day…(“Goal” setting)
C	Oh, that’d be great! Not sure it’s possible though. This place is so hectic.
LC	Let’s imagine for a moment you could find it. What’s happening already that will help you find it? (“Reality” checking)
C	…..I guess I get a couple of private minutes at lunch time most days. But before I know it, everyone comes in and starts asking me questions and needing stuff. You know, all the interruptions start.
LC	Yeah, I know what you mean. Are there ways though we might be able to extend those couple of minutes at lunch to 10 minutes of extended thinking time each day? (Explore “Options”)
C	Hmm…Well, I guess if I told everyone that I just needed that 10 minutes space each day, most of them would respect that…and maybe if they understood why I needed it, they wouldn’t mind if I closed my office door for that period….Yeah….that’d probably work.
LC	Sounds like a couple of workable ideas Michael. And it also sounds like you could really take action on this. Would it work to start taking action this week?
C	Actually, it would.
LC	So what are you going to do exactly, to get your 10 minutes of thinking / planning time each day? (“Will” step – commit to an action)
C	As we talk about it, I realise it’s not too much to ask, is it? I guess I will just explain to my team what and why I plan to take this time out each day. I’m sure they’ll understand. I probably won’t even need to close my office door. Within a few days, they’ll remember….I only want 10 minutes after all.
LC	Great! So when will you have this chat with them? (“Tactics” step – how and/or when will you take action?)
C	Tomorrow morning’s team meeting would be a good opportunity.
LC	It does sound like a good opportunity to start! Let’s assume you explain this to them tomorrow morning and they agree to your request. How are you going to stick to this commitment over the coming weeks and months, particularly when things get really hectic and people start demanding more of your time? (“Habits” – forming questions)
C	Actually that’s when I’ll need a bit of regular time-out so I can check that we’re managing things strategically….yet….I’m not sure. What do you think?
LC	Well, put it this way. What’s the person you need to be more of to really follow through?
C	…Hmm, knowing me, I need to be more determined and disciplined. Otherwise I could easily let others - as well as myself – distract me!
LC	Great! More determined and disciplined …You can pull this off! Just think, this is going to give you over 3 hours extra planning time a month. How are you going to celebrate THAT achievement? (Celebrate success – to reinforce long term sustainability)
C	Well, this all requires sort of a team effort. Maybe I could suggest to the whole team tomorrow morning that we go out for lunch together at the end of the month to celebrate. That way, they may even be inclined to help me stick to this.
LC	Wow, I can feel a weight lifting off you.
C	Yeah, it’ll make a huge difference to my sanity, for sure! I feel lighter already – thanks!

by Mandy O'Bree, Director gci

In this social and economic environment where things appear more uncertain than ever, there is growing evidence that positive leadership is the only way forward.

A recently published book called Positive Leadership by Kim Cameron, (2008) cites a plethora of workplace research studies demonstrating that – even in difficult times – positive leadership which incorporates the fostering of positive relationships tends to increase productivity and performance. We all know however, that every organisation has its positive, energising people as well as it negative, energy-sapping people. This newsletter provides evidence-based strategies on how to be a positive leader as well as what to do about those negative energizers.

Being a Positive Leader

Foster positive relationships in the workplace. Here you are seeking to foster enrichment, vitality and learning.

• Start by enabling good friendships at work. Friendship groups have been found to significantly outperform acquaintance groups on aspects like decision making and even motor tasks. The focus should actually be on encouraging people to ‘give’ to others by supporting each other.
• Model positive energy yourself. Being a positive energiser makes others around you four times more likely to succeed. Positive energisers create and support vitality in others. They uplift and boost people. They tend to be optimistic, trustworthy and unselfish. Also try identifying positive energisers with whom you work and recognise, reward and support them.
• Encourage positive energisers to coach and mentor others. Invest in their learning and ensure they have the skills and knowledge required to be an effective coach.
• Begin interactions and meetings with a celebration of what is working. For instance ask your people:
  
  What’s been your greatest highlight this week?
  What problem did you solve?
  What are you most proud of this month?

Managing Negative People

Negative energisers deplete the good feelings and enthusiasm of others. They sap strength and leave others feeling exhausted. They’re often critical, inflexible, selfish and untrustworthy. Assuming you are a positive leader, you probably know there is no value in being like Pollyanna about this and hoping the negative people will have no effect. ‘Bad is stronger than good.’ People pay more attention to negative events and people than positive events. So leaders have a responsibility to focus on minimising the impact of negative people. Here are four strategies for managing your negative energisers:

• Provide direct and honest feedback regarding their de-energising behaviours. For instance, “When I hear you making negative comments in meetings like today where you said ………., it makes me feel deflated and de-energised. What I need you to consider is to provide at least one genuine, positive comment before you choose to criticise others’ ideas”
• Provide professional development for the person. Coaching around specific goals and providing training to increase awareness and understanding are often critical in order to change often long-entrenched habits.
• If none of the above work, Cameron (2008) recommends the person “be given a chance to flourish elsewhere”. Most organisations have some form of final stage “improvement programs”. This is where, only after exhausting the earlier options, backbone and heart are required.

In summary, many leaders are of the mistaken belief that tough times require tough leadership. Research evidence from newly emerging fields like positive psychology and the positive change literature, have found quite the contrary. An affirmative bias, for instance, towards strengths rather than weaknesses and supportive rather than critical, has proven to achieve flourishing outcomes.

Reference: Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance. K. Cameron. Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc, 200)

In today’s unpredictable environment, comments managers make or actions they take, even simple decisions, can create uncertainty among their employees. Uncertainty creates fear, scepticism and anxiety. An employee who is operating with any of these emotions in play is unlikely to be offering up his or her best.

Here are 7 keys to help you slow the rumour mill and keep employees engaged:

1. Be Clear
   Clarity is the antidote to anxiety. Ensure that people are clear on what their responsibilities continue to be. Reinforce key objectives and give your team members certainty on their deliverables.
2. Be There
   Increase your visibility and availability. Set up a structure for communicating information and stick to it. Increase the frequency of your one-on-ones. Knowing that they will get the opportunity to connect at least once a week will help team members stay focused on their work the rest of the time.
   
   Regular team meetings can be very effective to get information to a group. They also provide a great opportunity for questions and answers. Always follow up a verbal communication with a written account. This ensures the message does not get distorted.
3. Be consistent
   If you are consistent in communicating relevant news when you get it, you will increase the trust level for your team. Nature abhors a vacuum. If you stay silent because you’re afraid of creating unnecessary concern, you can be certain that your employees are making up stories about what your silence means. So fill the void before they fill it.
4. Be credible
   Avoid platitudes like “Business as usual.” It isn’t business as usual, and you have to acknowledge that. Make sure any information you provide is accurate. If you don’t know the answer to a question, commit to finding it out and then get back to your team as quickly as possible.
5. Be honest
   You may find yourself in a position where you can’t tell as much as you know. To maintain integrity, answer simply and honestly: “I’m not able to answer that right now.” Never lie. If you’re caught in a lie, no matter how small, you’ll undermine all of your well-intentioned reaching out.
6. Be curious
   The old adage “no news is good news” does not apply in circumstances such as these. You have to seek information. Ask: “What are you concerned about?” “What are the stories that you’ve heard?” “What is the biggest fear that you have at this time?”
7. Be real
   Make sure your tone and body language match your message. If you are not conveying genuine compassion, no matter what you say, your employees’ anxiety levels will continue to escalate. This is not about acting: people will see through insincerity. This is about getting yourself into a people perspective: stand in their shoes.

Following these steps will not alleviate all the unease that times like these inevitably create, but it will help your employees feel involved and respected. You will create confidence that when there is news that does affect them, they will hear it from someone who genuinely cares.

Copyright © 2009 by The Marcus Buckingham Company, LLC (TMBC) All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without the express written consent of TMBC is prohibited

You can find out more about Marcus Buckingham Company by visiting this website:
www.TMBC.com

Our thanks to the Marcus Buckingham Company for permission to reprint this article.

As leaders we give a lot of time and emotional energy to getting better at the ‘tricky bits’ of leadership and coaching - those times when negative emotions can take over and lead to the situation unravelling, with potential long term relationship damage.

So, instead of avoiding these moments, we learn and practice how to give negative feedback and manage ‘difficult’ conversations. There are lots of workshops on these topics. We offer some ourselves. This is all good and proper, for most of us do need to figure out how to have these conversations more effectively.

It seems though that because giving positive feedback or joining in the celebration of success is emotionally easier we don’t think so much about how we can leverage these moments in more constructive and growthful ways.

Recent¹ research by Professor Shelly Gable at UCLA has provided some insights into how we might leverage the celebration of success stories in constructive ways. Her research highlights how the responses we provide to shared stories of good news are significant relationship ’boosters’ or relationship ’eroders’. Gable has developed a simple matrix that describes 4 types of responses to the good news that others might tell us:

Active Constructive Responses: These responses include positive comments and positive non verbal behaviours (voice tone, posture, facial expressions) that indicate genuine interest and enthusiasm in relation to the success being described – “That’s a terrific result and I know how much you put in to achieving it!”

Passive Constructive Responses: These responses include moderate level positive comment with low level, low energy supporting non verbal behaviours. “Well done-good news.”

Active Destructive Responses: These responses include negative comments (sometimes disguised as positive ones) accompanied by negative non verbal behaviours like frowns or sighs. “Sounds like your success is only going to lead to more work for you in the long run though.”

Passive Destructive Responses: These responses do not actively downplay the success like those above but reveal more a sense of indifference with non verbals that indicate disengagement. “Yes, but can we talk about this next project.”

What was more significant was that only Active Constructive Responses acted as relationship enhancers. Each of the other three response types was seen to damage the relationship in some way. Our responses are not relationship neutral – they either enhance or erode relationship quality.

A couple of implications here for us as leaders and coaches...

1. Recent studies² have argued that the quality of the coaching relationship is the most significant component impacting the coaching outcomes. This study puts relationship quality ahead of all other tools and techniques. In recognition of the importance of the relationship our GROWTH coaching model places the Relationship step as the vital first component. Consequently we need to consider more deliberately how we can authentically be Active Constructive Responders in the way we acknowledge and leverage the successes of those we lead and coach. (The new, revised edition of our Leadership Coaching Guide provides more ideas on how to do this.)
2. Those leaders and coaches who are more reserved in their personal style and perhaps less inclined to be ‘over the top’ in any response to the sharing of success, need to consider that more subdued and understated reactions may well have an undermining influence on the relationship. Again finding an authentic voice in how we do this will be worth exploring.
   1 Gable, E. L., Reis, H. T., Impett, E. A., & Asher, E. R., Capitalizing on Daily Positive Events, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 2004.
   2 de Haan.Erik. Relational Coaching. John Wiley and Sons. Chichester. 2008

“The system does not work without confidence”, states US investment guru Warren Buffett and while his comments are related to the way the financial markets work, they have some relevance to all human systems – the way our teams and organisations work, and the way that we function in a individual sense.

Since our initial 2009 newsletter touched on this theme and a generated a strong response to the article, The Art of Possibility: Staying Up in a Down World (Click here to read if you missed it) we decided to continue this focus into March. It seems an appropriate theme to launch our new look newsletter - after all, our whole approach to coaching and leadership development is based solidly on principles drawn from Positive Psychology, Adult Learning theory and Appreciative Inquiry. And significantly, the concepts surrounding ‘positivity’ are going to be needed more than ever in the coming months...and beyond.

A leading figure in this area of ‘positivity’ is Dr Barbara Fredrickson, professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, who has done more than anyone to add research rigour to the new science of positive psychology. Her new book, Positivity (2009 Crown Publishers: New York) brings together the findings from her substantial research and presents the implications in a readily accessible format. Here are some of the highlights...

What is ‘Positivity’?

‘Positivity’ is about the creating of, the focusing on and the experiencing of positive emotions and their impact on human flourishing. (The top 10 positive emotions are: joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe and love )

Why is it important?

”Your mild and fleeting pleasant states are far more potent than you think” states Fredrickson and her highly regarded, Broaden and Build theory demonstrates why positivity is such a significant influence on how we live and work. This theory, based on a large number of studies, argues that experiencing positive emotions is a significant ‘broadening’ influence. These positive emotions (and her top 10 are listed above) ‘broaden thinking’, creativity and self awareness. And they have an investment in the future dimension helping build resilience, the ability to cope with and move on from disappointment and difficult experiences.

The research findings indicate that a 3:1 ratio of positive to negative emotional states is the ‘tipping point’ that shifts people into predominantly positive emotional states with all the important productivity, health and relationship benefits that go with that. And the research confirms that these benefits are quite considerable.

In summary, Fredrickson argues for 6 Key facts about Positivity:

1. Positivity Feels Good
2. Positivity Broadens Minds
3. Positivity Builds Resources
4. Positivity Fuels Resilience
5. Positivity Ratios Above 3:1 Forecast Flourishing
6. People Can Raise Their Positivity Ratios

How do you get it?

The second half of the book elaborates on 12 specific tools and processes for increasing the Positivity Ratio. They include such things as: Be Open; Create High Quality Connections; Cultivate Kindness; Develop Distractions; Dispute Negative Thinking; Learn and Apply Your Strengths; Meditate Mindfully; Ritualise Gratitude; Visualise a Positive Future. Some of these are not brand new and can be found in the work of Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson and others in the positive psychology field but Fredrickson’s research brings an urgent, compelling case for getting started on putting them into practice right now!

It is difficult to do justice to these strategies in a short article like this and all are explained and developed fully in the book. Here is one simple approach that works...

The Ritualising Gratitude approach has appeared in a number of places recently and is a simple and powerful technique. Simply grab a notebook and for a set period – 10 days or more – write down 3 things for which you can be grateful for each day. It helps to add a sentence or two explaining why each good thing happened since it strengthens their impact. Try it and notice how the positive emotion evoked through gratitude serves to broaden and build!

As leaders and coaches we are significant influencers of the culture and tone of our workplaces... and of our conversations. With the evidence now coming in so clearly that ‘positive beats negative’, we have a responsibility to nourish our own ‘positivity ratios’ so that we are confidence builders and positive contributors to the teams and workplaces and conversations which we lead. After all as Warren Buffet states, “The system does not work without confidence.”

Have a great month!

John Campbell and Mandy O’Bree
Directors
growth coaching international

There is no doubt about it, 2009 has begun with a regular diet of bad news! And it will likely continue for a little while yet. Economic crisis, intractable wars, climate change and all of it seems to be heading in the wrong direction! It is going to be a challenge to rise above this wave of negativity and maintain a positive perspective on our lives, our work and our relationships. Yes, we do live in challenging times but we run the risk of creating a self fulfilling prophecy about the future that is limiting, restrictive and fear based. And that just spirals to nowhere.

One of the real challenges for leaders is to build a sense of confidence and hope – especially in difficult times. Interestingly, emerging research in the fields of Positive Psychology and Appreciative Inquiry indicates that a focus on the positive is not just a case of ‘looking on the bright side’, a cute but essentially unrealistic thing to do, it’s actually a potent strategy for success.

Here are just 2 key principles from these fields together with some practical tips for integrating the principles into your leadership coaching approach...

#1 Positive Beats Negative

Much more than the power of positive thinking or mere ‘happiology’ this principle argues that the focus on positive strengths and past successes provides the energy for sustained change. Making change happen and sustaining it requires large amounts of positive energy.

Barbara Fredrickson’s¹ work on positive emotion has advanced thinking in this area through her ‘broaden and build theory.’ In essence Fredrickson’s research led her to conclude that certain positive emotions are not simply pleasant feelings but play a role in helping people ‘broaden’ thinking – creating more possibilities - and ‘build’ enduring personal resources that develop resilience and overall wellbeing. This increased resilience helps people bounce back from stresses and disappointments more quickly and more completely. Focusing on celebrating success and building on all that is currently working helps build confidence and resourcefulness for change.

Some ways of applying this principle include:

• Focus on the future and the positive things that you are moving towards, especially any positive emotions that will be experienced when the goal is achieved
• In assessing current Reality always encourage reflection on what IS working, as well as the barriers to success. This perspective highlights current positives and creates a sense of resourcefulness
• Help coaches reframe challenging situations so that other perspectives can enlarge the positive dimensions of any situation. You can help coaches reframe situations in a number of ways by helping your coachee consider the issue from the time perspective - “What will this look like in 10 years?” from the viewpoint of others – “How would this look through your manager’s eyes? To others in your team? To your friends?”
• Use humour and maintain a ‘lightness of touch’ in your coaching sessions

#2 Future Images Influence Current Behaviours

“People change in the direction of their images of the future”, claims David Cooperider, one of the founders of Appreciative Inquiry, arguing that the future is as much an influence on the present as the past. And positive images lead to positive futures becoming, in effect, self fulfilling prophecies. Positive images beget positive actions.

The GROWTH model leverages this principle with its focus on creating a positive image of the future in the form of the richly articulated, emotionally engaging goal it stimulates people to set. The more these images of future can be embellished using the whole range of sensory imagery the more powerfully they act as magnets pulling people towards that direction.

Some ways of applying this principle include:

• Build a repertoire of powerful questions to help your coaching partner articulate this outcome. Some you might start with include:
  
  
  • What specifically do you want to accomplish? How would things be better for you when that happens?
  • How will you know when you have achieved it?
  • What would you be hearing others say when you achieve this outcome?
  • Paint a picture of what’s happening when these changes are in place. Who will be involved?
• Use a 1-10 scale to precisely identify the end point your coaching partner is wanting to get to in the time period identified. Visualise ways of representing the gap from the current reality to the preferred future to provide a way of seeing ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’, a way of measuring progress and a way of building motivation to close the gap.
• Specifically explore what it will feel like to achieve the outcomes being considered and what it will feel like if the situation remains unchanged 6 months from now. The emotional dimension has a big impact on the level of commitment generated.
  
  Ask: “What benefits will you enjoy as a result of achieving this goal?”
           “What negative consquences will emerge if nothing changes here?”
  
  Tease out these ‘benefits’ and ‘losses’ in some detail to increase the tension between all the good things associated with success and all the less desirable things associated with non achievement.Thomas Chalmers a 19th century Scottish philosoher/theologian, argued for what he called the “...expulsive power of a new affection.” When we set our focus strongly and clearly on some new ‘affection’ it serves to expel the old, helping to make change possible.

So in 2009 we can make a big contribution to our team’s success by ensuring we counteract negative downward spiral thinking. And we can know that, while not ignoring problems and difficulties, the value of focusing on positive possibilities is more and more grounded in research. Doing this throughout the coming months will earn your team’s gratitude and increase your chances of achieving the results you are wanting.*

Have a big year of growth in 2009!


John and Mandy and the agc team.

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¹Fredrickson, B 2001, The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology. American Psychologist Vol 56, No.3

*This article is an edited version of a new chapter in the revised and updated Leadership Coaching Guide. It will be available on our webite in the next few weeks.