Monthly Archives: April 2012

Are you a Tough Mudder?

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Phil, a fellow Humanergist, just returned from the Tough Mudder challenge held in South Amherst, Ohio. This is billed as “probably the toughest event on the planet.” The Tough Mudder is a 10 to 12 mile obstacle course designed by British Special Forces. Typical obstacles include navigating electric wires dangled above mud pits, swimming through ice water and running over every type of terrain you could imagine (and some you can’t).

It was difficult for me to understand the enthusiasm – even euphoria – that Tough Mudder participants exhibit. Phil summed it up by saying, “It was the best thing I’ve ever done. I overcame fears and erased perceived limitations that I’ve carried for years.”

As a leader, how would your outcomes be impacted if you took your continuous improvement to the extreme? How can you purposefully create situations that confront the fears or self-imposed limitations that are barriers to your full potential?

There are ways to stretch yourself and change profoundly – and these don’t involve mixing water and electricity.

Know yourself on a deeper level. Ask yourself, Am I really living the life I want? What fears hold me back? What self-imposed limitations do I operate within? With this fuller self-awareness, you can design your “Tough Muddler-like” change process. If your job is in sales but your passion is writing, you will only succeed if you link your challenge to what you really love.

Embrace pain. If you haven’t done something difficult in a while, seek out an opportunity to stretch in a way that is uncomfortable. Life-changing evolution involves moving out of your comfort zone. If it doesn’t hurt a little, you’re just tweaking. Learn Spanish in six months to set yourself up for an international assignment. Take leadership of that huge project at work and deliver value in the face of massive uncertainty.

Take yourself off autopilot. Even if you aren’t interested in a mind-blowing, life-changing experience, examine your daily routine and make a change. Either stop doing something that is counterproductive or start a behavior that will get you closer to your goals. Choose something tangible and go after it with a renewed ferocity. If you’ve always thought, “I should be a better communicator,” stop thinking and start doing. Commit to a new behavioral change, tell others and track your progress.

Being a Tough Mudder means approaching every day with zest and tenacity, with a commitment to push past fear and redefine “your best effort.” Sure, you may fail spectacularly. This new bold approach may also enable you to reach heights you’d never dreamed possible.

“Your best is whatever you can do comfortably without having a breakdown” J.R. Moehringer, The Tender Bar

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Darn it! Does swearing make you colorful or crude?

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“Life is a four-letter word.” (Lenny Bruce)

One of the most influential memories from childhood involves my brother getting his mouth washed out with soap for uttering a swear word. I can’t recall the specific word, but I do remember the gagging, amidst promises never to repeat the offense. I was certainly careful to keep my own language G-rated in front of my mom after that disturbing event!

Truth be told, my language of late could merit some soap; and, I’m not alone. It seems that society today accepts, or at least tolerates, a certain level of profanity. When it comes to our kids and cussing, we often adopt a “do as I say, not as I do” attitude.

Is swearing at work no big deal? Or, does it mark you as a person who is not in control? I like the Evil HR Lady’s take on four-letter words in the CBS blog post called Swearing at Work. She says:

“Someone will argue that using swear words just shows who they really are; and, if you tell them to stop it, you’re suppressing their personality and creativity. I say any 13 year old can say dirty words; and, if you want to demonstrate your individuality and creativity, try saying something different.”

So why do I occasionally slip and use bad language? Sometimes I think it makes me feel better. It’s mildly cathartic. I also think it’s my way of saying, “I am really, really upset; so, pay attention!”

I wonder if I also subconsciously think letting a few expletives fly makes me more colorful and interesting – sort of the “bad girl” persona that contrasts with my solidly boring, Midwestern self. (In my own defense, I should note that I really don’t use bad language in a hurtful way – at least I certainly hope I don’t!)

All excuses aside, swearing isn’t really attractive or necessary to explain the amplitude of my feelings. It’s a lazy way to blow off some steam or be expressive. When choosing my words going forward, I vow to choose carefully. I will remember the wise words of the Evil HR Lady who said, “I have never heard anyone say, ‘Gee, I just love Bill’s foul mouth.’”

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When two heads are not better than one

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(Guest blogger: Our very own Lynn Townsend, a Humanergy communications champion!)

Humanergy is all about teamwork – in the office, at home and helping our clients work together more effectively. Is there a time when going solo is better? We think so. Consider going it alone when:

Teaming doesn’t enhance results. If you don’t have to work collaboratively to be successful, don’t. The number one rule of teamwork is to involve people who will positively impact results.

Trust doesn’t exist. If you don’t trust the other person, then there’s work to be done to repair what’s broken. Schedule one-on-one conversations. Set mutually beneficial ground rules. Then begin the process (often a slow one) of rebuilding the relationship.

Misunderstandings block the road. If there is an elephant in the room—the metaphor for a big issue that hasn’t been resolved—name the elephant. Break apart the pieces of the misunderstanding together, talk about what went right and focus on solutions. Then, take the elephant where it belongs…to the zoo.

Facts, data and constant contradiction muddy the water. Does a prospective teammate continually spew knowledge? Is he an expert in every subject? Is she quick to point out the flaws in everything everyone else says? Hmmm…this can also be called intellectual bullying. Run; don’t walk, to find real experts that will help you push your results ahead.

Destinations are polar opposites. If your goals and potential team member’s goals are miles apart, going solo might be best. The alternative is to look for common ground. Understand where collaboration will work for your goals and theirs. Ask open-ended questions that help you know their needs and expectations. If you can’t collaborate now, keep their goals in mind for future opportunities.

Working with others can improve your success 128%. (Okay, the percentage is totally made up.) Or teaming can be a bust when there’s no trust, elephant-sized misunderstandings, intellectual bullying or divergent goals.

Babe Ruth reminds us: The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime. Look at your action list today and potential partners. Ask yourself: “To team or not to team?”

 

For more team building tips, contact us at: info@humanergy.com

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Why being willing to learn is not enough

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One of our Humanergy team members is the poster child for learning and self-improvement. (Rather than embarrass him, let’s just call him Bob.) Once new information is available to Bob, he quickly assesses its merits. Will this improve my work with clients? If the answer is yes, Bob doesn’t just wait for an easy way to implement this new insight. He does his homework, analyzes best practices and immediately puts new ideas to work.

Bob is not just “willing” to learn something new. He’s passionately invested in getting better all the time. He’s all in, 100%.

Here’s how you can be a continuous learner like Bob:

Be a sponge and be choosy. It can be hard to wade through the myriad sources of information. Peruse likely sources of quality information for “news you can use.” Be selective about what you invest time in, recognizing that you can waste a lot of time exploring options that are impractical or not applicable.

Try it out. Through hands-on experience, use the new tool or technique. Then tweak it to be even more effective in real-world situations. (We call this Do and Learn.)

Share with others. Let others learn from your experience. Not only will they benefit; they may also have brilliant insights about how to better the ball… you know what they say about great minds.

What about you? Are you just willing, or are you relentless in your quest to learn and grow?

 

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