Why didn’t I get an Owner’s Manual

After a little while with life happening and no sign of the Manual we began to realize we would need to make the best of it. We began to look around to see who had one and studied what they knew, surely some of it must be generic! We began to study our parents, our siblings – if they looked competent enough, and our other care givers.

They all seemed like gods to our small experience of life, so confident, so able, so talented. Surely they must have a great version of their Owner’s Manual! Many of us translated this into a presumption that they had a Manual and it was a wonderful copy, full of talents and abilities. We had our confidence high that we could do it! We could find mastery.

After a while of looking it seemed like everyone big had one. Another doubt crept in, maybe we were the only one who didn’t get one. We got secretive about it. Hiding the humiliation, coldness, rejection, betrayal and abandonment deep inside ourselves.

Many of us did such a good job we threw away the key and forgot we ever had such deep and painful doubts about our ability to make it here. Instead we got involved in studying others, working at it and seeking to create a new version of our own. Some of us got so good at this game we forgot why we were doing it; there just remained some deep unrest about who we really are.

Some of us progressed from here and made different conclusions based on our perception of those around us. Some of us looked at our siblings and thought they were a bit spare, maybe they didn’t get one either. Maybe it was just our family, all our generation, kids in our neighborhood and so on.

Some of us looked at our parents and thought they got a warped one, however our faith in them and

their ability to support us was so great that we willing joined into their pain and shame. We were so driven to work out how to operate here, it was such a primary drive we would do anything to learn.

Crisis is a blessing in disguise.

The strange thing is this was not a real representation of reality. Our hearts are wonderful places of honor, strength and courage. Anyone in an extreme crisis has not needed to doubt the courage of our true nature. Our heroic acts are legendary. The terrorist attacks of recent times bring this home to us. In Bali, ordinary injured Australians did extraordinary things and saved lives. In New York, September 11 brought out an extraordinary unity in this big, fast, hard city. The tradition is older, our heros of the wars; our pioneers of territory, mind, spirit and heart; our popular leaders’ values and so the list is infinite.

The question is never what is the value of the human heart, rather it is – is our heart open? Can we access our greatness or have we become immune, scared or so small we no longer want to go there for fear it won’t be OK anymore.

Put aside the falseness of your egoic nature, the part you alone created, apart from your heart. Take up instead your essential nature, who you truly are, and heal the rift in your drive to lead as a beacon, an example, a shining light and a wonder!

This article may be reproduced in printed or web format, provided the resource box below is included.

Rosemary Johnston is a professional corporate and personal coach. Working with executives from some of Australia’s largest and most successful companies for over 15 years.

Rosemary’s new book, “How To Develop Your Leadership Style and Skills to Take Charge of Your Career and Life” is now available to download at her web site. Read about some of the success Rosemary has had coaching leaders in Australian blue chip companies. http://www.leadershipfirst.com.au

What’s holding your team back from experiencing “breakout performance”?

It may be those Old beliefs and Personal Insecurities. (aka: conceptual barriers)

Conceptual barriers are the barriers that are right behind the eyes, DEEP within the brain. “Beliefs” which were planted at a very young age and re-enforced over a long period of time – which is why they are so hard to “dislodge”.

Use the following exercise to help your team members identify their limiting beliefs and feelings. Then explain how those beliefs and feelings directly impact (positively and negatively) their bottom-line results.

Before we proceed, keep the following quote in mind – it’s a powerful reminder of why it is so important to complete sales management activities.

“Successful people DO, what unsuccessful people

are not willing to do.”– Unknown

Here are the Four Steps to Overcome Conceptual Barriers:

Step One – Uncover Negative Self-Talk

Ask the employee to tell you what he or she “least” enjoys about each step of the sales management process. Follow up by asking how that particular aspect of the process makes the employee feel.

For example:

- Prospecting/Cold Calling – (feels like I am intruding)

- Asking for the Business – (feels like I am being pushy)

- Cross-Selling/Up-Selling – (feels like I am taking advantage)

- Assumptive Closing – (feels like I am being presumptuous)

Step Two – Identify Beliefs that are the root source of negative feelings toward sales management practices.

Go back to our prior examples of Old Beliefs that get in the way of our progress in the sales management process:

- Don’t talk to strangers

- It is impolite to talk about money

- Never interrupt important people

- Wait to be asked

Help the employee understand and be aware of why it is that they may feel the way they do.

Employees should understand that they feel the way they do for a reason. Once they understand this it can be much easier for them to make a decision to overcome their old belief(s).

Step Three – Turn Limiting Beliefs into Unlimited Possibility!

Illustrate the following to your employee so they can clearly see how their beliefs and feelings ultimately “pre-determine”

their outcome.

On one hand:

Positive Beliefs » Positive Feelings » Actions » Positive Results

And on the other hand:

Limiting Beliefs » Negative Feelings » Inaction » Negative Results

So based on the preceding, it’s obvious which hand offers the most value – correct?

Step Four – CHOOSE a path together!

Obviously, if an employee is unwilling to work to overcome conceptual barriers, then you should agree that a sales position is not the right fit.

You should either find a more suitable role for the person, or part ways so he/she may pursue a more rewarding opportunity somewhere else.

Let’s assume however that the employee seeks to overcome their conceptual barriers and is willing to take ownership of their plan for improvement.

As the leader, you have an important role to play in your employee overcoming their limiting beliefs. You are responsible for supporting the employee in three key areas. Once again, they are:

- TEACH – lead by example, reinforce positive actions and behaviors

- COACH – help to improve technique, debrief progress, track results, ensure employee stays on task

- EXPECT – inspect what you expect, hold yourself and your employee accountable for continued improvement and increased results.

In conclusion, ask yourself the following question.

Can you name one person who is a top performer that:

- believed he wouldn’t be successful?

- feels she shouldn’t be successful?

- does not take the actions necessary for her to become successful?

The answer to each question? “Of course not!” Right?

So by default we must agree that in order for anyone to be successful, he/she must understand what is holding him or her back.

Then, she must be willing to work to overcome obstacles, and choose to proactively follow a corrective action plan.

Finally, he must “execute” the plan.

Through this process he will build new beliefs that will enable him to discard that old and tired, limiting belief.

Richard Gorham is the founder and President of Leadership-Tools, Inc. His web site, http://www.leadership-tools.com is dedicated to providing free tools and resources for today’s aspiring leaders. Offering high-quality tools in the areas of Business Planning, Leadership Development, Customer Service, Sales Management and Team Building.

Many solopreneurs work in a team environment either with their client’s staff, or with subcontractors. Having spent over 20 years in a teaming environment before becoming a solopreneur 13 years ago, I know that during the course of any highly functioning team effort, the leadership and followership roles flow back and forth between the members.

An observer of such a team would see that at any moment, the person on the team who has either information, wisdom, or creativity to offer steps quietly forward to assume the leadership position. After she has delivered her knowledge to the group, she then steps quietly back into the role of a follower, as the next person slips into the leadership position. This ebb and flow of leadership and followership is one of the hallmarks of a highly-functioning and productive team.

“So you did this just because all your friends did it? If all your friends laid down on the tracks in front of a train, I suppose you would too? Do you want to be a follower all your life?” –­ Your Mother

You Mother was right. To be effective in today’s teams, you can’t be a follower all your life. You need to step out into the glare of the lights and assume the leadership mantle, contributing your unique specialness, knowledge, and creativity to the group. In this way, the work product of the team is strengthened.

This leadership role is not granted you by title or position. Instead, you take on the role voluntarily. And your team members grant you the role because of your expertise, credibility, reputation, or influence. In other words, it is a temporary role on the team that you earn over time.

To be effective in this type of leadership role, you must first secure the respect of your team members in at least one of the following three areas:

1. Knowledge. You must have respected expertise and proven judgement in areas relevant to

the team’s goals.

2. People Skills. You must care about your team members and value the team’s goals.

3. Performance. You must show that you are willing to take on tasks and activities that actually help the team meet their goals.

To build respect and credibility in either of these three areas, you must first be a terrific follower. Not the type of follower your Mother railed against. But the type of follower who is committed to helping the team reach their goals. A follower who contributes focus and influence to getting the work product delivered to the required standards of quality and timing. A follower with a courageous conscience and controlled ego. A follower with the ability to think creatively and critically, who is self-motivated, proactive and self-disciplined.

This week, monitor your role on the team’s of which you are a member. Are you shifting smoothly in and out of the roles of leadership and follwership as appropriate to you and the team? Or are you failing to step into the leadership role when appropriate? Or failing to step back and contribute in the role of a follower? What could you change about how you shift between these roles to better contribute to the team?

Copyright 2004, Rose Hill, Inc

Rose Hill, Founder and Owner,of Biz Whiz Expert (http://www.SoloBizVille.com) and Team Member of Solo-E.Com (http://www.Solo-E.Com) has been self-employed since 1990. Knowing how to run corporate departments and how to market corporate entities, products, and services did nothing to prepare her for successfully running and marketing a one-person business. That is why Rose created the SoloBizVille and SoloBizU community — to specifically to help solo entrepreneurs jumpstart their business success without all the trial-and-error learning.

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