Imagine you are running an educational session. How can you help people to grow? One approach is to learn from great educators. Such people often start by establishing clarity – the real results the students want to achieve – and making clear working contracts. They then go through three dimensions.

* They introduce the concept.

* They bring it to life by giving concrete examples.

* They move into the third dimension and go deeper by passing on caring wisdom.

This final step may involve sharing knowledge from the eternal principles that help people succeed.

Imagine that you are going to lead an educational session for a specific group of people. Let’s explore how you might run such a session.

* Start by establishing clarity – the concrete results to achieve – and making clear contracts.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, describe the specific group of people for whom you are running the session. You may, for example, be working with a team of counsellors, a creative team, a company’s leadership team or another group. Second, describe the aims of the session. (You will, of course, check these with people to ensure you are all heading towards the same goals.) Third, describe what you see as your role and their roles in making it a successful session. Try completing the following exercise.

Looking at the exercise above, let’s imagine you aim to run an introductory session on The Art of Counselling. You may introduce it by saying something like:

“Welcome. The aims of today’s session are to focus on: a) The definition of counselling; b) The skills of counselling; c) The specific ways that you can use counselling skills. My role is to provide an overview, describe the key principles and give practical examples. The role I would like you to play is to encourage each other, take the ideas you like and add these to your repertoire. Are there any other themes you would like to explore? Okay, let’s begin.”

Whatever topic you are teaching, it is important to establish clarity and make clear working contracts. Check everybody understands, then move on to the next stage.

1) You can focus on the first dimension – the concept.

Great educators begin the actual work by introducing the first concept. So you may want to give the context, provide a model, ask people to revisit their own experiences or whatever. Different educators have different ways of giving the big picture.

If you are teaching about counselling, one approach is to start by asking people if they have any experience in this area. They may have provided counselling for students, employees or other people. Alternatively, they may have received counselling after an accident or other setback. Building on what they have said, you can then give an overview of the recent history of counselling. This may include, for example, the pioneering work of Carl Rogers, the growth of the self-help movement and the blurred borders between counselling and psychotherapy. You may then return to following the definition you plan to use during the session.

Counselling takes place when:

The person seeks help in a situation that may be causing difficulty. They are able to talk a caring environment, make sense of their experience and gather the strength to move forward. If appropriate, they explore their options and take more control of shaping their future.

The counsellor provides a caring environment in which the person feels safe and valued. They explain what they can and can’t offer – then make clear working contracts. The counsellor encourages the person to explore and, if possible, make sense of their experience. If appropriate, they enable the person to consider their options and take charge of shaping their future.

————–

‘Classical Counselling’ is non-directive. It provides a sanctuary in which people can feel at home and talk without fear of judgement. The process of ‘healing’ or ‘growth’ comes through the act of exploring and making sense of their experience. There are, of course, different views on the effectiveness of such an approach. Carl Rogers, who is considered the founder of modern counselling, believed that:

* The person who comes for counselling simply has ‘problems of living’. They also have ‘a drive towards self-actualisation’. This drive presses towards fulfilment and, if able to be expressed properly, increases the person’s chances of becoming healthy. If the drive is frustrated, the person may experience difficulties, some of which may be displayed in various symptoms.

* The helper’s role is to create an encouraging environment that facilitates the person’s growth. They can achieve this by being genuine, showing empathy and having unconditional positive regard. These are called the ‘core conditions’ for providing a good environment.

* The person feels valued and encouraged in the counselling situation. They are then more likely to be their real self, set goals and work towards fulfilling their potential. They can pursue their drive towards self-actualisation.

Carl Rogers believed the key was to provide the right environment. People could then develop their inner strength and pursue their chosen path. Counselling was one vehicle for enabling people to become what they wanted to become.

———————————–

Let’s return to the educational session you are running. Try tackling the exercise about introducing the concept. You may be teaching about counselling, creativity, leadership or whatever. First, describe the concept you want to introduce. Second, describe the specific things you can do to introduce this idea. Try completing the follow exercise.

2) You can focus on the second dimension – the concrete examples.

Great educators bring the concepts to life by giving concrete examples. How to make this happen? One approach is to get into the habit of introducing an idea and then saying: “For example _____.” This forces you to give illustrations that resonate with the particular audience.

Imagine that you are running a session on counselling. You may want to give specific examples by saying something like the following.

“Counselling skills can be used in many situations. For example, to help people: a) To explore their feelings; b) To make sense of a tough situation; d) To emotionally recover from abuse, an accident or other setback; c) To work through post-traumatic stress syndrome; e) To make transitions in their life and work. The aim is to enable people to feel more in control of shaping their future. Let’s try an exercise on this theme.”

“First, looking ahead, think of a specific situation in which you may need to practice counselling skills. For example, you may be helping somebody who has lost a job, suffered bereavement or faces a challenge. So choose a specific situation where you might use such skills in the future.”

“Second, make a flip chart describing the ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’ for facilitating such a session. Remember, classical counselling helps somebody to explore the emotional side of the situation. If the person feels it may be useful, they can also consider the practical ways forward. The key, however, is that the person must feel in charge.”

“Be as specific as possible when describing the ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’. For example, if you say: ‘Make the person feel welcome,’ describe the specific behaviour you can demonstrate to achieve this goal. Imagine that you are giving detailed directions for a film scene. Write in plain English, rather than ‘therapeutic language’. Describe the specific things that you will actually ‘Do’. Spend 20 minutes writing your flip chart. Then we will share the ideas.”

——————-

Let’s return to the educational session that you may be running. There are many ways to bring an idea to life. Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Describe the specific things you can do to move from the concept to concrete examples that resonate with people in the group. Try completing the follow exercise.

3) You can focus on the third dimension – the caring wisdom.

Some educators go into a third dimension. They go deeper and pass on caring wisdom. This often involves revisiting some of the eternal principles. The ‘wisdom’ that is shared obviously differs from subject to subject, but the process remains similar. The educator wants to pass on timeless knowledge that enables students to succeed. So they may say something like:

“Today we have been looking at ______. But sometimes it can be useful to revisit some of the principles that people have followed over time. These principles include, for example:

* ____________________________________________________

* ____________________________________________________

* ____________________________________________________

“The ways that people have followed these principles have included, for example:

* ____________________________________________________

* ____________________________________________________

* ____________________________________________________

“Each of us must obviously find our own ways of doing things. But sometimes it can be useful to revisit and learn from these eternal principles.”

How does this approach work in practice? The themes you highlight will differ from topic to topic, but imagine that you are running a session on counselling. The timeless principles you cover may include the following three (though there are many more). Counselling highlights the importance of being able:

a) To take time in a sanctuary where you can reflect.

This is path taken by people throughout history. Seekers have used their sanctuary time to focus on the eternal truths, make sense of experience and clarify the way ahead. It is vital to feel safe in the sanctuary, but it is also good to get stimulation. People may achieve this by being close to nature, studying the great philosophies, being creative, focusing on their values or whatever. If appropriate, bring this theme to life by describing people in history that have spent time in a stimulating sanctuary.

b) To develop your inner strength.

People often develop strength by focusing on their chosen faith, vocation or life goals. Some gain it by tapping into their own or other people’s experience. Good counsellors, for example, help people to identify their inner strength by revisiting their positive history. So they may ask the person:

“Looking back on your life, have you even been in a similar situation and come through it successfully? What did you do right then? What were the principles you followed? How can you follow these principles in the present situation?”

Again, if appropriate, bring this theme to life by describing people in history who have developed their inner strength and tackled challenges successfully.

c) To be able to shape your future.

Counselling enables people to do some ‘slow thinking’. They have the opportunity to see things in perspective, clarify what is important and choose their way forward. Viktor Frankl, for example, describes how prisoners ‘chose their attitude’, even in the midst of the Nazi Concentration Camps. People need to feel in control: this is one of the eternal principles. Counselling can help people to take this step in their own way. If appropriate, describe people in history who have taken time out to clarify their options and shape their future.

—————–

There are many ways to pass on caring wisdom. Whatever theme you are teaching, it is good to highlight the key principles that seem to work – and the paths that people seem to follow – throughout history. The students can then choose to follow these in their own ways.

Let’s return to the educational session you may be running. Bearing in mind the topic you will be teaching, try tackling the exercise on this theme. Describe the caring wisdom you want to pass on to people. If possible, think of people in history who have followed these principles successfully. Try completing the following exercise.

There are many ways to help people to succeed. One approach is to clarify the results to achieve. You can then aim to introduce the concept, give concrete examples and, if appropriate, pass on caring wisdom.

“Be positive and professional, but don’t try to persuade,” was the approach of a therapeutic community I ran in the early 1970s. Young people applied to join the community – frequently wanting to escape from detention centres, mental hospitals or troubled families. Our approach was to outline what we could offer – the ‘results’ – plus the ‘rules’ to follow and the potential ‘rewards’. It was then up to the young person whether or not they decided to join. We did not try to ‘persuade’. Why? We did everything possible to present the offering in a professional way, but it was important to respect the individual’s right make their own choice. The same approach applies in many others situations. Let’s explore how you can follow these steps in your own way.

1) You can be positive, professional and prepare properly.

Imagine you are being asked to pitch for a piece of business. Some sales-people see this as a competition. They want to ‘persuade’ the client to ‘love them’ and win the business. Other people see it as a positive opportunity. They can do their best and ‘control the controllables’ – but they cannot guarantee the outcome. They must aim to understand the customer, clarify their own offering and present in a professional way. The client can then decide what is right for them. Let’s explore how you can pursue this latter route when working to get business.

a) You can be crystal-clear on your own offering to the market.

Great performers are niche-suppliers. They focus on what they do best and do it brilliantly. They are crystal-clear on: ‘What’ they offer; ‘Why’ they offer it – the potential benefits to customers; ‘Who’ they offer it to – their specific target group; ‘How’ they offer it and ‘When’. So start by being clear on what you can offer to potential customers.

b) You can be crystal-clear on what the customer wants – their picture of success.

Clarify what the customer wants. You need to clarify who are the key sponsors – the decision-makers; the real results the customer wants to achieve; the challenges they face; the strengths they can build-on; the things they can and can’t control; the resources they have available; the ‘dos’ & ‘don’ts’ for working with them; the things they have tried before; the possible quick wins; the best way they receive information – such as through slides, stories, etc; and any other key information. Build-up a picture of what the customer wants.

c) You can clarify what you can offer to help the customer get what they want – plus the way you would work with them – and prepare for the presentation.

Then make a decision. Ask yourself: “Bearing in mind what I/we offer and what the customer wants, do I/we want to work with them?” If so, continue with your preparation. If not, be prepared to walk away.

Assuming you want to go-ahead, do everything possible to set-up the session to succeed. Prepare your presentation and then double-check everything. Contact the client to confirm the time of the session; the people who will attend; the specific goals of the session; the guidelines – the topics people will and won’t want you to cover; the physical set-up; the dress-code. Rehearse everything – going into the building; meeting people; setting-up the presentation; giving the presentation; the questions people could ask and the potential answers; the things that could go wrong – and your back-up plan. Rehearse – then relax and look forward to the presentation.

How might you follow some of these steps in your own way? Start by thinking of a situation where you will be ‘presenting’ something to ‘the market’. For example, you may be making a business pitch or outlining what you offer to a potential client – a customer, mentee, student or another person. Identify the specific person – or target group – to whom you are presenting. Then, bearing in mind the stages mentioned above, try completing the following sentences.

The specific person – or target group –
to whom I will be presenting will be:

*

The specific things I can do to be positive,
professional and prepare properly are:

*

*

*

2) You can present positively and professionally – but not try to ‘persuade’.

Great performers know their chosen market. They master their specialism – as chefs, singers, business people or whatever – and present the benefits to the market. Certainly they are prepared to customise what they offer to get ‘win-wins’, but not to the point of diluting their offering. The ‘80%’ of what they offer stays the same – because that is what interests the potential buyer. The other ‘20%’ can be altered – within parameters – to make sure customers get what they want. Let’s imagine you have taken this approach and are ready to make the presentation.

Getting to the venue early, you will again mentally rehearse everything that is going to happen. Meeting people, you will be professional, polite and connect with them in your own way. Moving into the presentation, you will establish credibility, then focus on clarity, connection and concrete results. Let’s explore these points. Credibility: establish this by showing people that you understand the world from their point of view. Clarity: show you understand the results they want delivered - and how you can contribute to achieving this picture of success. Connection - connect by giving people examples from their world. Concrete results: again outline ‘What’ you would deliver; ‘How’ you would deliver it – including the guidelines for working together - and ‘When’. This latter part to include some early successes.

Move onto the question and answer session. This is your opportunity to really connect with people. Listen carefully and, if appropriate, ‘play back’ the question to make sure you heard it properly. Give your answer – complete with real-life examples. Move between the ‘concept’ and the ‘concrete’. You may start by answering on strategic level, but then outline specific examples that bring it to life. Dare to describe both the pluses and minuses of your answer or approach. Check that you have answered the question, then move onto the next. Conclude the session by thanking people for their time and finishing in a positive way.

“But shouldn’t you try to persuade people to adopt your point of view?” somebody may say. You can only do your best – and some things are beyond your control. The best ‘persuasion’ is showing you can help the customer to succeed. People have the right to make up their own minds. If it is the right ‘fit’, there will be the chance of long-lasting success. If not, then it won’t work anyway. Let’s return to the situation in which you would like to make a ‘presentation’. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to present in a positive &
professional way – without trying to persuade - are:

*

*

*

3) You can often get positive results.

This approach obviously has both pluses and minuses. The pluses are: You stay true to yourself; you do your best; you get to know the customer and their picture of success; you offer what you believe will help them to succeed; you try to connect and show how to deliver concrete results; you increase the chances of getting business with customers with whom there is the right ‘fit’. The minuses are: there is lots of time and energy spent preparing and making the presentation; the customer may not want what you offer; you won’t get business with customers who don’t ‘get it’ – but you don’t want that anyway.

Bearing these factors in mind, what are the possibilities of success? Providing you have reached the right target group – and do the right preparation and presentation – the chances are pretty high. You won’t ‘win’ every piece of business but, in the long term, you will get enough to continue prospering.

Let’s return to the situation in which you will be presenting. Looking at all the steps we have covered so far, try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to do
my best to get positive results are:

*

*

*

“What happens if you get a piece of business, but then the client does not fulfil their part of the deal?” somebody may ask. “Isn’t that a situation where you should try to persuade them to adopt your approach?”

Let’s return to the ‘contracting’ process I described in the therapeutic community. Sometimes a young person would ‘sign-up’ for the programme, but then break the contract. They knew the goals and the guidelines – so it was not a matter of trying to ‘persuade’ them to behave differently. We acted immediately and they left the community. Certainly they could re-apply to re-join at a future date – normally around 2 months - but they must then be prepared to follow the rules. They had chosen to break the rules – and there were consequences.

“But you can’t behave that way with clients,” somebody may say. “They are paying the wages.”

Let’s assume you have made clear contracts with a client. Everybody has agreed on the ‘What’, ‘Why’, ‘How’, ‘Who’ and ‘When’. Three months into the work several things are happening. First, you are fulfilling your part of the contract. Second, you have produced some early successes. Third, the client is not fulfilling their part. They are failing to provide resources, failing to pay bills, failing to meet deadlines or whatever. You can be polite and professional – but outline the options. Start by revisiting the goals and saying something like:

“Let’s go back to the results we aiming to deliver. These are: 1) To _______ 2) To ________ 3) To _________ Bearing these goals in mind, there are several options as we go forward together. Option (A) is to follow the original contract. Option (B) is to follow some parts of the contract. Option (C) is not to follow the contract. There may be other options – and each has consequences. We would like to continue working and follow the original contract, but would like to hear your point of view. Which route do you want to follow?”

Sounds tough – but you are simply stating the agreed contract. It is up to the person, team or organisation if they want to continue working with you. If so, great. If not, you must be prepared to move on. Great performers are niche-suppliers – so this calls for continually reaching out to potential customers. The more opportunities they have, the more power they have to say ‘Yes,’ to some people and ‘No,’ to others. They can then continue to be positive and professional – but not try to persuade.

Everybody has a personal compass. This can take the form of a philosophy, ‘credo’ or framework which they refer to when making decisions in their lives. Let’s explore how you can settle-on and follow your own guiding principles.

1) You can clarify your compass.

Try tackling the exercise called My compass. Describe the things you do and don’t want to do in your life. Some ideas may be philosophical; some may be practical. One person began their ‘Dos’ by writing. “Do keep my life-goals in mind when making decisions; do encourage my partner and other people; do continue doing work I love; do create something beautiful every day; do count my blessings and appreciate life.” What would you write? Try completing the following sentences.

Dos. The things I do want to do in my life & work are:

* Do

* Do

* Do

Don’ts. The things I don’t want to do in my life & work are:

* Don’t

* Don’t

* Don’t

2) You can clarify the pluses & minuses of following your compass.

Why follow your compass? What will be the benefits and what will be the downsides? Many people make resolutions, but those who stick to them accept the whole package. One person said: “The pluses will be: I will keep reminding myself of what I want to achieve in life; I will have a framework for making decisions; I will have guiding principles that enable me to follow my daily disciplines. The possible minuses may be: I may need to take some tough decisions.” Bearing in mind the principles you want to follow, try completing the following sentences.

The pluses of following my compass will be:

*

*

*

The possible minuses of following my compass will be:

*

*

*

3) You can follow your compass in your daily life.

Sometimes this can difficult, especially in challenging situations. How to overcome these problems? One approach is to anticipate scenarios that may test your values – the potential red flags. One person explained: “Sometimes I feel provoked by ‘observer critics’ who never do anything useful. Frequently I ask them to put forward constructive suggestions, but sometimes I lose my temper. Unfortunately I may be playing their game, because they can then fight in the gutter. So I must return to my values and behave in a way that makes me feel good afterwards.” Forewarned is forearmed: so it is good to consider potential difficulties. Try completing the following exercise.

The specific situations that may challenge my compass are:

*

*

The things I can do to follow my compass in these situations are:

*

*

Now it is time to bring all your ideas together and translate these into action. But this calls for following daily disciplines. The dancer maintains their agility, for example, by practicing at the barre. The Zen Buddhist maintains their consciousness by continuing to meditate. What can you do to follow your principles in everyday life? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to follow my compass in my daily life are:

*

*

*

People who follow their values are more likely to feel at peace. The first step in making this happen can be to clarify and follow their compass. They can then be more true to themselves in their daily lives.

Sports people talk about the ‘sweet spot’. Sometimes they hit a ball so effortlessly and yet effectively that it sails beautifully towards its target. Getting their timing right, they connect with the ball in exactly the right place on their racquet, bat or club. Such magic arrives after hitting the ‘sweet spot’. Other people experience something similar in parts of their professional lives. Feeling in exactly the right place, they do things effortlessly and yet effectively. Let’s explore where this might happen for you.

1) You can clarify the activities where you hit the sweet spot.

Where does this happen for you? Different people obviously give different descriptions. They may say, for example: “The sweet spot for me is … educating children to read … leading a motivated team … coaching an athlete … fixing a computer problem … getting a sale … cooking a meal … nurturing my garden … painting a picture.” How do you feel when you are in this situation? One person reported: “I feel at home and where I was meant to be. Crises may be happening, but I feel calm and in control. Things seem to go in slow motion and it is easy to get to the heart of the matter. Certainly I don’t always ‘hit a home run’, but I do good work nine times out of ten.” So what is your equivalent of the sweet spot? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific activities where I hit the sweet spot are:

*

*

*

2) You can focus on the activities where you hit the sweet spot.

Peak performers focus on doing stimulating projects with stimulating people. So how can you keep putting yourself in the right place to do great work? Seth Godin, the legendary blogger, expanded on this approach when writing about Sweet spot marketing. Creative people may find it difficult to get their work accepted, he said, so they may opt to hire a marketing ‘middleman’ who makes their work more mainstream. There is an alternative, says Seth, which is to find or create your own marketing sweet spot. He wrote:

“Golf (or maybe tennis) has the true myth of the sweet spot. That special part of the club (racket) that magically makes the ball go farther and straighter. There’s a sweet spot in promotion and PR as well. Let me give you a few examples from the book world to get us started. Peter Drucker was in the sweet spot for the Harvard Business Review. His background, reputation and style of writing contributed to him writing more pieces for them than anyone else. (My stuff, on the other hand, is blacklisted by the HBR. They won’t even consider my work.) There’s a sweet spot for getting on Oprah and for being on NPR as well.

“My point isn’t that you shouldn’t try to get middlemen to broaden their horizons or to give up on something you’re passionate about. It’s just that it might be easier to build a new sweet spot than it is to persuade an established middleman to change his rules for you. I never had a chance with existing magazines so I invented a writing style for myself that worked well with Fast Company, which until then had never had a columnist. Bloggers around the world are discovering that it’s cheaper and faster and more effective to build their own media channel than it is to waste time arguing with the old ones.”

“So I guess my advice would be to either build your product and network along the way to align with exactly what the middlemen want … or reject them and live/thrive without them. It’s the middle ground that’s really frustrating.”

Seth’s point is crucial when marketing your services. It also applies to finding or creating your perfect niche. Such a role will not be advertised – so you may need to do several things. First, to clarify the specific activities in which you deliver As, rather than Bs or Cs. Second, to create a space where you can practice delivering As. Third, to find people who want to buy what you offer when delivering As. The whole process starts by spending more time doing what you do best. So try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to focus on
the activities where I hit the sweet spot are:

*

*

*

You can find out more about Seth’s work at:

http://sethgodin.typepad.com

3) You can develop in the activities where you hit the sweet spot.

“There is something mystical about connecting with the sweet spot,” said one sportsman. “So I was afraid of analysing what happened – just in case I lost the magic touch. Like many athletes, however, I became obsessed by exploring my best performances. My coach taught me to get the right balance. I managed to uncover and follow the key principles to put myself in the right place – but then to be ‘fully present’ during matches. Nowadays if I find myself ‘thinking too much’, I simply go back to basics, like a golfer does with their swing. Rebuilding my rhythm helps to connect with the sweet spot more often. Building on this foundation, I am able to make gradual improvements.”

How can you move from 8/10 to 10/10? You may want to continue: a) To work on the right projects with the right people; b) To spend 80%+ of your time using - or preparing to use - your A talent; c) To make clear contracts with the key people about the picture of success; d) To rehearse every scenario and develop a repertoire of tools for delivering the results; e) To be fully present, follow your key principles and perform superb work; f) To find creative solutions to challenges; g) To do everything possible to achieve the picture of success; h) To clarify the specific things you did well and what you can do better next time. And to do it all in a natural way! Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to keep developing
in the activities where I hit the sweet spot are:

*

*

*

You can rest and relax – before then rehearsing the next adventure where you hit the sweet spot.

How can you manage crises successfully? One approach is to focus on calmness, clarify and concrete results. Let’s explore how you can follow these steps in your own way.

1) You can focus on calmness.

Calmness is crucial - whether you are arriving at the scene of an accident, solving a customer problem, counselling a distressed person or whatever. It is vital to ‘buy time’. You need to get an overview of the situation, clarify the key challenges and focus on the result you want to achieve. Sometimes you may also need to transmit calmness to other people. How can you apply this approach in your own way? Start by thinking of a challenging situation that you may face in the future. You may suffer a setback at work, face a difficult illness, experience a crisis in a relationship or whatever. How can you stay composed? How can you buy time? How can you see things in perspective? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to stay
calm in the challenging situation are:

*

*

*

2) You can focus on clarity.

Clarity is vital is two areas – the ‘What’ and the ‘How’. You need to clarify what you aim to achieve and how you aim to achieve it. Let’s explore these two stages.

a) Clarify the ‘What’.

Whilst you may need to act quickly, your actions must - as far as possible - fit in with the longer-term goal. So begin by asking yourself: “What are the real results I want to achieve? What is the picture of perfection?”

Imagine you are a doctor arriving at the scene of a motorway accident. Certainly you may need to act quickly to save lives - but you must also bear in mind the long-term effects. Pulling a person clear may release them quickly, but it may also cause other damage. You want them to regain their health and be able to walk again. What is the real result you want to achieve – both long-term and short-term? Let’s consider another situation. Imagine you are having an argument with your partner. What is the real goal you want to achieve? Do you want to win the present argument or build a long-term ‘win-win’ relationship?

Establishing the real ‘What’ will influence ‘How’ you tackle the situation. You may, of course, have a mixture of short, medium and long-term goals. If so, brainstorm all the things you want to achieve, list these in order of priority – then focus on tackling them from the top down. Looking at the critical situation you may face in the future, try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to clarify the ‘What’ – the real
results I want to achieve - in the challenging situation are:

*

*

*

b) Clarify the ‘How’.

Let’s move onto the ‘How’ – the strategy for achieving the goals. Bearing in mind the results you want to achieve, begin by exploring the potential solutions. You can do this by going through three stages.

* Clarify the ‘controllables’.

People like to feel in charge. So begin by asking yourself: “What are the things I can control in the situation? What are the things I can’t control? How can I build on what I can control and manage what I can’t.”

* Clarify the ‘choices, consequences and creative solutions’.

Ask yourself: “What are the choices – the various options – in this situation? What are the consequences – the pluses and minuses - of each option? What are the potential creative solutions? For example, what are the best parts of each option? Can I put these together to create another solution? Are there any other imaginative solutions?”

* Clarify the ‘conclusions’.

Make a decision. Looking at all the possible options, ask yourself: “Which route do I want to take? How can I build on the pluses and minimise the minuses?” Choose your way forward. (Sometimes, of course, you may try several parallel strategies.) Looking at a critical situation you may face in the future, try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to clarify the ‘How’ – the strategy
for moving forward in the challenging situation - are:

*

*

*

3) You can focus on concrete results.

Commit to your chosen strategy. Work hard, concentrate fully and, if appropriate, get some early wins. Encourage yourself and other people. Keep going until you deliver the required concrete results. Looking ahead to the possible critical situation you may face in the future, try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to work hard to deliver
concrete results in the challenging situation are:

*

*

*

Good crisis managers then look beyond the present. After solving the problem, they take learn lessons and identify areas for improvement. Ask yourself: “What can I learn from the crisis? How can I prevent the problem happening again in the future? If it does occur again, however, how can I manage similar situations better in the future?” Clarify your conclusions – then put your action plans in place. Good crisis management can be the trigger for improving your quality of life in the future.

There are many ways to do fine work. One is to do something exciting. You can follow your passion and do work that sets your pulse racing. Another is to do something excellent. You can translate your passion into a clear purpose, perform superb work and achieve peak performance. Still another is to go beyond excellence and do something exceptional. You can produce a something special that passes-on knowledge, shows what it is possible to achieve or provides people with a new paradigm. Let’s explore how you can pursue these three steps to do something outstanding.

Start by focusing on your own field of work or a field you find fascinating. Who has done exceptional work in this field? You may admire inventors, writers, sports people, leaders, pioneers or others. What made their work outstanding? They may have made a breakthrough invention, led a trailblazing project, created a new way of thinking or whatever. Sometimes they do it after tough experiences. JK Rowling, for example, said that: “A mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain … (but) I still had a daughter I adored, an old typewriter and a big idea.” She then translated that big idea into Harry Potter.

Let’s return to your passions. What are the exciting ideas you can pursue to do something exceptional? Try brainstorming lots of possibilities. The ‘big idea’ may not come straight away; it may take time to incubate. Let’s imagine, however, that you eventually settle on a ‘project’. Describe what you want to do, make it super specific and list the benefits. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific ‘project’ I want to pursue
to do something exceptional is:

*

The benefits of doing something
exceptional with this project would be:

*

*

*

Bearing this project in mind, let’s explore how it fits in terms of doing something exciting, excellent and exceptional.

1) You can do something that is exciting.

“Everybody feels privileged to be working here,” said Cheryl Schofield, the director of an Age Concern project I worked with in Lancashire. “We are doing pioneering work with people suffering from dementia. I know it sounds a cliché, but we are really adopting a ‘person-centred’ approach. The government will be measuring the results and, if the approach works, it will be rolled-out across the country. So far the feedback we have got is encouraging and stimulating.”

Cheryl’s team generated enthusiasm – something that is demonstrated by individuals, teams and organisations that do outstanding work. Looking back on your life, think of the activities where you have experienced this excitement. You may have been creating a garden, writing a book, refurbishing a house, selling to certain customers, developing a web site, mentoring clients, leading a super team or whatever. What did you feel when going to work each day? How did you channel these feelings in a positive way?

Let’s return to your potential project. On a scale 0 – 10, to what extent do you feel excited about the work? (Make sure it is at least 8/10.) What can you do to maintain or improve the rating? Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I find
the project exciting is: ___ / 10

The specific things I can do to
maintain or improve this score are:

*

*

*

2) You can do something that is excellent.

Tom Peters popularised the concept of ‘excellence’: but it had obviously been practised by many people through the ages. Can you think of people who have delivered this quality in their lives or work? They may have been caring for others, creating a school, starting a hospice, inventing a machine, cooking a meal, designing a building, performing a piece of music, winning an Olympic medal or whatever. What did they do right to perform such superb work?

Katie Ledger demonstrates this quality in her work as a communications coach. She helps people to ‘be themselves’ when speaking to camera. “People are often told to ‘be natural’ when a camera is pointed at them,” says Katie, “but instead they may freeze. Everybody has got a story to tell. My role is to help them to communicate it in a compelling way.” One person said: “Katie is a superb professional. She is encouraging - but gives tough messages in a way people can accept. She is also a hard task master. We had been practicing to camera for hours but, even though it was 5.30 on a Friday, she said: ‘Can we do that segment just one more time?’ Maybe it was because I was tired, but I relaxed and it was the best take of the day.” Katie is committed to helping others to achieve excellence.

Let’s return to your potential project. On a scale 0 – 10, to what extent do you feel the work you are planning will be excellent? What can you do to maintain or improve the rating? Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I feel the work on
the project will be excellent is: ___ / 10

The specific things I can do to
maintain or improve this score are:

*

*

*

3) You can do something that is exceptional.

Sometimes you experience something beyond excellence. Maybe it is a beautiful painting; a school where every child develops their potential; a magical goal scored by a footballer; a speech of reconciliation by a ‘victorious’ general; an act of kindness in the midst of chaos or whatever. You feel in the presence of greatness. Looking back on your life, when have you experienced this feeling? What did the person – or people - do right to produce something remarkable? Things that are exceptional may have the ability, for example:

* To take your breath away;

* To take you into a totally different dimension;

* To show what is possible when people use of their talents;

* To be beautiful, simple and effective;

* To provide a new paradigm that shows what is possible;

Let’s return to your potential project. On a scale 0 – 10, to what extent do you feel the work you are planning to do will be exceptional? What can you do to maintain or improve the rating? Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I feel the project will
produce something exceptional is: ___ / 10

The specific things I can do to
maintain or improve this score are:

*

*

*

Great workers sometimes do things that are exciting, excellent and exceptional. You can follow this path in your own way to create something special.

You can find out more about the Age Concern project in Preston at:

http://www.55plus.org.uk/age/welcome.asp

You can find out more about Katie Ledger’s work at:

http://www.talentnetwork.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=39

“I get lots of ideas,” somebody may say, “but I do not know how to translate these into getting paid work. Have you any suggestions?” Let’s explore getting the right balance between creativity, customers and cash.

1) Creativity.

Creativity often involves the process of ‘opening up’ and ‘closing down’ before settling on your ‘finished product’. Inspiration is the starting point. You will normally start with an idea - be it to solve a problem, invent a product or provide a service. You will then ‘open up’, gather information and explore many different directions. After awhile, you will want to ‘close down’ - keeping the good parts of the idea and discarding others. Sharpening your focus, you may ‘open up’ again - getting more information on your chosen topic - before again ‘closing down’. You will keep following this creative process until you are happy with your ‘finished product’.

Creativity also often involves the process innovation, implementation and impact. You innovate, implement the idea and make a positive impact. If you want to get funding, however, it is important to apply the ideas for customers. There are a few rules to follow.

a) Build on your strengths. Always use your ‘A’ talent. Customers are more likely to buy brilliance - so focus on what you do best.

b) Spend some time in a ‘white room’ creating your ideas but then, when appropriate, go out into the world to make sure your ‘product’ can help customers.

Creativity is fun - but you will also need funding. “Get out there and get your first three customers,” is the advice given to budding entrepreneurs, “the customers will help you to shape your future offering.” This brings us to the next step.

2) Customers.

“I don’t like to sell,” somebody may say. “It feels like I am imposing on people. “ I agree - so sometimes it is important to reframe this as: ‘helping the customers to succeed.’ Get alongside customers, share your knowledge and help them to reach their goals. Before taking that step, however, know how to ‘position’ your finished product for potential buyers. If you are planning to work for organisations, for example, show how it can help them to improve their profits, product quality or people. Then go out and help customers. You are not selling - you are helping them to succeed.

“But what about money?” somebody may ask. “I have been told that it is ‘unprofessional’ to work without getting paid. But I am stuck in a negative circle. My network is small, they don’t have much money and I have not got any paid work. What do you suggest?”

“Actors need to work - otherwise they seldom get considered for future parts,” is the rule in the theatre. I take a similar view when it comes to knowledge workers, for example, finding potential projects. It is vital to: “Get out there, get alongside customers and get working.” Providing you do good work, somebody will say: “How can we take this further?” That is when you can ask for funding.

“But I don’t want to be taken to the cleaners - or be seen as unprofessional,” somebody may argue. Agreed - and everybody must develop their own style. My own approach, for example, has been to visit potential customers and spend a couple of hours with them once or twice. The aim is to pass-on practical tools they can use to succeed. If they would like a third visit, we explore the possibility of funding. This is one approach - other people will find alternative methods that get business.

Build a reputation for doing superb work. Make clear contracts, satisfy your customers and do that ‘little bit extra’. Get to meet other people in the organisation. If appropriate, clarify their challenges and share your know-how. Keep following these principles, expand your network and build the business.

3) Cash.

“Man does not live by bread alone,” is the saying. True - but we do need food to survive. So it is important to get paid. Freelancers often remember the satisfaction of sending their first invoice and getting the money in the bank. Being from a certain tradition, I believe in generosity. If you want to follow the fulfilling road and get funding, however, it is good to develop commercial awareness. Granny’s advice still remains: “You have to earn more money than you spend.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme called Creativity, customers & cash. This invites you: a) To describe your creative idea: b) To describe how you can get potential customers: c) To then perform superb work and get the cash in the bank.

Creativity. The creative idea I have is:

*

Customers. The specific things I can do to
reach out and get potential customers are:

*

*

*

Cash. The things I can then do to perform
superb work and get cash in the bank are:

*

*

*

Every person has certain themes they follow in their life. They may aim to encourage other people, build beautiful things, fix problems, create prototypes, fight for justice, pass-on knowledge, work to build a better world or whatever. Sometimes they find and follow these themes – sometimes they don’t. “During my twenties I was idealistic,” said one person. “But I have lost my way a bit during the past ten years. Certainly I want to care for my family, but I am uneasy in my work. I am wondering if there is something more – something that might provide a greater sense of purpose in my working life.” Here are three steps to consider when exploring your life-themes.

1) You can find your life-themes.

There are many approaches to finding your life-themes. One is to tackle the exercise called My guaranteed income. If you had a guaranteed income for the rest of your life, what would you do? You might travel around the world, enjoy holidays and give money to other people. But then what would you do? How would you spend your time? Can you see any themes?

“My theme was growing things,” said one person. “I would devote more time to tending my garden, directing plays at the local youth theatre and teaching courses in creative writing. Throughout my life I have been fascinated by helping people - and things - to fulfill their potential. I have tried to play that role as a parent, as a partner and in my work as the leader of an arts centre. There was a period when I got seduced into sitting in meetings doing ‘strategic work’, but I quickly returned to the grass roots. My best work has always been around demonstrating how art can benefit the community. The common theme, however, has been helping things to grow.”

How would spend your time if you didn’t have to work? Describe the things you would do – then see if you can find any themes. Try completing the following sentences.

My guaranteed income

The things I would do if I had a guaranteed
income for the rest of my life would be:

*

*

*

The themes that emerge from these things
I would do if I had a guaranteed income are:

*

*

*

What themes emerge when people do this exercise? Many focus on the eternal human activities. These include, for example: exploring, learning, creating, designing, building, caring, healing, encouraging, educating, enabling, simplifying, communicating, orchestrating, leading, shaping, trading, ‘selling’, implementing, coaching, facilitating, problem-solving, measuring, entertaining and performing. Different people then put together different combinations of these themes.

2) You can follow your life-themes.

Consider how you can follow your themes the future. One person who made her living running a communications business said:

“My theme is ‘expressing people’s essence’. Ever since I was young I have been interested in finding people’s ‘story’. I love to explore and then tell the real story behind who people are, what they do and how they do it. Nowadays I practice it in several ways. One vehicle is writing people’s CV’s – but I produce something very different from the conventional format. I also help organizations to communicate their success stories. This goes beyond the normal kind of ‘good news’ story. I try to get to the heart of the matter, meet the people involved and show the real value of their work. Frequently I meet people who have a great story to tell. But they don’t know how to share it or reach a wider audience. That is my role. I am a communicator who expresses people’s essence.”

Looking at your themes, describe how you can follow and express these in your life and work. Try completing the following sentence.

The things that I can do to follow
and express my life-themes are:

*

*

*

3) You can fulfil your life-themes.

Following your life themes will be rewarding, but sometimes you may need a greater sense of fulfillment. How to make this happen? There are several ways. First, you can learn to ‘enjoy the journey’ as much as reaching the goal. Sounds zen-like, but it is more likely if you are pursuing a theme that gives positive energy. Second, you can develop the art of finishing. You may want to express your theme by creating a delicious meal, renovating a house, writing a book, fixing a problem or whatever. Seeing a ‘finished product’ gives a sense of satisfaction. Third, you can pass-on the fruits of your learning to other people. You can share it with students, apprentices, readers, listeners, mentees or whatever. Passing-on knowledge to willing learners can be extremely fulfilling.

“Enjoy the process as much as the prize,” we are told. Certainly this is more likely if we are following our key life-themes. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to fulfill my life-themes are:

*

*

*

Imagine you are leading an organisation. Some of the people are super positive; some swing between positive and neutral; some are negative. How do you want to work with the different kinds of people? In the old days organisations often told you to concentrate on turning-around the negative people. But that did not work. Nowadays you put your energy into the engine, not the trailer. Here are 3 steps you can take with the different kinds of people.

1) The positive people.

“Reward the behaviour you want repeated,” is the motto in all organisations. So you encourage the positive people. They are the engine, but they also need support. Frequently they volunteer for tasks, do great work but also get exhausted. You need them: a) To be positive models: b) To be the ‘drivers’ in the organisation: c) To also ‘be selective to be effective’, otherwise they will burn themselves out. Spend time with the positive people, find out their passions and clarify their ‘A’ talents. Then encourage them to make their best contribution to the organisation. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to encourage the positive people are:

*

*

*

2) The positive-neutral people.

Such people can become the backbone of the organisation. They respond well: a) To knowing the goals - the ‘What’: b) To knowing the game plan - the ‘How’: c) To being given a sense of ‘ownership’ in implementing their part of their strategy: d) To being given on-going encouragement and the support they need to do the job: e) To getting a share of the rewards. You will follow these steps in your own way. One leader said:

“I toured every country in the EMEA region and did 2 hour sessions in which I literally met every person. Meeting groups of around 20 people, I talked about last year’s achievements, before outlining the goals for the next year. I used a flip chart and a few slides, but the tone was mainly conversational. Looking at the challenges ahead, I invited people to ask their questions and answered these as honestly as possible. Finally I reiterated the organisation’s strategy and outlined what we could all do to get some quick successes. People seemed to appreciate the sessions.”

Sounds hard work? Perhaps, but it can be harder if you do not connect with people. Given the right kind of support, they will do superb work and go that extra mile. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to
encourage the positive-neutral people are:

*

*

*

3) The negative people.

They must make a decision: Do they want to be part of the organisation or not? You can outline: a) The results to achieve: b) The ‘rules’ - the ‘Dos & Don’ts’ for reaching the goals: c) The rewards. Be positive but be firm. As adults, people can make choices - and each choice has consequences. Give people the opportunity to consider the ‘deal’. They can choose whether they want to opt-in and make a positive contribution. This must then be followed-up by deeds rather than words. If they do not change, then act to protect the other people and maintain a positive culture. completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to give encouraging but
clear messages to the negative people – and then act - are:

*

*

*

Great organisations are made-up of people who choose to be there every day. They are volunteers, not victims. So build on the positive people and do whatever is necessary to guide the organisation to success.

There is some dispute where this phrase originated – though the favourite is from the world of motor racing. The F1 team may be gung-ho about winning the Grand Prix – but first they must get everything right to complete the race. Otherwise they have no chance of winning. The same principle applies to doing fine work or achieving your goals in life. So let’s explore how to get into the habit of being a good finisher. (You can also clarify your successful pattern for finishing in the companion piece called 3 tips for the art of finishing.)

1) You can clarify what you want to finish in your life.

Let’s start with the big picture. What do you want to finish in your life? You may say, for example: “I want to have given my children a great start in life; to have travelled to South America; to have been a great partner for my spouse.” Why clarify these long-term aims? It develops the discipline of focusing on the end-goals – the ‘What’. You can then channel your energy towards achieving these aims. This enables you to get into the habit of finishing both the small and big things in life.

“I did a similar exercise to this one 10 years ago which clarified my priorities,” said one person. “The exercise was actually called Two years to live. It invited me to describe what I would do if I only had that time remaining. Caring for my family came first, but then it highlighted several other goals. One was to complete a book that I had spent ages planning to write. Seeing this written in black and white increased my sense of urgency. Soon afterwards I began working on the book and went on to self-publish it on the internet.”

Hopefully you have more than two years to live, but it can still be useful to clarify what you want to complete. The following exercise invites you to do two things. First, to describe what you want to finish. Second, to describe the specific things you can do in the next month towards achieving those goals. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific things I want to finish in my life are:

*

*

*

The specific things I can do in the next
month toward achieving these goals are:

*

*

*

2) You can clarify what you want to finish in the next month.

Let’s narrow the scope. You have clarified several life goals and the steps you can take towards these in the next four week. Looking at your personal and professional life, what other things do you want to finish in the next month? You may want to complete a specific work project; hit your financial targets; conduct several performance management sessions; hold a tough but necessary conversation with a difficult team member; return your tax returns; clear-out the garage; fulfil your promise of taking your children to a football match or whatever. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I want to finish in the next month are:

*

*

*

3) You can get into the habit of finishing things each day.

Good finishers are compulsive list-makers. They frequently take time-out out to list what they must do the next day and week. List-making is only the start, of course, because the words must be translated into action. Finishers recognise their ‘prime times’ – the times of the day when they have most energy. Organising their day to protect and capitalise on these times, they complete as many of the key tasks as possible. Building-in time for rest and recovery, they may also use the low-energy times for doing grunt work. Looking back at the end of the day, they reflect on: a) The things I have finished today: b) The things I need to finish tomorrow. Making a fresh list, they repeat the process – and continue the habit of being good finishers. You will, of course, follow this path in your own way. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to get into the
habit of finishing things each day are:

*

*

*

“In order to finish first, first you have to finish,” is a crucial principle. It has implications far beyond preparing a Grand Prix car or training for a tilt at the Gold Medal. It is about getting into the habit of completing fine work. You are then more likely to complete what you were meant to finish in life.