“My boss believes in a certain way of running a business,” said one person. “He keeps talking about the ‘processes’. Even though he uses the right ‘management phrases’ about people, I am not sure he feels these in his gut. How can I get him to believe-in getting things done through people?”

It is vital to understand your boss’s business model. You can then decide whether you want: a) To work with it; b) To try to influence it - which may or may not be possible; c) To find a boss with whom you share a similar business model. Here are three ideas to consider during this process.

1) You can understand your boss’s business model.

Every leader has a view about how to run a successful business. How to discover it? Listen to the language they use and the activities they focus on. Different leaders have different approaches. By and large, however, many believe in achieving profitability through products, principles and people. The secret, of course, is to get the right combination of all three.

Try tackling the following exercise on this theme. Looking at your boss, rate to what extent you think they really believe-in and understand these three areas. The ‘understanding’ aspect is crucial. Every retailer will say they believe in offering the right product to the right customers - but they may only understand previous generations of customers, not the present or future generations. Similarly, a leader may have understood how to ‘motivate’ people in the old days - but their approach does not work in today’s world. Try answering the following questions.

Products

The extent to which I believe my boss really believes in offering the right
products at the right price to the right customers in the right way is: ____ / 10

The extent to which I believe my boss really
understands how to do this in today’s world is: ____ / 10

Principles

The extent to which I believe my boss really believes in getting the right
principles in place to deliver the right service in the right way is: ____ / 10

The extent to which I believe my boss really
understands how to do this in today’s world is: ____ / 10

People

The extent to which I believe my boss really believes in employing the
right people and enabling them to deliver the right results is: ____ / 10

The extent to which I believe my boss really
understands how to do this in today’s world is: ____ / 10

Start by clarifying your boss’s business model, then move onto the next step.

2) You can decide how you want to behave in relation to your boss’s business model.

“My MD believes in working through people,” said one HR professional, “but he recognises that, because of his impatience, he can be quite abrupt. So he encourages me to orchestrate the people part of the strategy. But that doesn’t stop him being impatient. He frequently wants to know why the stores are not producing enough new ideas to improve customer service.”

Bearing in mind your boss’s business model, clarify how you want to move forward. Decide whether:

a) You have a good basis for working together.

b) You have some differences, but these can be worked out.

c) You have basic values that are too different.

“Is it possible to change my leader’s model?” somebody may ask: “How can I persuade them to give more weight to other aspects of the business?”

Different leaders have different challenges that ‘keep them awake at night’. So any suggestion you make must show how it will address these issues and deliver success. The leader must also buy-into the idea on both an intellectual and emotional level. They might even decide to give it a go but, unless it produces immediate results, they may quickly revert to their old model. Bearing these thoughts in mind, choose what you want to do in relation to your boss’s business model. There may well be the basis for working together. If not, you may want to consider the next step.

3) You can find a boss with whom you share a similar model.

Great teams are made up of people who have ‘similarity of spirit and diversity of strengths.’ This is true at any level - but particularly in relation to working with your boss. It is important to work for somebody with whom you have a values-fit. For example, the advice given to any football manager looking for a club is: “Choose to work for the right chairman. Make sure you have a similar professional values and a similar view of how the game should be played - otherwise you will be in trouble from the beginning.” The same rule applies in many walks of life. Ultimately you will do your best work for a leader with whom you share a similar business model.

Great workers build on where they deliver As, rather than Bs or Cs. They follow their passion and translate this into peak performance. So how can you identify such a niche in your own work? One approach is to focus on where you score highly on desire, discipline and delivery. You can then keep developing in this area to produce great performances. Let’s explore these themes.

1) You can focus on desire.

What are the specific activities where your desire is at least 8/10? You may love encouraging certain kinds of people, solving particular problems, working in retail, leading turnarounds, doing business deals, playing in a specific position in a sports team, performing certain kinds of music, developing unique web sites or whatever.

“This was an interesting test for me,” said one person. “There are certain areas where I score highly on the other Ds – discipline and delivery – but I now have little desire to these things. So I focused on the specific activities where I scored high on desire as well as the other Ds.”

Where does this happen for you? You may do fine work in certain areas, but your drive to do this may fluctuate during your life and work. For example, during different times of my life I have had the burning desire to run therapeutic communities, coach football teams, write books, run super team workshops and do one-to-one mentoring. Whilst a person’s vocation may stay the same throughout their life, their desire to express this through various vehicles may vary over the years. Great performers accept this process. They focus on the activities that give them positive energy, whilst also recognising that these may change at various points during their lives.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, brainstorm the activities where you desire to do them is at least 8/10. Second, focus on one you would like to develop. Third, rate your desire to pursue and develop this activity. Do this on a scale 0 – 10. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific activities where my
desire to do them is at least 8/10 are:

*

*

*

The specific activity I would
like to focus on developing is:

*

The desire I have to pursue and
develop this activity is: ____ / 10

2) You can focus on discipline.

Peak performers often have an OCD tendency in the areas where they are brilliant. (By OCD, I mean Obsessive Compulsive Discipline, rather than ‘Disorder’.) They are naturally self-disciplined in those areas. They work to take control, be organised and stay ahead of the game. This gives them the space to be spontaneous or deal with any unexpected difficulties.

“I definitely have some aspects of OCD,” said one retailer. “When visiting supermarkets, I find myself pulling the tins forward to make sure they are flush with the shelf. I have always been this way with things in retail. I love to get things organised – then get on with selling the products.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking at the area in which you want to specialise, how strong is your discipline? Rate this on a scale 8 – 10. Then describe the specific things you can do to maintain or improve your discipline in this area. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific activity I would
like to focus on developing is:

*

The rating I give myself in terms of being
disciplined in this specific activity is: ____ / 10

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

*

*

*

3) You can focus on delivery.

Different people have different approaches to finishing. Some strive hard to reach the goal; others become more relaxed. They flow, focus and finish. There is no right or wrong approach. You will choose the one that helps you to produce the goods.

“I don’t feel any pressure about delivering,” said one person, talking about what they did best. “It is something that comes naturally. Some people get nervous when nearing the finishing line, but I become calm. I keep following the right principles until the job gets finished. Reflecting on the work, I clarify the lessons. Then it is on to the next project. The work is an ongoing circle. There is no difference between doing the job and finishing.”

Looking at the specific activity you want to develop, how do you rate yourself as delivering? What is your successful style for finishing? What do you do right? How can you maintain or improve your ability to produce the goods? Try completing the following sentences.

The specific activity I would
like to focus on developing is:

*

The rating I give myself in terms of
delivering in this specific activity is: ____ / 10

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

*

*

*

So how can you do great work? One approach is to focus on where you score highly on desire, discipline and delivery. You can then pursue your passion, follow the key principles and achieve peak performance.

What is your natural working style? Are you a sprinter or a marathon runner? Do you like to work in short bursts or prefer the long haul? Perhaps you apply the best of both worlds. Let’s explore how you can take this path by improving your stamina, speed and ‘sleep’ to achieve success.

1) You can focus on your stamina.

“My natural style is to be a sprinter - but my working life seems to be one long marathon,” said one person. “People say I must slow down, but I rather enjoy going fast. I’m not getting any younger, however, so I wonder if I need to reduce my pace.”

People can learn to channel their personality, rather than change their personality. Certainly a ‘sprinter’ can learn to run ‘marathons’ - but they may still want the adrenalin kick of working in short bursts. You can take this step by, for example, improving your psychological and physical stamina.

How to make this happen? On the psychological side, focus on your long-term picture of success. Why? Keeping your eyes on the vision provides energy and gives meaning to every day. (You can find more ideas on this theme in 3 tips for clarifying your picture of success.) On the physical side, try to break-down your days, weeks, months and year into blocks. Each of these time frames should look something like this - with sufficient time given to rest and recovery.

“That sounds good in theory,” somebody may say, “but it is hard in practice.” I agree - but it is the method used by peak performers in many fields. One person said:

“During the year there are four hectic periods when I immerse myself in work. Anticipating I will be tired at those times, I always keep the weekends free. During the other months I work at home on Fridays. I also never interrupt the weekend by travelling on Sunday. Each working day I do creative activities in the mornings - which is when I have most energy. Whenever possible, I take breaks between meetings - because this helps me to reflect and make better decisions.”

Look ahead to your work schedule - the marathon - and break it down into reasonable blocks. Create time to prepare properly before each tough period. Build-in time to rest and recover afterwards. And, of course, eat properly - eat good food that releases energy slowly. This will help to develop your long-term stamina. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to improve my long-term stamina are:

*

*

*

2) You can focus on your speed.

So how can you be a good ‘sprinter’? Providing you have divided your time into reasonable working blocks, you can then concentrate fully and give your best. Let’s explore how to take that step.

First, get enough rest beforehand. Make sure you are physically and psychologically on top of your game. Concentration is crucial in order to perform at your best.

Second, prepare properly. Make sure all the practical things are in place - then rehearse properly. Look ahead to the situation - be it a meeting, client visit or whatever. Rehearse what you must do to get positive results.

Third, go into the situation and be fully present. Give 100% attention. Be fully alert and use your ‘radar’ and repertoire to get the right results. Because you have rested and rehearsed, your ideas will come ‘speedily’. You will then be able to sprint during this part of the marathon. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to improve my short-term speed are:

*

*

*

3) You can focus on your ‘sleep’.

Certainly it is vital to get at least 6 hours sleep to refresh the body and soul. Peak performers also create times for rest and recovery during the day or the ‘event’. Some have an ‘official’ after-lunch cat-nap. Others have ‘un-official’ naps - or times when they relax and re-centre. They may take 15 minutes between meetings to collect their thoughts. Sometimes they reinvigorate themselves by going for a walk. Great opera singers, for example, pace themselves through a performance. They are then able to give their best at the critical moments. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to improve my
‘sleep’ – and rest & recovery - are:

*

*

*

You will work at a fast pace when ‘on stage’. So sometimes it is important to slow down, re-gather strength and rehearse the next performance. You can then be both a sprinter and marathon runner. The long haul can be broken down into a series of sprints where you give your best. This is more enjoyable and also increases the chance of success. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to be a
sprinter whilst also running marathons are:

*

*

*

How can you find professional fulfilment? During the past 40 years I have met many people who have found satisfaction and stimulation in their work. Such people often demonstrate three characteristics. They focus on fun, freedom and doing work that is fulfilling - both for themselves and their ‘employers’. People who hate their jobs demonstrate the opposite characteristics. For them work is a chore. They feel imprisoned and frustrated. So let’s explore the following steps in your work.

1) Fun.

“I’d like to do work I enjoy, but it is so difficult,” somebody may say. Perhaps, but try doing work you hate. That is more difficult. What the person may mean is: “I would like to do work I love, but it is hard to find somebody to pay me for doing it.” Peak performers often begin their professional journeys by doing work they enjoy - then developing the skills for finding the funding. Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I have a sense of fun in my work is: ___ / 10

The specific things I can do to continue or
increase this sense of fun in my work are:

*

*

*

“After completing this exercise, I decided to go back to doing what I enjoy - my specialism - rather than general management,” said Jenny, a brilliant marketer. “I feel really happy focusing on what I do best. General management was just an endurance test. Now I have much more fun in my work.”

2) Freedom.

People like to feel free. They want to feel in control of shaping their destiny. Many fulfilled people seem to have a ‘freelance mentality’. They may or may not be freelancers - but they feel in charge of shaping their futures. “I now feel more in control of my professional life,” said Jenny. “I still work for the same company. But now feel more in control of my diary and contribution to the business.” Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I have a sense of freedom in my work is: ___ / 10

The specific things I can do to continue or
increase this sense of freedom in my work are:

*

*

*

3) Fulfilment.

“Now I concentrate on what I do best,” said Jenny. “I am able to use my imagination, set clear goals and make a positive impact.” So how do people find professional satisfaction? They put themselves in a place where they can flow, focus, finish and, as a by product, find fulfilment. Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I have a sense of fulfilment in my work is: ___ / 10

The specific things I can do to continue or
increase this sense of fulfilment in my work are:

*

*

*

People who do satisfying work often focus on fun, freedom and fulfilment. Feeling stimulated in their work, they build on their strengths, set specific goals and deliver success. They develop a ‘win-win’ - both for themselves and their employers.

“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:

*

*

*