Acts of Balance

The Why Behind Confidence

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:15:09 +0000

We looked at an overview of confidence recently, so let me pose this question before we get started: How is your confidence today? In thinking about today’s post, I’m reminded of an old Seinfeld episode where Elaine is put in charge of the J. Peterman Catalog. For her first issue, she put the Urban Sombrero on the cover. Later, she is in Jerry’s apartment and he asks, “How’s your confidence?” Elaine responds, “Shot.”

Before that day, Elaine had been supremely confident she was ready to run the catalog; so where did she go wrong? Or did she really make a mistake and in fact, she was actually right to be confident. Let’s take a look.

In Scott W. Ventrella’s book The Power of Positive Thinking in Business confidence is defined as “being personally assured of one’s abilities, capabilities, and potential.”
As people, we are confident because we trust ourselves. We all know how important trust is to our interpersonal relationships, but rarely do we look at the role trust and confidence play in our intrapersonal lives.

In teams, if your fellow teammates are missing deadlines, or lacking in certain skills, your confidence in them lowers. It’s just a fact of life and business.

But this is about you! Why are you confident? If you agree that we are confident because we believe we can accomplish certain tasks or at least have the right training to find the correct path, then you understand confidence and the role it has in your life.

One final question: How often do you give yourself a compliment? How about negative re-enforcement? I bet it is easier to think of the latter. In Ventrella’s book, he writes about the need to focus on our past successes and what led to success, and not the past failures and mistakes. We need to build ourselves up and having confidence in your abilities is a vitally important factor in your personal and professional success. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, how can anyone else?

I will venture to say that Elaine was right in having confidence in her ability to lead the catalog. She still got it out on time, just with the wrong cover. She had the abilities and her first experience at running the catalog, although negative at the moment, can lead to a great learning experience which will only aid her confidence. It is the same with you.

Confidence can carry you through your struggles. Next week we’ll look at where confidence comes from, so until then, say something positive to yourself. Build up your confidence and trust in yourself.

Creativity – the Art of the Brainstorm

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:57:03 +0000

We’ve all be there. It’s a day-long brainstorming session. Key team members have been flown in, stayed in a hotel, had a big breakfast and then it’s time to start working with the consultant. This one is better than the last one – at least they seem to have a grasp of your business.

But your team needs this. The marketplace is changing, your clients are changing, the economy is changing; whatever the case may be, brainstorming is important. It can come in a ton of forms, but I’m going to look at the large-group style today. What makes up a good session?

All ideas are (initially) equal. Yes, the moderator probably will say, “There are no bad ideas,” even when we all know, there are bad ideas. But here is the thing, bad ideas can spawn great ideas! So, any moderator wants every crazy, audacious idea to come out. It might spark someone else. It could get the ball rolling on the amazing idea that could change your company.
Brainstorming should never actually end. It shouldn’t be just a once-every-five-years event. It needs to be ongoing. Whether it is every quarter with different people, or even once a year, the ideas are out there and business leaders need to build an environment for those great ideas to come to the surface.
We can’t solve every problem. It’s a simple concept, but one that sometimes brainstorm participants fail to remember. Some peoples can’t be solved by a simple group brainstorm. That is why it is important when coming into a brainstorming session, the participants must have a clear understanding of the goals for the day.
Change the room. Especially if it is a larger group, every so often, have people change groups. It changes conversations and it can lead to even more ideas because of the conversations that happen, but don’t get shared to the whole group.

Brainstorming should be a fun and energizing experience for your teams. Use them to your advantage. It goes back to creating an atmosphere of creativity in Monday’s post. This is just one of many things you can do to improve your team’s creativity.

What have been the best brainstorming meetings you’ve attended and why? What are some really creative brainstorming tools that you have used or experienced?

Balance in Creativity

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:48:52 +0000

We all love being creative, some more than others of course, but we are all creative beings. Yes, that means you! However, in business and in life, we all seek to balance our creativity with our productivity and results.

In the always-changing world of public relations and even more, the characteristics of your teams, it is important to build an atmosphere that welcomes creativity while balancing the needs of the business. In my business, I am a one-man show so I have to be the one who not only drives the creative bus, but also the business part of the business. I’ve learned a lot on my own personal journey, but also from my days in the corporate world. Here are some ideas and tactics I’ve learned on how to remain balanced in your creativity and your business.

If you want creative people, allow them to try new things, and make mistakes! If you don’t build an atmosphere that is willing to try new things, you will get what you’ve always gotten. It will be the same tactics and the same, or worse results.
Being creative means taking smart risks. Yes, doing something creative and innovative can mean taking risks, but that doesn’t mean they have to be huge risks. Try presenting your client with a completely outside the box idea. It will show your team is thinking outside the norm, but also thinking about what is best for both parties.
Change it up. This could mean a lot of things, but change the routine. We get into a routine and when that happens, the ideas and the results start to look the same. Have people move offices, have a fun day (like Morningstar Communications does – ), have a weekend retreat. Do something to shake things up. It will build the team, strengthen relationships and get people talking.

These are very simple ideas to implement, but can change your business. There is nothing wrong with being creative, it just must be balanced with the business goals.

The Quest for Confidence

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:25:35 +0000

Here at Acts of Balance, we’re about to embark on a three-post dive into confidence. Why people are confident, where confidence comes from and how to practice being and having confidence.

But first we must take a brief look at why some people lack confidence. In my practice, one of the things that I am seeing more than ever lately is the lack of confidence among highly competent and talented professionals. For some, it is the feeling that they are like the house of cards, ready to fall over the moment someone recognizes that they don’t really have any talent (lies, all lies). For many, it is significant fear of not only being found out that they don’t have the talent required, but that they have been faking it all along.

There can of course be tons of reasons: lack of success, lack of knowledge, and even, not enough challenge. Think about it, if you’re in a job or a career where you are not sufficiently challenged, whether because of your knowledge base or maybe it because your creative juices are atrophied – if you aren’t challenged – it is tough to build confidence.

One very simple cause of lapses in confidence can be traced back to fear. Just like honor, pride and sadness, fear is a naturally occurring human emotion. Fear is a safety mechanism we use to keep and stay safe. If you are scared of a situation or a challenge or even a simple job task, confidence and success suffers.

Fear can often show up in very subtle ways … oftentimes business leaders don’t actually recognize fear, but sometimes the urge to avoid making decisions is a result of fear. In the end, it is the fear inhibits their leadership. That is just one example. It can be seen in business meetings when someone won’t share their far-fetched idea for fear of being laughed at, or sales people who are good talkers but can’t seem to make the ‘ask’ at the end.

Fear is the inner critic, the doubting self-talk, and the filter that makes us perceive things as worse than they are. It sounds simple but the first step to moving past fear is awareness.

Start with awareness, then investigation and understanding, then begin a development plan that address both the thoughts and beliefs that lead to fear and addressing the behaviors that are simply within your comfort zone. As we move through our discussion on confidence, think about your life. Where do you lack confidence? And why? Once you begin to identify where, the why’s become easy and the solution can be even easier.

*some content was adapted from D. Luke Iorio, President and CEO of iPEC Coaching

Balance – and Live!

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 01:43:24 +0000

On Monday I touched on the importance of slowing down and making sure your life is balanced before jumping onto your bike to race down the hill. Learning to ride a bicycle is a lot like life. When your training wheels are first taken off, you will fall. But then you learn the importance of starting slow and getting your balance before racing down the sidewalk or jumping off that ramp.

“Life is like riding a bicycle, in order to keep in balance, you must keep moving.” –Albert Einstein

In talking about slowing down, we looked at three things: how busy you are, your level of passion and creativity, and your work vs. personal life balance. So now that we are slowed down, it is time to race. Look both ways first though…

Check your wheels. You read it right – check your balance. A life that isn’t in balance, whether it be with your personal and professional life and obligations or if you’re not spending enough time on your life passions, then your life is not in balance. Simple as that. You wouldn’t drive across the country without checking your tire pressure, so don’t do it to your life either. Check for signs that you are out of balance. Are you getting angry at the slightest provocation? Are dishes piling high in the sink? Do you suddenly find yourself out of dog food or toothpaste and squeezing the tube for dear life?

Fill up your tank. Okay, on a bicycle I know that’s not possible, but look at you. When was the last time you did something for you? Just you? Not work. Not your significant other or your kids or your pets or your siblings. Just you. We all need to have emotional energy in our tanks and spending time on you is the perfect way to do that. I love Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way – it talked about taking yourself on an artist’s date at least one hour per week to recharge. Go to a movie, take a walk in an unexplored neighborhood, eat at an exotic restaurant, finger paint…

Be your captain. You need to be your team captain. You’re the boss of your life. If you’re not happy, if you believe you life is not in balance, then you have the power to fix it. But you also need to create an amazing team around you. They can be there to check your wheels from time to time and remind you to fill up your tank. They might even help provide the motivation to keep the pedals moving and your life in balance. Think about who is on your anabolic team – and reach out to them. They are waiting for your call!

Now you’re on your way! In the end, living a life in balance is all about understanding yourself. But we’ll get into that. For now, enjoy the wind in your face. Happy Independence Day!

(flickr photo via kellfrick)

Slow Down to Balance

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:51:40 +0000

Remember when you first started to learn how to ride a bicycle? Changes are, you probably began on a tricycle, then moved to a bicycle with training wheels. Then after months of work on that, you were given the very scary task of riding on just two wheels (and a prayer). Well, and probably someone’s hand on the back seat as well.

The same thing, the same emotions happen anytime we try something new. Every day that we get out of bed is a journey, we are riding a bicycle and we have to stay in balance. This post is the first in two about life balance. It relates to this quote I recently added to my email signature:

“Life is like riding a bicycle, in order to keep in balance, you must keep moving.” –Albert Einstein

But it has me thinking… before we can hope on the bike, I think it’s important to slow down for a day and look at our lives as a whole. For our lives must be in balance before we take off down the road. On Thursday we’ll look at once our lives are in balance, how to hop on the bike to traverse the crazy world ahead – and stay in balance – without any knee scrapes.

So, lets look at your life.

Are you too active? Well… that begs the question ‘what is active anyway?’ Well, I believe active is when you don’t have the time to do the things you are most passionate about. Too active means you start to lose parts yourself that you used to deeply value. Active is good. Production is good. But active for active’s sake only keeps you active and away from things you know you’re rather be doing.

Are you passionate & creative? It’s amazing to me the art that can be created by artists. I may be AGE, but I’m still impressed any time I see a work of art. Anything creative inspires me. It motivates me. It obviously motivates those that create. But if your life isn’t in balance, chances are, your creative energy and creative exploration are operating at a deficit.

Do you have a work life and a personal life? It’s interesting. One day I will meet someone who refuses to check work e-mail outside the office and the next day I’ll meet someone who has their e-mail attached to their hip. I believe a balance needs to be found between the two. Yes, I have an iPhone (which I love, but don’t keep at my hip), but I have a balance. There are times and days where I am only working and there are times and days where I am only living. It’s important to have that balance, especially as someone who works from home. Work and life need their own energies and deserve importance.

Those are just three areas where we must find balance in our lives to be at our peak production, both professionally and personally. We’ll be spending more time in the coming weeks diving into tactics to create more balance, but on Thursday we’re going to dive right into jumping onto the bike and racing into life – in balance of course.

(flickr photo via salim)

3 Traits of a Balanced Leader

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:15:11 +0000

We’ve been talking a lot on here the last month about Energy Leadership and the importance of being a positive and balanced leader. Here’s something to keep in mind though: just because you’re a positive leader, doesn’t mean you are balanced. They are two very different characteristics.

Through our Energy Leadership journey, we looked over what makes a great “energy” leader, but what about balance? And what exactly is “balance”?

The official definition given by “The American Century Dictionary” says that balance is “stability of body or mind.” It is a noun. I suppose you could call it a concept, but I would argue it is a place. Being a balanced person is a place, it is a location. It is, for our purposes, a destination. What are the landmarks on the way…

1. A balanced leader has a strategy and vision.

When leaders make decisions that don’t match their personal and professional visions, they begin to make choices and decisions that are, in effect unbalanced. What happens is that a leader will make decisions that don’t match an expected vision and then months later; they start to follow the choices of the past, the ones that don’t fit the vision. And now you’re unbalanced. Additionally, the same thing happens to the team. They have no idea where they are going and they too become unbalanced.

2. A balanced leader has a set of values and all their decisions make up.

Continuing with the strategy and vision, a balanced leader has values. These are public and well-known to friends, colleagues and clients. Businesses have to make tough choices every day. They are choices of client load, time management, budgeting, public comments, and many more. Decisions must always match the values of the leader and the group members. When values don’t match up, there will never be a positively balanced team. Each member and each client must agree on the values of the partnership.

3. A balanced leader must acknowledge and accept they can’t have it all at the same time.

This definitely relates to having a set of values, but mostly having a vision for the team. As much as we might think, we can’t have it all. We all have limited amounts of time, money and energy to give the world. Having it all is more about understanding and believing in the vision than it is about actually having “everything.” A balanced leader knows what they want and what their dream is and works towards it, without sacrificing who they are.

Do you have a strategy and vision? Do you know your values? What does “have it all” mean to you?

More importantly, do you think you’re balanced today?

(flickr photo via pinksherbet)

Balancing the Needs of Staff v. Clients

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:08:22 +0000

As the economy continues to sputter along, agency owners and leaders all across the country have to keep asking themselves what to do. Do I hire more people to try to grow my business? Do I let a few people go to keep operating in the black? Or do I search for more business and add to our workloads?

Whatever you or your leaders are deciding to do, keep this in mind: it’s tough out there. Just when it seems that the tide might be turning, there is another piece of bad news waiting just around the corner. I was on a conference call with people from all across the country in the fall of 2008 when someone spoke up. It was a random comment, but what this man said has stuck with me. He said, “Our bosses gathered us all up to calm our fears. They told us in the meeting that our company had decided to not participate in the recession.”

Imagine what would happen if bosses all over the globe would say that. I’m not an economist, but I do believe when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

That being said, with the economic times we are in, how do leaders manage the needs of the business versus the needs of staff? Well, I will venture to say that they are equally important. So, what are the most important factors for leaders to keep in mind when balancing their team vs. their clients?

To build a strong team, the team needs to feel like they are a part of each and every decision. Of course the leaders make the decisions, but the more team members; employees feel like they are a part of the process of the business, the more results and retention you are likely to have.
Make sure that each and every decision made at every level matches the overall vision, values and goals of the company. The moment someone strays – everyone strays. Keep the herd together.
Leaders must see the big picture. And I mean the big picture. Not only must leaders show their staff that they care about them, both personally and professionally, that same care must be taken for each client. The vision and values apply to everyone who does business with your company.

What other things come into play when balancing the needs of staff vs. clients?

(flickr photo via lumaxart)

The Passionate Leader

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:18:38 +0000

*This post is the final post in a seven part series on Energy Leadership.

You made it! Here we are, Energy Level 7, Absolute Passion. Leaders at this level operate with an absolute passion for their cause, for their tasks and for the people around them. As we’ve journeyed through the seven levels of energy or consciousness, you have learned that we each have an “average” energy level of all our thoughts and actions. All of our thoughts and feelings resonate at a certain level, and at the end of the day, or week and on, they average out at a certain level.

This “average” as it were determines your energetic makeup, your viewpoint of the world, your physical and mental health, your ability to lead, and the level of your personal and professional success.

If you need to, take a moment to review the other six energy levels.
1. Who’s the Victim?
2. Let’s Take The “Crisis” Out of “Crisis Communications:” Why is Everything A Fight?
3. But Hey He Didn’t Know Any Better
4. The Compassionate Leader: My Door is Always Open
5. Opportunity Is Knocking, When You Choose To See It That Way
6. The Intuitive Leader, Energy Level 6

I’ve never personally met him, but on the surface, it appears Steve Jobs could be the most public leader operating at this level. Have you watched him present about his biggest products? The attitude of Apple is that they can create beautiful products that will change the course of the world. It began with the iPod, then the Nano, and now the iPad. Their fans are loyal. Their employees are passionate, but mostly empowered.

The attitude on campus is that no idea is a bad one. Just like at Google. They incorporate a very open style of communication in addition to creating an aura of unlimited creativity within their staff. It comes from the top.

These leaders are non-judgmental and they manifest and spread positive energy. Their focus is on creation. They experience absolute passion.

What if all companies had leaders like this?

Interview with Johna Burke

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:59:26 +0000

I was recently interviewed by Johna Burke, (of BurrellesLuce) for the 2010 PRSA Counselor’s Academy.