Advice on your 360

I asked the Administrator group, after they had some time to go over their 360 results, what they thought would be helpful for you to know.  Here are two items from them to you...

1. Definately keep an open mind when reviewing your 360's. Initially, I had a different view of my assessments. I sat down alone and in a quiet area and went over them again. I understand now the importance of the feedback. It actually turned out to be a wonderful tool for learning.
2. It is important to ask questions regarding their results.
   
   For instance, I sat down with my Boss and went over how she saw me. It was enlightening to see her thought process. It was also quite helpful especially when looking at my professional development now and into the future.

If you aren't a little excited and nervous about this then you are not engaged enough.  I am looking forward to our session next week.

Charisma: Seven Keys to Developing the Magnetism that Leads to Success

Has anyone heard of and/or read this book by Tony Alessandra, Ph.D.? It looks like the book has received some fairly good reviews, but wanted to know if any of you read this.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446675989?ie=UTF8&tag=pfco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0446675989

Moving from "know how" to "do now"

On page 163 of _Everyone Communicates, Few Connect_, Maxwell discusses the communication style of his inherited COO who was a career navy man. His COO subscribed to the armed services perspective on communication:

1^st Draft: A word to the wise is sufficient

2^nd Draft: A word to the wise may be sufficient.

3^rd Draft: It is believed that a word to the wise may be sufficient

…

5^th Draft: Indications are that is believed by some that a word to the wise may be sufficient under some conditions…

I often fall into this trap in my writing.

The elusive skill of really listening

Reading chapter 6 on Common Ground I came across this line and I loved it.  Page 133, "Listening requires giving up our favorite human pastime-involvement in ourelves and our own self-interest."  I think it is really hard to suspend your agenda, your thoughts, your response and sit and listen to what someone is saying.  It's partly the way our brains work, because our ability to process language is so much higher than what a typical person can speak.  So the brain gets bored and begins to multi-task.  And then you begin to listen but not so you can understand.  By now you are listening for the gap in the conversation, so you can respond.  It's no wonder that there are so many miscommunications and incorrect translations.  Add in your experience and expertise and it's harder still not to want to talk.  It takes a vigilant effort to keep this in check.  But is so critical.  If you can think of a time when you really felt someone was listening to you.  How did it make you feel?  I think this is the simplest (not easiest) most underrated way to connect with people.  Your thoughts?

Becoming a Connecting Communicator is a Process

Chapter 6 of Maxwell's book was a relief. I love the chapter title: "Connecting is more skill than natural talent". What a relief. In particular, I have a tendency to confuse writing and speaking.

I have had to give two big presentations to the Provost and Deans in the last few months. I found that my first few drafts of the presentations were dry, boring, and overly dependent on details. It took me a lot of practice (and some key feedback in practice) to pare them down to just what was necessary and even to add a little humor (not exactly my forte).

One of the things I plan on studying over the next few months are the skills that make great speakers great. In particular, the use of storytelling and anecdotes to illustrate key points.

4 Components of Connection (p.53)

As I read these four components (connect with people visually, intellectually, emotionally and verbally) I find myself thinking about the concept of credibility.   I came across an article on leadership credibilty and it said that the key ingredient to great leaders is what they called your confidence base.  It's that thing that you are great at.  Sometimes other people recognize this before we ourselves do.  The theory was that confidence base is what gains you credibility and how you transfer that confidence base to make others better or make the organization better is where leadership credibility happens.  It's not just technical competence but it is how you use that technical competenece that matters as well.  You must have both.

So what is your confidence base?

The article provided an example that Bill Gates confidence base was as a programmer.  He was an amazing programmer and he relied on that skill to attract the worlds best programmers and that is how Microsoft took off.

Zodiak Action Plan Update Thread

I'm starting this thread to track all posts related to what you have done with your Zodiak action plan.  Remember, the key is to apply it!  Do something and let us know how it went by posting a comment under this post.  Then we all learn!  I look forward to seeing what we get.