Leadership Simplified: Doug Van Dyke

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Perseverance and Winning

In April of this year, a relatively unknown 22-year old named Rory Mcllroy was positioned to win the Masters Golf Tournament. On the verge of victory in one of sports premiere events, he choked and finished 15th. While still a respectable finish, he had history in his pocket for a time.

 

Fast-forward to this past weekend. Merely two months after his collapse at the Masters, Mcllroy burned up a tough U.S. Open course and scorched the field, leaving them behind by eight stokes. In the process he won one of golf’s major tournaments and set a new U.S. Open scoring record. He also showed incredible perseverance as he remained confident regarding his skills and potential.

 

So what lesson does this story hold for leaders? Simple: stay the course! In other words, if you or your business suffers a setback or two, take stock of your strengths. Focus on what you can control – your outlook and behaviors. Do not let negative head trash drive you and your team. Rather, pragmatically look at the positives and get back on your game. Oh, and win!

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-06-22 at 06:48 AM
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Visualize Sales and Leadership Success

Hall of Fame running back Roger Craig engaged in a visualization session prior to every football game in which he played. He would close his eyes and intently picture each play in which he could play a part. And while he ran through each play in his mind, he visualized himself scoring a touchdown. Now, I don’t know how many of you know who Roger Craig is, but let me say this: He played on several world championship teams, and scored many, many touchdowns. In other words, he was something special. So are you. As such, seek to continually raise the bar. Perhaps visualization could provide that extra edge you need going into an important meeting, presentation, or sales call. It only takes a moment to take a deep breath, put yourself in the moment, and to visualize a successful encounter. Trust me, most high-performing professionals use visualization - no matter what sport or industry in which they are engaged.

 

Roger Craig was very intentional about his visualization “ritual.” It was a big part of his personal winning formula. Perhaps visualization holds the promise to be part of your winning formula as well.

 

Bottom Line: Whether you are a leader or a sales professional, get visual. Prior to engaging in an important meeting make certain that your head is in the right place. Allow yourself a moment or two to visualize success. Put the future into the present when you visualize. In doing so, you ensure success today, as well as tomorrow.

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-06-09 at 07:52 AM
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Peer 360 Reviews

A terrific performance feedback tool is a Peer 360 Review. During the process of the Peer 360 Review closed-ended and open-ended information is gathered from the subject of the review, their peers, their superiors, and their direct reports (if they have direct reports). The Peer Review process can be used in a variety of situations: Prior to engaging in a coaching and development program; if the team member desires to raise the bar; if there are issues stirring in the workplace; or simply as part of the annual review process.

 

For more information about the details and nuances of the Peer 360 Review process contact Leadership Simplified today! 

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-05-29 at 09:45 AM
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Leadership is about Serving, Not Being Served

During a recent meeting, Chuck Bengochea, the CEO of The Honey Baked Ham Company made a very interesting comment. He said: “Your core values are your corporate DNA.” In other words, your company core values should be imprinted on everything from your processes to your product. Chuck went on to share one of his company’s core values: “Leave the company and the brand better today than it was yesterday.” This comment challenges leaders to be stewards of their company’s brand – I like that. As the meeting came to a close Chuck shared one last pearl of wisdom: “Leadership is about serving, not being served.” This comment ties directly to the concept of servant leadership, whereby we as leaders honor our team members by serving their needs and growth potential.

 

What are your core values or thoughts about leadership style? 

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-05-27 at 08:53 AM
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Out of Town Meeting? 3 Things to Keep in Mind

You are heading out of town for a big meeting. Maybe it is with customers or prospects, or perhaps it an internal company meeting. Nevertheless, there are at least three areas that you should think strategically about prior to your departure.   

  1. Agenda – If at all possible, YOU should create the agenda. Seek to craft a time-sensitive agenda that meshes with the deliverables you are hoping to achieve during your meeting(s). In addition, be aggressive with regard to insisting that key decision-makers and influencers attend appropriate meetings. Nothing wastes more time than traveling a great distance, only to meet with lackeys who will “convey” your message to the right people (and, more than likely, misinterpret your message it in the process).   

 

  1. Attire – Dress similarly to what your hosts will wear. Keep in mind that one person’s “business casual” does not mirror another’s. For example, one client may interpret business casual as dress slacks, a button-down and a jacket, while another may view it as jeans and a nice shirt. Make certain you gain clarity on appropriate and accepted attire.

 

  1. Attitude – Even though you will be a guest, seek to embrace a host-mentality. Do not walk around like you own the place, but seek to make your customers, prospects, or colleagues comfortable with you, the agenda, and the desired results. In the process, you will become comfortable in a foreign place.

 

Let me know some other best practices that make your out of town meetings successful.

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-05-26 at 06:05 PM
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The Economy Has Turned the Corner (a good corner)

Yes, gas prices are sky high and our grocery bills a bit more than they were, but the economic outlook shows a general trend of growth. In fact, in a poll earlier this week of the top 45 economists in the U.S., there was virtual consensus that economic growth will be experienced this year. In addition, the employment outlook for 2012 looks downright strong. Are we fully out of the woods and into a nice, sunny economic clearing? Answer: not yet. We still have a plethora of thorns to avoid, not the least of which is the pesky national debt. My economic advice is two-fold:

  1. Think positively and control what you can control (i.e., be strategic about your business)
  2. Contact your local politicians (frequently) and remind them that we are one country, not two political parties.  
Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-04-26 at 07:54 AM
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Time Management - Chunking Your Day Plan

Time management is mission critical for busy professionals. In fact, time management is one of the most popular coaching and training topics we offer here at Leadership Simplified. But all time management is not created equal. Consider this: does the day plan of an entry level leader look similar to that of an executive vice president? Hopefully your answer was “no.” The frustration that many higher level leaders experience however, is that the tools that helped them to be successful as new and mid-level leaders do not quite fit the bill now that they are senior-level leaders. One example I offer is that of a day plan. What I mean by a day plan is a strategic map of how your day will be successful. If you are not day planning at all, we need to talk. Assuming that you prepare some sort of daily roadmap, it is time to look at it critically. Up to a certain point in our leadership careers we load our day plans with tasks and specifics – it is a beautiful thing that helps us execute better and mitigate items that fall through the cracks. As our responsibilities grow however, we need to adjust our time management paradigm. (Does anyone really know the definition of paradigm? Ah, I digress). The adjustment I recommend is called “chunking.” When chunking your day plan, think less in terms of specific items and actions, and more in terms of global accomplishment. For instance, a high-level leader I coach has over 70 initiatives on his plate. He is going nuts trying to keep his fingers on the pulse of an overwhelming amount of responsibility. So we worked up a plan for him to chunk his day. For example, he has a communication chunk; a delegation chunk; a coach-and-develop-team-members chunk; an empower-others chunk; and importantly, a keep-me-sane chunk. He finds that he can manage chunks better and easier. In the process, his team is more involved in implementation and, because he now stays out of the weeds, they are also receiving better communication and more of his guidance.

 

Bottom Line: No matter what your level of leadership think strategically about how you manage your time. Make certain that you have a system that feels right for you – and use your system religiously!

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-04-14 at 08:24 AM
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Low Morale Causing Workers to Look Elsewhere

USA Today recently reported about an annual MetLife Study, which highlighted that low morale is putting your valued employees at risk. According to the study, employee loyalty is at a three-year low. Yet, many employers do not have their fingers are the pulse of this potentially harmful situation. According to the study, employers believe team members are just as loyal as they were several years ago.

 

Ronald Leopold, vice president of MetLife's U.S. business was quoted by USA Today as saying: "Businesses are understandably focused on expenses, but they're taking their eye off the ball with human capital issues, notably what drives employee satisfaction and loyalty." The MetLife study stated that approximately one in three employees hope to find a new job within the year period. This is spurred by the combination of low morale, heavy workload, and a recovering economy. 

 

Losing valued employees and then having to replace them is an expensive proposition. When businesses factor in the cost of down-time, recruiting, and training associated with hiring new employees, it makes sense for employers to invest in executive coaching, management training, and workplace teambuilding that can build individual and team morale. The article concluded by stating that employees want to know that their boss and their organization care about their level of professional engagement, as well as them individually.

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-03-29 at 09:57 AM
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Collaboration Between the NFL and the Players Association?

The short answer to the title of this narrative is: “naw.” It is shocking, almost mind-numbing to me, that the NFL and the Players Association have not penned agreeable terms that will allow for the continuance of American football. It appears that greed lies at the heart of this matter, but the communication between the two organizations has been appalling. The sound bites and media articles on the subject frame leadership (on both sides) that is focused on “wants” and “will not’s.” I do not hear anything about what they are willing to provide to their partner, nor any sincere expectations they have of each other and themselves. Now I am not attempting to oversimplify their situation. Certainly their negotiations are complicated. But when attempting to reach an accord, one must at least begin with some commonsense communication and collaboration methods

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-03-21 at 06:55 AM
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Leadership In The Aftermath of the Japanese Earthquake

If we were to describe the most difficult leadership situation imaginable, it might read something like this: An enormous earthquake rocks a nation, then a nasty tsunami swamps sections of the country and cripples several nuclear reactors, and then radiation seeps into the atmosphere. Oh, and the general population, while being amazingly orderly, is in a bit of a panic. What to do, what to do? The recommended course of action for the leader would be to address the physical needs of the situation and then to communicate to the people and give them straight talk about the situation and your proposed actions. This recommended course of action, thankfully, is exactly what Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has executed. Bravo! In the face of a horrific disaster, the Japanese leadership is projecting a calm demeanor, while educating the populace about the tragedies that have occurred and the hazards and risks that lay ahead. 

 

My heart goes out to the Japanese people, as well as others impacted by this heart-wrenching earthquake/tsunami. My hat goes off to the intelligent, involved leaders guiding an Asian nation and its people through the fog of a tragedy.  

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-03-16 at 06:49 AM
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Leading In an Internet-Driven World

Ponder the Internet for a moment. Most of us enjoy or utilize the Internet quite a bit. We zip around credible and non-credible websites gleaning information and being entertained. Our Internet experiences are a crush of activity as we blast through electronic kudzu to mine nuggets of stuff we need or will use or do not need or will not use. Our focus and our attention ping-pongs from article to article, website to website, topic to topic. Our frenetic pace and zigzags of thought, however, are unfortunately a microcosm of how we live and lead in the workplace. In short, our Internet behavior mirrors our work-life behavior: fast and unfocused. Without realizing it, many leaders are no longer leading. Rather, they are caught up in the frenzy of the workplace as they attempt to multi-task and believe that it leads to greater productivity.

 

Here is my tip to leaders: Relax, take a breath, and focus. Realize that frenetic behavior leads to disconnected results. So think strategically about what you wish to accomplish. Attempt to be consistent in your leadership approach. Your calm and path-driven approach will have a delightful byproduct – a calm and path-driven team.       

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-02-28 at 08:29 AM
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Team Member Development

Nothing enhances teamwork quite like helping team members increase their skills. Building skills gives team members more tools with which to communicate and collaborate with other colleagues. In addition, enhanced skills not only foster collaboration within a team, but with related teams as well – this is a must for any matrix structured organization. Leadership training can be delivered by outside sources like the fine folks at Leadership Simplified, or it can come from internal sources such as selected, talented team members.

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-02-27 at 09:33 AM
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Improving Organizational Awareness

Whether you work in a large organization or small, the odds are good that you experience some level of office politics. Many people, even leaders, choose to ignore the political currents of work. Frankly, I am not a big fan of them myself. Bureaucracy, however, is a part of organizational life, thus need to be understood. In fact, possessing a level of organizational awareness is part of emotional intelligence. More on that in later blog posts.

 

So let’s shift gears and review five items to keep in mind while negotiating the web of organizational life.

  1. Understand the organizational agenda. In other words, seek to have clarity on the medium and long-term goals of the organization. If you are not clear – ask questions of leadership to ensure you know where the big bus is heading. If you are the leader, make certain your team is clear on where you are driving the organization.

 

  1. Balance needs. You have business goals that you want to accomplish – this is a good thing. Do not let your personal agenda, however, trump the organizational agenda. When your business goals are in conflict with the organizations goals, trouble will appear on the horizon.

 

  1. Fight the right battles. If you fight every battle that comes your way, you may have some level of satisfaction, but your internal colleagues will perceive you as combative. As such, reserve your confrontational energy for the battles that are most important to you and your team.

 

  1. Develop collaborative relationships. To the best of your ability, build workable relationships with your peers, direct reports, and superiors. The artful use of working agreements will greatly assist you with this endeavor. Remember: as your organization grows larger it becomes imperative that you build healthy collaborative relationships with as many people as possible.

 

  1. Agile communication. The leaders who are agile tend to anticipate what the future will bring. In this regard, seek to be anticipatory with your communication. If you are driving an initiative, make certain to keep key influencers apprised of your actions before they learn about them in a meeting or a report. Ask for the opinion of others and build a feeling of team involvement.    

 

In sum, think strategically about your organization. Understands its politics and objectives. In the process, grow your relationship base and focus on mutually-beneficial needs.

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-02-12 at 10:20 AM
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Perception of Leadership

Lots of change is going on out there. As a leader, you must not only embrace change but also drive it within your organization and the marketplace. Sometimes leaders have to change. The changes may occur as a result of broadening your mastery of leadership styles, or by making a concerted effort to change your reputation in the organization. Whatever the cause, if you want your changes to stick so that perceptions of you change, keep the following formula in mind: 

 

Change + Consistency  = Positive Perception

    Time

 

Effective professionals decide how they will be perceived in the workplace. And positive perception is driven by embracing change and exhibiting consistent behavior relative to that change over a prolonged period of time. To make this happen, leaders must be intentional with their actions and skillful with their leadership technique. 

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-02-11 at 08:25 AM
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The Happy Leader

The stresses and strains of work life often affect the demeanor of a leader. The most visible signs of workplace pressures manifest themselves in a leader’s body language. Leader’s frequently walk around with pained expressions or a scowl, yet it is not their intention to send negative signals to their team members. A recent study highlighted the productive benefits, and the health benefits, of being happy – or just in smiling! Leader’s who are perceived as happy help boost morale, increase production, and even lessen the amount of sick days taken by colleagues. Want an easy fix to workplace malaise? Smile. And be intentional about being happy and influencing others to be the same.

Posted by Doug Van Dyke on 2011-02-10 at 09:31 AM
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