In this issue…

• No Shoulds
• Are People Real for You?
• Armstrong Results Forum

Join our Mailing List

Armstrong Results

It seems obvious that people start from where they are …right? Then how come so many people waste endless time, energy, and resources starting from where they aren’t?

Whenever you think you should be further along a project, that someone else should be providing more support, that you shouldn’t have to deal with the current economic situation, you are not starting from where you are – you are arguing with reality.

When you play soccer, you kick the ball from where it is, not from where you think it should be or would like it to be. The idea of kicking at empty air, 10 metres to the right of the ball, is ridiculous. Yet often we do just that in business. When you are side tracked by your well thought out plans, thinking things should be other than they are, or wondering what would have happened if only you had done something different, you are kicking at air.

As Lorne points out in his article, No Shoulds, arguing with reality only creates frustration. The real power is in starting from where you are and taking the appropriate action to move things forward in the direction you intend.

It is far more interesting to line up with reality, figure out how best to kick that ball and do just that!

Enjoy!

Lorne Armstrong & Kris Bury

No Shoulds
by Lorne Armstrong

Stop shoulding on yourself! And while you’re at it, stop shoulding on others. I am amazed at how many people believe that it is important for them to hold on to a should. A manager says, “We shouldn’t be in the mess we’re in.” An executive says, “We should be making more progress.” A supervisor says, “They should be providing better service to us.”

When you think something should be different than the way it is, it inevitably leads to frustration because it is an argument with reality. And reality isn’t paying attention to what you think should be happening. Your intentions and actions will have some influence on reality but frustration is the result of getting stuck in how you think it should be. The real power here is in seeing and acknowledging how things really are.

I’m not suggesting that you must be satisfied (or dissatisfied) with the way things are – the integrity underlying your frustration is your desire to make a difference to the way things are. Acknowledgement of “it is” is not the same as “I am willing to let things be as they are”. Whenever you are bringing your leadership to a situation you are intending a difference. It’s just that telling the truth about reality is a powerful starting point for causing the difference you intend. When you think things should already be different, you are arguing with the reality of the starting point. When you argue with reality the frustration grows exponentially and undermines everything you are intending to accomplish. You become part of the problem; not part of accomplishing what’s called for.

Should is not the same as an intention that leads to productive action. You may have an intention that things operate more smoothly than they are currently running. You may intend to accelerate the rate of progress on an important initiative; there may be some service standards that are not being met. Nothing about that however, says that they should already be any different than the way they are.

The impossible, and hidden, timing of already is the evil, nasty, suppressive, undermining part of entertaining the idea that your view trumps reality and therefore there is something wrong with reality. The truth is that things are the way they are; you are where you are, and you are either taking the action required to have the desired effect or you aren’t. Reality will tell you the truth about that.

It is important to note that I’m not saying that a fight with reality is wrong; or that you shouldn’t be arguing with reality. You are welcome to argue with reality. Just be satisfied with what that produces – not much beyond frustration. If on the other hand, you are willing to trust that reality will give you an accurate read out of what has and has not been accomplished so far – and then use that to inform what capability you might develop and what to try next – you will get something other than mere frustration. The choice is yours.

Some people still want to argue, “But, I have taken sufficient action to accomplish what was intended.” (With “they should be different” or “it should be different” in the background.) This is pure fantasy; this is the argument with reality. The action you have taken so far, in the current circumstances and with other people’s intentions and action, has led to the results you are seeing. No more; no less. Want different results? Figure out what that would take; develop your competence to a new level and know that life will give you an accurate read out.

Full Article...

Are People Real for You?

Do you consider people to be the position they are in, their experience, their personality or do you consider them to be their fundamental strengths and gifts? How you consider people has a direct impact on how much room they have to contribute to your organization.

Are your engineers the same; your salespeople? Or does one engineer have a way of seeing the big picture and how all the pieces fit together while another is good at building relationships with clients? If you pay attention and listen for a person’s innate gifts, you will develop deep appreciation and trust for who they really are.

Again, this is about reality. Be real about the people around you. Develop people to contribute the strengths they do have and they will grow. Nurturing a tree to be a spectacular tree makes sense. Nurturing a tree to become a flower doesn’t. Why try to develop a person to be what they are not when you could develop them to be even more powerful as they are. Do that and watch them and your organization flourish!

If you are interested in developing your gifts – or the gifts of the people around you, please call us.

For more information...

Armstrong Results Forum

Once again, we are pleased that Harvard Business Review will be publishing a letter in their June issue that Lorne and Gail Cantor wrote to the editor in response to “Moon Shots for Management”¹.

Following is Lorne and Gail’s article:

“In his analysis of management’s grand challenges, Hamel poses some provocative “how” questions: How do you create organizations that are resilient and adaptable? How do you inspire employees to bring their gifts to work every day? How do you encourage executives to fulfill their responsibilities to all stakeholders? He also highlights one of the most important underlying issues: that the technology of management frequently drains organizations of the very qualities they aspire to achieve.

Yet Hamel’s proposed remedies – such as reinventing strategy, eliminating the pathologies of formal hierarchy, and retooling management – also have a distinct technological bent. His moon shots all depend on people changing the way they view themselves, their responsibilities, and others – and he offers no hint on how to accomplish this.

We believe the key is to embrace a fundamental shift in orientation. Operating under the assumption that each person acts separately, as an individual, lays the groundwork for a dynamic of opposition – against other ideas, people, even departments in one’s own organization. Authentic collaboration, a critical agent of change, simply can’t thrive in such an environment. The real rocket fuel for Hamel’s moon shots consists of learning not to take things personally, giving up the right to be offended, and developing our innate talents and strengths.”

If you have any questions or issues you would like us to address in upcoming newsletters, please let us know.

Please email us at ideas@ArmstrongResults.com.

For more information…

1 Hamel, Gary. Moons Shots for Management. Harvard Business Review, February 2009, Boston, MA. pp. 91-98.

     Areas of Focus

• Identify the REAL Issue
• Develop Leadership
• Accelerate Accomplishment
• Embed Powerful Communication

About Us

Armstrong Consulting Group works with senior leaders and teams to develop people and build performance in their organization.

Please give us a call if you are interested in...

• Getting real about your starting place and seeing what is up next to be accomplished for yourself, your team and your organization
• Recognizing the unique strengths and gifts of people and developing them to become even more powerful
• Building authentic collaboration in your organization.

We hope you have enjoyed this issue of our newsletter!

Lorne Armstrong & Kris Bury

email: kris@armstrongresults.com
phone: 403-609-4622
web: www.armstrongresults.com