dream-builders-blog

Leadership / Frustration and Blame

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:17:46 +0100

Leadership/Frustration and Blame

Frustration is just part of being a business leader! Or is it?

"Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment.” - Dale Carnegie

You probably would not be surprised to know that many business leaders have experienced the same aggravations and anxieties that you have faced in your company. While the list can be varied, the front-runners on the list of annoyances for business leaders tend to be: people, time, and money. But just because frustrations are universal, there is no need to hang your head in defeat. There are things that you can do to control and often completely eliminate irritating situations from your workplace. Before you begin, keep in mind that you are not alone in your struggle to conquer these issues. Remember, in most aspects of life, we tend to perceive situations and their consequences as worse than they actually turn out.

Move forward by following these steps:

Be Objective. Stay objective and resist jumping to quick conclusions. Take this opportunity to remove blame from the equation entirely. Do this by refusing to assign blame to yourself or anyone else for the situation.
Look for the cause of the situation. When faced with a frustrating circumstance, use that objectivity to investigate what you are truly dealing with in that situation. Make sure you are focused on the cause of the issue and not a symptom of what is happening.
Identify what is missing from how you deal with an issue that allows it to continue. Keep in mind, it isn’t about assigning blame. It is no one’s fault. There is just a missing piece to the puzzle that allows this result happen. What is needed in this situation? Better instructions? More follow up? A way of tracking the results? Find what is missing and you are ready to start fixing it.
Consider your options. What alternatives do you have for handling these circumstances in the future? What questions do you have about those options? What resources do you need to build the discovered solutions? Who needs to be involved? Be thorough and creative exploring your options.
Implement the solution. Clearly communicate the details and steps included in the designed resolution to those involved and impacted by the issue. Get the others involved in both how to fix the problem and why it is important to fix it in the first place.
Follow up. After the new procedure or solution is in place, check in to ensure it is working properly. If your new efforts are not providing the relief and results as intended, do not hesitate to revisit steps 3 and 4 to explore other avenues to uncover what is missing and how to best gain the desired result.

Why is it important to eliminate certain frustrations and blame from your organization?

Leadership / Vision

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:16:47 +0100

Leadership/Vision

What would you say to building a “crystal ball” to see where your company and position are heading?

"The future you see is the future you get." - Robert G Allen

When you look into the future for your company, what do you see? Do you know what the business will be providing for you in five years…in three years…this year…? If so, congratulations! If not, you have some dreaming to do and we recommend you get started right away!

Your company and your position are the vehicles that will either give you more life…or drain the life from you, and you get to decide which it will be. So…which do you choose…more life - or less life? We know, it seems like a silly question. However, the majority of business leaders choose less life, and they choose it on a regular basis. Every day they choose to deal with the immediate concerns, they choose to do the work someone else could do, they choose to continue engaging in the same work habits that have kept them from moving forward, they choose to worry, stress and work to keep themselves and the business exactly where they were at yesterday. They usually make these choices simply because they have not clearly identified what they want to be different. They haven’t clearly identified what tomorrow looks like, let alone what next year looks like.

Without a clearly defined vision of the future, a business leader has nothing to change and no goal to move toward - no compelling reason to work differently today in order to get a different result tomorrow. If you have a written vision of the future, pull it out, knock the dust off and read it! Dwell in the future, understand what it looks like and become attached to making your written vision of the future a reality. When you are connected to what the future looks like you can plan your work in a way that ensures your vision will be a reality. Take that existing vision and find a way to keep it front and center, to share it with everyone around you and make it a part of the journey you are taking.

If you don’t yet have a written vision of the future, pull out your pencil and get to work. Describe your clients…what does your office look like… how many locations will you have…how many team members…how much revenue…what are the benchmarks you will hit? Write it all down. Remember it’s not just about the numbers! It’s about the experience; yours, your team, your community and your clients. Describe the experience your business will give your employees, the experience your employees will give to your clients and the impact your business will have on your community. Get clear on the type of leader you would like to be and define the life your family will have as a result of the business and career you are designing.

Set aside a minimum of one hour each week to read your written vision and identify the weekly goals that must be achieved to ensure you are progressing towards the future you choose to experience. Set aside at least 10 minutes each day to examine your progress and ensure you are focusing on the right work, the work that takes you into the future.

“The future you see is the future you get.” Describe it; plan for it, live it. Remember, it all starts with you and you vision. It is time to DREAM!

What does your vision for the future look like? What will you do to capture that vision on paper and begin using it to chart you course?

Exciting up-coming event!

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 04:36:11 +0100

Wednesday December 10^th we will be holding our Dream Builders Conference. We are excited about this up-coming event, with all that we have planned. Two guest speakers will be taking the stage to give their viewpoints on leadership. As well as add their experiences in what it takes to become a leader. All of us at Dream Builders Corp. feel that this will be a great experience for all of those involved. We will keep you posted on the outcomes of this conference and if you are interested in joining us at a future event please contact us.

Welcome to Dream Builders

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:48:53 +0100

Welcome to the Dream Builders Blog. We are please to bring to you this service so that leaders can come together, and discuss their success and failure in their Leadership styles.