Early Bird Special Reminder!

Before more of January passes by, I just wanted to send you a friendly reminder that the “Early Bird Special” for the Spring 2016 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable is set to expire on Friday, January 29.

If you sign up between now and 1/29/16, the price will be $ 275.00 for the two days and $ 175.00 for a single day. Here is the link to the registration form:

http://www.chartyourpath.com/pdf/2016-From-Vision-To-Action-Exec-Roundtable-Regist.pdf

Please write “early bird special” on it when you send it to me by mail or fax (# 319 - 643 - 2185).

After 1/29/16, the registration price will be $ 295.00 for the two days and $ 195.00 for a single day.

Here is the agenda for your review:

Wednesday, April 6, 2015

-  8:30 am - Registration & Visiting Time

- 9:00 am - 10:15 am - How do leaders successfully scale up for growth?

- 10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break

- 10:30 am - 12:00 pm - How do leaders consolidate initial improvements and continue to produce more change?

- 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Lunch and Networking 

- 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm - How do leaders increase effective collaboration?

- 2:45 pm - 3:00 pm - Break

- 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm - How do leaders improve the cascading of key information?

- 4:30 pm - Adjourn

Thursday, April 7, 2016

- 9:00 am - 10:15 am - How do leaders prioritize?

- 10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break 

- 10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Integration and Application

-12:00 pm - Adjourn

Recommended Reading: Sutton. Robert I and Huggy Rao. Scaling Up Excellence: Getting To More Without Settling For Less, Crown Business, 2014.

Location: Courtyard by Marriott in Ankeny, Iowa

Hope you can come!

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Do Not Send Mixed Messages

When it comes to getting things done in many organizations, more is said than done. Some people can talk a good talk, but many do not walk the talk. It is this discrepancy that can cause many of the problems that surface during transformation.

Many years ago, I remember an executive who invited me to speak to his entire staff one morning at dawn. "A breakfast seminar for champions, " he called this training opportunity, and I was delighted to participate.

With the sun barely over the horizon, we gathered, and I began. During my presentation, I was impressed with the focus and attention of those gathered. But over the course of the morning, I couldn't help but notice that they seemed to be very reserved, rather than fully participating in it. They were courteous, but cautious.

Afterwards, members of the management team approached me and asked if I had a few minutes to visit with them before going up to meet with the CEO. Not pressured for time, I agreed to sit down for a 10 to 15 minute  visit. Together we walked down the nicely carpeted hallways to the executive wing and into the boardroom, a room that was dominated by a table in the shape of a "T".

"This is where we meet as a team to discuss change and leadership," said the vice-president. "We sit down here as a group, and he sits at the top of the 'T' with a table all to himself. Change is great, but it begins at the top. He thinks he walks the talk, but this T-shaped table sends a different message. If we are going to work together as a team, we all need to sit at the same table with the same kind of space. It's that simple." We visited for a while, and then I went on to the CEO's office.

As part of my conversation with the CEO, I mentioned the table issue. "Huh! I guess I never thought about it," he replied. “But when I look at it from their angle, they are absolutely right. What a crazy mixed-up message I’ve been sending! I’ve been talking about commitment, mission, and values -- but the table says authority, control, and command. That table doesn’t need to be moved, it needs to be removed.'"

Weeks later, I learned that the management team had initiated a progressive and successful movement to a new level of growth. Removing the table had become a catalyst for aligning commitments and reality in a new way.

Remember: Walking the talk means not sending mixed messages about what is most important.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

The Power Of The Chair

When visiting with senior executives, we often talk about the “power of the chair.” Many recognize, using a line from the Spider Man movie, that “with great power comes great responsibility.” They know they need to use this power in a very thoughtful manner.

However, recently the discussion about the power of the chair has turned to the burden of confidentiality that comes with being a senior leader. Routinely, senior  leaders know more about what is going on than they can say. Furthermore, they often can not visit about it with any one at work. As these issues surface, e.g. the potential impact of a reorganization, leaders often sit in a room and know who is being coached out, who is being coached up, and who will loose their job due to the reorganization. They recognize that as a leader these choices need to be made. They also know they are not easy.

Recently, many executives have come to realize that having the power of the chair means that they can not choose popularity over accountability or harmony over productive conflict. These two key concepts from Patrick Lencioni’s book,  The Five Temptations of a CEO: A Leadership Fable are critical to their success. They realize that the solution to the burden of confidentially and the wise use of power is to build a very healthy senior team, to find allies and confidents who can listen in a respectful manner, and to always think about the impact of their actions as leaders before moving forward.

At the same time, if we seek personal excellence in our work as leaders, we must continue to rekindle our passion for the work we do. Twice in my life, I have hit the proverbial wall and asked the question, “Is this it?” Once right after leaving my first job as a teacher, I returned to the trades. Over a lunch discussion with co-workers who told stories about the crazy things they did when they were drunk, I asked myself, “Is this it?” 

Once in my 40’s when my business was in a boom period and I was flying and teaching all over the place, I realized that I was never home. I also discovered that when I was home I was mentally still at work. Then, I realized that when I die, all my clients will come to my funeral. They will say nice things about my work, but I wondered what my wife and children would actually say. At times like that, I paused and asked myself, “Is this it?”

Then, in my 50’s this question changed as I changed. Rather than asking “is this it?”, I came to the realization that “this could be it.” I could keep doing this between now and when I retire. It would not be too bad. It was manageable and good enough, just more of the same. 

But with this realization, I kept thinking of Jim Collin’s book, Good to Great where he states, “Good is the enemy of great.” The pathway to leading from the place of personal excellence requires all of us to not accept “just good enough.” We have to reclaim our desire for greatness, passion and wanting to make a difference. We have to not settle into ruts of mediocrity and just roll with the issues. We need to realize that we are the program and the programmer. If we need to upgrade the program, we also need to upgrade the programmer.

One pathway to this level of work is to develop or expand our “circles of trust,”  a Parker Palmer term. With the burden of confidentiality, we need to surround ourselves with others who recognize that leading solo can yield anxiety and fear. We need people in our lives who know how to support without judgement. We also need to build more personal and professional relationships with people who comprehend that discernment happens best through dialogue and reflection. 

Next, we need to proactively build this level of trusting and supportive community so that the front of the house, our work, and the back of the house, our personal lives, are the same house. And if we have this already in place, then we need to proactively maintain it. Too many leaders are now watching their circles of trust decline through neglect.

Remember: people, boards and organizations all want great leadership. We, as those leaders, must lead with good hearts and a clear mind if it is going to happen.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

A Brave New World

Many leaders right now know that their organization needs to get better. They also know they need to get better. Effort and desire are not the problem. Time may be limited in some circumstances, but the depth of clarity that change needs to take place is still present. The challenge is that they do not know how to start.

Back in the 90’s, I recognized this situation and designed a one year leadership training program to give people in leadership positions the tools and the mindset to transform themselves and their organization. Through a challenging, interactive curriculum which blends lectures, selected readings, small and large group discussions, and how to skill-building exercises, participants in this four part leadership training learn where to start and how to sustain the change they wish to make.

After teaching this course for nearly two decades to hundreds upon hundreds of people in leadership positions across the country, I am more convinced than ever that with a good beginning and a clear understanding of what is normal in personal and organizational change, leaders can change themselves and their companies. This is good work and hard work which requires disciplined thought and disciplined action. But it also is worth while work because at the end of the day, I have learned that people want to make a difference, want to do good work, and want to participate in making this happen within the context of a team or work place community.

For those of you who aspire to transforming yourself and your organization, I invite you to join the 2016 From Vision to Action Leadership Training. For more information,, then please click on the following link: http://www.chartyourpath.com/VTA-Leadership-Training.html 

Or you can click on the this link for the registration form:http://www.chartyourpath.com/pdf/2016-From-Vision-To-Action-Leadership-Training-Regist.pdf

There is a brave new world out there for those who seek to make their organization better. Learning how to do it effectively is the first step in the journey to success. 

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Burning Brightly

I learned an important lesson one evening at a small Midwestern hospital many years ago. I was invited to present a stress-management seminar to a heart-attack support group. As usual, I arrived 30 minutes early to set up. When I walked into the room, the group was already waiting there.

"Am I late?" I asked.

"No, we are early," said an older gentleman. He continued, “Is this going to be one of those stress-management seminars that teaches you to take a deep breath and visualize? Well, we don't want that junk. To get into this group, you must have experienced the paddles being put on you. They nearly lost me three times -- once at home just before the paramedics arrived, once in the ambulance, and once in the E.R.

"Dying is easy: light switch on -- light switch off. It's that simple. I don't want to learn about how to prevent burnout. That's lights-off stuff. I want to know about how to burn brightly. Are you going to talk about that tonight? If so, I’ll stay. If not, I’ve got better things to do this evening."

I pushed my notes aside, formed the chairs into a circle, and shared what I knew about the importance of recreating one's life. I listened to their insights, as we discussed how true change is about wholeness, not parts. We talked about not rearranging our lives as much as establishing new ways of living and working. 

Remember: Burning brightly rather than burning out begins when we rejuvenate ourself on a regular basis.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

2016 Spring Roundtable - Early Bird Special!

With the New Year celebrations in the history books, now is time for us to turn our attention to the Spring 2016 Roundtable! 

On April 6 - 7, 2016, we will gather at the Courtyard by Marriott in Ankeny, Iowa for the Spring 2016 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable. Here is the agenda for your review:

Wednesday, April 6, 2015

-  8:30 am - Registration & Visiting Time

- 9:00 am - 10:15 am - How do leaders successfully scale up for growth?

- 10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break

- 10:30 am - 12:00 pm - How do leaders consolidate initial improvements and continue to produce more change?

- 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Lunch and Networking 

- 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm - How do leaders increase effective collaboration?

- 2:45 pm - 3:00 pm - Break

- 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm - How do leaders improve the cascading of key information?

- 4:30 pm - Adjourn

Thursday, April 7, 2016

- 9:00 am - 10:15 am - How do leaders prioritize?

- 10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break 

- 10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Integration and Application

-12:00 pm - Adjourn

Recommended Reading: Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao. Scaling Up Excellence: Getting To More Without Settling For Less, Crown Business, 2014.

Starting today through Friday, January 29, I am offering an “early bird” registration price for the Spring 2016 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable.

If you sign up during this time period, and submit payment before 1/29/16, the price will be $ 275.00 for the two days and $ 175.00 for a single day. Here is the link to the registration form:

http://www.chartyourpath.com/pdf/2016-From-Vision-To-Action-Exec-Roundtable-Regist.pdf

 Please write “early bird special” on it when you send it to me by mail or fax (# 319 - 643 - 2185).

After 1/29/16, the registration price will be $ 295.00 for the two days and $ 195.00 for a single day.

I hope you will reserve April 6 - 7 on your calendar, and e-mail me today about whether or not you and your team are coming. Then, in the spring when the first daffodils are just starting to bloom, all we will need to do is meet at the Spring 2016 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable.

Thinking ahead and looking forward to seeing you in April!

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Reclaim Vision

“I am worn out, " he said as we sat down together for a breakfast consultation on a hot and humid summer morning. “We have expanded the size and scope of our organization 10-fold. But even after a week of vacation, I am neither rejuvenated nor rested. I have job security as one of the top executives and a great salary. I love my wife, and we have beautiful children who are grown, married, and are bringing wonderful grandchildren into the world.

However, I realize I'm losing perspective. I’ve even started chewing people out at work. While I sense I am called to this work -- that I am here to do something significant -- I'm feeling overwhelmed. And I know I am not doing the job as well as I should be."

It was a long and personal breakfast meeting. I challenged him to live what he knew to be true.

"Do you mean I have to recover my own vision?"

"Yes, " I replied. "Your challenges are the seeds for great achievements if you are willing to preserve the core of who you are and what you believe in. Now is not the time to compromise your values."

In order to persevere in the midst of great challenges, courage, hope, and personal vision must be recovered -- for they are vital ingredients in coping effectively with change. They fortify one's ability to move ahead with clarity. They invigorate a "can do" mentality. At the same time, courage, hope, and vision are not easily found, unless we are willing to let go of unproductive and self-defeating habits.

I was sitting in another executive's office a few months later, discussing current problems in his company, when he shared with me about some of the serious physical and stress-related symptoms he had been experiencing. “I am the CEO of this corporation," he exclaimed, "and I know that if I don't make some changes, I’ll be dead before I'm fifty. This job is killing me.

"Two months ago, I began having problems with double vision, and then one day my chest tightened up and I passed out. In the emergency room at the hospital, the nurse asked me if I had been under a lot of stress. I told her I had been, but since the situation would not be changing any time soon, I told her that I just need to get me back on my feet so I can get on with the day.

"Two weeks ago, I realized I could care less about half the stuff I was doing. I talked about this with an older mentor of mine, and he suggested I consider changing jobs - maybe even look at a career change. It was then that I realized I really am afraid to look at my life. This is all I have ever done, and I just don't know where I would go from here."

Many people in organizations are caught in a pattern of “P.0.W ism." They expect themselves and others to be perfectionists, overachievers, and workaholics. Sometimes, when swamped by team projects, committee meetings, and paperwork, we even act as if we are human "doings" ‚ instead of human beings. 

In the long run, a P.O.W. approach to work and life will only yield cynicism, stress, and burnout. John O'Neil, in his book, The Paradox of Success, reminds us that many people are winning at work and losing at life. Transforming a challenge into an achievement, by its very nature, asks us to extend our boundaries.

Functioning outside our comfort zone is not always easy, and maintaining perspective can be difficult at times. Start this process by asking yourself an important question: 

What is the one thing I am not doing today that would make my life more meaningful if l did it on a regular basis? 

Let your answer be the foundation for rebuilding your personal vision for the future.

Remember: The success of any change cycle is determined not only by what we do, but who we are.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257