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Oya's Newsletter: "Roots & Wings"
December 2005: Volume 2, Issue 10.
Newsletter
Archive
Written &
Published by Philippa Kennealy, MD, MPH, CPCC
Contents
Working "On Purpose": How to Turn 2006 into Your
Most Successful Year Yet!
Oya News
Recommended
Reading
for Clients on the Move Welcome
Note
Welcome
to our new "Roots and Wings" readers. And thank you to those who have shared this resource with
your colleagues, friends and family.
In the spirit of
the season, I would like to wish all of you - my
readers - the gifts of relaxation, good company,
affection and inspired reflection for the
holidays. And I wish you a 2006 filled with
abundance, engagement and good health.
Working "On Purpose": How to Turn 2006 into Your
Most Successful Year Yet!
Who doesn't
long to work in a job that actually engages us?
That permits us to believe we can
make a difference to someone or something?
It seems to be a
human "thing" - we thrive when our work is
meaningful, and we disengage when we or our work
no longer seems to matter.
Here is a simple
but powerful process for discovering how to work
"on purpose", with the intention of
making 2006 a successful year for you and the
others you lead or work with.
-
Look ahead to
next year and anticipate your 5 greatest
challenges. For example, "building up
battered departmental morale."
-
Write down
each challenge in as much detail as
possible.
"The challenge is to recover a sense of
camaraderie and trust, to accomplish our
goals with ease, and to have more fun as a
group".
Leave space to write more under each
challenge listed.
-
Now imagine it
is December 2006, and you are in a
reflective mood, looking back over the
successes of the prior year.
-
Below each
challenge you have listed, write down
exactly what you accomplished with
regard to that challenge, and all the
ways in which you obtained
success.
Using the above example of a challenge that
was overcome:
Outcome at the end of 2006 = There is a
strong sense of caring for each other in the
department, we are clear about how our work
as individuals and as a team contributes to
the department and the company, we feel
energetic about about our goals for next
year, we had a fantastic, fun holiday party
this year and, on balance, I am thriving in
my leadership role.
We accomplished these results by:
(a) surveying everyone in the department to
get anonymous feedback on what was and
wasn't working for the employees
(b) including in the survey a method to
clarify the individual values and their
perceptions of the department's values, to
look for "gaps" that need addressing
(c) by me, as the leader, meeting with
everyone individually, and as a group, to
talk about the survey findings and to
jointly develop a plan for responding to
employee concerns and requests
(c) by me speaking to a vision and a set of
key values for our department and to
our role in the overall organization
(d) by me setting much clearer expectations
and holding people accountable to the
agreed-upon departmental vision and values
(e) by creating the "Booster Team" tasked
with engaging everyone in on-going
team-building activities that included
opportunities for social interaction.
By going through
these steps for each of the five challenges, you
will create a vision of what you plan to
accomplish, you will establish your personal
work-related goals for the next year, and
you will define a sense of purpose that
enriches even those days when nothing seems to
go right!
Oya
News
As
I wind down this year, I am deeply grateful for
the opportunity I have had to work with many
clients, as a coach and as a presenter. The
diversity of their challenges and passionate
goals has kept me both stimulated and humbled!
It
has been my privilege to witness the
growth and transformation of so many wonderful
people. It is indeed the greatest reward I
derive from my work.
Imagine using your key talents, doing
work and living a life that you love, and
getting paid for it! If you are
looking ahead and anticipating a New Year
that excites, beckons and dares you,
contact
me,
for a complimentary 40-minute coaching
consultation.
An article in The
Harvard Business Review of December 2005 caught
my eye, as it addressed an issue that has come
up in the past for clients of mine. How can
they be themselves and be politically astute as
well?
Entitled
"Managing Authenticity: The Paradox of Great
Leadership", the article explores the
apparent clash between the requirement that
leaders (or anyone, for that matter!) present
themselves as real and genuine, while shaping
how they present these "real" selves to
accommodate a variety of situations and people.
In other words,
how to be an "authentic chameleon" - same shape,
same beating heart underneath the different hues
it has to take on to match the background?
At the heart of
this apparent paradox is the recognition that
authenticity is not an innate quality in us. It
is something that is perceived by others,
and attributed to us.
The authors, Rob
Goffee and Gareth Jones, make the point that, as
humans, we are a collection of personality
traits, and that good leaders are able to select
from amongst their traits to reveal those that
they judge to be the most appropriate for the
situation.
The first step to
establishing your authenticity as a leader is to
walk your talk - make sure that your
words and deeds match.
The second key
step is to enable people to relate to you.
This means that you may have to present
different parts of yourself to different people
in different situations. Herein lies the skill
of knowing yourself (what are all your
traits, beliefs, quirks, etc.?) and
others (what do others need or want from you at
this moment?). That is at the heart of having
high emotional intelligence - a subject that is
dear to my heart and my work! Knowing yourself
and others well then permits you select which of
your "true selves" is best suited to the
occasion.
The authors
conclude by saying: "Great leaders understand
that their reputation for authenticity needs to
be painstakingly earned and carefully managed."
I suspect this is true for great politicians
as well!
Please
forward this newsletter to a client, friend,
relative or acquaintance that might enjoy
reading it.
Philippa Kennealy MD MPH CPCC
The Vision Realization Process™
President, Oya Consulting
Dr. Philippa Kennealy is an Executive and
Professional Coach and Professional Speaker, dedicated to your professional
and personal success and fulfillment. To
schedule an initial FR*EE consultation, to learn
more, or to inquire about having her speak to
your group or organization, contact her at:
pkennealy@oyaconsulting.com or
click here.
SHARE THE WEALTH
If you enjoy this newsletter and want others to
benefit, please forward this copy to family,
friends or colleagues. I truly appreciate your
loyalty and interest.
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