Real Coaching Bloghttp://www.realcoaching.com/blog/en-US2010-03-10T17:43:09ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/)MindMap Book Summary-Executionhttp://www.realcoaching.com/blog/2009/1/16/mindmap-book-summary-execution.htmlCraig Kennedy2009-01-16T15:57:52ZBooks MindMapsDavid Allen's landmark book Getting Things Done (GTD) has enjoyed  bestseller status and a, let's say um.... devoted following since it's release. Allen has expanded on those concepts in his most recent offering, Making It All Work.

Allen's focus in both books is to enable individuals to capture, organize, manage and execute all of the priorities and commitments in their life, whether at work or at home. I personally have found his process invaluable over the 10-odd years I've been using it. (I was introduced to Allen's work in 1998 via a tape set he released several years prior to the release of the GTD book).

Also released in 2002 was a book entitled  "Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done" by Ram Charan and Larry Bossidy. While Allen's books centre around how individuals get things done, Bossidy and Charan's book tackle the question of how organizations can deliver on their strategy. A highly readable book and a valuable addition to any business leader's library. In the meantime I've attached a MindMap Summary of Execution below. Enjoy!

Interactive pdf Mindmap (Windows Only, Adobe reader 8 or above)

Standard pdf Mindmap

Mindmanager MindMap (requires Mindmanager)

]]>New Mind Map-What Got You Here Won’t Get You Therehttp://www.realcoaching.com/blog/2008/12/23/new-mind-map-what-got-you-here-wont-get-you-there.htmlCraig Kennedy2008-12-23T23:08:00ZBooks MindMapsIn 2007, Executive Coach and Leadership expert Marshall Goldsmith authored his bestselling "What Got You Here, Won't get you There. How Successful People Become Even More Successful."

A highly readable and entertaining book, What Got you Here describes how leaders can best handle "the paradox of success"-that the behavior that has enabled them to succeed can become their undoing. Specifically, Goldsmith cites 21 common "Bad Workplace Habits" that can undermine an executive's effectiveness and scuttle team and organization success.

In a prescriptive vein, Goldsmith also offers a seven-step method to enable executives to change their self-defeating behavior.

I've summarized the book as a mindmap, available below.

Interactive pdf format (requires Adobe Acrobat 8 or 9-Windows only)

Static pdf file (Acrobat v. 5-7, or Mac)

Mindmanager File (zip file)

]]>Rebounding from Failurehttp://www.realcoaching.com/blog/2008/3/5/rebounding-from-failure.htmlCraig Kennedy2008-03-05T21:19:38ZOne of my favorite bloggers Michael Hyatt on Turning Failure to your Advantage.

Anytime we attempt to do anything bold and significant we risk failure. Michael highlights five keys to ensure "failure" becomes a learning experience that launches us forward rather than an experience that debilitates us:

  1. Acknowledge the failure.
  2. Take full responsibility. 
  3. Mourn the failure.
  4. Learn from the experience.
  5. Change your behavior.

Pay Michael a visit to read more.

In a related post, Curt Rosengren writes that "you can't fail in an experiment".

"That's one of my big bugaboos, trying to be too good at things from the onset. I'm getting better with time, but it's good to have things like this to remind me that with anything new, my first task is to learn, and only then can I work on perfecting."

 

“Recovering from failure is often easier than building from success.”
- Michael D. Eisner

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
-Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931)

 

]]>The Value of Clear Contexthttp://www.realcoaching.com/blog/2007/11/30/the-value-of-clear-context.htmlCraig Kennedy2007-11-30T00:43:02ZAs a long time GTD practitioner, I have frequently been seduced by the siren song of the ultimate GTD software solution. I've used outliners, mindmaps, flat task lists, note taking software and paper-based systems. They all work for a while, but ultimately they loose their initial lustre and I end up going back to "basics". At the end of the day, I've come to realize that it is not so much the tool that falls short, but the fact that playing around with new software is far  sexier and more fun than simply cranking away at my task list.

For the past few years "the basics" for me primarily consists of Microsoft Outlook. I use it as my primary email client and to track appointments and tasks. Several years ago I came across an Outlook add-in called ClearContext which did a bang-up job of prioritizing and color-coding my email inbox. Version 1 of the software didn't do a lot, but what it did, it did well. Being able to pick out my high-priority emails, which appeared in red, significantly cut down my email processing time and ensured the most vital emails didn't fall through the cracks.

By the time Version 2 came along, the folks at ClearContext had added some nifty features which allowed my to quickly turn emails into tasks or appointments. All pretty cool, but these were features I already had  by using Netcentrics GTD add-in. I continued to upgrade through version 3 because I had become reliant on ClearContext's prioritization, but I ran it alongside the Netcentrics product, which worked better for me as a GTD workflow tool.

Recently ClearContext released version 4 of the Information Management System, and with this release I finally uninstalled the Netcentrics add-in and have moved snugly into ClearContext as my sole workflow tool. What finally tipped the scale for me was the introduction of the Dashboard, a central hub where I can view all my appointments, email messages and tasks according to project. This welcome addition was what turns CC into a GTD powerhouse.

So, I've been humming along, processing, organizing and even sometimes taking action (gasp!) on my tasks with CC as my trusted system. But it wasn't until last week that CC produced a  GTD epiphany for me. I was pursuing the Clearcontext Blog and reading Brad Meador's description of the IMS Daily Workflow. Brad makes it clear that this newly articulated model is not meant as a replacement for GTD, but rather a framework for more effective implementation of GTD.

image

What really knocked my socks off and has served to turbo-charge my work habits is Step 3 in the process, Succeed. After the initial review of the most time-sensitive tasks for the day in Step 1 and the processing of my in-box in Step 2, Brad suggests moving to the dashboard and working your tasks "by project". This has been a missing piece for me in the GTD puzzle. While I've been dutiful about capturing, processing and organizing my work, I often found myself stalled when it came to reviewing my task lists for something to do. I had collected so many small tasks, that I often felt little motivation to do them. What ClearContext has provided is much needed "context". When I move into the dashboard and begin quickly clicking through my projects, I inevitably find a number of small actionable tasks that I'm all too willing to tackle because I can now see clearly "why" I wanted to do it. By seeing that clear link from task to project, my motivation remains high and I'm getting much more done.

This post does little justice to what ClearContext can do. Download a trial and check out what a truly powerful and stable Outlook add-in (yes, there is such a thing) it is. Oh, and by the way, Brad Meador has repeatedly proved to be truly responsive and customer service focused.

]]>An Alternative to Conferenceshttp://www.realcoaching.com/blog/2007/11/19/an-alternative-to-conferences.htmlCraig Kennedy2007-11-19T17:40:57ZAs someone who has gone to his share of large conferences, I have to say the experience is growing a bit stale. I've thought for a long time the true value of attending conferences occurs in the hallways between sessions, over a meal, and in the networking suites at the end of the day. Travelling halfway across the continent to attend what I suppose are meant to be rousing keynotes speeches and two dozen 90-minute concurrent sessions on every topic under the sun, just doesn't have the pull it once did.

One answer may be Open Space Technology and Unconferences.

]]>If Not Now, When?http://www.realcoaching.com/blog/2006/11/27/if-not-now-when.htmlCraig Kennedy2006-11-28T01:08:47ZCareer Transition Taking ActionBy the time many of my clients decide to enlist a coach to support them in launching a new career or business venture, they've been turning the idea around in their head for a good long time. What holds them back most of the time is that the timing isn't quite right. To which I've been known to ask "If now isn't the right time, then when?

Seth Godin has a great answer to this question:

When to start

  • The best time to start is when you've got enough money in the bank to support all contingencies.
  • The best time to start is when the competition is far behind in technology, sophistication and market acceptance.
  • The best time to start is when the competition isn't too far behind, because then you'll spend too long educating the market.
  • The best time to start is when everything at home is stable and you can really focus.
  • The best time to start is when you're out of debt.
  • The best time to start is when no one is already working on your idea.
  • The best time to start is when your patent comes through.
  • The best time to start is after you've got all your VC funding.
  • The best time to start is when the political environment is more friendly than it is now.
  • The best time to start is after you've got your degree.
  • The best time to start is after you've worked all the kinks out of your plan.
  • The best time to start is when you're sure it's going to work.
  • The best time to start is after you've hired the key marketing person for the new division.
  • The best time to start was last year. The best opportunities are already gone.
  • The best time to start is before some pundit declares your segment passe. Too late.
  • The best time to start is when the new generation of processors is shipping.
  • The best time to start is when the geopolitical environment settles down.

Actually, as you've probably guessed, the best time to start was last year. The second best time to start is right now.

 

]]>When is Enough Really Enough?http://www.realcoaching.com/blog/2006/8/22/when-is-enough-really-enough.htmlCraig Kennedy2006-08-22T12:26:01ZCareer TransitionMaking the decision to leave a job can be extremely difficult. Even those who get to do "their life's work" every day can have rough days. So how can you tell when it's truly time to pack it in?

Sixwise .com has some helpful thoughts on how to determine whether now is the time to make the break.

]]>Today's Bosses Find Mentoring Isn't Worth the Time and Riskshttp://www.realcoaching.com/blog/2006/8/16/todays-bosses-find-mentoring-isnt-worth-the-time-and-risks.htmlCraig Kennedy2006-08-16T10:37:55ZCoaching

From Bill Jensen, Author of Simplicity comes this not so surprising insight into the role of coaching in many of today's organizations.

Ah-Duh! As if this is news to you. If you’re like most of us, the CEO quoted in this article coulda been your boss, “There aren’t enough hours in the day.... We can’t tolerate mediocrity, but we have to presume...competence...and then, [only] when we’re disappointed, spend time coaching and training.”

Net/net: Most of us only get the coaching we need AFTER we mess up or fail. Sound like a
win/win model to you?

Jensen goes on to prescribe a set of core questions that will enable you to get the much of the coaching you need before you really need it:

Help me understand how this changes what I’m doing now?
Establishing context and connections for new to-do’s is critical. The answer to this question helps you connect the dots from your past experiences, as in: “Oh, so this is just like XYZ Project that we did last year. OK, now I what might work and what won’t.”

 What suggestions do you have for my first steps?
Or: What’s the best way to get started?
This is where lots of after-the-fact coaching sessions begin: “Let’s discuss what you could have done differently.” Head this problem off at the pass!

What does success look like?
Or: How will I know I’m making progress and am on target?

If your time with your manager gets cut short, focus on this question above all others.

What tools and support are available?
Your manager’s primary job in supporting you is removing barriers and making sure you have what you need to succeed. Tools and support fall in that category. Checklists, plans and schedules, training, technology, additional teammates, a budget, a brainstorming session — these are among many possible tools and support. Your job is to find out what’s already available from past projects that can be used again, and if any new support has been made available. Often more support is available than you realize: triaging, overworked managers are to just crazed to connect the dots and explain all the options to you.

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