by Doug Gray | May 10, 2013 | Business, change, Employment, money, Personal Development, Sales, strengths
GOMO stands for Going Through the Motions.
Some 70% of workers are dissatisfied with their jobs.
Some 50% of marriages end in divorce.
Some 20% of people make a living doing what they love… Huh? Yes, it is possible. Here are two stories.
1. One of my clients, Matt, co-founded an IT company that provided a unique service. Over 10 years they were acquired by 3 companies. Matt was the principal architect of the software. But he was getting restless. His young family was not happy in the D.C. metro. He was tired of being a GOMO. We had worked together 6 years previously. So he re-hired me to explore “what’s next?” He realized that several of the executives on their team were working remotely. In short, he could live anywhere. So within 4 months he relocated to Colorado. And he re-designed how he managed his product development team. That process occurred in months, not years…
2. Another client, Allen, had been an HR manager for many years, but he aspired to be a global talent director of a nearby F500 company. We met at a Vistage International meeting. Shortly thereafter he realized that he could not imagine staying at his current employer. He felt trapped. There was no evident career ladder. He struggled each day, and hated the fact that he called himself a GOMO. So we explored options. He did not want to move. His divorced wife, and their children, were nearby. So he designed a virtual talent recruitment program, using former HR colleagues who wanted to work from home. He built the system and sold services to F500 clients. In short, he developed and moved into his dream job.
So how about you? Are you feeling stuck as a GOMO?
If ready to explore what’s next, then call me at 704.895.6479 now.
There is no wisdom in waiting.
by Doug Gray | May 6, 2013 | book review, Business, change, Personal Development, strengths, Success
You may know that John Maxwell has written several best sellers, including “Developing the Leader Within You” and “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.” At one time he managed two leadership training companies- one in the business world, and one in the christian world. IMHO, no one bridges these worlds better than John Maxwell. He has been called the leadership guru of the century.
He defines “leadership” as influence, nothing more or less.
I have trained teams and individuals using the 5 levels of leadership content: 1. position based upon rights, 2. permission based on relationships, 3. production based on results, 4. people development based upon reproduction, 5. personhood based upon respect
Here are some of his gems:
1. You can’t export what you don’t have. Specifically, you can’t be a “leadership consultancy” unless you have proven expertise leading others.
2. My greatest leadership challenge is not leading others, my greatest leadership challenge is leading my self. Nothing is harder. And nothing is more important.
3. Examples prove concepts. When I use an illustration it “brings the cookies to the lower shelf” so that everyone has access to the cookies. See the point?
4. Leaders are readers. There are so many great ideas that others have explored. We need to sift through those books and blogs and determine what we need, so that we can serve others.
What are some of your favorite gems from John Maxwell, or others?
by Doug Gray | Apr 28, 2013 | Business, change, Employment, energy industry, money, Personal Development, Resources, strengths
In February, 2012, we surveyed 24 energy industry leaders in the Charlotte, NC region.
Here are their responses to the question: What are the most significant challenges facing your company in the next 12 months?
What do you think of this data?
1. To see the complete survey results from the 2012 Energy Leadership Project, reply here.
2. To be included in the 2013 Energy Leadership Project, click here.
3. For comments or questions, call Doug at 704.895.6479.
by Doug Gray | Apr 22, 2013 | change, Employment, money, Personal Development, strengths, Success
Recently I watched a Netflix video on the Dalai Lama…
And he stated that poor people smile more often.
If the reincarnated Buddha, a fountain of wisdom and mystery for hundreds of thousands of people, were to hit me with a hammer, then perhaps I should listen. Is that true? Do poor people smile more often? He certainly made me think…
The Dalai Lama explained that westerners, and wealthy people in particular, do not smile as often.
With higher net worth comes fear of protection. He called it “excessive greed.” Hmmm….
Is that true?
So I did a quick “Thought Experiment.” Just like years ago in graduate school. I imagined two isolated control groups and tested this thesis.
Group 1: A recent gathering of parents and independent school students. Dressed to kill for Prom. At a private backyard. With a photographer. Spectacular flowers and layers of gardens. Private waterfall. Limos waiting outside. Dozens of spectacularly dressed young people. Casually dressed parents. Gnoshing on appetizers, wine, beer, cake pops on a stick. Casual conversations. Smile factor among the higher net worth crowd: 4 out of 10.
Group 2: A recent gathering of college students at an independent coffee shop. Gatherings of 1-3 people. Macbooks and ear buds. Light music. Sunlight cascading through the hexagonal shaped room. Windows retrieved from some ancient church. Plants overflowing from colorful ceramic pots. Ripped jeans and tatoos. Black grunge tee shirts sitting next to red flannel shirts. Occasional outbursts of laughter. Smile factor among the lower net worth crowd: 6 out of town.
These results are inconclusive.
What do you think?
Do poor people smile more often?
Call me with your story and examples… at 704.895.6479
by Doug Gray | Apr 22, 2013 | Business, change, Coaching, Employment, Leadership, Managers, Personal Development, strengths, Success
… maybe.
Consider your antecedents.
“Antecedents” refers to your family or origin, parents, and grandparents. These are “your people.” They left you with strong messages about your probability of success.
If in doubt, read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.
If still in doubt, reflect on the messages passed on by your antecedents.
Here are two examples:
My running partner, George, has parents who met in the second grade, as school children in the midwest. One grandfather took him for ice cream almost every day. The other grandfather took him on weeklong trips every summer. His extended family lived within blocks of one another. They slept at each other’s homes. Some family members disliked each other. But they traveled together and kept their differences to themselves. And in the depression, one patriarch left the banking world to sell life insurance. He made money for over 50 years… In a similar way, George does the same work that he started at age 17 when he joined the Air Force. Executive assessments and coaching and consulting. His antecedents taught him something about independent judgement, business, and long term focus.
My former client, Harry, has family roots from Ontario and Buffalo, NY. Everyone in his family skates backwards. His grandfather was the personnel manager at the largest local business. As such, he hired hundreds of people, including all the sisters at Harry’s grandmother’s side of the family. All of them were employees, workers. They measured success by hours endured at work. During the depression Harrys’ grandfather on his mother’s side was given enough wood to build a cottage on Lake Erie. For generations thereafter, hundreds of his descendants gathered there for summer picnics and volleyball games. Then they returned to work early Monday morning… In contrast, Harry rebelled against that life style. He travelled the world. He became a masterful salesman. Then he started his small business. He became very successful. His passion? Harry refused to life the same life as his antecedents.
So, take a minute to do the following:
1. Make a list of “who” and “what.” Who were you antecedents and what did they teach you?
2. Share that list with 6 people in your Inner Circle. If you do not have 6 people, then you need to invite them. Or hire me.
Success is largely shaped by our antecedents.
For details on how to be more successful, then call me at 704.895.6479
by Doug Gray | Apr 22, 2013 | change, Coaching, Employment, money, Personal Development, Sales
Perhaps you have seen this chart from Q4, 2012? This data amazed me.
The red line indicates corporate earnings, which are at an all time high.
The blue line indicates individual wage earnings, which are at an all time low.
The gap between these lines is one indication of low engagement by most workers.
IMHO we need more professional development of key talent. Companies have the cash assets. Individuals have the need.
What does this gap suggest about the need for professional development at your company?
What does this gap suggest about the proliferation of outsourced specialized roles, such as external coaching and consulting? (Some 40% of the American workforce…)
I need your help. I am part of that 40%.
Since 1997, I have guaranteed results with coaching and consulting clients.
Please give me a call and let me know how you are doing. 704.895.6479. Thanks.
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