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When I studied decision-making in college, the thinking was linear. Stimulus A caused response B. I wonder, if have we have learned much since then… My undergraduate psychology classes were at Hamilton College, the alma mater of B.F. Skinner, a leader of behaviorism.
My graduate classes in developmental psychobiology were at Dartmouth College, the alma mater of Dr. Seuss and countless global leaders of business and industry.
Recently I read about neural clusters in our brains. Imagine several constellations or galaxies of brainwave activity. Both chemical and electrical activity. Like constellations or galaxies in the solar systems. Now imagine that these neural clusters are both elastic and dynamic. In other words, when we reinforce certain pathways or patterns (called functionalism) then we strengthen neuronal pathways. And when we learn new knowledge (like a foreign language or an insight) then we strengthen the neural constellation so that it can sort through the past memories (called schemas) to create some new sorting system (called data.) We know that some 60% of our behavior is patterned responses, monitored in the basal ganglia. And we know that most new knowledge causes stress.
No wonder humans resist change. Change, defined as any external new stimulus, forces us to re-sort data. Change requires the brain to work in new ways. The larger the organization, the more we resist change.
When faced with decision making options we often think of risk taking vs. risk avoidance. As if the world were so linear… My masters research on risk-taking behavior found that risk-taking is complex, like so many other human behaviors.
What if, instead, we adopted a non-linear view of decision making?
My revised model (of the moment, subject to change) looks something like this:
I wrote this book in 2007 when preparing for a relocation. Yesterday I re-read chapter 1. It provoked me, and it should provoke you.
Here you go:
Passionate Action, Chapter 1
To order the full book, go to https://actionlearnin.wpengine.com/main/page_products_products.php
Please forward this chapter to anyone who may need to be provoked!
Recently a client was struggling with two related issues: 1. How much to pay his employees and subcontractors, and 2. How to manage his accountant who regularly arrived late for scheduled meetings.
I suggested that he should bill the accountant at least $1.00 per minute that he is late.
“Huh?” He asked.
Then I reached into a day timer and showed him the following image. (I tried to find a better image online but was not successful.)
The column headings are Salary year/ Salary week/ Benefits= 40% Total salary/ Total week/ Value per hour/ and Value per minute.
For instance, if your salary per year is $70,000, your Salary per week is $$1,346, your Benefits are $538, your total week is $1,885, your Value per hour is $47.00 and your value per minute is $0.79.
So why wouldn’t you charge the accountant at least $1.00/ minute for being late? His tardiness is 1) expensive and 2) unprofessional. I urged him to charge a retroactive late fee. And I referred him to other accountants.
The second question is more complex. How much should you pay employees and subcontractors? The market response is “as little as possible, according to their value.” That is why we pay minimum wages and low salaries for remedial work.
For most business leaders, we are slow to pay others for remedial work.
The best business leaders, however, ALWAYS delegate low paying tasks to others. And they refuse to do remedial work.
Back to my client. I asked him, “So, what do you think your time is worth?”
He said, “At least $70,000/ year.”
I said, “OK then, why aren’t you excited about the opportunity to pay others $10-24.00 per hour to do work for you?”
And that, of course, led to a deep conversation about self-worth and the need to delegate low paying tasks to others.
So, what is your time worth?
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At the request of the editors of Professional Safety magazine, I interviewed several site managers to gain their wisdom
Regardless of your industry, or job title, you can apply these 5 Tips to your business.
May2013p1 WhatSite ManagersWant (page 1 of 2)
May2013p2 SiteManagersWant (page 2 of 2)
I love this acronym, developed by a former coaching client:
T= take the time
R= regularly meet
U= understand the situation and facts
S= share solutions and agree on the next actions
T= thank the other person
A coaching question is: How are you demonstrating your competence and skills with your manager or clients?
Please reply at 704.895.6479 and let me know…
I’ll give the book 5 stars for the model, and 3 stars on the writing quality. This review will focus on the model behind “The Question.”
The subtitle explains its lofty vision: “Ask it and transform anyone’s future”
This book was referred to me by several clients. They had taken part in the Strategic Coach Program. They wanted to work with me because they needed more customized executive coaching.
Also, I have been solicited by Strategic Coach sale people to attend their program. (I must have attended a webinar.)
Dan Sullivan has coached over 13,000 business leaders and entrepreneurs, over 20 years.
So, what is the one question that 1) warrants a book, 2) warrants so much acclaim?
He starts the book with an anecdote from a business leader who feels: 1) confused, 2) isolated, and 3) powerless. Despite his financial success, he is working long hours. He needs a better system. Like many people, that business owner is seeking how to 1) transform confusion into clarity, 2) isolation into confidence, and 3) powerlessness into capability.
Sound too magical or impossible? Give this review another minute.
Imagine that you respond to that business leader with a question of your own. Your question has two parts. Part one is this:
“If we were having this discussion three years from today, and you were looking back over those three years, what has to have happened in your life, both personally and professionally, for you to feel happy with your progress?”
Sullivan found that 85-90% of these business owners pause, then provide a substantial answer. These are the “users.” These people become your prospects and clients. And you can ask them part two of the question.
5-10% of the business owners are confused. They cannot abstract or imagine the future in this way. These are not your prospects or clients. Thank them and move on.
And less than 5% of the business owners are “refusers.” They are not willing to embrace a relationship. They refuse to answer the question. Therefore they have just saved you tremendous time and energy. Thank them and move on, quickly.
Notice how you are pre-qualifying your prospects? Notice how the question is all about building rapport? Notice how the question is all about the other person– their aspirations and vision?
Humans are aspirational.
Some characteristics of this question include:
1. it is futuristic, and implies a continued relationship with you
2. it is specific to a time period– “in three years”– which most people can envision and describe
3. “looking back” requires synthesizing skills, abstraction, and specific descriptions
4. “for you to feel happy” is subjective, and happiness is the primary motivator for mankind. Through all recorded history.
Now that you have asked that business leader part one of the question, you are ready for part two. Sullivan calls part two the D.O.S., an acronym standing for Dangers, Opportunities and Strengths. You can use simialr words. The point is to use specific words that help others clarify their intentions into actions.
Part two of the question is:
“Specifically, what dangers do you have now that need to be eliminated, what opportunities need to be captured, and what strengths need to be captured?”
This structure invites the other person to articulate specific Dangers/ Opportunities/ Strengths. When I have used this question I ask for permission to record notes. Then I help the other person articulate their top three items. Then I provide those notes as a gift. Or a coaching focus. The results have been astounding.
Now imagine putting part one and part two together…
“If we were having this discussion three years from today, and you were looking back over those three years, what has to have happened in your life, both personally and professionally, for you to feel happy with your progress?”
“Specifically, what dangers do you have now that need to be eliminated, what opportunities need to be captured, and what strengths need to be captured?”
Can you imagine adopting this as a script?
Print this blog article. Forward it to your team. Then adopt this script.
It has helped me. It has helped thousands of entrepreneurs focus on adding value and transforming others.
Yes of course, I can help you implement this model into your business.
Then call me at 704.895.6479. Tell me what you think.
Or add a comment below…
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