“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” John Maxwell

One of the values that we most often see reflected in performance evaluations is the Results Focus, and it is established as the ability of an associate to consecutively exceed the agreed goals. Now, in the complex world in which we live, our range of influence is limited. No matter what we do, there will always be factors we can control ones we can only influence, and some that we have no impact on.

What can’t we control? A pandemic, the climate, an economic crisis, new substitutes for our products, a terrorist attack or natural phenomena.

What can we (to a greater or lesser degree) influence? Customers, suppliers and competitors, professional associations and eventually, investors, legislators, and public in general.

What can we really control each day?

Compliance with our internal processes. To the extent that the processes of human resources, manufacturing, marketing, sales, billing, collections, technology, customer service and finance (among many others), are appropriate for each organization in its current state of development, and they are executed with excellence and with a deep sense of the organization’s mission, we can anticipate improved results. This is where we must focus. The most direct way to influence the results is through optimizing the execution of the processes.

If a person wants to lose weight, weighing themselves daily is beneficial because they will be able to detect if progress is stopped (which will allow them to take immediate corrective actions), as well as helping with self-motivation when they see progress.

However, the simple act of weighing themselves will not affect their results. What does increase their chances of reaching their proposed goals is to fulfill the processes with excellence, which in this case could be for the person to maintain an appropriate exercise routine, to stay on their feet for longer during the day, to reduce calorie intake through a personalized diet and to enjoy a complete night’s rest. In short, frequent monitoring of results serves to detect deviations, but what will keep us on target is compliance with good processes executed with excellence and consistency. That is where our focus should be.

Similarly, if we want to exceed our sales targets, we must monitor them with an appropriate frequency, perhaps daily or weekly, using available tools that allow us to understand what is happening in the market. However, what will make the difference is the way in which we consistently react and act on that information. Efficient digital marketing, a trained sales team, an excellent relationship with each client, the use of appropriate technology, financial transparency, a creative and challenging work environment, among others, are the processes that, well executed, will affect those results, and bring us closer to the goals.

But let’s move a little further to the root of this issue: What makes a person comply with the processes and persevere whether the established results are being achieved or not? Character. Going back to the example of losing weight, character is what makes us put that dessert aside, get on that treadmill or going to the gym either early in the morning, in the afternoon or at night (which we can fulfill the processes). It is character that eliminates excuses one by one, as they appear.

Although we need to monitor the evolution of the results in a timely manner, what we need from our leaders and teams is the passionate and effective adherence to good and validated processes, which is achieved through developing the character of each one of them, as reflected on this chart:

Character is the virtue of being able to fulfill the processes with excellence, integrity, and constancy regardless of whether the results are being achieved or not, or whether you are receiving recognition or not. A strong character is self-motivated. It operates without being distracted by flattery or discouraged by the lack of it.

In my personal experience working with leaders from different cultures and geographies, I have noticed that when the pressure on results increases, those leaders who do not have the character and maturity necessary to raise their hands and dare to deliver bad news start to worry more about what their superiors are going to think of them than about the mission and results. This can tempt them to “embellish” the figures and to manipulate key performance indicators. All this is the natural product of the exaltation of the results over the character, what we want to achieve and not how we achieve it.

My advice to entrepreneurs and leaders is to keep monitoring the results to detect any deviation from what was planned early and take proactive action, but make sure that the central focus of the teams remains on promoting, training, and helping their members developing the right character so that they comply with the processes with professionalism and excellence, which will increase the probability that the results will be achieved and exceeded. Simply put, let’s continually focus on what we can influence because it is going to positively affect the results.

How do we develop those values ​​and character in our teams?

• Character is not taught or trained, it is modeled

The genuine correlation between what leaders say, do and decide in a daily basis and the values ​​of the organization, is a far more powerful instrument of transformation than any training, incentive-based system, or threats for those who disrespect those principles.

Character is not formed by taking notes, repeating phrases, or watching videos in workshops. Character is transmitted by inspiration. It invites to be imitated until it becomes a habit. If you act fully aligned with your values ​​even when doing so could harm you, you build credibility. Credibility over time turns to genuine respect, and later admiration (even from your critics). Only from there can you legitimately influence the organization to fulfill its mission.

• Sculpt the culture of the organization

What identity do you want to give your company? Ask yourself, what are the values ​​that we want as an organization to manifest and live? What do we want to see and what we don’t want to see in our people? What behaviors are we going to promote to fulfill the entity’s mission and thus benefit its clients? Select 3 or 4 adjectives, different virtues that you want to be noticed by everyone who sees your team in action. Define it as collaborative, challenging, rigorous, organized, structured, innovative, efficient, transformative, fun. Select only a few that are meaningful and fit deep into your soul.

Manifest them, live them, and spread them so they are contagious. Consider these qualifiers to define the values ​​of your company. Relate them to the vision and mission. Make sure these aspects of the organizational culture are considered within the selection process.

Additionally, bring together those few associates who have been the most successful in their positions. Those who stand out from the rest by their attitude towards challenges, their perseverance and professionalism. Gather them together and make a list of the top attitudes they think have made a difference in their careers.

Then select from those behaviors a “We Always…” list, such as We always: 1. Walk an extra mile for our clients. 2. Operate with integrity and report any suspicious situation, 3. Resolve conflicts by first talking to the person. 4. Handle open calendars. 5. Return calls. 6.Deliver on time. 7. Handle data confidentially, etcetera.

In the same way, evaluate about 5-6 associates who have a significant gap between their behaviors and those expected of them. Make a list of the main deviations, group them together and generate a list of “We Never…” For example: We never: 1. Murmur about the performance or behavior of any other associate. 2. Leave products out of the inventory area. 3. Manipulate, harass, or offend any person of any rank for any purpose. 4. Lose our composure with the customer. 5. Promise to deliver something that we know we cannot deliver, and so on.

• Raise your expectations of your team

I once read about an interesting experiment that aimed to measure the impact that teachers’ expectations had on their students´ performance. To do this, two students were randomly selected from each elementary and middle school classroom in many public schools, and teachers were told (falsely) that these two chosen individuals had much higher IQs. What happened? Well, teachers demanded more of them because they believed them to be smarter than average, and surprisingly most of those students scored better than those who were excluded from the study, regardless of their real IQ.

Raise your expectations about the behaviors that your team can model. Believe they can be more loyal, capable, objective, or hard-working than they appear to be. Every person has greater potential than what is manifesting. Become a career amplifier, and this applies to both the most talented and successful members of your team and those who are underperforming. Demand and challenge them according to their potential, not according to their stories or what you see. You’ll be surprised.

• Publicly reward associates who “live” those values

Giving quarterly awards to individuals, departments or interdisciplinary teams that have shown those values your organization promotes, is a positive way to increase the behaviors we want to see more and influence the organizational culture.

I will be glad to help you (for free) to define, create and implement these awards within your organization. Just write to me at contacto@eduardovillegasoficial.com or send me a DM via Messenger, and I will gladly share it with you.

Recapping:

1. Character is not taught or trained, it is modeled
2. Sculpt the culture of the organization
3. Raise the expectations of your team
4. Publicly reward associates who “live” those values

For questions or suggestions on topics you can write to me at contacto@eduardovillegasoficial.com or visit my page www.eduardovillegasoficial.com

“Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.”  Tom Peters

When I was an Accounting and Reporting Supervisor in a pharmaceutical transnational in my country, Venezuela, my greatest expectation was to become the financial director one day. However, one morning HR asked me: would you like to become financial director of Ecuador? And that was the start of an 18-year international career. I can’t say it was a dream come true because I hadn’t even imagined it. And I wonder: what happened? How did I get the opportunity to leave Venezuela before Communism began to destroy it and continue a career that took me and my family not only to other Latin American countries but also to Asia and USA? The answer is simple: because someone saw a potential on me that I did not see.

On a more personal level, I am a student and an admirer of the wisdom contained in the Bible, however, I never thought to teach it until a Brazilian pastor invited me to preach in the church where I congregated in 2002. Since then, I have not stopped.

I can safely say these two events left an indelible mark on who I am today, but to what do I owe having experienced that which has given me so much satisfaction and purpose in my life? The simple answer is to someone who was attentive, saw in me talents and abilities that I didn´t know I had, and acted in my favor.

Perhaps that is why when I recall my international assignments, the first thing that comes to mind is not the great growth in sales of a certain year, the new product launches, some systems implementation nor the huge improvement in productivity. What comes immediately to my memory instead is the people who sowed ideas in me and challenged me, as well as the seeds that inspired by them, I sowed in other people and then saw germinate and bear abundant fruit.

Today I can say with humble satisfaction that some people decided to finish their studies, pursue master’s degrees, learn a new language, start an international career and even founding their own companies after I sowed simple but powerful words of encouragement in them over a coffee or a meal. And this has impressed me so much that now I dedicate myself to it full time: to amplify professionals and companies.

HOW TO FIND AND DEVELOP LEADERS?

Change your perspective (be aware)

Perhaps the most powerful way to contribute to the achievement of your organization’s mission is by developing leaders who multiply your impact, leading through them many others to commit to that mission. A leader who does not form leaders is infertile, but the one who replicates himself has an exponential impact.

But developing others requires humility and dedication. Humility because you invest in someone to surpass you. Dedication because it takes time and effort to do so.

Observe (be intentional)

After so much time helping start and expand the careers and companies of very different leaders, I have learned to observe people and listen to them with curiosity, and to detect their strengths almost without thinking. In the same way that when we are going to take a picture look for the best angle, we can be attentive to the best angle (different qualities) that everybody has. The simple fact of asking ourselves “what seem to be the three main virtues of this individual?” allows us to begin to detect them. It is a generous and objective process. It is not about evaluating the person or forcing us to find something, it´s just to explore his or her potential.

Maybe nothing comes up but if a seemingly hidden ability appears, the second question I ask myself is: “is this person aware of his/her abilities?” Considering the feeble culture of recognition that the corporate world suffers today, it is possible that the person (as happened to me) has not noticed it. In fact, many high potential people (particularly early in their careers) do not value their own talents because they are so innate that they believe that everyone has them.

The third question is: “is there another role where this person could have a greater impact on the vision of the organization?” This is an important question because everyone is unique and many people who perform poorly in one area have good potential to do well in another.

Explore compromise (be wise)

Talk to the person about what you see in him or her. Research their interests and preferences, their aspirations and personal style. What motivates them? What are their ambitions?

Important: Handle it discreetly to avoid creating unrealistic expectations. Confidentially ask your colleagues for their opinions regarding this person’s potential. Ask them if they see the same virtues. Consider their time in the role and past performance, both on the results side but also on organizational values.

Don’t wait for the performance review or another formal interaction to dig deeper. A coffee, a meal, or the end of a meeting that ended early can be a good time to continue the process in a way that doesn’t sound official. In these meetings you can also give constructive feedback in real time and see how the person reacts.

Generate commitment (be demanding)

Once you feel confident with the correlation between what you and your colleagues think about that person, and what the person wants to do, you can move on to something more robust, such as:

• Create the person’s career profile with the possible promoting roles they could fill in right now, in 1-2 years, and in 3-5 years.
• Assign an estimated potential (calibrated with human resources and other leaders) within the categories used by the organization.
• Prepare a profile of potential and opportunities for talent along with an action plan to close any gaps. The best way to do this is “at work”, which simply is participating in projects, presentations to leadership or to the entire company, developing a marketing campaign for a non-priority product, teaching an internal course within your area, etc.
• Remember that it is important to challenge the person. High potential talents tend to adapt quickly to complexity so they must be intensively challenged to effectively test them. Have always a expectation of that person bigger than what his/her story indicates. That will motivate them to try harder.

Summarizing:

1. Change your perspective (be aware)
2. Observe (be intentional)
3. Explore compromise (be wise)
4. Generate commitment (be demanding)

For questions or suggestions on topics you can write to me at contacto@eduardovillegasoficial.com You can also visit my page www.eduardovillegasoficial.com

“You can teach a narcissist to be on time, but you cannot train him to listen once he arrives.” Dr. Ramani Durvasula

According to Mayo Clinic, the narcissistic personality “is a mental disorder in which people have 1) an exacerbated sense of their own importance, 2) a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, 3) conflictive relationships and 4) a lack of empathy for others. ”

How do we recognize a narcissist?

They are always worried about being given their place.

They have a constant need for admiration and are therefore vulnerable to flattery.

They greatly exaggerate their achievements and downplay their failures or blame them on others.

Overestimate the impact on the people they recognize.

They talk a lot and listen a little (or not at all).

Expect unquestionable loyalty from their teams, although they never encouraged it.

They are convinced that people envy them.

Now the question is, is it possible that you are the one with this virus?

If your honest answer to each of these questions is yes, it would be a good idea that you honestly evaluate yourself:

1. Do you need the constant admiration of others?
2. Is it extremely difficult for you to receive constructive criticism even if it comes from someone you trust a(assuming you trust some)?
3. Do you feel threatened by those people who seem more talented than you?
4. Does the very idea of ​​seeking help from a therapist, coach, or pastor terrify you?
5. Is it hard for you to laugh at yourself?

What to do when your boss suffers from a narcissistic disorder?

Let’s be realistic:

He believes he is superior to everyone and will want to prove it.

If you have potential, he will try to limit you and to minimize your interaction with his superiors.

He will flatter you in private but will not speak well of you to others.

When something does not go well, he will look for somebody to blame (and that may include you).

Under pressure, he can try to bend the rules. Never give in to that.

Do not tell her about your personal issues, she does not care. Avoid making yourself vulnerable because “everything you say can be used against you.”

Do not confront them publicly. Wait for the right moment and do it privately.

Keep your work up to date in everything that has an impact on his image.

Ask yourself: what can this experience do for me? What areas of my character (that are being activated) can help me for future responsibilities?

Finally: tolerating everything will not improve your relationship with your narcissistic boss, it will in fact make it worse. Do not fall into that trap.

For questions or suggestions on topics you can write to contacto@eduardovillegasoficial.com

You can also visit my page www.eduardovillegasoficial.com

“Our culture is prejudiced against quiet and reserved people, but introverts are responsible for some of humanity’s greatest achievements. ” Susan Cain

I have had clients who have literally told me that they cannot be good leaders because they are introverts. Some say it as if it were a great obstacle that they had to face that has no solution. That’s when I remind them of certain names like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton, Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa, and Gandhi, Steven Spielberg, Michael Jackson, and Paul McCartney. These people, along with one in every three or four people (depending on the study) is an introvert.

During the first half of the 20th century, the so-called “cult of character” developed where hard work and patience were exalted. Being an intro or an extrovert was not a special advantage. In the 50s with the rise of psychology and the sexual revolution, the West began the transition from the cult of character to the “cult of personality.” Since then, extroversion and good public speaking have been idolized, and the focus shifted from people’s character to their image. In fact, studies affirm that the main attribute to be president of a nation today is to speak well in public.

But let’s not mistake someone who is reserved for someone who is shy; someone who is comfortable being alone with someone who is antisocial, or somebody who takes a few extra seconds to articulate ideas, with someone who is insecure. Both personalities simply differ in their level of sensitivity to external stimuli, and there is also no one who is completely introverted or completely extroverted.

What happens when someone is introverted (“verted” in)?

• The person thinks more and talks less (what a good attribute for a good leader!).
• Thinks before speaking while selecting and articulating words.
• Is more autonomous and independent (depends less on other´s opinions or company).
• They seem calm, but their minds are soaring with creativity and imagination
• Has few friends, but they tend to develop more meaningful relationships.
• Avoids superficial or meaningless conversations.
• Usually concentrates better.
• Their batteries are recharged by being alone or with a few close friends.

How does the introvert open doors in a world that idolizes extroversion?

First, identify, recognize and polish your attributes. Make a commitment to improve a little every day in what you already do very well. You can improve your active listening to make connections and influence others. Make good use of your ability to focus to devise strategies for the organization. Use your autonomy to fiercely pursue your goals. Focus less on your weaknesses and work on developing your strengths on a daily basis.

Second, take time alone in the few free spaces of a day full of meetings. A few minutes invested in meditation, a walk, contemplating or prayer will recharge your batteries after a lot of social stimulation.

Third, plan your day wisely. If you are attending a meeting where you can ask questions, think in advance about some things that you would like to ask. That way, it will take less time for you to articulate your thoughts. If you hesitate when asking a question, you can apply Marisa Peer’s technique, It consists of encouraging yourself by counting down “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0” and acting (asking the question or raising your hand) when you reach “0”. Exposing yourself will make you feel more comfortable in the discomfort.

Fourth, when you want to connect with someone, don’t worry about your answers but about your questions. Every human being’s preferred subject is themselves. Take an interest in other people with genuine curiosity. Try to remember what they tell you, what interests them. They will soon become interested in you.

For questions or suggestions on topics you can write to me at contacto@eduardovillegasoficial.com You can also visit my page www.eduardovillegasoficial.com

“Obstacles are those hideous things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.” Henry Ford

I remember reading once that Tony Robbins, a famous coach, motivator and writer, asked himself an interesting question: “If in Formula One races, the drivers are all top-notch and the vehicle technology is practically the same, what makes that when machines skid in some curves, some of them crash against the barrier while others continue on the track?” Tony placed cameras in certain curves, filmed multiple skids, and in reviewing them, he made an astonishing discovery: In most cases, when the pilots looked at the barrier they hoped to avoid, they would crash; and in most cases where their heads were pointed towards the track where they wanted to stay, they stayed! The car seemed to follow the gaze of its pilot.

Something similar happens in our career and business. When we focus on where we want to go, our reality follows our beliefs and focus; and when fear makes us focus only on obstacles and impossibilities, we crash into barriers.

The question then is: how can we divert our attention from the real obstacles that we already know, and focus on possible solutions that we do not know of yet?

I want to share some personal tips:

Like most changes in life, it all starts with a decision. Choose to do it. It is an intentional act. In the same way that when you drive your car you decide to focus on the road and not on the rail of the bank, just do it.

Do not underestimate the power of words. Sometimes just repeating a phrase or two to the team like the old Frank Zappa adage “the mind is like a parachute, if it doesn’t open, it doesn’t work” or that “whether you think you can achieve it or not, you will be right” by Henry Ford, helps you refocus on the right perspective. But don’t limit yourself to these phrases, create your own mantra or invite your team to do so.

Clearly define the challenge. Sometimes we see monsters where there are only shadows. We need to objectively understand the situation and draw the ideal outcome, before formulating solutions. This is important. We need to get out of the situation, define the ideal or desired outcome, and then return to our situation to build the possible bridges between our current position and where we want to get to. If we start directly from the problem, our creativity will be limited because we will be starting from obstacles rather than possibilities.

Analyze and ask yourself what is the worst that can happen? Sometimes in the middle of the noise, we overestimate the circumstances. After evaluating the real risks, take time to meditate as well on the positive situations that could come out of that difficulty. What is the best that can happen?

Most of us have a negative cognitive bias, which tends to evaluate ambiguous situations from a more pessimistic than an optimistic point of view. The pain of failure affects us more than the pleasure of success, the sadness of the mistake more than the joy of the success. Losing 10% of an investment hurts us more than the joy of winning it.

Lastly, seek support. Unless you are an astronaut, a spy, or have decided to climb Everest, chances are others before you have been through the situations you face. Ask yourself: is there a leader or expert in the area (inside or outside your organization) who can help you? If the situation deserves it, consider hiring an experienced coach or mentor in that specific area to help you expand your vision so that you see what you are not yet seeing. It is a good investment.

To recap:

1. Choose to focus on the solution (not the obstacles)
2. Use phrases that open your mind and those of your team (your own mantra) 3. Objectively define the situation (turn down the noise)
3. Ask yourself: What’s the worst that can happen? And the best?
4. Be aware of negative cognitive bias
5. Seek support

For questions or suggestions on topics, you can write to me at contacto@eduardovillegasoficial.com. You can also visit my page www.eduardovillegasoficial.com

“It is easier to move from failure to success than from excuses to success!” John Maxwell

We all have 180° of blindness. That´s why God designed us to live as couples, so the other supports us by seeing and showing us what we cannot see.

What we perceive as reality is only the small fraction of it that we can grasp, and that is also distorted by our mental models. A simple phrase said in a work meeting can evoke experiences and cause very different reactions in each of the participants, depending on their history, culture, biology, emotions, and language.

The key to success, growth and prosperity is to distinguish what we are not seeing, like a person who focuses a lens without losing sight of the entire landscape. It is to identify the blind spots that limit us, the opportunities that have always been there without us noticing them. It is like standing on a field under which there is gold, diamonds, or oil. If we don’t dig it we will never find out.

Personally, I am convinced that each human being has the potential to achieve extraordinary and unique things, but the problem is that most undertake that journey looking outside, not inward, wanting to reach an external place or situation before discovering and conquer internal capabilities. Worse still, many never go on that journey because as John Maxwell tells us, “Most people spend more time planning their summer vacation than planning their lives.”

WHY INVEST IN YOURSELF THROUGH A GOOD COACH?

• A good coach works like a mirror that allows you to see your full potential along with those obstacles that are blocking it.

I remember when my dad used to call my brother Carlos and I to help him wash the water tank located over the roof of our house. How different the mango tree in the garden looked, the ravine that ran behind our house and the great avenue at the end. A landscape seen from another angle is another landscape. Or as Max Planck masterfully put it:

“When you change the way that you look at things, the things you look at change.”

But in our daily lives we get used to seeing everything in the same way. That is why an essential part of the coach’s job is to generate distinctions. If you look at the photo below, you will notice that the brave climber sees opportunities to hold on to her hands and feet, where lay people like me only see wall. Where I see an insurmountable obstacle, she sees multiple options. Where I see a small outline, she sees a support for the tip of her foot. Where I see only a protruding slab, she sees a handlebar that she can hold onto even if only her thumb fits.

The same goes for our leadership, career, or company. We do not see the opportunities or believe that they are still there despite the fact the market is changing radically. It might be even worse if we are successful because we see no need to continue transforming ourselves. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to a leader is a resounding failure that makes him/her reassess priorities, exponentiate their creativity to reinvent him or herself and survive squeezing every drop of resources available (including learning).

Many successful leaders and entrepreneurs have been inspired by someone who saw more in them than they did in themselves. This is not a gift or a great discovery. It’s just about seeing it from the outside, from another point of view, from another perspective, and that’s what coaches exist for.

• A good coach is a bridge that helps you cross to your goals or purpose.

Once the leader confirms the goal or place where he/she wants to go, it is necessary to trace the route, understanding it as the continuous detection and use of new distinctions. As for the lady climber in the photo, no part of the path is the same. Each step taken changes the look and requires a new opportunity to be detected to continue climbing. The odds are sure to tilt towards whoever is watching. The key is to be guided by convictions, not circumstances.

Here the coach’s job is to help the clients transform their gaze, the perception of themselves and of reality so they can navigate over the obstacles that prevent them reaching their goals. It is not about sharing strategies that allow you to avoid obstacles on the map. It is about changing the map with new mental routes that advance over obstacles.

You have within you all the resources you need, but you may need someone to help you see them to remove them.

• A good coach is also a good mentor

The client as an expert in himself, contains all the knowledge needed to achieve the specific objective, and the job of the coach is to actively listen and ask questions that enable drilling the client’s basic beliefs, to evaluate if there are facts or simple judgments (paradigms). In many cases however, the productive argument is convenient, which is simply offering the client a different perspective. It´s only to give the customer an opinion or personal metaphor that helps him/her see things from another standpoint, from the coach’s point of view. Something like opening a window and showing you a possible scenario to see the impact it makes on you. That is why it is so important that the coach, in addition to having in-depth training as a coach, also has considerable experience in the specific area of ​​service.

In summary, a good coach:

1. Operates as a mirror where you can see yourself more deeply
2. Helps you create a mental bridge that allows you to cross over the river of wrong beliefs and limiting mental models
3. Shares with you his/her experience as a mentor

For questions or suggestions on topics you can write to me at contacto@eduardovillegasoficial.com You can also visit my page www.eduardovillegasoficial.com