The NoLimits Blog

Extended DISC October 09 Newsletter

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:47:45 +0800

in this issue:

Our Personal Bias by Markku Kauppinen, America's top Extended DISC expert. How does who you are influence your expectations and what you believe creates success.

Why Even Thinking About Retirement Can Be A Bad Idea by Marshall Goldsmith, America's preeminent executive coach. How many times have we all thought about how nice it would be to have enough money to retire?

Special Offer for our Extended DISC Customers:

NoLimits Extended DISC^® "Licensing" or "Fixed Fee" Offer

How much easier would it be if you could use assessments whenever you wanted without worrying about the cost? Now you can!

With Extended DISC® Licensing you will pay a fixed fee for unlimited use of Our NoLimits Extended DISC® assessments.

Know exactly how much you will spend – and what to budget – on assessments.

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Use assessments whenever you need to without ever worrying about the cost.
To make upgrading to NoLimits Extended DISC® even easier, Certification of key members of your HR team will be included for FREE.

Licensing works well for all types of assessment applications, organization sizes and industries.

To learn more about NoLimits Extended DISC^® Licensing, call +65 6232 2466 or email us today!

NoLimits NLP Practitioner - Bali Dec 2009. Last chance to sign up.

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:33:21 +0800

Achieving Work ~ Life Excellence

NLP Business Practitioner Certification

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What Would Google Do? Read it, its good for you...

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:33:15 +0800

Just read this - what a great book - strongly recommend and still trying to figure out the application to the learning and development field - watch this space....

On Jeff's blog, here

On amazon, here

Free Job Matching: A new service from NoLimits

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:05:28 +0800

Submit your details online and we will match you against open positions at our corporate customers.

For a permanant link to the submission for go to: http://nolimits.typepad.com/nolimitsjobs/

Also use the form below:

Form Progreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

Innovation: A working definition

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:37:43 +0800

It may be true that “There is nothing new under the sun” so what is it makes something innovative?

Here is an idea that innovation has two components:

Timing and Execution.

Timing is about an idea whose time has come, or simply defining what to do in the most effective way possible at the right time. You can do the right thing at the wrong time and it won’t work, ask anyone who invested in real estate in 2007 and early 2008. We are currently in an economic winter, what worked in the last economic season will not work now. Also, what created the current climate is a certain set of behaviours and now is the time to consider and engage in alternative behaviours, both to recover and to live a different future.

Execution is about doing something and ideally doing something different. If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got. We may intellectually know what we need to do, what will determine both whether we do it and how we do it, are the values and beliefs we hold individually and those we subscribe to as a group, team or organisation.

NoLimits August 2009 Newsletter

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:14:08 +0800

Follow this link below to get the August 2009 Newsletter

Download Aug 2009 Newsletter

In this edition:

Drive Your Company and Team in the Right Direction.
How to Achieve Incredible Productivity?
How can I Create Openness and Trust in My Regional Team?

Achieving Incredible Productivity: How You and Your Employees Can Be in the ‘Flow’

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:56:55 +0800

How You and Your Employees Can Be in the ‘Flow’

Following on from last month’s Executive Focus about how to engage your employees, you can build on employee commitment by giving: job responsibility; autonomy; variety; coaching; support; learning and development opportunities. Once employee engagement is established, organisations have asked us “Even though our employees are very committed and loyal to our organisation, how can we help them be more efficient in their work?”

Employee productivity is key to making organisations more efficient, particularly in times of downsizing where one person may be doing the job of two people.

NoLimits is frequently asked by Line Managers to coach their employees on how to have more impact and be more efficient. One of the key personal development techniques to help individuals be more efficient is by training them to be in the ‘flow’.

Read on to find out more about how to be in the ‘flow’.

Have you noticed how you can easily get distracted at work? You plan to get on with a piece of work, a project or an objective, the deadline date is looming but somehow you can’t get around to starting it, let alone completing it. What should only take you an hour of concentrated effort to complete, ends up taking hours, days or weeks and you end up completing the task in between distractions. Your key distractions end up being the everyday seemingly urgent issues which could have been avoided if you would have planned your work better or the non important, little things that mount up, take time and do not add value to your work.

You can easily increase your productivity at work and you can use these tools at home too by:

1. Deciding what’s important, rather than just working on urgent issues.

2. Planning when you are going to complete these important pieces of work.

3. Being in the ‘flow’ when you are working on these important tasks.

‘Flow’ is a mental state, a term that psychologists use to describe optimal experience and was first used by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

In sports this mental state is referred to as ‘being in the zone’ and is the best way to gain competitive advantage. For example Tiger Woods may hit a poor shot, but by the next shot he will have put aside the mental emotions of losing his last shot and be totally immersed in his current shot to make it a success.

To be in the ‘flow’ means you are completely absorbed in what you are doing. It is effortless, masterful and resourceful. You have a feeling of energised focus. You are successful in the process of your activity and you are so immersed in what you are doing, you can easily lose track of time.

In the corporate world the biggest enemies of getting into the ‘flow’ are the constant interruptions and distractions that occur throughout the working day. Conversations with colleagues, emails, telephone calls, text messaging, and meetings all disturb the possibility of being in the ‘flow’.

4 Steps

With all these distractions, how can you easily get into the flow?

By following this straightforward 4 step ‘FLOW’ formula you and your teams will be surprised at the increase in success, responsiveness and productivity.

Step 1 – Focused

The first step to be in the ‘flow’ is to be focused. It usually takes 15 minutes of uninterrupted distractions to get into the ‘flow’. Plan your time and have the intention of when you will be in the ‘flow’ to work on specific assignments, projects and objectives. When you are focused, you will narrow down your activity to what you are absorbed in. You are so focused you feel personal control over your activity.

Step 2 – Limit Distractions

Set yourself a specific time when you want to be uninterrupted and set clear goals of what you want to achieve. If working on your own, you may decide to work from home or book a meeting room for the peace and quiet. If as a team you want to get into the state of ‘flow’, decide where and how you will work best to avoid distractions and interruptions. You may decide to book a meeting room or work off site for a specific period of time. Stick to the timing and what you want to achieve during this time to ensure being in the ‘flow’. NoLimits works with one company where meetings last for one hour only and everyone stands up to avoid distractions and concentrate all their effort on what they are working on. While you intend to be in the ‘flow’ leave your mobile phones and email switched off.

Step 3 – Official

Make it official with your work colleagues that you want to be uninterrupted for a specific period of time. Set expectations that you’ll be working out of the office or in a meeting room and you only want to be interrupted during an emergency. Let your work colleagues know when you will be available for them to contact you. If somebody is taking messages for you let him or her know your availability. The same principles apply when you are working as part of a team. Setting expectations with work colleagues and communication of availability is essential to enable you to work in the ‘flow’.

Step 4 – Work Flow

To be in the ‘flow’, it is essential to enjoy what you are working on. If you or your team is overstretched, challenged and underskilled, anxiety will prevail. If you or your team are overskilled and underchallenged, boredom will set in. To be in the ‘flow ’requires the right amount of challenge and skills. Once you have achieved the right balance of skills and challenge as in diagram below, you will successfully achieve work flow.

NoLimits offers training and one to one coaching on how enhancing team and individual productivity and how to be in the ‘flow’.

FREE WEBINAR SEPT 15: Doing DISC Right

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 06:50:04 +0800

Join host Kristin Mason with her guest Markku Kauppinen, President of Extended DISC North America, Inc., and learn how to effectively use DISC assessments.

Many of us have done "DISC" assessments. Did too many of them just get filed away?

Date: Tuesday September 15th

Time: 1:30 PM until 2:00 PM Central Standard Time

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/855377889

The Principles of Cause and Effect

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:02:02 +0800

Do you live your personal and professional life at cause or effect?

When something happens to you that you don’t like, do you blame it on the person or the situation, or do you take responsibility for yourself? For example, with the current economic situation do you blame the economy for the reason why your work is not doing so well or are you at cause and take responsibility to make sure you are doing all that you can to make the most out of the current economic situation?

How do you live your life in general? At cause or at effect? Are you the sort of person who says “it wasn’t meant to be.” or are you the sort of person who says “I can make it happen.” Many people live their lives at effect i.e. their feelings are determined by how others or how situations make them feel.

For example, “she makes me so angry.” or “my computer has crashed which put me in a bad mood for the rest of the day.”

When you are at cause on the other hand, you choose how you will feel and you decide how you are going to react, rather than feel you have no option but to react in the way you respond or put the blame on something or somebody else.

Action Points

C > E

1.   When you move from being at effect to cause, you will feel more empowered and resourceful. You will notice how much easier it is to get the results you want.

2.   Become aware and choose how you respond to other people, events and situations. If somebody or something makes you feel good, choose to enjoy this. If somebody or something typically makes you feel upset or angry choose to change your response.

3.   Stop yourself from blaming others for how you feel and ask yourself “is this response serving me well?”.

Three little words to lead without

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:07:30 +0800

Change just a few simple language patterns and transform your leadership approach and your relationships.

The words we use either encourage us to be creative and optimistic or they shut us down, give us a smaller view of possibilities, and weaken us. The words we use define our personal reality to ourselves as well as to others, and they have a very real effect on what we allow ourselves to think. The words we use are the way we tell ourselves what we deserve from life.

BUT

Have this ever been said to you? "This is a good idea, but --"
Get it? When I said "This is a good idea" you were probably sorting for some time when you got complimented on an idea.
Then I said "but --" and you had to cringe a little.
“I like you, but…”
“I hear what you are saying, but….”
You’ve done a great job, but….”

We've all been taught that no matter what someone says, if they add a "but --" we know to brace ourselves, here comes the little twist that takes away most of the meaning from the beginning of the sentence. And what's even more interesting, people do it to themselves! Just listen the next time a discussion comes up about what someone wants, for example:

"I'd like to lose weight, but --"
"I'd like a promotion, but --"
"We could go see your parents on Saturday, but --"

What follows "but" is almost always either something that wipes out a compliment, or an excuse for why people can't get what they want.

So here's a little tip for you. What happens to these sentences if we substitute "and" for "but"?

"This is a good idea, and --" Sounds like the idea may even be used, doesn't it?
"I'd like to lose weight, and --" And here's how I'm going to do it!
"I'd like a promotion, and --" And this is how I'm going to get it.
"We could go see your parents on Saturday, and --" And we can have dinner by the river on the way home, or we can stop at the new shop I wanted to see on the way there, or whatever alternative comes to mind.

"But" limits possibilities, and tells you what's wrong and WHY you can't do something. "And" includes more choices, and leads to thoughts of HOW you will do something.
They are the language of two different worlds, two different ways of life.

Which world's language do you prefer?
Which leads us to the next "little word."

WHY

The problem with "why" is that it leads to "because."
When you ask "why?" You are almost demanding a story that will explain "why" things are as they are. And you'll answer that question with a story of why things are that way, whether they are really like that or not!

"Why did you do that?"

Feeling defensive? Because it was their fault. It wasn’t me.

"Why are people such rude drivers?"
Because if I accept the assumption that "all people are rude drivers" I can complain and whine and be miserable instead of just dealing with the fact that some people don't handle traffic pressures very well.

"I just don't understand why you would want that --"
Because if you want that and I don't want you to have it and you can't persuade me to endorse your choices, I get to control you.

You want to know what's an even more useful word for most of us, most of the time?
The word is "how." As in, "How did you do that?" Or “How can I do that?”,
"How can I best deal with a rude driver, if I encounter one?" Or,
"How can what I want have any impact on you, and what can I do to ease that?"

Again, two different words from two different outlooks. "Why" invites you to accept whatever the stated reality is, and then demands that you make up a story that explains it. Probably a waste of time. "Why" turns your view to the past, looking for causes and people to blame.

On the other hand, "How" is an action word. It looks to the future. "How" can I get what I want?" Or, "How can I mesh my desires with another person's desires?"
Good question. And it leads you in a direction of action. And actions are the stuff of life.

SHOULD

"I should have done it differently."
"You should do it like they do."
"What should I do?"

This time there is no suggestion for an alternative word. Just a caution.
We all have a little parent's voice in our heads, treating us like we're still children. And this word is surely a parent's word, telling us what we "should" do.
"Should" and even worse, "should have" will make you miserable. They are the words of dissatisfaction and helplessness and regret and guilt.

Try this. "I want" or "I will" or "I can" instead of "I should." Even if you add the same ending, you get more power -- more ADULT power, from saying "I WANT to do it differently next time" or, "I will be on time" Instead of "I shouldn't be late." Or “I can…” This accesses the Power of Intention.

Think about the words you use -- both to others and importantly, to yourself.

Especially these three thought-stopping little words.

NoLimits July 2009 Newsletter

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:08:50 +0800

Follow this link below to get the July 2009 Newsletter

Download July 2009 Newsletter

In this edition:

Leading Change the Proactive Way.
How to Engage Your Employees?
How do Influence Effectively?

How to Engage your Employees

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:18:23 +0800

More than half your employees are disengaged right now, especially in the current climate of downsizing, restructuring and even closing down divisions and departments. Employers want their people to be engaged and to do more than their best and yet how can employees be engaged when there is so much uncertainty surrounding them?

What is employee engagement? It is a commitment from the employee to the organisation and in return the organisation has a values driven approach that commits to the employee. To engage your workforce follow this step by step formula: E.N.G.A.G.E.

E.Energise: Energise your employees by showing that you understand what engagement really means, walk the talk by telling everybody what it means, use the word ‘engaged’, so your employees start using the word engaged too. Use meetings, discussions and presentations to share the drivers of engagement. When your employees start talking about engagement, this forces a discussion and definition about what needs to happen and what is engagement activity. People will start believing in it and telling their people about it. Once word is out both internally and externally an energetic buzz will be created which is as infectious as a positive virus. Organisations need to build this positive buzz now - to be a step ahead - and this can so easily be achieved through employee engagement.

N.New: Do something new. Measure employee satisfaction using attitude surveys. Discover what employees are happy with about their work and what they want that is new. Cover areas such as compensation and benefits, work life balance, leadership learning and development communication career development, health and well-being. You can either design these attitude surveys internally or call upon the expert help of NoLimits who are used to running engagement and team climate surveys.

G.Gauge: Gauge what your employees are saying and how they are feeling. Understand what’s the difference that will make the difference. Use focus groups to understand and summarise issues.

A.Act: Act on the information you have. Your employees have invested the time to give you feedback. Act on this feedback to demonstrate commitment. In time your employees will show more commitment to your organisation. Develop the skills of your leaders to deliver the drivers of engagement.

G.Guage: Gauge again. Once your new initiatives, are ups and running monitor and measure their success! By knowing how engaged your employees are you will be able to manage performance more effectively. Again use focus groups to monitor initiatives and obtain a temperature check.

E.Evaluate: Evaluate and decide what is success and what needs adapting. Inform employees of key successes and improvements. Evaluate how effective line managers are at engaging their staff and walking the talk.

Recent research conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in the UK has identified that the four main drivers of engagement are:

Having opportunities to share your views upwards
Feeling well informed about what is happening in the organisation
Believing that your manager is committed to the success of the organisation.

For best performance, ensure all your employees are engaged and that they are proud to be engaged and working for your organisation.

For more information about engagement and a no obligation discussion call Martin Cropper, CEO of NoLimits on +65 6232 2466 or email martincropper@nolimitsasia.com.

Free Webinar on Unwritten Ground Rules

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:19:39 +0800

InterCall Free Webinar Series - The Politically Aware Manager

The Politically Aware Manager
(Understanding the unwritten organisational rules for career management)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 6 August 2009 (Thursday) Time: 12:30pm-1:30pm (Singapore Time, GMT+8)

As the financial situation heightens and organisations embark on cost cutting measures, how do you successfully manage your career amidst these turbulent times?

As managers you need to become a career strategist and understand the unwritten rules to organisational success. Using short scenarios, Jane Horan shares practical tips and techniques to put you in charge of your career.

In this webinar you will learn about:

• Scorecard for your current & future role
• Power Networks
• Corporate Whispers

Session Details		Free Webinar Series
Date:	Aug 6, Thursday
Time:	12.30 PM (GMT +8)
Title:	The Politically Aware Manager
Presenter:	Jane Horan

Presenter

Jane Horan is the founder of the Horan Group.

Jane has worked in Asia for over 18 years and has extensive experience in cross cultural leadership development, action learning, building global teams and working with virtual,
diverse teams.

Who should attend
Every working personnel who wish to manage their career and be successful in their organisation. Register Now!

InterCall Webinar Platform
Powered by WebEx, register for a free trial now!

Jane has published articles provides
workshops and coaching organisational politics, ethical lobbying, and high integrity tactics for career and personal success and works with Fortune 100 organisations.

Previous Experience

- Director of Management & Organisational Development for Kraft Foods Asia in Singapore

- Executive Director of Organisational
Development for The Walt Disney Company (Asia Pacific) in Hong Kong.

For more information, pls visit Horan Group

Good Advice for Your Elevator Speech

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:44:47 +0800

Try this format for pitching 'you' - this is as good a description as I have seen, from BNet - the place to go for management.

Don't just try and cram in information -- follow this structure to craft an effective three-minute pitch. Advice for your elevator pitch.

Are you going from pointless meeting to meeting and never doing?

NoLimit to what you can achieve — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:38:37 +0800

Do you spend your week in countless and some pointless meetings?

Would you like your organisation to adopt some guiding principles for meetings?

Read these key tips from Andrew Bryant at Self Leadership