Altameroy Blog

There are literally millions of words written and spoken each week on enlightened leadership yet the fact remains that low morale, high stress and job dissatisfaction continue to be three of the most serious problems facing the workplace. We seem to be so effectively socialized into top down leadership that we find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to change our autocratic ways. All this in spite of the many workshops and seminars on new leadership paradigms which are rooted in the empowerment of people.

Change is both slow and painful but it is happening. To facilitate this process of change requires both desire and commitment plus a sound understanding of what an enlightened leader looks like. It is necessary to visualize the type of leader we are striving to become.

AN ENLIGHTENED LEADER…

* values the ideas and opinions of others.
* listens attentively.
* affirms generously
* criticizes gently and privately.
* trusts the collective wisdom of the group.
* encourages others to achieve their enormous untapped potential.
* catches people doing things right.
* involves people in decisions which effect their destiny.
* keeps people informed.
* has a sense of humour.
* trusts the decisions of others.
* realizes that his/her opinion is just one among many.

* isn’t threatened when people disagree with them.
* rejects the ” my way or the highway” paradigm.
* cares about the total well being of those with whom she/he works.
* believes that the most valuable inventory of any business is people.
* seeks out and acts upon the advice of others.
* gives credit rather than takes credit.

These are a few of the characteristics of an enlightened leader which, if present in the workplace, result in decreased stress, improved morale and increased productivity.

It is in the best interest of any business to care about the well being of its employees.

Mike Moore is an international speaker/writer on Humor in the Workplace,Humor and Stress Management and Maximizing Staff Potential.

Mike Moore speaks throughout Canada and the United States on the physical and social benefits of humor. ” Humor makes great things happen.” MM

http://www.motivationalplus.com

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As innovation changes from a hard to a softer kind of process, so the language must change to reflect this. Below are a list of terms that we commonly use in our project teams or businesses together with a new vocabulary that we should all be coming to terms with.

Sales Pitch As project become more transformational than transactional we need to be talking about creating a purpose not simply pitching an idea.

Visualisation Many of us visualise the outcome but it needs to be vocalised also. We all respond to different stimuli so the desired outcome needs to represented in as many ways as possible to engage the whole project team.

Designer/worker/engineer When you are building something new and exciting then call your team something exciting. They are all creators in their own specialist field.

Demand Demands very seldom work as intended. Create a dream and encourage others to buy in and follow it with you.

Content We all worry about the content of specifications and requirements documents. Consider the consequences of every action you take. Does it enhance the clients experience, does it add comfort, safety or fun?

Scheme/Plan Instead of cumbersome plan, create a story and storyboard to engage the team and encourage their contributions.

Project Your project needs to be run along business lines so run it like a business with your client as the major shareholder.

Team In line with the previous point, your management team are in fact a board.

Titles Avoid these like the plague. If you must group people, do it according to the tasks that they are carrying out.

Jargon Abolish this, talking is all important to share knowledge and break down barriers. If you use technical terms, ensure they are understood by everyone.

Communicate Treat communications as if you were campaigning, make sure that everyone is convinced and understands the complex ideas that you are trying to get across.

Accomplish Do not dwell on accomplishing things. You have a dream to follow but remember if you are innovating then there will be some failures to learn from. Not accomplishing is not a disaster, you are undertaking an adventure.

Question These are damaging in large numbers. Encourage people to ask for advice or direction, not just question everything.

Doing Doing should be replaced by learning. This way you have both action and the acquisition of knowledge.

Programme Do not think linearly. You will be embarking on a journey and the path may twist and turn on the way.

Research If you are innovating you will be entering into uncharted territory on some occasions. Research cannot help you. Intuition must become part of your vocabulary.

Guideline Replace this with guidance, talking and a little intuition. No rigid procedures here!

Visitor A visitor could be a guest, but do not take this too far.

Messages If you take the time to create message then you want them to be remembered so focus on creating memories, a subtle but helpful distinction.

Present We often present our ideas and plans to people but in a collaborative environment we should be colluding or conspiring with all of our stakeholders.

History If you are keeping records, make it interesting, richer and full of knowledge. The record of your journey through your innovation project is Your Story.

Derek Cheshire is an expert, speaker, consultant and facilitator in the areas of Business Creativity, Innovation and Idea Generation. He is creator of the Innovation Toolkit, and co creator of workshops such as Creating The Difference, Creativity as a Business Tool, Sticky Strategy and The Idea Factory. You can receive regular ideas and updates on Business Creativity and Innovation by visiting http://www.creative4business.co.uk and filling out the simple sign up form.

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If you’re like most people, you probably started with wonderful ideas of fulfilling your dreams, to be successful and to take charge of your own destiny.

I hope you have achieved those or are well on your way.

You wouldn’t think of starting your business without a business plan and you shouldn’t even consider marketing your product or services without a marketing plan. A solid business plan and marketing plan are your roadmaps to help you to know where your going, how to get there and to achieve your goals, whatever they may be.

Nobody likes to think about what would happen if those accomplishments were suddenly pulled out from under you, yet unfortunately it does happen.

As of this writing, we have seen this directly with the recent rash of hurricanes that have devastated the Caribbean, Cuba, Florida and our Gulf Coast. Thousands of lives have been temporarily or permanently disrupted.

Do you have a plan if this should happen to you? Can your home business survive in the event of an emergency? If not, then it’s time to start thinking about adding a business continuity plan to your list of things to do.

What is a business continuity plan? Very simply, a business continuity plan is a complete set of well-planned and documented procedures that will help your business get back on track in the event of an emergency.

If your business is managed from your home, both your residence and your livelihood are at risk due to unexpected loss.

Natural disasters are not the only risk factors. As devastating as it is to think someone else was in your home, robberies can happen anywhere.

Something as basic as a hard drive crash can cripple your home business indefinitely. I recently spoke with two people in the last month that with this very distrupting experience.

When you think of how much time, money & effort you have invested in your home businesses, it only makes sense to make sure it is protected and can survive an emergency.

A solid business plan, a strategic marketing and a complete continuity plan are essential elements to your long-term success and peace of mind.

About The Author

© 2004 Patty Gale - All rights reserved

Cornerstones Consulting, LLC

Patty Gale is a business continuity and disaster recovery specialist serving the home & small business community. She is co-author of the “Home Office Recovery Plan” and manages her company, Cornerstones Consulting, LLC from her home office near Milwaukee, WI.

Visit her site to receive your complimentary info-pak containing sample chapters from the book.

http://www.HomeOfficeRecoveryPlan.com

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The concept of Mercury Retrograde is very well known even among non-Astrologers.

It is an excellent example of the use of Astrology as a planning tool. By working with the ebb and flow of planetary energies your life can flow more smoothly and efficiently.

WHAT IS MERCURY RETROGRADE?

When Mercury turns retrograde, it is time to look backward. This period is an excellent time for any activity that entails review, reexamination, and revision.

Astronomically, it refers to a period when Mercury appears to be traveling backwards in the sky - when viewed from Earth.

This is an optical illusion. It is produced by the differences in the distance and speed of its orbit relative to that of the Earth. Like a moving car on a highway in the lane next to yours that appears to be traveling backward, the Mercury is not really moving backwards. It just looks that way.

Mercury begins its retrograde motion by appearing to slow down its forward motion. It will appear to come to a dead stop, or station, then move backward. It picks up speed for a time. Then, again, it slows, then station and move forward.

This period lasts approximately three weeks.

Mercury rules, among other things, our mental functions, communications, and transportation. When Mercury turns retrograde, it functions less well in our day-to-day lives. That is because its energy goes inward.

Ideally, you would take a mental break. But most of us do not have this luxury.

And so, as Mercury forces you to restructure your thinking and reveals flaws in your planning, you are likely to feel frustration.

This is often experienced as personal misunderstandings and communications snafus. Missed appointments, telecommunications and computer glitches, missing mail, transportation delays, blocks in negotiations are other common examples.

These things do happen when Mercury is direct. But they happen much more frequently when Mercury is retrograde.

That is the reason for that common piece of Astrological advice to be conscientious about such things as backing up your computer, double-checking schedules and appointments, and allowing more time in your travel.

It is also well advised to refrain from making major commitments and signing important contracts during this period. Careless thinking, misinformation, haste and poor communication impede the ability to make wise decisions.

Often people feel pressured to make an immediate decision. It is best to wait if possible.

It is likely that you will change your mind after Mercury changes direction as new information comes to light or a different perspective is revealed.

HOW TO USE THE ENERGY OF MERCURY RETROGRADE

There are many positive uses for Mercury Retrograde energy. This is an excellent time for introspection - looking towards the past. Your focus may change and alternative ideas may come to light.

Mercury Retrograde is an optimum time to focus on people, issues and projects that are already established or from the past.

It is an excellent time to initiate contact and meet with people who have not been in your life for a while. In fact, it is not uncommon to be contacted by long lost friends and family at this time.

This is the time is to take on any activities that entail review or revision of old or already established projects.

Cleaning out reviewing and reorganizing records is an excellent example. Another is gathering your financial information together from the past year in preparation for filing your tax return.

WHEN DOES MERCURY GO RETROGRADE?

Mercury makes his retrograde dance approximately three times a year for a period of three weeks. You may feel its effects up to a week or so before it makes its retrograde station.

Here are the periods when Mercury goes retrograde for 2005 and 2006:

2005
March 19 to April 12
July 23 to August 16
November 14 to December 4

2006
March 2 to March 25
July 4 to July 29
October 28 to November 18

Use this information to optimize your planning and efficiency.

Ellen Zucker has been self-employed for over 10 years. She owns the site http://www.selfemployment101.com

Selfemployment101.com - It’s about making a living and creating a life! … Observations, information and resources for those of us who are self employed or just thinking about it.

E-zine subscribers can get Ellen’s articles delivered to their email inbox.

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How we use questions to get more commitment, learning and better results.

Two weeks ago, Sue McKinney, Peg Carlson and I spent four days training a group of internal Continuous Improvement consultants. They noticed two things about us and our approach:

-We ask a lot of genuinely curious questions
-We actively seek disagreement and difference

Many of them noticed the opposite patterns in themselves! As they practiced their newfound skills, we all noticed that they would often advocate for something and then ask questions like “Are you ok with that?”, “Am I right?” or “Do you agree?” We also noticed they were silently hoping that they’d get quick agreement so they could move on.

We talked with them about their questions. We decided that their questions were likely to solicit agreement or similar views. They also made it harder for others to openly disagree.

We suggested a different way of thinking: if they genuinely wanted solutions that people were internally committed to and they wanted them quickly, they would be better off saying what they were thinking, then actively seeking disagreement.

Time and again, we’ve learned that if people disagree or see things differently, we save time by discovering their views as quickly as possible. We suggest you ask questions that actively seek disagreement or that encourage people to respond with whatever they’re naturally thinking. Here are some examples of each:

“Seeking Disagreement” questions:
“I’d like to use [x] as a vendor. Do you have any concerns about [x]?”
“I’d like to… Does anyone see any problems with what I’m suggesting?”
“I think you have concerns about this project. Am I off base?”
“I think we’d save time by building an agenda. Are you seeing that differently?”
“I think this market will be profitable because…. What flaws, if any, do you see in my logic?”

“Natural Thinking” questions:
“I think production in unit A has slowed. What do you think?”
“I’m concerned that we don’t have enough support from Jim and his team. What’s your reaction to that?”
“Sounds like you think [x] is the best way to go. What is it that’s important to you about [x]?”
“It sounds like we’ve missed our deadline. Have I done anything to contribute to this problem?”

We’ve found that getting these questions out your mouth in a believable way requires you to be genuinely interested in surfacing differences and disagreement. If you aren’t, they will probably come across as canned, perfunctory, or even manipulative.

What are your reactions to all of this? Please come to the Mutual Learning Action Group and share them with us and your peers.

© 2005 Matt Beane

Matt Beane is an associate with Roger Schwarz & Associates and co-authored a chapter of the recently published “Skilled Facilitator Fieldbook: Tips, Tools, and Tested Methods for Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Trainers, and Coaches,” available on Amazon.com and via other quality booksellers.

This article was originally published in Fundamental Change, Roger Schwarz & Associates’ free, monthly ezine. You can subscribe at: http://www.schwarzassociates.com/fundamental_change.html

In exchange for subscribing, you’ll receive a link to a free .pdf copy of “Holding Risky Conversations,” a chapter from our recently-published fieldbook.

We write Fundamental Change to help you create workplaces and communities that are simultaneously highly effective and that improve the quality of life.

Every month we:

* Address issues important to you as practitioners and leaders * Share client examples and case studies * Offer tips and tools for challenging situations * Offer resources to help you become more effective.

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I just Googled the phrase “goal setting”, and found approximately 3,600,000 web pages that relate in some way to that phrase. This shouldn’t surprise us, because conventional wisdom is that goal setting is an important skill.

It is easy to document both through anecdotal evidence as well as through research that setting goals can help us achieve more. There are hundreds of books, tapes, speeches, workshops, and websites that will provide us with tools and processes to set goals. One would think for something as important as goal setting, with as many tools as there are available, that everyone would be a goal setter.

This however isn’t the case.

While I could fill a book with the reasons why, there is one that is very important.

People don’t set goals now because they didn’t achieve the ones they set in the past.

They’ve followed the goal setting process they learned or read about, but the seminar or book stopped at the wrong time. The seminar stopped with the setting of the goal. That is like ending the game after the first play, then going to sit on the sidelines, while the goal is out on the playing field.

My advice to you, if you can identify with what you’ve just read is to stop worrying about goal setting. And start focusing on goal achieving.

In other words, stop worrying about which goal setting model to use, or which software to track your progress with. Stop making the goal setting process the focus, and start putting the focus on goal achievement.

Here are three things you can do to put our focus on goal achievement and drastically increase your success:

1. Get sick and tired. It is often said that people really begin to reach new health goals when they become “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Achieving a goal means that you want something different than you have now. To build your ongoing and sustaining drive to achieve the new item, knowledge or situation, you must become disgusted and dissatisfied with the current situation. This doesn’t mean that you should become bitter or grumpy, but rather it means to develop a healthy dissatisfaction with the way things are now (current profitability, the cycle time for new product development, or your inability to find a bathroom in Brazil).

2. Get (and stay) excited about the result. To sustain the challenges, setbacks and disappointments along your way to goal achievement, you must have another motivation as well. You must really want the benefits that will come to you when the new goal is achieved. Build a clear and compelling picture in your mind of what you will feel, sense, see, and believe once your goal has been achieved. Focus on the results you will gain from the goal, rather than just the goal itself. This is important because in the end this is what you are after, not “just” the goal itself. As you work towards your goal, the goal might shift, but as long as the desired results remain clear, you have improved the likelihood of achieving the end result you desire.

3. Start a plan and get started. Notice I didn’t say to lay out a complete plan of all the steps between you and your goal. If your goal is of any size and importance at all, it will require many steps, and it will be very difficult/impossible to identify them with any degree of certainty at the start. Too many people think they need the perfect plan. They delay starting so they can get the best information. They want to talk to one more expert, read one more book, examine two more options. Get started already! Give yourself a clear idea of a general approach, and some clear first steps. Allow yourself the luxury of knowing that the next specific steps will become clear as you stay on the path.

Doing these three things will drastically increase your success in achieving any goal you set.

Actually, let me say it more strongly. Until you have these three factors going for you in large (although potentially varying) amounts, you won’t achieve the goals you set. You will lose momentum. You will lose focus. You will lose hope. You won’t be able to overcome the first setback. And you will fall into the convenient and comfortable thinking that goal setting “doesn’t work” for you or that you need a new tool, a new technique or a new guru to help you set “better” goals.

Whether you are setting goals for yourself, the team you lead or for your organization at large, take this advice to heart.

Focus less energy on setting the perfect goal and spend more time preparing yourself for ultimate success. Stop worrying about the resolution, and start focusing on the resolve that will be required to succeed.

Doing this will bring you greater success, less frustration and will help you and your organization move closer and closer to your potential.

Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company. To receive a free Special Report on leadership that includes resources, ideas, and advice go to www.kevineikenberry.com/leadership.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

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It has been a long and demanding journey for me personally to learn about trust since leaving the corporate world two years ago. I now lack the benefit of daily contact with colleagues and our “water-cooler” conversations about issues related to relationships and trust. Meeting new people and arranging new relationship agreements has been a huge learning experience that has forced me to develop, accept and embrace my own judgment about trustworthiness - for good or for bad. I’ve made some mistakes in trusting some people, but I’m grateful for these lessons because now I can share them with you. For example, I have learned to be cautious about trusting too quickly (which is admittedly part of my nature - both an asset and a liability).

So, as a leader, what does it take to invite others to put their trust in you?

Why is trust so important to successful leadership?

1. Because you can’t build and sustain relationships without a basic foundation of trust and sustainable relationships are essential to getting your job done.

2. Because you absolutely, positively cannot lead others without them believing that, when they follow you, they will be doing the right thing. We know that motivating others to follow a vision is essential to leadership, and trust is the foundation.

3. Because trust is easier to cultivate and sustain from the beginning of a relationship than it is to rebuild once it has been lost.

What makes us place our trust in a leader?

For many of us, this is intuitive. We either feel that we trust a person or we don’t. Therefore, I asked a few colleagues and clients what behaviors and actions are needed for them to place their trust in someone. Overwhelmingly, these are their top three answers, in the order of the frequency in which they were given:

1. Demonstrate a consistent commitment for having the “feet follow the mouth.” It’s vitally important that leaders demonstrate that they will do what they say they will do. Note the emphasis on “consistent.” The use of this word is intentional, because inconsistent action results in a lack of trust in a leader.

2. Exhibit integrity and honesty. These traits are hard to define, but we all know them when we see them.

3. Listen and show respect for others even when you don’t “need” to. The leader sets the tone throughout an organization for the way employees are treated, and employees then deal with stakeholders (including customers) in that same manner. If the leader treats employees well, the stakeholders will be happy.

The bottom line is that trust is a blend of who you are as well as concrete actions that you take on commitments. Earning and sustaining trust takes dedication and practice. The hard part is remaining consistent in a world where we are continually assaulted with trials that test our trustworthiness.

The good news is that when leaders build up a “trust storehouse” by consistently demonstrating these behaviors, they may be forgiven for minor slippages in behavior, especially if they show good-faith efforts to get back on track. Build up your trust storehouse, and some mistakes in trust are acceptable.

When others have trust in us, it really does make it easier to lead and motivate others. You may benefit from some feedback on whether you are on the right “trust” path by hiring a coach or consultant to conduct a 360-degree feedback or a multi-rater feedback instrument on your behalf.

As President of Aspire Collaborative Services, Mary Jo Asmus is a Leadership Expert, Executive Coach and Business Consultant who partners with Senior Leaders, “High Potentials”, and their teams, to support them in achieving their goals in business excellence. Mary Jo’s global Fortune 500 background in business areas as diverse as human resources; research and development; organizational development; and business strategy allow her to provide valuable insights about individuals and organizational systems.

Mary Jo is known for her professionalism, honesty and integrity. Her style is supportive and focused on the results needed to reach and surpass individual and organizational goals. Her passion for collaborative partnership and discovering strengths facilitate action suited specifically for the individual and team. Learn more about Mary Jo and Aspire Collaborative Services at http://www.aspire-cs.com or you may contact her at mary.jo.asmus@aspire-cs.com.

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Neil Armstrong made his first moon walk on July 20, 1969, two months before I entered college. I remember that many Americans were euphoric about this accomplishment. There were songs written, celebrations, ticker tape parades, and coins depicting an eagle landing on the moon.

Yet what really stands out in my memory was a poster on a classmate’s dorm-room wall. It looked like the front page of a newspaper’s special edition. The large photo dominating the upper half of the page showed Armstrong in his space suit, visor down, planting the U.S. flag into lunar soil. The banner headline screamed, “So what?”

I think the “So what?” poster was questioning whether the billions poured into the space program were justifiable while people in the U.S. and around the world were still suffering from hunger, poverty, illiteracy, and poor health care. Stewardship was the issue the poster was raising.

Most would agree the space program has been well worth its expense. The many spin-offs are not the only benefit. This great achievement forever transformed our assumptions of what is possible.

We should ask ourselves, “So what?” at the very moment we accomplish anything we are tempted to label “great.” We should do this so habitually that we learn to ask it at the beginning of a project, not just at its end. Is this thing into which I am pouring so much of my time, money, and energy really worth it all? Will it change the world for the better? Will it change me?

The Master asked, “So what?” again and again. He wanted his disciples to count the cost, to inspect the fruit, to look down the broad road and up the narrow road. Many of His parables have to do with Judgment Day. The fire of judgment will burn up all the unworthy pursuits and the fly-by-night goals. What survives will be only what can face such a probing question with solid confidence.

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on subjects of interest to Bible students. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has taught seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.

Go to his DeeperStudy.org for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore “The Shallows,” plumb “The Depths,” or use the well-organized “Study Links” for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve’s free “DeeperStudy Newsletter.”

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One of the key models for goal achievement is that of cause and effect. This model says that your goal is an effect to be achieved, and your task is to identify and then create the cause that will produce the desired effect, thereby achieving your goal.

Sounds simple enough, right?

However, the main problem with this model is that nearly everyone seriously misunderstands it. And that misunderstanding comes from not knowing what a “cause” really is.

You might assume that the cause of an effect would be a series of physical and mental actions leading up to that effect. Action-reaction. If your goal is to make dinner, then you might think the cause would be the series of preparation steps.

To an outside observer, that certainly appears to be the case. The scientific method would suggest that this is how things work, based on a purely objective observation.

However, within your own consciousness, you know that the series of action steps is not the real cause. The actions are themselves an effect, aren’t they?

What’s the real cause? The real cause is the decision you made to create that effect in the first place. That’s the moment you said to yourself, “Let it be” or “make it so.” At some point you decided to make dinner. That decision may have been subconscious, but it was a still a decision. Without that decision the dinner would never manifest. That decision ultimately caused the whole series of actions and finally the manifestation of your dinner.

Where does that decision arise from? It might arise from your subconscious, or in the case of conscious decisions, it arises from your consciousness. Ultimately your consciousness is the greater power, as it can override subconscious choices once it becomes aware of them.

Missing this very simple distinction has contributed to quite a number of failed goals.

If you want to achieve a goal you’ve set, the most crucial part is to DECIDE to manifest it. It doesn’t matter if you feel it’s outside your control to do so. It doesn’t matter if you can’t yet see how you’ll get from A to B. Most of those resources will come online AFTER you’ve made the decision, not before.

If you don’t understand this simple step, then you will waste a lot of time. Step 1 is to decide. Not to ruminate or to ponder or to ask around and see whether or not you can do it. If you want to start your own business, then decide to make it so. If you want to be married and have a family, then decide to attract a mate. If you want to change careers, then decide to do so.

It blows my mind that people think that something else has to come before the decision. People waste months trying to figure out, “Is this goal possible?” And this makes a lot of sense to do so if you’re at a certain level of consciousness. But all you’re really doing is creating delay, and you’ll simply manifest evidence to suggest that the goal is both possible and not possible. You think doubt in your head, you find doubt in the world.

Time and again I’ve seen evidence that not only people, but the universe itself, can sense a lack of commitment to a goal. Have you ever heard someone tell you about a goal of theirs, and you can just sense how wishy-washy and uncertain they are about it? They say things like, “Well, I’m going to try this and see how it goes. Hopefully it will work out OK.” Is that evidence that a clear decision has been made? Not remotely. Are you going to help this person? Probably not who wants to waste their time on someone who isn’t committed?

But what happens when you sense total certainty in the other person? Will you help them if they ask for it? You’re far more likely to help a committed person because you can tell they’re eventually going to succeed anyway, and you want to be part of that success. You even feel more energized and motivated yourself to contribute to the success of people who are very clearly committed to a goal that resonates with you and which is genuinely for the greatest good of all.

Don’t you think this process works the same way within your own mind? If your consciousness is divided against itself, do you think it will commit all its internal resources to your goal? Will your subconscious give you all the energy and creativity it possibly could, or will it hold back? Think of your subconscious mind as a multi-tasking computer processor. What percentage of resources will it devote to a task that you’ve told it to execute with the words, “Run this for a little bit and see if it works, but quickly dump it if it seems too difficult?” Now what if you gave that CPU a process labeled, “Run this now?”

The universe itself works on the same principle. Think of it as the superconscious mind. When you’ve made a clear, committed decision, it will open the universal floodgates, bringing you all the resources you need, sometimes in seemingly mysterious or impossible ways.

Whenever you want to set a new goal for yourself, start by setting it. Take the time to become clear about what you want, but then just declare it.

Say to the universe, “Here is the goal. Make it so.”

Do not ask the universe for what you want. Declare it. Don’t ask. This is very similar to prayer, but you are not praying FOR what you want. You are praying WHAT you want. You are simply saying, “Here it is. Make it so.” It is like planting a seed in the ground. You do not say to the ground, “Here is the seed. Please, can you make it grow?” You simply plant the seed, and it will grow as a natural consequence of your planting and tending to it. It is the same with your intentions. Simply plant them. There’s no need to beg.

Intend that your goal manifest in such a manner that is for the greatest good of all. This is very important, as intentions that are created out of fear or a sense of lack will backfire. You may get what you want, but it will yield a bitter aftertaste. Or you may get the exact opposite of what you want. But intentions that are genuinely made for your own good and the greatest good of all will tend to manifest in a positive way.

After I declare my intention, I wait for the resources and synchronicities to arrive. Usually they begin to manifest in 24-48 hours, sometimes sooner. Sometimes these synchronicities appear to be the result of subconscious action. I just happen to notice things that may have been there all along, but now I see them in a new light, and they become resources for me that I never noticed until after I declared my intention. But many times it’s nearly impossible to explain such synchronicities as the result of my own subconscious action, even if I step back and try to look at them purely objectively. Sometimes they come in such unusual avalanches that I can only explain them as the result of superconscious action. On some level the universe itself is aware of my intention and is doing its part to help manifest it. I also find that the more inviting I am of these synchronicities, the more easily they flow. Right now I typically experience about 10 per week on average, and I think that’s because I have many different intentions in the process of manifesting, so there’s a constant flow of resources coming to me.

The mental and physical planning and action steps come later. That’s how I organize the resources that have arrived. Once enough resources have come to me, I can begin to see how they all fit together to achieve the goal. But if the path seems too complicated or difficult and I don’t like what I see, I put out some new intentions to make it the way I want it to be. I declare, “Let it be simpler.” I again wait for the synchronicities to arrive, and a simpler approach becomes clear. Usually for an approach to be simpler, it means I have to get past some personal block within me. I have to grow on some level in order to be able to take advantage of a simpler solution. Or perhaps I have to learn a new skill first. So while it might be simpler, it might also be harder on a personal level. For example, by putting out the intention to do more to help people, I had to develop my communication skills. That makes the goal easier to achieve, but it’s more work up front.

It took me a number of years to be able to trust this approach before I could begin to use it as my default manner of goal achievement. I have to be open to achieving goals in unusual ways sometimes. I get what I intend, but not always what I expect. So when the synchronicities begin dropping me clues, I do not always understand how they’ll be part of the path to the goal. But invariably there’s an intelligence at work, and if I trust it, it will work just fine. Usually it will bring me new information first, so I can raise my own awareness and knowledge to the level required to achieve the goal.

For example, if I you declare your goal to become wealthier, within a few days you might see all sorts of synchronicities related to spirituality. They may seem to have nothing to do with wealth whatsoever. So you figure it’s just a coincidence, and the approach isn’t working. But the approach is sound, and it is working. Most likely it’s a signal that the path to wealth first requires you to improve your consciousness. This is especially true if your intention was for the highest good of all. If you become wealthy before your energy and consciousness have reached a certain level, then greater material wealth may only feed your problems your goal cannot yet manifest for the greatest good of all. But if you first learn to use your energy and consciousness positively, then the greater resources that wealth provides you will be a positive manifestation instead of a negative one.

In truth this is a simple and direct process. But our minds are so cluttered with the flotsam and jetsam of social conditioning that we have a hard time thinking on this level. We get so attached to seeing our goals manifest a certain way because that’s how they manifest in TV shows or in movies. Or maybe that’s how our parents or friends did it. But this attachment to a particular “how” blocks us from allowing our goals to manifest far more easily. If we could loosen up a bit on the “how” and just learn to allow the manifestation to occur in its own perfect way, goal achievement would be far easier.

So often I see people sabotage their own goals because they do not understand the power of intention. Realize that EVERY thought is truly an intention. Every thought. So most people manifest a cluttered mish-mash of conflict in their lives because their thoughts are in conflict. They simultaneously set a goal and then unset it. “I want to start my own business.” “I wonder if it will work.” “I wonder if I’ll succeed.” “Maybe this won’t work.” “Maybe John is right, and this is a mistake.” “No, I’m pretty sure it will work just fine.”

If you are trying to achieve goals on the level of action-reaction, meaning that you’re purely focused on the action steps, while at the higher level of intention-manifestation, you’re putting out conflicting thoughts, then you’re sabotaging yourself. If you go on a diet and exercise like crazy, while all the while thinking, “I’m fat. This is hopeless. This is taking too long,” then your higher level intentions will override your actions, and negative or incongruent results will follow.

If you want to achieve a goal, you must clear out all the “hopefully” and “maybe” and “can’t” nonsense from your consciousness. You cannot allow yourself the luxury of a negative thought, and that is an intention to manifest what you don’t want. This takes practice of course, but it is the essential art of learning to use your consciousness to create what you want. When you are congruent in your thoughts, your goal will manifest with ease. But when you are incongruent in your thoughts, you will manifest conflict and obstacles. As within, so without.

Why is it you’re able to do this? Because you have that power. Not believing in yourself simply means you’re using your own power against yourself. You’re like a god saying, “Let me be powerless,” and you don’t even realize it. If you think/intend weakness, you manifest weakness. If you project your power outside yourself and onto the external world, you lose your power.

You don’t need anyone’s permission to do this. It is a natural human ability. But it takes practice to develop your consciousness to the level where you can apply it and especially to learn to trust it.

What happens if you decide to manifest a really, really big goal, one that seems physically impossible? The process will still work. It’s just that there will be a lot more steps, and you may be lead through various synchronicities for years before you’ve reached the point where your ultimate goal can manifest. It might take longer than your human lifetime if the goal is so big. But you will certainly make progress if you use this approach.

So what is your goal? Say it out loud right now, and let it be for the greatest good of all. Then say to the universe, “Make it so.” Wait for the synchronicities and unusual coincidences to arrive. Follow them where they want to lead you, even if it seems strange at first. Allow your goal to manifest.

Copyright © Steve Pavlina

Steve Pavlina
Personal Development for Smart People
http://www.stevepavlina.com
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog (blog)
http://www.stevepavlina.com/articles (articles)

Steve is intensely growth-oriented. He trained in martial arts, ran the L.A. Marathon, and graduated from college in three semesters with two degrees. He can juggle, count cards at blackjack, and make damn good guacamole. Steve is also a polyphasic sleeper, sleeping just 2-3 hours per day and only 20 minutes at a time. So chances are good that he’s awake right now.

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What do creativity managers do?

Replace the word management with the word optimisation.

That’s what creativity managers do: they optimise the quality of the idea pool (creativity) and the implementation process (innovation).

There are many methods of optimisation and the creativity leader must be aware of all of them, in other words, he or she must synthesise them for optimal effect.

Areas [within creativity] that need managing include motivation, organisational culture, organisational structure, incremental versus radical effects and processes, knowledge mix, group structures, goals, process and valuation.

Areas [within innovation] that need managing include idea selection, development / prototyping and the art of commercialisation.

It is worth noting that 4000 good ideas result in 4 development programs, which in turn results in 1 winner.

The role of Knowledge

The knowledge mix influences creativity output. There are many ways to look at it.

First, does in-depth knowledge of a field enhance the probability of a breakthrough or is that likely to cause blinkered vision? Another way of looking at it, can an individual with no knowledge in a field make a significant contribution to it?

There is much interesting data, for example, the most valuable creative product appears at around year ten of an individual’s engagement in a domain. Also, when peer influence is reduced, novel, diverse and valuable products tend to appear sooner.

Second, how to we maximise the level of tacit knowledge? Tacit knowledge is all that cannot be easily coded (explicit knowledge) and includes experience, intuition and the like. Tacit knowledge makes up a far greater part of the knowledge base. Solutions include utilising frameworks, creating networks, collaborating, bridging and so on.

Learn more…

Download the MBA research, learn about this topic at http://www.creativity-management.com/

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Kal Bishop, MBA

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Download the MBA research, learn about this topic at http://www.creativity-management.com/

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