Set high goals and hold yourself accountable for the delivering on the results. This part is about the journey, not just the end game.

When a breakdown occurs, the question becomes "what was not made clear?" Rather than, "why didn't she understand me?" The clarity is a two way street, where just expecting everyone else to understand is sometimes lacking in perception.

I notice I cause problems for myself when I get overly attached to my preparations. One of my many blind spots is around overly relying on my preparation. “Winging it” is rarely my first choice. However, things do tend to work out well when I trust my ability to adapt and find a way.

Failing to hold yourself and your team accountable, essentially creates a culture in which fulfilling responsibilities, assignments and promises is not expected. Clearly, not a culture which breeds engagement or high performance.

How am I doing at living up to and fulfilling the terms of honoring the commitments I’ve made to myself?

Work can be fun when:

• People feel included

• People are allowed to use their gifts for the good of the team

• People are allowed to express their thoughts and opinions

• It's ok to laugh, especially at yourself

• You take off the pressure of being incredibly academic and focus on the product being really great

The more we can all speak the same language, the better opportunity we have to accelerate the communication and results.

It’s this generosity in listening that makes them easy to serve and easy to love.

The core of a successful coaching relationship is a bond of mutual trust. Both coach and client need to trust one another in order to openly and honestly explore both existing and potential new emotions, thought patterns and behaviors.

What made a safe environment possible was to talk about where it had not been safe, at all, up to that point.  It takes courage, conviction, and true commitment from leadership.  And it is very possible, and not all that complicated, once you choose to no longer tolerate a toxic environment.

Doing our best doesn’t mean being perfect. It means doing our best in the current situation at the current time in the current mind-frame with our current knowledge. By believing that everyone is doing their best, I can release myself from the situation and give every person the benefit of the doubt.

We train leaders to listen for others in a way that they are contributing to the success of the team, company, and customer. This doesn’t mean they have to agree with an opposing point of view. If we can get past the agreement part, we can listen for understanding and actually expand our perception and point of view. This could make all the difference in the outcome.

Clear and efficient communication begins with the speaker having a clear intention on what is to be said. 

THERE ARE BENEFITS TO BOTH PARTIES FROM LISTENING WELL:

• Higher productivity – problems solved faster with fewer duplicated efforts or heated arguments

• Increased trust – listening to individuals generates respect and trust

• Fewer mistakes – information received is more accurate

• Increased confidence – self-esteem goes up when we feel we are heard

One of our first exercises was to uncover my “core values,” which at first I thought would be more like “priorities” or “life roles.” No, I found out, everyone has values set so deep in them that it drives their lives. It’s not what we consider to be important; it’s what we know so deeply in our psyche that we expect everyone and everything to adhere.

Our calendars speak facts, and typically, our interpretation of what happened in the past year isn’t as accurate as the calendar.

What examples can you think of where a detail included or left out made the difference for you?

Before reacting emotionally, consider the probability that the individual does not intend to be combative. Most people are, in fact, honest and well-meaning. Look for positive intent from them and make sure you are communicating your own.

An update on a story of recovery by coffee brand Starbucks

Getting back to someone in a timely fashion is a matter of accountability and trust. Response time is critical in business.