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The Leadership Advisor
"Helping Leaders Develop Leaders"
February 2007
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"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, just results." ~ Art Turock

"Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow." ~ Plato

"All glory comes from daring to begin.” ~ Eugene F. Ware

"The moment you stop learning, you stop leading." ~ Rick Warren

You Are Here!
by Phil Eastman

Over the past few years, the Eastman family has enjoyed several trips to Orlando, Florida to partake in the great theme parks that abound there. This past Christmas break was no different. When we first enter a park, we stop at the large fixed map at the entrance and look for the message You Are Here! Theme parks are large and complex, so without first locating our position on the map, we would not be able to appropriately plan our day’s events. In addition to finding our position relative to the parks offerings, we also pick up paper maps to guide us throughout the park.

In the same way that a theme park map shows its patrons where they are relative to all the possible avenues in the park, assessments provide the initial indication of where our clients are relative to the leadership and team development they wish to undertake. Helping our clients find their You Are Here! is essential to constructing a development plan that is both effective and efficient.

Assessments fit into broad categories such as interviews and standardized. Based on the type of engagement, we may employ one or both styles. The first type of assessment is to conduct individual or small group interviews with key people in the organization. Most often we use interviews when the client needs assistance with organizational direction, structure, or process issues. Interviews help us understand the issues in the organization, allowing key individuals to be heard in regard to their concerns and potential solutions to particular challenges. Moreover, interviews allow us to build rapport with the people within the organization. This is essential to effectively helping leaders and organizations meet their challenges. The benefits of interview assessments are that they are highly personal and informative. The downside of interviews is that they are time consuming and thus more expensive than standardized assessments.

Standardized assessments comprise the second major way of assessing organizational situations. Standardized assessments include all types of organizational measurements where people provide numerical answers to specific questions about management, leadership and/or team effectiveness. Standardized assessments also include customer service and employee satisfaction surveys. Our practice uses several different standardized assessments to understand where to direct our consulting expertise in a client engagement.

No matter the type of engagement, we want to assess the situation properly so that we can help our clients plan their next steps. Those steps, in the case of leadership and team development, are represented in our theme park metaphor by the paper map that we carry around. Just like there a myriad of different paths we could take in the theme park to fill out our day, there needs to be a map (development plan) that helps a client find their way to the most important areas of development for them.

Just like our family has a finite amount of time to take in our favorite attractions in the park, people engaged in any sort of development process have limited amounts of time. Consequently, it is critical that we find out where a client is standing in relation to the development possibilities so they can make the best use of their resources.

As you consider where you and your team need to develop your abilities during 2007, I encourage you to let us help you find your You Are Here! and construct a map to guide your development journey.

Phil Eastman is the founder and president of Leadership Advisors Group, a Boise- based consulting firm. Phil combines more than 25 years of leadership experience with his passion for consulting, coaching, and teaching to develop leaders, build teams, and improve performance. It is his desire to enhance leadership effectiveness for all of his clientele. Phil believes You Are Here!
Running girl
By Lorene Rasmussen

I’m going to let you in on a little secret of mine, I have three irrational fears. Freezing to death, starving to death, and being left behind. (I am sure this is a byproduct of being #5 of 6 children growing up in rural America.) The ironic thing is, since I started training for the Marine Corp Marathon, I have realized all three of my fears are no longer irrational. Running in 8 degree weather, not snacking on “GU”, and being the last one back to the gym on Saturday runs, I think I really could freeze to death, starve to death, or be left behind.

Metaphorically speaking, I feel like the Leadership Advisors’ Performance Development Model in running shoes. To get to the Marine Corp Marathon in 263 days, I am basically using the same five step approach for my training.

Competencies Determined
Our development process begins with determining competencies (where we want to be). In my case, I am identifying the elements that will allow me to cross the finish line without injury and with a smile. These elements include good nutrition and hydration, appropriate running apparel for the weather conditions, warm-up exercises, consistent workout times, correct breathing techniques, proper movement, posture, and body alignment, as well as adopting an endurance methodology, just to name a few.

Competencies Assessed
After the specific competencies are identified, we then assess the competency proficiency (measures where we are currently). This phase pinpoints where I am today and ascertains what I need to do to improve or change, so I can achieve my ultimate goal.

I must admit upfront, in theory this sounds like a logical exercise but emotionally speaking, I continue to find myself near tears as I face my weaknesses during analysis and training. Even though my reaction may or may not be typical, it is still a frustrating experience to be faced with my body’s bountiful limitations. This brings us nicely to the next step in the model, Development Planning.

Competency Development Planning
The development plan outlines what we need to do to move forward and breaks down the essentials elements into manageable parts. Whether looking at leadership development or training for a marathon, you can not change or adopt everything that needs fixing all at once, otherwise, you’ll become frustrated and emotionally explode.

Right off the starting blocks, my development plan moved me from the treadmill housed inside a warm gym and placed me in the context of the running environment, outside. This one alteration caused me to re-think everything from my apparel for the cold weather to my walk/run times.

Right away I started experiencing shin splints for various reasons. Allow me to enumerate for a moment: I no longer was running on a surface that had flex in the platform; my calf muscles are stronger than my shin muscles; and I didn’t take time for warm-up exercises.

After a video gait analysis, they determined that my gait was too wide and needs to come into alignment with my hip. The analysis also exposed my heal strike which causes the shin bone and muscle to take the impact. It is better to come down on the mid-foot where there is natural flex in the arch.

Obviously the development plan continues to evolve to take into account areas that when used in process, creates another assessment of my abilities.

Competency Development
The fourth step of the model is Competency Development. In this step, resources and knowledge are engaged to create the learning and experience required to develop the competencies. Once I begin training longer and running races, I will be able to see how my development has progressed (but I am certainly not there yet).

Competency Development Assessment
And finally the fifth step in our Performance Development Model, Competency Development Assessment. In this step, we assess once again in order to measure how far someone has come in their process. Because the model is a circular system and organic in nature, one is able to move to the next level, set new goals and begin again, always adapting to their environment.

I am only 37 days into this new resolution and I have covered the whole gamut of emotions. Everything from being wildly elated at my pace while running back down Shaw Mountain Road on a bright sunny day, taking in the view to waking up in the middle of the night to tend to my shin pains and questioning my sanity. Without the encouragement and accountability of my family, friends, and coaches, and a nicely laid out plan, no doubt I would have already quit by now and eventually feel left behind.

The Starting Line is #2 in a series of articles that will be featured throughout 2007 in this newsletter. Next month we are going to journey a little further into Lorene's training and examine her over all strategy.

Lorene Rasmussen is the Partner for Business Operations which guides and supports the daily and strategic operations of Leadership Advisors Group. She combines a unique sense of fun and organization to insure operations "run/walk" smoothly and that clients receive the highest quality service possible.

Lorene earned a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in marketing from Boise State University and is a certified Life Coach through Genesis Enterprises in Seattle, Washington. In the pursuit of goals, Lorene believes you got to start somewhere!
Talking
This lively 4-hour workshop establishes dominant personality and communication styles; teaching people how to bridge the natural divides that exist between styles. These divides often keep individuals and groups from being as effective as they could be. Participants find this workshop engaging, entertaining and practical in both their personal and professional lives.

Communication is Essential: Personality is at the very heart of what it means to be human. We move in different rhythms, tempos, and directions. Thus, we are all different, consequently, we all communicate differently. The Bold personality is stimulated by the challenge of new adventure. The Expressive thrives on being around others and persuading them. The Sensitive personality is patient, dependable, loyal, and a good listener. The Technical personality is controlled, cautious, precise, and rule-oriented. Each type has needs and preferences which are the keys to understanding and motivating each personality.

$125.00

Friday, February 23, 2007

8 am to Noon

George Fox University - 1810 Eagle Rd., Meridian, ID

Contact Lorene: 208.871.5981

Previous participants in The BEST Style Workshop have this to say:

“I feel the knowledge about other peoples personality/communication style is a strong tool for all managers to have.”

“I wish I knew these communication distinctions earlier in my career, it could have saved a lot of heartache in dealing with my company’s most valuable asset - the people.”
Leadership Advisors Group will help you and your organization succeed by:
  • Developing effective leaders.
  • Creating strategic plans that drive organizational progress and team unity.
  • Delivering change management that drives strategic results.

You are receiving this email from Leadership Advisors Group because you are a valued client, have requested information regarding our services, or you are part of a highly respected organization. To ensure that you continue to receive emails from us, please add phil@leadershipadvisors.com to your address book.

He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determine the end. ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick


Phil Eastman & Lorene Rasmussen
Leadership Advisors Group

phone: (208) 344-0471
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