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Category: Operations

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Best Practices Growth Management Personal Development Technology

The Escape Artist – How to Stop the Data Thief

When you watch Ocean’s Eleven you know that breaking in is only half the battle; you also have to get out unnoticed or undetected. The same thing that is true for bank robbers and cat burglars also holds true for hackers.

If you are a business owner or executive responsible for keeping your customers or your corporate data secure and you think it’s all about stopping the bad guys (and gals) from accessing your data, you are missing what might be the biggest point of failure: their escape.

Over the years we have seen that many breaches are not noticed or identified for months and sometimes even years, which means not only did the bad guy get away with it, he (or she) was then able to unload their loot or start using the data without worry that they would be noticed. That’s good news for them, but not so good for you.

In order to fully discuss the escape portion of the breach, the part that most people forget to talk about or protect against, let’s look at the three main players or threat actors in this scenario. Going forward I will use the common term “hacker” to mean any of these threat actors.

  1. The external hacker with no authorized access to your network: These are the people who sit behind their computers anywhere in the world and try to find networks that are open or system vulnerabilities just waiting to be exploited. Open networks are typically those that do not have good firewall rules, have publicly facing systems that should not be publicly accessible, or have exploitable web application vulnerabilities. It only takes one bad line of code, one misconfigured firewall rule, or one forgotten system on the perimeter to leave your organization exposed.  Once you are exposed and they are in your network, that is where their fun begins.
  2. The third party vendor or partner who has direct access to your network (usually via VPN): These are the organizations outside of yours that you do business with and need access to your network. They might provide you data or receive data from you, they might monitor another system that you manage, or do a number of legitimate activities. However if you don’t know how secure their networks are, which you never truly will, or you don’t know who they employ, you have opened up your network to their network and their people. If they are hacked and that hacker finds the access to your network – boom, they are in.
  3. The trusted employee: Your employees are not going to harm you right? Most of them will not and even the ones that do are often not trying to harm you. But even those employees who mean no harm cause errors or misuse their credentials, which lead to breaches and data loss.

Once the data has been gathered by the hacker they need to get it out of your network and into their control, the escape. Allowing the escape is where many organizations fail by making this too easy or allowing the hacker to get out undetected. You must know all your outbound connections, they must all have a legitimate business need, they must be reviewed on a regular frequency to ensure they are still needed, and they must be monitored.

You may think this sounds like a lot of work, but if setup properly with the right tools and processes it does not have to be cumbersome going forward. If not built right the first time, it can take some time to put in place, but honestly the pain of discipline in this scenario is going to be much better than the pain of regret later.

If you are reading this and thinking, “I have no idea if data can get out of my network unnoticed,” start asking these questions to the people who work for you that manage your infrastructure. Here is the question you can ask, the answer you want to hear, and the next step if the answer is not what you are looking for. The Next Steps are high level and might require outside assistance or third party tools and vendors.

Question Answer Next Step
Do we have all our outbound firewall rules documented with business justifications?

You want the answer to be yes

 Implement a plan to have the network team spend the next few months documenting all firewall rules. This will mean working with business owners to understand what traffic is necessary and where it has to go.
How often do we review the rules to ensure they are still needed? You want the answer to be at least every six months

 

 Implement a plan, either manually or with automated tools to start reviewing rule sets at least every six months to ensure they are still needed, still use secure protocols, and are going to the correct destination outside your network.
What are we doing to monitor outbound traffic? You want someone to be able to give you specifics and have incident response plans that explain what they do if they see malicious or anomalous traffic. Document an incident response plan, determine what third party resources might be needed in the event of an incident, and put processes in place to monitor traffic for anomalies or suspicious behavior.
How would we know if sensitive data left the network? You want a specific answer that should be easy to find if it’s being done. Research data loss prevention solutions or other network detection tools.
Do we allow encrypted data out of the network?

The answer should be no – we only send encrypted data to organizations that we have vetted and only to specific IP addresses they have given us.

 This is important because malicious users and hackers will actually steal your data and encrypt it with their encryption keys so that it is undetectable by Data Loss Prevention (DLP) software and so that no one can steal it from them. Yes they are often more aware of security than you are.

If no one can answer these questions or you are not happy with the answers, take a deep breath and start a new conversation. No finger pointing and no yelling, but an open and honest conversation with your staff about why this is important and how things are going to have to change in order to keep the data secure.

Lastly remember that tools do not solve all problems and only work when implemented correctly. There is no silver bullet no matter what a vendor tells you. Ensure you have the right people asking the right questions of the vendors if you are bringing in a tool or managed service offering to monitor your network.

This is of course just the start of the conversation and the beginning of what needs to be done. If this is overwhelming and you don’t know where to start or what to do next, I can answer your questions. Email sharon@c-suiteresults.com to discuss your questions or concerns on this topic. I am a 12-year security veteran and have seen 100s of different networks and situations and I am happy to discuss your situation with you.

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Best Practices Growth Human Resources Management Skills Women In Business

Listen Different

Typically, I write about speech. But today I want to take a new look at the role of the listener in leadership communication. As Apple might say, you have to “Listen Different.”

Of course, as the speaker you need to present your information in a way that will make sense to that particular listener, which is an important leadership skill. But that’s only half the story.

Not everyone is going to be good at adapting their speech to fit your expectations for what good communication sounds like. That’s why it’s important to learn to listen differently, so as not to be at risk for missing some of the most valuable pieces of information.

As an example, I work with a lot of women’s groups, and one of the most common frustrations I hear is when a woman makes a comment in a meeting, which gets glossed over, and then five minutes later one of the men at the table says almost the exact same thing, but he is praised for the contribution. The following cartoon illustrates the sentiment.

Gender-bias issues aside, why this is such a common experience, and how can it be changed? The underlying principle stands for everyone – women and men alike. The truth is that the responsibility for change is shared by everyone present Here’s one reason why:

Sometimes the way a comment is framed makes it “fly under the radar” if listeners aren’t tuned into that frequency, so to speak. For example, they say something like “What about X? Should we look at that? Would that work?” If you heard this at a meeting, what would your response be?

While the person is technically making a suggestion, you might not register the value of the suggestion because it is framed as a series of questions that – on the surface – seem to be seeking validation or approval.

Believe it or not, many listeners don’t understand the nature of what they’re really hearing, and need to recognize the speaker’s intent

You might wish they had just said, “We haven’t tried X yet; let’s take a look at that option,” but they didn’t. So you need to learn to hear the message, no matter how it is framed. Make sure you’re fully present when someone is talking, because we first process tone and instinctive feeling before we process actual meaning. Otherwise, you risk missing out on critical information.

But even if you are just a participant in the conversation and you realize that you do hear the someone’s real message but believe the others in the group somehow missed it, or if “Ms./Mr. Triggs” offers an idea that is only praised when repeated by another person, it becomes your responsibility to diplomatically draw it to everyone’s attention: “Yes, Pat, I think you’re reinforcing what Chris said a moment ago about…” After all, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem, right? Passive listening and lack of proactive participation are not qualities of effective leadership.

It may be frustrating to feel like you need to work harder at listening, that people should just “speak clearly,” in the end, communication is a two-way street, so if you want to be an effective communicator, learn to listen different.

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Do you have trouble communicating effectively with someone, or feel like your contributions are often overlooked? If you have other questions or feedback about this issue, contact me at laura@vocalimpactproductions.com or click here to schedule a 20-minute focus call to discuss it with me personally!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Best Practices Growth Management Personal Development Technology

Belle’s World – Security

Has your personal information ever been hacked?

There are towns across the world, where people still leave their keys in their car and keep their houses unlocked. However, for many of us in urban or suburban areas that would be unheard of. If we were to do that the likelihood of having our car or having items from our house stolen would increase or has happened. Until people felt the effects of these robberies they continued to leave things unlocked and didn’t prepare with cameras and security systems which became the norm after these types of attacks happened. It wasn’t until individuals experienced it that they felt they should do something about it.

In today’s world we have another growing issue that is similar to the past but different in how its done – cyber security. Many of us have received phishing emails and the stats say that almost 30% of them get opened1. These phishing emails can come in both personal and professional emails. Therefore, as a company the risk is increased because the data is expansive and includes more

than just an individuals information. Why does it take an attack for a leader to realize they need to spend the money before to prevent these attacks versus after. Mostly, it about the human element of feeling too powerful and big that anything would happen to their company. Secondly, they are not truly understanding the power of cyber security to actually keep their companies safe.

One of the stories I heard recently was how the Boomer generation is still all about interacting with humans and the millennials are about interacting with technology. There is a little truth in this statement but it is after all a generalization. As I work with folks who have experience and have been very successful, it is hard for them to wrap their head around how far technology has come and the fact that people who be stealing data. They get the concept but not the enormity of the issue. Unless they get hacked personally they really don’t understand the need for their companies. Large companies are still getting hacked and many times its because the leadership has decided that it won’t happen to them and the financials at the moment are more important than a potential risk. However, the potential risk is much larger than what they can truly understand. The younger folks on the other hard are unable to influence their leaders to make the change and connect with them from the human element and therein sometimes lies the issue.

Even when it comes to cybersecurity, it is all about people. The hackers are people who are preying on companies and individuals. They put phishing emails or hack into systems through individuals. Individuals who are part of companies that house lots of personally identifiable information for employees and customers. Each of our devices are becoming smarter and connect to each other in many ways that we may not even comprehend. These devices are going from our homes to work to public areas. In our home, each person that has a different device is being connected and will be able to “talk” even more. There are so many channels from which a hacker can now infiltrate and do what they need to do. It is a real problem and the leaders who think it won’t happen to them need to spend some time truly understanding what cybersecurity is all about and get the right products and safeguards in place for the benefit of their own career and their companies.

There are too many leaders sitting on their previous knowledge and not moving with the times. In our lifetimes, technology is changing at an exponential pace. If we want to be successful for 50, 60, 70 years (due to us living longer) we will have multiple lifetimes and will have to continue to learn and grow at each step. It’s not easy when you have been the best at what you do for years and now the world is changing around us. It takes times, motivation and the right guidance to change your mindset to be able to handle the new things happening in the world.

How are you protecting your personal and company security information?

Welcome to Belle’s world. Everything in this world is based on a bell curve. Our media concentrates on giving advice to make everyone be a part of the masses.

This is a weekly series of Urvi’s insights on her perception of the world. They say perception is reality and she lives in her own fantasy world. This allows her to delve into the human element of our lives, helping individuals decipher their own souls, to understand, who they are and what they want, in the journey of life.

Belle’s world explores the extremes and goes beyond the surface. Ready to read about some of the “elephants in the room?”

Contact urvi, to discover your self-awareness that will unleash the innovation mindset within you and help you become both emotionally and financially wealthy. https://www.radicalroamer.com/ belle-s-world #thehumanelement

Categories
Growth Human Resources Leadership Personal Development

Diversity Alone Is Not Enough – The 5 Initial Conditions to Optimize Performance

Many consultants and consulting companies tout the benefits of diversity and make amazing claims about the results of having a diverse organization.  Diversity is perceived as a competitive advantage and as a progressive necessity if an organization is going to be able to claim a modern reputation.  I am unconvinced.  Just like anything else in life, too much of a good thing can become a negative.

There is an impressive list of benefits that experts claim diversity generates.  These include improved innovation and creativity, reduced turnover, improved ability to recruit, improved productivity, excellent company image.  Not so fast.  When we read these claims, there is little mention of the complexity of factors that contribute to these desirable results.  Any consultant who claims to be able to achieve these goals with diversity alone is at best unsophisticated and at worst misleading.

Making the claim that diversity alone is responsible for these outcomes, is like saying a certain brand of gasoline is responsible for lower maintenance costs on your car.  There are too many other factors which are contributing to the outcome.

There are five initial conditions a leader needs to manage prior to reaching to achieve diversity goals.  These conditions will have a much greater impact on these desirable results and will help support a diverse workforce.

A Compelling Vision

A vision is an ideal picture of a future state of the organization.  Pete Senge explains, in his book The Fifth Discipline, that a compelling vision is like stretching a strong rubber band. It pulls people toward the ideal picture and so it helps them to be motivated to achieve the description of the future organization.  A clear and compelling vision that is communicated consistently will improve motivation and align people who are diverse in background. A common vision naturally draws a diverse workforce together into an effective team.

A Compelling Mission

A mission is the reason why an organization exists.  Viktor Frankl, author or Man’s Search for Meaning’ once said, “Those who have a ‘why” to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”  Millennials are famous for needing to know why they are being asked to do something. If we are able to explain “why” something is needed, it naturally creates intrinsic motivation and high-quality work.

On a recent trip to a client I encountered a sign in the rest room.  It read; “Did you know that 40% of people who go to the bathroom fail to wash their hands?  Did you know that not washing your hands properly can encourage the spread of germs that cause diarrhea, the flu, and even hand-foot-mouth disease, and even death?  Washing your hands can protect you from these diseases and others.”

I immediately washed my hands and I do it every time.  No one must remind me because I know why it is so important. A well communicated mission will bring a diverse group of people together to achieve a vision.

A Clear Set of Values

Values describe how we want to behave while working toward the vision and mission. When people know how they are supposed to behave with each other and they can agree on that behaviors, it makes the environment safe for communication.  Diversity consultants claim that communication is improved because of the diversity. I disagree. It improves when people share the same values.

It is because of an aligned set of values that make it safe for people to converse even when they are diverse in background. Again, an aligned set of values enables diversity to work as an advantage.  Values comes first, diversity next.

An Aligned Strategy

A strategy explains the priorities of an organization. People who join an organization often have their own ideas about what the priorities must or should be.  Individuals in an organization are not authorized to decide priorities for the organization.  Effective leaders clarify and communicate the priorities of objectives people need to accomplish.

Without an aligned strategy, people can have competing priorities.  When there is competition of priorities there is waste and increased costs.  An aligned strategy will save the organization money.  It will also compel those with diverse backgrounds to work toward the same goals.

The Most Effective Leadership Philosophy

For 20 years I have asked senior teams this question, “What is your leadership philosophy?”  Rarely can I get an articulate answer to this question.  This is because we have been taught an outdated leadership model which is holding us back from optimizing employee engagement.  Frederick Taylor was an engineer who formulated a specific leadership model in the early 1900’s which requires employees to follow a specific set of actions to meet performance standards.  The outdated policy of the typical performance appraisal is consistent with Taylor Philosophy.

We need to evolve our leadership model. We need a leadership model which provides greater opportunity for higher trust, more cooperation, productive conflict, effective leadership and self-management.  We can have a diverse workforce but we also need an aligned leadership philosophy which brings us together as a team.

Diversity is a factor in a high-performance organization. It is not THE factor.

 

 

Categories
Growth Human Resources Leadership Personal Development

Belle’s World – Being

Do you truly know what your natural state of being is or what leadership books label as “your authentic self”?

Every leadership book at some point focuses on being your “authentic self.” However, in today’s changing paradigms of how we live, work and play people are no longer truly aware of what is their “authentic self” or natural state of being. The environment and the factors around them have changed and many individuals are still trying to adapt to the acceleration of technology and what impact it makes in their life. Others are realizing that the paths they had set out for themselves, based on who they, are are no longer there to follow. Many individuals have had changes in their life they never expected whether it be early deaths of loved ones, divorce, breakups, moves, career changes or even loss and the list goes on for each person. We don’t continue to be in the same authentic state when life altering changes happen to us. These changes have an affect on how we think, feel, act and even make decisions in the future. Many people become stronger with each step they have to take to overcome the challenge of obstacle in front of them.

Leaders are becoming better at being real in the the corporate arena. However, we still have rules and perceptions of how people should behave in this environment. There are internal perceived prejudices against those individuals who may sport tattoos, piercings (beyond earrings), color their hair vividly, dress differently etc. It is hard for these individuals to then become leaders because they are not easily accepted by the team and organization. Yet these individuals could be brilliant in their thinking and help the organization move forward. They are risk takers willing to be authentic to themselves as every leadership book says but they are not able to get the full support because everyone should be mostly the same. We are biased on what is on the outside rather than truly understanding the natural state of being for each person.

One thing many books do not teach is how do you stay self aware through this process of change around us. Individuals just keep moving forward with what they think is who they are without reevaluating if that is truly how they want to be and live. When massive life changes happen like divorce – you change. Your internal norm changes and you must evaluate how this event has affected you. Your own authentic self may have changed a little and its important that you become self aware of it otherwise you will continue on paths that will make you feel unhappy or unfulfilled and you wont know why. After my second divorce I had been at AT&T for three years and three different cities. At the time, I was at AT&T HQ in Downtown Dallas, TX. I had a great role as a Chief of Staff in the Marketing organization and I loved the role and the challenges it provided me. At first, I used to be in power suits with heels, long hair and always dressed in a traditional corporate manner. However, as I went through processing the major change happening in my life I wanted to bring out my creative side within work a little more. The changes happened slowly but between what I outwardly was perceived to almost two years later the physical difference was noticeable. I had short hair (almost spiky), blue contacts, cowboy boots (all the time), fashionable but tasteful clothes and an attitude that helped me truly be creative to find solutions and push the business forward. By bringing my inside self to be more noticeable on the outside I was able to do better in my role and even get more noticed. I still remember the day, our brilliant but conservative CMO telling me that she really admired my new style.

Just a note – The CMO was a brilliant lady who came up the ranks as a sole female officer and dressed and thought conservatively yet supported some of the most innovative thinkers in her organization. Even though she wasn’t quite there she understood the importance of letting some of us shine in our own ways. If I had not taken the time to understand who I wanted to be at this critical time I wouldn’t have been involved in things that eventually led me to have my next role at AT&T which truly allowed me to be a leader in innovation and exposed me directly to many of the things I work on today.

There is no cookie cutter process of becoming self-aware through change and challenges. However, there are some basics that each person must process for themselves. It is an iterative process that takes time and true dedication to wanting to be self – aware. Some people are afraid of change even if its coming from their own internal psyche. If you want to be a better leader and help others go through the self awareness journey you must do it yourself. Our team supports the process of getting deep into who you are and where you want to go in this changing paradigm. We help you find your current state of being and how you can bring that authentic self to every aspect of your life.

Do you know your current state of being?

Welcome to Belle’s world. Everything in this world is based on a bell curve. Our media concentrates on giving advice to make everyone be a part of the masses.

This is a weekly series of Urvi’s insights on her perception of the world. They say perception is reality and she lives in her own fantasy world. This allows her to delve into the human element of our lives, helping individuals decipher their own souls, to understand, who they are and what they want, in the journey of life.

Belle’s world explores the extremes and goes beyond the surface. Ready to read about some of the “elephants in the room?”

Contact urvi, to discover your self-awareness that will unleash the innovation mindset within you and help you become both emotionally and financially wealthy. https://www.radicalroamer.com/ belle-s-world #thehumanelement

Categories
Growth Human Resources Management Personal Development

Are White Men Really Losing in the Diversity Game?

I recently gave a talk about employee engagement and organizational culture in Boston. Near the end of my presentation, the topic of gender parity came up for discussion and I shared my thoughts on Massachusetts’ new law (which goes into effect next year) prohibiting employers from asking about a job applicant’s salary history. This is the first statute of its kind in the country and other states are already in the process of passing similar laws. Personally, I think it’s a step in the right direction toward the greater goal of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Women have traditionally been paid less than men in the same role, so lawmakers’ intent is to eliminate this pay gap by requiring employers to compensate workers based on their value, not their previous salary. I feel proud to live in a state that leads the way for diversity, inclusion, and equity because I believe in the importance of all three. Massachusetts has historically been a forerunner for worker and human rights, notably passing the nation’s first minimum wage law which specifically guaranteed women pay commensurate with the cost of living.

Of course, the concepts of diversity and gender parity are not without detractors. After my talk, one of the audience members approached me to express his concerns. There were quite a few more women in attendance at this event, so I wasn’t terribly surprised that he waited until most of the room cleared before sharing his views. The man told me that, after a long career in the tech space, he had come to resent all of the diversity initiatives being foisted upon him and other members of his cohort — highly-skilled, white, middle-aged, men — because they made him feel deprived of opportunity and that his contributions were cheapened. “I’m so sick of this diversity stuff”, he said.

Rather than educate him on the business case for diversity and spark a lengthy debate that would keep me from my lunch (I can get hangry), I decided to take the path of least resistance and just hear the guy out because he seemed dead set on his opinion. I listened to him lament the diversity-driven hiring practices that favored women or minorities over equally qualified white men. He also argued that women taking maternity leave should not be paid as much as men because they aren’t adding the same amount of value to the organization during their absences. As he continued, a thought struck me: Men like the one with whom I was speaking aren’t trying to put anybody down. They just prefer a meritocracy wherein people are rewarded based on what they can do, not what they look like. At best, they simply see no personal value in supporting diversity efforts. At worst, they feel discriminated against when organizations take any kind of affirmative action to elevate marginalized groups of employees.

This all comes down to the challenge of engaging Caucasian males in the push for a more diverse and inclusive modern workplace. Deloitte recently made headlines and raised eyebrows when it announced the dissolution of its Employee Resource Groups. Their objective in doing so is certainly laudable: Bring white men into the diversity conversation by replacing ERGs with inclusion councils to convene employees from disparate backgrounds, including senior executives. That way everyone can gather and discuss how the organization could better serve diverse talent and customer bases. But will it work? I used to co-lead a Women & Allies ERG, and I will admit that both interest and impact among men were pretty low. So maybe it is time to rethink the way we foster diversity and inclusion.

A good place to start is taking a look at the concerns white men are raising. There’s a lot to unpack just from my relatively brief conversation with the man at the event. For example, let’s follow his train of thought about maternity leave and pay equity a bit further. What if a woman isn’t pregnant when she’s hired? Should she still be paid less based on the possibility that she might get pregnant and take a leave of absence down the road? If she chooses to have a family, should she be deemed less eligible for a promotion because her commitment to the company seems lacking? What if her husband decides to take paternity leave while she goes back to work right away? Should his pay get docked? What about a man who plans to adopt and needs to take time off from work to bond with his child? The argument that women should be paid less or treated less-favorably because they have child-rearing responsibilities just doesn’t hold up. It oversimplifies a very complicated issue and puts people in the unfair position of having to choose between job and family.

Still, thoughtful examination won’t necessarily stop white men from feeling like they are somehow being slighted by all this focus on diversity. There are plenty of reasons behind their resistance, such as men’s propensity, on average, toward being competitive and not wanting to lose their position in a hierarchy. Whatever the cause, it’s important to involve them in the process and help them understand that diversity and inclusion are meant to benefit everyone, not unfairly give preference to one group over another. Perhaps Deloitte is in the right vicinity, if not on the right track, with its new D&I strategy. Discussions about issues pertaining to diversity shouldn’t be relegated to peripheral interest groups who haven’t the captive audience nor the organizational clout to make a difference. Those at the top (roughly 95% of Fortune 500 CEOs are white men) must be involved and invested. It’s simply a fact that diversity is and should be a critical priority in today’s ultra-competitive, hyper-connected business climate. Consumer preferences can ebb and sway, leaving rigid, old-school companies unprepared to respond. Businesses need new and different perspectives to stay relevant. They need a diverse workforce to survive.

I once had a manager who told me “Business is all about relationships.” It really is. The relationships a business forges with its customers are crucial; that’s a given. But first leaders have to establish and nurture relationships with the people who connect the business with its customers: its employees. Diversity isn’t about reaching quotas or excluding members of a certain group. It’s about cultivating an environment that attracts and engages the best talent from all walks of life. It involves building strong relationships with those employees so they feel inspired to help their company thrive in a complex and diverse global economy. That’s how the best organizations will win. And who doesn’t like winning?

About the author:

Jonathan D. Villaire is a bridge-builder, truth-teller, and advocate for empathy who helps leaders understand how to effectively engage their employees and, more importantly, how to stop disengaging them. He founded Cognize Consulting with the aim of giving supervisors, managers, and executives a new perspective on employee engagement: See employees as human beings, not as human capital. Understand how to create an employee experience that increases retention and attracts top talent. Engage employees with a leadership mindset of empathy, curiosity, and humility. He is a speaker, coach, and author of the upcoming book The Stepford Employee Fallacy: The Truth about Employee Engagement in the Modern Workplace.

Categories
Growth Human Resources Leadership Personal Development

Belle’s World – Motivation

Do you know what factors motivate or discourage you?

I completed my second half iron man yesterday – September 24, 2017 in Cozumel, Mexico. For those that don’t know – a half iron man is 70.3 miles comprised of a 1.9 mile swim, followed by 56 miles on a bike and ending with a half marathon (13.1 miles) run (or in my case a walk). My timing was horrendous at 8 hours 55 minutes and I technically didn’t get an official time that would be accepted by the Ironman organization. However, I finished just as I did in 2013 with a time of 7 hours 39 minutes.

My motivation to do a second half ironman was to beat my first time. It’s good to note that I was basically one of the last 5 participants, both times. A second motivation was that I was never an athlete but I know I have the mental capacity to finish things no matter the time and I wanted to challenge myself physically. As a swimmer I knew I could beat my time from 2013 which would give me a little boost to get on the bike course pretty quickly. I completed the swim in 39 minutes compared to 41 minutes in 2013. 2 minutes may not seem like a big deal but it is when you are swimming with 100’s of people around you and the water is slightly choppy. I felt great coming out of the swim when I saw that I had beat my original time. Now I had to tackle the 56 miles on the bike.

In 2013 I took 3 hours 34 minutes and had struggled at the end. I got on my bike and rode 2/3 of the way enjoying the view and feeling good about the ride. Then I hit the town center and because I hadn’t done some detailed due diligence I thought I had about 5 – 8 miles to go. I had 18.6 miles to go. A couple miles in, I hit an internal physical wall. My legs were starting to lock up on me and I was feeling dizzy. I finally reached 9 miles to turn around to go back up the course into the city and had to stop. I asked how many miles I had left and he said 9.3. I was highly disappointed, tired and my motivation went down except for the fact that it was the last stretch of the bike portion. I had to finish the bike portion – I had already done the majority. I couldn’t let myself down. I also knew I had already added a whole hour to my time and that would mean I would have to run some of the half marathon. The lesson in the bike portion was my negligence on understanding the details on how many miles I had left after the town center. In my mind I had finished almost 85% of the course before I reached the town center when in fact I only finished 2/3. Lesson 1 – If I had mentally prepared how long each part of the course was I probably wouldn’t have hit the internal mental and physical wall and lost some of my motivation to do the race. It was the first time I almost felt like quitting. I felt sick to my stomach and I was already very tired. Knowing the facts can either motivate or discourage you. Knowing the facts because I should have done the research would have motivated me to ride smarter in the first 2/3. Knowing the facts when I had drained my engine discouraged me even more but my mental strength allowed me to keep going and stay safe by taking breaks along the last stretch of the bike course. I knew my internal motivation was to finish this race no matter what and that outweighed the facts that I had calculated the bike portion wrong.

As I dismounted from my bike to go into the run portion, my mind and my body had to switch to a different thought process. I had 13.1 miles to do on my tired feet with my body already exhausted. I started looking at the time and realized I would have to go a little faster than a 15 minute / mile walk to finish. I thought I could walk the first half and run the second half. I started the walk and realized that people were already finished with the entire race and I still had almost 3 hour 15 minutes to go. I felt motivated because I knew it was 13.1 miles and I could finish in 3 hours 15 minutes. However, somewhere in between mile 2 and mile 3 I heard that the course closed at 3. I started panicking in my head as I wanted to finish! I had calculated the course closing at 4 that would give me enough time to just barely make it. So I set about trying to ask race officials on the course what the cutoff time was on the course. I was highly discouraged after hearing about the 3 PM cutoff time. I came all the way to Cozumel to be taken off the course and not completing my goal. As I was going into my second lap on the course I asked the officials the same question. Mind you, I don’t speak Spanish and most of them were only Spanish speakers. The two officials mentioned the 3 PM cutoff time and we would be taken off the course. This is one area I had done my due diligence I had calculated the times correctly – making cutoff 4 PM. I was already upset so I could barely get the questions out because I felt like crying. I think internally in my own way I was. I had completed 57.9 miles and I was being told that I wouldn’t have the chance to finish. After asking two more officials I found out that the cutoff time was 4 PM as I had thought.

However, at this point I had lost 20 minutes which was critical to my on time finish. I stopped crying internally and told myself I only had about 6 miles to go and I would finish no matter what. I was about 10 minutes to the finish line and I was told the course was closed but if I could finish I could still cross the finish line. I was happy and sad at the same time. It meant I would finish but it also meant that I definitely didn’t beat my last time but I also didn’t meet the cut off time. So lesson number 2 is that if you have done your due diligence trust in yourself and be confident that you know what you are doing. If I had just pushed through knowing that the cut off was 4 PM I would not have been discouraged when I had heard otherwise. Lesson number 3 was that because I knew I was confident in my calculations I took the time and effort to get to the right answer to help motivate me to get back on track. Make sure dig deeper if you are getting conflicting answers. Getting the facts right will help keep your motivation on track.

As I came around the last 200 meters of the run a girl who had already completed the run and about 27 years old came next to me. She started speaking in Spanish and I had no idea what she was saying. I responded in English and she quickly switched over to ask where I was from and started telling me that I only had 200 meters to go. She was going to stay with me till the end. I mentioned that I was disappointed that the course was closed and she responded with – “You are almost there and finished.” This stranger saw me at the end and motivated to put my last bit of strength to finish strong. Lesson number 4 is that my motivations in life are fully supported by being emotionally wealthy with the love of my family and my life family (friends who are family.) When you have a positive attitude even strangers will support you and motivate you for the moment.

I have realized for myself my motivation comes from my internal strength but also my family and closest friends. I knew many of them were cheering me on even though I wouldn’t know till later that evening. I heard their voices in my head and they were proud of me for attempting a second half iron man and I know were even prouder that I accomplished it even though I didn’t get an officially accepted Ironman time. I am motivated by the love that I receive from the people in my life and am grateful to have them accept me as I am. I live my life, to my own drumbeat, and the people in my life support me which is my motivation to be as is.

It is important to understand where your motivation in life comes from. It helps you through the struggles – real and self induced (ie half iron man)! It is also important to know how to conquer discouragement and know the it is real and will happen.

Do you know your motivational and discouragement triggers?

Welcome to Belle’s world. Everything in this world is based on a bell curve. Our media concentrates on giving advice to make everyone be a part of the masses.

This is a weekly series of Urvi’s insights on her perception of the world. They say perception is reality and she lives in her own fantasy world. This allows her to delve into the human element of our lives, helping individuals decipher their own souls, to understand, who they are and what they want, in the journey of life.

Belle’s world explores the extremes and goes beyond the surface. Ready to read about some of the “elephants in the room?”

Contact urvi, to discover your self-awareness that will unleash the innovation mindset within you and help you become both emotionally and financially wealthy. https://www.radicalroamer.com/ belle-s-world #thehumanelement

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Skills Women In Business

The 4 Word Secret to Confident Public Speaking

Today I had a first session with a new client whose primary focus is public speaking. Her story is common: While she’s confident in front of her team, when addressing larger groups, high-stakes audiences or people she doesn’t know as well, her heart starts to race, her face gets flushed, palms sweat, and a whole litany of self-defeating “what if” scenarios race through her mind.

What if I forget what I want to say?

What if I make a mistake?

What if they’re not interested in my topic?

What if I don’t seem expert enough?

What if I can’t answer a question?

 This kind of self-destructive talk is what is referred to as “head trash.” It piles up, festers, and can become overwhelming if you don’t get rid of it.

So I said to her: “I’m going to tell you the secret to changing everything and speaking with confidence. It’s four little words, and I want you to write them down in big letters and tape it to your bathroom mirror, computer, refrigerator or anywhere you’ll see it regularly, got it?”

“Got it,” she said, and grabbed her pen.

Then I told her the secret: “IT’S…NOT… ABOUT… YOU.”

She finished writing it down, then stared at the paper, processing its meaning.

“Here’s the thing,” I explained. As a presenter, you’re now in customer service. Your job is to make sure that the audience has the best experience possible. Do you love your topic or at least think it’s really important? Share that passion with them, and help them understand it.

“Don’t worry about being self-conscious when making eye contact with people. Each person there wants to feel like you’re talking to them personally. Look at each person so they know that they matter to you, that they feel like they’re part of the event.

“When you go to hear a speaker, or when someone is talking to your team, are you sitting there silently evaluating them the whole time, waiting to catch them in a mistake, or are you just hoping that they’ll be interesting and give you some important information? Of course it’s the latter. You don’t want a speaker to fall flat; that makes everyone uncomfortable. You are subconsciously rooting for their success, because if they have a good speaking experience, you’ll have a good listening experience, and that’s your main interest. That’s exactly what your audience is hoping for too.

“How do you feel about that?”

“Truthfully?” she began, “As soon as you said that, I felt instant relief. If I just focus on taking care of the audience, then I’m not worrying about my own perfection, whatever that means. It suddenly feels like a very realistic, attainable goal. I can do this.”

With that, I encourage you to take out your “head trash,” and turn your attention to serving your audience. A good place to start is with the goal of being the speaker you’d want to listen to if you were in audience. Put them first, and you’re guaranteed to come out on top.

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Do you have questions or comments about the issues in today’s post, want to know how to apply them, or how to help others with them? If so, contact me at laura@vocalimpactproductions.com or click here to schedule a 20-minute focus call to discuss them with me personally!

 

 

 

 

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Growth Human Resources Management Personal Development

You Can Lead a Horse to Water… But Can You Make an Employee Engaged?

There’s an old proverb used by many to describe the leader/follower dynamic with respect to employee engagement: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” This is a way of saying ultimately people will only do what they choose, even if you show them the way. In other words, just as a horse has to choose to drink, an employee must choose to be engaged.

Well, yes and no. Getting the horse to drink is the desired outcome, but what happens up to and during that point will influence his willingness to do so.

    • If you’ve been running the horse ragged without any time to recuperate, he won’t have the energy to make it to water.
    • If you’ve been shouting at the horse and beating him with a stick, he won’t trust you no mater where you’re trying to lead him.
    • If the terrain is rocky and you force him to walk in busted, rusty horseshoes, he isn’t going to be all that thrilled about going the distance.
    • If you feed the horse 1 pound of oats a day when he really should be getting 3 pounds, he’s going to focus on finding food elsewhere instead of following you.
    • If the water is polluted or tastes funky, the horse isn’t going to drink.

Here’s what I’m getting at: If the employee experience at your organization sucks, employee engagement isn’t likely to happen. Too many leaders fall into the trap of thinking a lack of engagement is the employee’s fault; that they’re choosing not to be engaged. Take a good look at what it’s like to work for you before making that judgement. And start with the basics — a reasonable workload, an empathetic leadership style, effective tools to get the job done, fair pay, and a healthy work culture. Then make adjustments if anything is wrong. As a leader, it’s your job to create an employee experience that makes them want to go above and beyond. 

Horses need to be enticed, not forced, to drink water. What kind of employee experience are you creating, and is it enough to entice engagement? Remember, employees don’t engage themselves. Leaders engage employees.

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Management Marketing Skills

How To Use Mind Probing Questions to Negotiate Better

“Rest your mind when reflecting, move to action with conviction.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

When it comes to negotiating better, the questions you ask will be the gateway through which success awaits. The more probing the questions, the more engaging will be the mind. The more engaged the mind becomes, the greater the opportunity to alter the state of mind.

The following are mind probing questions you can pose to yourself and the other negotiator to achieve greater negotiation outcomes. By thinking deeper about the negotiation mindset you should possess, you’ll also deepen the thoughts that you engage in during the negotiation.

Questions to ask yourself and to consider about the other negotiator:

Do you know where you’re really going in the negotiation (i.e. end goal), and the detours you might have to make/take, if you encounter roadblocks you’d not considered? When putting your plan in place for the negotiation, you should consider the style of the other negotiator, what style you’ll display in response to the opposing negotiator’s style, and how you’ll attempt to sway his perspective once the negotiation has begun.)

Do you know how long it might take to reach your negotiation goal and what other obstacles might compete for your time and attention? In this sense, you have to consider how time might be used for and against you. The longer it takes to reach a negotiation outcome, the more likely you and the other negotiator may fall prey to the pressures of time, which means, you may make concessions that are not beneficial to the outcome you’re seeking.

At what possible points might you exit the negotiation based on what you’ve achieved or not achieved at that point? Always have exit points in mind whereby you’ll exit the negotiation if it’s not going according to your plans and you don’t see the opportunity to salvage a plausible outcome.

What’s your ‘fallback position’ if you have to exit the negotiation? You should always exit a negotiation by letting the other negotiator feel respected, even more so if you don’t come to an agreement when you exit.

What body language and other nonverbal signals will you be vigilant of in seeking added meaning to a statement or question made by the other negotiator? Negotiators exhibit body language signals that give insight into their mindset when they make offers/counteroffers. The better you are at deciphering such signals, the greater insight you’ll gain into what’s really on that negotiator’s mind.

What is the opposing negotiator really seeking from the negotiating, and what will he really settle for compared to what he says is his best offer/deal? The way he makes such statements (i.e. leaning towards/away from you when making such a declaration, exhaling strongly after making the statement, raising/lowering the tone of his voice, etc.)

Be very aware of the questions you ask during a negotiation. The quality of the questions will determine the quality of the answers you receive, which will enhance or detract from your opportunity to enhance the outcome of the negotiation. By being vigilant to the body language signals that are displayed, you’ll receive hidden meanings that’ll add value to the answers. Thus, by asking mind probing questions, coupled with reading body language, you can increase your negotiation win rates substantially … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!