Balance | Wellesley Partners, Ltd.

Peace to Perfection: a continuum that impacts performance

January 8, 2013 by Peter Tetrault Leave a Comment

Decision making can sound formal and grand, and it can be. But as managers of people, we make decisions on a daily basis that can have significant impact on both our organization’s results and our personal success. Do we always take stock of our motivations and what our goals should be before we respond in the moment? Or do we let our individual personality preferences impact our decisions in ways that are counterproductive to our own goals? When we do, it can have significant consequences for our individual, team or organizational goals. Emotionally driven decisions can be an ineffective response to what is only a set of facts or circumstances.

Have you ever accepted less than someone’s best because you didn’t have the “energy” to address their sub optimal work product? (Avoiding confrontation to keep the peace.) Have you ever kept at something or someone too long and/or too hard because the vision in your mind’s eye was so compelling that you just had to have the work “just so”? (Demanding perfection.)

My clients do a good job, most of the time, achieving their desired place on the Peace to Perfection continuum. Sometimes, however, especially under unusual levels of stress, they make decisions too close to either end – which can get in the way of creating an environment of maximum performance.

So what?

Staying too close to the “peace” end can end up pushing work from its assigned area to others – including oneself – in order to get things done, ultimately ruining trust and teamwork.

Staying too close to the “perfection” end can end up demoralizing staff and driving good people, whom you want to keep, to other departments or organizations to avoid burnout and in the interest of self preservation.

To remain one of those effective managers that attract and keep good people, one needs to maintain perspective and a sense of what is right in the moment – and that requires the mental ability to process the emotions of the moment and then purposefully respond to the set of facts and needs in a way so as to achieve your desired goals.

The Six Components to finding Work-Life Balance

November 9, 2012 by Peter Tetrault Leave a Comment

Do you walk in the door late at night, finding your significant other and/or children asleep, your dinner drying out in the oven? You promise yourself that tomorrow will be different; you’ll make it home in time to connect with your family and share stories about your days. You vow to keep this promise to your loved ones, but more importantly, to yourself.

Feeling out of balance leads to feeling out of control, in conflict (internally and with loved ones), and this can, at times lead to depression and burn-out. You really have no other choice but strike a better balance.

You’ve been trained to give selflessly for long hours, however, you now have a choice to make.

Ask yourself, what do I long for? Create not from circumstance but from possibility. What’s possible here? More time for family, fun, professional development, the next promotion, exercise, peace and quiet, time for ME? I can hear you saying, I don’t have any extra time to do this, no time to work toward achieving better balance.

The desire to change must come first, then, very importantly, followed by a change in your behavior, that’s where the plan and structure comes in. Here are some ideas to help, below:
WHAT’S NEEDED TO MAKE A CHANGE:

Desire: do you want to make a change in your current situation?
Choice: know that this choice is yours to make. It’s your life, and only you may choose to change it.
Clarity: ask yourself what you want to be different? The break it down into specifics and write it down (into your planner, calendar, journal, wherever you’ll see it) on a regular basis.
Perspective Shift: it’s time to see your life from a new perspective/lens (as in a new pair of glasses). The old ones are dusty or the prescription is outdated so remove them and clean them off or find a new pair through which to view your life in a clearer way.
Plan: create a plan and/or a set of goals to help you get to this new and improved place. Set smaller, realistic goals at the beginning (i.e. dinner one night/week at home or one recreational activity/week with a loved one or yourself).
Structure: this is a reminder for you. Identify a word/photo/thing/quote/visual to remind you of the new path that you’ve chosen to walk down (example: put a photo of your children/spouse/partner/animal next to your computer so you’re reminded about what or who you want to get home to. Or set your phone alarm for twice a day: the first is when you need to begin to wrap up your day and second: when you need to be walking out of work for the day.

KEEPING THE BALANCE
Your balance today might not be your definition of balance a year from now. Re-assessing your balance on an annual basis (maybe at the start of the new calendar or academic year, or at your annual work evaluation) is crucial. Make an appointment with yourself to do this. Imagine commuting home on time, knowing that you have the evening ahead of you to unwind, connect and feel in balance.

If any of this is resonating with you, it’s time to make a choice to create better balance in your life. Contact me and we’ll figure it out together. Here’s to creating from what’s possible!

Leadership in the Moment

November 9, 2012 by Peter Tetrault Leave a Comment

Today’s business climate is filled with uncertainty. The elections are over, but what will happen next? We still have a Democratic Senate and a Republican House. Little can be counted as being set or settled. The tax code is scheduled to sunset – and the federal government can’t manage to pass a budget which has us heading into sequestration. Growing government involvement in healthcare is the direction, but the ACA leaves much of the detail to be determined. This economy is in recovery, yet at the slowest rate of growth since recovering from the depression.

Much of the Tri-state area is reeling from Sandy which brutalized our infrastructure, killed scores and will take years to repair.

How good are you – the leader – at operating in times of uncertainty? What is the uncertainty doing to your team and your organization?

Most writings on leadership say leaders need to (pick any 3): set strategic direction, put in place an appropriate leadership team, execute the strategy, create the culture, be the face of the organization to the outside world, plan the priorities for resources, etc.

For many, and I would argue for most, uncertainty contributes to stress. And uncertainty can arrive from three sources: work, self and life situations. Uncertainty in one part can create stress in another. Stress has been shown to dramatically impact productivity – the signs can be absenteeism, turnover, increased workers’ compensation claims, high need for medical care, etc.

Stress is not always bad though – many are propelled by stress to their highest levels of performance. But over time, and without returning to a “relaxed state”, stress can overwhelm and debilitate.

So in these times I’m suggesting you consider yourself your organization’s CSR: Chief Stress Reliever. Engage your team often. Listen just a little more carefully. Buttress your support systems. Don’t drop employee support programs or space for physical activity and wellness. Allocate some extra resources to pay for others who engage your people and help them deal with their issues (like business coaches).

In today’s workplace, dominated by office workers, stress is most likely related to inter-personal relationships and “people problems” consisting of unclear management, tension among team members and fear of the unknown. Help your people take charge of their future – unlock your peoples’, and your organization’s, creativity and potential!