How Do You Unlock the Barriers to Your Potential?

Scientific experiments reveal that we use only 10% of our brain capacity. Scientists also tell us that humanity is only using 10% of its DNA. Psychologists tell us that we are only 10% conscious. Most people are not aware of the other 90% of their thoughts. They are buried in our subconscious yet they affect everything about us. We are said to be unconscious. The body only uses about 10% of the available oxygen it takes in and most people only breathe at 10% of their capacity. Is this just a play on numbers and a coincidence or does this pattern have meaning for you and me?

I don’t know much about coincidences. But, it seems that most of humanity is living within a prescribed range of what is viewed normal. Since very few have had experiences outside the range of normal, the collective view is that such things are wishful thinking. But I don’t believe that. It does not have to be this way. Right now you can change the way things are and tap into your human potential.

Let’s say that you want to be smarter tomorrow, that you want to double the capacity of your brain power. In fact, let’s say that upon waking up tomorrow we will use 20% of our brain instead of the normal 10%. Ready! Set! Go!

So, Where Do We Begin?

Go where?

Do What?

How?

That’s exactly the point.

Where do we begin? 

How do we tap into this potential? 

We cannot simply increase our brain capacity, activate more DNA or become more conscious by turning on a switch. There is no such switch nor should there be since these are effects not causes. But the causal point of our suppressed potential can be accessed through our breath capacity. Even our breath capacity is only at 10% because of energies that lie within our system that contract and restrict the diaphragm. Within the diaphragm lies our potential. Every limiting belief, negative thought form, negative program is reflected in these restrictions. The key is finding the key that unlocks the diaphragm and allows you to access your potential.

At some time in your life you unconsciously decided to block out the truth of who you are and temporarily decided to believe in lack and limitation. You took on a role to be less than you are. This is the path of the human condition. Everyone must pass this way. But we don’t have to stay stuck here. We just have to remember.

Is it a Choice? 

What is keeping you where you are is a choice. It is a choice to hold onto the story of who you think you are. So many who come to us are stuck here and are suffering through sadness and grief, anger and fear. They know not what to do. With love in our hearts, we tell you it is safe to let go of that story. Your story is just an energy configuration that remains locked within your subtle bodies. When we free up that energy, we can use it to create a new story, a new world view.

For you to have a new world view, you must first acknowledge it is possible. You must go against the flow of the collective consciousness of humanity and invite into your consciousness that a new possibility is possible. When you have done this, you have taken a giant leap forward. But there is more.

This simple step applied consistently will help you manifest more of the following:

• Your level of consciousness will increase. As you become more aware of your creations you will become a more powerful conscious creator. You will have the ability to create a new story.

• Your breathing will open up delivering more oxygen to the body. As a result your energy level will improve, immune functioning will be enhanced and you will sleep better at night. Things will happen with less effort as you begin to flow with life rather than resist it.

• Brain functioning will increase as more oxygen is delivered to the brain and your mind becomes less cluttered by unconscious thoughts. Mental clarity is enhanced.

• More DNA will be accessible. The solar plexus is the seat of the emotional body. The energies that suppress our breath capacity are emotional in origin. As we free these energies, this new energy will rise up and into the heart chakra activating more love in our hearts. It is this newly found love energy that has the power to activate the unused coding within our DNA.

Conscious breathing is the key to unlock your potential. When you open your breath, everything changes. Anytime you change the way you think or the way you look at things, every time you heal, your breath pattern has to change. If it doesn’t change, the change/healing will not be maintained. The breath must change for the energy to change. All of this happens unconsciously. No matter what you do or how you do it, why not bring the conscious awareness of the breath to it. It will help make everything you do manifest more quickly and easily. It is the key to unlocking your potential and stepping beyond the barrier of the 10%.

How Do You Develop Peak Performers?

A financial analyst once asked Herb Kelleher, Co Founder of Southwest Airlines “... if he was afraid of losing control of his organization." Herb told him that he never had control, and he never wanted it. In his words, "If you create an environment where the people truly participate, you don’t need control. They know what needs to be done and they do it.”

High performance people see things not only as they are, but also as they could be. This is the first step in creating an environment and structure where people truly participate and genuinely believe they are integral to the organization’s success. When people expand their focus on the possible, they begin to seek new and better ways of doing things. They realize they have the capacity to shape their lives rather than accept things as they are. Leadership is the norm, not the exception. Everyone is encouraged to examine situations and lead in response to them. Previous habits of “doing it this way because we have always done it this way” give way to new attitudes, innovative thinking, and process improvements. The philosophy “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it,” gives way to “regardless of how good it is, we can make it better.”

Mentoring people to higher levels of performance requires that you establish the conditions within which performance serves both the organization’s as well as the individual’s best interests. The structure and culture of the organization must support the efforts of the individuals. Everyone needs to realize that his or her best interests and personal successes are served by the success of the entire organization. If the environment is not conducive to supporting and guiding people to new levels of achievement, new skills and behaviors will not thrive. You cannot lead people to higher levels of achievement if the structures do not support the behavior.

The way people think leads to what they do. What people do leads to results. If you want to improve results, it makes sense to improve the way people think. Significant achievement is not likely without change, and change in behavior starts with a change in thinking.

You have no doubt heard the expression, “We are creatures of habit.” There is considerable truth to that statement, for almost all that we do and most of what we think is the result of habits that have been formed during the course of a lifetime. Much of what we do in a 24-hour period demands little conscious thought because we have developed habits that help us accomplish a number of things – on auto-pilot. Just as much of our behavior is habit, so are most of our attitudes. Attitudes are habits of thought. We have thought the same way about something for so long that it is now a habit. While some habits are useful in preventing us from having to consciously figure out the mechanics each time we confront a familiar situation, many habits keep people from stretching their capabilities and trying new, inventive, and possibly better ideas or techniques. Behavior and performance are likened to attitudes. If you want to improve performance, you have to improve the habits of thought that improve performance.

How are the “we have always done it this way” attitudes and habits holding your organization back from the success you need to achieve?

As A Leader, Am I Holding Myself Accountable?

Several leaders I know are fond of saying “We have to hold our people accountable.” I think the process of making sure people need to step up to responsibility is a good one, but it really needs to start at the top. Unfortunately, I see many top leaders failing to hold themselves accountable first.

Let’s envision a plant manager who has a problem of extremely low morale in the factory. The supervisors are telling the manager that people are upset because of no raise in 3 years and the threats of layoffs. They are tired of being abused and kept in the dark. The productivity is at an all time low, and the only way to take cost out is to further reduce the workforce. If you were that manager, how would you go about engineering a rapid turnaround in the performance of your plant?

One interesting strategy is push your chair back from the desk, stand up, walk down the hall, go in the bathroom, look in the mirror, and ask yourself some tough questions like the following:

• Morale is terrible in this plant, and as the manager in charge, how have I been contributing to this problem?

• What is preventing me from fully holding myself accountable for this awful situation?

• In what ways have I been trying to lay the blame on the supervisors, employees, bad economy, suppliers, business downturn, competition, etc.

• How can I deal with the current situation and business environment in a more empowering and effective way for all concerned?

• What fundamental changes in the structure, behaviors, values, and vision am I going to make to completely change the environment?

• What behaviors do I need to change, starting right now, to build a culture of higher trust?

• In what ways can I change the attitudes of the workers by changing my own attitudes and behaviors?

• Since bonuses, or picnics, or parties, or hat days are not going to have much impact on long term motivation, how can I find out what really will inspire people and then implement the proper changes to the environment?

• How can I be a better mentor for my supervisors as well as train them to be better mentors to their own staff?

• How am I going to find a way to quadruple the time I have available to communicate with people?

• Do I need assistance to solve these issues? If so, what kind of help could I use and where can I find it?

• How can I know if or when it is time to pursue other opportunities and let someone with a different skill set handle the turnaround?

Yes, that is tough medicine, and yet I believe if the cold realities in these questions were internalized by some top leaders, conditions might start to change. It is only through the behaviors and attitudes of the top leaders that real changes can be made in an organization. Once top leaders step up to their own accountability, then the rest of the organization will quickly become enrolled in a new and positive vision for the enterprise.

Recognizing Resistance

While our first reaction to resistance to change may be to quash it as quickly as possible, resistance is not necessarily all bad. Any change brings resistance with it, whether the change is positive or negative—so it’s unrealistic to think you will ever eliminate resistance. Resistance is inevitable, even when the change is positive and will make the lives of individuals brighter. When brought out into the open, resistance can help us surface problems, find errors, or improve on ideas. But resistance can only be managed when it is overt. If you can’t see it or hear it, you can’t manage it.

Not following through on commitments is a form of resistance. You can probably see clearly how this resistance might sabotage your efforts toward your goal.

Our resistance is brilliant. It continually takes new and different forms and is quite good at disguising itself and finding new ways to outsmart us.

Resistance will keep us from achieving what we want and need. Worse than that, resistance has the power to sending us and our businesses careening in exactly the opposite direction.

Whether you are a leader in an organization or in your own life, anytime you find yourself in a change situation, you will find resistance. If you don't, you are not looking hard enough. It is the way of things. You will resist. Your staff will resist. Your boss will resist. Your clients will resist. Potential employers will resist. Your family will resist. The higher the stakes, the more resistance you will find.

If we are not aware that resistance is at work, resistance wins. Your only hope of overcoming resistance is to expect it. But even that isn't enough. You also have to value it and embrace it. You have to work with your resistance, not against it.

You have to get intimate with resistance. And that starts with recognizing it. Here's what you want to look for:

Obvious resistance is easy to spot:

Refusal

Arguing

Disruptive behavior

The most powerful forms of resistance are usually much more subtle:

Anger

Becoming very busy with something else

Bringing up other issues

Compulsively checking your BlackBerry or iPhone

Confusion

Criticism

Feigning acceptance, without asking necessary questions or working out the details

Finding reasons to be removed from the task

Frustration

Getting distracted and not completing

Getting sick

Irritation

Not being available

Not getting started

Offering misleading information

Silence

Surfing the web

Oh yeah, and forgetting.

Which of these do you do?

Which do you see the people you work with doing?

Which do you see in your clients?

Start noticing the signs of resistance in you and the people around you.

Remember resistance is very creative.

Facts Don’t Change Behavior

According to NIH (National Institute of Health) if you weigh reasonably average, you will likely gain about a pound between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. The problem, as per this study is, you probably won’t ever lose it. Despite the facts, I am going to guess most of you will not follow holiday fitness tips.

When we fall short of making permanent lifestyle modifications, we take comfort in the belief that, if we really wanted to change, we could alter our behaviors.

The difference between change and transformation is what in system's thinking is referred to as the difference between first order change and third order change. The first encompasses mostly changes in behaviors, while third order change changes beliefs, ways of looking at the world, and actions. That is why, transformation is way more profound and encompassing.

This is also partly why so many people don't like transformation. They are afraid it will change them intrinsically. We are always becoming, and the self growth and evolves in relation to others and how open are we to different experiences and ways of thinking.

Transformation requires us to use both our left and right sides of the brain. It's the left side that like to keep everything logical, orderly arranged. Does not like leaps into the unknown. Our more intuitive right side is the one that is willing to question and change. We need both, in order to be able to transform without disintegrating.

When helping others is your life purpose

I hope you and yours have been well. It's been nearly 4 months since I took a leave of absence from writing here on my weekly eMBC Blog due to some very personal reasons including an unexpected death in the family. I realize that we are in an increased time of change... You too may be feeling a lot of movement or experiencing a lot of movement in your relationships, careers and life. As is the nature of change, it brings in exactly the energies necessary for us to move toward the Golden Age of empowerment, but it will require you to LET GO of all things not serving you... your misaligned patterns, behaviors, beliefs, relationships and habits. Don't fight it... instead, surrender so you may move with the waters of change. I promise they will take you exactly where you need to go.

While I was away, I did a lot of introspection on my purpose of doing this, writing blog articles, talking on the internet radio shows; hoping that this will somehow make a difference in the lives of other people either reading or listening in or am I crazy?

When helping others is your life purpose

I BELIEVE THAT EACH PERSON has a personal mission in life—something that you agreed to learn during this lifetime. It could be patience, forgiveness, compassion, balance, self-care, integrity, and so forth. Everyone is working on a soul-growth lesson.

In addition to their personal missions, some individuals agreed to take on “global missions,” which involve helping people, animals, the environment, or a cause other than themselves. Not everyone has a global mission. Some people on Earth are only living for their own personal growth.

Those who have global missions are known as lightworkers. This is a name I am using that encompasses similar terms such as Indigo, Crystal, and Earth Angel. You know you are a lightworker if you feel compelled to help others, and deeply care about the world. You attract people who need help, and you are sensitive to the needs of those around you. In fact, you sometimes feel that you are a bit too sensitive, as you absorb energies from others’ moods.

As a lightworker, you have always felt a sense of purpose, as if there is something important that you are destined to do in this lifetime. You may not know what this destiny entails, but you can feel it. All lightworkers do.

There is even a sense of time urgency associated with this, like an alarm clock ringing in the pit of your gut, urging you to go, go, go and make a positive difference in the world. These feelings are universal among lightworkers.

The great news is that, as a lightworker, you have been making a positive difference your entire life. You radiate healing energy that soothes others and brings peace wherever you go. That’s because your main global purpose is to love, which is something you do naturally. You care about people; and you wish that everyone could be happy, healthy, and well provided for. You are a giver.

So, the form that your mission takes is secondary as long as you extend Divine love. In other words, when you think about a career as a spiritual healer or teacher, the type of work you do isn’t important. Whether you teach or practice Reiki, Angel Therapy, medium-ship, or some other modality... if it’s done from a place of loving service, everything else is details.

With that in mind, there is a practical consideration when deciding on or forming a long-term relationship with your chosen field. Please make sure it is an area that truly excites and interests you. It is not smart to select one just because you have seen another person gain material success by that avenue.

Whatever type field you choose, please be certain that you love it. I have watched people create career goals with their heads, using business plans and projections, only to meet with one obstacle after another because their hearts weren’t in the work. And while planning and projecting can be helpful and prudent starting points for new business ventures, make sure that you are leading with your heart.

In spiritually based careers, your feelings and intuition are your road map. Your head is second in charge, as the employee of your heart.

So what topic—even if it seems illogical—really excites you? Let’s ask your higher self:

Take a moment to relax in a quiet place, either lying down or sitting. Close your eyes if possible, and give yourself full permission to dream about your ideal career. Then notice what images, thoughts, and feelings come to you:

§     Are you working alone, with a co-worker, or with several co-workers?

§     Do you operate from home, out of a healing center, or where?

§     What type of clients or students are you involved with?

§     How do you feel about this work?

As you allow yourself to imagine your ideal career, notice how warm and fulfilled you feel. These feelings are the ultimate paycheck, the greatest reward. And as you feel satisfied, your material benefits are drawn to you by the universal Divine Energy.

Your dream of having a full-time career as a ______ (fill in the blank) is much more than a dream. It’s a sign. If you continually imagine yourself having a meaningful career that supports you and your family financially, emotionally, and spiritually, then this is a sign that your life purpose involves this type of work.

Lightworkers are, by definition, sensitive. They are receptive to the energies in any room they walk into. They are attuned to other people’s moods and feelings and to environmental factors such as chemicals, pollution, or noise. They are conscious of the presence of angels.

And they are also sensitive to other people’s opinions. This sensitivity is both a gift and a lifesaving instinct. You see, your overall personality remains fairly constant throughout lifetimes. Once a lightworker, always a lightworker. Remember: Doesn't matter what field you have chosen... You already are a spiritual teacher and healer. You were born one, and you have been practicing your art for lifetimes.

Snow Ball Effect

In many ways, the first small steps you take to change your behavior are the most important. Once you initiate change, it seems to feed on itself, as two psychological triggers are at work:

a.    More exposure effect: The more you are exposed to something, the more you like it. Initially unwelcome change efforts will gradually be perceived more favorably as people get used to them.

b.    Cognitive dissonance: Once people take small steps, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to dislike how they act. We don’t like to act in one way and think in another. And once we begin to behave differently, our self-perception changes and our identity evolves, which reinforces our new approach.

This is what is called ‘the snowball effect’. Changes just seem to take off. They are the result of “small wins” but, not always. Rather, they are automatic forces that kick in as time passes.

It’s therefore essential to start as soon as possible and take advantage of the momentum.

While inertia and the status quo may exert an irresistible pull, at this point you need to muster the courage and just do it. Just get it started.

Ah, yes, but that’s the problem, isn’t it? The status quo feels comfortable and steady because much of our thinking is on autopilot. Routines feel good to us because it frees up our brain for other things, especially creative thinking.

What really helps me to get started when I want to change a behavior is to become aware of how much I am on autopilot. Having routines can be a time-saver since we don’t have to make choices, we just do it. But it’s also what creates rut and stagnation.

It actually irks me to be a slave to my habits (just the ones I don’t like). I tell myself, “Who’s in charge here, the autopilot or me?” If I am more powerful than that, I will actually feel energized by breaking the routine to do something new.

Your first attempt doesn’t have to be perfect or complete. At some point, inertia will shift from resisting change to supporting it, and small changes will snowball into big changes.

But it’s that first effort to say, “No, I am not going to eat that over sized portion on my plate,” that builds the momentum. At the next meal, you become aware of how restaurants over serve their portions (here in the USA), and you start cutting down meal sizes.

·        It’s that first time you respond with a smile to someone who pushes your buttons.

·        It’s when you stop yourself from explaining everything and ask a question instead.

·        It’s when you stop telling yourself you are tired and start asking how you can re-energize your tasks.

When I stop looking for how I can cut corners and make my work flow a routine, and start looking for creative ways to make a difference in the world, then I become more of a change agent.

It starts with the first snowball, and I am the one who has to set it in motion. Then it becomes fun to watch it grow and gather momentum.

What has been your experience when you want to change something?

Productivity

There are many examples of individuals who overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve worldwide acclaim, of leaders who took their companies to positions of global dominance in the face of fierce competition. There are even more examples of those who gave up, threw in the towel, and failed. It’s easy to blame others, or the environment, or the economy, or to rationalize ‘why’ it wasn’t their fault. If circumstances are not the determining factor, what is?

Too many people hold themselves in lower self-esteem than the actual facts warrant. Bad moments and past mistakes tend to make a deeper impression on our memories than our past successes. Many people tend to think more often of where and how they’ve failed, rather than where and how they have succeeded. Thus, many people tend to view themselves as less capable than they actually are. Another problem is that many have never learned the importance of self-love. The awkwardness with which some people accept compliments illustrates this fact. They often allow minor imperfections to color their view of themselves, resulting in a low self-image. To build a self-image on anything less than self-love, is to build on a hopelessly weak foundation.

With these thoughts in mind, let’s explore the difference you would make in enhancing the self-image of others if you thought more frequently in terms of their strengths and implemented a system and recognition program focused on their achievements, rather than on mistakes and failures. How much easier would it be to implement a change process if everyone viewed himself or herself in such a positive light?

What would happen to productivity if everyone thought more in terms of their unlimited potential rather than their limitations?  What if you were to pay close attention as you go through your day to the processes and systems you use? I’ll bet with a raised level of awareness, you could easily identify three things that could help you be more productive.

Maybe you could immediately think of more than three things, but just for the exercise, boil them down to three main barriers that get in the way of getting work done successfully. In the work we do at eMBC Inc., we often notice participants benefit enormously from this simple act of observing and asking questions.

What obstacles do you run into that, if they were different, would help you get your work done more easily, faster, and better? If you could directly change any of the things you observe, you can commit to making those changes by the end of the week.

I ran across this page the other day on Wikipedia: Human Interaction Management. Apparently there is a movement stemming from business process management that includes the human elements. The simple act of observation and questioning can help bring to light needed areas for productivity improvement.

Let me give some examples.

·                  If you need assistance or approval from a colleague or manager, find out how you can get that process in motion.

·                  If the change you need carries a cost, be sure you can identify the cost justification and have it ready when you start your conversation

·                  If you have direct reports, do this exercise with one or more of them this week, as well.

It’s a good idea to take an entire day to observe your work day in process, asking questions at each step. Ask yourself, “What is getting in the way of successfully making progress on this project?” And ask your direct reports the same questions.

What will you discover? It depends on the quality of your observations and questions. I believe this is a valuable exercise anyone can engage in at any point in their career, at any day of the week. One of my clients is practicing this currently in his company.

Be willing to ask tough questions and be ready to commit to doing things differently; which also requires going out of one’s comfort zone.

Caveat: Pay attention to the phrase: “If you could directly change any of the things you observe, you can commit to making those changes by the end of the week.”

If all you see is what other people should or could be doing differently, then you are stuck. What can you directly change that will make a difference?

If you haven’t taken time out recently for observing your work day and asking tough questions, may I gently suggest you do? I know every time I do this exercise it is invaluable and effective. Let me know what you discover…

Fight the Fear of Change

We are all naturally apprehensive about change. We fear the unknown. Most people are reluctant to take risks. This can be particularly true in a successful business. Success can be an enemy of innovation. Why mess with a model that works? There is little incentive to take risks and try new things. But even successful companies are at risk if they stand still. Smith Corona was very successful making typewriters but the technology of personal computers and the innovation of word processors proved too fatal to its business. Polaroid Corporation was a leader in instant photography but digital camera technology dealt it a serious blow and pushed it into Chapter 11.

Overcoming the fear of change is vital for business leaders. They will need to take this issue head-on. They must engage their teams in a dialogue and discuss the risks and benefits of standing still or of innovating. Some of the types of messages are, for example:

*  We must fight the risk of complacency

*  We are doing well right now but we need to do better.

*  There is a risk in innovating but there is a bigger risk in not doing anything.

*  If we don’t find new ways to reach and delight our customers then others will do it for us.

*  Change can be a big positive for us if we can drive it in the direction we want.

Leaders must promote a dialogue where, in addition to communicating these messages, they must listen to their team’s concerns and solicit their input. You can even turn negative people around by asking for their views on how to make things better. When asked, they will often volunteer great ideas for how we can make the change a big success.

Here are some tools you can use in the battle to win the hearts and minds of your teams:

*  Stories about companies that focused on what they did well and who missed the next big wave.

*  Praise for risk-takers and entrepreneurs within the business who have helped to drive change – successfully or unsuccessfully.

*  Examples of how we won business by doing something new.

*  Examples of how we lost business to more innovative competitors.

Innovation involves taking risks, changing things that work and coping with failures. Many people find it an uncomfortable journey. It can be a very bumpy ride but the alternative is to stay in the same place and slowly wither.

Moral of the story

Innovative leaders constantly evangelize the need for change. They replace the comfort of complacency with the hunger of ambition. They say, “We are doing well but we cannot rest on our successes – we need to do even better.” They explain that while trying new ventures is risky, standing still is even riskier. They must paint a picture that shows an appealing future that is worth taking risks to achieve. The prospect involves perils and opportunities. The only way we can get there is by embracing change.

__________________________________

Surya M Ganduri, PhD. PMP. is the founder and president of eMBC, Inc., an international firm specializing in strategic and executive leadership development processes that Help People Succeed in an Evolving World. His company is dedicated to helping organizations and individuals manage strategic change, innovation, cultural transition, and goal achievement. Surya has over 26 years of business experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, process improvements, organizational development and youth leadership. Contact Surya at s6ganduri@eMBCinc.com. For more information, visit www.eMBCinc.com or contact eMBC, Inc., directly at (630) 445-1321.

Turning a Bad Attitude, ‘He Hate Me’ into Great Results

Do you remember, Rod Smart, a leading rusher in 2002 for the Las Vegas Outlaws of the now defunct XFL pro football league? "He Hate Me" was his nickname. Looking for an edge, the XFL allowed players to put nicknames on their uniforms. Smart put ‘He Hate Me’ on the back of his number 32 jersey, and now the name lives in lore even though XFL has been out of business for years.

When I first read his story, I thought to myself, "That's a Leadership lesson!" It's because the statement ‘S/He Hates Me’ made by any team-mate and leadership often go hand-in-hand.

Clearly, leadership is not about winning a popularity contest; it's about getting results - not just average results but more results faster continually. To lead people to get the latter, you often must challenge them to do ‘not what they want to do’ but ‘what they don't want to do’.

That's where "He Hate Me" comes in. Strong feelings, hatred and anger are often triggered when you move people from being comfortable getting average results to being uncomfortable doing what's needed to get great results. Having people resent you, even hate you, comes with the territory of being a leader. In fact, if you are not getting a portion of the people you lead angry with you, you may not be challenging them enough.

This does not mean you let their anger fester. You absolutely must deal with it. After all, you can't motivate angry, resentful, "He Hate Me" people to be your cause leaders.

Here is a four-step process to help you deal with angry people you lead: (1) IDENTIFY. (2) UNDERSTAND. (3) VALIDATE. (4)TRANSLATE.

(1) IDENTIFY: Recognize that if you don't face up to the anger of the people you lead, that anger will eventually wind up stabbing you in the back.

Many leaders could care less about people's anger. They say in effect: "People should do what I tell them to do. PERIOD. Their feelings are irrelevant." If 'my-way-or-the-highway' is your way of leading, don't engage in this process. Such leadership is far less effective than the leadership that motivates people to be your ardent cause leaders.

Making motivation happen involves first understanding if people are angry with you or not. Often, people won't tell you they are angry. They'll try to hide it from you either out of embarrassment, trepidation, or wanting a sense of control.

Here are ways you can recognize that people are angry with you. The first is that you can see it on their faces or their body language. The second is that you can tell it in a drop off in their performance. The third is that you hear from other people they are angry. The fourth is they actually tell you they are angry.

(2) UNDERSTAND: Understand the causes of their anger. This may not be as simple or as easy as you think. They may be angry, but they may not want to talk about why they are angry or even admit to you that they are. Don't back them in a corner. Don't make judgments. Don't get angry yourself. Get interested. Don't say, for instance, "You're angry ..." Instead, ask open-ended questions like, "Are you angry with me?" - A question that seems on the surface only slightly different but that will make a big difference in the consequences of your interactions with them.

Once you and they have identified that they are angry, come to an understanding as to the actual reasons why. Drill through superficial reasons to the bedrock of why. They may say they are angry because you are giving them more work to do. But digging further, you may find out that they believe the supposed extra work will set them up for failure, and they might lose their jobs. So, they are really angry not simply for work-load reasons but for job security reasons.

(3) VALIDATE: Validate their anger. Their anger is real and important to them. It's who they perceive themselves to be (at the moment they feel angry) in their relationship with you. Many people embrace their anger. They may see it as the one thing that they can control in an environment in which they feel out of control. If you try to ignore that anger or belittle it, they will feel you are belittling them.

Tell them that you know they are angry and that you want to find out why. Avoid saying things like, "I know you're angry ... but ...” That "but" can harden them against you. Saying, "Help me understand why you feel angry about what I'm doing." can get you farther than the "but." This is not to condone their anger nor approve of it but simply to come to an agreement with them that it exists and that you intend to do something about it in a way that will be mutually beneficial.

(4) TRANSLATE: Their anger is your opportunity, an opportunity to translate their anger into your results. Their anger is great raw material for results, as you will see below.

People get angry for many reasons. * Their time is being wasted. * Their individual worth is not respected. * They feel threatened. * Their efforts are not appreciated. * They are not given voice or choice in their work. * Their values are not recognized or given credence. * Their leaders cannot do their jobs well. * Their leaders focus on their own needs. * Their leaders don't understand and acknowledge their needs. * Their leaders don't provide clear direction. * They are being overworked. * They are being set up to fail.

Here is a process for translating their anger into your results: The key to this process is that people's anger usually stems from an unresolved problem. A. With their help, identify the problem. B. Come to an agreement with them as to the causes of that problem. C. Help them find a solution. D. Challenge them to take action to solve the problem. E. Link that action to increases in results.

You can apply this process to any of the aforementioned reasons people get angry. As an example, let's apply it to the first reason. Often, a key challenge in getting others to take new action is their complaining you are wasting their time.

1. Draw up two lists, one composed of the aspects of their job they believe waste their time, and the other of the aspects they feel are crucial.
2. Come to an agreement with them on which aspects are truly a waste of their time and which aren't. Without such agreement, they may remain angry with you. For instance, they may feel that their having to complete a particular report or aspects of that report wastes their time. If you think that such reports are absolutely essential, you cannot continue this process unless you convince them that the reports are essential or that you will change them to make them essential.
3. Once you come to that agreement, work on each aspect in the "waste of time" list by applying this analytical tool: Decide if you want to leave it alone, change it, or eliminate it. There is no fourth choice!
4. If you have chosen to change it, have them suggest actions they will take to do so. Note the sequence here. Your first step in changing an aspect is to elicit from them what needs to be changed and the actions required to affect the change. If need be, you can always veto their choice. But if you first let them make that choice, you may find that they have delineated actions that tap a new vein of results. At the very least, they will be committed to those actions, since they go right to the heart of solving the problem of their anger.
5. Link those actions to increases in results. For instance, now that they have reduced, eliminated or changed a particular aspect of their job that was a problem for them, how will that translate into money saved/earned?

Be advised: You may be confronted by "professionally angry" people who will be angry and stay angry no matter what you do. Just being you or just being a leader or just being you as a leader gets them angry, and nothing you can do or say seems to change that. But keep working the four-step process. It's your best way of remedying even the "professionals" anger.

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Surya M Ganduri, PhD. PMP. is the founder and president of eMBC, Inc., an international firm specializing in strategic and executive leadership development processes that Help People Succeed in an Evolving World. His company is affiliated with Resource Associates Corporation, a network of 600+ associates that are dedicated to helping organizations and individuals manage strategic change, innovation, cultural transition, and goal achievement. Surya has over 26 years of business experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, process improvements, organizational development and youth leadership. Contact Surya at s6ganduri@eMBCinc.com. For more information, visit www.eMBCinc.com or contact eMBC, Inc., directly at (630) 445-1321.