Life is like a box of chocolates... or a cup of coffee...

My mom has a knack for finding the most inspirational short videos and stories and sending them to me at the exact moment I need them (sometimes I don't know ...but she always does).

Our dogs Toby and Toby Jr (TJ) have taught me a lot about myself, life, business, and living a life that is full... of all the right things.... and putting your best foot forward.

Our mission at Team Toby is to improve lives by teaching kindness, acceptance and respect.  Whether it be in the boardroom, classroom, school yard or conference centre, my message as a professional speaker always stems from this foundation.... kindness, acceptance and respect.

Animals are so accepting...so unconditional...so non-judgmental. In the workplace when people can show up and be present in this way (accepting and non judgmental) the workplace culture shifts, in the right direction. Relationships and trust improve. Forgiveness happens. And the team can reach a new level of synergy.

My dogs have also taught me about simplicity.  One of my keynote presentations starts with "life is full of moments. Moments that define you. Moments that challenge you. Moments that stretch you. Moments that help you grow."  and ends with "How will spend your moments?"

Our Toby Jr (TJ) enjoying a moment in the park in Edmonton.

This beautiful short video sums up the importance of making your moments matter, enjoying life as you are experiencing it, and, the power of kindness.

A special shout out to my mom for somehow always just knowing the right thing to send at the right time.  Enjoy.
          http://www.flickspire.com/_videos/flash/LILC/LILC.swf

 As you move forward in your week, remember to ask yourself these questions:

1) How am I showing up in this moment?
2) Who am I being in this moment?
3) How will I spend my moments?

To find out more on this and related topics, our books and speaking, please visit us at www.TheOriginalTeamToby.com or www.CharmaineHammond.com 

When Lightning Strikes

You just never know when you have a moment to learn, life could change, or something unusual happens that could impact you.

  "Image courtesy of  Foto76/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net".

Recently when flying back from Ontario to Alberta following a presentation at a Women’s Conference, the plane I was on was struck by lightning. 

I had never thought about a plane being struck by lightning, and for a person who flies 20-40 times a year, it is probably amazing I have never experienced any type of “problem” on an airplane. 

We were just about to begin the decent to Edmonton airport when I saw orange blur and sparks, the plane jolted, and we heard a huge bang. The orange sparks and blur were about two seats ahead of me.  At first I thought the engine had caught fire. I looked at the flight attendants who did not look rattled, then looked at the engine that had no orange blur or sparks, and as I turned my head to my seat mate to ask “what the heck was that?” the flight attendant came on the PA system announcing “our plane has been struck by lightning. We’ll know in a minute if there is any reason to be alarmed. Planes are built to withstand lightning strikes.”

It was a very long minute....

 

When she never returned to the PA system, it was a safe assumption that all was fine. As I reflected upon this incident during the landing, I found myself reflecting on how people communicate in a time of crisis (real or perceived) in the workplace. 

After working in the Correctional System in an earlier career, we became quite skilled at crisis management and communicating during a workplace crisis. These skills served me well in my future career, and, even as a professional speaker. Last year an audience members experienced a severe medical emergency during a presentation. The good news was that the room was filled with medical professionals who immediately stepped into action. The training I had in crisis communication (just liked the incredible West Jet employees on the plane that day) helped calm the individuals who also experienced the situation directly or indirectly.  

Communicating in crisis involves:

•    Addressing the obvious, calmly, clearly and without drama.

•  Providing a short statement of reassurance supported by fact (e.g. “We have been struck by lightning. Planes are built to withstand lightning strikes. The plane and all of us are fine.” Or “We are going to take a short break to help your colleague. We are in a room of medical experts and he is in good hands and will be well cared for.”

•   Re-addressing the obvious.  The flight attendant later said “We have a very special guest on board. Anna is 87 years old, this is her first flight, and she was struck by lightning. She’ll have some great stories to share with her great grandchildren tonight at dinner.” of course the plan roared with laughter and clapping after this statement.

• Communicating clearly (almost in bullet statements) and removed any “fluff” or drama that would cause confusion, questions or emotion (such as fear).

• Providing direction. Let people know what they need to do, steps to take, action, etc.  Don't leave it up to assumptions or guesswork. In stress people often assume or guess wrong.

• Being available to answer questions, address concerns, etc.

Remember these steps next time you have to communicate in times of stress, change, crisis or lightning strikes.  

-         

Fun in Business? Managing Change at Work.

Have fun at the doing zone! 

 Today's guest blog post is from Jill Douka

Over the past decades, while working in the field of personal development, I had the opportunity to observe the same, repeating behaviors at myself and our clients.

As an example, there is a great pattern in the process of change, one of the most important ways for someone to be developed.

You take actions with the aim to make a change, to follow a different path and as soon as you make such actions, you wait…for the results. There is a waiting stage. Just at this stage, it is essential to insist, to wait with patience and faith, to be there and not give up. Even more, if you think about it, during the waiting stage, we learn, develop and become better people.

Before  taking action, we think about the problem and we may discuss it with people we trust. In other words, we knew that there was something that needed to be changed, even if we were only hearing a “gentle” inner voice that confirmed that.

Further, when we get to “the edge”, when we are fed up with things, only then we move towards change. We make this essential step, leaving the past reality, get into the “effort zone” and we pass into the actions area. Within this area our boundaries are pushed and we don’t feel at ease. That is, we are in our “out of comfort zone”, the doing zone.

Imagine that you are about to jump. Not anything fancy, you’ ll just leave the floor. You prepare yourself, you bend your knees and then, you are in the air, there is a second of suspension. During the time you are in the air, there is a mixed feeling. On one hand, there is the pleasure of experiencing a new state, its fascinating and on the other hand, there is the fear of falling down. You may think, what if I fall and get hurt?

Still, the seconds that you are in the air is the moment you are developing, learning, evolving. That is the doing zone and yes it is both uncomfortable and full of benefits at the same time. For example, consider the moment once you are off the ground and once your jump is already finished. All these thoughts (is it the right thing to do?) or the doubts (is there a better alternative?), where are all these when you touch the ground? Nowhere! They disappeared!

Indeed, how often do you rejoice about the learnings you acquired during a process? How often do you reward yourself because of a step you made and brought you closer to change?

The answer is: Rarely. It is in human nature to think: “and then, what? What is the next move?” right there we may see the energy and the beauty of human nature: at the fact that we keep moving forward and looking for the next step once we have achieved our jump! 

 Actually, change fascinates us…

What are you really planning to change? Bear in mind: the ding zone may be uncomfortable, but full of rewards at the same time! Accept the out of comfort zone and enjoy the rewards!

Enjoy the experience of changing!

Be Unique!

Watch Jill's presentation on TED
 
Jill Douka MBA, ACC is a Life Coach, international workshop leader and author.

She is Greek Canadian and has trained, coached and mentored thousands of individuals in Europe, USA and Asia. She is considered to be one of the most acclaimed coaches in Greece by the press and is one of the first European women invited to speak in a TEDx event in Asia. Vice President of www.uniquenessdevelopmentgroup.com she supports people to successfully cope with change by unlocking their strengths, energy and goals. Some of UDG clients are Kraft, Microsoft, Iiberdrola, Peiraios Bank. Founder of www.BetterLifeDay.com, the global educational platform commited to solutions worth knowing, is looking forward to living in a world where lifelong learning tools towards collective better living, become mainstream and are accessible to all. Ms Douka was chosen as a mentor at the European Business Mentors network and is an active philanthropist.

Do you LEAN forward or back in challenge?

When I created the term Bounce Forward as my take on the definition of resilience, the picture of the resilient person I had in mind was the one who Leaned forward into challenge. To lean forward into challenge requires courage, commitment, and a sense of vulnerability

When I think about the people I know who model leaning into challenge, my friend Warren MacDonald comes to mind.  He says that "Challenging times call for a shift in perspective". Warren’s inspirational story and powerful message of hope deliver life-changing instruction on not only navigating, but embracing change; with focus, energy and confidence. His unique perspective on change management translates into real learning that is applicable to both personal and business growth. As a keynote speaker, Warren works with innovative, forward thinking companies and associations looking to foster innovative thinking; the kind of thinking that led him to become the first double above-knee amputee to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak (19,222ft); the kind of thinking that empowers potential and inspires you to grow and prosper.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/charmainehammond/2012/06/20/guests-jill-lublin-and-warren-macdonald

To listen to what Warren has to say about leaning into challenge, changing your perspective and maintaining hope,  follow the link above.

This year, commit to leaning into challenge as a team... 

1) Support one another... hold each other up instead of bringing one another down.

2) Solve problems instead of swimming in them.

3) Recognize the accomplishments and unique contributions of team members.

4) Bring your best version of you to the team.

Wishing you and your team a year of leaning forward. 

How Perfectionism Blocks Success

As a recovering perfectionist I really discovered that life begins (or at least gets richer) when your move out of perfectionism and where your comfort zone ends.  Staying in your comfort zone doesn’t challenge you to grow.

The same holds true for teams! 

Many teams play safe. So safe that the necessary risks needed to help a team grow and evolve are avoided and reduces their success. Comments like "we've always done it this way" or "let's just play it safe" or "sounds great in theory... but...." can reduce creativity, synergy and results. Perfectionism can really stifle a team's growth, confidence and outcomes.

A leader that I admire has faith in his leadership and incredible belief in his team. He said that part of his role as a leader is setting the stage, creating the safe environment and asking the right questions that will inspire his team to stretch out of their comfort zone and explore alternatives and solutions that hadn't yet been attempted. His confidence and his trust in his team allowed this team to go on and do great things. What I noted about this team was that they took more responsibility for their actions, didn't blame or finger point when a team member's idea went belly up, and, they focused on how to solve problems instead of who dropped the ball.

This leader did not expect perfection, he encouraged and modelled excellence.

When you think of these two terms, how do you define them?

What does excellence look like in action?

As you move forward in 2013, here are three tips to practice leading your team out of their comfort zone:

1) Facilitate brainstorming sessions. Find new solutions to every day problems.
2) Promote a culture of respect, trust, and communication. A learning environment.
3) Watch the language... words create behaviours. Instead of perfect... replace it with excellence.
4) Acknowledge the appropriate risks taken within the team. Be approachable and know when to lead.... and when to follow.....