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How Leaders Play Hara-Kiri During Tough Times By Ross and Vannoy What advantage would it give you to know how to quickly focus your team on finding solutions during the toughest business cycles? The 3 Mind Factors explains in layman's terms how the mind works, and how it is the key to directing that focus through challenges. The 3 Mind Factors We can only focus on one thing at a time. The mind cannot avoid a don't. We go toward what we focus on. It's easy to see that this tool has the power to either generate momentum by focusing people on finding solutions ---- or, during tough business conditions, create roadblocks by focusing people on what's not working well. Many companies play the 3 Mind Factors backward. The minute the economy slows or business declines, the managers attempt to save the day by communicating fear and scarcity. "Guys, business is down this quarter; we're going to have to cut back." Or "All indications say the economy is leveling out, so we're putting a spending freeze in place." In one company, prior to a Wellness Culture training, the leadership team spent hours examining the question: "Where can we stop the bleeding?"			Craig Ross, President  Steven Vannoy, CEO and Founder

The result? In each of these cases, employees felt like they were part of a losing operation - a part of the problem, not a part of the solution. Because we all go toward our focus, employees in situations like this act from the focus and paradigm that business is slow and perhaps that their jobs are in jeopardy. This focus, of course, makes it difficult for people to feel good about themselves. It can cause paralyzing fear and stress that makes employees less able to stay engaged and solution-focused. All too often, these companies not only have to endure harsh market challenges, they now have to do it while their talent has become insecure, disengaged, unmotivated, backward-focused, and might be actively looking for the nearest exit. Sadly, for these companies, the future of the business is in greater peril because of the approach the leader took in focusing his team on what's not working right. Consider: How adept are you at coming up with breakthrough ideas when you are scared and discouraged? How effective are you at boosting your enthusiasm and productivity-attributes an organization desperately needs in tough times-when you are feeling insecure? What difference would it make if leaders, in addition to managing company finances well and being honest about current circumstances, adopted a different focus? What difference would it make if they asked their teams: "How can we move this account forward and reduce costs at the same time?" "In what areas have we generated momentum on which we can build?" "How can we manage our resources so they can be leveraged better?" "What strengths of our team can we leverage to move ahead of our competitors in times like this?" "In what areas have we proved we are capable of succeeding during periods like this?" When times are difficult, what type of leadership approach inspires you? How You Use the 3 Mind Factors = Your Results

(c) 2006 Pathways to Leadership, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.