The Positive Energy Workplace

Work with your team. Talk about what's going on. Be open about it. Invite them into the conversation. Tell the truth (be aware of and response-able for your impact here.) Brainstorm solutions. Give them ownership for creating solutions that will help you move through challenges together.

Mission & Vision. Why are you in business? Why does your company exist? What's the impact you want to have? What's the overall vision here? Do you remember? Do you have one? Are you clear on where you're going? Individually, as a team? What are your shared values that will get you there? You can have more than one vision, for different areas of your life, but if you don't have at least one - it's going to be hard to get there. Having a mission, vision and shared values can pull you through times of adversity (and make it more fun in the process which in my opinion is a really good thing.)

Make a plan. Nothing breeds greater clarity and a sigh of relief like actually making a plan. Whatever your current situation is - what's your plan? Doesn't have to be perfect - just jot down some next steps, get into action, and be awake in the process so you know when you need to make a left turn or switch gears.

Acknowledge. A close cousin to gratitude. What's your team going through right now? How are they showing up? Who are they "being" in the face of challenge and unknown outcomes? How can you be more helpful to them?

The Power of Wanting...

The Want List...

This is a picture of one of my clients who came out to St. Charles this last week for a Private DTE Retreat. This is Dr. Cheryl Perlis (Perlis Wellness Center in Lake Bluff, Il) and she is one phenomenal doctor, with a mission that runs deep and involves supporting and empowering women in and with their bodies, at all ages. She specializes in Gynecology and Aesthetic Solutions, and I will say, hands down that she has to be one of the kindest, most thoughtful, cool, committed, no-nonsense, and loving doctors I've ever met. Anyway, here's Cheryl at our retreat earlier this week in St. Charles. This picture in particular is one of my favorites...It's a picture of her "holding" her "want list."

Notice the 5 full flip charts that she's filled out? Those are the things that she wants to have an impact on, bring into her life, make happen and pay it forward with. That's quite a want list. What's also powerful is that those things on her want list have multiple positive ripple effects. She gave me permission to share this with you as I was struck by the power of this woman and her list. I was struck by who she had to be to allow herself to create it, where she had to allow herself to "go"...fully engaged, full permission, awake, and hungry. Here she is - arms wide - holding the power of want. And what's really cool is that this want list, will help her mission and vision manifest itself in even more powerful ways - so not only does she feel great, others benefit as well. The visual of her working on this list and then lined up against the wall with it is something I've imprinted in my heart and mind and will keep with me for a long long time. It all started with the simple question of "What do you want?" And it inspired this post. So let's talk about wanting...

Anese & Cheryl - Post Retreat

Ultimately every client or program participant who works with me can count on being asked THE "How bad do you want it?" question within about 15 minutes of us knowing each other...often less, and most often before they even get to the consult appointment with me. I've gotten to the point that if a person tells me they want "it" less than an 7 or an 8 on a scale of 0-10 (10 being highest), I'll suggest that we wait to work together. Abrupt? Not at all. I say it in service of the client, their time, energy and money, and in service of my time, energy and attention. If someone comes to me to make shifts in their own leadership or behaviors or wants to make a significant change in their lives, I want, and even need, them to really want it. (We joke that I can't want it more than they do.) Making sustainable changes can be difficult enough, even when the want dial is at an 8 out of 10... So getting clear on the reasons why they want something, and really how much - helps.