Influence (Outpost)

Twenty Pax, took the Daily Red Pill (DRP) this morning and got better.

The Pax: Aruba, Rafiki , Decimus, Josey, Poacher, Neo, Flying Tomato, Tackle guard, Wrecking ball, Chitwood, Josey, Colt, Schlitz, Napalm, FroYo, CPT D, Steinbrenner,  Rifleman,  (Co-Q: X-Box, Q: Squirrel)

The Scene: Wonderful morning to be out in the Gloom

Warm Up:  Arm circles, Goof balls and Windmills

As the Pax number increased and increased the Q had to change things up right off the go and enlisted the help of X-Box.  I knew the Pax would be in capable hands with this HIM!

We counted off, Group 1 going with Squirrel, Group 2 with X-Box.

The Thang:  Group 1 mosey’d over and pick up some bricks

• 1st round Brick shrugs 1 min
• 2nd Round Reverse fly 1 min
• 3rd round Shoulder press 1 min
• 4th round Front raise 1 min
• 5th round Lateral raise 1 min
• 6th round Upright row 1 min
• REPEATO all six rounds

Group 2 circled up and performed the Seal Clap Merkin Ladder to 10 and back.

ROUND 2 – Once each group was complete they switched.  Group 1 moved to doing the Seal Clap Merkin Ladder and Group and Group 2 did shoulders.

ROUND 3 – Once the groups finished Round 2 we switched again…Group 1 moving back to the bricks and Group 2, well…X-Box had different exercises in store for them

 

We all circled up for some Belly Aiken Abs

• The 100
• 10 Xs & Os
• 20 WWII Situps
• 30 Freddy Mercury’s In cadence.  Yes, Freddy Mercury’s — not American Hammers!
• 40 Flutter kick In cadence
• 40 Side leg raises (ea side) In cadence
• 30 LBCs In Cadence
• 20 Heels To Heaven In cadence
• 10 Hello Dolly

 

Prayer requests:

1. Prayers of healing for rifleman’s grandfather who fell and is in the hospital
2. For Chitwood as he does the hard work of leadership

Announcements:

1. Decimus’ VQ coming up
2. Wrecking Ball has his birthday Q
3. Tomorrow, Froyo will interview Captain D at the summer series, learning about the legends

 

 Rifleman led us out in prayer

 

MOLESKINE: Influence

A few weeks ago the Q Source group discussed Influence.  I’d done my weekly reading, listening to the 43’ podcast and my own outside research to prepare for the discussion.  Here’s the rub, I’ve influenced others throughout my lifetime in all the right AND wrong ways. The following is written in the hopes my fellow Pax will follow the path to influencing others in the best way.

How someone influences other people is a matter of your own skill, up-bringing, life experiences and hard-wiring.  But the means that effective influencers use is all about the same: through word and deed.  Leaders get people on board (to change the status quo) by the things they say (and the way they say them) and the things they do (and the way he do’s them).

Here’s another thing.  Most of the time you are convincing people to do something that they already want to do.  Whether that’s to lose weight, get in shape, change the way HR operates, change a process, whatever.  Deep inside these folks want to do these things…these right things.  The High Impact Leader leads people to action – or at least get them to try.  And it’s the trying that really matters.

This isn’t just Q Source mumbo-jumbo.  The Harvard Business Review (HBR) writes:

Faced with the need for change, most managers respond predictably. They revamp the organization’s strategy, round up the usual set of suspects—people, pay, and processes—shift around staff, realign incentives, and root out inefficiencies and then wait for performance to improve, only to be disappointed.  People are reluctant to alter their habits. What worked in the past is good enough; in the absence of a dire threat, employees will keep doing what they’ve always done.  

 

….Yadda-yadda-yadda… 

 

Then HBR gets to the same thing as the Q Source:

“Turnaround leaders must also gain trust by demonstrating through word and deed that they are the right leaders for the job and must convince employees that theirs is the correct plan for moving forward.”

As the saying goes “if you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk.”  Which is a modern version of old sayings like “actions speak louder than words” and “practice what you preach.”  Another early form of the expression was “walk it like you talk it.”

Do your actions correspond to your words?

The Q Source (and other books) point to four broad characteristics that make good leaders influential:

1. They have a sense of purpose, which may be disruptive to the company’s old way of doing things (the status quo).  Often, this doesn’t make the company love these folks.  They aren’t afraid to rock the boat!
2. They use straight-talk.  Their words are clear and uncompromising and  leave people with no doubt as to what they believe or why they believe it.
3. It ain’t about them.  Nothing they do is self-serving.  It’s all about the team, the company, the bigger good.  Another way to say it, they aren’t selfish.
4. They prepare.  These leaders may be passionate about X, and yet they do not overreact emotionally to things that cannot be changed.  They don’t sweat the small stuff because they are prepared.

People usually identify with the company (team) they work for and its values and are committed to its continued existence if they want to be paid.  Beyond the paycheck, folks believe in the company, that it stands for something more than profitability, market share, or stock performance.  As a leader [in life and the company] your job is to crack the door open for the man to see beyond it and then push them.  (No…not push them through the door)  Push them to be better. 

Most of the time, those men who are just making it (survivors) and Sad Clowns know there is a better way…deep inside – they know.  They are just too scared to move toward to move toward the better way.  Weird right?  They’d rather punch the clock, get the check, keep the status quo because it is the known.  The status quo.

 

If you read the Harvard Business or the Q-Source they don’t suggest; dictating change, demands, mandating compliance, or creating policy that forces change as good examples of influence.  

Nope.  

Even though you can get people to comply with your demands (like your kids do….sometimes) they do it through gritted teeth and reluctancy. Like the saying goes, “you get more flies with honey than with vinegar.”  Instead of mandates, policy, etc. how about you build trust with the people you want to influence? 

Get to know your team, build rapport, strengthen the interpersonal connection to where you can ask a hard questions like, “what have your past leaders done (or not done) that you’d like me to do, or not do?”   Be prepared for the answer.  You’ve put yourself out there.   Take the feedback, ponder on it.  Decide if the answer is something you really need to do or not do.  You now have some insight on people’s expectations and, if needed, you can mold those expectations to be realistic.

Here’s another thing about influencing others.  We have to listen.  Momma always told me, “God gave us two ears and one mouth.”  Become a listener rather than the boss with the loudspeaker.  Listen to the folks you are influencing, then provide them with the resources they need to succeed.   Don’t solve the problem for them!  That’s the easy way out.  Make them work for it.  Everyone wins and they (the team, the wife, the individual) will be proud of what they were able to do on their own.

 

Commit to your team.  Whether that’s work or home, commit to them!  If you are not committed to your team, why should they have any reason to follow you?  Through your words and deeds, show how committed you are.  

Do the hard work.

Set the example. 

Be the bacon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Influence!

 

Aye!