available on the TPI-Leadership Coaching Tools page, password: tpileadership)

Transcription

1 Information for Improving Role Awareness Scores: If you scored lower in the Role Awareness area (see your Dimensional Balance graph, last page of your report) you may have also scored lower in the Personal Skill areas of: Self- Management, Personal Accountability and Resiliency. (Find your Personal Skills scores page 58 Personal Skills Hierarchy.) Definition of Role Awareness: The degree of a person s identity and awareness regarding his or her professional, social and personal roles. Action Steps and More Information: Review the attached RXCD Tutorials on Role Awareness and Role Confidence for a more detailed description and specific actionsyou can take for improvement. Review the tutorials found in the Online University to gain a better understanding of areas impacted by low Role Awareness, such as Self- Management, Personal Accountability and Resiliency. (Access information available on the TPI-Leadership Coaching Tools page, password: tpileadership) Review and begin reading the Recommended Books by TPI Leadership on the TPI Leadership Coaching Tools page. Articles about Role Awareness from Suzie s website: (click each link) AMERICAN PICKERS: High Role Awareness and Job Engagement in Action -What it Means and How to Hire For It Win at Work Like Baseball's 2011 Rookie of the Year: How to Improve Confidence & Swagger The Six Best Interview Questions EVERY Hiring Manager Should Ask EVERY Candidate PRICELESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2 Information for Improving Role Awareness Scores: page 2 Mantra for Personal Accountability: The buck stops here. Harry Truman Definition: A measure of the capacity to be answerable for personal actions. Actions for higher Personal Accountability: Be sure you clearly understand and can state what is expected of you. Do what is expected and more. Seek feedback on how to improve, and respect the feedback by making changes that help you grow as a leader. Read: Mantra for Self Management: There are many options; there is only one next step. David Allen Definition: Demonstrating self control and an ability to manage time and priorities. Actions for greater Self Management: Develop self control Clarify what is important Manage time and priorities Minimize disruptions Maintain activity Mantra for Resiliency: I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. Christopher Reeves Definition: The ability to quickly recover from adversity. Actions for greater Resiliency: Remember that failure = learning See yourself as a survivor, not a victim Do not let one event hack your whole life Stay flexible Use your support network PRICELESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

3 Role Awareness A session from the Rx CD System

4 Rx Audio Seminar: Role Awareness Role Awareness: Your ability to see your role in the world, or within a given environment; your ability to understand the expectations placed on a position and to see clearly how those expectations are to be met. Why is this skill important? People with good Role Awareness will understand what it is that they are doing, what is expected of them, and how they are supposed to be doing it. Having this understanding allows them to utilize their other personal strengths and abilities to fulfill the role they are in. People with poor Role Awareness, on the other hand, lack understanding of the role they occupy. They are either unclear as to what they feel they should be doing, or they have not been informed adequately as to what the expectations for their role or duties are. Think about it. Imagine you have just started a new job, and you ve been given a desk, a computer, a phone, and all the other office accessories that you need. But no one has given you a job description or met with you to talk about what is expected of you. All you have been told is, "You re hired as a marketing representative (or a sales person, or a medical consultant, or an engineer). I hope you can start Monday." What would you do? How would you spend your first day? I m willing to bet that a big part of your day would be spent asking a lot of people, "What should I be working on?" or "How can I help you? I don t know what my assignments are yet." Or worse, if you are a shy or insecure person, you might just sit at your desk looking through materials hoping someone will notice you need something to do! Odds are, very few people actually start jobs with that little initiation. But the truth is, many people make it through their company s introduction, their boss s welcome and description of the job, and pages and pages of policy and procedure manuals... and they still don t know what they should be doing or how they should be doing it. If you are in a position like this one where you know there ARE expectations of you, and there ARE ways things should be done but don t know how to get to the point of being productive, you ve got to get YOURSELF the information you need. This requires you to be assertive about what you want, open to new or changing requirements, and perceptive about unspoken requirements or demands on you. It sounds like a lot to ask of one person. And again, IDEALLY your company will have set up clear expectations of you and your position, and involve you in making 1

5 Rx Audio Seminar: Role Awareness those decisions. But since they haven t, you ll have to learn how to take charge of your own destiny! What are skills associated with Role Awareness? Someone who has mastered skills associated with Role Awareness: Is knowledgeable about and comfortable with duties that are part of his or her job description. Is confident enough in his or her role to take decisive action in uncertain situations. Is secure enough to ask for clarification of roles and responsibilities if they are unclear. Is attentive to both stated and unstated demands and expectations placed upon him or her. Is confident that he or she can meet expectations with a clearly defined path toward success. How do you develop your own skills in Role Awareness? Get familiar with the job description that was effective when you started working at your company. Get familiar with your company s mission statement and stated corporate goals. Ask your manager to spend some time with you helping you define your role. If he or she doesn t have a clear list of goals for you, work with him or her to define them. Talk to your manager about what your department s goals are, and how they relate to corporate missions or strategies. Talk to your peers. Learn from them what is expected of you and what the successful model is at your company. Be clear about your own personal goals. Make sure you incorporate what YOU need into what your company needs from you. Take charge. If no one will tell you what you are supposed to be doing, take your best guess at what will be productive, and do it! Define tasks that you think need to be done as you see them ask others for confirmation that you understand the relevant issues. Use your department s and your company s strategies to define your own. Make sure your duties are in alignment with higher-level directives. Make sure you establish a timeline for accomplishing any task you take on, and make clear task assignments for yourself and others. Define clear expectations and deadlines for any project you take charge of. Keep key managers and team members posted on progress you are making on projects you take the lead on. 2

6 Rx Audio Seminar: Role Awareness Be observant both about what is being said and what is not being said. There may be expectations you are expected to meet that aren t verbalized. Define your expectations of yourself. Sometimes you are your most demanding critic. What is it that you want to accomplish? What do you think you should have been hired to do? Help others verbalize their expectations of you. Ask good questions, and be patient when waiting for answers. When you think you understand what is expected of you, establish a clear set of guidelines that will help you meet or exceed each expectation. Role Awareness Activities Activity 1: Combining Collateral Gather the following materials: 1. Your job description. 2. Company collateral brochures, annual reports, etc. 3. Any recent department collateral monthly reports, s from the director, etc. Based on the job description, what are your four key missions or responsibilities? Based on the company collateral, what are the company s four key missions or goals? Based on your department s collateral, what are your department s four key missions or goals?

7 Rx Audio Seminar: Role Awareness How do the three sets of missions relate to one another? Do they? Should they? Are there things you think your department should be doing that it s not? What are they? Are there things you think you should be doing but you re not? What are they? What do you think you should do about revising your goals? Who needs to approve them? With whom do you need to discuss them? Activity 2: Charge! Think carefully about the following questions: 1. Have you ever been in a job or situation where you weren t clear on what your role was supposed to be? 2. How did being unsure of your role make you feel? 3. How did you handle the situation? What action did you take, if any? 4. What did you learn from the situation? 5. How could you have handled the situation more effectively? Activity 3: Expectations Think carefully about both stated and UNSTATED expectations as you answer the following questions: 1. What are five things your manager or supervisor has said he or she expects you to do or accomplish? a. b. c. d. e. 2. What are five things your manager or supervisor SEEMS to want you to do or accomplish? a. b. c. 4

8 Rx Audio Seminar: Role Awareness d. e. 3. What are five things that YOU think you should do or accomplish? a. b. c. d. e. 5

9 Role Confidence A session from the Rx CD System

10 Rx Audio Seminar: Role Confidence Role Confidence: The ability to develop and maintain an inner strength based on the belief that one will succeed. Why is this skill important? Role Confidence is a combination of a person s ability to see his or her role clearly, to view it as being positive, practical, and functional, and to see him or herself as valuable in that role. The first component of Role Confidence the ability to see your role clearly and view it as positive, practical, and functional is a combination of facts you know about your job and values that you bring to the position. For example: Do you know what the key responsibilities of your position are? Do you see how your position is important to the functioning of your company? Do you value the type of position it is? Do you believe that doing a good job in this position will make a difference? Are things you do in your job consistent with your own value system? Is it important to you to do a good job? Does it mean something to you? The second component of Role Confidence is tightly bound to your sense of self confidence. Role Confidence has everything to do with your ability to see the value that YOU as a unique individual bring to the position you are in. In addition, Role Confidence has to do with your ability to not over-worry about new or difficult situations you must be confident enough in your personal abilities and your value that you will see potential solutions without getting stressed out or focused on the negative. People who have good Role Confidence typically will be willing to give their opinions in situations where they do not have a thorough knowledge of all the particulars. But, they will most likely not be overly stubborn or insistent about their opinions. This ability to feel comfortable assessing situations without complete details comes from confidence that you know the requirements of the position you are in, that you have the experience to apply in the position, and that you can add value to new situations that arise on the job. 1

11 Rx Audio Seminar: Role Confidence In contrast, people who are not Role Confident will probably not be assertive in the majority of professional situations. They may lack security in their opinions about what it is that they are doing, or supposed to be doing, so they become indecisive and unsure of how to proceed. The great author William Faulkner once wrote, "I have found that the greatest help in meeting any problem with decency and self-respect and whatever courage is demanded is to know where you yourself stand. That is, to have in words what you believe and are acting from." What are skills associated with Role Confidence? Someone who has mastered skills associated with Role Confidence: Knows what his or her core values are and how they formed them. Has a good understanding of what his or her personal and professional roles are. Has a clear vision for investing his or her life in pursuits that reflect core values. Believes in his or her ability to add value in personal and professional roles. Believes that doing a good job makes a difference. Is willing to give opinions based on thoughtful analysis, even if all relevant information isn t available. Is secure enough in his or her role to recognize that other people have unique strengths and add value. How do you develop your own skills in Role Confidence? Define your own core values, and keep them at the front of your mind at all times. Understand what it takes to be successful at your job, and determine what you can do to be successful while staying within your value system. Know your capabilities and strengths, and use them to achieve your goals. Think in terms of past successes, not past failures. Evoke the feelings of past successes before you embark on something new or difficult. Make a habit of being self-confident and confident in the role you are in. Consciously substitute good feelings of confidence for bad feelings such as frustration. Be diligent about continuous learning stay ahead of the curve in your profession by reading journals, attending conferences, and networking; and keep an open mind to continuous learning in your personal life through good communication, self-improvement, etc. Don t think too much before you act. Put your goal foremost in mind and then act. Correct your actions as you go along, not before you start! 2

12 Rx Audio Seminar: Role Confidence Make a habit of speaking louder than usual don t shout, but try to raise the volume of your voice to project confidence. Learn from mistakes you make, but don t over-analyze your mistakes so much that you are dwelling on them. If you find yourself unable to stop worrying, make your worries constructive. In other words, if you are worrying about a problem you can take care of, solve it and do so as soon as possible. If you can t do anything about a problem you are experiencing, resolve not to think about it anymore or only to think about it constructively. Create affirmations for yourself "I bring value to my job every day." "I believe in what I do." etc. Remember that other people have knowledge and opinions that are valuable and based on their own experiences. Recognize that everyone in your organization has a unique role to play, and that everyone has the capability to add value. Role Confidence Activities Activity 1: Personal Impact Use the following questions as a guide to connect with your core personal values: 1. What is your personal definition of success? If you became very successful, what would life be like? 2. What three principles most frequently guide your decisions and actions? 3. What three qualities are most essential for reaching success (as you define success)? 4. What excites you more than anything else in the world? 5. What is your greatest fear in life? 3

13 Rx Audio Seminar: Role Confidence 6. What is your primary consideration in making decisions in the following areas? a. Money b. Career c. Relationships d. Time management 7. What percentage of your time is spent in direct and active pursuit of your ideal of success? 8. Rank by numerical order the priority you place on the following areas of life, with (1) being the highest. Career ( ) Family ( ) Financial security ( ) Recreation ( ) Spiritual growth ( ) 9. How would you most like to change your life? Activity 2: Worry Think carefully about the things that cause you worry or stress on the job. Write a brief description of the three main things that cause anxiety. Then, spend some time analyzing the situation or thoughts that are worrying you, and think of at least ten things you can do to move constructively to improve the issue. For example, let s say that your worry is: I m anxious about the upcoming staff meeting, because I have to give a presentation of the new sales plan. If you can think of actions to take to help you address the worry, you will make that worry constructive. You could start an outline of your presentation. You could arrange to have a mentor review your draft. You could double-check the facts you are presenting, etc. There are many, many ways to take constructive actions that will lessen the anxiety of difficult or stressful situations. Your Worry #1: Constructive Actions:

14 Rx Audio Seminar: Role Confidence Your Worry #2: Constructive Actions: Your Worry #3: Constructive Actions:

15 Rx Audio Seminar: Role Confidence Activity #3: Self Improvement Being on a path of continuous learning and self-analysis will help you meet your goal of being Role Confident. What are some things you can do to make yourself more knowledgeable about your job, your profession as a whole, your industry, and your own personal capabilities? Develop a plan for improvement by answering the following questions and taking steps to follow through on your answers. 1. What can you do to make yourself more knowledgeable about what is expected of you in your job? How can you add more value? 2. What can you do to learn more about your profession as a whole? Are there organizations or conferences you should join? What about journals or magazines that focus on your profession? 3. What can you do to learn more about your industry? Are there journals or magazines devoted to your industry? Are there trade shows you could attend? Are there subject matter experts you could interview for information? 4. What can you do to learn more about your personal capabilities? Are there assessment tests you could take? Are there certifications you could pursue? Can you ask mentors and peers for assessments of your behaviors? Activity 4: Self-Analysis Depending on your level of self-confidence, there may be a few or a lot of things you KNOW you do well. For this activity, you will need to define at least ten things that you do well on the job. Then, we ll turn these things into affirmations that you can use to help yourself be more Role Confident. If you really can t think of ten things you do well in your job, ask a trusted peer or mentor for his or her suggestions. Here s an example: Let s say that you write that you are good at "making quick, effective decisions." Turn that into an affirmation by saying, "I am good at effective decision-making, which adds value every day." Now, it s your turn. Remember, keep these items JOB-RELATED. 6

16 Rx Audio Seminar: Role Confidence I m good at: Now, turn them into your own affirmations. Once you have your affirmation list, keep it somewhere handy to remind yourself of the value you add on the job. 7