Day 22–100 Days 100 Ways Being Visible
I have a course name and am thinking about my client's needs
Today I have been thinking about my ideal client, the person for whom I am designing The Confident Executive program. I am working on articulating my offer to technical experts in various fields who want to develop their leadership skills and become “confident executives”. In writing this content I have completed the minimum recommended preparation for the ‘Speak to Sell’ workshop with my coach, Colin Boyd, on Thursday night. Three weeks ago I would have put this work off. It seems there is nothing like a publishing deadline to spur some action.
The following text is a rough draft of ideas that I am working to articulate. Publishing this as a rough work-in-progress is a way for me to practice being visible and to share my actual journey, not just the result. I hope I will have a more polished articulation to share next week.
What do I do?
I help technical experts master the human-factor, have the conversations that create high performing teams and deliver outstanding results.
The confident executive program
Core premise: You are one conversation away from effectively leading a high performing team.
Audience psychology map: The Confident executive program is for SES branch-heads and executive-level public servants, business executives and business owners who experience the following in the context of their work and leadership.
Work from my staff is delivered late or not to-standard requiring last-minute re-writes. I find it too awkward (and may say I don’t have the time) to have the conversations to get people to deliver on-time and to-standard. I am working long hours and feel overwhelmed by all operational work to be delivered and have no time left for developing staff capability or to invest in my own growth and capability development. I find it hard to even pause and plan.
I feel anxious and overwhelmed by all there is to do, frustrated with my staff and almost resentful that the work never lets up (even if it is interesting). I feel uncomfortable holding people to account and too nervous (even anxious) to have the more difficult conversations necessary to get people to perform at a high standard. I am frustrated that I don’t get to do this development work because I care about people and know we could do a better job if we did it.
I want to be an effective manager and to lead a high performing team that delivers work on-time and to-standard (or at least communicates risks to delivery well in advance). I have difficult conversations and make time to develop my staff. I know my capacity and the capacity of the team to deliver, so can communicate upwards about what is realistic and manage senior executive expectations.
I would be fulfilled and satisfied with my work, feeling like I am doing something worthwhile. I would feel courageous in my communications and feel respected by my staff and my supervisors. I would feel proud of how I work. I would be decisive about what could and could not be done and at the end of the day, I would be at peace when I draw the line between work and home so I am fully present with my family. I am comfortable being decisive about what is and is not done and communicating appropriately.
Model for the development of a confident executive.
The blunderer [I need a new name for this group that an executive would admit to being if they were here] is a bit like a “bull in a china shop”; they are in action and may exude confidence, but they are not fully competent. Their activity is poorly directed and often enough ineffective. If they do not develop self-awareness and a willingness to learn from their mistakes, they can be dangerous to an organisation. They may not understand why people are frustrated or annoyed with them because they are often well-intentioned.
The bystander is not clear on what effective action looks like and either lacks the confidence to go with what they know or is wise enough to avoid being a blunderer. Either way, they are left on the sidelines, and others step around them to fill the leadership void. Their team is much less effective than it could be. If they are not to be left behind, the bystander must develop their knowledge of what to do and their self-knowledge and mood navigation to move into action even if they do not feel confident.
The Theoretician has read the books and done the courses to know what is needed but lacks the confidence to put what they know into action. They may see the mistakes the blunderer is making but still do not step up to leadership. They may resent that less competent people are leading in their stead. The Theoretician needs to develop their people skills and the emotional fortitude to get into action and lead in the real world.
The confident leader may or may not feel confident when they step up to leadership. Those who lack confidence can manage their moods and harness courage and curiosity to overcome self-doubt and resignation. They know enough theory but, most importantly, engage in experiential learning through action and reflection. The confident leader does not have to have all the answers and maintains curiosity rather than anxiety about the unknown.
Principles for the confident executive program
Leadership is learnable. Leaders are made not born.
Technical experts can learn the structure of conversations and master the ‘human factor’.
Leadership and collaboration are conversational; specific conversations can be identified.
Moods just happen to us, but we can use knowledge of their structure to navigate from unresourceful moods to resourceful moods.
Moods and emotions have a rational basis and give useful information.
Leaders and managers are emotional leaders — they cause the emotional weather in their team — whether they think they do or not. The question is will they become self-aware and conscious of the weather they are bringing.
Teams don’t just happen, there are non-discretionary conversations and practices to have a high performing team.
You may not be able to keep all your promises but you can manage all your promises and generate satisfaction for your customers.
Knowledge
I have used structures from Colin Boyd’s ‘Sell from Stage Acadamy’ to start to craft my client messaging. See his podcast “Messaging that makes you millions” and blog “3 Most Powerful Ingredients For Selling on Webinar & Stage” for examples of thinking about an audience.
Progress
The standard for winning gold in the being-visible game I declared on Day 8 is (I remind myself): “On or before June 15th 2021 (day 98 of this 100-day project), I deliver a webinar promoting an online training program attended by more than 50 middle-level executives. Ten attendees (minimum) pay for the training course.” I now have a working name for the program (“The Confident Executive”) and am starting to refine my understanding of the thinking of my ideal participants.
I am on track.
22/23/100 (Number of days goals met/ number of days into project/ 100)
Goto the Previous Day or Next Day