Succeed by Observing, Not Just Doing

I remember standing in the doorway of the office of an insightful manager that brought me to Seattle for the launch of a new morning television show. "How do you measure success at the end of the day?" I astutely asked, thinking ahead about my career path. I remember not being satisfied about the answer. ?

Many ‘career lives’ later I was coaching different leaders who were used to being Makers now learning to measure success as Managers. Scheduling Maker/Manager time was only part of the challenge. Leveraging their powers of observation to mark micromovements of change is my latest way of empowering leaders adrift on the sea of ambiguity.?

Over the years, the power of observation has allowed me to partner with one client to create breakthroughs in international negotiations, better leverage team talents to create work-life balance for a cancer survivor, and redefine a leader's career path with her boss.??

For me, it is a difficult thing to do because my career is predicated on me being a Workhorse that doesn’t call in sick, until, of course, I realized no one was handing out badges for that. By leveraging this one action, Makers can measure the success their Manager Self craves: seeing the impact they have on the behaviors, language, reactions, and expressions of those around them. A change in word choice, attention, and even the act of letting go of expectations after delegating duties can also make the difference between a team that feels undervalued or empowered.

Your partner in change,

P.S. Observation is also part of my recommended process when approaching nature in Ethics and the Earth Missionary.