What's Your Comfort Rating?

Late last year I was driving around town with a good friend of mine. He was going to sign some papers for a property he had purchased for his ever-expanding business. It's been a good couple of years for him!

We were met by the agent who ushered us into a boardroom, where the papers were signed and the deal was done. It took all of 5 minutes. When we were out of the building my friend remarked that the office had a cold feeling to it. He also added that the agent couldn't wait to get us out of there.

I was intrigued. We hadn't been rude. We looked professional. We exchanged all the pleasantries that one might expect in these situations. I just had to ask. "I don't get it... What do you mean?"

He replied with, "did you notice the chairs?"

To be honest I did notice them... but I didn't take much notice of them.

That's when I really got intrigued...

He said "they're only 10 minute chairs".

See, my friend has been fitting out residential and commercial properties for many years and he knew that chairs are designed according to how long you can feel comfortable sitting in them.

The chairs in the agent's office were cold, hard plastic. They were designed to only have someone sitting in them for 10 minutes before they get uncomfortable and start to think about getting up and getting out. The same chairs are used in McDonald's, Hungry Jacks and most other fast food outlets. It's not good for business if "fast food" becomes slow to eat.

Of course, other chairs are rated at 20 minutes... even 60 minutes. Businesses with those kinds of chairs are inviting you to stay. They are happy for you to hang around. They probably even want you to come back!

And this got me thinking...

What's your comfort rating?

Are you a "10 minute" leader? Happy to chat with your team for 10 minutes but then make them just uncomfortable enough that they know it's time to move on. Do you have a cold, hard vibe that is getting picked up by the people around you?

Maybe you're a "60 min" leader? People are happy in your presence and don't feel rushed to move on. You make them feel at ease and comfortable to do what needs to be done?

Maybe you're a couch? People are so comfortable they could hang around you all day and never feel out of place?

Whatever your comfort rating, it's important to recognize the effect you're having on the people around you. This is key to being an emotionally intelligent leader. One who can use the gentle hand of influence to get things done... (NOT the forceful hand of manipulation)

So, how comfortable are you?

Here's to higher success...

Dean Evans is a Leadership Performance Strategist based in Adelaide, Australia. With more than 10 years of leadership roles in the field of Allied Health he has a wealth of experience in understanding what it takes to operate at peak levels in pressure environments.

As the Director of Altitude Performance Solutions his mission is simple... "Create Tomorrow's Leaders Today". He is also a qualified Performance Coach and an Accredited Consultant in Extended DISC Performance Profiling.

To get your FREE 7-part Audio Series "The 7 Secrets of Star Performers" go to http://www.altitudepeakperformance.com.au/ and DOWNLOAD NOW!

Original article

What's Your Trigger?

I'm a big fan of sporting pursuits... Pretty much any sport really. I can appreciate the effort and persistence it takes for anyone to perform at an elite level. The years of sacrifice and dedication that it takes to get there. The artistry of watching the best perform at their best is, to me, like watching a magician perform for children. Wide-eyed amazement at how anyone could do what is unfolding before their very eyes!

What I find most intriguing though is how these champions instinctively know when to "step it up" and how they know what triggers them in to action. It's as if they have their very own magic button that they hit... and away they go to play on a higher level than everybody else. Roger Federer has it. Rafael Nadal has it. Michael Jordan had it. And in the business realm it is Sir Richard Branson, Donald Trump, Bill Gates and of course the sadly-missed Steve Jobs. For this group their ability to turn it on resulted in wealth and influence on a world-wide scale... but I am certain that was not the motivator (well maybe it was for Mr Trump??).

What about you?

What's your trigger?

What's the magic button for you?

When do you know it's time to take it up a notch? What happens that tells you you've got to step it up? Is it something positive like getting close to achieving a sales target, sealing a new business deal, hiring new staff or winning a "must win" game? Is it something negative, such as receiving your last warning at work, becoming newly unemployed, getting yelled at by a disgruntled customer or looking at going through a winless season?

What triggers you to raise the level of your game?

For some it can be a physical trigger. Think Lleyton Hewitt's famous "vicht" sign or the wild fist-pumping that accompanies almost any top athlete's celebration of something BIG! It may be as simplistic as the handshake you receive when you walk into a meeting with your team. For me it's the butterflies I still get in my stomach just before I'm about to talk with a new group of professionals or athletes... that's my trigger for knowing it's my time to "turn it on"!

For others it can be an emotional trigger. Not wanting to let their team-mates down. Not wanting to be disappointed. Doing anything possible to avoid the numbing pain of failure or the feeling that our hard effort will be wasted. It can also be the elation we crave for our outstanding effort that triggers our own performance level to go "above and beyond". That compliment we get from a colleague or client who told us we did something special for them. That feeling can sustain us in so many ways... particularly if we get addicted to positive interactions with people!

My challenge for you is to become aware of what triggers you have? Truly understand what it is that elevates your performance to another level... and how you can make those on the "negative" side start to work for you on a positive scale.

I write this blog. I have the physical trigger of forming the sentences and linking the ideas together into something that may inspire you to perform at your best. And in doing that I get a sense of contribution and satisfaction that I may in some small way assist you in that journey. That's the emotional trigger for me. Of course there are other triggers I have in other areas of life that lift my game.

In fact email me to let me know what your specific triggers are... and how they benefit you.

Maybe the distinction that needs to be made here is this... In order to truly live a fulfilling life that sees you perform to your potential, you need to have a wide range of triggers that work FOR YOU. If you only have a couple and you can't feed them consistently, then what next?

Know your triggers... then pull the trigger when it's time to take it up a notch!

Here's to higher success...

Dean

Dean Evans is a Leadership Performance Strategist based in Adelaide, Australia. With more than 10 years of leadership roles in the field of Allied Health he has a wealth of experience in understanding what it takes to operate at peak levels in pressure environments and how to develop individuals to reach their potential. As the Director of Altitude Performance Solutions his passion is equipping new leaders with the people skills necessary to drive the performance and productivity of their teams in today's business world. Whether speaking to groups of people or conducting team trainings Dean will bring great insights and useful tools to help you harness the power of your people. He is also a qualified Performance Coach and an Accredited Consultant in Extended DISC Performance Profiling.

Original article