Category Archives for Sports Teams & Athletes

Leadership: Winning Compassionately/Fight/Flight Response

“Implement the winning compassionately/fight/flight response.” – Raj Gavurla

The winning compassionately/fight/flight response is an upgrade to the psychology fight/flight response. During our day at work we want better results by consistent performance improvement. When working with teams and during this election year I observe the need for people to work as a team. On a great team each person has a voice for the betterment of the team and to better themself.

However, I’ve seen some team members implement their fight response when they have someone expressing a viewpoint unique from theirs. They communicate their position as does the other person. However, with a not so good team one or both implement their flight response if they don’t hear what they want to hear. They create a sub team because they think the other person is wasting their time and they don’t include their teammate who has a unique viewpoint.

Why? Because they implement their flight response. To them, it’s easier to flee (flight) then have a mature conversation without someone exploding or getting ticked off. Instead of doing so, add a new mental construct called the winning compassionately response.

The winning compassionately response keeps each team member involved and engaged. If done good, it creates better results and teammates learn by seeking to know their teammates to better understand themself. Then, in current and future situations your team and you perform better. It’s a better habit for you and your team to implement. The rewards are enormous. Most notably, you have a more enjoyable and fun workplace (environment), less stress, and your team and you achieve more.

During the presidential political campaign in the The United States of America you hear candidates talk about we need to fight this or that. Implementing their fight/flight response. Instead, how about using the new mental construct, winning compassionately response, for vanguard leadership making America and the world experience winning compassionately by showing the rise of humanity (good prevails over evil).

Continuous maturing, development, and growth brings more peace and prosperity for everyone. There would be a whole lot more progress, achievements, and successes worth talking about than what exists now.

Work As A Team

ENABLE OTHERS GREAT DREAMS, GOALS, AND MISSION” – RAJ GAVURLA

The past couple of months I was a part of two new teams.  On the first one we weren’t guided by instruction, however, having been a part of several teams we had to come to agreement on how we would work, what we value as a team, what are goals, and how do we achieve them.

On the second team we were given guidance/instruction on creating  a team charter.  Both teams are high performing and it’s amazing how much there is to learn from teammates and build relationships.  For example, discussing how to approach a project versus just diving in really makes a huge difference in quality, efficiency, and fun.

As you can imagine, each team is protective of each other.  One more so than the other.  For a team to gain more and each individual to gain more identity must evolve.  By evolving identity each person and the team accomplishes so much more and there is a sense of togetherness and value that is indescribable. Each person believes they are a part of something special no one can take away!

Usually during our discussions and conversations as we wrap up to achieve our next goal(s) and mission we wrap up with one question.  “What are the next steps?” After discussions and conversations on your team(s) in accomplishing an assignment, goal, finding resolution, or coming to agreement, is someone asking a well timed “what are the next steps?“. 

RAJ GAVURLA CREATED A NEW WORD

Will my new word enter dictionaries?

Edutrainment (edu-train-ment), verb: a high performance form of learning for events, conferences, and meetings

1. Edu for educate (teach the why?)

2. Train (teach, instruct, and show how to do (doing))

3. Ment for entertainment (fun)

Achieve high performance with edutrainment.

Value of Learning

Take a few minutes to reflect on your achievements or a problem and think of one skill that helped you. I’ve been on the platform sharing my expertise and research with diverse groups (business groups, corporate, non-profit, government, schools, athletic, and community) and each time one question I ask as part of my preparation is: What does this group want to learn?

For example, you were in third grade and you wanted to learn so you could go to the fourth grade, then middle school, high school, and college. You had to learn new skills to achieve more. This applies to your job and to sports. The learning you have now only allows you to be at your current level of achievement, however, by learning new skills you can achieve the next level and beyond. Marshall Goldsmith succinctly puts it as the title of his book, What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There. That’s the value of learning.

One technique to really advance your learning is watching a video of yourself performing what you want to achieve. How about watching a video of your team or business performing what you want to achieve? Would this motivate and inspire performance?

In my presentation skills coaching, working with athletes, interview coaching, working with a business, and working with a team, I video clients so they can gain the full learning experience along with my coaching feedback for them to study. Of course, there are several other techniques we can use to develop a skill until we master it.

So take a look at your skills. How many have you mastered? How many need skill development? Take credit for the ones you mastered and find skill development techniques to help you master the others.

Your goals make your dreams a reality. What do you need to learn to achieve your great dreams and goals?

3 Zone Performance and Entrepreneurial Articles Week of April 6 2015

Each week I read a number of zone performance and entrepreneurial articles from various online resources. Here are my top three picks this week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

How To Turn Small Talk Into Smart Conversation

By: Chris Colin and Rob Baedeker

Imagine almost any situation where two or more people are gathered—a wedding reception, a job interview, two off-duty cops hanging out in a Jacuzzi. Read More

My Comment: Worth reading

Big Men Make Duke-Wisconsin NCAA Title Matchup Even Bigger

By: Dan Wolken

There is plenty of merit to college basketball’s reputation as a game dominated by guards, particularly in an era where most big men with even a whiff of NBA talent turn professional before their full potential is realized. Read More

My Comment: Championship game

Differing Work Styles Can Help Team Performance

By: Carson Tate

Most leaders now recognize that the best teams leverage diversity to achieve long-term success. But many think about it in pretty narrow terms: gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and/or age. Sometimes they also consider organizational attributes, like function or rank. Read More

My Comment: Useful Article

3 Top Performance and Entrepreneurial Articles Week of March 30, 2015

Each week I read a number of peak performance and entrepreneurial articles from various online resources. Here are my top three picks this week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

Mood Lighting and Menu Service in Economy?! Virgin Atlantic’s Classy New Upgrade

By: Sophie Forbes

Millions of people make the famous New York to London flight annually. It’s a journey of 3,459 miles, and one that now takes a mere six hours when tail winds are in your favor. Read More

My Comment: Excellent article on customer experience

You Can’t Change The World By Thinking Small: 3 Ways To Change Your Mindset

By: YEC

Changing the world used to be exceptionally hard. One thousand years ago, only the kings or queens could make change at a national or regional level. One hundred years ago, it was the industrialists transforming society. Now, it’s anyone with an idea and Internet connection. Read More

My Comment: What’s your idea?

Final Four has plenty of intrigue between Kentucky, Wisconsin, Duke and Michigan State

By: Dick Weiss

Kentucky is still undefeated and the favorite to cut down the nets in Indy one week from tonight — but a coronation is suddenly no longer a foregone conclusion for the Big Blue nation. Read More

My Comment: Interesting matchups

3 TOP PERFORMANCE AND ENTREPRENEURIAL ARTICLES WEEK OF MARCH 23, 2015

Each week I read a number of peak performance and entrepreneurial articles from various online resources. Here are my top three picks this week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

Six ways to develop a high growth mindset

By: Grant Thornton

While research into growth has historically focused on locating it in certain types of businesses, experts have recently concluded that it can happen in any business. The focus has shifted towards the role of the entrepreneur. Read More

My Comment: Excellent article!

3 Ways to acquire an entrepreneurial mindset for success

By: Contributor

By mid-2014, self-published authors began taking home the bulk of all ebook author earnings generated on Amazon.com, while authors published by all of the Big Five publishers – Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan and Simon & Schuster – combined slipped into second place, according to the January 2015 Author Earnings Report. Read More

My Comment: Thought provoking

5 Timeless Leadership Roles To Navigate

By: Jeff Boss

Leaders as growth catalyzers. At some point—hopefully, many points—companies must grow, not just in size but in the process and systems that keep the name brand competitive. This is a significant gap that pervades many organizations, as leaders face three challenges here. First, it’s easy for leaders to become emotionally attached to the culture they’ve (ideally) created. Thus they fear that as the company scales, the culture will have an inverse reaction; essentially, that they’ll lose the uniqueness that serves as a talent scout. Read More

My Comment: Important to adapt

3 TOP PERFORMANCE AND ENTREPRENEURIAL ARTICLES WEEK OF MARCH 16, 2015

Each week I read a number of peak performance and entrepreneurial articles from various online resources. Here are my top three picks this week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

10 ways to boost your motivation and mood to help you get started on projects

By: Jane

Over a year ago I wrote a blog post called “5 ways to motivate yourself to study a boring subject and/or complete a project”. Several people responded to this blog post with comments along the following lines – Read More

My Comment: The value of mood and motivation

Stop Living in Black and White

Anna Akbari, Ph.D.

If I told you that you could transform your frame of mind with one simple tool, you’d be intrigued, right? What if I also told you it doesn’t involve any mental exercises or expensive investments? It just involves a trip to your closet. That’s right: One of the easiest ways to change your mood and mindset is simply by changing the colors you choose to wear. Read More

My Comment: For you to benefit consistently apply

Top-ranked Kentucky moves to 32-0 with SEC tournament win over Florida

By: Raphielle Johnson

One year after Florida won all 18 of its SEC regular season games and the SEC tournament title, No. 1 Kentucky moved one step closer to accomplishing the same feat with a win over the Gators. Read More

My Comment: Skillfully better yourself each day to win championships

3 TOP PERFORMANCE AND ENTREPRENEURIAL ARTICLES WEEK OF MARCH 9, 2015

Each week I read a number of peak performance and entrepreneurial articles from various online resources. Here are my top three picks this week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

4 Signs Your Team Has What It Takes to Compete

By: Craig Cincotta

No matter what industry you are in, there is one certainty every business needs to prepare for: competition.

It doesn’t matter if you are a startup or a Fortune 500 company, you are vying for dollars and mindshare against people who have the same vision and ambition as you. Read More

My Comment: Excellent article on being a team

4 Types of Lights Control Mood of Room

By: Sarah Colburn

Jessica Soldner of Discrete Designs likens great lighting to an amazing photograph: The viewer may not always be able to pinpoint exactly what makes it stand out but most often, she said, it’s the lighting. Read More

My Comment: Excellent article on setting the mood with lighting

SEO: Measuring Key Performance Indicators

By: Jill Kocher

One of the most rewarding aspects of improving an ecommerce site is the ability to measure the bottom-line impact of your search engine optimization program.

Conversion measurement is theoretically simple with ecommerce: Did the visitor buy something? Informational sites have to approximate engagement with vague measures, like newsletter sign-ups and coupon downloads. Ecommerce sites typically count these among their conversion types as well, but the ability to track impact on revenue is central to performance measurement. From revenue, you may even be able to measure profit and calculate other specific business drivers. Read More

My Comment: Does your SEO work?

3 Top Performance And Entrepreneurial Articles Week of March 2, 2015

Each week I read a number of peak performance and entrepreneurial articles from various online resources. Here are my top three picks this week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

The Ideal Business Transition

By: Kathy Richardson-Mauro

There are millions of baby boomer business owners who have to transition their business to others in order to ensure business continuity and provide financial liquidity to fund the rest of their lives. Owners sometimes ask us what the ideal transition is as if it’s a “one size fits all” proposition. The “ideal” transition, in our opinion, is the one that most closely matches the transitioning owners’ goals, both financial and non-financial, and vision. Here are five things owners should consider when they think about their ideal transition:
Read More

My Comment: Excellent article on transitioning a business.

3 Ways Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners Can Build Clients for Life

By: Darnyelle A. Jervey

Most service-based business owners dread the day when their work with a client has ended. Sadly, so many fall into this vicious cycle of working with clients, ending engagements and then going out to find more clients. This is the wrong way to build a solid, thriving and holistically successful business.
Read More

My Comment: Good perspective

Super Coach: Playing not to lose guarantees losing

By: Coach Burt

All the talk recently about the controversy surrounding women’s basketball in our county got me thinking about something I’ve lived by most of my coaching life, which is a state of mind that says, “Anytime you play not to lose, you guarantee losing.” Read More

My Comment: Great article on achievement