Jim Cathcart Speech Preview Video

Jim Cathcart at the Speaker Hall of Fame Banquet

by Jim Cathcart

Circles, circles everywhere and all of them lead to outcomes.
Every group of people; a business, family, church, school or team has an “Inner Circle”. These are the people through whom the major results are achieved. In the White House, in Congress, in Harvard University, in the San Diego Padres and at Google…there are small groups of people without whom the whole enterprise would suffer.

Even small businesses have Inner Circles. It’s often Mom & Pop plus the most productive workers. As a sales person or a consultant, once you know who is in the Inner Circle of leadership then you know who to work with to affect major change in the organization.

In war, once you know the Inner Circle of your enemy then taking them out or removing their ability to function well is your key to victory. In sports it is the Inner Circle of certain talented individuals that inspire and lead the rest of the team to the championship. And you have an Inner Circle too. We all do.

Your Inner Circle consists of somewhere between a few and a dozen people. Groups larger than that are no longer “Inner” circles. Consider for a moment how many people you absolutely rely on in order to be productive each day. Regardless of their titles your Circle may contain; assistants, coworkers, your boss, a colleague, a key contact at one of your client companies, a supplier, a mentor or even your spouse. If any of these folks were to go away, your world and your productivity would reflect it right away. That’s what I mean by “the people through whom you produce your results.”

Take a minute and list the people in your Inner Circle. Keep it to twelve or fewer people. Don’t worry if it is only four or five people. Write down their names and their roles or positions in relation to working with or assisting you. Seriously, take some time and write them down right now.

Next, draw a “sociogram”, this is a format much like a graph or bar chart in which you put your name in the center and surround yourself with the names of the Inner Circle players. Think of a Hub (you) with spokes leading out to the others in a large wheel-like display. You are the one around whom the Inner Circle is organized and the spoke connecting you to each person represents your relationship with that person. Don’t bother connecting them to each other just yet. That’s for a later exercise.

Now do an analysis of three things about your Circle.
1. Examine the Mix of talents and viewpoints represented in this group. Is there a variety of complementary talents or does everyone seem to fit the same limited profile?
2. Notice the Individual Contributions each person brings to the team. What special qualities does he or she contribute? And…
3. Assess the state of your Relationship with each person. How well does that specific relationship work for both of you? Are you both committed to the success of the relationship? Do you tell each other the whole truth all of the time? Do you have a clear understanding of what you expect from each other? Do you have clear agreements to help you resolve potential conflicts?

The above analysis may be one of the most important thinking assignments you complete all year. After all these are the major players in your world and when you get everything right in connecting with them…success is imminent.

When every person in the organization is aware of his Inner Circle and then goes to work on improving; the mix, the talents and the relationships with each person…the organization improves almost immediately. After all, what is an organization but a group of people committed to a common cause? When you improve either the people or their relationships or both, you are bound to get overall improvement as well.

Try this exercise with your own Inner Circle and then go back to my earlier article on “Relationship Intelligence”. Increasing the Relationship Intelligence of each Inner Circle is the quickest way to improve Teamwork, Productivity, Collaboration, and Innovation.

Jim Cathcart

by Jim Cathcart

When you apply the science of economics to the study of human behavior some wonderfully useful insights occur. For example; once you realize that there is a tangible and measurable value to behavior, you will begin to think about them differently.
I recently addressed a group of about 400 Taxation Professionals, numbers people who work in a world of documentation, compliance regulations and statistics. When I presented this concept to them they instantly “got it” and, in fact, at the end of my speech they lined up to shake my hand and tell me how much they liked this way of thinking about behavior.
Here is the gist of the idea:
Every action we take or fail to take can be tracked sooner or later by measuring its value or cost, e.g. if we fail to prepare for an important event there will be a true cost to our lack of preparation. If we develop the habit of reviewing what we need to know just prior to meetings in which we will use the knowledge, then we will be able to participate in the meeting more spontaneously and usefully.
Behavioral Economics has three main components:
1. How we Think
2. How we Relate
3. How we Act
If people in an organization understand and embrace the purpose, vision, mission and values of the organization then they “embrace its genetic code.” These people bring more value to their work than their counterparts who think differently.
When you find meaning in what you do, you bring more value to how you do it.
This is merely one component of How we Think.
The ways in which people communicate or “Relate” to each other has a measurable value as well. Coworkers who don’t communicate openly and freely often operate with incomplete information and erroneous assumptions. This can have disastrous consequences financially.

There are three essentials for any relationship, whether it is with customers, colleagues or supervisors. These are:

1. Both parties must be committed to making the relationship successful. Nobody can bear the full burden alone.
2. Communication must be open and frequent. The truth must be told always and bad news must travel fastest of all.
3. Both parties must know what the others expect from them. Clear agreements are essential.

The ways in which we relate to each other have a tangible economic impact.
How we act both on and off the job will ultimately show up in our productivity. Bad health has an impact of clarity of thought, ability to perform and on attitude. Lack of organization produces unnecessary errors plus a waste of time and resources. Certain work habits have more value than others. There is a cost to each of our habit patterns.
In short, if we think about our behavior as having an economic impact, we will be more motivated to change unproductive behaviors and adopt profitable ones. It’s time the “human factors” in business were placed at the TOP of our priority list, where they belong.
In the final analysis, “it’s the people, stupid!”

Jim Cathcart

by Jim Cathcart

If people are regularly departing from your team then something is wrong with your approach to leadership. How many people have come and gone from you in the past several years?

Am I saying that the problem is you? Not exactly, but if people aren’t staying then something is missing. It might be that your compensation package doesn’t hold up to the competition or size of the workloads. It might be that situational or geographic issues like long commutes could be the problem. Or it even might be poor selection processes; you just haven’t been recruiting the right people.

But more often than not, heavy turnover is a symptom of poor leadership. I know, that hurts to hear. (Just bear in mind that I am not thinking of you personally as I write this.) Now, before your defense mechanisms start claiming, “but I have great motives and I’m a generous boss”, or “I work harder and give more than anyone else around here,” stay with me for a bit.

Good intentions do not make you a good leader. Great persuasion ability doesn’t either. Hard work and personal dedication doesn’t make you a good leader. Many things are required, but let’s see if you even need to hear all this.

Question: Have you had trouble keeping good people?

If your answer is Yes, then you have a leadership problem.
Now we need to find out where the problem lives.

The Role of a Leader is to become progressively unnecessary.
Read that again.
At first everyone looks to the leader for direction, inspiration and guidance. But if they keep looking to you then you aren’t leading, you are managing. Managers have to work indefinitely. Leaders grow their own replacements. They work themselves out of a job by developing the vision, motivation and skills of others.
If you have been “leading” for more than a year and nobody is in place yet to become your ultimate replacement, then changes in your behavior may be in order.

Here are a few thought stimulators to get you started in finding elements to improve.
1. Are your meetings fun, fascinating and full of energy?
2. Do people look forward eagerly to their next meeting with you?
3. Do you look forward eagerly to listening to what your coworkers think?
4. Do you find yourself complaining that others just don’t “get it”?
5. When hiring do you look for people with talent or people who agree with you?
6. Do you feel like all the work is on your shoulders and others aren’t stepping up?

Why do others not step up and take charge?
There are many reasons. Here are a few: (How many are you guilty of?)
You don’t let them lead. You appoint them and then interfere with all their decisions.
They end up with all the work and none of the control. You don’t delegate the necessary authority to go with the duties.
You don’t celebrate or appreciate others effectively. They feel they are not valued.
They have seen others work hard only to have you change the plans at the last minute, thereby wasting all that effort.
You make decisions on your own and then announce them to the group, instead of seeking their input and approval. When it is “my way or the highway” most people will take to the highway to get away from you.
They don’t want to do something just out of obligation or need. They want the joy and satisfaction of doing things that matter and doing them happily.

If you feel that nobody knows or cares as much as you, then you need to spend some serious energy developing the knowledge and caring in others. Otherwise, you will still be alone at the top next year and your team will have left you…again.

Stop the insanity! Change the way you lead. If you can’t change then step aside. Life is too short for you to be constantly pressured and unhappy. Besides, you are probably making many others unhappy as well. So, make a change! Step aside and give up the power. Put someone else in charge and then assist (not control, just assist) them as they take the reins.

If you want to stay in charge then get some help to become more effective. Hire a coach or find a mentor. Turn to someone who doesn’t fear telling you the truth.
Admit to the team that you see how you have missed the mark, but that you are willing to work differently in order to give everyone a chance to make a difference.

The greatest leaders of all time were people who listened to advisers and admitted their own weaknesses. They sought direction as well as gave it. To be the best leader that you can be you must make job one Telling Yourself the Truth!

Take a look at what is going on today. Ask yourself;
If nothing changes where is this headed?
At what point will there be a BIG problem if we don’t change?
How much longer can I avoid telling everyone the whole truth?
What will the effects of that problem be after the initial crisis?
What can we, not I but WE, do about it? Don’t try to go it alone.

Use all your strength, call on the people you care about and those who care about you and your “cause”. Truly listen to them and consider following their lead instead of only asking them to follow yours.

Also, ask yourself, when is the time for me to step aside and be a supporter instead of “the leader?”
The purpose of your organization is to make life better for the people it serves.
How’s that working for you?
If you aren’t getting the results you want then now is the time to change the behavior patterns that created your current reality and start some new ones that will generate the outcomes you desire.

Jim Cathcart

www.cathcart.com

From: Jim Cathcart

Here’s my newest and most exciting speech topic and the subject of an upcoming book I’m writing.

Relationship

Intelligence ®

How to Select, Develop & Sustain

High-Value Relationships ™

Build Stronger Teams,

Make More Sales,

Strengthen Customer Loyalty,

Motivate Yourself and Others,

Get More Done!

New insights into the Science, Psychology & Economics of Business Connections

The Basis of Relationship Intelligence

Relationships are Assets: In any setting, relationships are assets, both business and personal. As such, they can and should be created, managed, nurtured, measured, and even discontinued, intentionally and consciously.
It’s All About Who Cares: Business cannot exist in the absence of relationships. The stronger the relationships, the more potential for success in the business. It’s not who you know that counts; rather it’s who is glad that they know you. The more they care—whether the “they” are associates, prospects, customers, vendors—the greater the potential for success.

Relationships Comprise the Business: The business is not the stuff, it is the relationships between the people: It then follows that the business exists whenever and wherever two or more people communicate to achieve the desired outcome. This applies to virtual businesses as well. A “virtual” business may have no brick-and-mortar “home” yet be highly successful. But it must have a relationship network of individuals focusing on a desired outcome. So, focus on the relationships when you want to grow the business.
The Rules of Engagement Depend upon the Desired Outcome: When the purpose of a relationship changes, the expectations and “rules” that apply also change. In that sense, the purpose defines the nature of the relationship, which holds true until the purpose or desired outcome is met. Then that particular relationship ends, or transforms into a new one that is driven by a new purpose. Therefore, the purpose, or desired outcome, gives meaning to the relationships.

The Desired Outcome Defines the Business: All relationships can be evaluated with regard to the desired outcome, which may be as simple and seemingly rules-free as casual friendship or as complex and legally binding as the organization of a federal institution. A marriage contract is one that overlaps broadly between personal and legal aspects of a relationship. The success of a business relationship always refers back to the desired outcome, which might change over time, requiring ongoing revaluation.

The Key to Success is the Inner Circle: Any business, including “mom-and-pop” operations, is run by a select few, which we refer to as its “inner circle.” Inner circles, those committed to reaching the desired outcome, are the key to the success of any business. The Relationship Intelligence within the inner circle is of utmost importance, for without an effective inner circle, the business will not succeed. The potential for success of any business can accurately be predicted on the basis of the Relationship Intelligence of its inner circle.

Relationship Intelligence Works @ Work: Fortunately, Relationship Intelligence is learnable. Skills for self awareness and self leadership, understanding and communicating well with others, and adapting to changing situations and differences in people are all known processes and proven wisdom. So, even the least relationship intelligent among us can learn to become better.

The Formula for Relationship Intelligence, increasing the RI Factor.

Here is The RI Formula (c): RI = A + P / DO

Awareness + Performance over Desired Outcome

(The greater the desired outcome is, the more important it is that your awareness and performance are at a high level.)
Both Awareness* and Performance** need to cover the three areas of “SOS”: Self, Others and Situation

*Self Awareness, Others Awareness and Situational Awareness
**Self Expression, Hearing Others and Adapting to Differences in Situations and People

Awareness and Performance when displayed as a grid produce four Modes of Operation (MO). It is vital that your mode matches your desired outcome. For example: if you want a doctor to heal you, then you must assume either the Passenger or Navigator mode and let the Doctor do his or her job. But if you want to lead a team to victory then you must assume the Leader mode. (Or Driver mode if someone else is calling the plays.)

High Awareness and High Performance = Leader mode (simply needs opportunity)

High Awareness and Low Performance = Navigator mode (needs motivation)

Low Awareness and High Performance = Driver mode (needs education)

Low Awareness and Low Performance = Passenger mode (needs education & motivation)

In any group there is an Inner Circle that determines its direction.
This is displayed as a wheel with you at the center and the members of the circle around you on each spoke. Seeing all the key relationships in a “sociogram” format like this allows you to keep the relationships in perspective. The Inner Circle model shows three vital elements: The players, their relationships and the mix of possibilities they bring to the circle.
Once you identify and assess the Inner Circle, you can estimate the success potential of the entity.

In summary, it is all about the relationships among the Inner Circle. Once you have the right Inner Circle identified or created then by focusing on increasing the RI factor in each relationship you will have tapped the potential for that to become a High-Value Relationship for you.

MUCH more to come. Your feedback is welcomed.
Jim

Website: www.cathcart.com

Jim’s Blog: www.cathcart.com/blog