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Articles from Angie Thompson | Selfgrowth.com
- Lessons From Dads – With a Leadership Twist - by Submitted on Nov 30, 2012 from Angie ThompsonI, like many people feel I learned so much from my father. He was my first boss as well as my Dad, so I learned about Leadership and Customer Service as well as learning about life. Knowing that I wanted to write this and post it the day after we celebrate Father’s Day, I decided to go to ...
Views: 634(1 vote) - Making Better Decisions in Meetings - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2011 from Angie ThompsonLots of things happen in meetings - some of them even helpful! 5 KeysWhile most everyone has horror stories about meetings, there also are far too many examples of meetings that, while not awful, are far from effective. One of the reasons for these less-than-stellar experiences is that ...
Views: 812(1 vote) - Managing Leadership Expectations - by Submitted on Nov 05, 2012 from Angie ThompsonHave you ever stopped to really look at a spider web? If you aren`t afraid of spiders, the next time you have a chance, stop and look at a spider web. What you will find ais an intricately designed work of art and engineering marvel. Every part of the web is connected to every other part ...
Views: 687(1 vote) - Nine Steps to Greater Team Ownership - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2011 from Angie ThompsonAs a leader you know results and productivity are higher when people are committed to their work. You also know higher levels of commitment or engagement also increase job satisfaction, safety performance and focus while reducing on-the-job stress and turnover. Commitment, engagement or ...
Views: 705(1 vote) - Put on Your Mask First - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie ThompsonIf you have flown very often, you will recognize the following . . . In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will drop down in front of you. To start the flow of oxygen, pull the mask towards you. Place it firmly over your nose and mouth, secure the elastic band behind your ...
Views: 774(1 vote) - Raise Your Glass! - by Submitted on Nov 05, 2012 from Angie ThompsonI caught myself humming a tune from my past the other day. It`s an old Tom T. Hall song titled "I Like Beer". Just to give you a flavor, here is the second half of the chorus . . . "Whiskey`s too rough, champagne costs too much, and vodka put my mouth in gear. This little refrain, should ...
Views: 1728(1 vote) - Scope Creep Doesn’t Have to Be Creepy - by Submitted on Dec 03, 2012 from Angie ThompsonHave you ever cleaned your garage? When you started the project, the task was pretty well defined. You could look at the garage and see what needed to be done. But once you got started, two things happened. First, you realized there were more necessary parts to the job than originally ...
Views: 749(1 vote) - Seven Leadership Lessons to Learn Before the Election - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie ThompsonThe Conventions are over. The election of a new President is less than two months away. This post isn’t about politics or who you should vote for. This post is for you as a leader. For while you will likely never have your every move reported on TV, never have your tax returns a matter ...
Views: 585(1 vote) - Seven Steps to Setting Clear Expectations - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie ThompsonA few weeks ago I wrote an article about the importance of expectations in the workplace and the four basic areas where expectations are required. As I was writing it, I knew people might want the logical next step . . . once we realize the ultimate importance of expectations, and the areas in ...
Views: 841(1 vote) - Seven Ways to (Really) Engage People - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie ThompsonEngagement is a very trendy word, and while it is so powerful, because of its (over)use, people are making it harder to understand and think about than is necessary. In fact, it is writers, speakers and consultants (yep, people like me) who are adding to the confusion by injecting complexity ...
Views: 741(1 vote) - Seven Ways to Be More Comfortable and Confident When Receiving Feedback - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2010 from Angie ThompsonThere is lots of advice for leaders, managers and coaches on how to give better feedback. I`ve written and taught quite a bit about it myself. But today I want to write about something else. Something that is discussed less often and is often misunderstood. It`s a skill that when well ...
Views: 726(1 vote) - Seven Ways to Properly Set the Size of Your Goals - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2011 from Angie ThompsonHere is a piece of good news - there are hundreds of books, websites and other resources that teach systems for setting goals. And the better news is that most, if not all of them, will work (if you do the work needed to make them work). The bad news - one piece of the goal setting puzzle ...
Views: 746(1 vote) - Sharing Responsibility – Why We Don’t Want To, and How to Do it Anyway - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie ThompsonAs a child one of the first things we are taught to do is to share. We don’t do it naturally; and we may learn this habit grudgingly (you probably don’t remember this for yourself, but if you have kids, you’ve seen the pattern repeated, haven’t you?). Some things don’t change much as we grow ...
Views: 717(1 vote) - Six Keys to Better Impromptu Speaking - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie ThompsonHave you ever found yourself in a situation like these? You are sitting in the meeting, when your boss’ boss asks you – “what do you think?” Or you are asked to stand and share your thoughts on a topic you haven’t considered before or weren’t prepared to discuss. impromptu speakingIf ...
Views: 794(1 vote) - Six Strategies for Boosting Morale - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2010 from Angie ThompsonA participant from a workshop I led several years ago posed a question to me last week. While she shared more details, this is the crux of her question: "Currently low morale is my major issue. With all of the changes there were reductions to staff and responsibility changes . . . I appreciate ...
Views: 711(1 vote) - Six Ways to Build on Recent Success - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2011 from Angie ThompsonYour team has just completed a major project, introduced a new product or closed a major deal. Tremendous effort and dedication was required and as a result success was achieved. Everyone is excited, and everyone is pleased. And, everyone is tired and might not know what comes next. This ...
Views: 696(1 vote) - Six Ways to Expand Your Perspective - by Submitted on Sep 03, 2013 from Angie ThompsonLast week I wrote about why your perspective as a leader is so powerful. If you missed it, it is a great prelude to this article. Today I give you practical ways to get more and new perspectives into your experience and thought process. Note: None of these are difficult in and of themselves, ...
Views: 901(1 vote) - Six Ways to Overcome Your Biggest Attitude Challenge - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2011 from Angie ThompsonMost everyone has a relatively positive attitude when things are going great. But we all have those certain situations . . . those situations that push our buttons, or seem to sour our attitude as soon as (or whenever) they take place. Dealing with our attitude during those times is your ...
Views: 697(1 vote) - Six Ways to Prepare for a Stellar Presentation - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie ThompsonHave you ever given a presentation and when it was over you said to yourself . . . “I should have been better prepared.”? Have you vowed in that moment of stress, frustration and with the sense of lost opportunity that “I’ll be better prepared next time.”? Then, as the next presentation ...
Views: 666(1 vote) - Six Ways to Think Outside the Box - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2010 from Angie ThompsonIn a recent leadership workshop a participant asked me: "How can I encourage my staff to take initiative and think outside the box? I suppose one reason I saved answering the question until now (in this forum) is that it`s a multi-part question. There are three parts really - the encourage ...
Views: 843(2 votes) - Speed Kills - by Submitted on May 26, 2009 from Angie ThompsonYou’ve all heard that on the highway speed kills. When you drive too fast you put yourself at greater risks of both being in an accident and suffering grave results if that accident happens. And yet, most people speed. Our world seems to thrive on speed: from microwave meals to sound bites to ...
Views: 996(1 vote) - Take a Leadership Listening Tour - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2011 from Angie ThompsonJoan received an opportunity to lead a large organization in a new industry. Her background prepared her for many of the expectations of the new role, but she didn`t have industry specific knowledge and she didn`t know the company or the people. While she is hardly the first person to be in ...
Views: 697(1 vote) - Ten Phrases Every Leader Should Use - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie Thompson“I made a mistake.”I'm sorry. "I was wrong." "I'm sorry." “I’m not sure.” "I don't know." "Would you help me?" "Could you help me understand? I'm not sure I get it." "What do you think?" “What do you suggest?” "What would you do?" No one likes to show their ignorance, or admit they ...
Views: 634(1 vote) - The Anatomy of a Leader - by Submitted on Jul 27, 2013 from Angie ThompsonThere is no perfect leader; leaders truly come in all shapes and sizes. Doctors know the same about their patients, yet they still study anatomy – to understand the basic workings of body parts, their roles and how they function together. While the bodies are different, the anatomy is the same. ...
Views: 824(1 vote) - The Best Leaders Know Self-Esteem is Scarce - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie ThompsonA key concept in economics is scarcity. In economic terms, it is when people have unlimited wants but resources are limited. If you look up scarcity in the dictionary, you will find a similar idea: 1. insufficiency or shortness of supply; dearth. 2. rarity; infrequency. (Source: ...
Views: 662(1 vote) - The Big Key to Organizational Decision Making - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie ThompsonWorkshops and lectures about decision making center around tools, data and processes. The thinking goes that to make the best decisions, the best data must be available and properly used. And since we often have lots of data, we need tools for parsing, analyzing, understanding and displaying ...
Views: 591(1 vote) - The Confidence/Competence Loop - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie ThompsonThere are several basic areas of study that, as we study them, we can become more effective coaches and leaders. This long list includes both human behavior and learning. The psychological concept I want to talk about today comes from the intersection of these two fields of study. Don’t ...
Views: 1925(1 vote) - The Difference Between Feedback and Advice - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2011 from Angie ThompsonFeedback and advice. In modern organizational life they are related terms. When you look at them grammatically, they are connected, but not as related as I thought before I researched them a bit. From Dictionary.com here are the relevant definitions for each word, and some synonyms ...
Views: 1537(1 vote) - The Leader’s Guide to Popularity - by Submitted on Nov 30, 2012 from Angie ThompsonI don’t really watch it, but the tenth anniversary of American Idol’s first show got me thinking about popularity. Millions of people watch this show, and engage with it by voting for the singers they like best. All of the contestants are vying to win the hearts and votes of the viewers. At ...
Views: 610(1 vote) - The Secret of Surrender - by Submitted on Nov 05, 2012 from Angie ThompsonSurrender? When you think about surrender, you don`t likely think of great leadership. People who surrender, lose, right? The dictionary tells us that surrender, as a verb, means things like: "to yield possession or power," "to give (oneself) up," "to give up, abandon or relinquish." These ...
Views: 877(1 vote) - Three Ways to Effectively Show Your Gratitude - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2011 from Angie ThompsonMost people realize the value and importance of being grateful for the positive and meaningful things in their lives. Much has been written about the benefits of an attitude of gratitude. It doesn`t take much prove that value - your experiences likely are proof enough. When you take the time ...
Views: 747(1 vote) - Using the Four Types of Feedback Effectively - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2011 from Angie ThompsonOne of the hardest things for leaders is giving effective feedback. It’s perhaps most challenging when you are new in your leadership or supervisory role. If you find yourself in that leadership situation, consider reading From Bud to Boss – Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable ...
Views: 619(1 vote) - Valuing Your Own Expertise - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2011 from Angie ThompsonIf this title has you scratching your head, wondering if I am suggesting you become an egomaniac, relax! That is the furthest thing from my mind (though I`ll talk about it before I`m through). The truth is, while there are people with super-high self images related to their expertise and ...
Views: 693(1 vote) - What Do You Expect? Four Areas of Expectations Required for Great Results - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie ThompsonPoor performance, turnover, conflict and disengagement. This reads like a checklist of most leaders’ worst fears. I know, because they get mentioned to me nearly every day when I talk with, coach, consult with and train leaders. While there is no single silver bullet answer to solve all ...
Views: 690(1 vote) - What is Organizational Culture Anyway? - by Submitted on Nov 05, 2012 from Angie ThompsonHave you ever been in the woods, walking on a trail? If so you know that while you see the trees in front of you it is hard to describe the whole forest. At that moment, the forest for you is the trees – because you just see the trees around you. Patterns, dimension and perspective are hard to ...
Views: 1166(1 vote) - When is the Best Time to Coach? - by Submitted on Feb 27, 2013 from Angie ThompsonHave you ever heard the old quotation, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears”? It has a Zen-like quality to it, and inside those few words is the answer to the question posed in the title. The best time to coach is when the student is ready. At that moment of readiness, we are ...
Views: 786(1 vote) - Why Being a Fool Isn't So Foolish - by Submitted on May 24, 2009 from Angie ThompsonA fool can be defined as "someone who lacks good judgment." I`m sure you would agree that being called a fool isn`t something most would consider a complement. So why then am I suggesting that you consider being a fool? Actually, I`m not encouraging you to "lack good judgment" - on the ...
Views: 776(1 vote) - Why Discussion Seldom Produces the Results We Hope For - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2013 from Angie ThompsonWatch any marching band in any parade and if you are standing close enough you will feel, as well as hear the clanging of the cymbals and the beating of the drums. Watch any football game and on a particularly big hit, the replay will allow you to hear the noise of the impact between two ...
Views: 664(1 vote) - Why Leaders Can’t Avoid Learning - by Submitted on Sep 03, 2013 from Angie ThompsonYou can run, but you can’t hide. Actually, it is not (quite) true. There are leaders everywhere that are trying their best to hide every day, like ostriches burying their heads in the sand, when their team isn’t achieving what they could. Leaders who want to blame others, the economy or the ...
Views: 725(1 vote) - You Were Born to Win - by Submitted on Nov 05, 2012 from Angie ThompsonI first read See You at the Top (Zig Ziglar`s classic first book) over Christmas one year during college. I had heard of Zig, and checked out the book from the library. I took pages of notes since I couldn`t write in the book. I still have the notes. Soon after, I started listening to Zig`s ...
Views: 1091(1 vote) - You've Gotta Let Somebody Else Drive - by Submitted on May 19, 2009 from Angie ThompsonI love to drive, and I always have. In fact, other than in a shuttle bus or a taxi, I am seldom a passenger. I probably got this from my Dad - he always loved to drive too. And, because driving is a skill that becomes subconscious for most of us, I typically drive on auto-pilot. Recently, ...
Views: 713(1 vote) - Your Success Depends on This Skill - by Submitted on Jul 21, 2014 from Angie ThompsonMy hope is that this headline makes you wonder. Perhaps you are guessing what the skill is. Perhaps you are thinking I am pretty presumptuous to suggest I know the most important skill you need, after all, I don’t know you, your experience or what you do for a living. This skill is so ...
Views: 752(1 vote) - 10 Ways to Make a Great First Impression - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2010 from Angie ThompsonWe all meet new people, in all phases of our lives. In some of those situations we may not be consciously thinking about the importance of making a good first impression; however, conscious or not, we are always making an impression. Sometimes - be it the person we are meeting, the situation ...
Views: 739(2 votes) - 3 Ways to Keep Your Next Meeting Out of the Weeds - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2010 from Angie ThompsonGrowing up on a farm I know a little bit about getting in the weeds. And I know when you find yourself there, especially if the weeds are thick and tall, the going gets tough and you might even lose your way. I don`t know about your office, but my experience is that this happens in meetings ...
Views: 769(2 votes) - Four Leadership (and Life) Lessons from a Water Park - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2010 from Angie ThompsonI spent yesterday with my family at Michigan Adventure, an amusement park with roller coasters, other types of rides and a full water park. My family chose to spend the day at the water park. As I sat in a tube on rides, laid in a chair in the sun or shade, let the waves crash over me in the ...
Views: 701(2 votes) - Searching for the Holy-Grail of Work-Life Balance - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2010 from Angie ThompsonJust coming off a vacation gives me a good chance to think about work-life balance. As leaders and achievers it is a topic often discussed in workshops and in casual conversations. People are so busy and feel pulled in so many directions that they find this idea of work-life balance ...
Views: 634(2 votes) - Using Book Clubs as a Strategic Learning Tool - by Submitted on Apr 22, 2013 from Angie ThompsonIt might surprise you to learn that Oprah didn’t create the concept of the book club. While she popularized it for many, most experts feel book clubs have been around since the early 1700’s. At the start they were more often reading clubs – books were scarce and not everyone could read, so ...
Views: 685(1 vote) - What Happens in Vegas . . . Are Lessons for Leaders - by Submitted on Jun 17, 2013 from Angie ThompsonI’ve spent the last several days in Las Vegas. I am typically there 3-5 times per year on business. On this trip, several things happened in the first couple days that are lessons for us as people and leaders. So let me share each of these moments with you – and what we can all learn from them. ...
Views: 652(1 vote) - Doing the Impossible - by Submitted on May 06, 2013 from Angie Thompson3:59.4 On May 6, 1954 the world heard that number. That was the time that Roger Bannister ran the mile at the Iffley Road track in Oxford. It was the first time someone ran a mile in less than 4 minutes. Legend has it that doctors thought the 4 minute mile was a barrier that humans ...
Views: 805(1 vote) - Five Keys to Success as the Rate of Change Accelerates - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2012 from Angie ThompsonFor hundreds of years, people have felt the world was changing faster and faster. You can find writing from two hundred years ago lamenting the rate of change that you would believe was written yesterday, yet with the perspective of history, there is no question that the rate of change today, in ...
Views: 538(1 vote)