Monday, December 17, 2007

Effective Influencing and Leadership

From my module Coaching for senior managers:

Our families give us a lot of advice and beg us to do them and we don't do them. Our friends give us a lot of advice and we don't do them. Our colleagues and bosses provide us with a lot of training and advice and we still don't do them. What is the missing link? What is it that can make us do what we know? What is it that stops us from doing what we know?

The missing link is coaching which creates self awareness and makes the person become self responsible and self motivated .

When a manager knows how to coach, a manager helps the worker to want to do what is needed by making the worker self aware and remove the internal barriers that prevent the worker from performing . In so doing the worker becomes self empowered , self starting and self responsible which lightens the load of the manager and makes the unit excellent .


Changes in mindset make coaching the best approach for the XYZ generation.

Older generation are used to the authoritarian style. They are those born in 1950s . They are very good and capable leaders and run their organizations very well. They become even better when they learn how to become coach leaders.


Present generation workers born in 1980's to 1990s question authority and need to know why , want to use their own ablities. This will include the youngest staff members . They will be seen by older generation leaders as unmotivated and lacking discipline. In actual fact they are just as motivated and disciplined , only they need a leadership style that is more coaching and they need to know why .
Failing to leaverage on initiative of the workers is a loss to the organization and will cause a lot of resistence due to the nature of the XYZ generation who are no longer motivated only by earning a living .


Dr Suriyakhatun Osman
Holistic Leaders Sdn Bhd







Monday, December 03, 2007

Doc Su's skewed sense of humour


A true story embellished a little for the sake of drama.....


Sleeping in the afternoon may have its downside if you are are too tired because you wake up kind of groggy with an ill sense of humor . Woe is the one exposed to this humor.

One afternoon after Doc Su woke up from her nap , a hapless young man of twenty reported sick
Full of drama he exclaimed ," I woke up this morning to a gripping pain in my stomach which made me unable to get up and go to work.


Looking at his nonchalant face , lacking in expression except for the drama in his voice , Doc Su doubted the story and examination proved fruitless in exacting the cause of the gripping pain he claimed to have.

" Do you smoke?"

"Oh indeed I do , naturally!"

Doc Su thought irritably ..So young men today think smoking is natural?

"How many cigarettes per day?"

"Oh the usual , 12 per day , quite normal. I have been smoking a long time!

He must have started when in school !

"That is a lot of cigarettes how much do they cost?"

Doc Su probably thought making him realise the high cost may make him come to his senses.

"Only RM 2/-"

"That cheap ? "( Only yesterday another patient had mentioned RM 8 per pack of 14 )

"I smoke the Indonesian brand it is available in many stores"

"You mean the smuggled ones that are banned and may be dangerous because of its chemical contents ?"

"Yes , I believe so." The young man said , still in his confident man of the world tone of voice.

" That may cause some form of gastritis."

The young man looked incredulous. " Smoking can cause gastritis?"

Doc Su was not in the mood for long explanations,"Ok I have one thing to request from you ."

"Yes what is it?"

"Please do not get married."

"Why not?"

""You may leave behind a young widow, maybe with young children but then again maybe not since the cigarettes may lower your fertility to the point of no fertility." (Had she not been in a "short speech" mood she may have added that bit about the toxic secondary smoke affecting his wife and children if he got married.....)

Looking bit startled and puzzled the youth said to Doc Su.

"Aren' t you going to advice me on my smoking?"

Thinking that perhaps the cigarettes had addled his brain Doc Su replied

"I just did advice you. I advice you not to get married" Mind you, Doc Su had a very serious and earnest expression on her face as she was talking to the young man.

"Thank you", said the puzzled youth as he left the room......

--

post script


Several points to ponder


1.Smoking is a hazard to health even with the regular brands that are imported the legal way

2. Raising the price of cigarettes make those who cannot afford seek cheaper alternatives

3. Cheaper alternatives are more dangerous alternatives


@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@