Monday, October 29, 2007

Blog 2

Influencer is turning out to be a great book. I was especially fascinated by the study on the Guinea worm epidemic.

Positive Deviance - can be extremely helpful in discovering vital behavoirs. First dive into the community, family or organization you want to change. Second, discover and study settings where the targeted problem should exist but doesn't. Third identify the unique behaviors of the group that suceeds.

Recovery Behaviors - What is the recovery plan for slip ups? Everyone, every system will make mistakes, so recovery behaviors show how an individual or community reacts and responds to those mistakes.

I'm realzing how powerful this tool could be in just about every area of life. For example, when trying to discover why a group of friends has grown apart after 3 years - we could take a look at other groups with like demographics that has not grown apart over time. Are there vital behaviors in place?

I'm already in to the next chapter where they are taking a look at phobics and how they used some of these principles as well as some new ones to help people deathly afraid of snakes find relief from their fear in 3 hours.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Blog 1

I'm working through a great book called "Influencer." Figured I would write some thoughts down as an attempt to do some third-person teaching. I'm very interested in the idea of influence. It's an area that I value and one in which I believe I am skilled. However, I want to grow in it.

The book is more about change and how to change behaviors than I originally suspected but now that I think about it, I should have figured that. In reality isn't influence the ability to change someone or something? Further, change their behavior or actions?

For example, I'm struggling through trying to figure out how to motivate and inspire my loan officers. They are set in their ways, they've got a consistent volume of business and don't see a need necessarily to grow. However, I'd like to see them to more, have greater success both professionally and financially. How can I change their behavior to accomplish this.

The book would suggest that there are a few vital behaviors that I need to isolate that would create the outcome I would like.

Questions I have...
1. Is the outcome the right one? Is it selfishlly motivated or based on authenticity?
2. What are my measurements going to be? Each person going to the production trip or hitting certain numbers, etc...
3. Where do I start?
4. If the outcome is the right one, how do I get there?

See, I know all the stuff about vision and purpose and values and convictions and strategy. I'm just struggling with getting them to see the value in it and to instill that as a force in their life. I can see how it would benefit but I'm not sure...

Maybe that's my desired out come. Is for them to each create a business plan, implement that plan and utilize to accomplish their individual goals. And as a branch, I want to see us grow and expand our volume even in the midst of a new manager coming in.

"It's not enough to do your best; you must know what to do and THEN do your best." W. Edwards Deming