The Identity Iceberg

Today I want to share one of the most powerful concepts in the Action Coach toolbox, the Identity Iceberg.  Understanding this concept will help you achieve the results you want from yourself and your team.

The Identity Iceberg…

(this is not the traditional flipchart, I had to format it for the newsletter –ed.)

                       R E S U L T S<-------------HAVE

                                   DO-------------->ACTIONS & DECISIONS

BEHAVIOUR

(water line)-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-(water line)

SKILLS

BELIEFS

VALUES

                                                                          IDENTITY<-----------BE

E N V I R O N M E N T

Take a look at the flipchart and note that it is a picture of an iceberg.  How much of an iceberg is above the water or visible?  Probably only around 10%.  That is the portion of the iceberg that you normally see.  What is it that is normally visible in a person?  It is their BEHAVIOR, ACTIONS, and DECISIONS – or what they DO.  What I DO produces RESULTS, or what I HAVE.  But if I want to produce a sustained, long term change in what I DO (my BEHAVIOR, ACTIONS, and DECISIONS), I really need to look below the surface at what produces and drives what I do.

How to Be a Positive Influence in Other’s Lives - Part 3

By Certified Action Coach Dave Beam

We have been considering how to increase our influence in others lives.  We initially focused on the fact that to increase our influence we must focus our efforts on the things that we can truly change and stop wasting our mental energy worrying about things that fall only into our “circle of concern.” Following this paradigm, the one area over which we have the most control is ourselves. Hence, we must become better leaders and improve ourselves first if we ever wish to affect others. The first topic we considered was practicing good listening skills which help build a high mutual respect. Today we are looking at another quality of effective leadership, consistency.

How to Be a Positive Influence in Other’s Lives - Part 2

By Certified Action Coach Dave Beam

Listening.  Most people think that they do it well.  Most people really don’t do it well at all.  And if you want to have influence as a leader, it is essential.

Listening to understand is one of the most powerful ways to express respect for another human being.  You are giving your attention and care to someone else.  You are setting aside YOUR opinions, judgments, reactions, and conclusions, and engaging your mental energy for one purpose, to understand that person. 

How to Be a Positive Influence in Other’s Lives - Part 1

By Certified Action Coach Dave Beam

One question that I get quite often from business owners is “How can I change my employees and help them take ownership so that they will care about their work, customers, and the business as much as I do?”  It is a great question, and is worthy of consideration.

First, I usually start by telling them that they really can’t “change” anyone.  They can likely change their environment, compensation, job, and comfort.  But my question is can anyone really change the motives, desires, values, and identity of another person?

One Big Problem With Your Business Is That You Expect Too Much From Your Employees

By Certified Action Coach Dave Beam

If you are a business owner or manager, I’m sure that title caught your attention.  You did read it correctly – what you expect of your employees is causing lots of problems in your business.  You may be thinking, “What kind of angle is this!!!  If anything, I don’t expect ENOUGH out of my employees.  In fact, some of them only scrape by on the bare minimum activity, and try their hardest to get out of even doing the bare minimum!”

The problem IS expectation.

“Accountability – The Peak of Relationship” - The Seven Levels – Part 6

The Seven Levels of Relationship – Part 6
By Action Coach Dave Beam

When you hear the word “accountability”, what comes to mind?  The majority of people don’t smile and embrace it.  If I am accountable, that means I am exposed.  My performance and results are available and known to others.  People are often reluctant to admit their shortcomings and need for improvement.  However, champions love feedback.  They like to know how they are doing and where they stand so they can get better. 

Accountability creates the opportunity for maximum results and amazing outcomes.  When a team member has the full feedback from all the other members on how to improve, that member is empowered to be the best they can be.  We really don’t see ourselves accurately, and when the measurement of our performance is available to others, we get a real understanding of how we are doing and how we can improve.

“Commitment – The Practice of Integrity” - The Seven Levels – Part 5

By Action Coach Dave Beam

Commitment; It is the very first of our fourteen core values espoused by Action Coach.  The term encompasses perseverance, integrity, and trust.  Once you have created a synergistic agreement, where both parties win, then commitment is the grit that creates the traction that gets the project started and more importantly keeps it going.  Commitment is an upper level of relationship.  It is the natural next step after agreement.  Managers and business owners often expect accountability without commitment, and team members are not committed because there is no true understanding and agreement.

“The Synergy of Creating Agreement” - The Seven Levels – Part 4

By Action Coach Dave Beam

If you’ve been following the series, we’ve laid the groundwork for creating some amazing outcomes.  Once you have debunked myth and dispelled expectations through rapport and empathetic understanding, you are ready to create some fantastic results.  Together Everyone Achieves More = TEAM.  Most people mentally assent to the team concept, but often fall short of the actual experience.  The key to team synergy is truly being together.  Win:Win agreements can only be created and sustained when there is full and deep understanding.  Significant and powerful agreements are built on a deep foundation of complete understanding.

“The Breakthrough of Understanding” - The Seven Levels – Part 3

By Action Coach Dave Beam

We are considering the seven levels of relationship.  In my coaching over the last seven years, I have discovered that most team problems arise from weak communication and shallow relationships.  This simple model illustrates the progressive upward shift in relationship moving from a low level of misunderstanding to a productive and rewarding level of connection based on shared understanding.  Today we consider the transformational level of Understanding.  Enjoy and take action!

ACCOUNTABILITY
COMMITMENT
AGREEMENT
UNDERSTANDING
RAPPORT
EXPECTATION
MYTH

The level of understanding is truly the breakthrough in communication.  Developing a level of rapport is prerequisite to understanding, for in rapport we let down the guard and let another person in.  To be the leader in building a great relationship and communication, you must choose to seek first to understand before being understood.  I learned this key habit of effectiveness from Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.  The most essential tool for coming to an understanding is simply listening.

“The Comfort of Rapport” - The Seven Levels – Part 2

By Action Coach Dave Beam

We are considering the seven levels of relationship.  In my coaching over the last seven years, I have discovered that most team problems arise from weak communication and shallow relationships.  This simple model illustrates the progressive upward shift in relationship moving from a low level of misunderstanding to a productive and rewarding level of connection based on shared understanding.  Today we consider Level 3, Rapport.  Enjoy and take action!

ACCOUNTABILITY

COMMITMENT

AGREEMENT

UNDERSTANDING

RAPPORT

EXPECTATION

MYTH

Rapport is the bridge that provides an escape from the nightmare of myth and expectation and toward the land of understanding.  Rapport is defined as a “feeling of comfort and connectedness between people.”  I call it chemistry; that sense that we are connecting and beginning to understand each other.  Rapport develops as people lower their guard and begin to reveal themselves.  If you want to build great relationships, it is helpful to know how to accelerate this sense of relaxation and openness with others.

“The Nightmare of Myth and Expectation” - The Seven Levels - Part 1

By Action Coach Dave Beam

I have begun a series on the seven levels of relationship.  As I work with teams of people, most problems and challenges arise from a weak communication and shallow relationships.  This simple model illustrates the progressive upward shift in a relationship that can move it from an immature level of miscommunication and misunderstanding to a rich and productive level of connection based on shared understanding.  Over the next several newsletters, I will be giving out practical tools to help you produce a positive shift with your team.  Enjoy and take action!

 

ACCOUNTABILITY

COMMITMENT

AGREEMENT

UNDERSTANDING

RAPPORT

EXPECTATION

MYTH

Today I want to consider the two lower levels of relationship, myth and expectation.  When building strong relationships with others, it is good to recognize the enemies.  Relationships based on myth and expectations are fraught with difficulty.  The drama is generally high, and often moves from apathy and a low level tension to outbursts and emotional events. 

The Seven Levels of Relationship: Introduction

By Action Coach Dave Beam

Communication and relationships go hand-in-hand. As a business owner, manager, or leader of any organization, communicating well is all about building strong relationships with those you work with.  Today, I want to offer a model that illustrates the progressive growth of a strong relationship. It begins with a level of myth where there is little information and comfort, and ends with a high level of accountability and trust.  Each week we will examine each level a little more in depth, and then tie it all together. Once we have developed these seven levels, we will be better prepared to talk about how effective communication can help move your relationships forward. I don’t intend this to be esoteric or theoretical.  In fact, I use this model all the time to build results oriented teams.  In the coming weeks, I will be providing practical examples for each level, and show you how to progressively build strong relationships.  Enjoy the overview.  I welcome your feedback and comments via e-mail.

Communication - It’s the Response You Get

By Action Coach Dave Beam

As a business coach, I interview employees, managers, and business owners on a regular basis.  One of the questions that I ask is “What is Your Biggest Team Challenge?”  Most of the time, the answer that comes back is, “We need better communication”.

Apart from further investigation, that response has limited value.  What most people mean when they say they need better communication is that there are unresolved issues and disconnects within the organization that are causing an unproductive and unhappy place to work.  Further questioning often reveals a lack of trust that leads to limited accountability and a culture of blame.

Six Keys to a Winning Team Key #6 – 100% Involvement/Inclusion

By Action Coach Dave Beam

The sixth key to a winning team is 100% involvement and inclusion. Each member must know that they are accepted by the team, and each member must also choose to participate 100%. Those who are not fully engaged pull down the team's performance. 100% participation creates powerful team synergy.

So far I have given you the information to create a wonderful action plan to bring your team to new levels of performance and results. Every key is essential for maximizing your team performance, and this last key is absolutely no exception.

Six Keys to a Winning Team Key #5 – Action Plan

By Action Coach Dave Beam

A fifth key to a winning team is to have a written action plan. Great ideas, an inspiring vision, and even a happy work place don't automatically produce results. Results come from taking action. Each team member needs to know daily who is supposed to do what by when.

The name of our franchise is "ACTION COACH". There is a great reason for that. Nothing happens in life and business until someone takes ACTION. You can have a strong leader with a common goal and great, clearly defined rules, but with no action, nothing happens.

Six Keys to a Winning Team Key #4 – Support Risk Taking

By Action Coach Dave Beam

A fourth key for producing a winning team is to support risk taking. For people to maximize their potential, they need to try new things, even make mistakes! The only people who don't make mistakes are those who never try anything new. Winning teams will always be willing to stretch their limits. As long as you have defined the rules of the game, the team should be encouraged to innovate within those defined boundaries.

Six Keys to a Winning Team Key #3 – Rules of the Game

By Action Coach Dave Beam

The third key for winning is to know the rules of the game. Can you imagine trying to win a game if you didn't know the rules? Often employees lack motivation and productivity because the expectations are unclear. Do your employees know the company core values? Have you invested time in defining core values and communicating the company culture to every team member?

Six Keys to a Winning Team Key #2 – Common Goal

By Action Coach Dave Beam

Do you have a clear vision for your business or department? The second key for a winning team is to have a common goal. To win the game as a team, it is essential for everyone to share a clearly defined target, and it is the responsibility of the leader to effectively communicate that goal to the team.

Once you have a strong leader that has the respect of the team, the next logical question is "Where are we going?"

Six Keys to a Winning Team! Key #1 – Strong Leadership

By Action Coach Dave Beam

As a business coach, I often get asked by business owners and management staffs how they can get their employees to work together, quit blaming each other for problems, and take more ownership for their job. My response is often a bit abrasive. I ask the owner if he or she meets regularly one-on-one with their employees, if they blame their employees for problems, and if they truly take full ownership and accountability for what is going on in the business. It is interesting that the employees are a reflection of the owner.