Commit to Your Educational Development

What are you doing to stay current and relevant as a leader? This is a question that so many leaders ask me, no matter what company I’m serving. How do we pay attention to our own educational development when, as leaders, we spend so much time working on everyone else? It doesn’t matter whether I’m working with the CEO of a major media company or an HR director of a pharmaceutical com. We’re constantly looking for ways that our leaders can stay current and relevant.

 

I think if we’re paying attention personally, it means we need to also look at our own educational developing and being committed to developing our skills, which means we have to schedule time and we have to pay attention.

 

Attend industry conferences.

 

What does your company offer that you might be able to attend? As a professional keynote speaker, there’s an organization called the National Speakers Association. I know. Go figure. A whole room of speakers. It’s crazy. But it’s so much fun. There seems to be an association for everything on this planet. What is your association? I even spoke for the American Society of Association Executives. That’s right. There’s an association just for people who run associations. I would encourage you to look at your industry conferences and see what would be a great way for you to attend, and allocate your time for the sessions to network and expand your horizons.

 

 

Schedule time for continuing credit.

 

For many of the clients that I work with, whether they’re accountants, lawyers, HR professionals, they need to do a certain number of CUs or continuing credits so that they can get their educational level higher. What’s your commitment to yourself? Are you an entrepreneur and you want to just set yourself a target of how many things you want to learn? Being able to schedule time and being deliberate in where you focus your time an attention will help you with your education and also help you stay relevant as a leader.

 

 

Listen and Learn.

 

Listen to podcasts and audiobooks. Tune into TEDx talks. Listen to your mentor. Seek training programs. Either way, just listen. Pay attention and listen. If you’re a person who commutes regularly, maybe podcasts would be great for you. Short on time? It only takes small increments of time to watch a Ted Talks. If you love to listen to books, maybe that’s a great way for you to increase your education. We have made available Attention Pays on a Kindle, and some people want the audio version. I’m working on that. But what are some ways that you can really listen to the advice of others and have that part of your regular development plan?

 

When I was in corporate, I made sure I attended every program that I was allowed to attend. I made sure I connected with my version of the internal university and scheduled myself on courses with my boss’ approval.

 

When I decided to do my MBA, I did that part-time while I was working full-time. In my own profession now, I make a point every week of reading new books, exposing myself to new podcasts, and listening to new Ted Talks. I love being able to participate in social media conversations around development, and it’s kind of the profession that I’ve chosen.

 

How are you staying current and relevant? How are you paying attention to your own development and committing your time, your attention, and your energy?

 

Do you know someone seeking to develop their skills and learn more professionally or personally? Share this video with them, or better yet, this post!

 

If you haven’t picked up a copy of Attention Pays, do it now! You’ll learn great strategies for you and your team to pay attention to what matters most at work and in life. At NeenJames.com, you will find hundreds of articles you can download for free, and you can also subscribe to our newsletter there. I believe that when you pay attention, attention pays.

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You Owe Your Friends and Family Your Focus and Attention

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Companies Don't Get a Free Ride on Paying Attention to the Planet

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You Owe Your Friends and Family Your Focus and Attention

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Companies Don't Get a Free Ride on Paying Attention to the Planet

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How to Pay Attention to Your Mind, Body and Spirit

Do you pay enough attention to your body, mind, and spirit? Consider these three ways to pay attention to the body you have, the mind you’ve been gifted with and also your spirit.

 

Or, are you too busy working to prioritize those things that matter most: your health and well-being?

Body – Make an appointment

 

Exercise, healthy eating, sleep and rest are critical for our bodies to operate effectively and efficiently each day. They are the essential tool we need to do our best work professionally and personally. It’s easy to come up with excuses to put your body’s needs last, and yet we need to switch that priority because they do matter! Start off first by creating a standing, no-excuses appointment for yourself. Choose your method of body focus, whether it means stepping out of the office for a walk, to have lunch, creating an appointment or to workout. Maybe it’s creating an appointment with your doctor for the checkup that you’ve been meaning to have.

 

In my case, there’s certain things that I love to do, to treat myself as well. And so I make sure I schedule appointments with those. My personal trainer is Jennifer Jacobs – a fabulously fit professional who also teaches cycling classes for Peloton. I have a regular appointment that takes priority on my calendar. She helps hold me accountable to my fitness goals when I may otherwise give myself excuses to skip.

 

No matter what you schedule your time for, commit to it as you would a client appointment, doctors appointment or meeting with your boss. No excuses.

 

Mind – Fuel your thoughts.  

 

Can you make quiet time where you read something that inspires you? Maybe the paper or a professional journal. Either way, really consider what you are doing to grow your mind and develop the way you think. Consider blogs that might challenge you, articles or white papers you may enjoy reading. Either way, make reading a priority. Set aside 15 minutes a day at first to develop the habit. Soon or later, you’ll find yourself reading more frequently for longer periods of time.

 

Spirit – Your soul is a temple. 

 

Spiritual might mean all kinds of things to all sorts of people. It might mean church, a temple, community, or maybe charity. I encourage you to consider doing something daily to feed your spirit.  Perhaps it’s lighting a candle to bring serenity to your space, or writing in a gratitude journal to help focus.  It might be saying 10 things you’re grateful for the moment you wake up, or perhaps it’s prayer or meditation. Consider getting involved in a charity, using your skills and talent to help benefit them.

 

Three ways you can pay attention to your body, your mind, and your spirit, so you can unleash your best self.

 

Know someone who could use inspiration to pay attention to their health and well-being? Consider sending them a link to this blog or have them watch my video:

 

If we’re not connected on social media, let’s fix that. You can follow me on Instagram, and all the stories and adventures that I share. You can follow me on Twitter. If you haven’t got yourself a copy of Attention Pays, we talk about how do you pay attention personally, professionally, and globally. So get your hands on a copy of this book as well. I’d love to hear what you would add below, so please share with me, how do you pay attention to your body, your mind, and your spirit.

 

I believe that when we pay attention, attention pays.

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Are You Committed to Your Educational Development?

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Why You Should Get In Tune with Your Body, Mind and Spirit

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Are You Committed to Your Educational Development?

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Why You Should Get In Tune with Your Body, Mind and Spirit

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Drive member experience: 5 Ways to create members for life

Every Association wants to create members for life, Right?

Unfortunately, not EVERYONE is paying enough attention to that very big cog in their business engine.

I recently ran across this quote from former CIO and Senior VP of Dell, Jerry Gregoire, “The customer experience is the next competitive battleground.”  (I know you don’t call them customers in the association world.. but you get it). Isn’t it time to pay even more attention to your member experience?

 

When was the last time you looked at what YOUR members are experiencing from a lens OTHER than your own? It’s an important question to ask yourself and your team if what you really want is to not only compete in our world today. You know the old saying, “good news travels fast, but bad news travels faster?”  It’s never been truer than it is in a world where social media is front and center and consumer tolerance for less than perfect is slim to none.

 

So, what can YOU do to ensure that your members are raving fans and stay that way for the long haul? How can you make sure when their membership renewal notice comes they are excited to rejoin? How can you encourage your members to be great referral partners for you?

Step ONE – pay ATTENTION to what matters.

Step two – follow these five strategies:

 

1. Get out in front of social media. What are people saying about your association?  Have you checked Yelp? Twitter? Facebook? Trip advisor (if you’re in the hotel or travel industry supplying association executives)?  Are people saying good things or bad?  Are you responding to comments? Likes? Forwards? Reviews?  Are you reading the information with an open mind and looking for every little way you can improve the experience your members feel when they interact with your association? Every bit of information is valuable. Remember these wise words from Bill Gates, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” I loved how ASAE used their app to engage attendees at their annual event before they even arrived in Chicago.
2. Mystery shop or blind call your association head office. There are services everywhere that are experts at analyzing the member experience of associations. From sending in mystery shoppers to cold dialing your membership department to testing your technical team.  This can be illuminating on so many levels.  It’s easy to get myopic when it comes to our own team and what we believe to be an amazing experience, and often, your staff is on the money in terms of service and standards. But it never hurts to check in with an outsider’s perspective now and again to see what’s really a true member experience so you’ll know what to tweak and change.
3. Create focus groups. Pull a group of your active members together and ask them for feedback on what’s working and what’s not. Let them know your goal is to continuously elevate and improve their member experience.
4. Walk a mile. Ever hear that saying, “walk a mile in someone’s shoes”? When was the last time you purchased or experienced something from your association? From start to finish? From phone call or web portal, all the way to product in hand or service met? It can be quite enlightening.
5. Review your communications. Listen to your voicemail lately? Read your signature line? Hear your outgoing association messages? Update your website? Take a look at your business cards? Did you put all that together in 2000 and haven’t changed it since?  Our “signatures” in all the different communication forms they come in have affected the member experience.

When you brainstorm ideas to create an innovative, elevated member experience, that creates members for life, consider these ideas (just remember I shot this video for those of my clients who call them customers LOL… I know you call them members):

 

Lastly, take away this thought from Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, “We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.” Yes, Jeff! He’s got a perfect idea. Make your association a party people want to keep attending friends. They’ll be members for life when you do.   I’d love to hear from you! Share your ideas with us here!

If you will be at #ASAE18 in August, let me know – let’s meet up! I am sharing a session on how association executives can use contextual models to get (and keep) member attention and also use them as tools to share why people should join your association.

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Defend Against Distractions and Overcome Your Email Obsessions

According to McKinsey, 28% of a person’s workday is spent checking email. That’s over one-quarter of your entire business day! It’s a wonder any of us get anything done.

 

Other studies show 26% of employees admit email is their number one distraction. Implement these strategies to defend against email distractions:

 

• Invest time in 15-minute increments.  According to the University of British Columbia, limiting your reading of email to three times per day reduces stress and distractions by 47%, ultimately boosting productivity and focus. When you check email, only spend 15 dedicated minutes on it at a time. Set the timer on your phone to answer as many as you can in that concentrated period of time. As a result, you’ll give email your undivided attention at specified points throughout the day. In the end, it will save you hours of scrolling and prevent distracted, half-answered emails.

 

• Don’t reinvent the wheel. Create custom email templates to quickly and thoughtfully respond to regular or repeated requests.

 

Defend Against Email Distractions

 

• Use the latest apps to do the work for you. Go to neenjames.com/extras for my favorite Attention Resources to help you implement these email defense systems:
  • Unplug from the unwanted. There are apps available that will unsubscribe you from unwanted subscriptions filling up your inbox.
  • Block it out. Use a distraction management app to block social media sites and incoming messages. It’s the Internet version of a Do Not Disturb sign and ideal for creating uninterrupted time.
  • Create shortcuts. Smart apps create shortcuts for regularly used responses, words, and templates.
  • Bounce back. A nifty app allows you to bounce emails back to yourself when you want to answer them and schedule delivery for another time.

 

• Leverage your out of office message. If you have an assistant, leverage your out of office message by sending email requests to your assistant. Then, invite people to contact your assistant in your absence. Be sure to provide the best contact information. Imagine what you could do with your attention if your assistant were able to handle even 25% of your inbox. Better yet, you can leverage your out of office message to generate attention and show you are being thoughtful with your response. See the examples shared in the call-out box for more.

 

Remember, most emails you receive are requests from people who ultimately want your time and attention to accomplish their objectives. Email is an important tool. When used well, it assists communications. If not managed, it kills productivity. Don’t be the leader who gives half-responses. Worse still, a boss who sends emails full of spelling errors or emoticons. Be an influential communicator. I challenge you to dedicate the next 24 hours to being intentional with every email response.

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Next: Thoughts About Tomorrow You Can Talk About Today

As a leader, I have the next book for you to read. The book is actually called Next. I know. It’s written by one of my most favorite thought leaders in the world, and his name is Matt Church. Get your hands on a copy of this book called Next.

 

Now, Matt is famous for so many books that he’s written, and one of my favorites still remains his Amplifiers. But in this book, he truly is one of the global thought leaders on how we can really talk about things that are going to happen tomorrow, today. 21 chapters, well written, that are filled with models, ideas, commentary, discussion ideas, Specifically, questions as a leader you can then have conversations with your team.

 

Next by Matt Church is one of the best books I’ve read. If you really want to thrive during a time of incredible disruption, if you want to truly lead your team, check out this book called Next by Matt Church. You’ll be so glad you did.

 

If we haven’t connected on social media, let’s fix that. You can follow me on Twitter @neenjames. You can watch all of my adventures on Instagram where you can download hundreds of articles for free, and I also wrote a book called Attention Pays. If you haven’t checked it out, go there. But please, do yourself a favor. Pick up this book called Next by Matt Church. Like I said, you’ll be so glad you did.

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Why "Next" Should be the Next Book You Read! by Matt Church

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Why "Next" Should be the Next Book You Read! by Matt Church

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Stop being a Martyr - Take a Vacation! (My escape is Australia!)

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Stop being a Martyr - Take a Vacation! (My escape is Australia!)

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Professional Workplace Environment Awareness

Are you paying attention to your workplace environment? As a busy leader, your professional attention and commitment is to ensure the workplace environment creates productivity and team effectiveness.

 

Look around your office right now. Is there clutter everywhere? Does it seem a little crazy or chaotic? Are important files and papers easily accessible? Is it easy for people to collaborate on an idea? Is it easy for people to find where they need to be? Consider creating an attentive workplace by looking at the environment that you create. Do people have an opportunity to move into a quiet room or space, to get things done? Are your meetings productive by considering the environment, to maybe call in others or use video technology? How are you paying attention to your environment? But think about the environment as the wider context, as well.

 

What can you be doing, as a leader, to pay attention to our environment, meaning a bigger environment? Do you have a recycling program at work? Just maybe even recycling bins beside the printer. Can you offer refillable water bottles or water stations for people to avoid the plastic waste? Could you consider donating unused furniture from the office to charities that could maybe really use it? Do you encourage people to maybe use public transport instead of driving everywhere? There are so many ways, as a leader, we can pay attention to, not just the office environment, but also the wider environment, as well.

 

When a friend of mine was doing property development, he decided to make sure his building was LEAD certified. Now, while you might not be a big fancy property developer like he is, maybe there are things you can think about when you’re designing a new process, or product, or protocol, that allows you to be more environmentally friendly.

 

As an Australian, I get that I’m a little crazy about protecting the environment, which means, personally, I do carry refillable water bottles. I do try and use … Well, not always use public transport, but I do try to from where I live. I definitely try to reuse the towels when I visit a hotel, instead of using housekeeping all the time. I definitely try to donate things wherever possible. If I’m not using it, I’m sure someone else can use it.

 

What are some little ways that you could pay attention to the environment, both at work, and at home? I want to challenge you to just look around and have a think. In our book, Attention Pays, we cover this in the chapter on Global Attention, meaning, how are you paying attention to your community, to the world at large?

 

Now, you may not be a Tesla driving, environmentally conscious person, but there are little tiny things I bet you could pay attention to at work that would make the environment easier for people to get work done. Or maybe be kind to the environment with the way that you get things done.

 

Take a few moments to tune into this video, then share it with your team. Solicit their feedback on how you can improve the office workspace to make it more inviting and focus-friendly.

 

Are we connected on social media? If not, let’s do it. You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook if you prefer, or if you really want to see my adventures, then follow me on Instagram. Have you got yourself a copy of Attention Pays yet? If not, there are hundreds of strategies in here that you can apply immediately.

 

How are you, as a leader, truly paying attention to your environment? I would love to hear your comments, so feel free to share them with me directly. It is my belief that when you pay attention, attention pays.

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How Peloton Has Built a Cult-Like Customer Following

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How Peloton Has Built a Cult-Like Customer Following

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