Students in a University psychology class were given a questionnaire the day after the space shuttle Challenger disaster and their responses were kept on file. They were asked where they were, who were they with and what they were doing when it happened. Two and half years later they were asked the same questions. Despite their confidence that they could recall accurately, most were way off compared with their initial responses.
Mary’s leadership team had been a high performing group but now they were working hard and not getting anywhere. Mary sensed that they were spiralling downwards and decided to get them together to reset their strategic objectives. But before the strategy session, we interviewed each of them to discover how they currently viewed what was working and what was not in their team performance. They relished the opportunity to say what was on their minds.
Dan is constantly seeking input. He is an avid reader and has a wide and eclectic network of people who believe in him. But it’s not all about him. He is focused on helping others achieve great things. He is always interested in my current projects and provides support, encouragement and constructive feedback. Many people have gone on to big things because Dan believed in them, perhaps more than they believed in themselves at a point in time.
In her early career Merinda lived in almost mortal fear of speaking in public. Whenever she presented to a group, she would go bright red in the face with embarrassment and wish that the floor would open up and swallow her.
We have all felt that moment of self-doubt when you bite off more than you can chew. You may have taken on a big new role, moved countries or promised an ambitious delivery date for a big project. If the game is big enough, you will likely wonder if you have what it takes.