Our special article this week is "Going for Gold in Your Career", written by Mind Tools Career and Life Coach, Midgie Thompson. As well as inspiring great performance in people's career and life, Midgie inspires athletes to achieve their best, through mental performance coaching. In her article, Midgie shows how mental preparation helps you "Go for Gold", whether you're competing in the career or athletics arena. Thank you, Midgie, for the insights and inspiration!

Finally, we take a look at an extraordinary book, "How To Get Anyone To Do Anything," written by R. Philip Hanes. Hanes is accomplished in many fields, as a businessman, an author, an environmental activist, and much, much more. The review gives you a sense of an amazing man and a few of his secrets for success. Enjoy!

Happy reading and best wishes!

James & Kellie

James & Kellie
MindTools.com
Mind Tools – Essential skills for an excellent career!

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New tools on the Mind Tools site

• 8th Mar 2006 - The Ansoff Matrix - Understanding the different risks of different options
• 3rd Mar 2006 - The Ladder of Inference - How to avoid "jumping to conclusions"

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New Tool:

The Ladder of Inference:

How to Avoid "Jumping to Conclusions"

Have you ever been accused of “putting 2 and 2 together and making 5”, meaning that the other person thinks you have jumped to the wrong conclusion?

In today’s fast-paced world, we are always under pressure to act now, rather than spend time reasoning things through and thinking about the true facts. Not only can this lead us to a wrong conclusion, but it can also cause conflict with other people, who may have drawn quite different conclusions on the same matter.

Especially in a fast business environment, you need to make sure your actions and decisions are founded on reality. Similarly, when you accept or challenge other people’s conclusions, you need be confident that their reasoning, and yours, is firmly based on the true facts. The “Ladder of Inference” helps you achieve this.

Sometimes known as the “Process of Abstraction”, this tool helps you understand the thinking steps that can lead you to jump to wrong conclusions, and so helps you get back to hard reality and facts.

The Ladder of Inference was first put forward by organizational psychologist Chris Argyris and used by Peter Senge in The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization.

Understanding the Theory

The Ladder of Inference describes the thinking process that we go through, usually without realizing it, to get from a fact to a decision or action. The thinking stages can be seen as rungs on a ladder and are shown below:

Starting at the bottom of the ladder, we have reality and facts. From there, we:

• Experience these selectively based on our beliefs and prior experience;
  
  
• Interpret what they mean;
  
  
• Apply our existing assumptions (sometimes without considering them);
  
  
• Draw conclusions based on the interpreted facts and our assumptions;
  
  
• Develop beliefs based on these conclusions; and
  
  
• Take actions that seems “right” because they are based on what we believe.

This can create a vicious circle. Our beliefs have a big effect on how we select from reality, and can lead us to ignore the true facts altogether. Soon we are literally jumping to conclusions – by missing facts and skipping steps in the reasoning process.

By using the Ladder of Inference, you can learn to get back to the facts and use your beliefs and experiences to positive effect, rather than allowing them to narrow your field of judgment. Following this step-by-step reasoning can lead you to better results, based on reality, so avoiding unnecessary mistakes and conflict.

How To Use The Theory:

The Ladder of Inference helps you draw better conclusions, or challenge other people’s conclusions based on true facts and reality. It can be used to help you analyze hard data, such as a set of sales figures, or to test assertions, such as “the project will go live in April”. You can also use it to help validate or challenge other people’s conclusions.

The step-by-step reasoning process helps you remain objective and, when working or challenging others, reach a shared conclusion without conflict.

Use the following steps to challenge your thinking, using the Ladder of Inference:

1. Stop! It’s time to consider your reasoning.
   
   
2. Identify where on the ladder you are. Are you:
   
   
   • Selecting your data or reality?
     
   • Interpreting what it means?
     
   • Making or testing assumptions?
     
   • Forming or testing conclusions?
     
   • Deciding what to do and why?
     
3. From your current “rung”, analyze your reasoning by working back down the ladder. This will help you trace the facts and reality that you are actually working with.
   
   At each stage, ask yourself WHAT you are thinking and WHY. As you analyze each step, you may need to adjust your reasoning. For example, you may need to change some assumption or extend the field of data you have selected.
   
   The following questions help you work backwards (coming down the ladder, starting at the top):
   
   
   • Why have I chosen this course of action? Are there other actions I should have considered?
     
   • What belief lead to that action? Were the beliefs well-founded?
     
   • Why did I draw that conclusion? Is the conclusion sound?
     
   • What am I assuming, and why? Are my assumptions safe?
     
   • What data have I chosen to use and why? Have I selected data rigorously?
     
   • What are the real facts that I should be using? Are there other facts I should be considering?

1. With a new sense of reasoning (and perhaps a wider field of data and more considered assumptions), you can now work forwards again – step-by-step – up the rungs of the ladder.

Example:
The regional Sales Manager has just read the latest sales figures. Sales in Don’s territory are down - again. It’s simply not good enough. He needs to be fired!

Most people would agree that the Sales Manager may have just jumped to a rash conclusion. So let’s see how the scenario plays out using the Ladder of Inference:

The latest month’s sales figures (reality) have come in, and the Sales Manager immediately focuses on Don’s territory (selected reality). Sales are down on the previous months again (interpreted reality). The Sales Manager assumes that the drop in sales is entirely to do with the Don’s performance (assumption), and decides that Don hasn’t been performing well (conclusion). So he forms the opinion that Don isn’t up to the job (belief). He feels that firing Don is the best options (action).

Now let’s challenge the Sales Manager’s thinking using the Ladder of Inference:

The Sales Manager came to the sales figures with an existing belief that Don, a new salesmen, couldn’t possibly be as good as the "old-timers" who he has trained for years. He focused on Don’s territory because Don is the newest salesman, and selected facts that supported what he already believed (that Don wouldn’t be doing a good job).

To get back to facts and reality, we must challenge the Sales Manager’s selection of data and his assumptions about Don’s likely performance.

Although the figures are down in Don’s territory, they have actually dipped less than in other areas. Don is actually a great salesman, but he and his colleagues have in fact been let down by new products being delayed, and by old products running out of stock.

Once the Sales Manager changes his assumptions, he will see the need to focus on solving the production issues. He can also learn from Don – how is it that Don has performed better than other sales people in the face of stock problems? Can others learn from him?

This is just one of the problem solving techniques that you can learn on the Mind Tools website. Visit:
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TMC.htm for many more!

Feature Article:

Going for Gold - In Your Career!
Life lessons from the athletics arena

By Midgie Thompson, Mind Tools coach

Imagine yourself walking into every situation with confidence, knowing with absolute certainty that you are strong, powerful and have the unwavering confidence needed to win.

Now, see yourself achieving a major personal goal. You feel that sense of pride and achievement swelling throughout your body, as you realize that you’ve been the best you can be in what you do.

Perhaps you won a gold medal for athletics, such as football, hockey, golf, or maybe … it was a different kind of sport? Perhaps you were the very best in the corporate arena. Regardless of the where you compete, the mental preparation strategies and techniques of gold-medal winners can help you be the best you can be.

Whatever your “field”, my experience as a coach shows that people who learn the lessons of athletes learn to prepare better, perform better and overcome performance problems, and so achieve greater success.

So I’ll share some of my tips on preparation, performance and problem solving techniques, drawing from my experience of coaching both in the career and sports fields.

Better Preparation

In our chosen career and in our favorite sports, the first rule of performance is to set clear goals. Once these are set, we must plan our preparations, put in place foundations for our success, and mentally prepare to perform. We must learn to keep motivated and self-disciplined. By the time our “big day” arrives, we must have learned how to “turn it on” to give our best performance. And then we must learn from our experience – both our successes and mistakes.

Set clear goals. Athletes clearly identify their goals, what they want to achieve and determine how to measure these successes. They even know what they will feel like, see and hear when they achieve their goals. So, in your professional life, what are your goals and what are your measures of success? How will you feel, what will you see and what will you hear when you’ve achieved what you want to achieve?

Have a plan. Achieving a gold-medal does not happen by chance. Athletes have a detailed road map they follow towards their goal. They know what they have to do and when, and they know what resources are required to support them. So too, in your career. A road map for your career success will clearly identify how you will achieve you goals. What does your road map include? What are the activities and resources you need to achieve your goal?

Put foundations into place. Athletes ensure they have strong foundations for their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. They look after and tune their bodies with healthy foods and balanced exercise. They manage their time and the impact of any negative stresses, and maintain a healthy balance between their work and their play. What are the foundation for your career and personal success? What do you need to do, and what resources are required, to ensure your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being?

Prepare mentally to perform. Athletes mentally rehearse their entire performance to ensure they realize positive outcomes. In your career, you can use similar techniques to rehearse and tune your performance. You’re probably performing much of the time: by making a presentation, holding a team meeting or conducting a sales meetings etc. And you can improve your performance by mentally rehearsing the interaction from start to finish. In your mind’s eye, imagine (and direct) the movie of your performance. What’s your best performance? Make it real. Make it positive. And rehearse your very best outcome.

Motivation and Self-Discipline (by knowing WHY). Athletes keep motivated and disciplined by knowing WHY they are pursuing a particular goal and what it will mean to achieve it. They may have to make compromises – put something on a back burner or train when they’d rather spend time with friends… And they do this more easily because they know exactly WHY. In your career, remind yourself WHY: What are all your reasons why you are going after your goal? What benefits will you get from achieving it and what difference will it make to your life?

Better Performance

"Turn it on" for the best performance. So it’s the big day. Time to ‘turn it on’ for the very best performance. Athletes learn how to get into that peak performance zone and just do what they’ve trained themselves to do. They learn to deal with nerves and distractions and remain focused and ‘in the zone’. You too can benefit for using similar strategies for peak performance in your career.

Review and learn. It goes without saying that we all learn and grow from our experiences. The best athletes take this very seriously, and take time to review, reflect and plan for the next performance. They identify what they want to repeat, and also what adjustments could be made for the next time, to taking their performance levels to even greater heights. In your career, what can you learn from your experience and performance? What will make you even better for the next time?

Finding the Top of Your Game

When it comes to high performance and strategies for success, there are striking similarities between sports and career contexts. The list below illustrates this – typical performance issues I’ve coached clients through: Any one of these issues could relate to either athletic or career performance:

• Learning how to get into the peak performance zone more often
  
• Developing strategies to increase focus and concentration
  
• Cultivating self-confidence in ones abilities
  
• Replacing the “internal critic” with positive self-talk
  
• Improving motivation
  
• Setting goals, and developing and implementing effective plans.

Successful athletes have clear, step-by-step, approaches to “Go For Gold” and become the best they can be. Many use the knowledge and resources available to them from performance coaching - from sports psychology and neuro-linguistic programming to relaxation and hypnosis.

Whether you are a sporting athlete or a corporate athlete, you can use similar approaches to help you go for your personal best in your career and personal life. Keep working at it – going for gold is worth it!

Midgie Thompson, Career Coach with Mind Tools, also works with athletes as a Mental Performance Coach. She inspires excellence, helping individuals and teams to develop the mental skills for peak performance. She is also a recreational marathon runner and triathlete. Contact Midgie through our Coaching Helpdesk.

The Mind Tools Store:

• Personal Coaching from Career Excellence Professionals:Find career and life direction, bring your job under control, build self-confidence and put yourself on the path to long term success with a Mind Tools coach. Our coaches give you the focused personal coaching you need to make the very most of your career and life. More >>
  
  
• Design Your Life Design the life you want to live. Set the clear, vivid, powerful goals you need to live it to the full. More >>
  
  
• Make Time for Success: Learn 39 essential personal effectiveness techniques that help you bring your workload under control and maximize your productivity, so that you can make the most of the opportunities open to you. More >>
  
  
• How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You: Learn the 48 simple but essential skills you need to become a top leader in your industry. More >>
  
  
• The Mind Tools E-book: All of the tools on the Mind Tools web site in one convenient, easily-downloadable, easily-printable PDF file. We have excluded advertising to enhance clarity and have formatted sections to be easy to read, print and use. More >>

Book Review:
How to Get Anyone to do Anything
By R. Philip Hanes
Reviewed by Kellie Fowler

Born with ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), R. Philip Hanes had a frustrating childhood. And, when a persistent bully finally overstepped his boundaries with him, the young Hanes struck him in front of the entire class. The bully quickly assumed the classic boxer pose (fists up etc) and Hanes, knowing he was outmatched, turned and ran away.

It’s hard to imagine that Hanes, now a big success story, ever ran from anything. But he did. And what he learned when the entire class laughed at him was humiliation, and how he could turn this and other negative events into a strong desire to succeed.

In his book, “How to Get Anyone to do Anything,” Hanes recalls this incident, and countless others throughout his life, that provide the reader with real-life events and observations that help draw a detailed blueprint for success.

So much more than a “how-to” guide, this book shows Hanes’ vitality and his humanity as it weaves through his countless successes – throughout the business world, his country, his home state and his local community.

Hanes argues that the basis of such success can be divided into four parts (just as the book is):

1. Networking
   
2. Risk-Taking
   
3. Fund-Raising
   
4. Problem-Solving

The underlying theme throughout the book and Hanes life is this: By learning how and when to ask for help and by successfully enlisting the help of others (the “right” others, that is), success is inevitable.

“How to Get Anyone to do Anything” is an engaging memoir of an exceptional man and his remarkable life, as well as a manual for how to make your own life extraordinary. In this 175-page book, Hanes accomplishes this and so much more!

Hanes talks about creative problem-solving and how to start from the end for stronger results. While he is living proof that these methods work (and work well), he relies more strongly on the power of networking, of knowing the right people and knowing when to utilize these resources.

He cautions readers to be careful what they wish for: He explains that at age 38, he was made Chief Executive Officer of Hanes Dye and Finishing Company (with no business education, only a single semester of accounting). Thrust into this highly demanding, high profile role, Hanes says it did not take him long to realize he needed help, and lots of it!

So, he selected a “fresh” graduate from the University of North Carolina School of Business who would work with (and sometimes without) Hanes to guide the company onto higher levels of success. And, despite the colleagues’ complaints and expectations to the contrary, the recruit stayed with Hanes for many years and, together, the two achieved enviable success.

I won’t give away the whole story, but would you believe, Hanes puts down his success with the recruit to asking a few critical questions. By learning exactly what the chap thought of him and what were his future expectations, Hanes turned the relationship to mutual – and very profitable – advantage.

Peppered throughout with amazing stories and colorful examples, “How to Get Anyone to do Anything” is a great read – one of the most enjoyable I have encountered in a long time. The book is well-written, and it’s as engaging as Hanes himself. I want to rush right out and see if I can get someone to do something! And I feel that inspired and confident that the tools, tips and technique (and of course the motivating stories) will help me do just that.

You can purchase “How to Get Anyone to do Anything,” by R. Philip Hanes at Amazon.com.

A Final Note From James

I sincerely hope you have enjoyed reading this issue. I’ve certainly enjoyed bringing together our new tools, our feature from Midgie and the review of R Philip Hanes’ excellent book.

I encourage you to let us know if there are any topics you would like to see covered, any tools evaluated or books reviewed. We are always working to bring you the most pertinent information to help you achieve career success.

And, do keep visiting the Mind Tools site often, where you will see new tools added each week in the “What’s New” section.

We have more tools, reviews and features coming your way very soon, with our “Spring Clean” issue in two week’s time. Even if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, there’s plenty to look forward to: Join us for a metaphorical “spring clean”, with re energizing tools and tips for one and all.

Best wishes, and until next time!

James & Kellie

James & Kellie

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