Developing the skill of Positive Presence and the Positive Presence behavior competencies results in the kind of focused mental model that opens a person up to learning or being “teachable.” Being teachable, in turn, provides the following advantages:
1. A pool of sources, experts, mentors, and colleagues.
Health care, for example – from administration to delivery – is a team pursuit; it cannot be carried out in isolation. To think otherwise is absurd, because one person’s knowledge, experience, skills, insight, and talent (no matter how great) will never be sufficient for the flow of change, challenge, and chaos that hits organizations on an ongoing basis. Many arrogant leaders try to function alone, but doing so is a disservice to the organization because it limits everyone’s capacity to grow and improve. Mentally tough leaders are lifelong learners. As such, they develop a wide network of people on whom they rely to gain insight and information and with whom they exchange advice, strategies, and solutions. This circle is diverse, comprising followers, colleagues, leaders from other organizations, professional mentors or coaches, and friends. Everyone in this circle benefits from the shared learning.
2. A feedback mechanism.
People who are teachable are making a humble and courageous admission: I need to improve. In the process of improvement and learning, feedback is mandatory. Otherwise, a person will not know if they are applying the learning correctly or if they are making progress toward a desired goal. Mentally tough minds expect and welcome feedback from every source of learning, especially challenging situations.
3. Opportunities for creative thinking.
Creative decision making and problem solving is in danger of becoming obsolete in today’s damage control mode of health care and business. In times of crisis, proposed solutions are often viewed as either/or options, not as pathways to other ideas. Every lesson learned, no matter how devastating, offers an opportunity for creative exploration, as this quotation from community planners involved in rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina supports: “I think we’ve got to look beyond ourselves to come up with the most creative way of creating a health care system. (Our) purpose is not just to provide quality, culturally competent health care. (Our) responsibility… is to do that, plus engage the healthcare system so (we) can transform it.” Mental toughness is a form of mental programming that enables us to manage our thoughts in such a way that we behave according to our conviction and according to practices that yield high level performance.
As you develop your skill of Positive Presence and the Positive Presence behavior competencies, the consequential positive emotional energy will grow exponentially to decrease stress, increase performance, improved health, and create overall greater job satisfaction.
Catherine is the President and CEO of CORPORATE HARMONY, providing virtual solutions for leadership development and organizational culture change. Her leadership and coaching experience as a Project Manager in an ever-changing, fast moving technological organization with unrelenting demands drove her to the realization that a positive mindset and strength-building behaviors are essential for today’s complex and chaotic organizational systems. CORPORATE HARMONY’s virtual platform of programs, coaching and performance measurement, is an innovative online technology of tested proprietary content. The world-class content of CORPORATE HARMONY’s Positive Presence Program develops the skill of ‘Positive Presence’ and the necessary ‘Positive Presence Behaviour Competencies’ for maintaining a positive and energized mindset and increased performance in today’s complex work environment, and leading to a culture of collaboration and connection. Catherine’s vision for Corporate Harmony is to bring the skill of “Positive Presence” to the corporate world as it becomes more complex, ambiguous and chaotic. Catherine is uniquely positioned to impact organizations’ productivity and long term success, with her powerful vision of eliminating bad stress from every workplace around the globe, bringing purpose into the people equation to promote healthy, productive and meaningful work cultures and turn the tide on the neglect of mental health on a global scale. Catherine is author of the book: “CORPORATE HARMONY – The Performance Link for Today’s Modern Organization” Catherine can be reached at: Catherine.Osborne@corporateharmony.ca or go to ‘contact us’ on our website www.corporateharmony.ca. Catherine is available for consultation, and can be reached by 519-695-3407.