How Smart Are You?

Alfred Binet, theFrench psychologist who, in the early 1900's, invented the first usable cognitive intelligence test, initially characterized an intelligent person as having good sense, practical sense or initiative; resulting in the ability to adapt one's self to their circumstances. In the early nineties, Daniel Goleman articulated concepts around Emotional Intelligence, challenging the widely held notion that IQ was the central human capacity contributing to success in life and at work. He proposed that our ability to know our emotional states, and read the emotional states of others and adjust appropriately, is the prime factor for success at work and in life. Howard Gardner, an American developmental psychologist and professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard says, 'Human intellectual competence must entail a set of problem solving skills - enabling the individual to resolve genuine problems or difficulties that he or she encounters and, when appropriate, to create an effective product - and must also entail the potential for finding or creating problems - and thereby laying the groundwork for the acquisition of new knowledge". And, now there is Innovation Intelligence: the ability to think in new and creative ways. Championed by Claude Legrand and David Weiss, in their book Innovative Intelligence, we are introduced to how dismal the innovative intelligence is in most organizations and how companies can get better at mining the creativity of teams and whole organizations. I'm intrigued by the forces that Le Grand and Weiss report block Innovation Intelligence at work, because they appear to be the same set of barriers that prevent teams and organizations from being able to embrace meaningful change. Here are a few barriers that I see plaguing the need for innovation and the drive to implement change initiatives. The love/hate relationship people have with new ideas. People say they want something new, but when push comes to shove, they love, and fiercely protect, the status quo. Often there is an almost, 'not on my watch' mentality when it comes to actually stepping out of the box - the box is just too darn comfortable. The confusion between doing things well - being effective and efficient - and doing new things. Humans gravitate towards what they know; they want to 'fix-up' what they already know how to do, rather than learn something new...especially if the new required thinking and/or behaviours scare them. People don't really know how to innovate, to think differently, to get out of their old patterns and perspectives and approach a problem or challenge with 'new eyes'. We can learn to innovate and change...really we can. What is required to change and innovate can be taught, replicated and can become a company's best practices. 'Different' is messy. Often the leadership of the organization just doesn't want the mess that new ideas and their potential failures might bring. Many leaders hold themselves and their teams to short term goals, not long term efforts - the kind of pursuits that real innovation and change require. To innovate or change is WORK.... hard work. It takes time and requires accountability; the kind of accountability that most leaders don't know how (or are unwilling) to exercise. So, how intelligent are you? Or better put, in what way are you intelligent? And, what kind of intelligence does your career or life need right now? If you need to further develop your IQ skills, educate yourself - as most IQ tests are more a test of memory than anything. If you want to investigate your Innovative Intelligence, take a look at Legrand and Weiss's new book. And remember, if you want to work on your change intelligence ...you can change it, we can help! June 2012

Good to Great Jim Collins (Good to Great, Great by Choice) was a keynote presenter at the Women President's Organization annual conference in Atlanta this past month. Mr. Collin's books are always a good read, and he was in rare form presenting in front of this 800 strong crowd of exceptional female entrepreneurs. As you would expect, he had several salient ideas to share, and his parting 'To Do' list; a must-do catalog of great ideas for extra ordinary leaders, has stuck with me. There were three actions he suggested that caught my eye as having the power to profoundly impact a successful change effort. 1.  Hold a 'Brutal Facts' meeting each quarter, in which the realities, a company's profit and loss figures, percent margins and customer retention numbers, etc. are shared with everyone. Yep, everyone. Those who change best are those who must, and knowing the truth about how the company is doing and how the change effort will (or won't, if it fails) impact the financial health of all concerned is important information that can act as an enduring motivator.   2.  Develop ROL (Return on Luck) strategies. Of all the influences that contribute to success, old - fashioned luck can often be the X factor that puts your plans over the top. Collins explained that, 'who luck' is the best kind of luck there is and that he's observed that who luck is often squandered and, in many cases, the person that could have tipped the scales in a company's favour is simply allowed to walk out the door. He challenged the audience to strategize ways to capitalize on lady luck when she comes knocking; deciding ahead of time how to maximize the right connections at the right time. 3.  Commit to a set of values that will still be relevant 100 years from now. Most companies begin the strategic planning process by crafting a set of organizational values... and then shove them in a drawer somewhere. Maybe that happens because the values are too situational, contrived or so milk toast that they fail to grab people's hearts. Values that endure are ones that evoke truth, transparency and trust. Do you have a personal set of values that will stand the test of time? Does your company? Oh, and he also suggested that, when you're finished with your To Do List, that you craft a Stop Doing List as well. It's every bit as important, and often more powerful, to stop doing those things that get in your way, than to take on new activities. See Collin's whole To Do List below. And if you want to get started on those that resonate with you as being the most important steps towards moving your company, department, team - or yourself forward...call me! Remember, you can change it - we can help! May 2012

Jim Collins' To Do List for 2012

-Go to the Good to Great website and take the Good to Great Diagnostic for your business
-Make sure you have the 'right people in the right seats' on your company's bus
-Hold a 'Brutal Facts' meeting each quarter, in which the numbers for the company are shared with everyone
-Have a 15-25 Big Harry Audacious Goal for yourself
-Commit to consistency
-Calculate, then take a risk this year
-Make a plan that would allow you to go one year without revenue in your company – because some day you may need to
-Look for ROL (Return on Luck) strategies – what will you do with a stroke of luck
-Commit to values – ones that will still be relevant 100 years from now
-Make a Stop Doing List – then STOP doing unnecessary things






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