Thursday, December 20, 2012

I'll be OM for Christmas

Christmas is a beautiful time of year.  I've heard the bah humbug story over and over.... Oh, the traffic!  The line-ups!  Can't find what the kids want!  No time to get it all done!  I used to be on of those bah humbugs.  My gift to you is a reminder....

Christmas is not about presents.  It's about presence.  The hustle and bustle of shopping, looking for the perfect gift, attending parties, and decorating is supposed to bring joy.  And you can choose for it to do exactly that.  Simply stop seeing it all as a pain in the you-know-what!  Start looking at it for what it really is.  And be OK with simplifying.  It's a choice.

Indeed Christmas is a Christian celebration - in fact, a birthday party!  I have chosen to use Christmas as a time to celebrate life and love.  Being with your loved ones... REALLY being with them... will have long lasting effects and will be remembered much more than that box of chocolates (although, I really love chocolate) or even the latest version of the iPhone.  Sit down for a cup of tea and a good chat.  Listen.  Laugh.  Reminisce.  Celebrate!  This time of year brings sadness to many, too.  Do something to make the season for those people more manageable.  

People want to be surrounded by love.  Your employees, team members, or colleagues are no different - they are human too.  This Christmas, I challenge you to bring OM to your organization or team.  Bring awareness of the meaning of Christmas - whatever that is for you and your team.  Instead of getting caught up in the Kriskringle gift exchange, get caught up with bringing presents to those in need or presence to each other.  That doesn't mean don't have a gift exchange.  It simply means, be conscious of what it all means.  Your team will remember the calm you gave them.

Merry Christmas!!   (and, if possible, give your employees some time away from work to be with their loved ones:)

Namaste and thank-you for reading!  2013 will be a great year!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Copy Cat

My family just adopted an 8-week old kitten.  She's cute and playful and cuddly.  And she scratches the floor with her front paws.

We also have a 17 month old.  She's cute and playful and cuddly.  And she has learned to get on all fours and scratch the floor with her hand.

When I saw this for the first time a few days ago, I laughed until I nearly pee'd in my pants.  What I didn't realize at the time was that I would write about it.  We learn from what surrounds us.  What people say to us.  How people (and kittens) act around us.  We will learn to act and talk that way too.

Who surrounds you?  What groups are you part of?  Do they energize you?  Do the people you spend time with behave the way you would like to behave?

Surround yourself with those that you want to be like.  Learn about what they know.  It's true, nobody has it all or is perfect.  But if you want to be a world traveler, make friends that travel the world... join Facebook pages that provide information about traveling the world... and... most of all... create goals and make plans and start traveling the world.

It sounds easy.  The caveat is that you may have to disengage from the groups and/or people that de-engergize you or behave in ways that are not in alignment with who you want to be.  Or..... maybe you can bring them with you.

When in business, you need to get people on your team that are in alignment with where you want to go.  When you're an employee, you need to be in a team or organization that matches your values and goals.  When everyone is not on the same page, what happens?  Conflict.  Low performance.  More challenges than necessary.  Wasted time.  Unhappiness.  It's not so different from life, hey?

Get the right people in your circle.  Get out of the circles that are not right for you.  Be a copy cat.

Need help with that?  Contact Pomroy Consulting Inc.  Find us at  https://www.facebook.com/PomroyConsulting or email: tinapomroy@hotmail.com.


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Survival to Service

In order for an organization to be more 'conscious', it would have to understand what that means. Consciousness is not an 'airy fairy' concept.  Raising it has real results for organizations.

I get questions such as:  How can employees get more motivated?  Why is it so difficult to retain employees?  How can an organization attract talent when they can't pay top rates?  Why is there so much conflict?  How can an organization get loyal customers?   How can an employee be disciplined when he/she does wrong?  The full list is much too long for a blog, but you get the picture.  Well, part of the answer is: because the organization and the individuals in it need to raise their consciousness.

Organizational consciousness comprises seven levels (http://www.valuescentre.com):
  1. Survival - Focusing on profits and shareholder value.  An organization at this level is creating financial stability and a healthy and safe environment for employees.  
  2. Relationship - Employee loyalty and customer connection are fostered.
  3. Self-esteem - Employee pride is created through high performance systems and best practices.  
  4. Transformation - This level is about adaptability and learning.  Employees have responsibility, accountability, and decision-making input.  Innovation, continuous improvement, and personal development are fostered.  A shift from fear-based governance to open and empowering leadership takes place.
  5. Internal cohesion - Employees' motivations are aligned around a singular mission, inspiring vision, and a shared set of values.  The result is passion, creativity, and enthusiasm.
  6. Making a difference - Creating strategic alliances with other organizations and the community and fostering cooperation between business units.
  7. Service - Humility, forgiveness, and compassion are cultivated internally.  The organization collaborates with stakeholders and other organizations to enhance sustainability of humanity and the planet.
When an organization operates in the lower levels of consciousness only, it will face engagement and performance challenges and struggle with being market leaders.  However, these levels are the foundation for business effectiveness.

The higher levels of organizational consciousness bring long-term sustainability and engaged employees.  Like the lower levels, though, if an organization focuses only on these levels, it will lack the proper infrastructure to operate and perform effectively and efficiently.

The most effective organizations will master each of the seven levels of consciousness through their systems, processes, communication, culture, leadership, relationships, strategies, and social responsibilities.  It is rare for an organization to conquer all seven levels, but imagine the possibilities when they do!

The good news is that consciousness CAN be raised, both individually and in a group, through reflection, coaching, training, culture change, strategic information sharing, and other techniques.

What levels of consciousness has your organization achieved?  What can you do to improve your and your organization's consciousness?

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Word

A few months ago I was texting my friend and she responded to something saying 'word.'  It struck me.  Then I heard a few other people use it in the same way.  It meant... 'I agree.'  After some research, I learned that 'word' is a shortened phrase US prisoners used to mean 'to speak the truth.'  I also remember hearing it in church as a young girl... "This is the word."

My company, Pomroy Consulting
(ca.linkedin.com/in/tinapomroy), has a mission to raise the consciousness of organizations and society.  Consciousness is a complex topic.  Simply put, it means "being sufficiently aware of how experiences are related to attempt to manage change from a basis of understanding." (http://www.worldtransformation.com/consciousness-completion/)

So it makes sense to begin our journey together here on Company OM with talking about speaking our truth.

We often shy away from speaking our truth in fear of being criticized or ridiculed - I know I have.  I've struggled with being open with my inner truths.  In fact, I've struggled with determining what they are... and I still do.  It's a journey.  It's a journey that is not only about physically speaking your truth, but also acting your truth.

Speaking your truth does not mean you are right.  Criticism does not mean you are wrong.  A good debate, full of respect and self-awareness, can create the best solutions and even change strong opinions.  Releasing thoughts, opinions, and actions into the world can create an evolution of our thoughts, opinions, and actions into something even greater.

This is not unlike organizations.  An organization that knows, speaks, and acts its truth is more effective than one that does not.  These truths are integrated throughout the organization in its processes, culture, and relationships.  The most successful organizations evolve their truths as they learn and grow, and they have a greater impact on society, people, and, yes, sales.  What is your organization's truth?

Word.