Are you an exception to the rule?

The Peter Principle: “In time, every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duties.” Laurence J. Peter’s theory postulates that most competent people are promoted until they reach a position that is above their skill level, at which point they cease to grow.

Studies show that promotions are still largely a reward for past performance rather than future potential, so in many cases, the principle still holds after 50 years.

Which should prompt us to ask the question…

What about me? Why was I promoted?

What have I done to be an exception to the principle?

Look around you for any managers who have avoided the Peter Principle trap. Hopefully, you can find some...

What did they do?

Ask them!

It matters how you eat an elephant

For as long as I can remember, I have known about the advice to ‘eat an elephant one bite at a time’ when dealing with a big task. I never knew what it really meant, until last week when I managed to complete a big project more easily than I had imagined it would be.

It makes sense, right? You start at the beginning with the first bite and keep going. And provided you keep going, you will ‘eat your elephant’.

My revelation was to focus ONLY on the current bite as a bite, not as part of an elephant.

Sure, take a step back occasionally and look at the bigger picture, but when doing a task, focus on doing the task in front of you.

Not the next task, but THIS one, in front of you NOW.

What elephant-sized projects are you working on right now?

Note: This tip was created without harming any elephants ?

Here’s a thought… Life is a big project. Focus on today.

Changing the lie

“If you never change your mind, why have one?” Edward de Bono

This got me thinking, which changed my mind.

Have you ever made an impulsive decision? Or agreed to something you later regret?

Then what?

Live the lie, or say those four words “I changed my mind”.

By the way, this is not about ducking your commitments or giving up when the going gets tough.

It’s about being true to who you are.

What lies are you living at the moment?

You should consider how this impacts your personal brand.

Your voice takes centre stage

When you are reduced to a 16:9 rectangle on a screen amongst other little rectangles, your voice becomes more important.

How do you reach out from your little rectangle to change minds, motivate, be friendly, be noticed and leave a good impression?

Online, your voice takes centre stage, so here are a couple of tips for our new Zoomified world.

Take a moment now and stare out the window. Adopt a posture as if you are confident and successful. Done it?

You probably sat up straight, lifted your head up, pulled your shoulders back, and started breathing more deeply. Think of this as your posture of power and grace.

This posture is great for your voice (and how you feel), so position your screen and camera at eye level and use this posture when in online meetings.

Do it for your next meeting and notice how things change!

One thing you will notice is that you will use more variation in your voice. What the rectangle has cost you in terms of gestures and body language, you need to add back in with your voice.

Here are a couple more tips on how to influence others with your voice.