Friday 29 May 2015

Four Habits of "Champion" Managers

By Abel Pagaling
Twitter: @abel_pagaling

I am fortunate to have worked with excellent managers, or "champion" managers, in the last few years and have picked up good management “habits” from them.

I say ‘”habits” because good management is about consistency. And consistency builds credibility.

Each manager did things differently, but there are four habits I noticed that champion managers do on a consistent basis that motivates their staff to perform at a high level.

1.  Staff Involvement

There's a saying that “involvement leads to commitment”.

My previous manager who is now a VP always involved his employees in his projects. He reviewed every major decision with his staff and asked for input. He wanted us to challenge his thoughts, find weaknesses in his logic, and see how his decisions could improve. He expected us to “test” his reasoning. Sometimes, our team meetings became team debates. He made sure we were involved in his decision making process.

My favorite quote from him was, “If everyone agrees with me, then no one is thinking.”

And here’s what I really admire about his approach: He delegated key tasks to his employees. Not only were we involved in the discussions, he made sure we were part of the action as well.

2.  Celebrate Success

Another manager I reported to always celebrated success.  It was her way of showing that the team is moving forward and that we are achieving results.  She was concerned if we didn’t have anything to celebrate about. She took us to dinner or lunch after each project completion and reminded us how hard we worked to get the job done. 

When I became a manager under her, she said to me, “Abel, if getting things done is the food for the mind, recognizing that things got done is the food for the heart.. Recognition creates dedication!”

I’ve since adopted this to my management style.  I always remember that a team that doesn’t have anything to celebrate about is either stagnant, or in decline. 

3.  They Say It Respectfully

Employees are not perfect and so are managers. 

We all make mistakes, which is why continues feedback is very important. But here’s the key when it comes to giving feedback – RESPECT.

Constructive feedback can become destructive if it is delivered in a disrespectful manner. 

Going back to my old boss who is now a VP, if I made a mistake or didn’t meet my objectives, he said it to me as it is, but in a very respectful way. He also asked how we can move things forward. This made me work harder for him because I know he respects me and my contribution to the team.

You know you’re giving constructive feedback when your employee doesn’t feel threatened that he or she risk being fired for his or her mistakes.  Sure, there are mistakes that could lead to job termination, but for the majority of the time, all that’s needed is a respectful, one-on-one talk to go over what happened, how it was handled, what went wrong, why, and how it can be done better next time.

4.  Listen, Listen, and Listen

I had a manager who loved to talk and talk. She was a talking head at all our meetings. She was a very smart, bright lady, but I felt like an audience in our meetings instead of a participant. We got things done, but I wasn’t really motivated to perform. My work became just another job instead of something I love to do where I can showcase my skills and take pride in my accomplishments.

As a manager, I do my best to listen, listen, and listen some more.  It’s a difficult habit to just listen, but my employees are more involved in the discussion because I listen to them. This adds to their motivation. And the more I listen, the more creative they get with their input, and the more confident they become. I don’t always agree with what they say, but the point is that I take the time to listen.  I’m showing them that I value their opinion, and that their perspective matter.

I believe being a "champion" manager is having excellent “habits” that you automatically do each day. 

Anyone can fill a management role, but only those who make it a habit to involve their employees, celebrate team successes, give feedback respectfully, and those who listen to their staff are the ones that become "champion" managers.


About the Author: 


Abel Pagaling lives in Calgary, Alberta. He is a manager at a major financial company. His passion is personal development, leadership, and management. He is an avid motivational speaker. He serves as the TFCC Lead for Communications and Programs.

Monday 18 May 2015

How to Turn Problems Into Opportunities

By Abel Pagaling        
Twitter: @abel_pagaling 


“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” -Albert Einstein
The world is not perfect.  People are not perfect.  We have imperfect relationships, imperfect environment, and imperfect jobs or businesses.  Add all these imperfections and you get one thing for certain – PROBLEMS (taxes and death are the other two certainties in life, but that’s for another discussion).

There are problems everywhere.  We have problems (or have experienced problems) in our relationships, finances, profession, business, with our kids, with our boss, and not to mention with ourselves. 

I bet right now you probably have several problems.

Question is, can problems be turned to opportunities? The answer is YES. 

Actually, problems are such great opportunities that we’ve created professions and businesses around it.  Engineers, counselors, personal mentors, nurses, teachers, lawyers, doctors, flight attendants, and all other jobs have one thing in common – they solve problems. 

If you’re employed, you’re providing a solution for your company. If you quit, the work you do will not get done, hence causing a problem for the company, which in turn is an employment opportunity for another person.

So why not be bold and let’s call problems “opportunities”.

Adopting this mental attitude, I suggest these three approaches to turning problems into opportunities

1.  Be Proactive

2.  Attitude Change

3.  Focus on the Solution


Be Proactive
I can write a whole series on this, but simply put, being proactive is about “making wise decisions early”.  This is an opportunity in itself.  It forces you to practice “planning” which is a great personal habit to develop. 

Planning lets you “think” your way through your circumstances so you can avoid potential problems.
 
A great example of being proactive is financial planning.  Financial planners will advise you that a financially secured retirement is all about planning and managing your finances now.  If you don’t have a retirement plan, then you’re not really planning to retire.  This can cause a whole lot of issues down the road when your body starts to slow down and job opportunities start to disappear as technology and younger, more skilled workers enter the workforce.

I really think that many of our problems can be avoided if we’re proactive.  If we plan and act early, we can have greater control of what goes on in our lives. 

Being proactive is about being smart, and being smart opens doors for many opportunities.  By being proactive, you unburden yourself with potential problems, which allows you to work on the important things in your life.

Attitude Change
Are YOU attracting or even initiating your problems because of your attitude?  To say YES to this question requires a great deal of personal courage.  It's difficult to accept that we cause our own issues, but doing so opens the door for personal improvement opportunities.

I suggest looking at your attitude to see the changes you need to make.  It could be that you get angry easily. It could be that you have difficulty accepting criticism.  Or maybe you avoid problems altogether.

Do a personal attitude review and check for potential weaknesses in your attitude. Ask a trusted friend, your spouse,or your personal mentor for feedback.  Ask if they see any weaknesses in your attitude that could be causing or contributing to your problems.

Looking at the areas you are weak at with the intent of becoming strong in these areas is a behavior that is common among the “masters” such as top athletes and business or community leaders. 

Top athletes practice certain moves that they struggle with over and over again until it becomes a part of their strength.  They work on any weakness they see in their game.  I call this the “refining” process.  It is something that successful people embrace so they can continue to be at the top of their game.

Do an honest “weakness” check and see where you need to make adjustments in your attitude.  Make this a part of your personal development.  Possessions and wealth can be taken away, but the personal development you’ve done in you is something no one can take away.

My mentor once said, “Change your attitude, and the world around you will change with it.”

Focus on the Solution
When faced with an uncomfortable situation, there’s the tendency to look for someone or something to blame.  This is the easy approach.  By placing the blame somewhere else, we don’t have to do the hard work of looking for a solution.  But the greatest opportunity for self-improvement lies in finding solutions for the problems that come our way.

One thing that successful people seem to do with ease is accepting responsibly for the problems they face.  They do this not because problems are easy to address, but because they understand the potential for growth and learning that happens when they solve problems.  They see problems as challenges, or opportunities to test their skills and character.

The key to taking ownership of your problems is to "focus on the solution".  Don't dwell on what went wrong or get stuck in the negative emotional gridlock.  Find a way to move forward.  Focus on what you can do and then take action. 

Taking ownership of a problem is difficult but it is essential to personal growth.  It lets you practice your emotional control and constructive thinking under difficult circumstances.  This approach demands courage, effort, and mental and emotional stamina which can only be developed and strengthened by facing problems head on.

I can guarantee that you and I will encounter problems.  How we react to problems is a direct reflection of our character, ourpersonal values and principles.  It shows what we are truly made of.  It exposes our capabilities, our strengths and weaknesses.

See problems as opportunities.  Use it to “refine” yourself.  When you encounter a problem consider it as another steppingstone, a chance to improve YOU.  And when you solve a problem, always celebrate because you’ve just contributed to your personal development.

“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide that your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your father, mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.” -Albert Ellis



Tuesday 5 May 2015

Three Things You Need to Become a Champion


By Abel Pagaling Twitter: @abel_pagaling 

When I was asked to join this group, I immediately thought about what it would take to be a champion.  
To me, “champion” is a powerful word.  To be a champion means to push through the average and do more, learn more, and achieve more.  And in the process of becoming a champion, you transform into a more capable and confident individual.
My exposure to the “champion” mentality started in my late teens.  I was an avid Taekwondo practitioner.  After 4 years of training, I obtained my black belt.  I wanted to be the best in my club and in competitions that I went to.  I trained hard, worked hard, and did all I could to be the best.  
Did I win all my competitions? No.  Did I become a famous black belt? No.  But what I learned during those years of training is how to think like a champion which has served me well through the years.
It boils down to three things.  To be a champion, you need:
  1. Vision
  2. Focus
  3. Support
Vision
The Bible says, “Without a vision, people perish”.  This is true in any endeavor, and especially true if you want to become a champion in anything you put your mind to.  
Surviving day-in and day-out will not take you or your organization to the top.  If you want to be a champion, you need to have a vision of what you want to accomplish, when you will accomplish it, and how you’ll accomplish it.
Don’t just rely on “hope” that things will work out.  Be in control.  Have a vision to work towards.  The clearer the vision, the more passion you’ll have for it, and the more likely you will achieve it.

Focus
During my martial arts years, to win my sparring matches, I had to be focused.  I’ve learned that it’s not always the fastest or the strongest that wins, but the most focused competitor.
The reality is that we live in the world where distractions are always around us.  News, social media, relationships, and our own emotions can easily make us unfocused.  
Without focus, it’s going to be difficult to achieve the best results for your efforts.  
An individual lacking focus might not achieve anything significant at all.  I think the reason why many people are overwhelmed or busy all the time is because they lack focus.  They’re doing too many things that don’t align with their vision.  They can’t say no to distractions from friends, relatives, television, or social media.
Simply put, focus is the price you must pay to become a champion.   You have to say no to a lot of good things so that you can achieve great results towards that one thing you really want the most.
What separates champions from average people is their ability to devote their resources, time, and emotion to achieve a specific goal. 
To be a champion, your vision has to be your primary concern.  Everything else is secondary.  

Support
No one becomes a champion alone.  To focus on what matters, you need a strong support group, a mentor, a partner, or an assistant to help you along the way.
Personally, having a mentor is what I recommend.  A mentor helps you clear your mind so you can refocus.  A mentor tells you what you need to work on so you can improve your game.  In the basketball world, a mentor is like your coach, giving you the necessary input and insight to win!  But a mentor is only as good as your ability to listen and accept feedback.  
Having a mentor doesn’t guarantee success, but it gives you the best chance for success.   To be a champion, you need this kind of support.  Behind every champion is a mentor or group of mentors.
You also need to have an emotional and spiritual support.  This is where family and church or social groups factor in.  
Make sure that the people around you BELIEVE in what you are doing.  By definition, “support” means to help you stand and move towards your goal.  Don’t allow negative people to influence your performance.  Limit your time with them.  Always PROTECT your vision.  
Be careful when selecting the people you want to support you.  
Some will be drawn to you automatically because they believe in what you believe.  Others, you may have to find.  This is where networking with like-minded people in social media sites such as The Filipino Champions of Canada (TFCC) becomes beneficial.  
As I mentioned, being a champion is to be above average.  Is it difficult to become a champion?  Yes.  Is it doable?  Absolutely!  The news is filled with champions in sports, business, and community.  
Challenge yourself.  You can be a champion!  Start by having a clear vision of what you’d like to achieve, focus your time and energy towards this vision, and build a support that will help you along the way.

Welcome to The Filipino Champions of Canada (TFCC) Blog

Who are we?


We are highly positive individuals who want to connect with our fellow Filipinos in Canada by sharing our success stories, talents, knowledge and skills to inspire each and everyone of us to be the best that we can be. 




Why?


We believe that as Filipinos living and working in Canada, each and everyone has a story to tell. Coming from halfway across the globe is not an easy feat. Surviving the odds of moving to a new country, adjusting to a diverse culture, learning and unlearning ways of existing and co-existing is both challenging and interesting. As the famous saying goes, nothing happens by accident. You and I are here for a reason. It is not just our destiny but our calling. Behind those sacrifices, there is something of the marvelous that happened. Something inspiring has emerged. A new mind, a new soul, a better being. That's what makes us The Filipino Champions of Canada.


How?


Like any other story, there is a character. You and I are the characters here! Real people! Real life! Real story! Let’s tell our stories the way we do - straight from our hearts. Let’s connect, share and inspire.