Does Fear Affect / Effect Outcomes ?...

...YOU Bet It Does, and NOT in a good way, every darn time !!...
by David Bookout

Related Posts: Closure & A New Design ( II )...

Maybe this happens to YOU? - I think it happens to all of us, but we can control it !! I was talking to a colleague this morning about fear, and they were sharing that the very thing that they we're afraid of seemed to keep happening to them. I thought "so, very, very true!" During our conversation I also thought how sports can be such great metaphors for things! Golf is a great example. I'm certainly not Tiger Woods, but when I was playing well ( NCGA 7 ) I could make a golf ball go through a pretty small "window" of blue sky, between the branches of a LOT of trees, from the rough. But, NOT when I was scared that I was going to fail. I could ONLY accomplish this WHEN I WAS: a) Clear on the desired outcome, (b) Clear on the strategy, (c) Clear on the execution, and (d) Clear in my mind that I was going to succeed AND unwilling to let doubt enter my mind and control me !!!!

I also thought about U.S. Airways Captain Chesley B. ( Sully ) Sullenberger's heroic actions yesterday in the crash of Flight 1549, which may in fact be the most amazing story of the decade, if not the most amazing story in commercial aviation history !!

Had Sullenberger surrendered his mind to fear; the fear of failure, fear for his own life, fear of uncertainty, then I think there would have been a VERY, very different outcome. Because letting fear control you and being scared are two different things.

In closing, our reader's survey, and the specific comment below was / is not only prophetic, but a very valuable thing to consider, and probably for some time to come. Thanks again!

"I think 2009 is going to be a very challenging year and we need to continually be reminded to stay focused on those things that we CAN control, rather than all the negative stuff that's bombarding us."

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White-Knuckle Driving in NASCAR

Gripping the wheel of your career in the "New Economy"
by Steven Brown

I dream of driving a race car someday. My home state of Oregon has some spectacular stretches of Highway and mountain roads that elevate your adrenaline. But the thrill of competitive driving has called to me for years. Maybe someday I'll make it to Infineon Raceway for one of their driving schools. For now I have to settle for the thrill of bumper to bumper driving at 20 mph on interstate 880 here in the east bay.

NASCAR is a different breed of racing from the Portland Champ Car races I've attended. The wrecks in NASCAR are so spectacular, the fan community almost celebrates them. The most exciting replays are from the on-car camera of a driver who can't avoid driving through the smoke of a wreck. This aspect of NASCAR is so popular that video games advertise this as one of their most attractive features!

As I look around I’m sure there are many executives who might feel like things are a bit out of control, just like they are driving through the smoke, or worse, going up in flames. Wall Street has certainly had very well-publicized troubles of late, and those issues are beginning to cascade into other sectors.

As we find ourselves driving 200 mph in turn 4 (Q4); trying to avoid running into one of the wrecked cars, or someone who slowed down for the smoke, it's important to stay calm, and focus on the customer, on business, on creating measurable contributions. Water-cooler conversations and continuing to look in the rear view mirror will do little to move your car safely through the smoke and wreckage.

And just like in NASCAR, it’s ok to be a bit sad because no driver likes to see those wrecks, particularly the wrecks of their teammates. People we have known and worked with. But we have to move on, and keep driving through these times towards the exciting opportunities ahead of us in this race. I for one anticipate a lot of exciting changes coming. I can see them and I feel the adrenaline kicking in to keep me from over steering in turn 4. Maybe a pit stop is in order to check my tires and fill up on racing fuel. For today, I have marketing collateral to develop, programs to manage, and customer success stories to publish. My knuckles are white...holding on tight!