© U PSTREAM A CADEMY W ORLD C LASS T RAINING: G ETTING Y OUR F IRM O N T RACK P RESENTED BY S AM M. A LLRED, F OUNDER & D IRECTOR O F U PSTREAM A CADEMY P ERFORMING D AMAGE C ONTROL F OR A REAS O F P ERSONAL W EAKNESS P RESENTED BY S AM A LLRED F OUNDER AND D IRECTOR OF U PSTREAM A CADEMY

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY P RESENTATION R OADMAP 1.Observations regarding personal weaknesses 2.Barriers to minimizing personal weaknesses 3.Defining personal weakness 4.Five ways to begin minimizing personal weaknesses 5.ELA participants answer key questions

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY  O BSERVATIONS R EGARDING P ERSONAL W EAKNESSES

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Every one of us has a unique combination of strengths as well as weaknesses. Some weaknesses are more obvious and/or more irritating than others. O BSERVATION #1

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY We have been raised in a culture that asks us to focus on correcting our weaknesses rather than maximizing our strengths. O BSERVATION #2

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY As a general rule, individuals are promoted because of their strengths and passed up for promotions because of their weaknesses. O BSERVATION #3

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY While we don’t usually turn weaknesses into strengths, we can do damage control on them to reduce their negative impacts on ourselves and others. O BSERVATION #4 “If you think a weakness can be turned into a strength, I hate to tell you, but that’s another weakness.” Jack Handey

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY It is difficult to know the full impact of our weaknesses on others without their open and honest feedback. Too few are willing to provide this feedback, even when asked. O BSERVATION #5

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Too many firms allow (and even promote) the existence of artificial harmony, which provides the perfect setting to keep our weaknesses tucked away, conveniently out of sight and mind. A culture of artificial harmony makes it difficult to work on personal weaknesses. O BSERVATION #6

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY  B ARRIERS T O M INIMIZING P ERSONAL W EAKNESSES

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY What keeps us from successfully removing (or at least doing damage control on) our weaknesses? Here are the eight biggest anchors that hold us back from minimizing or removing our personal weaknesses.

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY The law of normalcy tries to return everything to a state of status quo as quickly as possible. It’s too easy to say, “That’s just the way I am.” 1. P OWERFUL P ULL O F S TATUS Q UO

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY We often feel we are simply too busy to address our weaknesses, knowing it will take some concerted effort to make any noticeable change. 2. T OO B USY

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY We are far more supportive of overcoming our personal weaknesses than we are committed to really working on them. 3. N OT R EALLY C OMMITTED

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Too often, we fail to understand how others view us and our weaknesses. In a false spirit of kindness, individuals around us are frequently unwilling to provide us with open and honest feedback regarding our weaknesses. 4. L ACK O F U NDERSTANDING

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Even if we understand and accept some of our weaknesses, we often don’t know what we should do to bring them under control. 5. D ON’T K NOW W HAT T O D O

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Others who know our weaknesses continue to view us in the same light, regardless of the changes we make. Their reluctance to change their thinking about our ability and desire to change our weaknesses creates its own anchor for minimizing these weaknesses. 6. S ET V IEWPOINT O F O THERS

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Working on our weaknesses is hard work. We view it as an unpleasant, uphill battle. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Thomas A. Edison 7. H ARD W ORK

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY We may feel our strengths are so overwhelmingly positive and powerful that they overshadow our weaknesses. Feeling this way, we may believe that few others would really expect us to work on our weaknesses when we are so very good the way we are. 8. W E D ESERVE O UR W EAKNESSES

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY  D EFINING P ERSONAL W EAKNESS

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY A personal weakness is anything that limits our ability to reach our potential. These personal weaknesses are patterns or behaviors that automatically come into play in our lives.

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Our weaknesses can also be referred to as:  Limiting habits Negative patterns Irritating anchors Excess baggage Unwanted distractions Weakening activities

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY “Labeling [your weaknesses] gives [you] the ability to recognize them when they cut in for a dance and put you on auto-habit pilot. With that awareness you can be accountable for shifting them from active duty to being shut down, turned off, dismantled and relieved of duty.” Mark Weinstein

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY I have helped dozens of firms with a Bench Strength Exercise where future firm leaders are identified and evaluated for both their strengths and weaknesses. The following slides contain the exact wording used to describe the perceived weaknesses of potential future leaders.

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Technical weakness. Poor/no business development. Lack of tactfulness. Does not treat the firm fairly. Can be a D-client to the staff. Puts self ahead of firm. Lacks confidence. Doesn’t make good use of time. Frets about many things. Doesn’t communicate well. Loses patience. Comes off very dry. Lacks common sense. Procrastinates. Whiner. Cracks under pressure. Too cautious. Afraid to get outside of niche. P ERCEIVED W EAKNESSES

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Not always firm oriented. Writing skills need help. Can’t manage large projects. Difficulty in delegating. Not so good with budgets. Abrasive and irritating. Lacks ambition. Always looks stressed/worn out. Full of bull. Doesn’t network well in office. Overanalyzes situations. Scared to hurt anyone’s feelings. Needs to set a better example. Needs to be a big picture thinker. Way too chatty with others. Lacks initiative. Chronic complainer. Doesn’t take criticism well. P ERCEIVED W EAKNESSES

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Too much of a perfectionist. Tends to burn herself out. Willingness to bring in bad work. Hates everything new. Not good at follow through. Know it all. Not willing to do extra things. Needs more experience. Looks for the easy way out. Rough around the edges. Doesn’t know what he wants. Very political. Lacks professionalism. Negative influence when times are bad. Entitlement oriented. Talks way too much. P ERCEIVED W EAKNESSES

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Doesn’t respond to s. Doesn’t really exhibit that he wants ownership. Can be overbearing. Doesn’t develop staff. Not a lot of network contacts. Needs more business acumen. Can’t say no. Messy office. Very disorganized. Work/life balance bad. Needs some polish in appearance. Chronically late with her work. Inconsistent client service. Can be very cynical. No patience with incompetence. Can’t make a decision. Takes shortcuts. P ERCEIVED W EAKNESSES

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY  F IVE W AYS T O B EGIN M INIMIZING P ERSONAL W EAKNESSES

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY The first step in minimizing our weaknesses is to recognize the benefit of improving ourselves. “We acquire the strength we have overcome.” Ralph Waldo Emerson 1. D ESIRE T O I MPROVE

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY “All professionals should be expected to have a personal career strategy for making themselves continually more valuable in the marketplace.” David Maister One of the ways to make yourself more valuable is to lessen the impact of your weaknesses.

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY We need to sincerely believe we will have greater success in our careers (and in life) if we do damage control on our weaknesses. We should view our weaknesses as anchors that inhibit our progress. Our goal and desire should be to cut them loose or minimize their negative pull in our lives.

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY The second step in the process is to identify as clearly as possible your personal weaknesses. You will need the help of others to openly and honestly identify your weaknesses. You should be comfortable asking them some very specific questions. 2. I DENTIFY Y OUR W EAKNESSES

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY “The acknowledgement of our weakness is the first step in repairing our loss.” Thomas Kempis

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY What do you feel are the personal anchors that hold me back? In what ways do I irritate or frustrate people? What are my limiting habits that seem to take over at times? Questions to ask others

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY What are the things that, no matter how hard I try, I cannot master? What things do I find myself procrastinating? What are the things I do only because I “should” do them? What activities deplete my energy? Questions to ask ourselves

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY It generally doesn’t make sense to try and work on all of your weaknesses at once. With the help of a coach, guide or friend, prioritize your weaknesses and develop a written plan to work on one or more of your personal weaknesses each trimester. 3. D EVELOP A W RITTEN P LAN

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY The real role of a coach, guide or friend in this process is to help you figure out what you need to do to reduce the impact of each personal weakness and hold you accountable for making the necessary progress.

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY We don’t usually eliminate (or even do major damage control on) our weaknesses overnight. Recognize that the process will take a while and learn to take some measurements along the way to find out if you are making progress towards achieving your trimester goals. 4. D ETERMINE P ROGRESS

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY To make the most of your career (and life), you need to be committed to life-long improvement. Not every goal you set will be accomplished, and not every plan will be successful. Step 5 is really about the fine tuning needed to keep moving forward. 5. A DJUST P LAN A S N EEDED

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY  ELA P ARTICIPANTS A NSWER K EY Q UESTIONS

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY We have asked a number of ELA participants to respond to several questions regarding the importance of performing damage control for areas of personal weakness. Please know that response to these questions is not limited to those participants who have been contacted in advance.

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Why is it important to enlist the help of others when working on areas of personal weakness? Q UESTION

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY What is a reasonable timeframe to make meaningful progress on an area of personal weakness? Q UESTION

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY We tend to view areas of personal weakness in the negative sense, but is there anything positive that can come from our areas of personal weakness? Q UESTION

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY What is the best way to help those around us see that we are really trying to change an area of personal weakness? Q UESTION

© U PSTREAM A CADEMY Thank You!