COHESIVE TEAMS CONQUER

Excellent teams are built from excellent people and whether in business, sport or the military this statement proves true and is the driving force behind team selection.

However, building a top performing team takes place on two levels, individuals or people first and then the team as a whole. 

Individuals need to be trained to ensure consistent competence in the skills required for them to perform their role. 

They then need to be moulded into an effective unit where everyone knows that they can fully rely on, and trust, all members, in all situations and circumstances.

But this does not just happen. It needs a planned approach and strategy, assessment of skills and defined goals.

Nor is this a ‘once off ‘event, as keeping a team at a high- level of performance is an ongoing and evolving process.  

But, all you need do is make the commitment, put in the effort and watch your people, team and business grow.

Terri Codd MCF Corporate Training & Life Coach: 

076 751 3556: coddterri@gmail.com: terri@m-c-f.co.za: terricodd.blogspot.com 

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED………..

An Olympic gold may be won in seconds, but it is earned over years.

If there is any secret to success it is consistency. Consistency of thought, consistency of focus and consistency of effort. It is found in consistently doing what is required, day in, day out, come rain or shine.

In order to become a better runner, you must run every day. It doesn’t so much matter how far or for how long, as long as you run. Speed and distance will improve over time, but only as long as you run consistently.

It is this consistency that is the base for success in any field. Without it, any effort put in will be wasted and success will remain elusive. Deciding on, and setting goals, is easy. Achieving them needs for us to, daily, perform those tasks necessary for that achievement, the work, the training, the effort. This daily effort cannot be based on how we feel, it must be based on choice – we choose to do those things.

In the beginning this is not so easy, but once we have established the habit then we are able to focus on performing the tasks required at increasing levels of competence as we aim for our goals.

I guess, if there is any secret to success, then, it is to get started and keep going, not to stop, until we reach our goals.

So, start today, get the habit – and just keep going.

Terri Codd MCF Corporate Training & Life Coach: 076 751 3556: coddterri@gmail.com: terri@m-c-f.co.za: terricodd.blogspot.com 

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PENGUINS

A young penguin, not long out of the nest, was one day swimming and frolicking in his natural, ocean environment.

All seemed well, then suddenly he felt trapped, bound, his wings and flippers unable to propel him in any direction. He was helpless.

Without realising, and in his innocence, he had swum into, and been trapped by an oil slick that had slowly crept into, and polluted, his perfect world.

The more he tried to swim out, the more trapped he became. He was headed for certain death.

Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, from above, a hand reached down and drew him out of the oil.

At first, he fought to escape what seemed to be a new trap. Then slowly he realised he could breath, he was going to live, he stopped fighting and rested. He was safe.

But then more turmoil, once again gripped by a strong hand and the new experience of being dipped in, and scrubbed with, strange chemicals. He resisted, and fought, but those determined hands slowly and gently cleaned the deadly pollution from his feathers.

As he submitted to the process he felt a new freedom, a new strength as the pollution gradually left him. He opened his eyes and could see the hands cleaning him, hands broken and bleeding from the oil and chemicals so necessary for his cleansing.

He looked up, and into eyes lit up with love and compassion, determined not to lose this one little penguin to an oily polluted fate.

And then he was clean, free. He could move, swim, live again. He was transported far from the polluted waters that had captured him to a new pristine environment where he could thrive, and become the perfect penguin he was intended to be.

His joy was complete.

1 Corinthians 6:11

Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Terri Codd MCF Corporate Training & Life Coach: 076 751 3556: coddterri@gmail.com: terri@m-c-f.co.za: terricodd.blogspot.com 

A LESSON IN TRUST - "GRANNY I DROWNDED SEVEN TIMES!!!”

Many years ago, when my second son was merely a toddler, this was his excited shout to his grandmother after we had spent a morning at the pool. No, he hadn’t drowned and been miraculously resurrected, but what happened explains the nature of true trust.

We were sitting on the edge of the pool, feet dangling in the water, when he decided to roll forward into the water. I reached down and pulled him out, spluttering, and, with a few appropriate words, sat him back down beside me. Whereupon, with a smile, he rolled forward into the water again.

This happened a number of times, according to him seven, until I finally got him to understand that this was not the most sensible thing to do, as he was unable to swim.

But the fact that he could not swim did not matter to him at all, as he was in no doubt whatsoever that his dad would be there to pull him out.

This is the essence of true, absolute trust, the doubt-free assurance that dad’s hand would be there when needed to rescue him. It is this assurance, that we can rely on others to be and do what they have promised, that forms the basis of any human relationship. 

We call it trust.

The quality of any relationship, business, personal, whatever it may be, will sink or swim on the integrity of trust. 

And that integrity, for our side of the relationship, is completely in our hands. We need to be trustworthy at all times, in all situations, regardless of what the other party does.

My toddler son knew that, and showed it that day.

Post script: One of the most quoted wisdom proverbs says :’Trust in the Lord with all your heart………and He will make your paths straight’ – simple but powerful advice.

Terri Codd MCF Corporate Training & Life Coach: 076 751 3556: coddterri@gmail.com: terri@m-c-f.co.za: terricodd.blogspot.com 

IF YOU WANT TO SUCCEED – DON’T HAVE A PLAN B

When Alexander the Great landed his army on the shores of Persia his first order to his troops was “Burn the boats!” There was no option but to go forward and face the enemy and, if you wanted to see home and family again, win. His attitude was we succeed, or we die.

But in today’s world we so often hear of people, businesses or teams setting goals and objectives and formulating plans to achieve them, their plan A, but with a plan B, a backdoor, an escape in the event that plan A fails.

This sounds good, even wise, in theory, but the problem is that plan A needs to be implemented with total focus and commitment in order to succeed. 

Knowing that there is a plan B in place often, even if unconsciously, dilutes that focus and commitment and so, plan A fails. The irony is that plan B also fails because, again even if only unconsciously, it is perceived as a ‘second rate’ solution.

The trick is to set up plan A -  and make it work. This may involve discussing all the possibilities of what can go wrong, building appropriate counter action into the plan, but, from then on focussing only on the positive action of making the plan succeed. This is a technique used by many military special forces units when setting up an operation to ensure that all the positive energy and action is directed at a successful outcome.

Perhaps you have not achieved the success you would like, or have deserved, purely because Plan B had an unconscious effect on you, or your team’s focus.

So, try burning your boats and watch your motivation soar.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  After all, history has shown that Alexander was one of the greatest leaders and strategists the world has seen.                                                                                   

Being The Authentic You

Did you know that in all of history, throughout the world, no two people are exactly alike?  That means that each of us is unique.  

Do you really get that!  

Nobody else has been created to be exactly like you.  

Yet, in this media hyped world, so many people are trying to look like, act like, walk like, talk like, be like somebody else.  Whether it be a movie star, business leader or any other so called icon, too many people will do anything to be like them.

My question is, why spend your time and effort trying to become a second rate somebody else when you could be becoming a first rate YOU!?

There is nothing wrong with learning from others, taking their lessons and experiences and incorporating those lessons into our own beings.  Learn from Meryl Streep don’t try to become her.  Learn from Richard Branson don’t try to become him.  

But, at the end of the day our greatest contribution to the world will ultimately be the result of being our true selves, developing ourselves to our fullest potential. 

In so doing we will also find fulfillment, peace and purpose.

Many years ago a colleague said that the word beautiful means “Be YOU to the FULL”, which in fact could be the perfect definition of being the authentic you.

THE SECRET OF THE NAVY SEALS – MAKE YOUR BED

It’s called celebrating small victories, or small successes.

In a talk given by US Admiral William McRaven he begins by saying, “If you want to change the world start off by making your bed.” At this point there is much laughter, until he expounds on what he means.

You see, people are motivated by success, therefore, to stay motivated, simply create successes. From the time you open your eyes you begin ticking successes and achievements off your list of things to do, let’s call them ‘tiny goals’, starting with making the bed. This gives you a sense of achievement, causing you to complete another small task, then another. By the end of the day, that one simple task completed will have become many tasks completed.

McRaven also stresses that that this highlights the fact that the little things in life matter, that if you can’t get the little things right then you’ll never get the big things right. And if, by chance, you have a miserable day, you’ll come home to a bed that is made, and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

A tick on a to-do list can be a celebration, or a cup of coffee. It doesn’t have to be big, it just has to be celebrated, we each will have our own ideas on that.

So start now, it will make a difference.

You can see McRaven’s full speech at: https://youtu.be/U6OoCaGsz94