Authentically Speaking

11 Feb 2019

Randy Hain Giving Back to Others, Leadership, Professional Development, What Matters Permalink

What is Your Personal Mission?

Randy Hain February 11, 2019

I vividly recall a meeting several years ago with one of my executive coaching clients when we were about two weeks into our working relationship. She walked into the room, obviously very excited to share something with me. She placed a two-page document on the table between us and declared: “I want to discuss mission statements today!” It was clear that these pages represented hers. She then asked me to share my own mission statement before we discussed hers and my client eagerly took out her notebook to write down what she assumed would be a lengthy description of my own mission statement.

“It is only two words, so there is no need to take notes.” I said, much to her bewilderment.

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07 Jan 2019

Randy Hain Business Relationships, Career Development, Meaningful Life, What Matters Permalink

Do You Ever Think About the Mosaic of Your Life?

Randy Hain January 7, 2019

When we think of a mosaic, we usually think of tiles of glass or stone that have been formed into a beautiful image by the artist. I was reflecting recently about my dad and the wonderful “mosaic” he has created in his 80 years as a father, husband, friend and servant of his community. The “tiles” of his life are represented by the countless acts of kindness he has performed, the sacrifices he has always made for his family and the lifetime of service he has rendered his church and community. It is obvious to all who know him that selfless love and a generous spirit are at the heart of all these deeds. Like all of us, he has made mistakes along the way, but the mosaic of his life is something beautiful to reflect on and aspire to emulate. I think of the exemplary life of my dear departed mother in much the same way.

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02 Jan 2019

Randy Hain Business Relationships, Professional Development, What Matters Permalink

Living Life in Real Time (Advice for Busy Professionals)

Randy Hain January 2, 2019

Up until aboutsix years ago, I would say that I maximized my days as well as anyone and was always comfortable juggling multiple projects and tasks. My business thrived, my books were selling well and I achieved a small modicum of success by the world’s standard, but I began to recognize that I was often missing out on the truly important things in life. My hectic pace, which mirrored the pace of so many other professionals in my circle, began to negatively impact the quality of time I was spending with clients, friends and loved ones. My crazy schedule and the countless meetings I was having each week began to blur together and I felt that I was not being truly present for the people who richly deserved my full attention, especially my wonderful wife and two sons. The pace I was keeping also had a deeply negative impact on my ability to gather my thoughts, reflect on lessons learned and ponder the future. This epiphany, which occurred in the last few days of 2012, became the basis for my commitment to slow down and begin living life in “real time”.

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31 Dec 2018

Randy Hain Business Relationships, Professional Development, What Matters Permalink

A Different Approach to Priorities and Time Management for Busy Leaders in 2019

Randy Hain December 31, 2018

Like many of us, you have been thinking a great deal the last few weeks about what kind of 2019 you want to have and the goals you wish to achieve. This is a typical and necessary exercise for all leaders, but I wish to challenge all of us to open the aperture a bit and expand our thinking about where we will invest time in the coming year. The business objectives, projects and the endless meetings will always be there and require our attention and effort, but how about the other important areas of our lives?

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30 Dec 2018

Randy Hain Business Relationships Permalink

Nine Essential Components of Authentic Business Relationships

Randy Hain December 30, 2018

“Authenticity–The quality of being genuine or not corrupted from the original. Truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, and intentions.” Source: Wiktionary

Authenticity. What is it, who is doing it well and how do we make it work for us in the business world? Attempts at building business relationships that lack authenticity can often feel contrived. When approached by people lacking in authenticity, we may likely feel used and simply a vehicle for the other person to achieve their business objectives. This is networking and selling at its worst.

We must own our behavior. Every action we take with regards to relationships in the business world is intentional. On some level, we likely know what we are doing, but may not always consider the impact of our actions or the repercussions on our clients or co-workers. Do we come across as givers or takers? Authentic or fake?

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08 Oct 2018

Randy Hain Business Relationships, Leadership Permalink

Want to Be a Better Leader? Become a Storyteller

Randy Hain October 8, 2018

My father recently paid us a visit a few days after his 80th birthday. Reaching this landmark age is quite an achievement in itself, but what dawned on me during his visit was the richness of my dad’s life as he shared stories of his past with his grandsons. I appreciate that he shares not only the fun and happy stories, but the adversity and heartbreak he has faced as well. My father long ago realized that one of the few treasures he has left to give us are the stories and experiences from his life. I never fail to glean something valuable from this man I know so well, and my sons never tire of listening to their Papa.

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03 Sep 2018

Randy Hain Giving Back to Others, What Matters Permalink

The Joy of Work (lessons from a young adult with autism)

Randy Hain September 3, 2018

My oldest son Alex is almost 21 and he has high-functioning autism. He is a wonderful and bright young man with many gifts, balanced to some degree by social quirkiness and other challenges resulting from his autism. When he graduated from high school, my wife and I decided he was not yet ready for the rigors of college and instead focused on helping him find employment and increasing his independence.

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05 Jul 2018

Randy Hain Giving Back to Others, What Matters Permalink

Choosing to Live Gratefully

Randy Hain July 5, 2018

“When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” – G. K. Chesterton

I remember at a very young age the constant urging of my parents to always say “thank you” in response to any kindness or friendly words shared in my direction. For many years, I saw this advice from my parents as simply good manners and what people were supposed to do. In my mid-teen years, I was mature enough to observe the heartfelt sincerity my parents always showed when they said “thank you” to others, offered prayers of thanks or expressed appreciation for the simple blessings in their lives…and how different it was from my perfunctory use of the words. They really meant it and I began to understand that their use of “thank you” transcended mere courtesy and it clearly meant something much more meaningful and powerful to them. What I observed my parents practicing so well was the beginning of my deeper understanding of the word gratitude.

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02 Jun 2018

Randy Hain Leadership, Professional Development Permalink

Best Practices for Fixing Dysfunctional Business Meetings

Randy Hain June 2, 2018

“Meetings are notoriously one of organizational life’s most insufferable realities. U.S. companies spend more than $37 billion dollars a year on them. Employees in American companies spend more than one-third of their time in them. And 71% of senior managers view them as unproductive.”

-Ron Carucci, Harvard Business Review (February 16, 2018)

Let’s admit it.  If given a choice, we would likely opt for dental surgery over some of the work meetings we are forced to attend each week.  I have listened to my business clients express their frustration about meetings for over two decades and here is a brief sampling of comments I have heard:

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19 Jan 2018

Randy Hain Business Relationships, Professional Development Permalink

Essential Lessons for Better Business Relationships

Randy Hain January 19, 2018

One of the specialty offerings of my firm is the advanced coaching and consulting we offer to companies, business leaders and their teams around the concept of maximizing business relationships and optimizing client engagement. This is a vast area of study and I could fill a book (coming in late 2018!) with the various approaches and proven best practices I have found to be most helpful for my business clients. One of the biggest areas of interest for my clients is their desire for the essential tactics and simple engagement approaches that are critical for building effective business relationships both inside and outside their organizations.

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