As the CEO of Awesome Journey, I am learning how detrimental negative self-talk is to a company’s culture and growth.

Last week I found myself slipping into my negative self-talk while reviewing some poor results from a project. My mind immediately jumped to “these incompetent leaders I have couldn’t get the job done”. Essentially, I avoided taking any person responsibility and accountability for my part in the situation.

My negative self-talk keeps me and my team STUCK!

This week I chose to be intentionally different with my responses to situations. I chose to Let Go of being automatic in my thinking. In automatic thinking, we are susceptible to being emotionally triggered by a conversation where our first reaction may be to feel threatened and start to Blame, Justify or Rationalize why “I am right and others are wrong”.

By being Intentional in your thinking, you can have objective and generative self-talk by saying “I am responsible for the poor performance on this project!”

Empowering Questions to Support Teams:

1. What do we want?
2. What is missing for us as a team to be in action to achieve our goals for this project to be successful?

• Conversation that is missing (with myself or with a colleague)?
• Skill that is missing?
• Commitment that is missing? (weak agreement)

Key Support Structures That are Missing?

• People
• Processes and systems
• Practices
• Tools

What is my next action to support my team to create future success with this project?

Dis-empowering Questions that get you Stuck:

• What went wrong?
• Whose fault, is it?
• What needs to be fixed?

Key Learning:

• I am no longer willing to step over or around my issues or challenges
• Master the practice of “The Power of a Pause”
• When you get emotionally triggered – Pause, Breathe and ask yourself, “Is this a threat or an opportunity?”
• Master the practice of “Asking Empowering Questions” to generate a future possibility

Your Leadership Learning Challenge:

Identify an issue that you are currently stepping over or around and take personal responsibility for generating a future possibility by asking yourself the suite of “Empowering Questions”. You will be amazed at the outcomes you create for yourself and your team!

Send us your personal transformation story about your experience!