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End Weight: 186.4
Previous Weight: 187.8
Loss: 1.4 lbs
Net Loss: 23 lbs
BMI: 23.93
Percent of Goal: 78.2% Complete

A couple years ago I read a great book, from the New York Times Best Seller list, called “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni“. Lencioni uses a fictional setting to discuss very real issues that anybody in Middle and Upper management would immediately recognize assuming they had any degree of perception during a typical staff or team meeting. The issues are not clear cut (again realistic) and can easily favor one function or department over another. The team leader patiently takes them through a team building process.

In this fable Kathryn Petersen has been tapped as the new CEO of DecisionTech, Inc. This start-up company is well funded and well staffed with quality personnel, but for the past two years has been unable to produce meaningful results. Sound familiar? As if that task wasn’t daunting enough, Kathryn has to deal with the complexity of working directly with the former CEO. He is now heading up business development and is an integral member of her team. I’m sure you have similar dynamics going on at your level of management don’t you?

At the core of the book is a model related to creating high functioning teams. The pyramid below summarizes the 5 key areas that you need to address starting at the bottom and over time, working your way up in order to build a high functioning project or management team.

Dysfunction 1: Absence of Trust

These quotes of Kathryn’s, the CEO, seemed to clearly define this dysfunction:

• “Trust is the foundation of real teamwork.”
• “Great teams do not hold back with one another.”
• “They (team members) admit their mistakes, their weaknesses and their concerns without fear of reprisal.”
• “I see a trust problem here in the lack of debate that exists during staff meetings and other interactions among this team.”

Dysfunction 2: Fear of Conflict

“If we don’t trust one another, then we aren’t going to engage in open, constructive, idealogical conflict.” Failure to do so results in:

• No collaborative solutions.
• Solutions that lack the input of all team members.
• A team with “artificial harmony” – skin deep team approval. Tacit agreement followed by people pursing their own interests anyway – sound familiar?

Dysfunction 3: Lack of Commitment

Essentially this is failure to buy in to decisions.

• Share Opinions: “It’s as simple as this. When people don’t unload their opinions and feel like they’ve been listened to, they won’t really get on board.” Weigh in before they buy in.
• True Consensus: “Consensus is horrible. I mean, if everyone really agrees on something and consensus comes about quickly and naturally, well that’s terrific. But that isn’t how it usually works, and so consensus becomes an attempt to please everyone.” And when this happens you have a weakened solution that probably will not work well.

Dysfunction 4: Avoidance of Accountability

The pyramid continues to build on itself. There must be commitment before there can be accountability.

• “People aren’t going to hold each other accountable if they haven’t clearly bought in to the same plan.”

Dysfunction 5: Inattention to Results

“Our job is to make the results that we need to achieve so clear to everyone in this room that no one would even consider doing something purely to enhance his or her individual status or ego. Because that would diminish our ability to achieve our collective goals. We would all lose.”

If there is going to be ego, it should be collective ego that is greater than the individual egos. Similarly, people are going to look out for their own interests. However, the team’s interests (results) should be more important than individual interests.

Id’ recommed this book to any senior leader or person responsible for a group of people tasked with meeting a common set of goals. It doesn’t matter if you believe the group is currently dysfunctional or not, it would help you take that group to the next level either way.

I hate traveling and dieting. I spent the week in Ventura California and I have to say, it makes it almost impossible to lose weight. I did manage to take of 1 pound this week so I won’t complain but it wasn’t at all easy.

End Weight: 187.8
Previous Weight: 188.8
Loss: 1.0 lbs
Net Loss: 21.6 lbs
BMI: 24.11
Percent of Goal: 73.5% Complete

In my Leadership MBA class we have been studying many of the issues put forward by the Global Strategy Institute. In particular I liked this visualization or mapping of the future that they presented. Click on any node on the map to read more information about a particular event that the future has in store.

The CSIS Global Strategy Institute is dedicated to promoting long-range thinking about the big global issues that loom before us. To this end, they created a “map of the future” for the years 2008 through 2012. Public and private sector leaders across the country (and the globe) will have to contend with certain inevitable events, unstoppable trends, and predictable developments over the next four to five years. GSIS’s goal is to paint a picture of what the landscape will look like and to identify the major signposts we can anticipate. They have grouped these coming events into seven categories: science and technology; politics; major conferences; forecasts; construction; sporting and culture; and important dates.

Today’s leaders function in an environment marked by rapid change, ever higher levels of complexity, and ever shorter decision time frames. This map is the CSIS Global Strategy Institute’s modest attempt to help us all elevate our thinking beyond today’s headlines and to anticipate the competing obstacles and opportunities we can expect to navigate in the future. As we retreat to higher ground, the hope that we gain clarity and a sense of direction for the years ahead.

Alright, I just don’t understand weight loss at all. I busted my *** this week with exercise which reduced my Net Cals substantially. AND I ate poorly just one day. I started lifting more so perhaps that has come into play or maybe the effort required to reach your goal just grows in magnitude the closer you get to it. Ugh.

End Weight: 188.8
Previous Weight: 189.4
Loss: .6 lbs
Net Loss: 20.6 lbs
BMI: 24.24
Percent of Goal: 70% Complete

Brining the chicken is a MUST because it seems to help make the chicken juicier. To brine, first mix 4 cups of cold water with ¼ cup of kosher salt and ¼ cup of brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Wash and put the boneless, skinless chicken strips in a gallon size zip-lock bag and pour the brine mixture in the bag and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Now, it is time to make the marinade.

Marinade ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Juice from one lemon or lime (whichever you prefer – mixing both is tasty too)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 8 tsp of minced garlic
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup of Heinz 57 sauce
• 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup A-1 Marinade
• Tabasco to taste
• 4 tsp flaked red pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Remove the chicken strips from the brine and rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Submerge the chicken strips in the marinade (you can use a Tupperware type bowl with a lid, a zip-lock bag or for best results a Vacuvin Marinater) and refrigerate a minimum of 4 to 6 hours. Please note it is best to let them soak overnight. You should set aside some of the marinade to baste the chicken breasts when cooking. Remove and grill. And that’s pretty much it. Good luck!

Alright, I “boom” kicked it up a notch. I did cardio three times this week, played basketball and worked out 3 times. Oh, and sit-ups every day.  I broke the 190 barrier. 9.4 pounds to go!! Exercise really does make a big difference.

End Weight: 189.4
Previous Weight: 192
Loss: 2.6 lbs
Net Loss: 20 lbs
BMI: 24.31
Percent of Goal: 68% Complete

Well, my diet has obviously taken a serious turn. I have resorted to trying low calorie beers. I don’t really understand why flavor seems to be tied directly to calories. I wish somebody could explain that. Why is it that Jello brands can make tasty and flavorful Dulce de Leche pudding-y goodness in a 60 calorie treat, and both Budweiser and Miller failed to deliver the flavor. I want micro brew flavor in a low calorie package. I’d give Select 55 the edge after trying both.

Finally finished the 2009 Adventure book – (Preview Book). 470 Photos in 240 pages using BookSmart by blurb.com. This is the third year I have used blurb.com to produce our custom print on demand annual. A new feature of the application I really enjoyed this year is that you can now edit the fixed layouts and create your own new custom layouts. I didn’t use that feature as much as I would like to have done on this years book mainly because of the rush to get it out. I intended to do more customization going forward. If I can just discipline myself to build this thing each month vs. the entire thing at the end of the year.

Below are links to the 2008 and 2007 books.

Lots of long working days eating Arnold’s Wheat Thins, Deli Fresh Turkey and Cheese slices during meetings . . . every day. Ummmmm. I know you are envious reading about it. Ugh, I’m so tired of having no beaks for lunch. But on the upside, at least it is contributing to my weight loss. Another big assistant has been Progresso Lite Soups and the Foreman Grill. I’m going to post the World’s BEST Homemade marinade. Highly recommend it. It’s off to cheat night tonight with my favorite Mexican food. And, oh by the way, notice I am at a new low surpassing my previous low on the last diet. I’m targeting 190 next week.

End Weight: 192.0
Previous Weight: 194.8
Loss: 2.8 lbs
Net Loss: 17.4 lbs
BMI: 24.65
Percent of Goal: 59% Complete

BMI Continues to fall with the weight. I was only able to exercise and lift weights once each this week. Bad me. I’ve got to find a way to get at least 3-4 each in the next week.