I always dreamed of having an office with an ocean view.  Since that didn’t seem to be happening as quickly as I wanted, I came up with a new strategy; a salt water aquarium.  So a couple of years ago I asked my husband for a salt water aquarium for Christmas & Hanukah, and was pleasantly surprised with an empty 30 gallon tank ( and a promise of 8 fish; one for each night of Hanukah).  I couldn’t wait get started.  I went to the aquarium shop and got my marching orders.  To create a sustainable marine environment, the first step was to purchase salt water, live sand and live rock to set up the aquarium.  Then I would have to wait 3 weeks or so for the water to cycle and become “fish” ready.  I couldn’t wait to add my 1^st fish.

Finally the day arrived.  My water was tested and I was told I could start my tank with one fish. I wanted to start with a “Nemo” type fish called a clownfish, but was quickly advised that it was safer to spend $3 on an inexpensive test fish called a blue chromis.  Should the fish die, the financial loss would be minimal. The clownfish was $15 and too expensive a risk to begin with.  So I bought the chromis and raced home to put him in the tank.  He seemed quite happy as he swam around.  The big test though, was would he live till morning.  The next day, the fish was fine, so I returned to the store to buy my next fish, the coveted clownfish!  I got my clownfish and brought him home.  When I dropped him in the tank, he seemed fine as he swam happily around the rocks.  The next morning I went to my tank and there was my clownfish dead on the sand.

What had I done wrong?  Was it the chemical balance of my water?  Maybe it was just a sick  fish and the store’s fault.  I went back to the store, with my dead fish in a bag and demanded a new fish or my money back.  The store owner, Terry, said to me, “I’m sorry; there are no guarantees or money back on fish.”  He then asked me if I had acclimated the fish properly.  I looked at him with a blank stare and said, “What’s that?”  He proceeded to tell me the procedure for acclimating a fish.  First you float the fish in the bag of water in the tank for 15 minutes to equalize the water temperature.  Then you cut a hole in the bag and add some tank water to the bag water so the waters mix (another 15 minutes).  And then add more water to the bag (15 minutes).  Then finally after 45 minutes the fish is finally ready to be placed in the tank.  I was shocked at how complicated and detailed the procedure was.  But I went ahead and spent $15 on a second clown fish and acclimated it as directed and Voila!!! The fish lived for 3 years.

So why in the world am I sharing this story on my blog?  What does this have to do with management & leadership?  How do you acclimate new people on your team; to the company, the culture, the expectations, new relationships and new responsibilities?  Do you drop them in your corporate fish tank with some paperwork and a handshake?  Do you give them a daylong orientation program and hope they’ll survive?  It’s a fact that people who are provided targeted training, direction, support and regular feedback have a far greater chance of not only surviving the transition but thriving in their environment.  What can you do to ensure a smooth onboarding experience?  Tune in next week for my top ten strategies for effective acclimation of new employees.

Have you ever felt like you weren’t smart enough or didn’t know enough?  Do you ever feel like you are pretending to be something that you are not?  Well, you are not alone.  Many competent and successful people at some point feel this way.  Not because they are, but for a variety of other reasons. In my experience as a coach and as a leader there are three major reasons we experience these thoughts.

SELF CONFIDENCE:  Confidence is defined as “freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities”  A lack of confidence is destructive to your energy and abilities.  If others perceive your lack of confidence this further feeds your own self doubt. Be aware of your internal critic and silence your negative self talk. It only serves to derail your confidence and success. In a future blog entry , I will discuss how to build self confidence.

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE:  Sometimes our insecurities are knowledge related or experienced based.  If it’s knowledge you lack, take specific action.  Taking classes, networking with experts and reading related books can help.  And, there is only one way to get experience. As NIKE would say, “Just Do IT!  At one time or another we all do something for the first time.  Once you have that initial experience behind you, your confidence and knowledge begin to rise quickly.

PERFECTIONISM:  Being perfect and knowing everything is not realistic, although many people strive towards it.  In leadership and business it is critical to be able to roll with the changes and be flexible.  Trying to be perfect can freeze your ability to make decisions and take action.   Striving for perfection can also serve to reduce our self confidence when it’s not achieved.

The bottom line is nobody knows “everything” about anything and at some point we all “fake it till we make it” to some extent.  The only way we learn is to step out of our comfort zone and try something new.