FAQ - An Interview With Anne Raymond
How long have you been doing what you do and how did you get to be an expert on Xtreme Productivity?
To answer this question, it's probably best to share my story -- the story of what brought me to coaching and mentoring people like you on how to build greater business success with both sanity and sustainability.
I started my career in the telecom world in data communications just before the big boom of the Internet. It was a competitive environment in a global marketplace. While my initial roles were highly technical in nature, I sensed that that there another play for me. I gradually moved through marketing, alliances, strategy, business development – gaining new skills and perspectives. I worked not only across functions, but across borders building international teams. By the end of this phase of my career, I had built and led global teams though a variety of challenging circumstances: the skills shortages and frenetic pace of the boom; then the downsizing, outsourcing and divestitures of the “bust”.
There was a period during this tech frenzy when I was regularly working 18 hour days, 6 days a week. Without realizing it, I gradually lost touch with some important people in my life, and certainly neglected many of the activities that brought me joy and kept me sane. Looking back now, I was burned-out and anything but grounded. I was successful, yet at a price.
Fortunately, I didn’t follow the downward spiral that often accompanies burnout. My husband and I took a four-month sabbatical during which we travelled to Asia and South America. I was refreshed by our travels and intrigued by different ways of doing things. Shortly after our return, a move to another country and a new role within the company gave me additional perspective. I was no longer in a "headquarters" location but working from a home-office and on-the- road. I needed to interact differently with the business continuing to build strong over-the-phone relationships over multiple geographies to get things done but also stay-in-touch (not be out-of-site-out-of-mind) when it came to making strategic decisions. I also began to do things differently to get more things done faster and created time and energy for taking on new, healthier practices which generated more energy to accomplish my stretch goals.
I became increasingly disturbed by complaints from others of being exhausted, discouraged and crazy-busy. I recognized the tell-tale signs of burn-out in friends and colleagues alike. And I realized that this stress-inducing and adrenaline-rich environment was draining not only the creative and innovative forces that we need as individuals, but those that companies need to drive innovation and to stay competitive.
Something crystallized for me: I knew that I could no longer sit back and watch this dynamic play itself out. I decided to shift gears and evolve my career to focus on what I had been doing as part of my role leading teams to solely focusing on "coaching" business leaders in my own private practice. Now I get to play to my unique strengths, use my passion of driving business results in technology-based companies, and work with high-achieving go-getters to create more success for themselves, their families, and make the world a better place.
I have made the commitment to dedicate the rest of my professional life to helping other high-tech leaders and technical experts drive success with sanity and sustainability! Since then, I've worked with dozens of private clients, led many Mastermind groups, and given workshops and seminars in both live and virtual formats. My focus has always been on increasing productivity, not as an end itself, but as a means to thinking and acting bigger -- stretching to play a bigger game at work and at life..
To help clients play that bigger game, I have created The Xtreme Productivity System, a series of 10 important practice-building steps. I use these practices with my clients – either as a suite of activities or in a more ad hoc manner – to focus on the areas where they can drive higher productivity in a sustainable way. (To read more about my Xtreme Productivity System, see below).
Q. Who are your clients exactly?
A. I work with high-achievers just like you who are really good at what they do; however, they don't have the breathing room to make the needed tweaks and changes to get off the proverbial hamster wheel so they can have success at work AND have a life. My clients are typically leaders who are overloaded and need to get out of the weeds, leverage their teams, and focus on more strategic initiatives. Many have big stretch goals and are accelerating quickly in their career and transitioning through major changes like acquiring new responsibilities, new teams, new promotions or adjusting to major restructuring and reorganization. I focus on technology-based companies and have worked with clients from telecommunications equipment suppliers and providers, software companies, wireless service providers, and bio-tech companies.
My private clients are leaders that are managing large groups ranging from a senior manager to VP or CxOs in mid-to-large national or global companies dispersed across many cities or countries. I also run Mastermind groups with newer leaders, high-achieving technical talent, or women-in-technology.
Q. How are you different from other "executive coaches?"
A. I "get" technology and the challenges that leaders in the high-tech environment face because I have a technology background (in electrical engineering) and because I have used that technology background and applied it across many functions (marketing, strategic alliances, network planning, manufacturing) leading global teams in a large multi-national company. I understand the competitive pressures in managing teams across multiple geographies in a "do-more-with-less" environment in an increasing complex global competitive economy.
Q. What type of personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?
A. The Xtreme Productivity programs were created for high-achievers who are excited about doing things differently to leverage their time and energy to get things done so they can start thinking and acting bigger at work and in their life. It is all about pro-actively designing what you want in your life - for work, for your family, and yourself - and then taking big bold action to get you there.
Being a high-achieving go-getter myself, I also work best with other high-achieving go-getters who are willing to think "outside-the-box" and be open to the possibilities of trying new things - - experimenting with different ideas and seeing what happens. What you'll get with me is a no-nonsense, practical, laser-focused support with a lots of motivation and a healthy dose of laughter along the way!
Q. For what type of person is this program NOT going to work?
A. Please know that I'm selective in who I work with. I choose to gently turn away people who aren't suited for my programs and won't get the results they sign up for. The Xtreme Productivity programs are NOT for those who aren't committed to growing and stretching in new ways and also not for the person who isn't willing to make the time to try new things. Another type of person I won't work with is the whiner and complainer, as well as individuals who consistently make excuses for not taking action or showing up for our calls.
Q. What exactly is The Xtreme Productivity System and what does it include?
A. I’ve combined my business expertise, my engineering systems approach, and my love of coaching into a unique “Xtreme Productivity System”.
The Xtreme Productivity System is really a series of 10 important practice-building steps. These steps help you get focused, maximize your time and energy, and systemize the mundane – all of which helps you deliver your peak performance. By creating systems, efficient structures and inspiring environments you can keep your sanity (get MORE done using less TIME and ENERGY) and unleash your creativity to drive consistent business results and gain a little personal freedom along the way!
The tools and resources of the Xtreme Productivity System are woven into the private coaching and Mastermind programs as needed - either step-by-step or just sprinkled in as needed. In the future, this system will be available as a Home Study System(or DIY) that can be done on your own or in your company.
Here's a description of the Xtreme Productivity System and the powerful results it brings:
1. Lightening the Load (OR Stopping the Insanity!)
We live in this crazy chaotic always-on do-more-with-less world and have a constant flow of stuff coming at us - information, requests, interruptions, distractions, emails, projects.....you get the idea. If you STOP this flow, you can stop some of the overload that many of us face. Believe it or not, you can literally stop things from coming in that clutter your space and your mind. Here we will examine how you can STOP, DELETE, REDUCE or DELAY anything that is not a BIG priority for you.
We'll also look at clearing the decks and cleaning up your environment. Did you realize that whatever you are simply tolerating in your environment will suck the life-force out of you? Time to purge the clutter in your home, office, and car! And time to get rid of those energy-draining relationships that weigh you down.
It's also time to create a Xtreme Productivity Filter that puts YOU in charge of what you let through and what you don't! Filter OUT the people, projects, and activities that you don't want OR drain you of your time and energy. Filtering out at the beginning of the process (saying NO or not getting sucked in) is definitely easier but weeding out when things change or don't work for you any more is great too.
2. Clarity and Focus
Having clarity on where you going and what you are doing is critical. Get in touch with what you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want and your PRIORITIES in your career, your family, and your life.
We'll start by creating your big Game Plan on where you want to go so we can get crystal clear on what's most important and what will have the biggest impact. Here we'll do an inventory on what are your greatest strengths, your assets, the obstacles that are in your path, and your environment. We'll determine what success and "Winning" look like so you'll know when you get there. We'll set out a preliminary action plan and your next Big Bold Action to propel you forward.
3. Align Your Time and Energy
Life today is not just about managing your time. It's about managing the limits you have on your time, your energy, and your ability to focus on getting things done. We'll discuss how to align your big-thinking innovation activities with your biggest chunks of uninterrupted time, your highest energy level, and your most focused ability to concentrate so you can be your most productive and creative.
When you know what it is that you’re out to achieve and when you honour these commitments with the highest quality time and energy you have to offer, then breakthrough results can occur.
4. Do Things Differently
The pace of change has accelerated over the past generations, which means both the volume and the speed of decision making has increased. Now that you have clarity on your Big Game, this allows you the freedom to try some experiments and do things differently.
For example, challenge yourself to delegate and outsource anything that someone else can do (even if you can do it better!). Simplify life and automate everything you can. Perhaps, let go of some PEFECTIONITIS, and reduce your STANDARDS when GOOD ENOUGH is just fine. What will you simplify/automate/delegate? Where will you change your standards? What decisions will you make without agonizing over them?
5. Leverage and Engage Your Team (and the people around you)
Are you getting the best out of your team? Do you leverage them to YOUR best advantage? Do you realize that cultivating a highly functioning, successful team marks a successful leader?
Here we'll discuss how to engage and empower your team by learning the "secret" question to always ask. We'll explore a "manager as coach" model as an opportunity to engage the people or "Players" in your organization in a different way. Instead of being the "Director" of work, you become a "resource" to enable the Player to do their best work and grow and develop at the same time. This empowers the Player to be a more creative problem-solver and take personal responsibility to direct their own path. And this in turn, reflects positively on you.
6. Greatest Strengths and Your Personal Brand
Do others in the organization know what you stand for, or what your best attributes are?
We'll take an inventory of your strengths and explore what really makes you "strong" - - those activities that you are naturally talented at and drawn to, the activities where you are your most creative, innovative, and productive. Usually your strengths come naturally and you may not even be aware of what you’re doing or how these contribute to your track-record and future success path. We'll also explore your personal values that are at the core of who you are. We'll wrap these up into a powerful Personal Brand and determine what channel (company/industry/social-media) you can use so you can be known as the "go-to-person" in this area of expertise.
In recognizing your unique strengths, you can then actively harness them to increase your productivity (and fulfilment), to leverage your team and your colleagues, and even to evolve your current role or career to put your strengths more front and center (I like to call this Career Evolution!).
7. Build Meaningful Social Capital for Success
Ever wonder how others get "Get Invited To The Party" or at least get a seat at the table when BIG decisions are being made??
We all intuitively know we need to have personal and professional networks, but how many of us cultivate networks or relationships with deliberation? Here we'll strategically look at your network and where you need to build, maintain, and repair important relationships so you can get things done quickly and effectively and influence the organization on strategic decisions or industry direction. We'll also see how to create productive "win-win" long-lasting relationships with meaning where you can be yourself, provide value and succeed.
8. Create PULL (Communications) - Get People Coming to You!
Have you ever considered the difference between pushing your message out and having a ready-made demand or pull for your message, perspective, or services?
In this section, we'll talk about how the amount of work and effort it is PUSHING or driving your ideas into an organization versus getting you to start creating compelling communication that has people PULLING information and your expertise from you. We'll discuss how to craft communication in a compelling way that targets your audiences, grabs their attention and gets them engaged, and influences the decision-making process. You'll move into a proactive way of soft-selling your ideas, engaging the necessary players, and getting invited back again and again. In combination with your personal brand, you will have people calling YOU for your big ideas instead of you chasing after THEM.
9. Think and Act BIGGER (the big STRETCH!)
Now that you’ve freed up some time, sharpened your focus and clarified your intentions, it’s time to start thinking about playing even bigger. This is about growing your own capabilities about thinking differently and acting differently to elevate your game and the way you're playing. In this step, we'll build a solid success mindset so that you're motivated to take the actions to get you the results that you want.
On the business front, there’s a significant element of strategy needed and now you can begin to consider the options, scenarios, influencers and action what is needed . In this section, we start bringing together all the elements of productivity to ensure that you have a viable plan of action that creates the most significant impact to the business while leveraging your unique strength and increasing your capacity to innovate, expanding your capability, and delivering stretch results.
10. Systems and Environments for Sustainability - A Well-Oiled Machine!
In this section, we'll discuss how to build sustainability into your operations by creating systems that you can streamline and optimize creating a well-oiled machine. We'll look at how to tweak here and there, upgrade where needed, and how to ensure regular inspection so that things keep running smoothly and efficiently. This will include things like personal support systems, team interaction, and personal health.
We'll also discuss creating the inspiring environments where you can be at your best and play your best propelling you forward to success.
11. BONUS - Leave A Legacy
Once you have created great success with sanity and sustainability, we will explore the greater purpose of making the world a better place. We'll discuss what's really important to you in the world, and determine a plan on what you can do to start giving back little by little. It'll be built into your life instead of feeling like an add-on or just another obligation on your list of things to-do.
"We must be the change we want to see in the world" as Ghandi once said. To leave the world a better place, what mark will you make? How to leverage your talents and give back to yourself, your family, your company, and the world? What will be your legacy??
These are the steps of The Xtreme Productivity System that I've created after coaching high-achieving leaders and technical experts accelerating in the high-tech world. In addition to these 10 categories, you will learn many other things to manage and engage people more easily, to work smarter not harder, to think bigger and bigger, to eliminate the road-blocks and obstacles holding you back, and set up systems for streamlining and optimizing your efforts.
Q. How quickly can I expect results?
A. Of course, this depends on your starting point and how willing you are to take Big Bold Action to move you to where you want to get to in your Game Plan. That being said, most clients see results within the first few months (sometimes weeks!) in the form of gaining clarity and focus on where they provide the greatest value and impact, having more time and energy to think about strategic issues and innovation, implementing systems to leverage their time, and engaging and empowering their teams to get more done.
Q. How can I guarantee myself that I reach my goals, in record time?
A. Show up during our meetings like you mean it - be present, engaged, to creatively apply what we discuss to a customized solution that makes sense for you. Do all of your assignments and fieldwork. Be totally focused on your Game Plan and take a "No Excuses Approach".
Q. What results can I expect?
A. You can expect to:
· Get clarity on what you really want and take big bold action to get you there
· Lighten your load and stop the chaos
· Align your time, energy, and ability to focus and get more done
· Get back into "control" and be proactive (instead of in reactive and crisis mode)
· Play to your strengths to drive more productive results, with less effort
· Increase your focus on strategic issues
· Articulate your unique professional value and create a Personal Brand
· Increase your ability to influence and drive change through the organization via compelling communication, shared-leadership models, negotiation
· Build a personal and professional network to get things done quickly and effectively
· Connect with people of influence and become a person of influence
· Get more leverage from your teams, empowering them to take more responsibility and accountability
· Build sustainable systems (a well-oiled machine) to support your strategic goals
· Become more calm, cool, and collected with less-stress
· Think and act bigger and create opportunities to move forward
· Have more time to live your life.
· Have more fun!
Q. Can I contact some of your former clients to see what it's like to work with you?
A. Yes, please go to the Success Stories to see Client Testimonials and see some examples of clients I have worked with in the past. If there any that you would like to follow up with, feel free to contact them directly or in those cases that there is not contact information (because of company policy), then I am happy to provide that information to you. All of my testimonial clients are happy to talk to you and share what they got from working with me and my programs.
Q. Why would I work with an external coach vs. an in-house corporate coach?
A. Working with me, you get a completely objective 3rd-party view of your situation without any internal bias. You also get examples and best practices across the industry. I adhere strictly to a confidentiality agreement that I sign with you. You may discuss your coaching experience with others but I do not discuss anything with your company, your role, or who you are with anyone else.
Q. What's a Game Plan and how big a game should I play?
A. I use a tool with my clients called the "Game Plan" which outlines the big game you are playing, why you want to win and what winning look like to you. It also includes your strengths, assets, environments and opportunities for your game and your biggest obstacles or road-blocks in your path.
I use gaming language with most of my clients because it is a bit lighter approach to looking at what you want to achieve. Gaming, related to sports or play, provides a supportive environment to try new things, experimenting, and manoeuvring to see how you can position yourself to win!
The Game Plan can either be focused on something that is short-term (3-6 months) or something that is really really big that provides the guiding vision to propel you forward. Either way works well.
Q. What is my time commitment for the Xtreme Productivity Program?
A. Depending on the program chosen, the time commitment is typically a phone meeting with me approximately every 2 weeks conveniently done by phone at your office or while you're on-the-road. During our call, you will take away some tools, resources, or commitments to complete before our next call. These are either practical exercises or challenging Big Bold Actions that are integrated into your Game Plan. You are expected to complete the actions before our next call. There are also some optional in-person strategy sessions with me that can be arranged as well.
Q. Do I need a Sponsor for this program?
A. It is recommended, and in some cases essential in a corporate environment, to get an internal Sponsor for this program who will provide on-going support and feedback throughout the program with agreed metrics and performance evaluation.
As your coach and mentor, our meetings are powerful because they are completely confidential and provide an objective 3rd-party view and sounding board for the coaching relationship. A sponsor is usually essential in providing the performance evaluation for your success.
Q. Will I recover the investment I put into this coaching program?
A. Definitely yes! Many of my clients spend $1000s on training courses to come back to the office with the best intentions only to find that work (and life) get in the way and nothing ever gets practiced or implemented. Consider what you'll do with me to be an action learning course with someone who can challenge you to be your best, be more productive, and provide a 3rd party sounding board to your most pressing challenges.
What you're regularly getting with this coaching program is what I call a series of learnings that will move your learning and growth and the way you operate faster than you would on your own. You're investing in a strong foundation to build more strategy, achieve greater results, and be more engaged and productive for you and your company.
Q. What are my options for getting started with you?
A. Here are some options to get started in my private programs. You can join a powerful coaching program for high achieving high-tech leaders or technical experts who are ready to boost their productivity, spend more time thinking, and play bigger. This personalized program helps you design a Game Plan that you want to win. It provides you with the coaching, tips and practical advice for a full 6 months to help you achieve your strategic goals and tackle whatever hot topic is top of mind for you.
The Xtreme Productivity Coaching Program provides:
· Personalized one-on-one phone meetings for increased focus and clarity away from your “everyday work life”. (2x50 minutes per month for 6 months)
· Just-in-time solutions and strategies to your most pressing challenges.
· Ongoing support via email or Laser-Coaching calls as needed.
· Access to resources, tools and ….to help you meet your goals.
· A challenging AND supportive environment to accelerate quickly and act and play BIGGER in your work and life.
· One full day consultation on site, providing customized strategy sessions with you (Gold Level)
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This Program is Perfect for You If...
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There are three Xtreme Productivity Coaching Programs available: Gold, Silver, or Bronze.
* Customized one-day strategy session to work on things like: Big Game, Environmental Design, Group Laser-Coaching or Seminars ** Maintenance Package for existing clients that have participated at Gold or Silver previously. |
I also lead powerful and exciting Mastermind programs in companies or associations focused on newer leaders, high-achieving technical talent, or women-in-technology. You could also put together your own group of like-minded people. If this of interest to you individually or for your company, please contact me at info@xtremeproductivity.com and we can discuss further.
Q. OK, I know which program I want. How do we get started?
A. That's great! One of the characteristics of successful high-achievers is that they are decisive, take calculated risks, know what they want, and they take action to reach success much faster than others do. Congratulations on making a decision to move forward in a big way.
Here's what you do next: email me at info@xtremeproductivity.com and we'll be happy to set up a "Get Acquainted Meeting" to get clear on what you want to focus on and answer any additional questions that you might have. This is a good time to ensure there is a good match for both of us. It's a time for you to interview me on whether I can help you win your big game and it's also I time that I can see if you are the right candidate for the program.
I can't wait to meet you to get you started on your path to success with sanity and sustainability! I'm happy to work with you to achieve your goals.
Q. OK, I'm ready to do this for myself, but I have a couple of additional questions. Can I contact you?
A. Good, sounds like you're ready to be pulled into your future! Yes, if you have a couple of questions, just email me at info@xtremeproductivity.com and we'll be happy to set up an appointment to walk you through the different options to see which one will be the very best for you. I can't wait to see you succeed and am excited to be the one to help you. Let's get going!
