�

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ................................................................................................................................2

Overview And Objectives ..........................................................................................................3

Potential Uses For This Package And Audience Options ......................................................4

Program Synopsis ................................................................................................................. 5-6

A Note From the Program Writer/Director ..............................................................................7

USING THE PROGRAM:

Initial Discussion Questions .....................................................................................................8

Initial Small Group Exercises:

“We Can Relate To That” ..................................................................................................8

“Beyond the Book and DVD” ............................................................................................9

Applying the Seven Key Questions ........................................................................................10

PARTICIPANT WORKSHEET - Applying the Seven Key Questions ................................ 11-12

PARTICIPANT WORKSHEET - Applying the Seven Key Questions to Old Sayings

and Clichés ............................................................................13

PARTICIPANT WORKSHEET - Learning Leadership from Role Models ...............................14

PARTICIPANT WORKSHEET - “Rewriting” an Old Idea From A New Viewpoint..................15

FURTHER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES:

“Been There. Heard That” ..............................................................................................16

“Words To REMEMBER” ................................................................................................17

“What Would It Look Like If” ...........................................................................................18

“The Power of Forgetting” ..............................................................................................18

About the Authors ...................................................................................................................19

© 1998 corVision Media © 1998 Performance Systems Corporation

�

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

INTRODUCTION

Since 1997, The WALK THE TALK® Company has been privileged to work with nearly one

thousand organizations worldwide, to help them develop and maintain values-based people

practices. During this time, we’ve learned firsthand how organizations work, how people

interact, and how all of us are constantly challenged by what we call “the human condition.”

Through our work, we’ve discovered that each of us tends to carry a certain amount of excess mental

baggage that weighs us down…and holds us back. Our loads include everything from once valid

beliefs and practices that have outlived their usefulness and applicability—to misinformation and

misconceptions we’ve accepted (and even embraced) without much examination or thought.

Why care about this “baggage”? Because it negatively impacts us, the people we work with, the

environments we work in, and—most importantly—the results we get. Simply stated, whatever we

accept and believe determines how we behave…and how we behave determines what we achieve.

The good news is that none of us need be stuck with flawed, outdated, and counterproductive beliefs

and practices forever. They can be abandoned...we can “forget” them. To do that we must examine

what we believe, challenge how we think and what we accept, and—as appropriate—adjust the way

we behave.

That’s why we wrote FORGET FOR SUCCESS. That’s what we hope you take away from

this program.

Eric Harvey and Steve Ventura

�

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

OVERVIEW

This package contains the following components:

• The FORGET FOR SUCCESS DVD (22 minutes)

• This Leader’s Guide which contains reproducible worksheets for individual and/or

group training

• One copy of the handbook FORGET FOR SUCCESS

PROGRAM: A number of the commonly held beliefs and behaviors discussed in the handbook

have been dramatized in a story line involving a typical supervisor, middle manager

and their co-workers. Throughout, author Eric Harvey comments on the ineffective

beliefs and behaviors, suggesting alternatives which are explored and presented.

LEADER’S This guide has been prepared for integrated use with the program and handbook

GUIDE: It provides sample worksheets for the application of seven questions presented

in both the book and program to any given belief or behavior viewers may wish

to examine.

HANDBOOK: FORGET FOR SUCCESS contains detailed examinations of twenty-two commonly

held ideas and practices, each of which is questioned and positive alternatives

suggested. It also contains brief analysis of many common but questionably

effective phrases and words, and the seven questions readers can apply to phrases

of their own.

Although the DVD or the handbook could be used as stand alone tools to raise consciousness and

stimulate discussion on the issues, the most effective use of the package is as an integrated program.

OBJECTIVES: • To stimulate evaluation and discussion of clichéd ideas and outdated principles that

organizations may be consciously or unconsciously following

• To suggest effective alternatives to such ideas

• To provide skills for evaluating any operating idea or principle, and test its relevance in an

organizational structure

�

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

DISCUSSION gUIDE

POTENTIAL USES FOR THIS PACKAGE: • Leadership development strategies

• Change/Improvement initiatives

• Values training programs

• Team-building activities

• New-hire orientation

• Response to climate surveys

• “Brown-bag” seminars

AUDIENCE OPTIONS: • Separate manager/supervisor groups or employee groups (homogeneous)

• Combined employee and supervisor groups (heterogeneous)

• Individual self-study

The “Using the Program” guidelines, discussion questions and exercises (pages 8 through 10) are

designed to enhance participant learning when the program and handbook are used in a classroom or

small group setting. Worksheets (pages 11 through 15) may be used for either group work or individual

self-study.

�

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

PROgRAM SYNOPSIS:

Mark Shaw is a conscientious young supervisor who has been recently hired by a company to solve

production problems. When the program opens he is arriving at work after an exhausting weekend

studying the organization’s values, policies and procedures. He meets Customer Service Manager,

Geri Walters, who is preparing for a difficult meeting with an outspoken employee. In the brief

conversation between the front door and their offices, Geri and Mark unknowingly voice four of the

most common clichés accepted in many organizations.

Host and author of the book FORGET FOR SUCCESS, Eric Harvey appears on camera.

He introduces the problem of information overload and the excess baggage many of us carry around

in the form of old ideas, beliefs and adages. He suggests that we could well forget many of these

ideas, and then proceeds to identify the four questionable ideas voiced by Mark and Geri in the

opening scene. Using brief flashbacks and explanation, the four statements he identifies are:

• Values are important to know

• Definition of a good employee: someone who works hard

• Supervisors are responsible for employee behavior

• Different = Wrong

The story continues as Customer Service Manager Geri meets with Roberto, an outspoken team

member. When she opens up the subject of his blunt personal criticisms of other co-workers, Roberto

becomes defensive and the scene degenerates into a confrontation. Geri and Roberto are working

from three outdated ideas verbalized throughout the dialogue.

Eric Harvey returns to identify the offending ideas: Supervisors are responsible for employee behavior, Empathy is a touchy feely thing for wimps, and Hearing = Listening. In the context of

the scene, he points out the flaws in these ideas and suggests positive alternatives. We then see the

same situation between Geri and Roberto replayed using the positive alternatives. This time, Geri

encourages Roberto to take responsibility for his own actions, Roberto is more willing to examine his

behavior, and they actively listen to each other. The outcome is entirely different and positive.

The story picks up new Supervisor Mark Shaw’s efforts to solve the company’s production problems

in a meeting with co-worker, Carol. Their discussion solves nothing since they are locked in by two

more concepts they could well forget for success: People need to be managed, and, As long as you don’t hear from me, you’ll know you’re doing okay. Eric Harvey identifies the problem concepts,

analyzes them and provides more realistic alternatives—notably that people need to be led rather than

managed, and the only time people know what you’re really thinking is when you tell them.

�

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

The separate story lines involving Mark and Geri converge in a lunch room scene, where they

meet and discuss the morning’s problems. Geri questions Mark’s definition of a good employee

as “someone who works hard,” suggesting it might be an old idea that could be forgotten. She

suggests that a good employee is someone who adds value and gets results within an organization.

Mark meets with the company’s CEO, Ann Cooper, to report his findings. Spurred on by Geri’s

questioning of long held ideas that may not be working, he suggests to his boss that the values people

espouse in the organization (Values are important to know) may not be effective since they’re not being

put into practice. He shares what he has learned from a previous teacher, about the importance of

behaving your values and walking the talk.

Eric Harvey sums up and reinforces the positive differences which occur when people question

outdated ideas and practice new alternatives. He then presents SEVEN QUESTIONS which can be

applied to any idea or belief with a process for finding a better alternative.

The program ends with Mark and Geri leaving for the day, engrossed in a light hearted exchange about

the idea, Different = Wrong. They realize it’s often a concept they can both forget if they wish to be

instrumental in positive change, and achieve long-term professional and personal success.

�

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

A NOTE FROM THE PROgRAM WRITER/DIRECTOR:

FORGET FOR SUCCESS in its handbook form is a very provocative collection of commonly held

ideas which the authors question in a light-hearted manner, and then suggest positive alternatives.

Since the ideas are not connected in any thematic way except for their ineffectiveness, presenting this

material in a dramatic format was a challenge.

Although the book has use and application for people at all levels in an organization, a large number

of the sayings explored and held up to question seemed especially applicable to the challenges of

supervisors and managers working with their employees. This provided the theme for the main

story line.

Among many writers, it is a commonly held belief that if the writer invents believable characters

with conviction and places them in a challenging situation, the characters will “write” the dialogue

themselves. So I placed Mark and Geri—a typical manager and a typical supervisor based on

some I’ve known—into situations where they operated under some of the handbook’s outdated

philosophies. I was both surprised and amused to find that when I allowed these characters to “write”

the scenes based on their outmoded thinking, the situations deteriorated into more problems and

dead ends. This is most obvious in the first scene between Manager Geri and her “problem employee”

Roberto, and the scene where Supervisor Mark tries unsuccessfully to solve his production problems

with co-worker Carol.

Writing these scenes provided the best validation of what the authors were saying. Coming from the

old ideas, the situations went nowhere. On the other hand, writing the same scenes with the same

characters from the suggested alternative viewpoints clearly showed the positive differences made by

“forgetting for success.”

Donald R. Ham Program Writer/Director

�

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

USINg THE PROgRAM:

INITIAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Show the entire program without interruption. Then conduct a general discussion of these questions

(and others that seem appropriate and/or relevant):

• Ask participants to recall the various ideas presented in the program story as outdated.

• Which one(s) seemed the most real and familiar from your experience?

• How important is the overall message of the program that organizations may be overburdened

with ideas they could well forget?

• Is this message relevant only to Managers and Supervisors? Or to all employees? How did the

program show it’s applicability to all employees?

• What other outmoded or counterproductive ideas would you have included in the program for

questioning and examination?

INITIAL SMALL GROUP EXERCISE: “We Can Relate To That” • Ask participants in groups to open and scan the handbook FORGET FOR SUCCESS, looking

at the whole range of ideas presented.

• Pick the three ideas the group feels are the most relevant to your organization.

• Discuss the selections using the following questions:

• How common are the beliefs you selected?

• Without naming names, what behaviors have you seen that led to your selections?

• How are you and others affected by these behaviors?

• To what degree might you be engaging in similar behaviors? Can you identify

specific occurrences?

• What might we all do to minimize these behaviors and beliefs within the organization?

�

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

USINg THE PROgRAM:

INITIAL SMALL GROUP EXERCISE: “Beyond The Book And Program” • Refer participants to the Mark Twain quote on page 8 of the handbook, which was also seen in

the program. Ask for comments and reactions to the quote and an estimation of “the number

of things I remember that aren’t so.”

• Lead participants in a five minute brainstorming exercise to identify old “things they remember

that may not be so.” They could be any sayings, slogans, beliefs, bits of “conventional

wisdom,” etc., that don’t appear in the FORGET FOR SUCCESS handbook.

• Assign items from your master list to table groups or individual participants instructing them to

analyze their items using the following questions:

• What is the relevancy/applicability of the item to our organization?

• How might it be negative or problematic?

• Any initial thoughts on how we might change it?

Now that groups/individuals have identified statements they wish to question, (either from the

program, the handbook or the brainstorming process) move on to the process of how to change them.

�0

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

USINg THE PROgRAM:

APPLYING THE SEVEN KEY QUESTIONS: • How do you go about forgetting for success? You do it by examining individual beliefs and

behaviors, and replacing them as appropriate, with better, more effective ones.

• In the program, when Carol suggested that Mark share the information related to their

production problems with all employees, he replied: “We only share limited, truly important

information about the organization with others.” If possible, write this concept on a board or

chart for examination.

• Discuss this concept with the group as a possibly outdated idea. Encourage differing views on

the principle and its relevance.

• Pose the question: How do we decide if this idea is serving us or could be forgotten and

replaced by a better one? Refer participants to page 43 of the FORGET FOR SUCCESS

handbook. It contains the seven key questions also presented at the end of the program, which

can be applied to any belief or behavior.

• Using the following Worksheet as reference, walk the participants through the seven steps as

applied to the statement from the program: “We only share limited, truly important information

about the organization with others.”

• Now ask participants to take one of their own statements from the initial exercises, and apply

the seven questions to it using the boxes provided.

��

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

WORKSHEET:

APPLYING THE SEVEN KEY QUESTIONS

Questions and Examples Your Issue Analysis

1. What is a “people practice” that I and others frequently

engage in?

Example (from program): “Sharing only limited, truly important information

about the organization with others.”

2. What are the possible ways that practice might

negatively impact people, performance and

relationships?

Example Answer: “People might feel isolated, kept in the dark, not part of the organization. They may perceive we’re hiding something. Trust could be reduced.”

3. What is the belief or premise that underlies

the practice?

Example Answer: “Don’t bother folks with info they won’t understand or may draw false conclusions from. Protect folks from bad news. Don’t create more work for others (they have to read it) and us (we have to explain it).

4. How might that belief be modifi ed to eliminate

the negative impact and be more in sync with our

organizational values?

Example Answer: “Information doesn’t bother people, but the lack of it does. Adults don’t need to be protected—they need to be told the truth.”

��

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

WORKSHEET:

APPLYING THE SEVEN KEY QUESTIONS

Questions and Examples Your Issue Analysis

5. What specifi c behavior(s) would be in sync with the

modifi ed belief?

Example Answer: “Share all non-confi dential information with everyone. Help people understand reporting formats. Let each person decide what information is relevant to them.”

6. What specifi cally can/will I do to adopt the new

behavior(s) and belief?

Example Answer: “Provide copies of organizational data reports and communications to everyone in my area. Ask my reports and colleagues what information would be most benefi cial to them ... then supply it.”

7. What should I look for to determine whether or not the

changes I’ve made have been effective?

Example Answer: “Positive feedback from people regarding the

information they receive. People discussing the information and/or asking questions about it.”

��

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

WORKSHEET:

APPLYING THE SEVEN KEY QUESTIONS TO OLD SAYINGS AND CLICHES With just a few word changes, the Seven Key Questions can be applied to old sayings and common

clichés. Try it - using the non-work related old saying we’ve supplied.

REPEAT the seven step process using one of your own favorite old sayings or clichés.

1. What is an old saying or cliché I’ve heard

or repeated?

2. What are the possible ways that saying could

negatively impact people, performance

or relationships?

3. What is the belief or premise that underlies

the saying?

4. How might that saying be modified to eliminate

the negative impact and be more in sync with my

personal values?

5. What specific behavior(s) would be in sync with the

modified saying?

6. What specifically can/will I do to adopt the

new behavior(s)?

7. What should I look for to determine whether or not

the changes I’ve made have been effective?

Children should be seen and not heard.

��

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

WORKSHEET:

LEARNING LEADERSHIP FROM ROLE MODELS One commonly held misconception FORGET FOR SUCCESS addresses is “people need to be

managed.” In the program, we see the characters struggling unsuccessfully with this idea. Book

author Eric Harvey proposes that rather than being managed, “people need to be led.” Harvey goes on

to suggest that one of the best ways to identify the characteristics of effective leadership is to focus

on role models—leaders who have positively impacted us.

Here’s an exercise to help identify what to remember—and what to FORGET—about leading others.

1. Consider the impact specific leaders (especially in your business life) have made on you. Who

are the people whose example you admire and have followed? Write a paragraph on one such

person “listing their traits, and how their leadership affected you.

2. Complete the following sentence: “I do my best and most effective work for leaders who…”

List as many responses as possible in the box below.

REMEMBER THESE

3. Examine the responses you listed above. Then, describe behaviors that are OPPOSITE to those

responses in the box below.

FORgET THESE

��

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

WORKSHEET:

“REWRITING” AN OLD IDEA FROM A NEW VIEWPOINT In the program, recall the scene where Production Supervisor Mark tries to explore (with Carol) how to

solve his problems—working from the viewpoint of the old adage—People need to be managed.

Queue up and view the scene again. (Approximately 10 minutes into the program.)

The following is dialogue from the scene, up to the point where the old adage was voiced. If the old

adage is replaced by the new idea—People need to be led—either write or role play where the scene

might now go:

CAROL: We can’t hope to meet our deadlines and quotas without more personnel, or overtime for the existing ones.

MARK: That’s not what I wanted to hear!

CAROL: But if we don’t, we’ll be sacrificing quality.

MARK: You know that’s not an option.

CAROL: So what do you propose?

MARK: Somehow streamline operations.

CAROL: How?

MARK: Putting out some guidelines for starters. Maybe some training sessions. Go to the company’s management manual.

CAROL: You’re right that everyone’s looking for someone to tell them what to do. People need to be led...

MARK:

CAROL:

MARK:

CAROL:

MARK:

��

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

FURTHER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES:

Been There. Heard That. Recall how specific “old ideas” negatively affected people, productivity and commitment in specific

scenes of the program.

Have participants review “�0 Phrases to FORGET That Stifle Creativity and Initiative” on

pages 10-11 of FORGET FOR SUCCESS.

Conduct a group discussion using the following questions:

• Which of the phrases have been said to you?

• How did you feel when you heard them?

• Have you ever said them to someone else?

• How do you suppose others felt when they heard the phrases?

• What are the underlying concerns that each phrase represents?

• How legitimate/valid are those concerns?

• What are some alternatives to these phrases that would be less likely to have

negative impacts?

• What are some techniques we might use to make sure we avoid using these

“motivation killers”?

Once this exercise has been completed, consider an expanded discussion—focusing on other

phrases and behaviors that can negatively impact people, productivity, and commitment.

��

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

FURTHER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES:

Words ... To REMEMBER The words and phrases spoken (and thought) in your organization reflect the principles you embrace

and the culture you have.

Here’s an exercise to help people realize the importance of what they say:

• Have participants review “Important Words to FORGET” on page 41 of FORGET FOR SUCCESS.

• Discuss how the words presented can be/are problematic. What do the words imply

or suggest?

• Ask table groups to develop an alternative list of “Important Words to REMEMBER”,

following the same format of page 41 in the handbook.

• Collect, compare and discuss the table group lists.

• Ask the entire group to select the “best of the best” from the various lists (i.e., the best 10

words, the best 9 words, etc.).

When the exercise is completed, conduct a short brainstorming session to identify ways the new

list can be used to raise awareness throughout your organization (e.g., publish in your company newsletter, make into posters and put on bulletin boards, etc.)

��

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

FURTHER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES:

What Would It Look Like If... Here’s a visioning exercise that can help people appreciate the importance and value of the material

presented in FORGET FOR SUCCESS:

• Ask participants to review the “Highlights to REMEMBER” on pages 45-46 of the handbook.

• Randomly assign various highlights to individual participants. Ask them to identify two or three

specific behaviors that would demonstrate their assigned highlight.

• Ask participants to share their highlights and behaviors with the entire group.

• After each set of behaviors is presented, ask the entire group to answer the following questions:

What would it look and feel like if more people practiced those behaviors here?

What do you suppose would happen as a result?

Why should people care? What’s in it for individuals to practice them?

The Power of Forgetting Ask each participant to identify a belief or practice they’ve changed or abandoned that has made them

a better employee, leader, parent, spouse or person. Ask for volunteers to share their responses with

the entire group. As they present, pose the following questions:

• Why did you hold the old belief and/or engage in the old behavior?

• Why did you change?

• What has resulted from the change?

��

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess

ABOUT THE AUTHORS...

Eric L. Harvey Eric L. Harvey is a nationally-known and respected speaker, consultant, and author. He is president

of the WALK THE TALK® Company, the Dallas-based international consulting firm which focuses on

helping individuals and organizations bring their mission, vision, and values in sync with their

people practices.

With over 25 years of experience in the “people skills” business, Mr. Harvey is a recognized expert

and author in the area of human resource development and applied management practices. His

breakthrough work includes the development of three critically-acclaimed human resource systems:

PEER GRIEVANCE REVIEW®, POSITIVE DISCIPLlNE® and MULTISOURCE360®.

He is co-author of the widely used WALK THE TALK product series, including the best selling book

Walk The Talk...And Get The Results You Want. In addition, he has been published in more than 50

trade and professional journals, including Industry Week, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Executive Excellence, and the Harvard Business Review.

Eric has been a keynote speaker and presenter at hundreds of professional conferences, including

the American Society for Training and Development, the Lakewood sponsored Training conferences,

Human Resource Executive Forum, PEPI, American Society of Association Executives, and many more.

Steve Ventura Steve Ventura is Vice President of Product Development for the WALK THE TALK® Company, a Dallas-

based consulting firm which focuses on helping individuals and organizations bring their mission, vision

and values in sync with their people practices.

His background includes over 20 years of Human Resource Development experience in both private

and public sectors. He has consulted with major organizations throughout the United States such as

Shell Oil, AT&T, Pennzoil, G.E., Exxon, General Dynamics, Allied-Signal Aerospace, and TRW.

Steve is an award-winning writer and program designer. He has developed over 40 publications,

manuals and programs, including Peer Review: The Complete Guide and The WALK THE TALK®

Workshop—both of which were honored by Human Resource Executive Magazine as national “Top

Training Products”.

He holds a bachelors degree from California State University and a masters degree from the University

of San Francisco. His graduate work was in public administration and organizational management.

It isn’t so astonishing, the number of things that I can remember, as the number of things I can remember that aren’t so.

- Mark Twain

Accept the challenge…to

For more information contact:

Trainer’s Toolchest LLCPhone: 877-288-6657

www.trainerstoolchest.com

FORGET forsuccess

FORGET forsuccess