Set Challenging Goals and Be Unreasonably Optimistic
August 10, 2017
Hosted by Larry Sternberg, J.D. and Kim Turnage, Ph.D.
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Episode Description
S.M.A.R.T. goals are important. Setting any kind of goal is important. However, simply setting reasonable goals for your employees does not benefit them or the organization. Instead, you need to ensure they are somewhat challenging. Top performers want audacious goals and they want a manager who will inspire them to achieve those goals. So be a manager who sets high goals for your high-potential employees, but also be optimistic. You can’t just think positively, you need to be unreasonably optimistic, especially when setting goals that may at first seem unattainable. Optimism can be empowering and will inspire creativity, resourcefulness and persistence in your employees so they can be successful, which in turn, makes your organization successful. Tune in this week for Managing to Make a Difference with Larry Sternberg and Kim Turnage to learn how to set goals and remain optimistic.
Managing to Make a Difference
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As a manager, do you want to make a significant, positive difference in your employees’ lives? If so, this program is for you. Based on their upcoming book, "Managing to Make a Difference," Larry Sternberg, J.D. and Kim Turnage, Ph.D., discuss principles and practices supported by both research and experience, providing you with practical ways to apply the lessons and learn from your own experience. Join Larry and Kim every week for dynamic and thought-provoking conversation that will help you take action to grow as a manager and leader.
Larry Sternberg, J.D. and Kim Turnage, Ph.D.
Having been with Talent Plus(r) since 1999, Sternberg has served in a variety of capacities beginning as a management consultant and in-depth analyst. He has held leadership positions as chair of management consulting, leadership consulting and client engagement, and most recently president. He is now a Talent Plus Fellow performing duties as an oft-requested speaker and consultant.
Sternberg has been instrumental in helping clients build Talent-Based Organizations. He has designed and conducted training programs on a variety of topics for thousands of executives and managers and has served as a facilitator for numerous organizations to articulate their mission, vision and values. His areas of expertise include selection, training and development, employee engagement, empowerment, self-directed work teams, strengths management, mentoring and leading change.
A longtime champion of Talent Plus, Sternberg utilized The Science of Talent(r) in his roles prior to joining Talent Plus as vice president of human resources with The Portman Hotel Company and as a general manager with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. He pioneered self-directed work teams, achieving remarkable improvements in financial results, guest satisfaction and employee satisfaction. Sternberg holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Hamilton College, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Kim Turnage has spent her career figuring out where people naturally excel and connecting them with opportunities to stretch those talents. She first joined Talent Plus ® in 1997 as a Senior Research Analyst and Leadership Consultant. At that time, she directed research, statistical analysis and reporting of results, including the design, initial validation and ongoing validation of selection instruments. She also consulted with clients to develop and implement measurement strategies to help them understand the impact of talent-based selection and strengths-based management on their business outcomes.
She now serves as a Senior Leadership Consultant at Talent Plus. In this capacity, she works with client partners in the selection, development and retention of top leadership talent, including succession planning. She has consulted with global clients including The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), Harman Management Corporation, the United States Air Force and Gensler.
A graduate of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Kim earned a B.A. (1990) in English and Psychology, an M.S. (1994) in Psychology, and a Ph.D. (1997) in Experimental Psychology. She was a Presidential Fellow in 1997. During her time as a graduate student and later as an adjunct faculty member, she taught undergraduate courses in Research Methods and Data Analysis, Perception, Cognition and Introductory Psychology.
