By Dick Mooney

I have become so used to hearing support group leaders complain, "We can't get people to come to our meetings," "We can't get anyone to volunteer to help," "We can't get enough peer visitors," you can imagine my surprise at picking up Dale Berry's book at the Kansas City annual meeting and discovering that there's no such word as can't.

That's one of the book's subtitles; There's No Such Word as Can't. The other subtitle is A winning strategy for achieving success and delivering bottom-line results. Now that's something I can really buy into! 

Results! What a novel concept! You've all been exposed to my philosophical diatribes in this publication about there being too many folks these days who try to sell us on the idea that it's enough to try. It doesn't matter that they don't succeed. They tried soooo hard! Well, that's hogwash, as my grandmother used to say. Trying doesn't count. The only thing that counts is results! And that's the title of Dale Berry's book; Results. 

For those who didn't pick up a copy of Dale's book and read it as I did, I want to tell you in this article about his "Results Model." Believe me, it's a powerful model! If followed, it can take the word "can't" out of our vocabulary. Wouldn't that be something?

Dale Berry is a certified prosthetist with over 20 years experience in bringing results-oriented prosthetic solutions to amputees around the world. But Dale is also "The Results Coach." In that role, he is a trainer and motivational speaker who has developed a far flung reputation for teaching scores of organizations and individuals about his winning strategies for getting results. 

Here's Dale's model: 

R = Responsible to get the job done
E = Expectations are clear and concise
S = Solutions to manage challenges
U = Understand the job
L = Learn what you need to know
T = Tenacity to never give up
S = Simplify your strategy

Responsible to get the job done

As leaders of our groups, we have the ultimate responsibility for everything. Sure, we expect some of our board members or volunteers to be responsible for their assigned areas--for taking care of "their" parts of our group's program. But we still have overall responsibility for the health of our group. Like the sign in Harry Truman's office said, the buck stops with us.

What does it mean to be responsible? A responsible person is the primary agent, cause, or motive for taking charge in any situation. As the word suggests, we generate the ability to make an appropriate response to solve problems, bring about change, initiate program improvements, and the like--in short, to make things happen. A responsible person is "liable" in a moral way for everything that happens within their area of responsibility--in our case, the whole group. Responsible people take control.

Being responsible means that we are also personally accountable. Being accountable is something like "accepting responsibility." Being accountable is the same as being answerable. Accepting responsibility and being accountable means that we don't blame others or bad luck when things go wrong or when things are not the way they ought to be. Being accountable demands that we seize the initiative to right wrongs, solve problems, and make the needful things happen.

Perhaps it would be useful to look at the issue of responsibility in terms of an individual who must respond to an individual problem. No one else is involved to share responsibility. The ball is clearly in their court, so to speak. A good example is a person who suffers limb loss. In fact, it's the example Dale Berry uses in his book. We are the ones who are suddenly without a limb and we are the ones who must do something about it and, indeed, the only ones who can do anything about it.. We are clearly responsible. The principle difference in this example and the broader support group leader example is that, in most support groups, there are others who it's convenient and maybe even comfortable to blame for failing to accept their responsibility. But make no mistake about it; if we are the leader, we are responsible. 

One of the elements of being responsible is setting realistic goals (see the goal setting article in the February, 2002, Communicator) and setting timetables for reaching those goals. As Berry points out, the difference between dreams and goals is that a goal is a dream with a deadline. Very few good things happen if we simply wait around for them to happen. If we have a splinter and we just wait for it to go away it's much more likely to fester and get worse. The same is true of support group problems. They don't usually go away by themselves. If left unattended, they get worse. Instead, the leader must take responsibility for making them go away.

Responsibility is often confused with the need to do the work. Actually, there is very little connection. Take the CEO of ACA, for example. The CEO must be responsible for the entire ACA program, but does that mean she does all the work? Of course not. The CEO "delegates" part of her responsibility to subordinates. The CEO holds them accountable for doing the work effectively but the CEO's overall responsibility is not diminished by having delegated part of it to subordinates. It's an intriguing concept, but when we delegate part of our responsibility to others, we still have it. To use a computer example, it's like copying our responsibility and pasting it somewhere else, not like deleting our responsibility and pasting it somewhere else.

Berry's questions about responsibility:

•  Have you accepted responsibility for achieving your results?
•  How have you "responded" to your situation? Have you taken constructive physical or mental action to achieve your results?
•  Have you established a realistic timetable to achieve your results?
•  Who will be on your team to support you in achieving your results?

Expectations are clear and concise

Expectations are not the same as goals or dreams. Expectations are belief mechanisms that turn a goal into reality. Expectations are positive, focused visions of what we believe is possible and within our grasp. To expect something is to know in our heart and soul that we can achieve it. Expectations are the foundation for strong belief, both in ourselves and in our goal.

How do we turn a goal into an expectation? We must believe our goal is attainable. It doesn't matter what others think. We must believe we can do it. We must focus on our confidence, not on our doubts.

High expectations are belief mechanisms that support a goal and give it strength. High expectations lead to confidence. Low expectations undermine a goal and make hope for attainment fade away. Low expectations lead to doubts.

Berry emphasizes that the "E" in RESULTS does not stand for "Excuses!" Excuses are not part of solving a problem. Excuses undermine high expectations. In Berry's words, "There are no acceptable excuses!"

Berry's questions about expectations:

•  Do you have a clear picture in your mind of exactly what you expect to achieve in your results?
•  Have you complete faith, confidence, and belief that your results can be accomplished?
•  Do you believe that with time, effort, and learning you can achieve your results? 
•  Are there any acceptable excuses for not achieving your results?

Solutions to manage challenges

Results start to happen when we shift our focus from problems to solutions. Focusing on the problem invites negativity, endless discussion of what is wrong, and whose fault it is. Certainly, one needs to define a problem before trying to solve it. In fact, it's been said that a problem well defined is half solved. But dwelling on the problem gets us stuck in the mud of inactivity. We need to get on with it and find out what will fix the problem.

Berry is an advocate of "thinking outside the box." Getting outside our box will extend the boundaries of our perceptions and will lead us to an unlimited number of potential solutions. Failure to do this traps us into looking at possibilities in limited ways. We become set in those ways and fail to see that, in reality, there may be many new and creative solutions. We tend to be comfortable in our box but once we learn to escape it, we may find it's really fun.

One way to get out of the box is to ask a lot of questions. Has this been done before? How can we do this differently? Can we modify old solutions and make them fresh and more powerful? What do I need to learn? With whom do I need to consult? Questions create an environment in which every idea, both good and bad, has value because they can be the source of the creative spark we are looking for.

I have found that good people to question are ones that have no connection to the problem. Sure, I can get a lot of unrealistic ideas that way, but because the people I talk to don't have the negative bias that others who have struggled with the problem for a long time have, I am also likely to get fresh ideas I would have otherwise never thought of.

Berry's questions about solutions:

•  Do you think outside the box? have you asked all the questions that can be asked about creating positive results?
•  Have you identified everyone who can assist you in achieving your results?
•  Have you communicated your goals and expectations to others?
•  Are you focused on creating a solution to achieve your results?
•  Are you actively involved in the process of making your results a reality?

Understand the job

Do we thoroughly and precisely understand the job ahead of us? Do we have a clear and concise understanding of what it takes to be an effective support group leader? Do we understand the whole job? According to Berry, there are four advantages of understanding all aspects of the job: 

1.  Reduction of stress, anxiety, and fear of the unknown. Stress, anxiety, and fear of the unknown rob us of the energy we need to achieve our results.
2.  Identification of areas for needed assistance. Regardless of what we are trying to achieve, there is always someone who has been there before us. Who are they? How can we get them to assist? 
3.  Preparation for potential setbacks. If we understand the job intimately, we will begin to understand our strengths and weaknesses in relation to known job challenges. This prepares us to endure setbacks without fear or energy-sapping stress.
4.  Reduction of chances for surprises. Tripping over the unexpected can destroy the balance and confidence we need to achieve results. The better we understand the job, the less we will be caught off guard and the more prepared we will be to achieve success.

Berry's questions about understanding the job:

•  Are there any aspects of the tasks involved in obtaining your results that you don't understand or are concerned about? Do you know someone who has successfully completed those tasks? Have you asked them about your concerns?
•  Have you identified aspects of the tasks that you do not like to do or deal with? Are you taking steps to become more effective in addressing any areas that require improvement?
•  Are you prepared to deal with any setbacks or "unexpected" situations?

Learn what you need to know

Berry makes an interesting observation when he points out that children are naturally curious and inquisitive, and ask endless questions about the world around them. But sometime in people's teens this quest for learning seems to shift to a desire to be right. Asking questions and admitting that they don't know begins to be seen as a sign of weakness. The point, of course, is that being afraid of being seen as ignorant, guessing what the answer is instead of finding out what the answer really is, and always retreating to what we already know, traps us in our old experiences and keeps us from accepting new challenges.

Is the reason we are often reluctant to accept new challenges really a fear of failing or is it our fear that we will have to admit we don't know enough and will have to learn new concepts and techniques?

Berry says he carries around two invisible buckets. One is labeled "stuff I know that I know" and the other is labeled "stuff I know that I don't know." He readily admits that his "don't know" bucket is infinitely larger than the "know" bucket, but he says that his challenge is to change that by continually removing stuff from his "don't know" bucket and adding it to his "know" bucket. That process is called learning.

Further, Berry points out that learning new attitudes is even more important than learning new "things." The reason is that fresh, healthy attitudes provide more leverage than "things." The right attitudes clarify our thinking and open up many new horizons. New attitudes beget new perceptions. New perceptions, in turn, enable us continually to better see, learn, and understand new things.

Berry's questions about learning what you need to know:

•  Do you know everything you need to know to achieve success and accomplish your results?
•  Do you need to acquire knowledge, or a new skill or attitude to ensure success?

Tenacity to never give up

One of the reasons we fail to achieve results is that we've learned to give up too quickly. Yes, learned. Giving up can be seen as a learned response to the frustrations and difficulties one can experience in the process of achieving difficult goals. But if giving up can be learned, so can never giving up.

Berry points out that two fundamentals in learning never to give up are to have a purpose, and to believe in the goal.

Having a purpose centers our energy and maintains our enthusiasm when the going gets tough. Having a purpose is like wanting something (i.e., a result) and understanding firmly why we want it. I once heard "talent" defined as wanting something strongly enough to work for it. Purpose gives reason to efforts.

Belief in our goal keeps us stay focused, maintains our ability to be positive, reinforces our commitment, and creates the drive to be tenacious. Berry advocates visualization as a way to keep plugging. Have a vision of success, have a clear picture of reaching the goal, and imagine the warm feeling reaching the goal will ultimately provide.

Berry's questions about being tenacious:

•  What is the single most important reason you want to achieve your results?
•  What are you doing on a consistent basis to keep yourself working toward achieving your results?

Simplify your strategy

Funk and Wagnall's definition of "strategy" is a military one. To paraphrase, "strategy" has to do with prosecuting a war on a broad scale, as distinguished from "tactics," again paraphrasing, which has to do with handling troops in the presence of the enemy or the attainment of immediate objectives. It seems to be clear that a strategy concerns broad objectives and a tactic concerns immediate objectives-how to fight the war versus where to drop the bomb, so to speak.

If we separate the notions of strategy and tactics, it's easier for us to understand the final point in Berry's book. When we focus on the difficulties, the details, and the complications involved in reaching our goals, in a sense, we are focusing on tactical issues. When we do this, we can easily lose sight of the fact that all we need to do to get there is just put one foot in front of the other. That's a simple strategy. This is not to say that details and complications aren't important for us to understand. It's just that it's important not to focus on them and get bogged down. 

What we need to do is develop simple strategies for achieving the results we desire. About the simplest strategy I can think of is Nike's "Just Do It!" Doing it is what it's all about, and it's the bottom line of Berry's message. When we feel bogged down by complications or difficulties, we need to ask, "What do I need to do to get the results I want?" Once I've defined what I need to do, I can do it. What I need to do becomes my simplified strategy. 

Change is an important ingredient of Berry's model. He cautions us that successfully achieving the results we want frequently requires us to change our strategy. Therefore, it can also be useful to ask, "What do I need to do differently to get the results I want?" As long as we keep doing things the way we've always done them we will keep getting the results we've always gotten--and those probably aren't the results we want.

Berry's questions about simplified strategy:

•  What is the visual reminder you rely on to keep you focused on your results?
•  What actions must you take, what exactly do you need to do, to achieve your results?
•  Can you answer the following questions?
  1. When will I complete the task?
  2.  Whose assistance will I need?
  3.  How do I need to change to achieve success?

I urge you to visit Dale Berry's Webpage at http://www.resultscoach.org/index.html , order a copy of his book, and get on the road to achieving your results!