26 Sep
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Mentor/Mentee Power

A mentor, simply defined, is someone who imparts wisdom and shares knowledge with someone with less experience and perhaps less exposure than what they have.

Mentors who are serious about their role make a commitment to help their mentees achieve individual and professional excellence. Mentoring may be formal or informal, but the expectations and roles should be defined and agreed to at the inception of the relationship.

Mentor: Someone whose hindsight can become your foresight.
–unknown

The Role of a Mentor

Part of the mentor’s role is to provide:

  • M eaningful feedback
  • E xplore perceptions of strengths and needs, supplemented with a development plan
  • N etworking opportunities are identified and leveraged
  • T rustworthy relationships are built and nurtured
  • O pen lines of communication are established
  • R ealistic expectations are identified and tracked

The role of a mentor is to help their mentees create and manage relationships and suggest networks that may be utilized and leveraged for growth. Business and professional organizations that have a shared vision with the mentee are a great start.

People and relationships matter! The existence of strong working relationships creates energy, increases satisfaction levels, reduces turnover, and grows individual and organizational results.

Tips For the Mentee

  • Be receptive to coaching and suggestions made by your mentor
  • Focus on expectations; it’s up to you to share your desired goals (short and long term), what you view as your “dream job”, and your vision for your career path.
  • Stay current on required work skills. What talent would look good on your resume? Would any certifications or other achievements position you to stand out from the competition?
  • Discuss your successes and accomplishments, as well as your barriers and problems
  • Solicit feedback; what could you do better? What’s working well and what is not?

Open lines of communication and having a trusting relationship are “musts” in a mentee/mentor relationship. Feedback isn’t always easy to deliver, or receive, but when done in an honoring, well-intentioned manner, is invaluable.

We all benefit from being part of a mentor/mentee relationship. Are you committed to achieving (or helping others achieve) individual and organizational excellence?

19 Sep
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership, Success

13 Rules by Colin Powell

Retired (Four Star) General Colin Powell has held a variety of leadership and staff positions throughout his life, and has been the recipient of dozens of awards, some of which include two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the President’s Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal, and the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal.

He’s an advocate of working at what you’re passionate about and what you’re good at (we call it your “magic dust”). General Powell also believes leaders must never lose their composure, that they should be inspirational and mentor others, and genuinely care and express concern for staff and co-workers.

General Powell’s 13 Rules of Leadership

1. It “ain’t” as bad as you think. This rule reflects an attitude and not a prediction…Things will get better. You will make them better.

I think whether you’re having setbacks or not, the role of a leader is to always display a winning attitude.
–C. Powell

2. Get mad, then get over it. I never lose control of myself.

3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it. Loyalty is disagreeing strongly, and loyalty is executing faithfully.

4. It can be done! Don’t surround yourself with instant skeptics. At the same time, don’t shut out skeptics and colleagues who give you solid counter-views.

5. Be careful what you choose. You may get it. Don’t rush into things.

6. Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision. Superior leadership is often a matter of superb instinct…your judgment will be needed to select from the best courses of action.

Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through arguments, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand.
–C. Powell

7. You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours. Since ultimate responsibility is yours, make sure the choice is yours and you are not responding to the pressure and desire of others.

8. Check small things. Leaders have to have a feel for small things-a feel for what is going on in the depths of an organization where small things reside.

9. Share credit. People need recognition and a sense of worth…Share the credit, take the blame, and quietly find out and fix things that went wrong.

10. Remain calm. Be kind. Kindness, like calmness, reassures followers and holds their confidence. Kindness connects you with other human beings in a bond of mutual respect.

11. Have a vision. Be demanding. Purpose is the destination of a vision. It energizes that vision, gives it force and drive. It should be positive and powerful.

Fit no stereotypes. Don’t chase the latest management fads. The situation dictates which approach best accomplishes the team’s mission.
–C. Powell

12. Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers. Fear is a normal human emotion. We can learn to be aware when fear grips us, and can train to operate through and in spite of our fear. If, on the other hand, we don’t understand that fear is normal and has to be controlled and overcome, it will paralyze us and stop us in our tracks. We will no longer think clearly or analyze rationally. We prepare for it and control it; we never let it control us. If it does, we cannot lead.

13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier. Believing in yourself, believing in your purpose, believing you will prevail, and demonstrating passion and confidence is a force multiplier.

Are you passionate about what you do? Do you believe in yourself and always maintain your composure? Maybe the rules can help!

05 Sep
PeopleTek Coaching Interpersonal Skills, Leadership

Leaders Have Heart

Sometimes we don’t know what leaders are doing. They’re not always visible, their efforts are frequently behind the scenes, and too often only accomplishments are recognized.

Even when they are visible, our view is limited to seeing them perform their “normal” tasks at work. We don’t know all the great things done behind the scenes. Our own Roger Sandals is one of those people. He has a heart of gold and shows it in his actions to help others.

Great leadership usually starts with a willing heart, a positive attitude, and a desire to make a difference.
–Mac Anderson

In the PeopleTek world, Roger over-sees our finances. Outside of PeopleTek, Roger takes an active leadership role in the community.

One of our mottos is: Leadership is taking and empowering people to go where they’ve never gone and wouldn’t go by themselves.

Roger lives this motto!  One of his personal goals is to help others have a better quality of life for themselves, and those they interact with.

Roger holds 12 step meetings for individuals that want to take control of their lives and put an addiction behind them. He has been running meetings for many years and actively helps people stay on the road of alcohol and drug recovery.

Recently, Roger came up with the idea to start a not for profit organization that will assist people with alcohol problems that have no access to a recovery center. While the planning is in the initial stages, Roger is working hard to obtain support and establish a framework that will have long term benefits.

He is a silent leader, and does these things since they feel right to him and provide value to others. He’s not looking for validation or rewards; he just wants to make a difference. These types of individuals deserve to be recognized for the value they provide as they truly exude the definition of leadership.

When a person acts from their heart they:

  • Are truly concerned about the well-being of others
  • Possess a strong desire to help others succeed
  • Understand set-backs and encourage rather than demoralize
  • Jointly celebrate milestone successes
  • Are always willing to listen and not judge

We think everyone would benefit from having a “Roger” in their life!  Are you a “Roger” to anyone personally or professionally?