20 Sep
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

To Meet or Not to Meet

Last week we provided tips for conducting effective meetings.  We received great feedback, and one indicating that we had 2 critical omissions:

  1. There must be a legitimate need to hold the meeting
  2. Ensure all decision makers are present

(The decision makers are those that can make commitments for their areas, and provide necessary funding, if needed. Without them, the discussions are only philosophical and not action oriented).

Ensure your meetings are productive; everyone contributes, no one dominates, decisions are made, and results are obtained!

Meetings with purpose  . . . 

Much has been said about ineffective meetings, and it seems we’ve all experienced them! Per Professor Richard D. Arvey, Ph.D., the top 8 reasons provided for finding meetings a waste of time are:

  1. Our meetings are never on time-they start late and end late
  2. Our meetings are “dull and boring”
  3. There are too many disruptions in our meetings
  4. Decisions never get made in our meetings
  5. Only certain people talk during our meetings
  6. We go off target in our meetings
  7. People lose interest during the course of our meetings
  8. From a simple cost perspective, business meetings are excessively costly given the benefits derived

How many of these reasons resonate with you?  Given that on a typical business day 11 million meetings are held in the U.S., we need to schedule meetings that are necessary as well as provide value.

It was reported that:

  • Executives spend 23 hours/week in meetings, and that 7.8 hours were determined to be wasted time.
  • Managers spend 10 hours week in meetings, and 9 hours were determined to be a waste of time.
  • 90% of attendees day dream
  • 73% bring other work

(How many of you find these numbers to be low?)

RESOURCES: University of Arizona Teamwork Study, MCI Conferencing, UCLA Study, Psychology Today

The need to meet will never go away, but you’re in the position to ensure your meetings are productive; everyone contributes, no one dominates, decisions are made, and results are obtained!

Happy meeting!

13 Sep
PeopleTek Coaching Communication, Success

Effective Meetings

How much of your day is spent attending meetings?

What percentage of them would you say were a good use of your, and the other attendees’ time?

There have been meetings of only a moment which have left impressions for life…
–J. B. Miller

 Effective Meetings

Here’s a recap of proven tips that help:

  • Always have an agenda
  • Start and end on time
  • Rotate the meeting leader/facilitator
  • Begin each meeting with attendees sharing a one minute “experience”
  • State the purpose for being together ex. problem “x” requires resolution; what do we need to do to accomplish “y”; sharing the status of goals, etc.
  • Determine if all key contributors are involved and participating
  • Everyone participates; no one dominates
  • One speaker at a time; no side conversations
  • Discuss issues not personalities
  • Evaluate rather than criticize
  • If it’s a brainstorming session all ideas are accepted
  • Meetings should last between 30 – 60 minutes
  • Conduct staff meetings minimally once a month
  • Establish the day and time for the next meeting and restate all takeaways

What about for more strategic meetings?  Taking a leadership team off-site for a few days is a great way to strategize, encourage creativity, strengthen team relationships, and re-energize your team.  You’ll also want to:

  • Have a clear purpose
  • Identify desired outcomes
  • Determine if attendees should be limited to your team or if a guest speaker or business partner could help you better meet your objective
  • Provide at least 1 month’s advance notice for invited attendees (2 months is even better).
  • Establish a detailed agenda with a timeline and build in “spare” time for hot topics
  • Keep a “parking lot” log of issues or items that require follow-up
  • Have fun!

Wouldn’t it be great if all meetings (and conference calls) left favorable impressions?  Let us know if the tips help!

ANNOUNCING QWIKCOACH!

PeopleTek’s strategic partnership with eCoach offers you a new online support tool for finding solutions for day-to-day issues.

This online coaching support tool provides immediate advice for handling everyday challenges in 3 main areas: People Smarts, Business Sense, and Personal Savvy.

Read More About QwikCoach

06 Sep
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership, Success, Team

Player Engagement

This week NFL football kicks off it’s 2012 – 2013 season. While some of you may be avid football fans, we realize many of you have no interest whatsoever, but we did want to share a little-known leadership program that the NFL has created.

Department NFLPE (National Football League Player Engagement) exists with the purpose to create a model of best practices that will maximize player potential “for a lifetime of commitment, contribution, and community.” How cool is that?

The mission is to maximize players’ potential by facilitating education and life skills training to prepare them for success before, during and after their playing career.
(NFL Player Engagement Mission)

Player Engagement

The Player – to – Player model connects generations of players through a variety of programs that promote success on and off the field. Active players that “do the right things” are chosen to become mentors, contributors, and possibly ambassadors to other players.

Ambassadors (active and past players) are critical to the success of player engagement and must complete a program to become certified as a Transition Coach. They work with 3 areas of player engagement: PREP (pre-NFL), LIFE (active players), and NEXT (former players), and focus on core areas. They include academic excellence, leadership development, social responsibility, health, safety, and wellness.

In addition to working on the core areas, they also focus on:

  • Protecting the NFL brand
  • Establishing best practices
  • Promoting players as their most valuable asset
  • Preserving and growing the game
  • Formalizing standards and certifications
  • Preparing high school and college athletes for becoming professional
  • Supporting Play 60 (exercise for 60 minutes/day)

As leaders (remember, we’re all leaders as we all have the ability to influence others), what more can we do to prepare our business or organization for success, while maximizing the potential of those we work with?

Is there anything to be learned from NFLPE?

ANNOUNCING QWIKCOACH!

PeopleTek’s strategic partnership with eCoach offers you a new online support tool for finding solutions for day-to-day issues.

This online coaching support tool provides immediate advice for handling everyday challenges in 3 main areas: People Smarts, Business Sense, and Personal Savvy.

 

03 Sep
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Labor Day and Leadership

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
–Martin Luther King, Jr.

The History of Labor Day and Its Leadership Significance

Did you know the first Labor Day in the United States was observed on September 5, 1882 in New York City, and became a federal holiday in 1894?

Labor Day is dedicated to the achievements of workers that made, and make, the United States strong and prosperous.

We’re relatively certain that many that celebrate Labor Day are unaware of how, when, and why it became a national holiday (it’s really an international holiday with some variances on the day of celebration).

Sadly, the holiday came about because of conflicts (and even deaths) during labor strikes. Many believe President Grover Cleveland was instrumental in the creation of the holiday in order to improve labor relations, and as a way to pay tribute to the American worker who supplied the country with strength, freedom, and leadership.

The labor movement and the American workplace has come a long way since 1882, but strong leadership and the ability to inspire others and obtain results continue to be key drivers for all businesses and organizations.

Labor Day is not just celebrated in the United States; it’s an international holiday recognized around the globe, with some variances on the day of celebration.

Reflect on your leadership contributions. How could you be even more influential? What could you change to become even more successful?

Enjoy the holiday!

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day and https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history.

Coaching Has Evolved

Once seen as the last step for an executive about to fall off the ladder, leadership coaches now help smooth a promotion, teach outsiders about their new culture, and tune up talent.

A coach is like a personal trainer for business.
–Erika Andersen, author of Being Strategic, and coach to many media executives

Also, check out this great article to find out if coaching is right for you.

Call today for a complimentary coaching session!
888.565.9555 ext. 717

23 Aug
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Bliss at Work

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work”.
-Aristotle

Are you happy at work? Do you enjoy your job? What about your co-workers and team members?

Careerbliss.com conducted an employee survey at nearly one hundred thousand companies. They pre-determined key “happiness” categories, and based on feedback, identified the top 50 companies to work for in the United States.

Job Happiness . . . 
 
Components:
Growth opportunity
Compensation
Benefits
Work-life balance
Career advancement
Senior management
Job security
Would you recommend the company to others

TOP 10 U.S. Companies to work for: (based on 2011 results)
Google
3M Company
DTE Energy
Qualcomm
U.S. Military
LSI Corporation
Charles Schwab
PricewaterhouseCoopers
TRW
Johnson & Johnson

For entire list of top 50 companies click here

As leaders, we have the ability to impact some of the “happiness” components, others not so much.  We can solicit feedback and ask what others like best about their job, and what they would like to see change.

And, we can ask what others like best about our leadership style, obtaining specifics for what leadership behaviors we should keep, as well as those behaviors we could change or eliminate.

Are you ready to take your leadership to a higher level?

ANNOUNCING QWIKCOACH!  

PeopleTek’s strategic partnership with eCoach offers you a new online support tool for finding solutions for day-to-day issues.

This online coaching support tool provides immediate advice for handling everyday challenges in 3 main areas:People Smarts, Business Sense, and Personal Savvy

For a preview of possibilities, visit:
http://www.qwikcoachonline.com/peopletek/What%20is%20QC/Content.htm

16 Aug
PeopleTek Coaching Communication

4 Types of Communication You Need to Know

Being an effective communicator is a requirement for successful leaders. There are many forms of communication and there are varying styles.

Communication can be complicated. If we are effective communicators, the message we send will be received and accurately understood!

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
–George Bernard Shaw

The 4 Types of Communication

When we send our message, the receiver has filters that may impact the accurate receipt of our message. This is why it is critical that you know the 4 types of communication and the impact they have on your message. While you use these every day, some you may not even be aware of.

Verbal Communication

  • The usage of words
  • The ability to control what we say
  • A common belief that we all interpret words the same

Para-Verbal Communication

  • The way something is said
  • How quickly we speak, pause, tone of voice, intensity levels
  • Our words may not match our delivery!

Body Language Communication

  • How we physically communicate
  • Do we stand, cross our arms, roll our eyes, shake hands firmly, make eye contact?
  • Facial expressions and eye contact impact interpretations

Personal Space Communication

  • Includes the space between you and others
  • How you arrange your workspace (cluttered vs. neat / organized vs. disorganized)
  • Choice of decorations / personal touches
  • Your personal appearance!

Communication improves with awareness. What positive communication behaviors do you exhibit? What are your trouble spots? Make it your goal to communicate with confidence and have your message accurately interpreted!

ANNOUNCING QWIKCOACH!

PeopleTek’s strategic partnership with eCoach offers you a new online support tool for finding solutions for day-to-day issues.

This online coaching support tool provides immediate advice for handling everyday challenges in 3 main areas: People Smarts, Business Sense, and Personal Savvy

Read more about QwikCoach for a preview of possibilities.

09 Aug
PeopleTek Coaching Success, Team

Creating the Dream Team

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime”.
–Babe Ruth

Are you part of, or do you lead, a strong and successful team?  Successful teams consist of individuals that have a common purpose, focus on shared goals, and have a desire for their team to flourish.

We don’t always take the time to build relationships and understand and improve team dynamics, but making the investment upfront will enable you to build your “ dream team”.

Strong and successful teams are comprised of individuals that trust one another, hold one another accountable, and are comfortable with expressing differing opinions. And, they clearly understand and appreciate the strengths of the other team members. Maximizing collective strengths provides greater results, fosters creativity, and increases inspiration, motivation and satisfaction levels.

Creating a strong team takes time and must be reinforced over time. (It’s not a “one shot deal”). Open lines of communication are critical, as are acknowledging contributions and openly discussing areas for improvement.
No finger pointing!

Do your team members understand your department vision and what it means to them personally? Are conversations held (both one on one and in a team setting) to discuss how individuals and the team as whole could more effectively achieve their vision?

What about behavioral assessments or feedback and survey results? There are so many tools that can be used, and you can even have brainstorming sessions to identify existing behaviors that create success, and identify behaviors that cause disruptions or create barriers.

Strong teams:

– Share their successes and failures.

– Address conflict in a healthy, honoring manner.

– Speak up when they feel other team members are out of line.

– Support the common goal.

– Focus on what’s best for the team as a whole, instead of on individual needs.

– Use “we”, “us” and “the team” instead of “I”.

– Readily share information and knowledge.

What can YOU do to make your team a “ dream team”?

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.

Working together is success”.

–Henry Ford

02 Aug
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

PeopleTek’s Leadership Compass

Stay on Track With PeopleTek’s Leadership Compass

Given that leadership and having and providing clear direction go hand in hand, we created PeopleTek’s “Leadership COMPASS” as a tool to stay on track. 

Do you believe that we’re all leaders? Some have the belief that leaders are born; at PeopleTek we believe that everyone is a leader. (You’ve heard this many times before!) As leaders, it’s up to us to use our skills, abilities, and talents to maximum our potential. Leadership is comprised of many components, and one of the most important is the ability to know and understand YOU. If asked, how would you respond to:

  1. Where are you going? (vision, mission, goals)
  2. How do you plan on getting there? (strategy and plans)
  3. How could others assist and support you? (people)
  4. What may get in your way? (barriers, weaknesses and the over-use of strengths)

Tying into the first question, success requires having a vision, a mission, goals, and measures, and that ALL behaviors support them. (We also refer to this as VMGM=B.) They must be documented, shared, and understood. Effective leaders need to demonstrate the behaviors necessary to realize them, and must be willing to change/eliminate some behaviors that will better position them for success. That’s where the Leadership COMPASS comes in.

Leadership and direction go hand in hand.

Leadership COMPASS Components

C – Communicate Effectively
O – Optimize Differences
M – Manage Change
P –  Plan, Persist, and Organize
A – Appropriately Handle Conflict
S – Sustain/Enhance Relationships
S – Skillfully Influence Others

As leaders we need to:

  • Determine what we KNOW about our strengths and opportunities
  • Go through a DISCOVERY process and solicit feedback
  • Be AUTHENTIC and identify how we can increase levels of trust and be open (and sometimes vulnerable)
  • Identify ways to be more INNOVATIVE and creative

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: leadership and success require courage, commitment, and the willingness to step out of our comfort zone.

You must create and develop your leadership skills with a purpose, not by mistake. You need to take the time for self-reflection and be willing to develop and change some behaviors that will enable you to better support your vision and your goals.

What is one action you’re willing to take to become a stronger leader?

Ready to try the Leadership COMPASS and see where it can take you in your leadership development journey?

Start My COMPASS!

Announcing QwikCoach

PeopleTek’s strategic partnership with eCoach offers you a new online support tool for finding solutions for day-to-day issues.

This online coaching support tool provides immediate advice for handling everyday challenges in 3 main areas: People Smarts, Business Sense, and Personal Savvy.

Learn More About QwikCoach

30 Jul
PeopleTek Coaching Blog

Announcing QwikCoach

Leadership must include coaching. Without it, a key element for success is missing.

QwikCoach, Online Coaching Support . . .

This online coaching support tool provides immediate advice for handling everyday challenges in 3 main areas: People Smarts, Business Sense, and Personal Savvy.

Explore and utilize:

-141 Fast Answers
-Over 1,000 Tips and Techniques
-202 Practice Ideas
-181 custom links to related books, seminars, and self-study courses.

STOP trying to figure out how to handle everyday workplace “problems” on your own.

STAY sharp doing the job you are doing.

START working on your own development and prepare for new opportunities.

For a preview of possibilities, visit:

http://www.qwikcoachonline.com/peopletek/What%20is%20QC/WhatISQC.htm

For addtional details contact: [email protected]

26 Jul
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership, Success

Olympians and Leadership

High performance athletes can teach us a great deal about what it takes to succeed in life, and in business.
–John Skelton

Leaders of the world unite! We’re not talking about heads of state, royal families, or politicians, but rather the athletes that are competing in the 2012 Olympics being held in London. There are 204 countries competing, and it is estimated there will be over 1,000 athletes at Friday’s opening ceremony. That’s a lot of leaders!

Not only are Olympians exceptional athletes, they also possess many of the same qualities and behaviors leaders in the business world, in public service, and in the private sector possess.

Some of these behaviors and qualities include: motivation, commitment, teamwork, dedication, determination, competency, and integrity. (They sound awfully familiar don’t they?)

Tips For Success From an Olympian Leader

Greg Searle, a British rowing gold medal winner, provides his viewpoint on how elite athletes and top business leaders have shared strategies. Here are some excerpts for what he says leads to success:

  1. Find a vision; set short term goals to achieve overall success.
    So many leaders talk about goals and talk about a vision but they don’t make it exciting, compelling or engaging enough for people to want to achieve it. The great leaders are the ones that can create that enthusiasm for long term success which drives everyday behaviors in their team.
  2. Feedback is your best friend.
    An important point for businesses and their leaders is that many companies don’t use the support function as well as they ought to. Everything is meticulously measured…and it’s the personal feedback that is most valuable.
  3. Unshakable self-belief: Self-confidence versus self-esteem.
    The respect you earn as a sportsman or in your career has been gained over the course of years. It’s important to remember that respect can’t be lost in the blink of an eye. On an individual basis, self-esteem is deep lying and built upon successes and setbacks over the course of a lifetime. . . but it’s vital to maintain self-esteem by reminding yourself of your successes in the past and that overall, your quality will shine through.
  4. Controlling the controllable.
    As a leader or a sportsman it’s important to be prepared by addressing the things that are within your control. Any strategy needs to be based upon what we can do to make a difference to our performance to get the best result. After that, it is simply a case of controlling your reaction to everything else.
  5. Recognizing pressure as a positive.
    We need to know we can perform at our best when under pressure. Expect self-doubt and nerves, but know those feelings can get you to produce your best results.

Vince Lombardi said:  

The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.

Wishing the athletes of the world the will to win, excel, and endure!

23 Jul
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Rate Yourself

Are you a skilled leader? Read Admiral Burke’s quote below and then rate yourself on his list of required leadership characteristics.

Leadership is understanding people and involving them to help you do a job. That takes all of the good characteristics, like integrity, dedication of purpose, selflessness, knowledge, skill, implacability, as well as determination not to accept failure.
—Admiral Arleigh A. Burke

Rate Your Leadership Characteristics

Rate yourself (honestly) on your strength level for these leadership characteristics, 5 being strongest.
Understanding 1 2 3 4 5
Involving 1 2 3 4 5
Integrity 1 2 3 4 5
Dedication 1 2 3 4 5
Purpose 1 2 3 4 5
Selflessness 1 2 3 4 5
Knowledge 1 2 3 4 5
Skill 1 2 3 4 5
Determination 1 2 3 4 5

How did you do? If you asked others to rate you how similar do you think the results would be?

We all benefit from continuous development and obtaining feedback that validates our self-perceptions.

Consider development options that would enable you to score a 5 in every category.

We’re here to help!

20 Jul
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Are We Lacking Bold Leadership?

The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”
–Jim Rohn

A friend recommended I read a book on leadership by Ed Rendell. Although the book focused on leadership in the political arena, many of the points can be carried over to leadership in any venue.

The book is A Nation Of Wusses; How America’s Leaders Lost the Guts To Make Us Great.

Initially the title didn’t sit right with me. I looked up the definition and decided the term does indeed apply to some individuals in leadership roles. Per Encarta: Wuss – an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody regarded as weak or ineffectual.

I’m not inclined to ever deliberatively insult anyone, but have indeed crossed paths with leaders that I regarded as weak and incompetent, incapable, and ineffective. (How many leaders have you known that fall into those categories?).

Mr. Rendell simply says: You can’t be effective if you’re a wuss. He then goes on to list the top10 factors that attribute to this “condition”. I took a bit of liberty with the phrasing but believe the intention remains constant:

10. Refusal to give credit where credit is deserved
9. Refusal to admit mistakes
8. Refusal to clearly answer questions
7. Fear of saying “no”
6. Refusal to debate or discuss differing opinions
5. Refusal to “own” past decisions
4. Refusal to state opinions when opposed
3. Change opinions due to pressure
2. Change loyalties based on popularity
1. Taking credit for the work of others (especially when they disagreed with the effort)

Strong and effective leadership requires courage, and is not always popular. Think of some leaders that you thought highly of. How many of the following traits did they exhibit?

  • Courageous (visit 12 Steps For Courageous Leadership)
  • High Integrity
  • Authentic
  • Decisive
  • Good Communicator (includes listening!)
  • Innovative
  • Visionary
  • Trustworthy
  • Competent
  • Determined

As mentioned last week, leadership truly is a journey; understand and utilize your strengths and the strengths of others, and “live” your beliefs. Be bold; position yourself to achieve your goals and be a highly regarded leader!

Something new! Preview our new online coaching support solution, QwikCoach, here.

PeopleTek’s strategic partnership with eCoach offers you a new tool for finding solutions for day-to-day issues in the work place in 3 main areas: People Smarts, Business Sense, and Personal Savvy.

Preview the home page and let us know what you think!

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