19 Dec
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

CEO Mary Barra – A Leadership Breakthrough

Mary Barra has been named the new CEO of General Motors, (effective January 15, 2014); she’s the first female chief executive officer in a major automotive company. Quite the break through!

Joining GM at 18 as a co-op student, Ms. Barra continually climbed the corporate ladder during her 33 year career at GM. She has held a variety of engineering and administrative positions, including Vice President of Global Human Resources where her responsibilities included overseeing and restructuring GM’s cultural change due to bankruptcy.

Ms. Barra is both an outstanding technician, and a well respected leader. As an engineer, she had responsibility for GM’s 11 worldwide brands for their design, program management, and quality improvement efforts. She is known for her approachability and effectiveness, and for her vision.

Current CEO Akerson said why Ms. Barra was selected:

Because of the breadth of her experience, her management record, her people skills and her understanding of GM’s operations.

Her breadth and depth of experience and her interpersonal and people skills are repeatedly mentioned as key strengths, and it was also stated that she “brought order to chaos” in the global product development process.

She shares her vision, she knows where she wants to take the company, she reacts well to change, and helps lead others through it. An industry analyst attributes her strong leadership style to be “more of a coach than a traditional top-down executive.” In 2012, Forbes Magazine recognized Barra as the 41st most powerful woman in the world, where she was praised for both her automotive business knowledge, and her leadership style.

Barra’s Tips for Success

  • Pursue a career with passion and hard work; talent alone is not enough to be a success.
  • Address challenges head-on; get all those involved together right away to address the situation.
  • Change the world; rethink outdated assumptions and make a real difference; protect the things that don’t need to change.
  • Give something back; find a cause, join a charity, help a neighbor.
  • Remember your friends, family, and faith. They help celebrate good times and cope with bad times. Faith doesn’t always make things easy, but it can make all things possible.

Ms. Barra is yet another leader that exemplifies courageous leadership, and is proof that all things are possible!

05 Dec
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership, Planning, Success

Are You Strategic?

As leaders we make decisions daily that are critical to the success of our organization. We continually seek ways to grow revenue, reduce costs, and build bench-strength.

We make decisions that link and support initiatives across the organization, and we spread levels of awareness for understanding how behaviors and processes link with our strategy, our vision, and our goals.

Strategic planning is worthless – unless there is first a strategic vision.
–John Naisbitt

How to Start Thinking Strategically

Many of us do not excel at thinking strategically, or at identifying and cultivating future leaders that have the capacity to think strategically. Here is an action guide to get you going:

  • Define the business you are in and stay on top of the trends within our industry.
  • Know who your customers are and their needs and wants.
  • Identify what services you provide. Could additions/deletions add value? What are our differentiators?
  • Determine what you want your organization to be known for.
  • Analyze pursuing strategic alliances; create a plan to make it real.
  • Engage your high performers!

The intent is to align staff to collaborate and support the attainment of desired short and long term results, and provide new ideas and fresh thinking for growth opportunities.

  • Conduct brain-storming workshops. Determine how to categorize ideas as good, great, “later,” or not actionable.
  • What value will the new idea provide?
  • How will the new idea(s) impact your organization (negatively and positively)?

Fortune magazine named Elon Musk the 2013 Business Person Of The Year. Why? Because of his multi-dimensional thinking, his obsession for design perfection, his passion, his clarity, and his conviction.

What plans to you have in place to drive exceptional business results, infuse innovation and creativity, adapt a growth mindset, and influence others to remain motivated, inspired and renewed?

02 Dec
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Are You Keeping Up?

What got you to where you are today will more than likely NOT take you to your desired next level of achievement.

Leadership development is not a onetime event. Learning to be an effective leader takes time, care, and attention.

Part of our tool kit now includes QwikCoach, a 24X7 coaching support tool that provides access to hundreds of tips, techniques, and practice exercises that leaders find invaluable.

It’s a great tool for development planning and for conducting one on one feedback sessions.

QwikCoach has been incorporated into the Leadership Journey I and Journey II programs. It’s also available for those that have not yet taken the Leadership Journey  (a resource for specific needs), and a refresher for those that have graduated.

QwikCoach is one more way to provide your staff with development opportunities.

Contact us to learn more or for a complimentary overview session.

21 Nov
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Authentic Leadership

Genuine, Worthy of Trust, Reliance, or Belief

This is how Bill George, author of Authentic Leadership, defines authentic leadership, and we agree. What does authentic leadership mean to you?

George states that authentic leaders:

Understand their Purpose (passion).

  • If you lack purpose and direction in your leadership, why would anyone want to follow you?

Practice solid values (behaviors).

  • The values of a leader are shaped by their personal beliefs, developed through study, introspection, and consultation with others, and require 100% integrity.

Lead with heart (compassion).

  • Engage the minds and hearts of your employees through a sense of purpose. Greatness (and results!) are achieved when multiple minds contribute to the task.

Establish connected relationships (networks).

  • A detached leadership style often used when providing strategy or delegating will not lead to success as much as developing close and enduring relationships will.

Demonstrate self-discipline (consistency).

  • Converting values into consistent actions lends itself to building respect. We must admit our mistakes and not let ego or emotion impact our actions.

Authentic Leadership Self-Assessment

Ask yourself the following questions and answer honestly.

  1. What’s the purpose of my leadership? Do I really want to devote my talents to the profession I’m currently in?
  2. Am I in a position where I can make a real difference and feel valued?
  3. Do I ever check my beliefs at the office door? When?
  4. How can I stay true to my values when there are so many pressures to compromise?
  5. Can I develop close relationships with my subordinates and still achieve my objectives?

To be truly authentic, validate what’s important to you and align your personal and professional lives accordingly.

We also suggest having clearly defined vision, mission and goals, and ensure all your actions support your ability to achieve them.

Are you authentic?

14 Nov
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Relationships Are Not an Option

Do you agree that we all want to work more effectively with people? Whether the interaction is with our manager, customer or coworker, we want to make our interpersonal relationships positive, supportive, clear, and empowering.

An effective leader is proficient in managing relationships and building networks. They must also possess the ability to find common ground and build rapport which significantly improves results and satisfaction levels.

Leadership: It’s not something you do to people, it’s something you do with people.
–Patricia Zigarmi and Drea Zigarmi

Over 300 managers and executives across the globe were asked if the definition of leadership had changed in the past five years. 84 percent responded yes, and attributed it to having more complex challenges resulting in hardships for their organizations.

There was a side benefit to these hardships: greater collaboration, improved work processes, and expanded work boundaries. Interesting, isn’t it?

Keep in mind that the nature and speed of work that is required by most professions do not lend themselves to developing relationships or for allowing time to develop the necessary skills, but they are essential for achieving success.

The TRUST Relationship Strategy

This strategy is used frequently by sales forces, but may also be used for most industries. It stands for:

  • T – Think
  • R – Relate
  • U – Uncover the needs
  • S – Sell the solution
  • T – Take action and close                    

Additional tips and techniques are provided by QwikCoach for Balancing Relationships and Results:

It’s important for teams to dedicate time to specifically assess process and relationships and to look for ways to continuously improve both.

Click to read more . . . (ID and password required.)

Building and sustaining strong and lasting relationships is not an option!

10 Oct
PeopleTek Coaching Communication, Leadership

The Blame Game

A boss creates fear, a leader confidence. A boss fixes blame, a leader corrects mistakes. A boss knows all, a leader asks questions. A boss makes work drudgery, a leader makes it interesting.
–Russell H. Ewing

We all make mistakes, but not everyone takes ownership of them. What’s key is how we handle/address them. Chances are you experience negative feelings, and your energy level drops.  This is normal.  Looking for someone to blame, sadly, is also normal for some individuals and teams.

A team consisting of technicians, customer advocates, and quality control agents worked on a joint initiative.  There were no common reporting lines, and each person had an assigned role and accompanying deliverables and due dates. The initiative ended up being over budget and the completion goal was missed.

Frustration levels grew, excuses were made, and finger pointing occurred in all directions; surely there was someone to blame.

When errors occur, frustration levels grow, excuses get made, and finger pointing can sometimes run rampant. Surely there must be someone to blame!

A man can get discouraged many times but he is not a failure until he begins to blame somebody else and stops trying.
–John Burroughs

Healthier Approaches to Dealing With Mistakes

Finding external causes initially makes one feel better; in actuality instead of being helpful, these behaviors accomplish little, they waste energy, and they cause ill feelings.

  • Accept responsibility; assigning blame creates obstacles to success.
  • Drill down on the reason(s) for the error, seek solutions, and consider alternative approaches. What could have been done differently to prevent the problem? What can be done so there is not a re-occurrence? Do processes need to change? Were the right resources involved?
  • Avoid asking “why” as it places blame and puts people and teams on the defensive.
  • Replace the word “should” with the word “could.” (It provides options, and there isn’t necessarily only one correct choice.)
  • Do get to the root cause, identify and remove roadblocks, remove emotion and remain fact based.
  • Look at replacing unfavorable behaviors with those having a positive influence
  • If you’ve erred, own it, learn from it and move on.

We’re responsible for our actions and behaviors, and the only actions and behaviors we can change are our own. Placing blame lessens the power to change and grow; don’t play the blame game!

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?

29 Aug
PeopleTek Coaching Success

Try, Try Again

We all deal with frustrations, rejection, and disappointments. It certainly does not feel good, but what matters is how we react to and learn from them.

When things don’t go the way you desire, what behaviors do you exhibit? Granted there are varying degrees of failure, but are you more inclined to rise to the occasion and face the challenge head on, are you more inclined to retreat, or do you re-evaluate the experience and revise or create new aspirations?

A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure
may turn to glorious success.
–Elbert Hubbard

Failures That Turned to Glorious Successes

Abraham Lincoln

  • Experienced 12 major failures before being elected the 16th President of the U.S.

Albert Einstein

  • His teachers said “he wouldn’t amount to much.”

Ludwig van Beethoven

  • Beethoven’s music teacher once said “as a composer, he is hopeless.”

Steve Jobs

  • He felt he was a public failure when he was fired from Apple.

Michael Jordan

  • Was cut from his high school basketball team because of his “lack of skill.”

John Grisham

  • His first novel was rejected by sixteen agents and twelve publishing houses.

Walt Disney

  • Was fired from a newspaper for his lack of imagination.

The Beatles

  • In 1962, they were told they “had no future in show business” and that “groups with guitars are on the way out.”

We can dream, but we must also be realistic.

Self awareness is important. What are your strengths? Can they be further developed?

Passion is critical! What are your aspirations? Do you have a plan in place?

What barriers are getting in your way? What help do you need to navigate around them?

Persistence is a behavior exhibited by the successful; that’s why effective leaders never give up or give in!  How persistent are you?

15 Aug
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership, Success

Networking – It’s Invaluable!

Networking. What does that mean to you? How do you get started?

It’s been loosely defined as a structure consisting of individuals or organizations with some form of commonality. It could be regional, religious, industry specific, fraternity relationships, or any other affiliation linkage.

Why Networking is Important

Clearly, networking is important for leadership and professional success. But why?

We think Matthew Moran says it perfectly:

I view professional networking as the single most important skill in career development.

Some networking seems to happen automatically. A relationship may develop through good work ethics, shared behaviors and values, appreciated skills, or the successful attainment of common goals. Other times a bit more work is required.

To get started, identify your interests. (We’ll stick with career networking.) What line of work are you in? What is your position? What do you aspire your position to be? You may not be seeking a promotion or a new position now, but establishing network ties and having the time to strengthen relationships will serve you well.

PeopleTek’s Networking Suggestions

  • Maintain relationships with past co-workers/customers/bosses.
  • Utilize past relationships to increase your business contacts.
  • Create a “board of directors” that will provide you with impactful feedback and share growth and career opportunities for you.
  • Seek a mentor at work, preferably a higher ranking person that can prepare you for the next level, provide a reference, and possibly open new doors for you.
  • Attend industry/network events.
  • Ask for business cards and send an email as a follow-up.
  • Practice engaging strangers in conversation. A sample conversation could include:
    • What do they like best about their job?
    • What skills do they consider to be their strength?
    • What would they like to see change?

In Summary

Don’t procrastinate! Establish a network now.

Join organizations with the potential to further your career.

Develop your people skills. What could you do better?

12 Aug
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Are You Stuck?

Are you stuck? Do you find there are barriers impeding your progress?

PeopleTek’s Leadership Journey may be your solution. Our twelve-session, hands on leadership develop program:

  • Increases self-awareness
  • Maximizes strengths; minimizes weaknesses
  • Helps attendees better understand, coach, and lead others toward achieving shared goals

Leadership is not a one-time event. Learning to be an effective leader takes time, care, and attention. When you complete your journey, you will:

  • Understand your leadership style, and those of others
  • Have the skill to meet difficult situations head on
  • Better relate to and influence others

Whether you’re a tenured or newly promoted leader, or an individual contributor, you’ll learn new behaviors that remove obstacles that help attain desired goals.

We have 2 new sessions kicking off soon!

September 10th        Facilitated via teleconference; attend from any location!

October 15th             Facilitated in person in Phoenix, Arizona

And there’s something new:

Quick Coach. For one year you’ll have 24×7 access to hundreds of tips, techniques, and practice exercises that leaders find invaluable.

The Leadership Journey may also be facilitated in Spanish!

Are you providing your staff with the opportunities to realize their possibilities?

Contact us to learn more!

PeopleTek’s Leadership Journey guided me through a series of self discoveries that held the secret of improving my effective leadership behavior, techniques and processes. I learnt tools that can connect them to the work I am doing today.
–Lakshmi N Mahate, Engagement Manager, Syntel Inc, American Express Global Prepaid Technologies

The Journey exceeded expectations. It was very insightful learning about “me” and how to relate to others. The tools/instruments were very powerful and certainly increased my awareness levels. All management should take the class. It would facilitate focusing on listening and learning skills. The Journey opens minds to future capacity/growth and assists with how to manage and be managed.
–Dan D., Accelerated Ecom

For more testimonials from our Journey graduates, click here.

1 2 3 4