25 Nov
photo of Thank You medal; reward the positive
PeopleTek Coaching Communication

Have an Attitude of Gratitude This Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to those in the U.S.!

The holiday season is wonderful, chaotic, and often stressful. Sometimes this takes a toll on us and we forget to show appreciation and be thankful for those in our personal and professional lives.

Take a moment to reflect on the positive and encourage others to do the same:

  • Do you have good work and personal relationships?
  • Are you healthy? Is your family healthy?
  • Are you in a position to influence others and add value?
  • Are you appreciated by others?
  • Are you appreciative of those you interact with? Do you let them know that?

“Of all the “attitudes” we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life-changing.”
–Zig Ziglar

“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”
–Brian Tracy

If you’ve been fortunate enough to have things go well for you, consider your friends, family or co-workers that may not have been as fortunate. Let others know you appreciate them.

Wishing you a happy and safe holiday season with hopes that it’s filled with “attitudes of gratitude”!

19 Nov
PeopleTek Coaching Communication, Leadership

Remote Leadership Tips

Leadership has taken on new challenges with the need to lead not only those that are in the same location, but to effective manage time zone differences, have an understanding (and appreciation) of cultural differences, and keep onsite and remote team members engaged, informed, and productive.

Global Workplace Analytics conducted a survey and summarized the following trends for working remotely:

  • The non self-employed working population has grown by 103% since 2005 and 6.5% in 2014.
  • 3.7 million employees (2.5% of the workforce) now work from home at least half the time.
  • 50% of the US workforce holds a job that is compatible with at least partial telework and approximately 20-
  • 25% of the workforce teleworks at some frequency.
  • Fortune 1000 companies around the globe are entirely revamping their space around the fact that employees are already mobile. Studies repeatedly show they are not at their desk 50-60% of the time.

Leadership has challenges, and it becomes even more challenging when leading from a distance.

What does this mean to you as a leader?

As a leader, regardless of where your staff is located, common goals must be clearly understood, team members must value one another’s strengths, roles and expectations must be clearly defined, with communication skills continually honed.

  • Don’t communicate just the bare minimum.
    • Share what is expected of each individual and each location and include the “big picture” and desired results. Ensure all interactions end with closure. This means that everyone involved knows who is going to do what when.
  • Become tech-savvy.
    • Utilize the latest technology to keep in touch and better position your team to build relationships, synergy, and become a high performing team.
  • Check in regularly with each team member.
    • You’ll find that some are happy to hear from you only if you/they need something, where others may want more frequent contact (weekly if not daily).
  • Revisit the team goals and objectives.
    • Use “here’s where we are” statements, ask questions, and invite everyone to share their opinion and thoughts about the progress that is being made.
  • Ask your direct reports what they’d like to hear about and ask for their feedback as to whether you are keeping them adequately informed.
  • Create a checklist detailing what information needs to go to whom.
    • Determine how the team will work together. What are the dependencies?
    • Expect conflict and encourage healthy differences.
    • Establish best practices; set and communicate expectations and reward and recognize accordingly. (This could include a list of characteristics associated with high-performing teams, and development planning to address any gaps).
    • Leverage email to communicate general information; use your checklist to aid with identifying whether the entire team needs to be in the loop or not. When in doubt, over-communicate.

Support and “sell” your team! Keep your boss and other leaders informed of your teams’ accomplishments and successes! Your team members may not be onsite, but their presence and value must be known.

QwikTip and QwikCoach

QwikTips Powered by e-Coach – Develop Others and Be A Better Leader

And for those with a QwikCoach license, refresh your existing skills and acquire new skills by visiting the QwikTips library for leadership ideas and techniques.

If you don’t have QwikCoach, it’s an excellent resource for growing your leadership skills remotely that you should consider.

Learn More About QwikCoach

Help turn your leadership knowledge into leadership action!

05 Nov
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership, Success

The Soft Stuff is the Hard Stuff

Geoff Colvin wrote in Fortune magazine (October 28, 2013) “The Soft Stuff Is The Hard Stuff.” The premise? That skills can be developed, and are certainly required to achieve success, but it’s each individuals personal traits that truly make the difference.

Can a person be inspirational? Does a person have global sensibility? That’s the hardest thing to find.
—Anand Mahindra

What type of talent are you looking for? What will it take to round out your organization to build bench-strength and promote growth? On the flip-side, what are you doing to control attrition? Are people truly the most valuable asset you have? Does your staff believe that to be true?

The Soft Stuff Is The Hard Stuff

Integrity, empowerment, trust, and energy were identified as key components for retaining talent at Mahindra, and there was one more: developing people. Mahindra’s philosophy is to “develop talent from within and provide global exposure” so they are better positioned to compete, and succeed, in a global marketplace.

We have always believed that ethics and good governance coupled with vision and grit are fundamental to being a successful business, and our leadership team embodies these beliefs.

With more than 155,000 employees in over 100 countries, they demand performance, but provide freedom and opportunity for growth, they support innovation and risk taking, and they will not compromise on ethical business standards.

They also “value individual dignity, uphold the right to express disagreement and respect the time and efforts of others. Through our actions, we will nurture fairness, trust, and transparency”.

How highly valued are integrity and dignity in your organization? Is development planning meaningful? Are personal traits viewed as a priority? Don’t ignore the “soft stuff”!

QwikTip and QwikCoach

QwikTips Powered by e-Coach – Getting Everyone On-board

And for those with a QwikCoach license, refresh your existing skills and acquire new skills by visiting the QwikTips library for leadership ideas and techniques.

If you don’t have QwikCoach, it’s an excellent resource for growing your leadership skills remotely that you should consider.

Learn More About QwikCoach

Help turn your leadership knowledge into leadership action!