03 Jun
[email protected] Success

Mistakes Are Learning Opportunities

Smart, successful people are by no means immune to making mistakes;
they simply have the tools in place to learn from their errors.– Travis Bradberry

Dr. Travis Bradberry believes “emotionally intelligent people embrace mistakes for what they are—great opportunities to learn”, and shares the following 10 mistakes smart people never make twice.

1.Believing in someone or something that’s too good to be true.

Some people are so charismatic and so confident that it can be tempting to follow anything they say. Don’t be naïve!

2.Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Albert Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. If you want a different result, you must change your approach.

3.Failing to delay gratification.

Gratification doesn’t come quickly and hard work comes long before the reward.

4.Operating without a budget.

Budgets, both professionally and personally, establish discipline, and discipline is the foundation of quality work.

5.Losing sight of the big picture.

Assess your daily priorities against your goals; are they aligned?

6.Not doing your homework.

There’s no substitute for hard work and due diligence.

7.Trying to be someone you’re not.

Happiness and success demand authenticity.

8.Trying to please everyone.

It’s not possible to please everybody, and trying to please everyone pleases no one.

9.Playing the victim.

To play the victim, you have to give up your power, and you can’t put a price on that.

10.Trying to change someone.

The only way that people change is through the desire and wherewithal to change themselves.

Mistakes are to be learned from and can serve as a reminder of what not to do in the future. Ask yourself: What needs to change to prevent a re-occurrence?

When you repeat a mistake, it is not a mistake anymore: it is a decision.
–Author Paulo Coelho

27 May
[email protected] Decision Making

Do You Procrastinate?

If you put off everything till you’re sure of it, you’ll never get anything done.
— Norman Vincent Peale

We all suffer from procrastination at some time or another (some of us more frequently
than others). This basically means that we choose to postpone doing a task or action and instead make the decision to action low priority tasks, those that will take less time to complete, or those that we find enjoyable. 

Why?
Per Wiley Publishing’s “Time Mastery Profile”, the three major causes for not taking action are because:
We find things unpleasant
We find things difficult
We feel tough decisions are required and we may be indecisive

Tips that may help:

  • When procrastinating, the best thing you can do is to admit it.  Stop rationalizing and you’ll be more likely to act.
  • Analyze what causes you to put things off. Most of us tend to avoid things that are unpleasant, complex, or overwhelming.
  • Do the toughest tasks first.
  • Tackle unpleasant tasks in small pieces and short time segments.
  • Delegate the task to someone who may enjoy doing it. Others often enjoy what we don’t!
  • Don’t be a perfectionist and accept that some risk may exist.
  • Don’t wait for the right mood as it may be a long time coming.
  • Get started; keep going!

Addressing procrastination requires awareness. Reflect on your reasons why you postpone doing the task and commit to a daily review of what must be done

Make a plan, and then think in terms of Nike’s motto: Just do it!  

Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
— Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield

20 May
[email protected] Leadership

Employees, Leadership, and Loyalty

Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.
—Colin Powell

Success in the workplace requires understanding your employees. Matter of fact, we’ll say that your employees are the biggest component of success, which means that without strong and effective leadership, and without feelings of loyalty, success will be lacking.

Ty Collins defines a loyal employee as: a person who has worked for your company and has always focused on the success of the company. This includes sacrificing their own time and interest to put more energy into the corporation. These selfless acts are measurable and done on a daily basis.

Loyalty is a two-way street. A company and its leaders must be loyal to their employees if they are to expect loyalty in return. John C. Maxwell feels loyalty boils down to COMPASSION.  His formula for achieving success is:

COMPASSION > COOPERATION > RELATIONSHIPS = RESULTS

As leaders, we must ensure employees understand the value they provide. Maxwell suggests we make it clear that our leader/employee relationship addresses the following:

DO YOU CARE FOR ME? 
Value your team as humans, not resources
People are more important than projects
Know what motivates each person
Share what you value most about each person

CAN YOU HELP ME?
Remember that it’s a two-way relationship
What can you do to help them grow and obtain their career desires?
Each person helps you and the organization most when you help them

CAN I TRUST YOU?
Keep your promises
Be consistent
Match your actions with your words

Achieving results is essential for growth and sustainability. As a leader, don’t lose sight on devoting time to your employees and building loyal relationships.

How do you view loyalty?  Is it a 2-way street?

Loyalty is a decision, a resolution of the soul.
—Pascal Mercier

13 May
[email protected] Success

Fear Is a Barrier For Success

Courage is resistance to fear and mastery of fear—not absence of fear.
–Mark Twain

We’ve worked with many leaders, teams and organizations over the past couple of decades and have observed commonly shared fears that impact effective leadership and one’s ability to succeed.

Here are 5 common fears that even the best leaders need to be able to recognize and master:

Fear #1 – Fear of documenting a Vision, Mission and Goals
Q. Even seasoned leaders may resist documenting these. Why?
A. There may be feelings of anxiousness when putting one’s thoughts on paper, sharing them with others, having them critiqued, supported, and actioned. There is a fear of trying something new and unknown and wondering if results will be obtained.

Fear #2 – Fear of Delegation and building a Collaborative Team
Q. Why don’t we act as a team?
A. Without shared and agreed upon vision, mission and goals, team members may not understand priorities and strategy and how they can collaborate to achieve even more successes. Delegation shows trust, and trust is the foundation for teamwork.

Fear #3 – Fear of accountability and following processes
Q. What happens if we aren’t accountable for our actions and processes?
A. There is a need to define processes and required roles  and assess what can be done to increase effectiveness. We need ownership and we need repeatable processes for growth to occur.

Fear #4 – Fear of failure
Q. Why do many leaders maintain a low profile and take minimal risks?
A. No one likes to fail or make mistakes so not taking action or any chances sometimes feels like the right thing to do. It isn’t!

Fear #5 – Fear of Success
Nelson Mandela said:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?

Good question! Do you have the courage to live your passion and influence others to learn and succeed? How are you contributing to the effectiveness of your team and business?

Don’t let fear be a barrier to success!

Being brave isn’t the absence of fear.
Being brave is having that fear but finding a way through it.
–Bear Grylls

 

06 May
[email protected] Change

Life Is Change – Growth Is Optional

The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.
–Albert Einstein

Living in times of change is a constant and because of this there are continued impacts to those we interact with in the workplace (as well as those we live with).

Some have adjusted easier than others, but regardless, what we once viewed as the status quo no longer exists and anxiety and uncertainty are ever present.

Principles of change

  • Change is an ongoing process rather than an event.
  • There is a progressive sequence of change behaviors that need to be experienced and mastered to effectively
  • manage change.
  • Denial, apprehension, anger and resistance are part of the change process.
  • The progression through the phases of change represents an opportunity for growth and responsible risk taking.

Leading through times of change includes:

  • Understanding the phases of change.
  • Pinpointing which stage you (and your team/colleagues) are in.
  • Inspiring yourself and your team to accept, understand, and assess the change(s).
  • Identify who/what will be impacted by the change.
  • View change as a need for growth and improvement vs. being an obstacle/hardship.
  • Understanding the change will help calm nerves and increase feelings of stability.

Since it’s natural to resist change, here are some questions to consider:

What is lost if I don’t support this change? Compared against:
What is gained if I accept the change and help others do the same?

Is my preferred style and behavior limiting me? Compared against:
By stepping out of my comfort zone what more could I accomplish?

What will I regret if I do not make a change? Compared against:
How might I grow personally and professionally by accepting the change?

Change is both a challenge and an opportunity. It requires courage and confidence, and can provide new and exciting opportunities! Learn, Grow, Transform, and Choose Wisely!

The most dangerous quote:
We’ve Always Done It This Way

29 Apr
[email protected] Leadership

Who, Me?

Accept responsibility for your actions. Be accountable for your results.
Take ownership of your mistakes.– Anonymous

Accountability. Chances are you know someone that struggles with this, and perhaps maybe even you.

To be a trusted leader, colleague, and friend, we need to be authentic and take ownership of our actions and behaviors.
E-Coach Associates is one of our Strategic Partners and their workplace performance tool QwikCoach shares the following about accountability:

  • Focus on results and “own” them. Successes are to be celebrated!
  • Own failures too. Learn from them; what could be done so they are not repeated?

DO

  • Take ownership.
  • Take responsibility.
  • Buy in completely.
  • Know/support the organization’s vision.
  • Focus on excellence.
  • Be persistent.
  • Overcome barriers.Stay the course.

DON’T

  • Let yourself off the hook.
  • Own successes but not failures.
  • Look to blame others.
  • Make excuses.
  • Over explain failure.
  • Take more credit than deserved.

And we’d like to add:
DO be realistic about the situation and impacts and take action before the issue escalates
DON’T point fingers
DON’T get caught up in the “Who, Me”? mentality.
DO give thought to what Moliere (French playwright, actor, poet, writer) says:

It is not only what we do,
but also what we do not do,
for which we are accountable

Accountability breeds response-ability.
–Stephen Covey

 

22 Apr
[email protected] Leadership

How Do You Define Leadership?

Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal. Leadership stems from social influence, not authority or power. Leadership requires others, and that implies they don’t need to be “direct reports”.
— Kevin Kruse

We’ve learned that the term leadership means different things to different people. We promote the idea that “everyone is a leader” regardless of title since we all have the ability to influence others. (Admittedly, this opinion is sometimes met with controversy!).

We also say leaders are continual learners and that they “take others where they have not been before and would not go by themselves”.

Some of PeopleTek’s Certified Professional Leaders have shared their definition of what a good leader is:

Fabio Abreu:
A good leader is one capable of supporting the vision and making others believe and work together on it. It is the one who challenges their team constantly, making them grow and rise as leaders as well.

Karthikesan Adhinarayanan:
A good leader backs his/her team during the most difficult of situations, takes more than his share of blame, and takes less share of credit from successes.

Chinwe Anyika, PhD:
A good leader is someone who is inclusive, does not compromise quality in talent or outcome, humble, inspires, serves and coaches everyone to be the best of themselves.

Thomson Attasseril:
Leaders enable people to truly develop to their full potential, which they would not have done on their own, and have a positive impact on their lives.

Rosaura Du Toit:
A good leader leads by example, feedback is perceived as a gift, he is present, genuinely listens and provides constructive feedback looking for a win-win solution/goal for both individuals and teams.

Franco Gentile:
Leadership is the ability to influence a group to achieve specific goals. It’s taking people where they’ve never gone before and wouldn’t go by themselves. **BUT also possessing the self awareness to recognize when they, too, need guidance to go beyond their own constraints.**

Jen Hartman:
A good leader is someone who demonstrates passion, integrity, conviction and compassion in their everyday life. Good leaders take self-care seriously and encourage development of their people. They coach and mentor others, and listen more than they speak. They are impactful by how they empower and support the success of others. I aspire to be a good leader in words and actions.

Delora Kirby:
A good leader really listens to their team but makes the tough decisions to do what’s right for overall health of the team and company. They openly support their team members and privately coaches them on areas of opportunity. They protect the team from the day-to-day stressors and keeps the team focused and motivated so they would have a high EQ.

Note: More may be viewed by clicking here.

Are there any definitions you especially align with? Any you disagree with? What about one you would like to add? Let us know!

Leadership is both a research area, and a practical skill encompassing the ability of an individual, group or organization to “lead”, influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. Wikipedia

15 Apr
[email protected] Leadership

Huddle Up!

Huddles are short, sharp, focused, meetings. They generally involve the leadership team with the intent to improve communication and obtain support as needed.

Huddles aren’t just for sports teams. In a recent conference call, one of our clients mentioned that they hold daily “huddle” meetings with their leadership team to improve communication and keep one another informed.

This made us think back to a former leader we worked with years ago. She held huddle meetings with her department heads on Mondays and Thursdays to share planned changes/events and associated successes and failures, and to highlight any barriers or constraints that required assistance.

Huddles do not replace team meetings –   but rather are another vehicle to keep other leaders informed and to build relationships. These meetings are short; 15 – 20 minutes, with the intent that each leader provide “headline news” about their organization. If a colleague requires additional details about a topic, side meetings are to be scheduled only for those impacted. If a leader has nothing to share, they simply “pass”.

Getting started:

  • Set the frequency, rules and intent for the huddle and who should attend
  • Think of speaking in terms of “bullet points”
  • No one should speak longer than 1 minute (this is a variable you can change)
  • Encourage others to meet outside of the huddle if a deeper dive is needed – the facilitator should have no problem saying “please take it offline
  • If meeting in person, one recommendation is to stand, which helps keep the meeting short

Huddles are a great way to keep one another “in the know” and improve awareness of what is happening outside of one’s own team/organization.

It’s also an opportunity to support one another when needed resources or expertise can be shared to benefit other teams or organizations.

Do you hold huddle meetings? If held, could they add value for your organization?

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

08 Apr
[email protected] Decision Making

I’m Too Busy

Nobody is too busy; it’s just a matter of priorities.
— Alen Huskanović

Do you catch yourself saying (or thinking) “I’m too busy”? If yes, assess whether you’re truly BUSY versus being PRODUCTIVE. There is a difference!

Thomas Edison said:  Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.

It’s up to us to manage our time.  In general we’re pretty good at making time for what’s important to us but we don’t always excel at NOT spending time on unimportant things.

How good a job do you do making time for what’s important to you? Do you focus on supporting your vision, mission and goals? For making time for family, friends, and hobbies? Or, do you easily/consistently get side-tracked by day to day activities that are not important?

Things to consider:

  1. Productive people have a mission and ensure their actions and behaviors support it
  2. Productive people are clear on what needs to be accomplished
  3. Productive people strive to obtain results and avoid “busy work” that wastes time
  4. Productive people understand that multi-tasking often impacts obtaining desired results
  5. Productive people are truly effective at maintaining their focus

The next time you catch yourself saying or thinking “I’m too busy” stop what you’re doing and re-think what’s important and what makes you productive. Then, evaluate:

  • Which items have time constraints?
  • What will the impact be if the timeline isn’t met?
  • Which have dependencies you have no control over?
  • Which MUST be done before the work-day ends?
  • Which can be delegated to others or additional resources utilized to lessen the load?

Being aware of what’s important and our priorities will help us better manage our day, make better decisions, and increase productivity levels.

What can you do to change your mindset from being “busy” to being “productive”?

Nobody is ever too busy. If they care, they will make time.
—unknown

01 Apr
image of the word Feedback; Everything DISC 363 gives feedback for leaders
[email protected] Leadership

Is It Time For 360’ Feedback?

It takes humility to seek feedback. It takes wisdom to understand it,
analyze it and appropriately act on it.
–Stephen Covey

Most of us experienced an abundance of change in 2020 in both our personal lives and in our work environment. During this time how readily did we adapt and help others adapt? Do we have a strong sense of any changes in our leadership style and behaviors? What about how communication and relationships were impacted?

We may not be aware of any changes in ourselves, but this could be a great time to solicit formal 360 feedback from others and obtain their thoughts.

Wiley’s Everything DiSC 363® feedback tool is one of our assessments of choice. It focuses on 8 Competencies:

1. Pioneering – Finding Opportunities, Stretching The Boundaries, Promoting Bold Action

2. Energizing – Showing Enthusiasm, Building Professional Networks, Rallying People To Achieve Goals

3. Affirming – Being Approachable, Acknowledging Contributions, Creating A Positive Environment

4. Inclusive – Staying Open To Input, Showing Diplomacy, Facilitating Dialogue

5. Humble – Maintaining Composure, Showing Modesty, Being Fair Minded

6. Deliberate – Communicating With Clarity, Promoting Disciplined Analysis, Providing A Sense Of Stability

7. Resolute – Setting High Expectations, Speaking Up About Problems, Improving Methods

8. Commanding – Showing Confidence, Taking Charge, Focusing On Results

Obtaining anonymous and confidential feedback from your boss, direct reports, colleagues/peers, vendors, and strategic partners will provide you with invaluable information. And, the process includes a self-evaluation so you are provided with a comparison of your perceptions from those of others, with the results debriefed by an executive coach.

How could you benefit from hearing what others have to say?

Positive feedback makes the strong grow stronger and the weak grow weaker.
—Carl Shapiro

 

25 Mar
Listening
[email protected] Interpersonal Skills

Listening While Working Remote

The art of conversation lies in listening.
–Malcom Forbes

Listening takes work, it’s a skill most of us could improve upon, and working remotely adds to the difficulty.

Wiley’s Personal Listening Profile assesses five listening approaches:

  1. Appreciative: This style is more relaxed and seeks enjoyment, entertainment, or inspiration.
  2. Empathic: This style is supportive of the speaker, does not judge, and seeks to learn.
  3. Comprehensive: With this style the listener relates what they hear to what they’re already familiar with by organizing and summarizing the main message.
  4. Discerning: This style listens to get complete information so they understand the important details while also taking in appearance, tone and behavior.
  5. Evaluative: This style tends to look for facts that support the message and may accept or reject the message based on personal beliefs.

Does one style sound more like you than the others? Does your style change dependent on the speaker? And, does your preferred style change if the conversation is in person versus on conference or video calls?

These tips for working remotely have been shared previously but they’re worth sharing again:

  • For video calls encourage that the camera be “on” whenever possible and look for body language and levels of engagement
  • Listen for what’s being said and what isn’t being said
  • Don’t immediately assess what you’ve heard until the conversation has ended (we sometimes are too quick to think we understand and miss key points)
  • Avoid multi-tasking
  • Look attentive and interested in the speaker; nod for understanding and encouragement
  • Paraphrase your interpretation of the topic/message
  • Minimize or tune out distractions
  • Remain focused and attentiveStrong listening skills are required for effective communication and healthy relationships.  Be aware of your preferred style, adapt as necessary, and become an active and purposeful listener!

We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less.
–Diogenes

18 Mar
[email protected] Leadership

Lead By Example

When you lead by example, you make it easy for others to follow you.

A recent survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation asked “what one trait is most important for a person leading you“?  Their findings may surprise you. The results are:

26%  Leading by example
19%  Strong ethics or morals
17%  Knowledge of the business
14%  Fairness
13%  Overall intelligence and competence
10%  Recognition of employees

Since Leading By Example ranked highest, does that imply that many leaders are NOT leading by example? That they don’t actively support a shared vision and goals? That integrity and accountability are not part of their daily behaviors and activities? That they expect things from others that they wouldn’t or don’t do? That they don’t manage conflict or give honoring feedback? That communication may be lacking, unclear, or inconsistent? We’re not sure, but as leaders we need to be mindful that leading by example is a major “want”.

John C. Maxwell shares what he calls the “The Law Of The Picture” and says “People do what people see”. (Excerpts from his 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership)

1. Followers are always watching you.
If the bosses come in late, then employees feel that they can, too. If the bosses cut corners, employees cut corners. People do what people see. Followers may doubt what their leaders say, but they usually believe their actions. And they imitate it.

2. It’s easier to teach than to do.
Nothing is more convincing than people who give good advice and set a good example.

3. We should work to change ourselves before changing others.
A great danger to good leadership is the temptation to try to change others without first making changes to yourself.

4. The most valuable gift a leader can give is being a good example.
More than anything else, employees want leaders whose beliefs and actions line up. They want good models who lead from the front.

Make sure you set the example you want others to emulate. Would you want to work for you? Was there any hesitation answering that question? If yes, dig deep and assess what changes could be made so the answer becomes a resounding “yes”!

The reality is that the only way change comes is when you lead by example.
— Anne Wojcicki

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