23 Jul
[email protected] Leadership

Staying Engaged and Connected

Keep yourself calm and stay engaged with a dedication to fulfilling your goals.
–Milind Audichya

Are you noticing that colleagues are more restless than ever? That motivation and energy levels are low, and even while on video calls, many prefer to turn their camera off making it hard to assess who’s engaged and who is not?

It’s been reported that while most companies are doing a good job keeping their employees safe and providing opportunities for a stable work culture, more is needed while we work through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Willis Towers Watson, a global advisory and solutions company, tracked more than 100,000 global employees to assess the impacts of COVID-19.  They found:

    • Over nine in 10 employees (92%) reported some level of anxiety
    • 55% indicated a moderate or high degree of anxiety
    • 70% shared they were at least somewhat distracted from a work perspective
    • 32% said they were able to balance working from home with other responsibilities
    • 61% had financial concerns
    • 25% expressed a moderate or high degree of worry
    • Less than half (46%) reported their company was making it easier to access or apply employee benefits related to COVID-19 care
    • 78% agree their leaders have been effective at focusing on work objectives – (that’s impressive!)
    • 16% of employees in stronger team environments have lower rates of distraction while those that struggle collaborating (56%) are more distracted

So what else can we as leaders do?

  1. Be available when support is needed, both for those working from home, and even more so for the “essential workers” that have additional challenges
  2. Assess if there’s a need/opportunity/budget to update work at home equipment
  3. Keep all employees/consultants/colleagues informed
  4. Stress collaboration and the need for teamwork
  5. Share weekly priorities; assign “who” needs to do “what” by “when”
  6. Schedule one on one time
  7. Build in time each week for relationship building. Our team is currently using:
    4,000 Questions for Getting to Know Anyone and Everyone by Barbara Ann Kipfer.  Certainly plenty to choose from!
  8. Be patient! Schools may or may not reopen (ditto for day care), so stress levels and time management may be even more challenging.

Do you have any tips to share for helping others stay engaged and connected? Let us know!

Research indicates that workers have three prime needs: Interesting work, recognition for doing a good job, and being let in on things that are going on in the company.–Zig Ziglar

16 Jul
[email protected] Leadership

Why Give Feedback?

Feedback is the breakfast of champions.
—Ken Blanchard

Why Give Feedback? The intent is to help others grow and thrive, help them understand perceptions about what they do well and what can be improved upon, and it’s a great opportunity to address any actions or behaviors that should be stopped.

All feedback should be delivered respectfully and with specific examples that support your message.

A recommended process is:

ASK – stimulate reflection about what is being discussed

LISTEN – self perceptions can differ greatly from “outside” perceptions

THINK – are there opposing views? What about ideas for improvement?

THANK – it’s most effective when both the feedback giver and receiver welcome feedback

RESPOND – an agreement to “think about it” is a good start

INVOLVE – what support is needed for improvement? A mentor? Up-skilling? Coaching?

CHANGE – is there a consensus of what to address and improve upon? (or keep strong?)

FOLLOW-UP – schedule “check-ins” or better yet immediately share when you see progress

Positive feedback in most cases is easier to deliver than difficult feedback.  For the “tough” feedback, try and remove emotions and remain fact based:

  • What situation are you addressing?
  • Is there a specific behavior? Describe it.
  • Share what you saw, heard, and felt.
  • Describe the impact of the behavior.

You as a leader have a great opportunity to make a difference and strengthen individuals and teams. You can enhance skills, build relationships, increase collaboration, and inspire commitment and change.

Are you making a difference between “awesome” and “less awesome”?

Once people take ownership over the decision to receive feedback, they’re less defensive about it.
–Adam Grant

09 Jul
[email protected] Change

When Will It End?

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.—Henry Ford

When will it end? We’re talking about COVID-19 and the impacts to the workplace, and especially to people. Attitudes are wearing thin, motivation is suffering, and not having the ability to function “normally” is taking a toll.

What are you noticing in your workplace? What about in yourself?

In April, IBM polled 25,000+ U.S. adults to assess how COVID-19 and the need to work from home impacted them.

  • 75% said they would like to continue to work from home at least partially
  • 40% of respondents felt it should be an option

Before COVID-19, Video company Owl Labs conducted a study of 1200 workers and found the following benefits:

  • Full-time remote workers reported being happy in their jobs 22% more than workers who never worked remotely
  • Working remotely provided a better work-life balance (91%)
  • Productivity was increased/there was better focus (79%)
  • Less stress (78%)
  • Less daily travel (78%)
  • 43% (by choice) worked more hours than non-remote workers.

So, there is some positive news, but as leaders, how does this impact us?

Leading teams virtually is not new for some, but it does require new leadership skills. Gone are the days of impromptu face to face meetings, walking the floor to assess the pulse of the team, and having an open door policy to encourage communication.

We suggest:

  • Block out time in your calendar for brief check-ins (these are in addition to your regular one on one update sessions)
  • Conduct daily team briefings (no longer than 10 minutes) allowing for immediate needs to be high-lighted. Those involved/impacted can schedule additional time for next steps.
  • Hold weekly team meetings to discuss accomplishments, goal progress/roadblocks, and any resource issues. Encourage “on camera” attendance and plan for 60-90 minutes.

For something new:

  • Ask each team member to share a favorite leadership quote, or to identify a leader they respect, and why
  • Build time for relationship building:
  • What’s new personally?
  • Weddings, births, graduations, etc
  • Any favorite TV shows/series or movies to recommend?
  • Desired travel (once restrictions are lifted)

    When will it end? We have no idea as to COVID-19, but working remotely may continue to grow, so as leaders it’s up to us to help others adapt and thrive. Let us know what’s working well for you.

Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.—Bernice Johnson Reagon, Composer

02 Jul
[email protected] Leadership

Independence and Courageous Leadership

Men make history, and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.  –Harry Truman

This year U.S. Independence Day celebrations (generally celebrated July 4th) will likely be different from those in past years. Picnics, beach and lakefront gatherings, parades, and even fireworks are being scaled back in hopes of encouraging social distancing while better managing the possible spread of COVID-19.

So, instead of thinking about the celebrations, let’s focus on the courageous leadership required to obtain Independence. Note: Did you know that 175+ other countries also celebrate Independence Day?

Independence Day events generally honor the sacrifices required to physically separate from old governments/regimes and start fresh.

In most cases these are national holidays and a time for celebration and reflection. It’s also a good time to remember all the courageous leaders that valued the need for change, growth and persistence despite resistance.

In the United States, on July 4, 1776, 56 men met in Philadelphia and passed a resolution declaring their independence from England, allowing for the creation of a new government and new ways of thinking.

These men were true leaders, they were courageous, they were risk takers, and they certainly weren’t fearful of change! They were also committed to motivating and inspiring others to support a new way of life, despite knowing there would be challenges.

Changes in the workplace can’t be compared to the magnitude of changes in governments, but as leaders we can still inspire improvement. What can we make better? Are there new products, processes, or services we can implement? What’s not working well? Have you solicited opinions from colleagues of all levels and listened to their ideas?

Bottom line, are you leading with courage, and are you empowering yourself and others to go beyond where you/they have gone before? (We’ve coined this CourageAbility™). And, what are you doing to inspire others?

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.–John Quincy Adams

25 Jun
[email protected] Communication, Leadership

Conversations That Keep You Up

Your ability to speak up about issues that weigh you down is crucial to your success at work and life.—Maggie Warrell

As leaders we need to excel in communication, and that includes having difficult conversations. Have you ever been in a situation where you know you need to address negative behaviors or missed deliverables, and you feel it will be so uncomfortable it actually impacts your ability to sleep? If yes, you’re not alone.

Conducting a difficult conversation is quite frankly, difficult. As a result, we frequently let it fall to the bottom of our “to do” list, which only makes the situation worse (and allows our own anxiety to grow!).

Here are some tips:

Be specific and objective about the behavior or  situation you wish to discuss

Address the issue as soon as possible

Explain the impacts of the situation
1. Was there an impact to colleagues, business
partners, or clients? If yes, what?
2. Were any goals or desired results missed? Be
specific.
3. Is this a one-time issue or a re-occurring
problem?
4. Focus on the specific behavior/issue, NOT the
personality of the person

Allow the person to share their perspective
1. Actively listen and respond to what is being
communicated
2. Offer suggestions, solutions or development
opportunities if applicable
3. Was it a simple and isolated mistake? Was there
ill-intent?

Avoid conducting the conversation in the midst of emotions and conflict
1. Deliver your message in a healthy, respectful
manner
2. Stay focused and clearly state desired changes
3. Manage your emotions (remember, the delivery is
as important as the message!)

Expect and plan for objections/detours/obstacles; restate your expectations
1. Stay focused on what needs to change and why
2. Are consequences appropriate?
3. Provide feedback; share that the bottom line is to
help the person be more effective, improve
performance, relationships, etc

After you conduct your conversation, remember to summarize your specific agreement, and if appropriate, schedule a follow-up session.

What kinds of conversations keep you up at night? Make conducting them a priority!

Conversations create change . . .
–Ellen Page

18 Jun
[email protected] Leadership

You Have To Be Genuine

It’s not enough to just go through the motions, trying to demonstrate qualities that are associated with emotional intelligence. You have to be genuine.
—Travis Bradberry

We’ve talked about the need for Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and how some consider EQ to be the single biggest predictor of high performance in the workplace as well as the strongest driver of leadership and personal excellence.

Author and provider of EQ testing Travis Bradberry adds that “Emotional intelligence won’t do a thing for you if you aren’t genuine.” Genuine, Real, and Authentic = what people want in leadership.

Bradberry provides the following:

1.Genuine people don’t try to make people like them: Genuine people are who they are. They know that some people will like them, and some won’t.

2.They don’t pass judgment: Genuine people are open-minded, which makes them approachable and interesting to others.

3.They forge their own paths: They do what they believe to be the right thing, and they’re not swayed by the fact that somebody might not like it.

4.They are generous: Genuine people are unfailingly generous with whom they know, what they know and the resources they have access to.

5.They treat EVERYONE with respect: Genuine people treat everyone with respect because they believe they’re no better than anyone else.

6.They aren’t motivated by material things: Their happiness comes from within.

7.They are trustworthy: People gravitate toward those who are genuine because they know they can trust them.

8.They are thick-skinned: They’re able to objectively evaluate negative and constructive feedback.

9.They put away their phones: When genuine people commit to a conversation, they focus all of their energy on it.

10.They aren’t driven by ego: They simply do what needs to be done.

11.They aren’t hypocrites: Genuine people practice what they preach.

12.They don’t brag: Genuine people know who they are. They are confident enough to be comfortable in their own skin.

Think of the best leader you’ve ever worked for. How many of the behaviors above did they exhibit? Were they “genuine”? What can you learn from them?

A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.
–Martin Luther King, Jr.

11 Jun
[email protected] Decision Making

Decisions, Decisions

You’ll never have all the information you need to make a decision.  If you did, it would be a foregone conclusion, not a decision.
– David Mahoney, Jr.

How skilled do you feel you are at decision making? Some have no issues, but others find it challenging and even stressful, especially when the decision must be made “under fire”. 

Those that are effective decision makers generally:

  • Make decisions based on analysis, knowledge, and experience
  • Avoid letting emotions impact their decision
  • Take into account deadlines, obtain as many details as possible, and are not afraid to make a decision based on what they know
  • Solicit others for advice and ideas when they question if they are making sound decisions
  • Understand that mistakes may happen!

Personal styles and preferences are also a factor. Many of us are familiar with Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and our type impacts our Decision Making Preferences. Here’s a recap of the 1st (E vs I) and 4th (J vs P) indicators:

Type E (Extraversion) are more likely to:
Want to talk it through first
Respond in an energetic way
Start with external data
Crave breadth
Consider impact on environment first
Share thoughts and feelings freely

Type I (Introversion) are more likely to:
Want to think it through first
Respond in a measured way
Start with internal data
Crave depth
Consider impact on self first
Share thoughts and feelings carefully

Type J (Judging) are more likely to:
Want a decision now
Expect to make progress
Invite closure
Demonstrate commitment to the agreed upon solution
Feel discomfort until a decision is made
Desire certainty

Type P (Perceiving) are more likely to:
Want to postpone making a decision
Expect time to process
Invite new information
Stay open to changing the solution
Feel discomfort rejecting decision options
Desire flexibility

If your “gut” is telling you something just does not feel right with your decision, take a few hours or even a day or two to re-think it.  Rarely does a decision need to be made NOW. If it does, then re-assess what’s known (facts, impacts, historicals), and trust yourself to make the best decision you can. Don’t be afraid to ask others for their input!

Our decisions may not always be perfect and additional information may come to light, but we can commit to conducting due diligence allowing us to make the best decision at that time.

What’s your comfort level with decision making? Do you think your “type” preference is a factor?

Checking the results of a decision against its expectations shows executives what their strengths are, where they need to improve, and where they lack knowledge or information.–Peter Drucker

04 Jun
[email protected] Leadership

The Desire To Be Lead

We need to be the type of leader we would follow.

What type of leader would you follow? Do you possess the skills and behaviors of what you describe? What about during times of crises?

Fortune Magazine’s Geoff Colvin writes about 3 Keys To Leading In A Crisis and shares that leaders will benefit by following a few principles; excerpts include:

People Want To Be Led
No group accomplishes much if no one is in charge. In a life-threatening historic crisis, we want direction more than ever.

We want a leader who has the power we do not, and we look to the leader to assume part of our burden allowing us to sleep at night. If you’re in charge – be in charge.

Be Decisive
In a crisis, even people who would normally be at one another’s throats accepts that major decisions must be made quickly (and possibly debated after the fact).

The difficulty is that just when decisions are most easily accepted, they’re hardest to make. Decisions are made with incomplete information; stakes are high, yet firm (and timely) decisions must be made.

Define Reality and Give Hope
People hunger for the unvarnished truth about their organization and prospects and they can sense evasion a mile away.

The leader’s art is outlining reality unflinchingly and framing it as a challenge that can be met, not as a disaster that must be endured. Effective leaders never make a promise that can’t be kept with 100% certainty; they do offer realistic reasons for hope.

Followers want to trust their leader; they want their leaders to be authentic and lead with integrity.  They want their leaders to communicate and keep in touch, they want re-assurance, and they want to know what plans are in place for dealing with the change(s).

Tall orders, and as John Maxwell says “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”

Are you the type of leader you would follow?

There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us.
-Simon Sinek

28 May
[email protected] Leadership

Stay or Go? How To Retain Talent

We can’t stop employees from leaving unless we have a plan to make them stay.–  Soumyasanto Sen

How much time do you dedicate to your direct reports or team members? Do you have documented goals and have you shared them? Do you have regular monthly one on one update sessions to discuss progress and obstacles? Are you aware of desired career paths and do you leverage individual strengths? Do you provide development opportunities that support career goals? Is your reward and recognition process consistent? Is your work culture desirable?  

If you said no to any of these, you may be at risk of losing essential talent.

The Work Institute’s study provided the following reasons for employees leaving voluntarily

22 out of 100 employees left for Career Development

12 out of 100 left for Work-Life Balance

11 out of 100 left because of Manager Behavior

9 out of 100 left for Compensation and Benefits

8 out of 100 left for Well-Being

8 out of 100 left for Job Characteristics

5 out of 100 left because of the Work Environment 

Gallop surveyed 100,000 employees and found the top reasons for staying:

Employees felt their job is important to the company.
Employees felt their boss cares about them and provides regular feedback.
Employees were clear on job expectations.
Employees felt their opinions count.
Employees have opportunities to do their best work daily.
Career development is encouraged.

As leaders, we can strongly influence the reasons to stay. Business consultant Greg Smith defined a five step process to serve as a reminder: P.R.I.D.E:

P    Provide a Positive Working Environment
R   Recognize, Reward and Reinforce the Right Behavior
I    Involve and Engage
D   Develop Skills and Potential
E   Evaluate and Measure

Are any changes needed to impact the “stay” or “go” decision for essential talent?

Research indicates that workers have three prime needs: Interesting work, recognition for doing a good job, and being let in on things that are going on in the company.–Zig Ziglar

21 May
[email protected] Success, Team

Team Trust Is A Must

Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.–Stephen Covey

Do you agree that trust is the foundation for any team’s success? That team members must be candid and vulnerable with one another? That trust impacts results, unity, stress, and satisfaction levels?

When trust is minimal (or absent), teams are simply not teams, but rather a group of individual performers. And, when trust does not exist between colleagues, direct reports, and business partners, the desire to “strive for more” is lacking.

Building trust begins with awareness. We all have our own set of strengths and growth opportunities as well as behaviors and skill-sets. Have we validated what they are, and do we know how to leverage them to be most effective? What about knowing how we can add the most value to our team? Are we willing to be vulnerable and admit when our knowledge may be weak or when we’ve made a mistake? These are the keys to trust.

Next is increasing our awareness of colleagues (and bosses too). Do you understand their styles and preferences? Thought processes? Intent? How they wish to be communicated with? Do you feel connected with them? These are additional keys for trust.

Other common team problems that are likely impacted by trust are:

Managing and addressing differences

The willingness to share knowledge, information, and work together

Engagement levels and the desire to jointly achieve goals

Being too tactical; always in the “now” mode and not considering the future

Inability to accept and embrace change

Clarity around individual and team roles for goal attainment

We’ve shared it before, but it’s worth sharing again The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team as defined by Patrick Lencioni:

1.    Absence of TRUST

2.    Fear of CONFLICT

3.    Lack of COMMITMENT

4.    Avoidance of ACCOUNTABILITY

5.    Inattention to RESULTS

Team trust is a must. Is trust an issue within your team? If no, can you share what you’ve done to cross this hurdle? We’d love to hear from you!

Great teams do not hold back with one another. They are unafraid to air their dirty laundry. They admit their mistakes, their weaknesses, and their concerns without fear of reprisal.—Patrick Lencioni

14 May
[email protected] Change, Leadership

7 Cs For Coronavirus Survival

I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.
—Abraham Lincoln

John Quelch, Dean and Vice Provost at University of Miami Business School and Professor Emeritus from Harvard Business School, provides “7 Cs” he feels are essential leadership capabilities, especially during times of change, uncertainty, and stress. We think you may find them useful and wanted to share the following excerpts:

Calm. You are going to be looked to as a leader to project a sense of calm through this difficult, uncertain situation.

Confidence. Project confidence that you will help others see this through successfully.

Communication. Relentlessly communicate, communicate, communicate. Develop a strategy for communication, making it timely as well as a priority. Silence is absolutely the worst possible thing as that’s when the rumor mill can run rampant.

Collaboration. Utilize the strengths of your “people” resources; bring them together in taskforces, sub-taskforces, and create roles where everyone can contribute to overcoming the uncertainty. This will also reduce the rumor mill and increase confidence levels.

Community. We all live in communities; work, home, schools, etc  The idea is to lead by example and model behaviors across all communities that others can learn from.

Compassion. As leaders we are depended on to listen and allow others to express their concerns. This includes both work and home concerns. The virus is potentially affecting the most vulnerable, and time away from work may be needed to care for others. Compassion at a time of crisis is a very important manifestation of leadership.

Cash. The most obvious commercial C of the 7 Cs is Cash. Cash is king at a time of crisis, and everything needs to be done to look at both the short term and long term financial health of the organization. You are being depended upon to lead, not just emotionally but also prudently with respect to the long-term finances of the organization.

During this time of change (and stress), have you adapted your leadership capabilities when interacting with colleagues, direct reports, business partners, clients and community members? (Don’t forget about family members; they need your support too!).

What could you change to be more effective?

We cannot escape crisis situations. Although unable to avoid them, we can learn to lead people through them.—John Maxwell

07 May
[email protected] Decision Making

Stressful Times?

When we’re not in control and are unsure of what tomorrow brings, we can be left feeling anxious and stressed.

We sure aren’t in control of the impacts or duration of COVID-19, and we really don’t know what we’ll be facing tomorrow, but what we can do is assess and address if we are feeling anxious or stressed.

Maureen Killoran sums it up nicely: Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response TO what happens. And RESPONSE is something we can choose.

First, start by paying attention. Last week we mentioned observing restlessness, lack of focus, missed deadlines, and crankiness in others.  We must also self-assess.

Do we feel irritable? Exhausted? Have a shorter “fuse” than normal? What about a stiff neck, headaches, or a backache?

We get so busy that we often neglect ourselves; regardless how busy we are, we need to schedule “self-time” on a daily basis, even if for only 10 minutes.

We need to think and live “healthily”.  Comfort foods may seem like a good idea, but if carbs are involved, which they often are, work on limiting the “goodie” intake; the extra carbs can add to fatigue and make you feel guilty. And just a reminder that “stressed” spelled backwards is “desserts”!

If you lead or are a part of a team:

-Schedule 15 minutes out of a team meeting to have every team member write a positive one word descriptor of each teammate.  It’s a feel good exercise, reduces stress and builds harmony.  Each person can submit their words to a designated person, and that person can then share the results. Simple and uplifting.

-Have each person play/share a favorite song and explain why.

-Have a “virtual” luncheon where recipes can be shared; have a contest for the most unique dish.

-Each team member visually shares something important to them  ex. A child, a “furbaby”, a book, an heirloom, etc

It’s up to us to address and minimize stress and build camaraderie.  Let us know what works for you!

There cannot be a stressful crisis next week. My schedule is already full.
–Henry Kissinger

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