30 Apr
[email protected] Change, Communication

Reset Your Mindset

With a fixed mindset, you believe you are who you are and you cannot change. This creates problems when you’re challenged because anything that appears to be more than you can handle is bound to make you feel hopeless and overwhelmed.–Travis Bradberry

We continue to live and lead in uncertain times, and often hear discussions about what the “new normal” will be. A great question but one with no clear answer.

Given the high levels of uncertainty, a “mindset reset” may be in order. Many of us are suffering from decreased energy levels, and quite honestly are floundering.

So as leaders, what can we do?  Start by increasing your level of communication with your teams by asking and listening.

How are they feeling? Do they seem restless? Have they lost focus? Are they missing deadlines? What about their tone of voice (stressed or irritable?).

Leadership professional Ban Weston provides 10 tips that may help:

1.    Acknowledge and accept changing times.
2.    Face your fears; writing them down can help you move forward.
3.    Confront your feelings and seek support; reach out to close colleagues or loved ones and talk to them about what you are feeling.
4.    Stop the fearful thoughts and replace them with something positive. Turn negative thoughts into something positive. Ex.How have you helped others cope? List the positives for being home. Ex. More family time
5.    Be flexible and embracing of change; approach change with an open attitude of learning.  What are the positives as a result of the change? Ex. Saved commute time and lower gas bills
6.    Be part of the change. See change as an opportunity for growth; use your extra time for self-development.
7.    Communication, communication and more communication. The unknown can be scary. Provide meaningful information and address rumors or incorrect assumptions. Will there be pay cuts? Furloughs? Loss of business? Longer work hours?
8.    Reduce Stress and anxiety. Focus on what makes you feel strong and fit so you can continue to make good and rational decisions. Ex. Exercise, music, movies, etc
9.    Have a sense of meaning. Where and how are you adding value? What goals have you achieved? Have you helped others adjust and grow their skill-set?
10. Continue to do your work and see the big picture. Focus on achieving your designated goals; maintain a positive attitude and know better times are ahead.

We also encourage regular video conferencing. Let colleagues see one another and share their ups and downs.

Don’t be the leader where team members share that they were never asked about their perceptions, opinions, or feelings! Rather, be recognized for helping reset mindsets.

Stay safe!

You’re in charge of your mind. You can help it grow by using it in the right way.–Carol Dweck

16 Apr
[email protected] Change

How Are You Doing?

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old,
but on building the new.-Socrates

How are you doing? “Social distancing” is impacting many of us in different ways. While some introverts may enjoy the solitude and isolation, many of us thrive on interactions with others and have a need to be social. For those familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) there are two preferences that define where we get our energy:

E’s (Extraversion) are those who get their energy from people, places and things

I’s (Introversion) are those who get their energy from ideas and concepts

When cut off from people and places, the E’s suffer most. The I’s on the other hand may enjoy the extra time of “quiet” to process new ideas and concepts. There is no right or wrong style, but we are impacted differently. Think about how you feel.

Now think about working from home. It could be a perk but it could also be a hardship. Consider those that are, not by choice, home-schooling their children for the first time and having a need to work from home. There may be struggles with the needed technology to have a productive work day, while at the same time balancing other family needs.

We must also be appreciative of the “essential” workers that continue to go to work. They have the added stress of worrying about their possible exposure to the virus, how they could expose their family, and the additional concern of child-care / home-schooling.

We’re in this together and there will be better times. While recognizing the need for “physical distancing”, don’t ignore your social needs and your feelings. One idea is stay connected with family and friends via teleconferencing. You can see one another, catch up, and laugh.

In closing, here are a few chuckles to brighten your day: (special thanks to Pat Bender for sharing).

– I was so bored I called Jake from State Farm just to talk to someone. He asked me what I was wearing.

– My fridge just groaned and hissed “Not you again”.

– Home school update: My child just said they hope they don’t have the same teacher next year.

– The world has turned upside down. Old folks are sneaking out of the house, and their kids are yelling at them to stay indoors!

We also hear virtual happy hours are growing in popularity!
Stay safe.

Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.― Steve Maraboli

09 Apr
[email protected] Leadership

What NOT To Repeat

We don’t need new ways to fail… the old ones are working just fine! Our task, in business and in life, is to observe what they are, and never go back to doing them again.—Dr. Henry Cloud

We all make mistakes; hopefully we learn from them and take measures to not repeat them.

Dr. Henry Cloud, psychologist, leadership consultant, and author, shares the following about what successful leaders learn from, and commit to not repeating.

Successful people never again . . .
1. Return to what hasn’t worked.
Never go back to the same thing, expecting different results, without something being different.
2. Do anything that requires them to be someone they are not.
Be authentic and ask: Why am I doing this? Am I suited for it? Does it fit me? Is it sustainable?
3. Try to change another person.
You cannot force someone into doing something they choose not to do; allow them to experience possible consequences if necessary.
4. Believe they can please everyone.
It’s impossible to please everyone, live purposefully, and try to please the right people.
5. Choose short-term comfort over long-term benefit.
Accept that painful steps may be required to obtain long-term benefits.
6. Trust someone or something that appears flawless.
Pursue people who are great at what they do: colleagues, employees, friends, etc
7. Take their eyes off the big picture.
Look for the big picture; no one event is ever the whole story.
8. Neglect to do due diligence.
Take a deeper, honest look to understand what is truly needed.
9. Fail to ask why they are where they find themselves.
Ask yourself: What part am I playing in this situation?
10. Forget that their inner life determines their outer success.
We are happy and fulfilled mostly by who we are on the inside.

High achievers recognize the patterns impacting success and take strides to never repeat them. Would you say you do a good job of not repeating behaviors that impede desired results?

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.—Colin Powell

02 Apr
[email protected] Leadership

Connecting and Leading Remotely

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

Leadership challenges are not new, nor is the need to be adaptable, understand those we lead, and above all else, stay connected.

Especially now, leading remotely is commonplace for many leaders. Team members formerly together in the same workplace are now working from home, in addition to those already working virtually.

Staying connected is more important than ever as readiness levels for working “solo” varies greatly.

So what does this mean to you as a leader?  

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 (perhaps multiple times each day) for a simple “check-in”.

Expect the “unusual” when on calls/video and be flexible; examples include barking dogs, children wanting to be on camera, package deliveries, background noises, unstable connections, etc

Allow flexible work hours. Unless there’s a reason to have carved in stone hours, let each team member set their own schedule.

Regularly communicate. What are the current priorities? Are there any obstacles when supporting them from home? Share individual expectations and ensure all interactions end with closure. This means that everyone involved knows who is going to do what, by when.

Ask how team members are feeling. Have weekly “open forum” team sessions. Invite each person to share their opinion and thoughts about:
– What’s working well and what is not
– What do they like best about being home; what do they like
least?
Also discuss:
– Team needs and dependencies
– Suggestions for best practices
– Workload and bandwidth (too much work? Too little work?)

Your team members may not be onsite, but they must have a sense of being connected and feeling valued!

Take the bull by the horns. You are the bull.

26 Mar
[email protected] Change

Tips For Virtual Meetings

Times Of Uncertainty Requires Change

Some of you may have already seen Executive Coach Marilyn Brown’s outstanding tips for conducting meetings virtually, but they are worth sharing again. We hope you find them helpful!

Not everyone understands the basic etiquette of on-line meetings – so here are some guidelines that you can use with your teams to ensure a more effective meeting.

For the Meeting Facilitator/Sponsor:

  • Create a clear Agenda prior to the meeting – send it out to the other participants at least 24 hours
  • Make sure the Agenda includes the call in number and link for the meeting
  • Ask everyone who has video to please turn their camera
  • In some cases, voice over IP creates static and background noise. It might be better if people call in on the dial in number vs voice over IP (especially for large groups)
  • Identify a clear objective/outcome for the meeting – What do you want to accomplish as a result of the meeting? Make sure you state this at the top of the agenda and then again at the beginning of the meeting. This way if people have been invited who do not need to be present, they can decline the invite or drop off the call
  • Start the virtual meeting 5 minutes prior to the start time to make sure that you are ready to go and your technology and call in number work. Test all technology (including camera/video, Wi-Fi, and screen sharing) before the meeting
  • Conduct a roll call and make sure the critical attendees are present. (if the call is looking for a decision to be made, and the decision maker is not in attendance, it is probably a waste of time to go forward with the meeting)
  • Ask everyone to introduce themselves (another way of taking roll call)

Because of the stressful times we are in, take a few minutes to check on how the group is doing, how they are feeling. Maybe ask for suggestions on what they have already observed with virtual meetings and how they think virtual meetings can be more impactful.

  • If sharing a document, make sure it is up on your screen and easily viewed.
  • Set some rules for a respectful meeting up front
  • No talking over one another
  • Don’t interrupt other people when they’re speaking (or attempt to speak over them). If this happens – call people on the behavior immediately!
  • Let each person have their time to speak
  • Remind the extroverts that they need to let the introverts complete their thought.
  • Remind the introverts that they need to Speak UP!
  • Don’t stare at your phone while other people are presenting
  • Don’t eat (unless you can do it discreetly)
  • Don’t work on other tasks (like checking email) during the virtual meeting
  • Turn off all notifications and make sure your cell phone is on silent, put your mute button on so people cannot hear distracting background noise
  • Make sure all team members are in a quiet area free from unnecessary distractions
  • If you have part of the group in a conference room and part on the phone – controlling the conversation is more difficult to do – better for everyone to take the call from their individual workstations (also a better strategy right now)

For Participants:

  • If sent a meeting request – either accept the invite or decline with a reason. This way the facilitator does not wait for you to show up to the meeting!
  • Read the agenda and identify what you need to do, have, or bring to be able to contribute and be most effective. Don’t show up for meetings un-prepared!
  • Do not talk over others or feel that your contribution or suggestion is more important than others. Let others complete their thoughts before you jump in.
  • If extr0verted – quiet down, if introverted – speak up!
  • Dial into the call 5 minutes early and make sure you can connect.
  • Put all other devices on mute, turn off IM, eliminate distracting background noise
  • Don’t multi-task – stay engaged and the meetings will go faster and be more productive.

When in doubt, just practice common courtesy. People want to be heard, seen, and respected during an online meeting—just like they do everywhere else.

Following these tips will ensure the success of the meeting!

19 Mar
[email protected] Uncategorized

Responding To Change

Change is the law of life.  And those who look only to the past or present
are certain to miss the future.—John F. Kennedy

Dealing with change comes in varying degrees; some individuals are excited and invigorated when the “norm” becomes the “storm”, and others suffer to the point of almost shutting down when their comfortable routine is disrupted.

Our personalities and styles play a big role in how we respond to change – as leaders we sometimes need to be reminded that our style is not the only style. We need to observe, understand, and ask how others are feeling. We also need to recognize if others are having issues processing the change at hand.

Let’s face it, there’s much uncertainty in the world and not a lot of consistent communication about COVID-19. ie. Lasting impacts, statistics, causes, testing and treatment, etc.

Leadership expert and author Ken Blanchard provides 7 common reactions when change is requested (or when it just happens).
1)     People will feel awkward, ill at ease, and self-conscious. Change means doing something different and, as such, people will almost always react with some degree of discomfort. Be mindful of people’s feelings during this time.
2)     People initially focus on what they have to give up. To move forward, you must deal with what’s new and different. Talk with others about how they feel; give them a chance to process what’s happening.
3)     People will feel alone, even if everyone else is going through the same change. For the change to be successful, it is crucial for people to feel connected and understood. Offer the support people need.
4)     People can handle only so much change. Change may make people become immobilized and less productive. The best response: Have a clear plan and strategy for focusing people’s energy on the few desired behaviors that will produce the greatest results.
5)     People are at different levels of readiness for change. Although almost everyone will experience some resistance to change, some people will start getting excited about the change, while others will dread and resist doing anything differently for as long as they can. Anticipate that not everyone will be on the same timetable.
6)     People will be concerned about having enough resources. To remain competitive in today’s markets, organizations must be more productive with the same or fewer resources. Be ready to explain the need for belt-tightening.
7)     People will long to revert to their old behavior. Typically people hope to return to what they were doing before. This behavior is natural and leaders must counteract it. When we revert to old behaviors, we lose all we have learned.

As a leader what steps are you taking to help navigate times of change? Listen, observe, and provide the necessary support needed to help individuals and teams adapt successfully.

The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.
–Nathaniel Branden

12 Mar
[email protected] Leadership

What Makes A “Best Company”?

Dreams can come true, but there is a secret. They’re realized through the magic of persistence, determination, commitment, passion, practice, focus and hard work. They happen a step at a time, manifested over years, not weeks.–Elbert Hubbard

Any idea if your company made Fortune Magazine’s list of the best 100 companies to work for?  Their March 2020 issue features “The Best In The Business” where they not only list the top 100 companies, but also provide some common themes as to why they were selected:

1.    37% of “the best” had a workforce greater than 50% female
2.    49% was the average millennial population
3.    2% was the Gen Z population
4.    12% pay 100% of healthcare benefits for full time employees
5.    44% offer onsite medical care
6.    78% provide subsidized access to fitness facilities
7.    Almost all provide resources to help employees “learn and grow”
8.    84% offer tuition reimbursement
9.    Some have Leadership Academies that:
·         develop future managers
·         focus on talent retention
·         develop “high potentials” for all levels
·         explore and identify core values and translate them into impactful leadership skills
·         understand diverse views and have a less polarizing work culture

A new focus on staying “psychologically healthy” is growing. Some options include depression and anxiety screening, individual and family counseling, mediation and yoga, and even on-campus treatment centers.

And, the biggest commonality? Employees want leaders who will listen. Wegman’s has been on Fortune’s list for 23 years and have been identified as the best of best with their “Ask Bob” initiative. This program is an open line of communication between the 50,000 employees and the Senior Vice President of Operations, Bob Farr. Since 2002 Farr has reviewed and personalized responses to more than 16,000 messages.

As leaders, we likely can not address all the key points listed but we can help our staff with what we call “learn-grow-transform”. We CAN help individuals and teams strengthen their skills. We CAN work to create a better functioning work culture. We CAN practice listening more. We CAN link core company values with desired skills. We CAN address divisive actions and behaviors.

Did your company make the top 100 list? What change(s) would make your company become one of “the best”?

I do the very best I know how – the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.–Abraham Lincoln

05 Mar
[email protected] Leadership

Relationships – They Matter!

Your ability as a leader to create and develop powerful relationships is
fundamental to success.—Sallie Sherman

Relationships really do matter. It could be with colleagues, customers, business partners, vendors, direct reports, senior leaders, and anyone else you interact with on a regular basis in the workplace.

Roger Trapp, a Forbes contributor on leadership shares key points made by Sallie Sherman in her book Five Keys to Powerful Business Relationships. They are:

Stay true to yourself
Sometimes leaders promoted to a higher executive position struggle to grasp new roles. “Those who are able to stay true to themselves and manage their initial anxiety listen more and seek feedback. That allows them to increase trust and develop powerful relationships.”

Manage multiple relationships
So many people will want your time; prioritize your list of your most important working relationships, don’t neglect established relationships, and do allow time to invest in new ones.

Build an organization where relationships thrive
By aligning your culture around values and goals while promoting trust and collaboration, workers are more inclined to take risks, learn from mistakes and adapt quickly.

According to Sherman, the most effective leaders are particularly good at:

Listening rather than talking
Being transparent
Connecting with others

Relationships improve the bottom line, increasing levels of effectiveness, desired results, and satisfaction levels. They can also make work fun!

Leadership is having a compelling vision, a comprehensive plan, relentless implementation, and talented people working together.–Alan Mulally

27 Feb
[email protected] Leadership

A Culture of Accountability

If you are building a culture where honest expectations are communicated and peer accountability is the norm, then the group will address poor performance and attitudes.
― Henry Cloud

Accountability. What does that mean to you? Does it mean doing what you say? Admitting mistakes? Being transparent? Supporting goals? What else?

As leaders there’s a need to create a culture of accountability where individuals, teams and the entire organization create a strategy and commitment to make it come alive (and provide feedback when it’s lacking).

Gordon Tredgold provides the following to help increase accountability levels:

1 – Accountability starts with you, the leader
Leadership must model the behaviors desired within the organization.

2 – You are Accountable
Leaders are accountable for any failures (as well as any successes) within their organization.

3 – Accountability is not a one-time thing
Accountability is not occasional, rather it’s an “all-time thing”.

4 – Accountability applies to one and all
There’s no playing favorites; accountability must be consistently requested of everyone.

5 – Accountability cannot be delegated
It’s something that has to be accepted be each person so they feel accountable and take ownership of their behaviors and actions.

6 – Accountability is the difference between success and failure
When ownership exists and problems arise, individuals step into solution mode.

7 – Holding people Accountable
Actually discuss and assess how/if each person is being accountable. This will strengthen accountability, and provides opportunities for feedback (and praise).

In conclusion, Tredgold shares:  ask teams and colleagues if they have “everything they need to be successful; when they say yes they have taken a big step towards accepting accountability. If they say no then you need to make sure you provide whatever is missing because without it they will never accept accountability”.

As a leader, are you modeling the desired behaviors that improve accountability? Is anything missing that will prevent others from being accountable?

The keys to brand success are self-definition, transparency, authenticity and accountability.–Simon Mainwaring

20 Feb
[email protected] Leadership

Conflict Intelligence

For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate.–Margaret Heffernan

Managing workplace conflict continues to be a struggle for many of us. “Conflict. It’s an inevitable—and crucial—part of every business. Handled well, the clash of ideas, claims, interests and preferences can be a positive force, exposing the weaknesses of positions and leading to creativity, innovative problem-solving and growth” –Shelley Levitt

So how do we get started? The first step is possessing “Conflict Intelligence” – that means knowing the varying conflict modes and understanding and applying the appropriate style based on the situation.

Authors Peter Coleman and Robert Ferguson share that “conflict intelligence” requires keen social smarts. Similar to Patrick Lencioni’s concepts from Five Behaviors Of A Cohesive Team, it starts with trust.

• Build trust. Great teams sometimes argue passionately, but doing it respectfully is a must.

• Establish a goodwill bank account. Conflicts take place within the context of relationships. When people feel warmly toward each other, they can weather the tension of disagreement without permanently hurting their relationship.

• Be adaptable. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to conflict. There is also a need to understand the differing modes of conflict and when they are best used. For more information refer to Thomas-Kilmann’s TKI model of styles: Competing (assertive, uncooperative), Avoiding (unassertive, uncooperative), Accommodating (unassertive, cooperative), Collaborating (assertive, cooperative), Compromising (middle ground between competing and accommodating). Each style has a time and place.

• Repair post-conflict bruises. The residual hurt feelings and anger that can set in after a heated dispute need to be addressed. “Let’s talk about what happened” is a good opener for individuals and teams alike.

• Court outside views. Even the people who are savviest about conflict resolution need some new perspective from time to time—from friends, former colleagues, mentors, even one-time competitors. Obtain fresh, unbiased opinions.

Conflict is going to happen.  Plan for it and don’t idly sit back and watch it; rather address it in a timely manner before tensions and ill-will escalate!

The Law of win/win says: Let’s not do it your way or my way; let’s do it the best way.
— Greg Anderson

13 Feb
[email protected] Leadership

Are You Listening?

Listen, involve, synergize at work. Then you will bury the old and create an entirely new winning culture which will unleash people’s talents and create complementary teams where strengths are made productive and weakness are made irrelevant through the strengths of others.— Stephen R. Covey

Would you be surprised to learn that communication continues to be an issue in the workplace? That only 13% of U.S. workers strongly agree that their organization’s leadership communicates effectively?

This may not be news as it’s been an issue for years, but why is that? Are we choosing to NOT address the issue?

The state of our work culture includes many elements, but it’s been determined that there’s a strong link between having a disengaged workforce and ineffective communication. And, a study by Salesforce Research found that:

Employees who feel their voice is heard at work are nearly five-times (4.6X) more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work

No doubt about it, listening takes work! Below are 6 tips gathered BY STEPHANIE VOZZA:

1. LISTEN TO LEARN, NOT TO BE POLITE
Ajit Singh, professor in the School of Medicine at Stanford University, says If we ever finish a conversation and learned nothing surprising, we weren’t really listening.

2. QUIET YOUR AGENDA
Really listen to what someone else is trying to say. We need information that is disconfirming, not confirming.

3. ASK MORE QUESTIONS
When you ask questions, you create a safe space for other people to give you an unvarnished truth.

4. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR TALK/LISTEN RATIO
Strive for a 2:1 ratio of listening to talking.

5. REPEAT BACK WHAT YOU HEARD
If the speaker agrees that what you heard is what he or she intended to say, you can move on. If not, the speaker needs to reword their statement until the listener really does understand.

6. ACTUALLY WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE IS DONE TALKING BEFORE YOU RESPOND
Leslie Shore, author of Listen to Succeed shares: When we begin working on a reply before the speaker is finished, we lose both the complete information being offered and an understanding of the kind of emotion present in the speaker’s delivery.

How do you think listening would be rated in your workplace? What are you doing to improve that rating?

Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.–Andy Stanley

06 Feb
[email protected] Leadership

The Mentor/Mentee Partnership

Mentors guide, motivate, inspire and support – enabling the mentee to achieve their life’s goals and aspirations.—Mentor City

How do you define the role of mentor? We define it as “someone who imparts wisdom and shares knowledge with a less experienced person” and perhaps someone with “less exposure” than that of the mentor.

Part of the mentor’s role is to provide:
-Meaningful and frequent feedback
-Explore strengths and needs and create and update a development plan
-Networking opportunities are identified and leveraged
-Trusting relationships are built and nurtured
-Ongoing open lines of communication
-Realistic expectations for attaining goals and results

Mentoring may be formal or informal, but the expectations and roles should be defined and agreed to at the inception of the relationship.

1. What’s the purpose of the mentorship?
2. What type of expertise/guidance is the mentee seeking?

Note: In general, mentors/mentees do not have a reporting relationship allowing for candid discussions.

Here are some 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 position you to stand out from the competition?

Discuss your successes and accomplishments as well as your barriers and problem areas

Solicit feedback; what could you do better?  What’s working well and what is not?

Are you willing to share your wisdom and experiences with others to help them grow?  If yes, become a mentor!

A mentor can be a role model, coach, sounding board, voice of reason, emotional support, counselor, and a trusted resource.—Mentor City

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