Day: April 18, 2022

Should parents always present a united front?

Post author By Katherine Sellery
Post date April 18, 2022
No Comments on Should parents always present a united front?

Did you ever catch that children’s program, Bananas in Pajamas?

The main characters are two bananas, B1 and B2, who are identical in every way. They walk the same, talk the same, and very often think the same! B1 and B2 are always aligned, and they live in the kind of harmonious home that could ONLY exist on a kid’s TV show.

The Banana family is unknowingly helping to perpetuate the myth of the united front. I’ve worked with thousands of parents in the last 20 years, and most of them believe that parents should be in total agreement when it comes to making decisions about their kids. Like identical twin bananas, they strive to feel, think, and react the same way to their children.

Child: Can I go to a friend’s house this weekend?
Parents: (In unison) Yes!

Child: Can I eat this block of chocolate for dinner?
Parents: (United) No!

Child: Can you teach me to square dance?
Parents: (At the same time) Maybe later.

You get my point.

The problem is that the united front isn’t real! You and your parenting partner are two distinct human beings. You each have your own history, upbringing, and unique set of experiences. You’re probably unconsciously passing down behaviors and beliefs you learned as a child, long before you met your partner or became a parent. Your opinions may be influenced by deeply held beliefs about age, gender, propriety, and other factors. You might feel the way you do because of what you ate for breakfast.

In short, it’s I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E to agree with your partner on every single issue or question around raising your kids. Trying to present a united front is not only exhausting, it’s inauthentic.

At the same time, you don’t want to get into a pattern where your child runs from one parent to the other, only respecting the answer they want to hear. What’s a conscious parent to do?

Be honest. If you disagree with your partner on certain issues when it comes to your kids, be transparent with them about your feelings. Ignoring your differences will cause more trouble later on. Discuss your own childhoods and how your experiences have shaped you to react differently.
Show your support. You can have a different opinion than your partner without undermining them. For example, “I’d love to play music right now, but Daddy needs to work” is a better explanation for your child than “Your Dad says we can’t play music right now. He’s no fun.”
Forget good cop, bad cop. No one’s “good” or “bad” for feeling one way or another. Learn to honor your individuality in front of your children while respecting your partner’s feelings (and your child’s). It will teach them to do the same.

I hope you’re ready to lay the myth of the united front to rest!

If you’d like to join a community of parents who don’t always agree but still support one another, check out the Conscious Parenting Revolution Facebook group!

Growth Leadership Personal Development

Made a Mistake? Here’s How to Begin Fixing It

Post author By Debi Silber
Post date April 18, 2022
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Whether it was intentional or unintentional, sometimes we simply screw up.

Own It:

There’s nothing more frustrating than when someone refuses to take responsibility for their behaviors and actions-especially when those behaviors and actions caused harm. While we’re often so willing to overlook and forgive an error in judgment or a transgression, we tend to hang onto it more tightly when the person who caused the harm refuses to own it.

So, instead of blaming, making excuses, getting defensive, ignoring it or assuming the other person doesn’t need an explanation or apology, take responsibility for the part you played (whether it was intentional or unintentional) and own it. Now, in a case of betrayal or shattered trust, it’ll take more than that but you’re off to a good start.)

Use Their Language:

Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts explains how there are different ways to communicate love and the secret to a love that lasts is found in communicating in the way your partner wants and needs to hear it. So, when trying to fix a major screw up, the same idea applies.

It’s not about communicating your awareness, understanding or apology in a way that works for you but in the way that’ll resonate with the person you hurt. Do they need a kind gesture or a sincere apology? Convey your message in a way that works for them.

Remorse, Empathy, and Restitution:

According to the dictionary, remorse is deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed. Empathy is the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions. Restitution is an act of restoring or a condition of being restored. When it comes to fixing a major screw up, these three conditions work beautifully together and lay the foundation for forgiveness. Now, sometimes an action can’t be fixed but is there something you can do to show your willingness to right the wrong? Here’s what these three together may sound like: “I’m so terribly sorry (remorse).

I understand why you’d be upset. I get it and I’d be upset and hurt if you did that to me (empathy). What can I do to make it up to you?” (restitution).

Learn From It:

Our actions emerge from our current level of awareness. When we’re coming from a place of fear and lack, our actions will represent that. When we’re in a place of love and abundance, our actions will represent that too.

A major screw up is most likely coming from a place of fear and lack. If it’s coming from love and abundance, it was most definitely unintentional. In either case, learn from it to make sure you don’t do it again. Did you act without thinking? Fail to consider the consequences or the other person’s needs? Did an inflated ego or pride cause you to say or do something you now regret? Maybe learning from it and implementing a simple rule like: “Would I like that done to me?” If the answer is yes, do it and if the answer is no, don’t.

Self-Forgiveness and Paying it Forward:

Once you’ve taken responsibility for your actions and behavior, communicated in a way the person you hurt will understand, were remorseful, empathetic, offered restitution and learned from it, there are still a few more things you can do. Forgiveness takes time along with consistent effort to repair the damage done so have patience.

The bigger the screw up the longer it can take because the person you hurt may be reeling from the shock, pain or anguish you caused and has to find new footing as they readjust to what they’ve just experienced by your actions. This process is now about them as they learn what role they may have played, what changes they need to make to feel valued, safe and secure again. While they’re working through it, healing, changing and growing as a result of what they’ve just been through, now is also the time to work on self-forgiveness. Sure, you may feel guilt and shame for the pain you caused but that doesn’t help anyone.

Forgiving yourself allows you to use what you’ve learned to grow, become a more awakened and enlightened version of yourself, and use your new awareness to not only ensure it won’t happen again, but to help others by what you now see so clearly.

Paying it forward by preventing someone else from experiencing that pain doesn’t mean you didn’t cause the harm, but may just be what’s needed to prevent someone else from causing or being the recipient of a painful experience. Paying it forward also contributes to the greater good and that’s what life is all about.

Dr. Debi
Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute

Tags growth|leadership|Personal Development|personal growth

Best Practices Marketing Personal Development

What’s In A Name?

The Story Behind The Brand Name

Shakespeare famously said before, “Do not judge a book by its cover.” Or in this context, we shouldn’t judge an establishment by its name. Unfortunately, this doesn’t hold much water when you’re running a business. In business, your name matters—a lot.

You see, a business name is more than just that. It signifies something more powerful. It represents what your business is all about, what it stands for. In the same vein, a name can have an instant effect on how your customers perceive you because every word, every sound, and every letter impacts the way we think and feel.

Coming up with the appropriate brand name is one of the most crucial things you have to think about when engaged in business. It can mean all the difference between a brand that instantly hits off or falls completely flat.

Yet, when you’re just starting, choosing a name is probably the second-to-the-last thing on your mind. Of course, there are lots of other things that come first, right? You still have to polish (or revise) your business plan, create your products, and research your audience. However, trust us when we say that creating a company name is useful. It could either make or break your brand.

Think of this process as similar to laying the foundations of a building. Discovering how to create a brand name can help you set the foundation for your company.

How to come up with a name that matters

The key to creating a brand name that sticks in the minds of your customers or is simply “catchy” and helps towards establishing brand recognition and awareness are the following:

It must be evocative

Simply describing your product or service could make your name too generic. Everyone else is doing that. Instead, try to come up with something that has a story behind it. Of course, the story has to be related to your business.

Stories have a powerful effect on our brain. When you’re given a really interesting story, your palms start to sweat, you’ll blink faster, and your heart might flutter or skip. Your facial expressions shift, and the muscles above your eyebrows will react to the words — another sign that you’re engaged.

Now, imagine feeling this when thinking about a brand. Take Apple, for example. Apple is a fruit, but it has come to be associated with cutting-edge technology, quality, and user-friendly designs over the years.

Make it Timeless

A name should be neutral enough to transcend time. Your name shouldn’t be something that restricts your brand.

It has to be timeless and one of the most effective ways to make sure that your name is “timeless” is to ensure that you create something that resonates with the emotions of your target audience, rather than limiting yourself to a basic descriptive term.

For instance, Nintendo didn’t just call themselves “The Gameboy Company.” Nintendo went with an evocative name with room for growth.

Consider the “looks” of the brand

Imagery is by far one of the most powerful poetic devices to use when creating a brand name with meaning. You leave a lasting impact if your brand can produce an image in your customer’s minds.

Some of the best phrases in literature earned their popularity because they evoke images in the reader’s mind. Think about how you can use the imagery in your name to convey an idea of your brand. GoPro, for example, leaves a lasting image of adventure and freedom on its customer’s minds.

Bottomline

Coming up with a brand name may be a daunting task, but that’s what the team is for. One way to make the process a bit easier is to think about what your company is all about and then come up with a brand that resonates with that. Everything else will eventually fall into place.

Pro tip from MarketAtomy.com: Come up with a name that you can easily trademark and find a domain for. After all, our goal here is to increase brand awareness and recognition. Making it easily recognizable online is one essential step.

Enter Our Naming Contest

Participate in MarketAtomy’s “What’s In A Name” Contest. Submit the name of your business and a short introduction, video, or in writing, describing the story behind the name. The winning submission will be selected on May 10^th, 2022. The winning submission will receive $100 and be featured on an Episode of the Charged-Up Studio Podcast. All submissions must be received by 12 AM EST May 5^th (Cinco de Mayo) to qualify. Submissions should be sent to info@marketatomy.com.

Danna Olivo is a Growth Strategist, Author, and Public Speaker. As CEO of MarketAtomy LLC, her passion is working with first-stage business owners to ensure that they are prepared and equipped to launch and grow a successful small business. She understands the intricacies involved early on in business formation and as such the challenges that come with it. A graduate of the University of Central Florida’s College of Business, Danna brings more than 40 years of experience strategically working with small and medium businesses, helping them reach their growth goals. danna.olivo@marketatomy.com

Tags brand|brand name|stories|story|storytelling

Growth Management Personal Development

Employee Retention and The Emotional Connection

Post author By C-Suite Network
Post date April 18, 2022
No Comments on Employee Retention and The Emotional Connection

The virtual and hybrid workplaces are eroding the emotional connection people feel for their teams and companies.

The Double-Edged Sword

There are certainly upsides that come with the evolving workplace. Some people prefer the flexibility of the virtual workplace. It saves time, money and the wear and tear that come with commuting. Effective and efficient platforms like Zoom, Teams, and other allow collaboration across time zones and geographies.

The big downside is the loss of personal connection with colleagues that can enhance communications, collaboration, and the enjoyment of the job. I believe the greatest downside is the loss of emotional connection to the company. With little to no emotional connection to the company, it is now much easier for employees to leave the company for another job. It is now simply a transactional decision. Welcome to the Great Resignation.

Two Strategies for Creating an Emotional Connection

Purpose. I read recently that Facebook is experiencing increasing turnover. Employees who once saw this as an opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology, are now seeing Facebook as just an advertising machine with no noble purpose or values. Studies show that today’s workforce want to work for companies that have a purpose that they resonate with – something deeper than just the bottom line. The connection becomes even deeper when people feel like their job has a purpose that they resonate with. They see a linkage to their job and the company’s purpose. Or it may be more personal. A manager with a client company recently told me that he saw his purpose as a manager is to help people be successful and have rewarding careers. That purpose provides a deeper meaning to this manager beyond the day-to-day activities. The leadership lesson here is to be clear about the larger purpose with your own role, and help your people find the deeper meaning within their roles.

Fully Engage People.

For at least two decades Gallup and other survey companies annually report that 65-70% of employees across all industries are NOT fully engaged. The are direct linkages to lower levels of performance and retention. The trend to the virtual and hybrid workplaces may risk more at risk of lowering engagement. I believe the antidote is engaging the whole person – hearts, minds, skills, and abilities.

Engaging the heart. The heart is where emotions live. Joy. Fulfillment. And their opposites. A common desire in every workplace is the feeling of being valued. Respected. That our contributions are appreciated, and that they matter. Leaders can engage the heart in many ways. Expressing heartfelt appreciation to people for their contributions. Recognizing going the extra mile. Communicating with people and teams why their work matters. Celebrating achievement. Telling success stories that engage the heart. The ultimate test is simply this: Do people under your watch feel valued, respected and that their work matters?
Engaging the mind. This is where knowledge and experience lives. It is the source of our creativity, ideas and problem-solving skills. Leaders that engage the minds of people value that potential. John Maxwell, best selling author of over a dozen leadership books, proclaims, “Good leaders ask great questions.” Great questions can tap into the minds of people to bring out their full potential. Not surprisingly, the more people feel like their knowledge and ideas are valued, the more they are willing to offer them.
Providing development. Research about today’s workforce reveals that they want to work for companies that will provide development. It is a win-win-win. When we invest in people, they feel valued. Their skills grow. The company benefits from the expanded skill-set. Companies don’t have to have corporate universities as much as a mindset that developing people is part of every leaders role.

Chris’ story.

I used to work with a colleague named Chris. Chris was smart, committed and had a great sense of humor. Chris was an excellent teammate and contributor and was fully engaged. After a change of leadership, I left the company we worked for, while Chris remained. This new leadership was all about the bottom line and the stock price. They gave lip service to valuing people. The culture suffered. The bottom line and stock price went into steep decline. One day I called Chris and asked, “How are you hanging in there?” Chris’ answer was revealing. “I keep my head down and mouth shut.” A once highly-engaged person was now focused on meeting expectations, and nothing more. Chris explained that it was simply too risky in this new environment to point out problems and offer solutions. Chris’ emotional connection to the company was gone. The good news is “people-first” leadership is back in place and Chris’ emotional connection to the company has been reestablished and is once again engaged and committed.

Conclusion.

The workplace is filled with people like Chris. As leaders, our ability to engage the hearts, minds, skills and abilities of people can create an emotional connection to the company, and result in high levels of engagement, performance and retention. As with Chris, the emotional connection is not static. It is dynamic, and as leaders, we have to keep engaging the hearts, minds, skills and abilities of our people and connecting them to a purpose they resonate with. Otherwise, people may stay and check out as Chris did, or be part of the Great Resignation. Like most everything else in business, the emotional connection (and engagement) rises and falls with leadership.

Dr. Mark Hinderliter works with clients to develop people strategies that align with their business strategy. His experience as a Senior Vice President for a billion-dollar global enterprise along with a PhD in Organization and Management are a unique fusion of real-world experience and academic credentials. His superpower is leadership development.

Mark is a United States Army Veteran. He is the creator of the leadership program Diamond Quality Leadership, Leadership Skills for Today’s Workforce, and the host of the bi-weekly LinkedIn Live event called, “The Great Retention.”

You can follow Mark on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhinderliter/

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