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The Value of Vulnerability

The Value of Vulnerability

So often when the topic is leadership, qualities like gravitas, confidence and strength are extolled as desirable and even essential. But just as important are some qualities at the other end of the spectrum. Today I’m specifically referring to vulnerability.

We’re all aware of the importance – and sometimes difficulty – of being vulnerable in our personal relationships. Without it, love and intimacy are impossible. But a certain degree of vulnerability is equally as important for development of our professional relationships as well.

I worked with a client who was told by her supervisor that she needed to let people get to know her better; that as head of the department (for quite a while already), it would help overall team chemistry and trust. For someone who was working to overcome perfectionism and fear of making any sort of public mistake, this was daunting.

“How can I open up to them? I don’t know if I can trust them to see that side of me,” she said.

I replied, “My guess is that they probably feel the same about you. But here’s the thing: When you have two people who need to feel like they receive trust (or respect) before they’re willing to give it, there’s a stalemate. Eventually, someone has to ‘blink’ first, take the chance and give the other person the opportunity to demonstrate that they are trustworthy. That starts the cycle.”

But one way or another, the beauty is that you don’t have to trust them with your deepest darkest secrets or the key to the vault. Sometimes it’s just being able to laugh at yourself, or letting them know that you’re under the weather and could use their help that day.

Last week I got a frantic email from a client asking to have a strategy call the next morning before a high-stakes meeting that had just been organized. Understanding her situation and wanting to accommodate, I told her the truth: “Tomorrow morning the only slot that’s open is 9am, but in full transparency, I’m going to be in ‘mommy mode’ at that time, since I have to take my son” (who is 1 year old) “for a checkup at 10, so the nanny won’t arrive until 11. I can’t guarantee what mood he’ll be in or how long we can speak without interruption, but if you want to give it a try, I’m game.”

“I’ll take it,” she said.

So at 9am the call comes in – we coach via FaceTime, video included – and I answer, in a t-shirt with my hair pulled back, hoping she wouldn’t be daunted by my less-than-executive appearance. “I think we’re safe – he’s in his highchair and I’m feeding him breakfast, so he’s busy and happy for a while,” I told her.

My trust in letting my client see me this way was immediately rewarded.

“Oh, is he there? Can you turn the camera? I’d love to see him.”

I turned the camera so my client was face-to-face with the big blue eyes of my son, who stared back at her, mesmerized by the face on the screen. And then this high-powered CFO of a multi-billion-dollar company did the best thing possible: she launched straight into full-scale “peek-a-boo” mode.

My son burst into giggles immediately, and after a moment or two I turned the phone back to me. She had a huge smile on her face, and said, “That was the perfect antidote to the morning I’ve already had, thank you!”

From there we shifted gears and got down to business. We had each let down our guard with and I am confident that we both feel that the mutually shared vulnerability only served to strengthen our bond, both personally and professionally.

So once in a while, take a little chance: (metaphorically) play a bit of “peek-a-boo,” and let them see you.

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Do you have other questions or feedback about vulnerability and leadership? If so, contact me at laura@vocalimpactproductions.com or click here to schedule a 20-minute focus call to discuss it with me personally!

 

 

 

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Growth Management Personal Development

Disrupting the Status Quo – Part 3

This is the third article in the series; Disrupting the Status Quo. In the first article we discussed what the status quo is and reviewed, at a high level, the four steps you will take if you chose to disrupt the status quo within your organization. In the second article we took a deeper dive into the first step on Doing One Thing at a Time.

In this article we will dive deeper on the second step of getting buy in. That means that you will get buy in from the people who will be impacted by the change. In doing this they will agree that the change is needed and be willing to participate. Without buy in it can be very difficult to create change that impacts the lives of others.

People are often afraid of the unknown and you have to be clear on why the change is important, how it will positively affect those involved, and then make it digestible. When big change happens at work the common thought is “this change might make my job obsolete.”

In order to get buy in you need to talk to those that are going to be affected by the change. Yes I said you have to talk to the people impacted and I don’t mean an email either, I mean real communication. This could be talking to a team, a department, or your entire organization in person. This is where you need to step up and lead. Talk from a place of vulnerability; let them know you know how scary change is. Let them know that you know it’s going to be hard and let them know you believe in them and are counting on them.

The more you can remove the unknown from the change the less scary it will be and the more support you will have. When people know why they are doing something, what they are working towards, and have a clear picture of what the results will look and feel like they are much more likely to work with you on making the change a reality.

On the other hand when leaders don’t communicate to everyone affected by the change, rumors start and people get scared. They will fill in the blanks with information that they feel is right even if it’s not close to the truth. That is when change is scary and when people will sabotage the efforts.

This is not a one-time conversation either. You need to continue sharing and talking with those involved, helping them keep the outcome in mind and keep their buy in solid. When things get tough it’s easy for people to forget what you said three months ago and easier for them to stop moving forward. Constant reminders on what is in it for them, why this is going to be worth it, and why you need their help will be essential to keep everyone bought into your vision. It will also help you remember why you are doing the hard work and spending money, time, and resources on the change.

Lastly on buy in, also think about how to positively reinforce the behaviors you want. People do much better when they are working towards a positive result rather than working away from pain. You get better results when people do what they are doing because they know a good feeling is at the end rather than doing what they are doing to avoid punishment.

This can be tough and you might feel like you are alone at times. This is when it is most important to have people to lean on or turn to for support. Surround yourself with positive people who want what you want and help keep you focused and accountable to the results. If you need an outside source for this you can find a coach or consultant. You can reach me at sharon@c-suiteresults.com to discuss how I work with my clients on creating change and staying accountable. I can also help with strategic messaging and a communication plan to help you get the buy in and keep the buy in you need.

 

 

 

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Best Practices Growth Management Skills

Sunday Negotiation Insight – Always Check Your Emotions

www.TheMasterNegotiator.com

“Emotions determine who you are, what you’ll engage in, and how you’ll act in such engagements. Control your emotions and you’ll control the emotions that could cause you to lose control.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

“Always Check Your Emotions”

What motivates you? Really, what causes you to do the things you do that lead to the different moods you find yourself in? The better you are at being aware of where an emotion leads you, the better you can be at controlling it.

It’s important to understand the source of your emotions and where such can lead because you can place yourself into different emotional states, once you become mindful of the different states of emotions that you experience. As an example, pause from reading this article. Look around you once in about 20 seconds. Do so 360 degrees and note what you see. Attempt to see something that you’ve not paid that close attention to if you’re in an environment that you’re familiar with.

What did you observe that you did not notice before? How did it make you feel? If you said you had no feelings, dig deeper. You thought and felt something. If your emotional state was so slight that it didn’t register on your emotional Richter scale, you need to become more aware of your emotions. Some have gone through this exercise several times a day. In so doing they became more aware of their emotional state and the stimuli that motivated them to adopt certain actions. A higher sense of awareness per what stimulates your emotional states in doing this exercise should be your goal.

It may not be possible to be aware of your emotional state 24 hours a day, but the better you are at sensing your mood swings or other states of emotion, the more aware you’ll become of how to shape any environment you’re in; the goal is to be able to maximize your actions in that environment.

You can only control something once you become aware of its existence. Thus, to the degree you can control your emotions, you’ll be able to control more aspects of your life … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

In a negotiation, you can experience and cause the opposing negotiator to have certain experiences based on the emotional state you’re in. If you control the emotional state, you can control the negotiation.

As you know, emotions change in the give and take that occurs in a negotiation. So, before entering into a negotiation, assess the emotions you might experience and what might motivate you to display them. Be on guard for those that might make you appear out of control. During the negotiation, be even more mindful of the emotions that can pull you off track and don’t let them do so. You’re in control of yourself and thus your emotions; control them!

 

 

 

 

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Growth Human Resources Management Personal Development

Energize Millennial Workers

Do you want to get much more from the millennial employees you hire . . . and do you hope that they will continue to work for you for the long, not the short, term? If those are your hopes, it is essential to bear in mind that millennial employees’ attitudes and beliefs about working differ dramatically from those held by baby boomers and members of other age groups.

Consider these findings from How Millennials Want to Work and Live, a recent study from Gallup:

    • Millennials value learning – 60% of them say that the opportunity to learn and grow on the job is extremely important. The study found that only 40% of baby boomers feel the same way.
    • Millennials view many jobs as stepping stones  21% of them have changed jobs within the last year. Only 50% plan to remain in their jobs for at least the next year, compared to 60% of members of all other groups.
    • Millennials expect to advance in their jobs 50% of them say advancement is extremely important, vs. 40% of boomers.

Learning and Training Retain Millennials and Maximize their Productivity

In the companies that I have led, I have seen the realities that underlie statistics like those. I have also seen first-hand that training is the key to reducing millennial turnover and increasing their productivity.

And here are some of the reasons why:

    • Millennials like to feel capable and confident in their jobs. When I was their age, I was happy to learn the skills I needed on the fly. Millennials do not feel that way. They want to look good and feel confident from the first day they arrive on the job. Training is what makes that happen.
    • Millennials welcome training. They like to apply the learning skills they built while they were in school. To them, learning feels as natural as eating three meals a day. As the Gallup study finds, they are eager to learn. In contrast, many baby boomers tend to view training as a burden that they have to endure.
    • Modern training technologies speaks to millennials. Most of them love to be trained on their mobile phones and tablets, which are the most powerful training options available to many companies today. The result is better knowledge transfer, even to groups of employees who work in multiple locations.
    • Millennials welcome mentoring relationships with their managers. The Gallup study found that 60% of millennials feel that the quality of the people who manage them is extremely important. Your training is an ideal place to set up expectations that millennials will enjoy close, collaborative relationships with their supervisors. With that in mind, your training for new employees can establish mentoring, not reporting, relationships.
    • Millennials love independence, but they love teams too. This is a contradiction, but millennials think of themselves as both rugged individuals and eager team players. So letting millennials get to know their teammates during training, and fostering a sense of team/group identity, helps convince them that they have joined an organization where they belong.
    • Millennials are career-oriented. Do they love to hop from job to job? Yes, they do. But only if they sense that their opportunities to advance are blocked. That is why I believe in creating a personalized career development plan for each new employee. (The exception being seasonal or other short-term employees who will probably not remain in your employ for long.) One example? Enroll new employees in management training programs from their first days on the job. Millennials like to know their next steps as they advance in your organization, and training is the best place to explain them.

In summary . . .

I firmly believe that millennials are the most energized, skilled and capable generation ever to enter the workforce. How do you unlock their potential and make sure they remain in your employ for the long term? You do it with great training.

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Skills Women In Business

Know When to STOP Talking

Know When to STOP Talking

Usually I work with people to find the best way for them to talk to their audience and get to “Yes.” Today I want to focus on the exact opposite skill set: knowing when and how to stop talking.

If you’re like me, at some point or other you’ve had the “out-of-body experience” where you catch yourself rambling on, and your brain starts screaming, “for heaven’s sake, just stop talking already!” But you’re on a roll and can’t seem to stop the momentum.

Part of the reason this happens is because Americans are notoriously uncomfortable with silence, which quickly slides becomes “awkward silence,” is something to be avoided. That’s why there’s often a compulsion to fill silence at all costs.

In most of these occurrences, self-doubt is a major factor. Even if you were confident up to that point, something triggers a sudden insecurity, which you telegraph through your rambling.

With that in mind, let’s look at three contexts in which this situation is likely to emerge, why, and how to get yourself back under control.

Waiting for a response

The most common scenario is when you’ve asked a question or made a comment, and the other person doesn’t respond right away. You subconsciously fear that they didn’t understand what you’ve said, or didn’t like it and don’t want to answer it. So you rephrase, or qualify, or suggest possible answers to your own question, until someone finally jumps in.

In reality, sometimes people just need a moment to digest what you’ve said, especially if it is technical or an important decision. Be generous in allowing them time to think, uninterrupted, before they respond.

Over-explaining

The second context is when you think you need to keep explaining something. Maybe your topic is complicated and you are speaking to non-experts or you might be speaking to people who are experts, which can be intimidating, so you feel compelled to share more to demonstrate your expertise. Or you might interpret their silence as disapproval, at which point you keep talking in attempt to qualify or justify your argument and persuade them to agree with you.

Ironically, however, in these situations, the more you ramble, the more it will likely dissuade your audience because you sound nervous rather than confident. In these cases, make your point, then just hold your ground – and your tongue. This indicates that you’re okay with waiting for them to break the silence. If necessary, you can always ask them if they are confused by something, or would like clarification. Knowing when to stop demonstrates confidence.

Scrambling for answers

Finally, rambling often occurs when you need to answer a question or offer a response, and don’t feel like you have time to think it through before you are expected to speak. The pressure is on, and the silence seems interminable as all eyes are on you. But rather than thinking aloud you as you try to figure out what you really want to say, try starting with something like, “That’s a great question; let me think about the best way to answer it concisely.” Who would deny that request, especially if the alternative is a rambling mess?

Here’s a final tip: Write a note to remind yourself to avoid these pitfalls, and look at it before you go into the next high stakes meeting. If you wait until you catch yourself rambling, it’s too late. Priming yourself with these reminders before you start is one of the best ways to project persuasive confidence and leadership.

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Do you have questions or comments about the issues in today’s post? If so, contact me at laura@vocalimpactproductions.com or click here to schedule a 20-minute focus call to discuss them with me personally!

 

 

Categories
Growth Management Personal Development

Effective Strategies for Hiring Top Millennial Employees

“Our research — which provides an in-depth look at what defines Millennials as employees, people, and consumers — both confirms and casts aside some of the myths about this particular generation . . . on the job-hopping question, we found that 21% of Millennial workers had left their job in the last year to do something else, a number that is more than three times higher than that of non-Millennials who report doing the same.”  Source: “What Millennials Want from a New Job,” Brandon Rigoni and Amy Adkins, Harvard Business Review, May 11, 2016

Generalizations tend to be . . . well, general. But the fact remains that most millennials don’t want to work for just any company – and if they land a job in a company that they don’t like, they won’t stay around long.

One reason is that they hope to contribute their efforts and hours to a company that stands for something beyond making sales and making money. They want to share in the vision of a company and if they join yours, they expect that working for you will be in some way important.

As a result, the hiring paradigms have changed. In the old way of hiring, job applicants sold themselves to companies. Today, the company is being interviewed too, and needs to sell itself. When recruiting millennials, hiring companies need to bear in mind that there are certain important attributes that millennials are looking for – an exciting environment, a clear and understandable path to advancement, a chance to exercise personal autonomy while still being part of a stimulating team, and more.

How can your organization recruit and hire top millennial employees, and then make sure they keep working for you for the long term? I would like to recommend these strategies which I have used successfully.

Create a Personal Career Plan for Every Millennial Applicant and New Hire

In the past, baby boomers have been comfortable with the idea that they could discover the of how to build careers after they were hired. I have observed that millennials want to know the game plan and the rules before they come on board.

I have succeeded in recruiting strong millennials by creating personalized career plans for them, which should be discussed during the interviewing and hiring phase. The focus should be on questions of what your company expects from successful workers and what positions lie ahead. Individual career development plans are big differentiators in convincing millennials to take your job.

Please note that this advice does not pertain to everyone you’re hiring, only to employees who want and advance and remain with your company for the long term. You needn’t create a personalized development plan for short-term summer employees, for example, or for elder employees who are only looking for part-time jobs during their retirement years.

Stress Autonomy, Creativity and Entrepreneurship

In general, millennials like to express themselves through their jobs – not to be “cogs in a machine.” They like to make decisions, create and implement plans, and make personal, recognizable contributions to the companies where they work. Stressing that creativity is part of the job can go a long way toward differentiating your company from others that are hiring.

Reduce the Unknowns

Millennials like to have specifics spelled out. Even though they have earned a reputation for being “loosey-goosey” and casual, most of them are not. The more specific and concrete you get in setting out expectations, the more they will want to come on board. If they will have regular weekly check-ins with their supervisors instead of quarterly reviews, for example, talk about that. Talk about benefits, about required travel, about reporting lines – and all the details that apply. The more you explain and reveal, the more honest and desirable your company becomes.

Introduce Job Applicants to Future Supervisors and Team Members

It is again a generalization, but being part of an energized team is often more important to millennials than it is to Boomers or members of other age groups. For many millennials, teamwork really counts – even though they want to be strong, recognized individuals. The operative strategy is to have your company interviewers introduce desirable applicants to their potential managers and team members – preferably in the actual location where the applicant will work. The more millennials feel that your job is an invitation to join a stimulating team, the more likely they will be to take your job offer above others.

Test and Screen for the Right Abilities, Aptitudes and Attitudes

Why is it especially important to consider job fit when hiring millennials? One obvious reason is that good fit helps assure that the millennials will perform well in their new jobs. That’s a given. But there’s a subtler reason too, which is that millennials are generally less likely to stay in jobs that they find frustrating, overly difficult to perform, or repetitive and dull. With greater speed than Boomers, millennials will quit and move quickly to other jobs.

That is not because millennials lack company loyalty or are “job hoppers.” It is because they want to enjoy a sense of progress and accomplishment in their work. And remember that if they leave you, you incur the costs of recruiting and training new workers.

Offer Excellent Training

For boomers who are considering job offers, the promise of excellent training can be a big determining factor that convinces them to choose your company. It is a generalization again, but many millennials like the idea that they will be able to perform their jobs capably from day one instead of learning by trial and error.

 

About Evan Hackel

Evan Hackel, the creator of the concept of Ingaged Leadership, is a recognized business and franchise expert and consultant. Evan is also a professional speaker and author.  Evan is Principal and Founder of Ingage Consulting, a consulting firm headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts. A leader in the field of training as well, Evan serves as CEO of Tortal Training, a Charlotte North Carolina-based firm that specializes in developing and implementing interactive training solutions for companies in all sectors. To learn more about Inage Consulting and Evan’s book Ingaging Leadership, visit Ingage.net

Categories
Growth Human Resources Management Personal Development

Why Bullying and Employee Engagement Don’t Mix

Bullying and Employee Engagement

Bullying and employee engagement don’t mix.  Bullying is one person intimidating or threatening another in a disrespectful, dominating, or cruel manner.   Bullies tend to put performance results ahead of all other considerations including respect and trust.  Bullies think about themselves and not about others.  Aggressiveness is action without regard to others.  It’s an “I win and you lose” strategy.   Assertiveness is action with a “win-win” strategy.  Employee engagement can only grow in a culture that discourages and prevents bullying while encouraging collaboration, respect, and effective relationships with win-win communications.

According to The Workplace Bullying Institute, 27% of American workers have suffered abusive conduct at work; another 21% witnessed bullying; and 72% are aware that workplace bullying happens.  It also tells us that less than 20% of employers act to stop bullying. (Gary Namie, 2014)

Bullying is a symptom.   Causes of bullying are a complex set of factors.  The first set of factors relate to the psychological needs and flaws of the bully.  According to author Susan Coloraso bullies tend to have specific attitudes and behaviors including blaming others for situations.  They lack the willingness to take responsibility for their actions or their miserable situations.  They lack emotional intelligence traits such as the ability to sincerely understand how others might feel and the ability to express empathy.  They tend to be narcissistic focusing all their concern about themselves and not about others.

Bullies also believe competition is an important strategy for success.  They have difficulty with collaboration because they feel superior and others are seen in an inferior position.  For them, aggression is the way to success.

Women and men can both be bullies, although men have a higher tendency toward physical abuse and women use more psychological abuse such as passive aggressive manipulations.

The second set of factors causing bullying is the lack of an effective response from the workplace system.  Dr. W. Edwards Deming said 94% of all results come from the system.  Bullies are mostly allowed to continue without feedback and/or consequences for their poor behaviors.  Although the root causes of bullying stems from the experiences, and probably the parenting, of the bully, it’s the responses (or lack of) of the system that keeps the behaviors alive.

Organizations that are unprepared and/or unwilling to create consequences for bullying behaviors will be victimized. Unfortunately some leaders give “lip service” to a set of organizational values that discourage bullying behaviors.  Instead of confronting the poor behaviors immediately and consistently, leaders can instead ignore (or downplay) the behaviors and place more value on the results bullies are able to achieve.  The results outweigh the desired motivation and willingness of the leaders to have a confrontation.

We teach what we allow.  Bullies learn their behaviors.  They are not born as bullies.  They were probably allowed by their parents, or even encouraged with subtle messages, to continue their tactics. The only way to change is to stop the subtle messages and confront the poor behaviors directly and respectfully with consequences important to the bully.

Besides respectful confrontation organizations should also evaluate the hiring process to ensure bullies are not allowed to slip through the “hiring cracks.”

A system of effective Fearless Feedback will go a long way toward reducing the probability of bullying.  This must start with the senior leadership. Senior leaders must make it clear that results with bullying are unacceptable even if the results are financially profitable.  Leaders must take a stand.  Financial results achieved with bullying tactics must be evaluated in the context of the cost to employee engagement.  The costs associated with low employee engagement levels are much more difficult (if not impossible) to measure than financial results.  The bullying will either stop or be significantly reduced if the system is set up to provide respectful and immediate feedback to bullies and if they are given the choice to either change their behaviors or move on.

Bullying and employee engagement don’t mix.  Senior leaders must decide if results from employee engagement are more valuable than short-term results with bullying.  If senior leaders pay lip service to respect and win-win solutions but then avoid respectful consequences for bullying, things won’t change and employee engagement will suffer.

Wally Hauck, PhD has a cure for the “deadly disease” known as the typical performance appraisal.  Wally holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Warren National University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from Iona College, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania.   Wally is a Certified Speaking Professional or CSP.  Wally has a passion for helping leaders let go of the old and embrace new thinking to improve leadership skills, employee engagement, and performance.

Fearless Feedback

 

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Entrepreneurship Personal Development Women In Business

People Leaving Their Corporate Positions is Increasing: They’re Running Out the Door

People Leaving Their Corporate Positions is Increasing: They’re Running Out the Door

During the past few years, more and more people have been leaving their corporate positions. They’re not walking, they are running out the door. Recent studies have suggested that there has been an increasing number of men and women quitting their jobs, regardless of the dips the economy has taken in recent years. It is apparent that this growing rate of people leaving the corporate world has very little to do with money. An astounding 74 percent of people stated that they were looking to leave their current corporate positions.

People in corporate positions are reporting that they feel unhappy, unappreciated, and unnoticed at work. People are also stating that internal politics and disrespectful bosses are having a negative impact on their lives, and no longer wish to continue working for an unethical corporation. Negative work conditions and poor leadership seem to be pushing people to start their own companies. They want to be in a position where they have the power to create healthier work conditions, and maintain happiness in the work place.

Making the decision to leave your current corporate position and become an entrepreneur can be nerve racking. Especially if you have been in the corporate world for the majority of your career. You are leaving something that is comfortable and secure to pursue your own dreams, which can sometime be unpredictable. This is why it’s important to have an exit plan. This will help you avoid leaving your current job in an abrupt way that will leave you broke and overwhelmed.

When you devise a strategy to leave your current career path, it can help you make your transition a bit smoother. If you are in a position where you have made investments that are tied to your current company, you may have to be a little more strategic when making your plans. Take your time when planning your strategy. Remember, the whole point of having an exit strategy is so you have a clear game plan. If you rush into it without being clear on every aspect of your strategy, you will most likely find yourself in a risky situation.

Have an Unstoppable Day,

Do you have questions or comments about the issues in today’s post, want to know how to apply them, or how to help others with them? If so, contact me at connie@pheiffgroup.com or CLICK HERE to schedule a 20-minute discovery call to discuss with you personally.

 

 

 

Categories
Growth Management Personal Development

Disrupting the Status Quo – Part 2

In the first article in this series I outlined what the status quo is in general and three steps for disrupting it. If you have not read Part 1 yet you might want to start there

I also asked you to put down on paper some of the status quo’s for your organization that need disruption. So take out your list and follow along.

Remember from the last article that disrupting the status quo is essentially creating change and that change can be hard. Because change is hard for individuals, especially when we are talking about behavior change, the first step to disruption is to focus on one change at a time.

So how do you decide what needs to be disrupted first or what change is most needed?

You look at the list and decide which is one that will have the biggest impact overall. In other words is there one change that when implemented will cause change in other areas?

There are typically some issues that will get resolved by focusing on changes in other areas. Here is a simplified example – can customer satisfaction be improved if you focus on product delivery? Can product delivery be improved if you focus on team dynamics or safety? If these are true then focusing on team dynamics (let’s say that’s what you said could create the change to improving product delivery) would not only affect your product delivery, but would ultimately affect and improve your customer satisfaction.

The question you need to ask and get very clear on is what is the high level change you want? From there you can look at what the low level changes are that will push the high level change into being. And from that list you can find the one that will have the biggest impact and affect the most change.

Here is where many leaders get this wrong, the get together in a room with other executives and peers and try to figure out what the problem is they are trying to solve and all the low level changes needed. They don’t go to the source, where the information is best; they don’t go to their employees.

For solutions to have the greatest chance of solving the actual problem, you must turn to those closest to the problem, those who deal with it every day and most likely understand the root cause. If it’s an assembly problem the line worker who deals with that problem must be part of the solution, if it’s a software problem the developer who worked on the code must be part of the solution, and if it’s a customer service issue the call center representative or sales clerks must be part of the solution. You cannot solve problems you don’t know the root cause to and if you are not the one working in the area of the problem you really don’t know the root cause.

This means working with everyone in your organization (department or team) to really understand the problems, the ones that have the biggest impact and the ones where if solved the change will also affect the greatest number of people and have the greatest impact to the bottom line.

Once you have that clear picture on what needs your focus first you go to those closest to the problem and solicit their ideas. There are a ton of resources out there for you, consultants, specialists, coaches, books, articles, courses, etc. that address problem solving and decision making strategy and approaches. What I want you to take away from this is in order to start disrupting the status quo you need to have a clear picture of the problem you are trying to solve, you must work with those throughout your organization to identify what that is, you then must work with those closest to the problem on the solution, and most importantly you focus on one change at a time; the change that will have the biggest impact on your organization.

Stay tuned for the next article in this series and feel free to reach out with questions or comments to sharon@c-suiteresults.com or visit www.c-suiteresults.com for more resources. For a weekly podcast on success listen to C-Suite Success Radio available on iTunes or at http://csuitesuccessradio.libsyn.com/

 

 

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Growth Leadership Personal Development

3 Self-Imposed Ceilings of High Achievers

3 Self Imposed Ceilings of High Achievers

Hot Roast Beef with Gravy??

During my senior year of high school, I never came off the football field. I was a receiver, cornerback, kick returner and punt returner.

I was one of the best-conditioned guys on the team, at least during the practices…

Because it was confounding when, for the 3rd consecutive game, my team had to call an injury time out because I was suffering massive calf cramps.

You know, the type where your foot is agonizingly stuck in the pointed position and the only relief is to literally grab and yank it back into place.

So, for the 3rd consecutive week, Trainer Bob had to race onto the field to tend to my suddenly delicate calves.

Perplexed, Trainer Bob says “this never happens to you during practice…not even during 3-a-days.”

“I know, this SUCKS.”

“What are you eating before the games?”

To which I reply, “a hot roast beef with gravy sub from the Italian Carousel.”

I’m dead serious.

Trainer Bob, genuinely one of the kindest and most-beloved high school staffers ever to walk the halls of Ramsey High School, simply responded

“Are you (bleeping) kidding me?!?”

 

Blind Spots = Self-Imposed Ceilings

I’m pretty sure this story illustrates how ignorant I was about nutrition.

I legitimately thought a hot roast beef with gravy sub would provide me the necessary protein to be a champion on game day.

Was I a first-class dumbass? Most certainly.

Was I also well-intentioned and just wildly misguided? Most certainly.

This isn’t a conversation about nutrition, as much as I’d love to have that conversation with you. Rather, I’m addressing a much broader context of challenges:

Your Blind Spots that create Self Imposed Ceilings.

As a high-performance coach to individuals and companies, I see so many well-intentioned yet wildly misguided behaviors that are routinely sidelining your ability to perform and expand at the speed with which you want.

 

Here are a few big ones:

  1. Feeling Guilty for Wanting More

“I feel like my husband will take it personally if I tell him I’m bored and unfulfilled with my life.”

“Everyone tells me I’ve done so well for myself. Maybe I should just be grateful for everything I already have instead of wanting more.”

“I’m responsible for so many other people’s wants and needs. I can’t just abandon them…but I’ve never got any time for me, and I can feel my resentment mounting.”

Guilt like this will keep you stuck in a state of drift for years, or a lifetime.

Guilt is nothing more than the “shoulds” and “supposed tos” that you’ve allowed someone else to force upon you. That’s their expectations and beliefs, not your own.
Operating from guilt and sensed-obligation is one of the lowest forms of energy you can come from. Your force will be diluted and the lack of authenticity will toxify everything you touch.

 

Plus, it’s impossible to design a future you can’t wait to live into when you’re carrying a guilt albatross around your neck.

 

  1. Mistaking Compulsion for Drive

As a high achiever, one of the top-shelf compliments you can receive is someone acknowledging you as “being driven.”

In my experience, however, it’s rarely drive that’s fueling your behavior…it’s often unintentional compulsion.

Unintentional compulsion is the unconscious need to keep pushing, performing and achieving…without the ability to identify why or for what you’re doing it all for.

It’s like you’re being commanded to do something, not of your own free will.

Drive, on the other hand, is the conscious intentional choice to do something when you know precisely why it matters in the context of your life.

Drive is purpose based.

Compulsion is fear based.

Here’s how you can tell the difference:

If your wins are fleeting, and your losses are extra painful, you’re operating from compulsion.
If your wins are deeply satisfying and your losses are welcomed catalysts for growth, you’re driven.

 

  1. Your Language Does Not Equal Their Language

When I was at NYU for my MBA, my marketing professor had our class play the following game:

Write down a percentage that corresponds with these words:

  • Always
  • Sometimes
  • Never

For example, if John were to say he “always” did something, how often – in terms of a percentage – did he do it?

Our class of 50 people had astonishingly different answers.

The range for “always” was 5% to 100% of the time.

When I hear “always,” I take that to mean 100% of the time.

Reggie was the guy who said “always” meant 5% of the time. He explained that “No one ever does what they say they’re going to do.”

Can you imagine the communication breakdown between Reggie and someone who thought “always” means 100% of the time?

What if they were boss and employee?

Husband and wife?

Parent and child?

Could you imagine the potential implications of this language barrier as you extend it to entire organizations and ecosystems of people?

No wonder we all feel misunderstood.

As a coach and facilitator for diverse groups of people, I’m constantly double-clicking on people’s use of language so I can understand how they experience the words they use, and how they interpret the words used by their co-workers, spouses, children etc.

I have the same kind of Trainer-Bob-discovering-I’m-eating-hot-roast-beef-with-gravy-type-of-amazement when I unpack how much discrepancy there is between two people’s meanings for the same words.

If you rarely find yourself asking this question, “tell me what (fill in the blank with the word/phrase in question) means to you,” then I can guarantee you that you’re unconsciously creating communication conflicts.

And it’s keeping you stuck.

 

Awaken to Your Blind Spots

Here are 2 of my favorite information sources for to create Intentional Awakenings to your blind spots:

  1. Book: The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield
  2. Podcast: Impact Theory by Tom Bilyeu

My book, Design Your Future, also has a roadmap for avoiding the trappings above.

#TakeCommand

-DQ

PS – If you’re looking for a speaker to illuminate the Blind Spots and destroy the Self Imposed Ceilings in your business, here’s a list of my speaking topics.

 

 

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