All posts by tammylfinch

Leadership

Atypical Leadership – What We’re Starving for Today

There are more articles written, catchy names, labels and tags given various leadership approaches than I can count. Why? Because there are so many different “takes” on what is required, what works and what will get the end results desired. Based on that fact it would seem logical to conclude that there is no ONE magic answer just a lot of opinions. But the mere fact that there is SO much being written, said and discussed on a regular basis tells me there is a dire need to understand it and FIND IT. In that quest, let’s discuss in simple terms our take on leadership and the attributes to seek in order to achieve greatness. Let’s start with one of what we like to call the Three C’s of Leadership, Character.

 

Character is defined in a number of ways and possessing multiple attributes we identify as being a part of someone with “high character”. My preferred style is…keep it simple. Character is much more than just a bullet point list of things. And that list can be huge based on all the articles, research and opinions out there. Here is our “Top Five List” of attributes noticed and needed in good to great leaders.

 

Self-Aware

People that seem to lead best almost always have a high level of self-awareness. They know what makes them “tick”. They are clear on what motivates them. They understand their own personal style of communication, action, etc. And they don’t try to be something they are not! A KEY point indeed. The great leaders in today’s world seem to be comfortable in their own skin. And they are acutely aware of what their own strengths and weaknesses are for sure. Those same leaders learn to just be themselves, in their own way. In other words, be genuine. After all, there is more than one way to get to where you want to get. If you want to be a leader, understand what your own style and tendencies are and you and your teams will be better served. Nobody likes to follow a phony or worse yet, discover later that the behaviors they had been experiencing were all a fa�ade. Discover who you are and BE YOURSELF first and foremost.

 

Integrity

Integrity, in the view of most experts, goes hand in hand with being deeply self-aware. Not only are people with high integrity self-aware, they are keenly in touch with and aware of those around them and how they relate to them. They walk the high moral ground, practicing what anyone would consider good ethics. They do their best every day to practice good judgment and thoughtful approaches to the challenges of the day.

 

Trustworthy

Being trustworthy as a leader goes on hand in hand with what we have just outlined, being genuine, self-aware and of high integrity at all times. Without those qualities how could we possibly trust them? True leaders exemplifying this characteristic are not manipulators trying to make them look good and sometimes throwing their team members under the bus. They take the fall when it is theirs to take. And often even when it is not.   And they do not misrepresent the facts in order to get an edge. They speak the truth. Sounds so simple, yet this seems to be something more difficult to find these days. It takes courage to embody this attribute, but it’s worth it.

Open-Minded

Leaders of high character must show both an open heart and an open mind. They know to let their guard down and in doing so, this lets other people in. As a result, people trust them more with their opinions, ideas, feedback, challenges and yes, even criticisms. This in turn makes the leader more in touch and aware of what is going on with their business, their team, their industry and their colleagues. These leaders foster an environment of openness, exchange and sharing that is infectious.

 

Lead by Example

Character-based leaders many, many times lead by example. They don’t just “talk the talk” they “walk the walk” of what they want, need and expect from others. When hard work, extra hours and that additional “umph” is needed they are there doing their part in that. When they are asking for honest feedback, they give nothing less in return. In general, whatever a leader wants in others they should be willing and able to give in return. In the words of one of my favorite bosses in my past, never ask or expect someone to do something you are no willing to do yourself. Seems like a great message that ties all the other attributes we have discussed here into play. You don’t necessarily have to know HOW to do everything, that’s unrealistic. But the willingness to dive in, to learn and do what’s needed when it’s needed is invaluable. It keeps real leaders in touch and approachable. That is a much needed thing today more than ever!

 

Lastly, if these basics of Character in Leaders as outlined here is in place the absolute best outcome of all occurs.   Your team and all you come in contact with R-E-S-P-E-C-T you as a person. With that respect, great things are possible!

 

To quote an article from Forbes, “Leaders do not command excellence, they build excellence. Excellence is “being all you can be” within the bounds of doing what is right for your organization. To reach excellence you must first be a leader of good character. You must do everything you are supposed to do. Organizations will not achieve excellence by figuring out where it wants to go, then having leaders do whatever they have to in order to get the job done, and then hope their leaders acted with good character. This type of thinking is backwards. Pursuing excellence should not be confused with accomplishing a job or task. When you do planning, you do it by backwards planning. But you do not achieve excellence by backwards planning. Excellence starts with leaders of good and strong character who engage in the entire process of leadership. And the first process is being a person of honorable character. ”

Leadership

Leadership in Today’s World

The first announcement I am extremely pleased to make is that Goranson Consulting is forming a strategic partnership with Kay Titchenal, effective January 30, 2013. I first met Kay when working for Right Management Consultants, then got to know her much better as I ventured out on my own in 2003. Kay was in a leadership position at a leading medical school, charged with the position of Executive Director of Human Resources. We had the pleasure of doing some great work together in the leadership development arena and from there a friendship and a relationship as colleagues began to grow. After much “prompting”, “begging” and “persuasion”, Kay agreed to join forces with Goranson Consulting as a strategic partner. While maintaining her own business, the vast majority of her time will be working in partnership with GCI. The
goal: 1 + 1 = 3! Synergy at its finest and in turn even better and broader offerings available for our clients.

 

Kay’s business background and experience of 40+ years has afforded her the opportunity to focus on leadership challenges. Working at various professional levels in large and small companies, encompassing those that were publicly traded or privately held, for profit and

not-for-profit, in the private and public sector, and in manufacturing and service arenas, have provided Kay with a wealth of hands-on experience. Just a few of her areas of expertise, in addition to Leadership Development, are human resources, training and workshops, strategic planning & facilitation, leading/consulting on culture and change, succession planning and individualized career development.

 

Our primary focus in working together will be without a doubt LEADERSHIP. Leadership at ALL levels of any organization, whether big, little or somewhere in between. In the coming months we will be announcing other new additions to what GCI will have in its toolbox!

 

One term you will be hearing from us a lot will be Atypical Leadership. We will explain what we mean by that and what it means for all of you, our readers, in future issues. For this month, courtesy of Kay, let’s hit the highlights of an article she read that hits the mark on what we will be exploring in 2013.

 

SUCCESSFUL LEADERS

 

All successful LEADERS share five practices.

 

  1. They challenge the process.
  2. They inspire a shared vision
  3. Leaders enable others to act
  4. Leaders model the way
  5. Leaders Encourage the heart

 

In 2013 the GCI newsletter will be going through eachone of these 5 points….and much more. One of the key elements of the newsletter this year will be challenging YOU to think outside the box. We’ll be sharing real-world stories exemplifying the elements of leadership we will be talking about and talking to. And most important of all, WHERE are our future leaders going to come from? One key thing to keep in mind going forward will be that we both believe strongly you don’t have to have the title “manager”, “director”, “exec” by your name to be a leader. Leaders show themselves in a variety of ways and situations.

Employee Engagement

GIVE THANKS TO YOUR EMPLOYEES, FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS

What’s that you say? Give “thanks”? Isn’t that just for Thanksgiving? Not in my book. The holidays are absolutely my favorite time of year to thank people for their efforts, dedication, accomplishments, loyalty and results for the past year. It is also a time when I always try to take a much more personal touch and check in on them to see how they are doing, what their plans are for the holidays, how they feel about the year just passed and what they look forward to in the new year.

 

Really let people know how you feel about them and that they are recognized and valued not just as employees, but as friends, confidantes, colleagues. In other words, the whole spectrum of “people possibilities”. Not just those at work. Why? IT FEELS GOOD. It makes us appreciate what we have to be grateful for in our lives with them. It builds long-lasting relationships that will sustain us through tough times ahead as well as build a better network of people to also help us celebrate our successes, exchange ideas with, learn from and most of all….count on!

 

Look folks, it’s a much more complex, demanding, challenging and often frenetic world we live in today. NOW is the time of year to SLOOOOOOOW down and really take the time to look around, see clearly and let people know you noticed them. It’s mighty lonely out there without that. And it’s been proven time and time again that no matter how independent someone may be or think they are, our health, vitality and longevity are positively impacted by strong connections to others. It’s true, no human is an island unto themselves.

 

So, thank you for a wonderful, rewarding and awesome year in 2012. And please follow my lead and don’t just send an e-mail. Whenever possible, find the time and place to reach out to people face to face. And failing that hand written cards and letters are great. Just remember, while e-mails and texts can mean well and seem really easy to use, they also can be misread, misinterpreted, even missed completely. I myself had a personal experience with this very thing just this week. In hindsight, I should have just picked up the phone and called my dear friend, rather than relied upon e-mails and texts.  Hey, we learn from our experiences and I am no exception to that!

 

So, what’s the message? Value relationships no matter what type. Nurture them. Celebrate and sustain them. Especially this holiday season. They deserve it. And so do all of you!

Leadership

Great Leaders Find Their Passion

At GCI, we talk a LOT about job fit. We know that when the right people are in the right jobs at the right companies… magic can happen. And massive leaps in employee engagement occurs! Steve Jobs, who passed away last month, certainly made quite a bit of magic happen throughout his life.

 

Steve Jobs was initially diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004. Told by doctors that the cancer was inoperable, Jobs was given 3-6 months to live. He received this news after his 7:30 AM appointment, and he spent the day in agony as he played this death sentence over and over in his mind. The same evening, a biopsy was performed on the tumor that the doctors had found on Jobs’ pancreas. Doctors literally cried when they discovered that the cancer was a rare form that could indeed be cured through surgery. Jobs had the surgery and later reported, “I’m fine now.”

 

The close call in 2004 led Jobs to muse very frankly on the concepts of life and death. Shortly afterwards, in his often-quoted Stanford Commencement address, Jobs was able to very eloquently share some of his thoughts on living a life filled with purpose and passion. Jobs believed that he was “lucky” to have found work that he loved early in life. He found “success” quickly, as Apple Computer became a $2 billion company within ten years.

 

And then, as we all know, he was fired from that same company that he created. Jobs described the feelings of failure (and confusion) that he initially felt after being let go from Apple, but he was able to identify what it was that kept him going through such a tough time.

 

“I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did,” he said. “You’ve got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t

found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

 

That paragraph packs a punch, doesn’t it?

 

Does this mean we are always going to love our job? NO. Or that it contains duties, tasks, elements of that job that we may not love at all? Of course. That is reality. But, those people that get to “scratch the itch” that engages and excites them as a part of their jobs are the lucky ones. Sometimes we’ve found it and don’t even recognize or acknowledge that fact. Often times it is there but we allow ourselves to get weighed down by all the pieces we aren’t in love with. A lot has to do with our own perspective. We all need to take a little(or a LOT) more responsibility for our success and passion in what we do.

 

As individuals, we know this. We know that we are uniquely gifted to do certain things. Certain types of work bring out the best in us. They engage our talents and our interests. They challenge us, but in a good way. When we’re working in areas where we are not only skilled but also passionate – look out. Great things can happen.

 

Employers know this, too. Employers don’t want employees who are merely capable of doing their jobs. They’d prefer to have people who really love their jobs. They want people who are really excited by their work. Employers know that these highly engaged employees are also highly productive and tremendous assets for their team. And yes, employers need to do a better job of this. Steve Jobs followed his passions and did what he loved to do. He did what he was uniquely capable of doing. And he remained intentional about staying aligned with his passions.

 

In his commencement address, he also shared a quote that he had read when he was 17 that influenced him. The quote, he said, went something like this: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.”

 

“Since then,” said Jobs, “I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? And whenever the answer has been No for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

 

Jobs continued by saying, “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.” He urged the graduates at Stanford that day not to waste their lives living someone else’s dream. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice,” he said. “And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”

 

Can you imagine a world where everyone poured as much passion into their work as Steve Jobs did? What if all of us came to work each day as excited to be at our jobs as Steve Jobs was to be at Apple? As excited as Steve Jobs was to introduce the iPhone to us?

 

We’re not all called to be CEO’s of companies or creative geniuses like Steve Jobs. We don’t have to make the same contributions as he did. (Whew.) But… we CAN all bring the same level of energy and passion to our jobs as he did. We CAN be just as passionate about our work as he was in his. When we make the commitment to finding work that we love and NOT settling, as Jobs implored of that graduating class, we set the stage for some magic to happen in our own lives.

 

We’re all given unique personalities, abilities, skills, and interests that are designed to bring us fulfillment when we align them with meaningful work. We think that when the right person is in the right job at the right company, we’ve got a formula for success- for both the individual and the employer. We think Steve Jobs believed that too. Steve Jobs found his calling and showed us how to live a life of passion and purpose. He didn’t settle, and he urged us not to either. Think about that world again where we’re all as stoked as Steve Jobs was about our jobs.

 

How cool would that be?

Leadership

Great Leaders in Today’s World

 Times have changed. And so have some of the attributes that make great leaders to guide us through these challenging times. Now, more than ever, the world at work and everywhere needs and is looking for leaders to show us the way.

 

So…..WHAT makes great leaders? Do you have to have the title “Manager, Director, VP, President, CEO” attached to your name to be a true leader? HOW is it different now in the “leadership suite” as compared to before?

 

There are numerous lists, books and articles addressing leadership and the traits or attributes that make a great leader. All are worth reading and taking to heart. Based on my personal experience in over 30 years of business, here’s my Top 10. They consistently show up in my working past. And definitely do so today in the great leaders I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with through my own consulting and coaching practice.

 

Top 10 Leadership Qualities

  1. Real, genuine, self-aware and “they are who they are”
  2. Consistent, level-headed, thoughtful, NOT “Dow Jonesers”
  3. Outwardly focused, not all about themselves and their agendas
  4. Good to great communicators that know to L-I-S-T-E-N and truly hear the message
  5. Flexible, able & willing to change
  6. Calculated risk-takers that learn from their failures, using them to grow & improve
  7. Big picture thinkers, forward- thinking in their approach to their actions and plans
  8. Exudes confidence without being perceived as arrogant or self-absorbed
  9. Live in a place of high integrity, honesty
  10. Good relationship builders

 

Great leaders know that you can’t do it alone. The effective ones today have discovered people working together is far more effective than the old school style of strong fisted, fiery, authoritarian leadership. Including others in the work, the project, the conversation is important. Listening, giving others a voice, adapting and changing what you might have thought originally to adopting new ideas is admirable and needed. It helps tremendously in building real, valued and meaningful relationships with others. That can have multiple payoffs for all. And that all helps create something that is key to all of this…TRUST!

 

HOW is it different in the leadership role today? The successful leaders at the top of organizations are out in front of their people and their customers more. The really good ones manage by wandering around interactively and getting to know their teams, face to face. They go out and meet their customers and build relationships while increasing their understanding of what they need. More open and revealing about themselves, this in turn makes people understand, appreciate and trust them more. They also know the value and power of group communication, frequent contact, visibility and messages to employees and to customers via social media and web conferencing. Town hall style meetings are making a comeback and they should! In other words, they’re not a robot but a real person with family, friends, interests and problems like the rest of us. They “keep it real”!! Modern day leaders are adaptable and know there is more than one way to get the results. One size and one way does not fit all.

 

And the same holds true in their relationships and direction of others. Great leaders know that taking the time to understand each person’s preferred style of doing things, likes, dislikes, wants, needs are all vital in doing what really works best. They know to manage to the individual in order to get those results we all are expected to hit and exceed. In turn, this makes them more approachable and keeps them more in tune with what is really going on with their team, business, etc. And this allows them to do so without having to dig for the information in a forced way.

 

Expectations are everything, especially in great leaders. IF we are around leaders that are more consistent in how they present themselves emotionally and in their communication, actions and decision making the better it is for those around them. The feedback I get more than I like to hear in my role as a workplace consultant and development coach is often “I never know what to expect from one day to the next from him or her. I don’t know what’s right or what’s wrong depending on their mood that day. I’m afraid to take the lead or stick my neck out because I never know how that is going to be received”. Sound familiar?? Consistency in how you show up as a leader solves a lot of problems and certainly creates a more positive, workable dynamic around you.

 

One GREAT Leader

My final thoughts are entirely based on someone I consider to be the best leader I had the pleasure of knowing and working with in my life. He was considered someone to look up to, listen to and admire many years ago and his style would serve others well today without a doubt. His name was Ed.

 

Ed was my Regional VP when working as an Operations Manager for a company in Denver, CO. He was the third boss I had been assigned to in a little over a year and he lived quite a distance from my hub, in San Francisco. He didn’t hire me, he inherited me. I rarely saw him. He’d visit once a quarter. All 9 managers on his team, along with those in his small regional office, universally looked up to him and learned from him. Why?

 

Ed treated us all as individuals. He got to know us on a business level and on a personal level, without crossing the line on that. He laughed, shared himself personally and maybe even more than he did professionally. When we had our quarterly management team meetings, we combined work with something fun, every single time. Being a golfer, the one I enjoyed a lot was playing on the coast in California. But the one we all universally loved and learned a lot in doing was one where we went to an old, down-by-the-tracks bowling alley outside San Jose. He paired us off in teams, bought us greasy burgers, fries and a “tasty beverage” ,or two, or three. And he sat back and watched, for the first two games. Then dove in and joined us on the last two. When I asked him why later, he said it was because he wanted to see who dove in, who held back, how we showed our competitive sides and styles and how we showed up when our guard was down doing this fun activity with no thought on our part. From that he knew what he had on his team. And he used it wisely.

 

The standard line about Ed was that he really didn’t know that much about the technical side of things, but he knew people. He knew how to motivate them, correct them, guide them and support them. And how to hit our goals while also feeling valued as a person, not just a number. He never played favorites. We always said that outside his office walls you never knew who was in the penthouse and who was in the outhouse. Behind closed doors he made it very clear by being totally honest, short, sweet, and without getting emotional and crushing your spirit when we were off track on something. He helped us come up with a plan to correct and get back on the right path. And then, that was over, move on. We were back to being a team and working hard, playing hard and helping each other out. We loved the guy. He had the “it” factor. And he had “it” because of the characteristics listed at the beginning of the article. Ed lived those every day.

 

Now it’s your turn!

Employee Engagement

Research Factoids on Employee Recognition

The role of recognition and recognizing employees has been significantly under-appreciated as an important driver of business success, profitability, and performance in most organizations.

According to the most research, 99.4 percent of today’s employees expect to be recognized when they do good work, while other research has found that only 12 percent of employees strongly agree that they are consistently recognized in ways that are important to them and nearly three times as many (34 percent) disagree or strongly disagree that they are recognized in ways that are meaningful to them.

Additional findings on employees that DO receive employee recognition in their workplace:

–          5 times more likely to feel valued

–          6 times more likely to invest in the company

–          7 times more likely to stay with the company

–          11 times more likely to feel completely committed

 

Towers Perrin conducted some research that showed committed employees deliver 57 percent more effort than uncommitted ones.  It has also become clear in recent years that there is a definite link between employee recognition and employee engagement, satisfaction and loyalty. Employee Recognition is a hugely significant driver in the employee engagement, customer satisfaction, profitability equation. The end result is enhanced bottom-line success for the organization.

In a study conducted by the Corporate Executive Board , it was clear that recognition was one of the top methods for increasing employee retention. And in a study by Towers Perrin, in 2008, “…companies with high employee engagement had a 19% increase in operating income and a 28% increase in earnings per share. In contrast, companies with poor employee engagement scores had declining operating incomes and an 11% drop in earnings per share.”

Based on all these research findings, it is obvious that internal employee engagement directly impacts the external customer experience and their relationships.  Without true employee engagement, satisfaction and loyalty, much of what is invested in the customer experience is wasted.

The most common recognition areas are:

  • Years of service – 58 percent
  • Going above and beyond with an unexpected work project – 48 percent
  • Successful performance relating to the organizational financial bottom-line –  43 percent
  • Exemplary behavior that represents organizational values – 37 percent
  • Completion of regular work projects with high-quality results – 9 percent
  • Completion of regular work projects at a pace faster than usual – 2 percent
Leadership

Do you or your employees and co-workers think “Oh no, I have to go to work tomorrow!”?

Do you find yourself thinking about the upcoming workday and start rapidly becoming filled with a sense of impending doom? Are you stressing about your seemingly endless to-do list? Feeling anxious? Contemplating calling in sick?

Feeling that pit in the bottom of our stomach on Sunday evening may be somewhat the norm these days. Having a panic attack about going in to work is not. If you, your co-workers or your employees suffer from some of the symptoms listed above it doesn’t necessarily mean you are disengaged. It could be a major sign that you are suffering from job stress.

According to statistics from an organization specializing in Employee Engagement (HR Solutions’ National Normative Database, comprised of 3.3 million employees from 2,400 organizations), stress in the workplace has been on the rise since 2009. In 2009, only 60 percent of employees believed they suffered from job stress, compared to 66 percent of employees in 2010. Results for the past year are expected to climb even higher, perhaps to 70% or more. This is TOO high!

There’s no doubt the recent economic downturn we experienced has earned the blame for the increase in job-related stress. SO many organizations are short-staffed and employees are constantly being asked to do more with less. Not to mention the all too common fear they have about losing their job. Clearly, this ongoing stress takes an enormous toll on employees, their family life and their productivity.

Stress can have a detrimentally negative impact on one’s physical and mental health. Stress can show up as a) high blood pressure, b) suppression of the immune system, c) an increased risk of stroke and heart attack, and d) increases in one’s body weight. Mentally, stress can lead to anxiety and depression.

Obviously, stress has a potentially huge negative impact on Employee Engagement levels in the workplace. Even the best of employees can quickly go from Actively Engaged to Ambivalent to Disengaged after suffering from ongoing job stress. This drop in Engagement levels can lead to decreased productivity, decreased profitability, increased absenteeism, and ultimately an increase in turnover.

What Can Organizations Do to Effectively Manage Stress?

Several best practices that managers and leadership teams can follow to help reduce stress levels in the workplace are as follows:

– Regularly meet with employees to make sure their workloads are manageable. These meetings will help employees feel comfortable talking about stress and seeking help when over-stressed. When possible, attempt to rearrange responsibilities among the team.

– Managers have a tendency to rely too heavily on their star players. Make sure that responsibilities are spread evenly throughout the team as much as possible, not just on the backs of the “stars”.

– Encourage and create wellness programs and awareness. Exercising has been proven again and again to actually reduce stress levels. It relaxes muscles and triggers the release of endorphins. It increases our sense of well-being. Improves and clarifies our thinking and ability to prioritize. And can even impact our confidence levels! NO, we do not all have to run a marathon, compete in the Iron Man, climb a mountain. BUT……find something you enjoy that increases your heart rate, burns calories and gets you moving. Push yourself at first without hurting yourself. You will begin to see and feel the benefits.

– Create MORE Fun in the workplace! Studies have shown that laughter relaxes muscles, lowers blood pressure, and speeds the flow of oxygen through the body, which ultimately reduce stress levels. In addition, both smiling and laughing release endorphins into the brain. Offering fun activities at work can help employees see both of these benefits.

Managing stress is not just up to the managers and leaders. YOU need to take the initiative to address it. The person that knows you best should be you. Take control of your own health. And in turn, hopefully encourage your leaders to do the same. And one final, VERY personal opinion I’d like to share. TAKE YOUR VACATION TIME. Use it for a REAL vacation. Encourage a culture, much like has existed overseas in other countries for years, to get away, disconnect, have some FUN and RECHARGE. One of my former bosses pushed me hard and often seemed like a taskmaster but….when it was time for vacation he said “Dave, when you go on vacation GO on vacation. Don’t call in. Have fun. Use all of it each year. And then come back recharged and ready to go.” Thanks, Mike M. Good advice.

Leadership

How Well Do You Hand Out Work to Peers and Subordinates?

Leave your ego at the door.  A big mental speed bump to delegation is that “If you want it done right, then do it yourself.” Remember, you’re not the only person in the world who can do it right. You may be the only person who can do it right at this very moment, but if you take the time to train someone, they can probably do it right, too. And (don’t pass out) they might even be able to do it faster or better than you. This is something you need to not only accept, but invite!

Stop waiting for people to volunteer. ASK FOR HELP!  It’s not a sign of weakness.  And if you’ve got “martyr syndrome”, you’re probably overwhelmed, and you wonder why people don’t ever offer to help. When they do, maybe you turn them down, just to be polite, and quietly wonder why they didn’t insist.  Actually, many people are quite oblivious to what others are going through. Let go of any frustration you might have and don’t expect them to change.  But you can!  It’s ultimately your job to communicate your needs.  Please don’t view  asking for help as some form of weakness.  It’s not.  But trying to do everything yourself is a weakness and not good for the organization as a whole – or you!!.

Attitude is everything.  Your tone of voice, body language, WHERE you delegate or ask for help are extremely important.  I know, basic stuff, right??  Well, I had two questions last month asking what to do when a boss delegates with a “tone” in their voice as if they are a dictator making demands rather than asking for help.  How do you think that’s going to turn out, LOL?  Give it the right setting(an office or conference room if possible).  Be collaborative in your approach to the person getting the task, work, project.  Lean forward.  Smile.  RELAX.  Pause for them to absorb it and ask questions.  LISTEN.  And be sure to express supreme confidence in their abilities to perform the job at hand superbly.  Confidence breeds confidence!  AND competence!

Delegation is not dumping.  If you really want to reap the benefits of delegation, “delegate don’t dump”.  Try to never give someone the impression that all you’re giving them is “garbage” work.  Don’t imply that you are just dumping unpleasant assignments on them that you or no one else wants to do.  Certainly not the first time or two you give them something new to do.  And later, when that does become a necessity based on shear volume, try to spread that around and be honest about the work.  It’s not a glamorous job but it needs to be done and I’d really appreciate your help on this.  Something to that effect.

Recognize your helper when it counts. Delegating tasks to someone else is necessary if you are to take on more and more responsibility. It’s counterproductive when you delegate the task, your helper works hard, and then you take all the credit. Recognize and praise the efforts of others on your behalf.  Catch ’em doing something right, as I have always preached!

Say Thank You. When someone does something for you, it is important to say thank you, acknowledge the help and let the helper know they are appreciated otherwise you appear ungrateful. People are more likely to offer to help again if they feel appreciated.
Leadership

Clear Communication

 The Highlights 

  • Be as clear as possible. When communicating with direct reports, peers or bosses up the org chart, clarity is king! Be concise, ask questions to check in for understanding and buy-in and welcome feedback and questions. That way you have the highest likelihood for success.
  • Whenever possible and appropriate, make things assigned, delegated, handed off time-bound and measurable. By when? How much? Etc. This is important so that you are clear on what you want from the individual on the other end of that communication. This helps eliminate or greatly reduce the chance for misdirection on the task/project/work assigned. And THIS helps control the chance for stress and conflict created when something is seemingly not done as we wished.
  • Explain the “WHY”. Why is this important? What will it do for us, me, the team, the organization???? Why am I being given the work? Answering this question should help in getting more buy in and cooperation if done properly.
  • Check in with the person given the project, task, whatever on a number of fronts. Before beginning it!  Some examples might be, “Have you ever done this type of work before?” “Where do you think you should start with this?” “What can I do to support your efforts with this?”(NOT ‘how can I help you’!)
  • Confirm for understanding. A great way to do so, pending the dynamics of the relationship(boss/direct report? Co-worker? ), is to check in for understanding. And HOW the heck do you do that? One great way would be to just ask them “So, tell me what your understanding of this project/task/conversation is? Help me make sure I communicated this properly in order to help ensure your/our success.” Yes, this approach is NOT always necessary or appropriate, but when something obviously is more than routine, day to day tasks….use it!
  • Set an agreed upon time and date to reconnect and see how things are progressing, if there are any roadblocks or challenges to completing the job satisfactorily.
  • Once things are complete, catch them doing something right today. Recognize their efforts. Be specific on what they did particularly well. Again, be clear and concise with specific examples. Encourage them to do more of this in the future.
  • Once done and the high five’s are taken care of with them, ask a few key questions to configure a mini-recap of takeaways and measures of success. Some possible options on what to ask might be as follows: “How’d this project go for you?” “What went well?” “What did you learn from doing this?” “Is there anything I could or should do differently in the future to help make this go more smoothly for you?”
  • Successful, significant work projects, tasks, presentations completed……file away in the employee file when you’re the boss. This serves as great info at performance review time.
Employee Engagement

Setting Clear Expectations – A Key to Better Employee Engagement

Management training shows how to establish, write and communicate clear job performance expectations effectively and create a solid basis for appraisal and performance management efforts.

 

Setting performance expectations is absolutely one of the most difficult jobs for most managers. Why? Because few managers or supervisors ever receive this type of in-depth training.

 

A mutual understanding of what managers expect from employees is essential for improved performance, employee success, and good employee relations overall. Not to mention worker retention, attendance and “presenteeism”.

 

Without clear job expectations, employees can:

  •  Waste effort due to a lack of priorities
  •  Waste time with unnecessary work
  •  Endure increased stress due to uncertainty

With clear job expectations, employees can:

  •    Understand what is important and what they should be doing
  •    Understand why they are doing their work
  •    Know how they are doing and when to ask for support
  •    Recognize where performance improvement can occur

Too often performance problems revolve around this question and this answer: 

 

Boss:  “Why isn’t my employee doing what needs to do be done?”  Employee:  “But, I thought I was doing a good job.”

 

Poorly defined performance expectations leave the employee questioning how to achieve job performance goals and leaving them no way to track their efforts to meet job expectations.  The result is both employees and their managers  becoming frustrated.  The manager is frustrated because the employee is not doing the things that need to be done.  The employee is frustrated because they think they are doing the best they can and the boss is still not satisfied with the work they are doing.

 

When results are easy to measure (for example: parts per hour or sales volume per month), defining expectations seems fairly straight forward.  But what about adding in error rates, new customers, profit margins on sales, or other issues?  All of a sudden, it gets more complicated.

 

Now, add in the more subjective, but extremely important, performance criteria such as interpersonal skills, team work, quality customer service, and others.  How can managers effectively communicate these expectations?  

 

If managers cannot effectively communicate all job expectations,
they cannot expect the employee to meet those expectations.

 

HOW to Set Employee Expectations

 

As much as an employee needs a job description to know what her role is, she might need expectations of achievement to sharpen her focus. Although every company will have its own desired level of performance from employees, getting the best work out of employees requires knowledge of each employee’s strengths and techniques to motivate them. Employees usually start a job wanting to do well; managers should work with them to help them to bring their enthusiasm to work every day.

 

–       Set job-specific goals tailored to the position and employee. A list of job duties is a starting point to develop a series of targets for employees to meet. Especially in long-standing positions where the role of the employee is clear, the company will know what achievement levels are best for the company. These levels might have to be adjusted, however, to match the skill set and experience of the person in the position.

 

–       Allow new employees time to get settled in the position. It’s an unfortunate reality that high expectations placed on star hires don’t always pan out; giving new staff time to ease into the position and mentoring from a senior co-worker will avoid disappointment. Set early expectations to be achievable; instead of a long list of sales or productivity targets, be realistic about what’s possible and ask your staff to meet only a few key objectives during the first three months. Remember new hires are unlikely to ask a lot of questions until they feel comfortable in their jobs.

 

–       Make expectations part of an ongoing conversation. Meeting with employees on a regular basis, once a month at least, to discuss goals and progress will help employees understand t the employer’s expectations. Regular meetings help managers assess the workload of each employee and can adjust it if necessary to help employees meet the company’s goals. Learning what interests and engages employees can help managers to distribute work in a way that promotes enthusiasm for completing tasks. Expressing confidence in each employee’s ability and reinforcing past achievement is key to maintaining employee motivation.

–       Develop short and long term goals. Specific targets for employees are easier to meet than vague platitudes about stronger sales or greater productivity. Remember that employees work daily in their jobs and therefore might have a better idea of what goals are realistic and achievable. Maintaining an open dialogue about workload is a good way to assess employee capability and to find targets they can meet. Specific targets allow for clear tracking of employee performance.

–       Exhibit role model behavior when it comes to performance. Set goals for your own performance and share them as much as possible with employees. This demonstrates you are not simply managing in a “top-down” fashion; you expect as much from your own work as from your workforce.