Employee Morale – Page 2 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Four Ways to Lead Through Conflict

Posted November 13, 2017
by dougdickerson

Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict. – William E. Channing

French novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas once had a heated quarrel with a rising young politician. The argument became so intense that a duel was inevitable. Since both men were superb shots they decided to draw lots, the loser agreeing to shoot himself. Dumas lost.

Pistol in hand, he withdrew in silent dignity to another room, closing the door behind him. The rest of the company waited in gloomy suspense for the shot that would end his career. It rang out at last. His friends ran to the door, opened it, and found Dumas, smoking revolver in hand. “Gentlemen, a most regrettable thing has happened,” he announced, “I missed.”

While the way we deal with conflicts has improved, there is still no shortage of conflict. Workplace conflict can be a strong source of stress and your leadership during these times takes skill.

It’s widely known that workplace conflict leads to increased staff turnover and absenteeism. One survey I read stated that 81% of HR professionals had seen employees resign as a result of conflict, and 77% have noticed increased absenteeism, resulting in increased business cost.

What do you think are the leading contributors to workplace conflict? According to a study, the top five causes of workplace conflict were; warring egos and personality clashes, poor leadership, lack of honesty, stress, and clashing values. While conflict in the workplace may be inevitable, ignoring it is not an option. So what is a leader to do? Here are four suggestions for consideration.

Acknowledge it. Until management acknowledges that there is a problem there is no correcting it. As a leader, you don’t need to be the last in the room to recognize what everyone else knows and experiences. How many employees must leave, how much revenue must you lose, and how much abuse do you think your employees must endure before you act? When you identify the problem you can begin to work on solutions, but not until then. Poor leadership was cited for a reason. Don’t add to the problem through omission.

Welcome it. Yes, welcome it! Warring egos and personalities among your people, when properly channeled, can be one of the single greatest sources of inspiration you need. General George S. Patton was accurate when he said, “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” When perceived threats are removed and differences are celebrated rather than attacked it can be the turning point in creating the company culture that you’ve been missing. Don’t squelch diversity; welcome it.

Elevate it. Now that you have acknowledged and welcomed conflict you can elevate it to a higher level. Rather than allowing warring personalities to be labeled as enemies, bring them together as allies to channel their creative energies for something good. Invest in a training program like DISC to discover personality styles and how to create the chemistry your team needs to succeed. It’s when you respectfully have everyone on the same page, when values are clear, and communication is honest, that you can learn to see the value conflict can have. It might sound risky, but consider the consequences of inaction.

Celebrate it. Leading through conflict will not be easy. It will take honesty to face your conflict and courage to change it. But once you do you can position yourself to be the benefactor of conflict and not the victim. When your employees see each other as teammates rather than adversaries it can be celebrated. A diversity of thoughts, ideas, and personalities is one of your greatest assets and it should never be destroyed by poor leadership or out-of-control egos. Your workplace should be a place for the celebration.

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The Changing Work Environment Part III: Providing Choice

Posted August 18, 2016
by dougdickerson

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“I believe happiness is a choice. Some days it is a very difficult choice.” – Steve Gleason

Our three part series on the changing work environment was inspired by findings in the Staples Advantage Workplace Index (http://bit.ly/1ULVQr7). Findings in the report reveal that half of workers state feeling overworked is motivating them to look for a new job, 62% say wellness programs are a selling point when looking for a new job, but only 35% actually have a wellness program at their current job, 3 out of 4 respondents say their employers don’t give them access to the latest technology to do their job efficiently. You can read more by clicking on the link and reading the full report.

In part III of our series ( In part one we talked about providing flexibility and in part two last week we discussed providing autonomy) on the changing work environment we discuss the importance of providing choice. Employees are not willing to give 100% to a job where they feel trapped. They want opportunity and they want choice.

What does it look like?

In the changing work environment, employees want to know that they have choices. In this new environment management is not dictating ‘how’ everything gets done. Employees are given the ‘what’ and the ‘why’, and then they are given the opportunity to make decisions and design how their work gets done to meet the goals of the company. In addition, they are empowered with the training and resources they need to be successful.

Why is it important?

Employees want to know that they are making a valuable contribution to something bigger than themselves; they want to feel truly invested in their work. When employees have choices, they have a sense of control which shows them that their input is valuable. It tells them they are trusted and are important.

Not long ago Glassdoor published its list of the Best Places to Work 2016 (http://bit.ly/1lN0I2p). Topping the list was Airbnb. An employee review for MindBody (#14) in the Glassdoor article writes, “It’s a culture of happiness! I’ve never been in such a positive environment. Management encourages you not only professionally, but in personal aspects of life too. So thankful to work for such an amazing company!” That sounds to us like a company that understands the value of their employees and wants them to succeed.

How do we do it?

Providing choice requires management to let go of the control they have clung to in the past. Old habits can be hard to break; here are six ACTION steps to help you think through your current operations and to embrace providing choice.

Accountability – The ebb and flow of an organization that provides flexibility, autonomy, and choice hinges on accountability. Regardless of what the organizational structure looks like or how teams are assembled it all comes down to mutual accountability if it is going to succeed.

Collaborate – In this changing work environment collaboration may take on a new look as well. Your box approach to thinking may now look more like a circle that makes room for more people, new ideas, and greater potential. If your workplace environment changes so too must the way you work with others also change.

Train – John Maxwell said, “The people’s capacity to achieve is determined by their leader’s ability to empower.” This is so true in the changing work environment. Training is essential not just for your success today but how you will look and operate five years from now and beyond.

Inspire – What your people need to see as they embrace a new work environment is greater ownership, greater opportunity for growth, and more control over their future. Inspire your people to the possibilities before them and remind them of it often.

Opportunity – The changing workplace environment can be frightening for people who have no voice in the direction they are going or have not bought-in to the vision. If one’s opportunity is not clear to them they will be the last to embrace change. Be vocal, be clear, and be out front with the opportunities that exist and for the ones they will create.

Now – The time for creating this new workplace environment is now. And we would like to remind you of what we advised in part one of this series. Take baby steps and tackle one or two small changes that you can implement right away. Be intentional about your changes and make them gradually. Include your people when charting the course. But get started!

liz Liz Stincelli is the Founder of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. She holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership. Learn more about Liz by visiting her website: www.stincelliadvisors.com

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The Changing Work Environment Part II: Providing Autonomy

Posted August 11, 2016
by dougdickerson

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“The way you delegate is that first you have to hire people that you really have confidence in. You won’t truly let those people feel a sense of autonomy if you don’t have confidence in them.” – Robert Pozen

In part II of our series on the changing work environment we tackle the topic of autonomy. Gone are the days when employees were willing to show up at the factory, follow orders being dictated by management, collect a paycheck, and then do it all again tomorrow. Employees aren’t mindless machines and they don’t want to be treated as such.

What does it look like?

In the changing work environment, employees are demanding more autonomy. In this new environment, employees have control over how their own work tasks get accomplished. They are trusted and encouraged to make decisions and to act in the best interest of the organization without being micromanaged.

Why is it important?

Providing autonomy shows employees that you have confidence in their judgment and ability. This inspires employees to take ownership of their work. When employees have control over their own work they are more satisfied, they take pride in the contribution, and they become loyally invested in the success of their team, department, and organization.

How do we do it?

Many management teams struggle to let go of the control they have become accustomed to for all of these years. Old ways and mindsets can be hard to overcome. Here are six ACTION steps to help you think through your current operations and to embrace autonomy.

Acknowledge the challenge of autonomy. It is critical here to understand the difference between the autonomy of the work while remaining true to the mission and vision of the organization. The two are not in competition but when done right are a compliment to one another.

Coalesce around the best ideas for autonomy. The mistake leaders make is that their idea of how it looks should prevail. But as one company leader explained it, “The one who sweeps the floor picks the broom.” How autonomy looks in your organization should be determined by those closest to the work.

Tweak along the way. Ideas that look good on paper may not play out well in reality. Don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board as you flesh out what is and is not working for you. There is no “one size fits all” approach for how autonomy works. The key here is to be flexible and be willing to make adjustments as needed.

Invest in their success. Greater autonomy in the workplace is reinforced by leaders who have the backs of their people by empowering them and setting them up for success. Invest in your people. Put the tools and resources in their hands they need to succeed. The greater the investment the greater the autonomy. Be generous.

Ownership is a requirement. Embracing the autonomous workplace is great. But now comes the buy-in that makes it all work. Ownership, like loyalty, is a two-way street. In this model ownership is shared, trust is mutual, expectations are clear, and outcomes are measured. It’s an “all-in” attitude that if not fully subscribed to will derail all efforts of a truly autonomous workplace. Without ownership there is no autonomy.

Next Step – In order to attract and retain the best talent, your organization must offer a level of autonomy. You must provide your employees with the training and resources they need to be successful and then you must step aside and allow them to do their jobs. Show them that you have confidence in them. But, you can’t stop here. Once you have acknowledged the attitudes that are holding you back; have intentionally created a workplace culture; shown employees that you trust them; have identified incremental changes you can make; and observed the impact of those changes, it’s time to take the next step.

Be on the lookout next week for part III of The Changing Work Environment Series: Providing Choice.

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The Changing Work Environment Part I: Providing Flexibility

Posted August 4, 2016
by dougdickerson

Flexibility 1

“To make flexibility work, it is not only necessary to change our attitude about who is a good worker and who is not, but we have to train managers at all levels to recognize the difference between the number of hours worked and the quality of work produced.” – Madeleine M. Kunin

Recent findings in the Staples Business Advantage Workplace Index (http://bit.ly/1ULVQr7) reveal exciting and challenging trends in the modern workplace. The changing work environment sees fewer employees working standardized hours. Technology now allows employees to work from any location. The global economy requires the ability to conduct business on a non-standardized schedule.

That the workplace is changing comes as no surprise to those paying attention. Preparing for it can be a challenge. It is in this context we begin a three part series that explores this topic in hopes of raising awareness and starting a conversation about solutions.

What does it look like?

While this is not a new concept for many organizations it is nonetheless an approach whose time has come and it deserves a second look. In the changing work environment employees are encouraged to work, within reason, a schedule that works for them. The emphasis is more on task accomplishment than on hours in the office.

The shift toward this approach, like any new idea or concept, begins with the leadership of the organization. New attitudes must be embraced if new ways of competing in the global economy is going to work for you. In short- flexibility must give way to adaptability which in turn gives way to greater productivity.

Why is it important?

A good workforce is the foundation of every successful business. It’s no longer about work-life balance. Employees want work to fit seamlessly into their personal lives. If you want to attract and keep high performing employees, you are going to have to provide the flexibility they desire.

The Staples Index revealed that burnout and employee engagement is a major concern among employees. When asked what would help turn that around the number one response was workplace flexibility. While we embrace a strong work ethic and productivity, perhaps organizations would be better served not by employees who are burned out but by employees who are empowered and inspired by greater flexibility and control over their schedules.

How do we do it?

What if we change the way we look at employees, from working for us as an employee, to working with us more like an independent contractor?

In many organizations righting the course can take time. Old ways and mindsets can be hard to overcome. Here are six ACTION steps to help you think through your current operations and to embrace flexibility.

Acknowledge – It’s time to bring your team together and acknowledge attitudes and mindsets that are holding you back. It’s time to take an honest look at what is and is not working. It’s time to quit clinging to traditions and think about the future.

Create – The flexibility you desire and production goals you set are the ones you create with intentionality. What will your future look like? What will employee engagement in your workplace culture look like? It looks like what you create!

Trust– Show your employees that you know that you have hired the right people for the right positions. Let them see through your actions that you trust them to operate in the best interest of the organization without the need for micromanagement. Give them the resources they need and then let them do their job.

Identify- Identify one or two small changes that you can implement right away to signal that the desire for flexibility is being recognized. Regardless of how big or small, just do it. Baby steps are acceptable. Now, identify one or two “old ways” of doing things and let them go. Identifying change and creating change can be done, and is best done incrementally.

Observe – How are employees responding to the incremental changes you are implementing? How is your culture being impacted? What should your next step be? Ask employees for their input; involve them in the development of the plan going forward.

Next Step – Offering flexibility is a great starting point for attracting the best talent and staying agile in the changing work environment. But, you can’t stop here. Once you have acknowledged the attitudes that are holding you back; have intentionally created a workplace culture; shown employees that you trust them; have identified incremental changes you can make; and observed the impact of those changes, it’s time to take the next step.

Be on the lookout next week for part II of The Changing Work Environment Series: Providing Autonomy.

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It’s Not About the Mission Statement

Posted June 9, 2016
by admin

mission

Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients. – Richard Branson

Writing for Talent Management and HR (http://bit.ly/1KWCe2t ), John Hollon cites a survey concerning the state of employee engagement. Among his finding that employers need to pay attention to include: More than 54 percent of employees have felt frustrated about work; only 38 percent of workers strongly agree that their manager has established a strong working relationship with them; some forty percent say they don’t get their company’s vision, or worse yet, have never seen it; nearly 67 percent of American workers can name at least one thing that would prevent them from taking any kind of risk at work.

Intuitively, many leaders know that employee engagement is critical to the success of their organization. Sadly, many employees feel that their leaders in management are out of touch. In fact, forty percent in the cited survey said they don’t get their company’s vision or haven’t even seen it. How is this possible?

Let’s be clear- a mission or vision statement hanging on a wall in some obscure place in the break room is not employee engagement. Yes, a mission statement is important. It’s important that your employees understand your vision and the role they play in seeing it fulfilled. But that alone will not suffice.

At times this is a concept lost on many leaders. Crystalizing a key point on this topic is the former president of Starbucks International, Howard Behar. In his book, It’s Not About The Coffee, he writes, “At Starbucks we’re in the human service business, not the customer service business.” That’s the distinction. Behar adds, “I’ve always said, we’re not in the coffee business serving people, we’re in the people business serving coffee.”

Employee engagement begins with leadership engagement. Employee engagement begins with leaders who are engaged in the lives of the people who make the mission of the work possible. It’s that simple and it’s that difficult. It takes work. It means that as a leader you have to come out from behind your desk and get connected to your people. So what does leadership engagement look like and what are some core characteristics? Here are three for your consideration.

Leadership engagement is proactive.

So long as your approach to employee engagement is a reactionary one – one that responds only during a crisis- it does not qualify as a model of employee engagement. Leadership engagement, for example, says that the health and well-being of your people is important and an investment in them and will include a wellness program because you know that when your employees are healthy they will be more productive.

There are many ways to be proactive and engage your employees but sitting back and waiting to put out the next fire is not one of them. Your mission statement means little to your people so long as your commitment to them is an afterthought.

Leadership engagement is personal

A smart leader understands that people are your most appreciable asset. You can have the best business plan in the world, and the best mission statement to go along with it, but without people you are going nowhere. Leaders who excel at employee engagement understand this principle and take to heart the importance of building meaningful relationships. Your connection to your customer/clients flows through your employees. It’s so much easier for your employee to advocate for your brand and your product when the relationship with its leadership is strong.

Make it a practice of your leadership to get to know your people and build relationships. At the end of the day your people want to know that you care about them and not just the bottom line.

Leadership engagement is a practical

Employee engagement works best when at the end of the day it’s practical. Your engagement with your people is critical but is it must be practical in its application. For example; if communication within your organization is lacking and information is not reaching the right people in a timely fashion; a workshop on retirement options on Monday at 9:00 a.m. may not be the most urgent event on the calendar.

Leadership engagement is all about knowing the pulse of your organization, understanding the needs of your people, and cutting through the layers of bureaucracy to get results. Never underestimate the power of being practical.

Employee engagement issues will continue to be front and center in most organizations. There is always room for improvement. A commitment to employee engagement begins when leaders are engaged with their people.

What do you say?

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Are You Checking in or Checking Out?

Posted May 5, 2016
by admin

checklist 2

A leader is the one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. – John Maxwell

Employee engagement is as vital to your success as a leader as ever. When a Gallup survey reports that only 30 percent of U.S. employees are engaged in their work what do you think that says about leadership engagement?

The question we would like to pose to you is simply this: are you checking in or checking out as a leader in the way you engage your people? Your answer matters because in it reside signals not just to your leadership style but to the health of your organization.

Here are a series of questions we would like to pose to you for your consideration; a check-up if you will as to your engagement levels with your people and the state of your leadership effectiveness.

Do you know your employees on an individual basis?

Like any smart leader in business you make it a priority to know your customer. Knowing your target audience is critical to your bottom line. If it is important to you to know your customer does it not stand to reason that you should know the people serving your customer?

When you don’t take the time to get to know your employees on an individual basis, it clearly shows that you don’t care. How hard will an employee work for a leader who does not care? You will not get anywhere near the productivity or quality you need from employees if you do not show that you care about their well-being.

Check-In Tip: Get to know your employees on an individual basis. How are their families? What are their hobbies? How was their recent vacation?

Do you know what is happening on the ground level?

One of the dangers leaders can find themselves in is being too far removed from the front lines of the operation. We understand that the responsibilities you face as a leader in part take you away from the front lines so it must be a priority for you to return.

There is no way for you to know everything; when you distance yourself from what is happening on the ground level it’s like putting blinders on. What issues might slip by you? What opportunities might you miss?

Check-In Tip: Get out on the floor; make your presence the norm. Be observant and engaged with what is happening on the ground level.

Do you have the right people in the right positions?

Your effectiveness as an organization is realized not when you have a lot of people but when you have the right people in the right place. When people play to their strengths and are passionate about what they do then your organization will excel.

None of your employees want to be just a warm body, and most of your tasks require some form of specialized knowledge or skill. When you give little thought to where employees can make the greatest contribution to the organization, you are crippling your operations and minimizing the importance of individual contributions.

Check-In Tip: Learn where your employees’ strengths lie. Then place them in positions where they will be engaged and challenged while making the greatest contribution to the organization.

Can your employees count on you?

The people in your organization need to know that you are a leader who is reliable and will have their backs. You foster trust and earn respect not merely by your words but in your day-to-day actions that demonstrate your commitment to their success.

If your employees don’t feel they can count on you, we’d be willing to bet that they won’t go out of their way to be there for you either. If you send the message to your employees that it’s every man for himself, be prepared to be left standing on your own.

Check-In Tip: Show your employees that you have their backs; knowing that they can count on you is a key factor in gaining the trust and respect you need to be an effective leader.

So, are you checking in or are you checking out? As a leader, you are setting the example for employees to follow. If you are not connecting with your employees and engaging in operations at the ground level, your employees will follow suit. And, disengaged employees do not reflect well on any leader and do not benefit the organization as a whole.

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Recognition: The Fuel of Employee Engagement

Posted April 8, 2016
by admin

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Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but rather strive to be worthy of recognition. – Abraham Lincoln

A story is told of the great Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo who happened to overhear a group of people admiring his Pieta, a statue of Christ on His mother’s knees after His death on the cross. One man attributed the work to another sculptor, much to the chagrin of Michelangelo, who took particular pride in the Pieta. Returning to the sculpture after dark that evening, Michelangelo carved his name on it so that no similar mistake would occur in the future. Talk about someone with recognition issues!

It is not a stretch to state that most people in your place of work appreciate recognition for the contributions they make. A Harvard Business Review article (http://bit.ly/1TNdSJM) cites a Harris poll that is eye-opening to say the least. “In the survey,” it reads, “employees called out the kind of management offenses that point to a striking lack of emotional intelligence among business leaders, including micromanaging, bullying, narcissism, indecisiveness, and more.” The top offense? Topping the complaints (by employees) at sixty three percent was not recognizing employee achievements.

The most important thing a leader,manager, boss, supervisor, etc. must learn is that people are your most appreciable asset. The second most important thing to remember is that relationships matter. The hard lesson to learn is that people can be difficult and building relationships can be complicated.

So what is a leader to do when it comes to recognition and building relationships? The questions can outnumber the answers but here are a few suggestions for starters.

Make it a priority

As a leader the recognition of your people- your most appreciable asset, must be a top priority. Your responsibility is to make sure that the hard work and dedication of your people is given the appreciation that it is due. When your people know you have their backs and recognize their efforts you are building good will among them and they will keep performing at high levels.

Make it personal; make it public

Not all recognition should necessarily be public; but that never hurts. When a colleague is publicly praised for achieving a goal it is proper to praise in public. It builds confidence and reinforces morale. But a good leader also knows that a personal hand-written note of appreciation is priceless. So practice both- and be sincere.

Be spontaneous

Your people often face obstacles and challenges that you are far-removed from. The daily grind can wear down even the best among you. Nothing will lift the spirts and culture of your organization more than a kind gesture of appreciation to your people for no other reason than to say, “I am with you, you are not forgotten, I am proud of you”.

Be realistic

The hard reality every leader has to learn is that some of your people – those “most appreciable assets” will be very challenging when it comes to building relationships. As you know, some require more “strokes” and attention than others and at times there will be no “pleasing” of these people. On the other side of the coin you will have individuals who are just happy to show up, work hard, go above and beyond the call of duty and would be embarrassed if singled out for recognition. Challenging, right? John Maxwell was right when he said, “It’s lonely at the top so you better know why you are there.” Welcome to leadership.

Be inclusive

One of the challenges you will face as a leader is the accusation of showing favoritism. I am a believer that those who demonstrate a strong work ethic, a positive attitude, and a genuine team player approach are actually deserving of more recognition that those who don’t. But as much as it depends on you as the leader, be inclusive as possible when it comes to recognition. Everyone fights battles and carry within them struggles you nothing of and a little encouragement and recognition can make the difference between where they are now and the spark needed to go to the next level. Don’t leave anyone out.

Be generous

Recognition and reinforcing a positive message within your organization is a game changer. The culture you desire is created by the tone you set as a leader. There are plenty of critics, skeptics, gossips, and otherwise contentious attitudes to deal with at times. The path of effective and meaningful employee engagement and strong relationships begins with recognition that comes from the heart. It begins with you.

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If These Walls Could Talk: Building a Legacy Worth Remembering

Posted March 23, 2016
by admin

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In this bright future you can’t forget your past. – Bob Marley

Over the years I’ve had the privilege of visiting numerous art galleries and museums around the world. Included on the list are the National Museum of Art in Washington, D.C. and venues in other places like Boston, London, and Athens. Each have a certain appeal and allure that awaken the imagination with images and history that have enriched lives for centuries. How can one not glance upon the work of Monet, da Vinci, Raphael, or Picasso and not be inspired? The priceless pieces of work that hang on those hallowed walls is captivating.

Suppose the walls in your place of business or your organization could talk; if they could tell your story to the world, what impression would people come away with? If your place of business were to be a museum 100 years from now, what would be the main takeaway people would have about the work you did, the culture you practiced, and your contribution to those you served?

Glassdoor recently published its lists of the Best Places to Work 2016 (http://bit.ly/1lN0I2p). Companies making the list include Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Zillow, Expedia, Delta, and topping the list: Airbnb. The winners, according to Glassdoor are “determined by the people who know these companies best—their employees.” I encourage you to read the list and reviews for yourself. But here is a key take-away – people thrive where people are valued.

If the walls of your organization could talk 100 years from now what would they say? The message a century from now is being scripted today. What is the message others will read about? Would you be embarrassed or proud? If your walls could speak, let these four things be your message.

It was a place with a purpose

Fundamentally the most important thing as it relates to your organization is to know your ‘why’. It’s as you operate in the capacity of this knowledge that everything else makes sense. Without it you are adrift and you will always struggle to find your way.

Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks writes, “At Starbucks, I’ve always said we’re not in the coffee business serving people, we’re in the people business serving coffee.” Once you know your ‘why’ your purpose becomes clear.

Let the walls talk about what a great purpose you had and that you leveraged every resource to fulfill it.

They were a people who cared

Many companies proclaim a strong company culture but fail to deliver. As such, trust is lost, morale is low, and productivity falters. Clearly stated, it’s not what you say that matters or makes the difference, it’s what you do. If the walls of your company could speak 100 years from now how would you be portrayed in terms of how you treated your people?

An employee review for MindBody (#14) in the Glassdoor article writes, “It’s a culture of happiness! I’ve never been in such a positive environment. Management encourages you not only professionally, but in personal aspects of life too. So thankful to work for such an amazing company!” Evidently, MindBody is a company that understands this concept and is putting it into practice. At the end of the day, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Let the walls speak with fond recollection of a company who knew the importance of caring for its people.

They overcame adversity

Today we remember triumphal moments in history not because people like the Wright brothers failed, or Edison’s lab was destroyed by fire, or that J.K. Rowling’s script for Harry Potter was rejected about a dozen times, or that Disney was fired by a newspaper because he “lacked imagination and had no original ideas”, no- we remember them because they didn’t quit!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6hz_s2XIAU&w=275&h=275]

The success of your organization rests within the will, strength, and determination of its people, to stare down adversity, and come through on the other side. It’s how every successful organization have done it and yours will not be an exception.

Let the walls tell the story of hope and inspiration and that when adversity came you didn’t back down but instead rose to the challenges of your day.

They never stopped growing

Personal growth and development is the bread and butter of leaders. Leaders who are intentional about growing and developing rise to the top. At the heart of any successful business or organization is leadership that recognizes its importance at all levels. In order to remain competitive in this global economy one must never stop growing and learning.

A review for Hubspot (#4) reads, “Leadership places a heavy emphasis on employee growth across all divisions, from tuition reimbursement to offering opportunities to take on challenges outside your core responsibilities.” That sounds to me like a company that “get’s it” and their employees applaud it.

Let the walls tell your story of relentless devotion to learning. Your commitment will ensure that your team has every resource and tool to compete and succeed. And wouldn’t it be nice if the walls would say, “They’re not done yet!”?

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Winning Attitudes to Move Your Team Forward

attitude

Leaders must encourage their organizations to dance to forms of music yet to be heard. – Warren Bennis

Nothing will make or break the momentum of your organization faster than the collective sum of the attitudes within it. Pause for a moment and inventory the attitudes of those around you (beginning with yourself) and ask if the prevailing attitudes are positive or negative.

Each person within your organization has a lens through which they see themselves, their work, and its leadership. And that lens says much about the ability of the team to move forward.

It reminds of the story of noted English architect Sir Christopher Wren was supervising the construction of a magnificent cathedral in London. A journalist thought it would be interesting to interview some of the workers, so he chose three and asked them this question, “What are you doing?” The first replied, “I’m cutting stone for 10 shillings a day.” The next answered, “I’m putting in 10 hours a day on this job.” But the third said, “I’m helping Sir Christopher Wren construct one of London’s greatest cathedrals.” Each worker had a lens-everyone does.

Building a strong team and culture within your organization hinges upon many factors but none so powerful than attitude. Our actions tend to reflect our attitudes. Our words do the same. So the conversations that take place in the hallway, the whispers in the break room, the secret emotions that no one is aware of all come together each day to form either a powerful bond of momentum or something far more sinister.

If you could select the attitudes of the people in your organization, ones that would propel you to be your best, achieve more, and be stronger as a team, what would they look like? Here are four that I believe would be worthy of consideration. It’s as we embrace a “we” mentality and attitude we can move our teams forward.

We go the extra mile

With this attitude your success is multiplied. With this attitude you will see your colleagues not as adversaries but as valued teammates with talents, gifts, and abilities that may look different than yours, but used for the same goals.

With this attitude you will go the extra mile in doing whatever you can to ensure your mutually shared success. We go the extra mile for each other and with each other for the good of the team not just our individual agendas.

We have each other’s backs

With this attitude your commitment is compounded. Your culture is your people. How that is framed and played out will vary from company to company, but your people make up and determine its culture. When your people possess and take to heart this attitude it will transform your culture.

Think how different your organization would be if the people in it had each other’s backs instead of stabbing it? How different would your culture be if your people stopped talking behind one another’s backs and started talking to each other? Teams that move forward are healthy ones that treat each other with respect.

We hold each other accountable

With this attitude integrity is solidified. The only way going the extra mile with each other and having each other’s backs works is with accountability. For too long in many organizations a culture of back stabbing, back biting, rivalries, and pettiness has been tolerated with too few held to account. The by-product is low morale, high turnover, bullying, and a toxic culture.

The attitudes that work and will move your organization forward are ones by which you hold each other to a higher standard and you hold each other accountable. When team members are accountable to one another the team moves forward with trust.

We value our people

With this attitude relationships take priority. It’s a simple rule of leadership- people are your priority and relationships matter. The health of your organization is determined by the breadth and depth of your relationships. If you want strong and healthy attitudes build strong and healthy relationships. If you want to stop the back stabbing on your team try back patting instead. Rather than words that tear people down, use words that build them up. It’s not complicated.

When your organization understands the basic rule of creating momentum and moving forward it will be intentional about placing value on relationships.

Righting the ship with healthy attitudes can be a slow and painful process within your organization. In the end there may be those who for whatever reason won’t take the journey with you. Let them go. But never give up in embracing the healthy attitudes that can be yours. Too much is at stake to turn back now.

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Talk It Up: Three Conversations That Can Strengthen Your Company Culture

Posted February 17, 2016
by admin

values

Making good decisions is a crucial skill at every level – Peter Drucker

Writing for Talent Management and HR (http://bit.ly/1KWCe2t), John Hollon cites a survey concerning the state of employee engagement. Among his finding that employers need to pay attention to include: More than 54 percent of employees have felt frustrated about work; only 38 percent of workers strongly agree that their manager has established a strong working relationship with them; some forty percent say they don’t get their company’s vision, or worse yet, have never seen it; nearly 67 percent of American workers can name at least one thing that would prevent them from taking any kind of risk at work.

With survey results like the one mentioned above- coupled with all the talk about company culture- it’s safe to say that there is a disconnect between what we want and what we actually have. But does it have to be this way? What steps can be taken to turn it around?

All of the answers and possible solutions will not be covered in this space. But hopefully it will serve as a catalyst for an honest assessment and how to move forward in your own organization. I think it begins with priorities in what we communicate. Here are three ways to make a difference.

Talk up your values

Your organization is only as strong as the values you subscribe to and in the way you practice them. Building a workplace culture on clearly articulated values reinforces your purpose and gives a sense of meaning and buy-in on the part of your people.

In the book, Full Steam Ahead, Ken Blanchard and Jesse Lyn Stoner write, “Values provide broad guidelines on how you should proceed as you pursue your purpose and picture of the future. They need to be clearly described so you know exactly the behaviors that demonstrate that the value is being lived. They need to be consistently acted on, or they are only “good intentions”.”

If your values are not clear, regularly communicated and subscribed to, then your organizational culture is adrift. Talk up your values and keep them before your people. When your people know where they are going- and why- they will show up not out of duty but for a compelling purpose.

Talk up your purpose

Your purpose is your “why”. It’s your heartbeat as a leader. Knowing your “why” gives life and work meaning and direction. The same principle is applicable to your company culture. When your people know the “why” of the organization then they can understand the importance of the role they play in advancing it.

In his book, It’s Not About the Coffee, former Starbucks International President Howard Behar writes, “At Starbucks, I’ve always said we’re not in the coffee business serving people, we’re in the people business serving coffee.” And this is at the heart of knowing your “why” and why that is so important. Do you know the answer to your “why”?

Your people will never rally around and devote themselves to an organization that doesn’t know its “why” and how it relates them and to their future. If you want to build your culture start by talking up your purpose. If you don’t know your “why” then neither do your people.

Talk up your vision

When some forty percent of workers don’t know their company’s vision or have never seen it then it’s time to get real about company culture. So let’s take a moment and get real: As an employee, do you know what your company’s values are? As an employer, when was the last time you communicated your values?

When your organizational values and purposes are clear in the hearts and minds of your people then they will naturally gravitate to your vision for the future. When team members buy-in to the leadership, and understand the “why”, then they will begin to look at their role in a different way.

Talking up values is not a one-time proposition or something to tuck away in a discarded employee manual. As Blanchard and Stoner state, “Visioning is an ongoing process; you need to keep it talking about it.”

The challenges of building a healthy company culture are real and ever-evolving. It takes a leader with insight, a teachable attitude, and a willingness to improve on all levels to make it work. By talking up your values, your purpose, and your vision, you can instill in your people a greater understanding of where they are, why they are there, and where they are going.

Talk it up!

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