When times are tough, it is easy to jump on the woe is me band and sing the sad song, but the job of a leader is to be an encourager. Perhaps you have heard a statement that so many philosophers and even parents have said, that our thoughts affect who we are and directly connects us to what we become. If we become what we think about then our performance and behavior can be changed by having someone who encourages us and helps us to see our potential instead of our mistakes. Leaders encourage those around them to learn how to express themselves so they can become more than they already are. As I work with corporate executives, I find those that have the greatest productivity from their team are the ones who encourage their team members to think and to express their ideas. These leaders create a platform for sharing and reward people for bringing forth ideas.
Our brain is a very powerful tool and when a leader encourages us to bring our brain to work and then encourages us to use it, great ideas grow. To use a gardening analogy, thoughts are seeds and our brain is a garden. Given the right conditions a garden or brain can grow anything – nourishing food or poison. Much the same as the earth grows what is sowed, so our brains also grow the thoughts (the 'thinking seeds') and the encouragement that we hear. Our brain cultivates these thoughts and this information giving us the nutrient and sustenance we need to grow, to deal with issues, and to solve problems. The challenge becomes to control what is planted in the brain – and to sow the right 'thinking seeds'.
There was a student named Tommy who struggled in school. He had difficulty keeping up and after much frustration with Tommy’s challenges his teacher dismissed him telling his mother that Tommy would not be able to succeed. Tommy was then schooled at home by his mother who believed in him and gave him encouragement to believe in himself. Well, Tommy grew up and became known by most as Thomas Edison, an inventor of over 1,000 patents, including the phonograph and the first electric light bulb. Who do you work with that could blossom if they were encouraged?
If you are in the workplace, remember you are doing more than renting time from your employees, you are spending your money to have them there. Spend some personal time encouraging them and you may be surprised that they do more than show up for work and that they are more productive at work. As I talk to employers around the world about working with the younger generations, they have come to understand that encouraging is the link that makes their young employees more responsive and that encouragement cost them nothing and got them everything that they were wanting.
Bring a program to your City: Schedule a program while Cindy is in your area.
2009 Confirmed Upcoming Events Public can attend:
Federally Employed Women Beach, Cocoa Beach, FL March 4-5: http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/groups/few/
Then click on TRAINING – Cindy is presenting on Unleashing our Leadership Potential FAPE Conference, Daytona Beach, FL April 15-16:
http://www.meetingmakersinc.com/Register/FAPE_Reg.asp
Cindy will be speaking on: Three topics: Personality Styles: How to influence how we interact, Reaching Across the Generations, and Achieving Cohesiveness with Ease: Teambuilding to Increase Your Teams Potential Annual Gulf Coast Symposium, Houston TX, May 21: Cindy will present on Raising Presentations to New Heights (HRCI program) South Brevard SHRM, Melbourne, FL, June 11: The Diversity of Change an approved HRCI program Florida Association of Public Health Nurses Palm Beach, FL, August 4
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Take Responsibility for Yourself
Have you ever wished you could take a day off from responsibility? That somebody else would answer the questions or make the decisions. That would be a dream world. Not matter you’re your position or role in life we all have responsibility for our actions. When you think of it responsibility is a unique concept. Whether it is in your personal or professional life we have learned that when you share responsibility you are still held accountable for doing some portion of the task. When you delegate it, you still need to know the status on what is being done. Some leaders who are not careful tend to micro-manage the people they delegate to and this causes conflicts and mistrust. From the early childhood we sought to be given responsibility. To be permitted to have a say in what we wanted to do, to be considered mature enough to make our own decisions. Little did we know or understand what that was getting us into, but we wanted to and celebrated the milestone markers in life when we were given the chance to be trusted.
As adults we know that leaders seek people who they can trust people who they know will accept responsibility. Never more than today do we understand how important it is to accept responsibility for our action or lack of actions. We know that even if we want the world to stand still and let us take a break, it won’t happen. While we can take a break and I encourage people to de-stress by taking a break, we know that the world will keep on moving. Ready or not we have to take responsibility for our actions or our lack of actions. With economic turmoil and a great deal of uncertainty facing people, there are some who are choosing to complain rather than choosing to do something.
While there are days I would rather be irresponsible and get someone else to make every decision for me, the fact that I am being asked to make a choice or provide information, is a reminder that I am still a player in the game of life, and ultimately that is a good thing. At work and at home we have to make decisions, tough decisions, lonely decisions, costly decisions even unpopular and unpleasant decisions. But we must be courageous and decide. Sitting on the fence, playing it safe won’t move us ahead. John Maxwell writes: “If you decide to fish, fine; if you decide to cut bait, fine; but if you decide to do nothing your not going to have fish for dinner.”
It is a new year, a time to embrace the changes that lie ahead instead of fear them. A chance to be more responsible for your actions. Many people make New Years Resolutions and break them within a month of making them. I ask you to make a resolution to be responsible and to hold yourself accountable. It is a matter of psychology, not letting ourselves have the out or the excuse. Maybe you may know someone who is habitually late, so they set their clocks ahead in order to arrive on time. If it works that is what matters. So lets think about changing the way we think of the months.
January - Just do it – don’t delay take action today.
February – Fear nothing and see what you have to gain or to learn.
March – Demonstrate confidence and be a role model for others
April – Ask Questions see what you can learn.
May – Give 100% everyday. Be committed to everything you do 100%.
June - Be a role model – someone is always watching you so what do want them to learn
July – Strengthen your character.
August – Appreciate others. Seek to make someone else’s day better. Do a kind deed without any expectation of appreciation
September – Share your knowledge
October – Get out of your comfort zone
November – No excuses
December – Dare yourself to grow to learn something new
May you have a great start to 2009. Hope to see you soon!
Bring a program to your City: Schedule a program while Cindy is in your area.
As adults we know that leaders seek people who they can trust people who they know will accept responsibility. Never more than today do we understand how important it is to accept responsibility for our action or lack of actions. We know that even if we want the world to stand still and let us take a break, it won’t happen. While we can take a break and I encourage people to de-stress by taking a break, we know that the world will keep on moving. Ready or not we have to take responsibility for our actions or our lack of actions. With economic turmoil and a great deal of uncertainty facing people, there are some who are choosing to complain rather than choosing to do something.
While there are days I would rather be irresponsible and get someone else to make every decision for me, the fact that I am being asked to make a choice or provide information, is a reminder that I am still a player in the game of life, and ultimately that is a good thing. At work and at home we have to make decisions, tough decisions, lonely decisions, costly decisions even unpopular and unpleasant decisions. But we must be courageous and decide. Sitting on the fence, playing it safe won’t move us ahead. John Maxwell writes: “If you decide to fish, fine; if you decide to cut bait, fine; but if you decide to do nothing your not going to have fish for dinner.”
It is a new year, a time to embrace the changes that lie ahead instead of fear them. A chance to be more responsible for your actions. Many people make New Years Resolutions and break them within a month of making them. I ask you to make a resolution to be responsible and to hold yourself accountable. It is a matter of psychology, not letting ourselves have the out or the excuse. Maybe you may know someone who is habitually late, so they set their clocks ahead in order to arrive on time. If it works that is what matters. So lets think about changing the way we think of the months.
January - Just do it – don’t delay take action today.
February – Fear nothing and see what you have to gain or to learn.
March – Demonstrate confidence and be a role model for others
April – Ask Questions see what you can learn.
May – Give 100% everyday. Be committed to everything you do 100%.
June - Be a role model – someone is always watching you so what do want them to learn
July – Strengthen your character.
August – Appreciate others. Seek to make someone else’s day better. Do a kind deed without any expectation of appreciation
September – Share your knowledge
October – Get out of your comfort zone
November – No excuses
December – Dare yourself to grow to learn something new
May you have a great start to 2009. Hope to see you soon!
Bring a program to your City: Schedule a program while Cindy is in your area.
2009 Confirmed Upcoming Events:Big Brothers Big Sisters, Port St. Lucie, FL Jan. 13,; BOMA: Orlando, FL Jan. 21; Siemens Energy Inc. Feb. 5; Federally Employed Women Beach, Cocoa Beach, FL March 4-5,:18th FAPE Conference Daytona Beach, FL April 15-16, Annual Gulf Coast Symposium Houston TX, May 21, South Brevard SHRM Melbourne, FL June 11, Florida Association of Public Health Nurses Palm Beach, FL, August 4
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Be Prepared to Do Things Differently
One thing we know about life is that there will be days when it will not be predictable. Because we can’t predict 100% the events that will occur in a given day, many people embrace consistency and predictability or even sameness. Perhaps you can relate to this. Do you know people who surround themselves with people who think like them and don’t want to be pushed to think ahead or to ask why we aren’t making changes? After all don’t we already have enough to do without creating more work for ourselves.
Thinking like this is what cause companies and people to quickly get into trouble. Dismissing the need to look forward into the future quickly leaves us behind. One thing we know from history is that life changes, work changes, and values change. Some changes are more subtle than others are, but approx. every 40 to 50 years society undergoes a rebirth or a period like a Renaissance. The trigger or reason for the rebirth are diverse perhaps it is some new revelation or invention. What we do know is that these periods are typically marked by the coming of a new generation who begins to question why things are done a certain way, they start asking, or as some perceive it - demanding changes. The generations before them, see these request as demands as disrespectful, this perception often causes them to dismiss what the younger generation is asking for. Our lack of readiness and willingness to change does not mean that we don’t need to change. It simply means we may be getting in our own way of learning and improving and of gaining the inside edge over competition.
Today I am in Houston Texas working with Cameron International and their Global HR Conference. Two topics that I am presenting on are Taking Motivation to New Heights and Generational Diversity in the Workplace an HR Perspective. Companies such as Cameron that are willing to look at ways to improve motivation that will work across generations are a step ahead of other organizations who don’t see the need to open their eyes and see what they can do. The change is coming and the more prepared organizations are the better off they will be in the future.
So what do organizations need to be looking at for motivation and retention across generations.
How does your corporate culture embrace change?
Do you know the demographics of the population you serve and if so can you answer the following:
Average retention of employees?
Retention of employees in generations?
Number or percentage or employees approaching retirement?
Transitional knowledge plan?
What is your present motivational plan? Does it fit across generations? Does it work across cultures?
Thinking like this is what cause companies and people to quickly get into trouble. Dismissing the need to look forward into the future quickly leaves us behind. One thing we know from history is that life changes, work changes, and values change. Some changes are more subtle than others are, but approx. every 40 to 50 years society undergoes a rebirth or a period like a Renaissance. The trigger or reason for the rebirth are diverse perhaps it is some new revelation or invention. What we do know is that these periods are typically marked by the coming of a new generation who begins to question why things are done a certain way, they start asking, or as some perceive it - demanding changes. The generations before them, see these request as demands as disrespectful, this perception often causes them to dismiss what the younger generation is asking for. Our lack of readiness and willingness to change does not mean that we don’t need to change. It simply means we may be getting in our own way of learning and improving and of gaining the inside edge over competition.
Today I am in Houston Texas working with Cameron International and their Global HR Conference. Two topics that I am presenting on are Taking Motivation to New Heights and Generational Diversity in the Workplace an HR Perspective. Companies such as Cameron that are willing to look at ways to improve motivation that will work across generations are a step ahead of other organizations who don’t see the need to open their eyes and see what they can do. The change is coming and the more prepared organizations are the better off they will be in the future.
So what do organizations need to be looking at for motivation and retention across generations.
How does your corporate culture embrace change?
Do you know the demographics of the population you serve and if so can you answer the following:
Average retention of employees?
Retention of employees in generations?
Number or percentage or employees approaching retirement?
Transitional knowledge plan?
What is your present motivational plan? Does it fit across generations? Does it work across cultures?
Surveys across the globe assessed the following to be the Top 5 motivators:
1. The challenge the job offers.
2. An opportunity to learn more from a training course or seminar to earn new skills.
3. The people they work with day to day.
4. Fair pay – Raises - Promotion –Monetary Rewards.
5. Receiving recognition or a thank you note etc. from their supervisor regarding good performance.
Since we work hard to get employees and they are a company’s most valued asset we need to work hard to retain them and to motivate them. Motivational plans or programs should be designed to cross generations, cultures, and even hard economic times. If a company works on a bonus system, that if the company produces X then people get a bonus, then during an economic tightening the bonus is either missing or less, the internal message employees perceive is that the company doesn’t value them, when that is not the case. Bonuses translate into short term motivators and are called “slippery cash” because rarely can employees remember what they did with the money so it doesn’t have the lasting motivational affect.
So begin to develop a motivation and retention plan that last with the company. Keep in mind the Top 5 Motivators and motivators that are on the rise as you begin to build a plan to roll out. For established companies the generations that have been the backbone of the company for years will need help in adjusting to changes. This is part of their nature to need help accepting changes and they may not understand why vacation and time served are changing. After all they served their time to get the three weeks off why shouldn’t the next person have to earn it. Beware of this mentality and build in extra perks and appreciation for those who have served the time.
Here are items to consider when developing a motivational plan.
1. How can you consistently manage the plan?
2. Does it compliment the corporate culture and help it to grow in a positive manner?
3. Who are the people that will have to buy-in to the program? What are potential obstacles that need to be overcome? Who are the stakeholders in this and how can we get their buy-in.
4. Over what period of time can we implement the new program so that we continue to reward those who have served their time and honor those who are serving with productivity.
5. What can the company do to reward productivity versus longevity? Longevity is a filter that exist in many companies it was built in during the industrial period to reward people for their stick-to-it dedication. Today’s generations want a life and don’t want to be rewarded for time served but for serving. Example - employed 3-5 years to receive a 2-week vacation versus meets deadlines or production goals 100% for a year and receives a 2-week vacation.)
6. How can you work to decrease the filters so that younger generations will stay longer and be more productive and older generation employees continue to feel appreciated?
7. What are methods that can be implemented to promote positive feedback and to help managers be more proficient at giving positive feedback daily as well as annually? Do they need training on how to give feedback?
Let us know how we can help guide you in this planning or provide surveys and data for your organization. I look forward to hearing from you. Remember our email system has a spam filter on it, that will require a response to assure we get the email or just call us. We will get back with you as promptly as possible. Thank you again! (772) 461-8313 USA Eastern Standard Time. Hope to hear from you soon.
Bring a program to your City: Schedule a program while Cindy is in your area.
2008 Upcoming
October 7-8 Cameron International Global HR Conference:
October 10 Pompano Beach, FL Broward County Health Dept. Customer Service:
October 13 Martin County, Florida Customer Service,
Oct. 17-18 Tampa Florida:
October 22nd Orlando – Gender Diversity The He She Art of Language:
October 23-27 Albany NY:
Nov. 3 Fire Inspectors Conference Ft Myers, FL Keynote Address:
Nov. 11 Martin County Florida – Customer Service:
Dec. 4. Vero Beach Florida – Cultural Diversity and Sensitivity Training All Day. ***********************************************************************************************
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Fufilling Your Leadership Role
Real leaders are not able to hide. They have a role to fulfill. Being able to fulfill your leadership role means being able to help others find their direction. Leaders need to remain objective and practice communication skills that are objective yet that demonstrate the highest level of professionalism. Many people who find themselves in leadership positions have arrived there through hard work and sacrifice. It can be easy for a leader to lose sight of the role of being a leader, which is to serve others and to be able to keep priorities in line while serving.
It is important to find a balance between doing what needs to done, while doing what you love to do. Completing tasks that need to be done, can sometimes feel less rewarding and unappreciated, yet these tasks are important. I remember asking my daughter to take out the trash and her coming back with a comment that she didn’t want to take it. To which I replied, but it needs to go out, because neither of us wants to smell it tomorrow. There are many situations we will find ourselves in that we don’t want to be in, but as a leader we step up and do what we need to do.
In November of last year, my husband began to experience some abnormal symptoms. By December we had a preliminary diagnosis of a brain tumor. Dec. 27th he’d had a biopsy and we knew he had an inoperable tumor. This was to be the most trying time in our life as we faced initial uncertainty. When treatment attempts didn’t work, we had to be prepared to face a final farewell. This was toughest role I ever had as a leader, was to lead him through personal trials and tribulations and to make him know how important he was. When I have spoken about leadership, I always have referred to the fact that our most challenging role as a leader is to make sure that we are there for our families and that we will be ready to do what we need to do for them. On April 17, my husband passed away with me at his side.
This has been a trying time to say the least. As a leader, we are often given the role of doing things we don’t really want to do, but when we step up to the challenge, we grow and others learn from us. What have you done today that you didn’t want to do that demonstrated for others the importance of doing for someone else. Our tasks don’t have to be huge; they just have to be done because it is the right thing to do.
Thank you for your patience while I put work on hold and took time out for family. I have returned back to work and would greatly appreciate you letting me know if there are any upcoming opportunities that I could offer for your company or association. Thank you again. I look forward to hearing from you. Remember our email system has a spam filter on it, that will require a response to assure we get the email or just call us. We will get back with you as promptly as possible. Thank you again! (772) 461-8313 USA Eastern Standard Time. Hope to hear from you soon.
Cynthia Krosky, CSP, LCSW
It is important to find a balance between doing what needs to done, while doing what you love to do. Completing tasks that need to be done, can sometimes feel less rewarding and unappreciated, yet these tasks are important. I remember asking my daughter to take out the trash and her coming back with a comment that she didn’t want to take it. To which I replied, but it needs to go out, because neither of us wants to smell it tomorrow. There are many situations we will find ourselves in that we don’t want to be in, but as a leader we step up and do what we need to do.
In November of last year, my husband began to experience some abnormal symptoms. By December we had a preliminary diagnosis of a brain tumor. Dec. 27th he’d had a biopsy and we knew he had an inoperable tumor. This was to be the most trying time in our life as we faced initial uncertainty. When treatment attempts didn’t work, we had to be prepared to face a final farewell. This was toughest role I ever had as a leader, was to lead him through personal trials and tribulations and to make him know how important he was. When I have spoken about leadership, I always have referred to the fact that our most challenging role as a leader is to make sure that we are there for our families and that we will be ready to do what we need to do for them. On April 17, my husband passed away with me at his side.
This has been a trying time to say the least. As a leader, we are often given the role of doing things we don’t really want to do, but when we step up to the challenge, we grow and others learn from us. What have you done today that you didn’t want to do that demonstrated for others the importance of doing for someone else. Our tasks don’t have to be huge; they just have to be done because it is the right thing to do.
Thank you for your patience while I put work on hold and took time out for family. I have returned back to work and would greatly appreciate you letting me know if there are any upcoming opportunities that I could offer for your company or association. Thank you again. I look forward to hearing from you. Remember our email system has a spam filter on it, that will require a response to assure we get the email or just call us. We will get back with you as promptly as possible. Thank you again! (772) 461-8313 USA Eastern Standard Time. Hope to hear from you soon.
Cynthia Krosky, CSP, LCSW
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Leading without Limits
Have you ever wondered what you were really capable of? What you could do, if you didn’t know what you couldn’t do? Our world is full of limits, some which are legal limits to give us boundaries to keep us safe. Other limits are imposed on us, sometimes by people around us, and sometimes by ourselves. Legal limits are important and are therefore not the subject of this newsletter. However our self-imposed limits are!
Have you ever heard someone say – “I can’t do that!” Why can’t we do more than we ever dreamed we were capable of. The reason most people can’t and don’t is because they decide they can’t and then they fulfill that destiny. Effective leaders are visionaries, they allow themselves to see the potential and to ignore the imposed boundaries. If we lead others without limits then we allow them to think, we encourage them to express themselves so that new opportunities can be shared. We make discoveries. We grow. Take a look at some of the most successful companies today! They are companies who had vision, who had determination and who believed in testing and trying things that pushed them beyond the limits of most peoples imagination.
So why do we have limits? We have them because we have listened to people who were programmed to listen to limits. I use the word programming loosely, but much of the world has historically been divided, as it is today, there are those who want to discover and those who don’t. The discoverers or leaders have paved the path to our technology and exploration. But these people are the minority. The majority have been conformist, in that they don’t want to seem greedy, they dream of having only what they absolutely need to survive, because to them it would be selfish to want for more. They are reluctant to believe in bigger goals and therefore settle when they reach the first goal rarely striving for the 8th goal. They settle and begin to live within limits.
Living without limits – is as much a mental process as it is anything. We have to believe we can achieve which is the first hurdle. Then we have realize that we are going to work toward that goal. I was with Jim Cathcart Saturday, author of the Acorn Principle, he reminded me that when we get stuck in limits, we may need to dream for a moment, about what we want to be, and then aim so that we become that person or reach that goal. What would you like to be? What limits are stopping you from being the leader you need and want to be? Be careful because this question often invokes our blame characteristic, when we are often the only person there is to blame on this issue. I understand we all have a maximum capacity, at which we become tired and unproductive, but I also understand that if we keep working this capacity it can grow. As a skydiver, I want to grow and to test my ability to learn more about this sport, it causes me to stretch and that helps me to change my limits. In 2006 and 2007 I walked in the Susan G. Komen 3 day 60 mile walk to fight Breast cancer. For many the thoughts of walking 20 miles a day is overwhelming. But when we break it down into small segments it becomes something we can do.
I am completing the final touches on my book Closing the Gap: Brining Generations Together. Any limits I had about writing this book, were mine. I have 25,000 subscribers to this newsletter and not one of you, said I couldn’t do it! I created my own doubt, but I decided to let go of my limits. In this book on the various Generational Issues all over the world I talk about Generation Y or the Millennial Generation born after 1977. They are a generation that tests the limits. They need leaders without limits regarding potential, because they are ready to move us faster and farther, if only we will let them. Today, challenge yourself to see the potential that lies within you and those you lead, instead of accepting limits.
Have you ever heard someone say – “I can’t do that!” Why can’t we do more than we ever dreamed we were capable of. The reason most people can’t and don’t is because they decide they can’t and then they fulfill that destiny. Effective leaders are visionaries, they allow themselves to see the potential and to ignore the imposed boundaries. If we lead others without limits then we allow them to think, we encourage them to express themselves so that new opportunities can be shared. We make discoveries. We grow. Take a look at some of the most successful companies today! They are companies who had vision, who had determination and who believed in testing and trying things that pushed them beyond the limits of most peoples imagination.
So why do we have limits? We have them because we have listened to people who were programmed to listen to limits. I use the word programming loosely, but much of the world has historically been divided, as it is today, there are those who want to discover and those who don’t. The discoverers or leaders have paved the path to our technology and exploration. But these people are the minority. The majority have been conformist, in that they don’t want to seem greedy, they dream of having only what they absolutely need to survive, because to them it would be selfish to want for more. They are reluctant to believe in bigger goals and therefore settle when they reach the first goal rarely striving for the 8th goal. They settle and begin to live within limits.
Living without limits – is as much a mental process as it is anything. We have to believe we can achieve which is the first hurdle. Then we have realize that we are going to work toward that goal. I was with Jim Cathcart Saturday, author of the Acorn Principle, he reminded me that when we get stuck in limits, we may need to dream for a moment, about what we want to be, and then aim so that we become that person or reach that goal. What would you like to be? What limits are stopping you from being the leader you need and want to be? Be careful because this question often invokes our blame characteristic, when we are often the only person there is to blame on this issue. I understand we all have a maximum capacity, at which we become tired and unproductive, but I also understand that if we keep working this capacity it can grow. As a skydiver, I want to grow and to test my ability to learn more about this sport, it causes me to stretch and that helps me to change my limits. In 2006 and 2007 I walked in the Susan G. Komen 3 day 60 mile walk to fight Breast cancer. For many the thoughts of walking 20 miles a day is overwhelming. But when we break it down into small segments it becomes something we can do.
I am completing the final touches on my book Closing the Gap: Brining Generations Together. Any limits I had about writing this book, were mine. I have 25,000 subscribers to this newsletter and not one of you, said I couldn’t do it! I created my own doubt, but I decided to let go of my limits. In this book on the various Generational Issues all over the world I talk about Generation Y or the Millennial Generation born after 1977. They are a generation that tests the limits. They need leaders without limits regarding potential, because they are ready to move us faster and farther, if only we will let them. Today, challenge yourself to see the potential that lies within you and those you lead, instead of accepting limits.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Generational Differences
Have you noticed that people of different generations approach work differently? That each generation has its own unique communication style? Most of us are aware that differences exist, but many people are unaware of what causes the difference or what to do to bridge the gap. So lets get started with building a bridge. Take a few minutes and think of defining moments in your life, moments that impacted you as well as the country that you grew up in? These events changed the way you perceived the world and your safety within it. For example, September 11th, 2001 redefined the security of people who were going to work? International terrorism landed in the United States and changed the way people thought about the typical day. It changed the way workers and employers looked at emergency management plans. These items suddenly became more than plans on paper and become way of keeping people safe. Now not all defining moments are negative, but many of them are.
Our experiences and the response of society and family to those experiences directly affects how we respond and what we learn to do. For example, Generation Y born from 1977 to 2000 are a generation that communicates in acronyms. They grew up with PDA’s DVD’s CD’s and MP3’s Their communication is filled with words that are simply letters – LOL and this is very natural to this generation. While older generations such as the Mature generation born 1930’s to 1944 were raised with acronyms which they too invented such as AC for air conditioner , typically their vocabulary has been more restricted or censored. The mature generation was more consistently raised to use polite phrases, thank you, please, your welcome, while younger generations found these phrases to be optional and in some areas eliminated these phrases all together. In the workplace leaders may need to take a moment to re-evaluate communication methods for each generation and how communication techniques and styles can increase productivity and clarity or cause it to depreciate. We all lead someone, we just have to know if we are leading down the path that will improve our relationships. Have a great week.
NEED A GREAT SPEAKER to get a convention going? Does your training a lift and positive energy? Then call today and book Cynthia Krosky or her staff. Let us be your resources to help you grow. Call us at (772) 461-8313 or (877) 656-8313 USA Eastern Standard time. Do you know someone who could benefit from leadership or team-building programs then forward this to them! We are looking forward to serving you!
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Our experiences and the response of society and family to those experiences directly affects how we respond and what we learn to do. For example, Generation Y born from 1977 to 2000 are a generation that communicates in acronyms. They grew up with PDA’s DVD’s CD’s and MP3’s Their communication is filled with words that are simply letters – LOL and this is very natural to this generation. While older generations such as the Mature generation born 1930’s to 1944 were raised with acronyms which they too invented such as AC for air conditioner , typically their vocabulary has been more restricted or censored. The mature generation was more consistently raised to use polite phrases, thank you, please, your welcome, while younger generations found these phrases to be optional and in some areas eliminated these phrases all together. In the workplace leaders may need to take a moment to re-evaluate communication methods for each generation and how communication techniques and styles can increase productivity and clarity or cause it to depreciate. We all lead someone, we just have to know if we are leading down the path that will improve our relationships. Have a great week.
NEED A GREAT SPEAKER to get a convention going? Does your training a lift and positive energy? Then call today and book Cynthia Krosky or her staff. Let us be your resources to help you grow. Call us at (772) 461-8313 or (877) 656-8313 USA Eastern Standard time. Do you know someone who could benefit from leadership or team-building programs then forward this to them! We are looking forward to serving you!
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Saturday, April 28, 2007
When Tragedy Strikes
The subject of today's newsletter changed, when the peacefulness of a College Campus in Virginia (USA) was rocked. College or school for that matter is suppose to be a place that teaches the skills we need for life. But there are many lessons that life teaches us that school curriculum's neglected to teach. Where in school do we learn about preparing ourselves to be safe? Where so we learn about how to apply and live through the grief stages? Where do we learn about how to develop a safety plan that will help to prevent a major crisis? We don't! However, life signs us up for courses that we would never willingly have enrolled in. Over the past 24 hours, people in America and friends all over the world have enrolled in a new learning experience. Over the next few days our media will be overwhelmed with stories about the grief, the terror and the strengths of people who are being challenged to pass a course in life they never wanted to sign up for and only hope or pray they will successfully pass. At times of tragedy, we become united. A parent in Florida who is normally busy with life and frustrated or even happy about something their college son or daughter is doing, rarely has cause to think that there is a parent in Virginia or in Germany having the same experience. But today, every parent regardless of the differences in where they may live or who they are parents are united today, just as the college students are united today, feeling the pain and the loss. We learn now that despite many actions unity is alive and well.
Aside from being a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with background in crisis intervention. I have over 20 years of providing programs on safety, workplace violence, and how to develop proactive plans for safety. While people are impressed with my training, people typically invite me in to do the Motivational Keynotes, or training programs on Leadership and teambuilding. They don’t want the heavier topic about how to create a plan to prevent violence in the workplace or in a school setting. Understandably they are serious topics. However, I don’t want the call that says because we ignored developing a plan we are now the victims. No plan is foolproof but they are a lot better than not having a plant at all. Pretending the world is safe doesn’t make it safe. Yesterday is a reminder of this.
Life knows that experience is the best instructor for truly learning about ourselves and what we are made of. I learned to love life many years ago and I found and nurtured my spontaneous fun loving personality. Over the past 24 hours, I have hugged more intensely reached out with calls to friends and family more frequently and reached out to those that are hurting.
Life's changing events effect each person differently. Some of us seek to make sense out of it. So we watch the news, check the internet, or listen to the radio. Unfortunately, the media, especially the visual media, leaves an imprint on us. The result is that people even thousands of miles away begin to feel despondent and depressed. Because this didn’t directly they try to get over it without help or mask the feelings by relying on medication, drugs, or alcohol to help them past this. But this isn’t the answer and the problems can get worse. I know this because of my education as a therapist and because life taught me this lesson many years ago.
We need to be proactive in learning lessons not taught in school that is the job for the leaders. We need to be prepared to understand the realities of the world because Generation Y has grown up with these realities on their campus and have witnessed the realities through the news. The moral to the story is that life is uncertain and that it isn’t safe to go to school or work anymore. I was in California this month providing a program on Inter-Generational Diversity in the workplace. The participants of Generation Y born from 1977 to 2000 were nodding in agreement that safety is a concern they have. It is more a part of their generation than any other generation that preceded them. Yet they still don’t know how to be prepared for it. But they want’ ignore that it is a problem.
We are accustomed to helping people find answers to problems. Only when tragedy strikes the ability to understand is not so clear cut. The answers are elusive, and the answers we find don't seem to make sense! We struggle to make things better, but know it is important to be truthful, so find ourselves silent, because we can't tell people that "everything is going to be fine." Symptoms of trauma filter into our life and confuse us more, especially if we were not directly involved in the tragedy. We forget things, we misplace our keys and we seem to have trouble thinking clearly. Tasks seem to take longer to complete. As a result frustration can set in and a sense of helplessness can take over. The frustration, helplessness, mixed emotions or even, anger that we feel are all normal reactions to this situation. Know that life teaches us lessons individually and that some people move on before others. Students, teachers, family, friends, and coworkers may be grieving different losses: the loss of loved ones or the loss of safety and security. Grief impacts each person differently so be patient.
People who are use to being proactive can be temporarily immobilized by tragic events. This temporary immobilization allows people to heal to take the breath they need to gain strength. Once we have our breath it is time to resume our role as a leader to our family, friends, and employees. As the coordinator for my counties Critical Incident Stress Management team, and Region 5 Mental Health team leader for the Florida Crisis Consortium. (I respond to crisis events when called upon.) Please take today as an opportunity to look at your plans for working and living safe. My website has been updated with information on what are normal reactions to Critical Incidents. What to do and what to avoid doing. I encourage you to check out this information and share it with those around you. http://www.acespeaks.com
Life is not the only instructor when a tragedy occurs, because it opens the door for us to learn and to instruct people. Encourage people to talk, if need be call in a professional Critical Incident Debriefer. This valuable intervention mitigates the impact of traumatic stress and minimizes stress related symptoms that can impact work, family and even health. Provide employees with information about their employee assistance program. Allow people take a few more breaks, encourage people to take advantage of events that promote physical exercise. Rally a group to do a walk-a-thon or jog-a-thon. Undirected energy can turn into anger and increases potential for violence. Provide people the opportunity to give input on developing or updating your emergency response plan and to earn more about your city or counties emergency response plan then report back to staff. Learn how to contact your local Critical Incident Stress Management team or how to formulate one in the event one does not exist. There are many lessons we learn from life and tragedy is the hardest teacher.
Quote:
"Today is a gift. I will allow it to unfold with splendor. I will allow myself to fully experience the beauty that it presents me. I will embrace the day and do all that I can to show that I am worthy of this day. Today I will seek to be better than I was yesterday, for today is a present." Cindy Krosky
"Life is love. Love is Life." - Ali, a friend in Russia.
Aside from being a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with background in crisis intervention. I have over 20 years of providing programs on safety, workplace violence, and how to develop proactive plans for safety. While people are impressed with my training, people typically invite me in to do the Motivational Keynotes, or training programs on Leadership and teambuilding. They don’t want the heavier topic about how to create a plan to prevent violence in the workplace or in a school setting. Understandably they are serious topics. However, I don’t want the call that says because we ignored developing a plan we are now the victims. No plan is foolproof but they are a lot better than not having a plant at all. Pretending the world is safe doesn’t make it safe. Yesterday is a reminder of this.
Life knows that experience is the best instructor for truly learning about ourselves and what we are made of. I learned to love life many years ago and I found and nurtured my spontaneous fun loving personality. Over the past 24 hours, I have hugged more intensely reached out with calls to friends and family more frequently and reached out to those that are hurting.
Life's changing events effect each person differently. Some of us seek to make sense out of it. So we watch the news, check the internet, or listen to the radio. Unfortunately, the media, especially the visual media, leaves an imprint on us. The result is that people even thousands of miles away begin to feel despondent and depressed. Because this didn’t directly they try to get over it without help or mask the feelings by relying on medication, drugs, or alcohol to help them past this. But this isn’t the answer and the problems can get worse. I know this because of my education as a therapist and because life taught me this lesson many years ago.
We need to be proactive in learning lessons not taught in school that is the job for the leaders. We need to be prepared to understand the realities of the world because Generation Y has grown up with these realities on their campus and have witnessed the realities through the news. The moral to the story is that life is uncertain and that it isn’t safe to go to school or work anymore. I was in California this month providing a program on Inter-Generational Diversity in the workplace. The participants of Generation Y born from 1977 to 2000 were nodding in agreement that safety is a concern they have. It is more a part of their generation than any other generation that preceded them. Yet they still don’t know how to be prepared for it. But they want’ ignore that it is a problem.
We are accustomed to helping people find answers to problems. Only when tragedy strikes the ability to understand is not so clear cut. The answers are elusive, and the answers we find don't seem to make sense! We struggle to make things better, but know it is important to be truthful, so find ourselves silent, because we can't tell people that "everything is going to be fine." Symptoms of trauma filter into our life and confuse us more, especially if we were not directly involved in the tragedy. We forget things, we misplace our keys and we seem to have trouble thinking clearly. Tasks seem to take longer to complete. As a result frustration can set in and a sense of helplessness can take over. The frustration, helplessness, mixed emotions or even, anger that we feel are all normal reactions to this situation. Know that life teaches us lessons individually and that some people move on before others. Students, teachers, family, friends, and coworkers may be grieving different losses: the loss of loved ones or the loss of safety and security. Grief impacts each person differently so be patient.
People who are use to being proactive can be temporarily immobilized by tragic events. This temporary immobilization allows people to heal to take the breath they need to gain strength. Once we have our breath it is time to resume our role as a leader to our family, friends, and employees. As the coordinator for my counties Critical Incident Stress Management team, and Region 5 Mental Health team leader for the Florida Crisis Consortium. (I respond to crisis events when called upon.) Please take today as an opportunity to look at your plans for working and living safe. My website has been updated with information on what are normal reactions to Critical Incidents. What to do and what to avoid doing. I encourage you to check out this information and share it with those around you. http://www.acespeaks.com
Life is not the only instructor when a tragedy occurs, because it opens the door for us to learn and to instruct people. Encourage people to talk, if need be call in a professional Critical Incident Debriefer. This valuable intervention mitigates the impact of traumatic stress and minimizes stress related symptoms that can impact work, family and even health. Provide employees with information about their employee assistance program. Allow people take a few more breaks, encourage people to take advantage of events that promote physical exercise. Rally a group to do a walk-a-thon or jog-a-thon. Undirected energy can turn into anger and increases potential for violence. Provide people the opportunity to give input on developing or updating your emergency response plan and to earn more about your city or counties emergency response plan then report back to staff. Learn how to contact your local Critical Incident Stress Management team or how to formulate one in the event one does not exist. There are many lessons we learn from life and tragedy is the hardest teacher.
Quote:
"Today is a gift. I will allow it to unfold with splendor. I will allow myself to fully experience the beauty that it presents me. I will embrace the day and do all that I can to show that I am worthy of this day. Today I will seek to be better than I was yesterday, for today is a present." Cindy Krosky
"Life is love. Love is Life." - Ali, a friend in Russia.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Delegating Part II
The privilege of being a leader comes with being an effective leader. One that sets the examples for those they work with and those they lead. Delegating is the most effective tool we have on hand to help us assure that we set the right example. What is usually most misunderstood about leading is that if and when we attempt to take on all the problems we forget to do our real role, which is to lead and to teach others how to do what we do.
There are many opportunities for leaders to delegate all we have to do is to get out of our way! Too often we are the barrier that prevents us from either being able to help us or willing to help us. In order for people to help us we must educate them on the process and then provide them the opportunity to learn the process and be available as they take it on the new responsibility. Too often we use the excuse that we don’t have time! Actually we don’t have the time to do it all. Research shows that one to two hours spent better managing time, in this case delegating a task can ultimately save us 10 hours. Personally, I would enjoy an extra 10 hours in a week. The sacrifice begins at the start and the benefit may take a while, but can save us a lot of headaches and loss of productivity in the long run.
People can only help us when we entrust them and empower them to do a task. If you delegate a task discuss with them how much freedom they have. How far can they proceed without input? At what steps or stages do they need to give you an update, if they need to provide an update at all? In the office and with the Boards that I work with each task has clear instructions on steps that we have outlined together and then at what point I need to have more information. When I facilitate business retreats and work with companies or associations to set goals they often adopt a form that I use because of its adaptability and yet clear use for keeping people on track and up to date. It consists of 4 columns across the top of the table. First – column is the Item. Second column outline steps or points of discussion. The third column is used to identify who is responsible – name, phone number, email. The fourth column provides due date. When is this individual to provide an update or to have completed this task or step? Generally there is a name for each step and a date for reporting on each step. If it is the same person and they only need it reported on that it was completed then the name is listed across from the last step and the date is far enough out that they should have had time to complete the steps. If I am using the tool for delegating, I will give a date to each step, to assure that the person understands the urgency to move forward by when I expect to see certain progress made.
I coach executives and managers who are working to develop their professional skills in management and to improve their communication. While we all feel our problems are unique, the good news is that someone somewhere can relate and we aren’t alone in our struggles. The most common area that managers and executives need help in is that of their communication. People in these positions know what they want done, know how they want it done. They have a vision and the struggle is getting others to see the same vision or goal that they see. When it comes to delegating one this is one of the excuses that is used. “ I can’t get them to understand how to do it so I will just do it.” What this can create is learned helplessness for the employees or staff. Worse yet, it encourages employees to not do a task well, because if someone doesn’t like the job they do, then they will not be ask to do it again. In certain work environments despite poor job performance, employees continue to hold their jobs. A key reason is poor documentation of poor performance. So let’s tie this together. If we delegate and use a chart that outlines the steps to be taken; reviewing this chart can help a manager or leader obtain clarity from the person they are delegating to. The follow up section shows accountability and provides a record of the tasks they have been asked to do as well as place to track if they are on task, behind task, because we had to change the date, or if they are ahead of task and complete work early. Using the chart as a guide can also help the manager or supervisor who has a habit or an approach of being direct that may be interpreted as barking out orders. A direct approach does not work with everyone and can cause disruption with staff instead of productivity. Understanding what employees need when giving directions is important in delegating successfully. When we know that one-employee needs all the steps spelled out we can provide it, while another employee just needs to know that we want to get to point B at the end. That particular employee can show they are responsible and prevent us from micro-managing them and thus improve our relationships.
Here is a scenario that may sound familiar to you. Background: The manager of XYZ Dept. has delegated to staff to complete certain reports. These reports are within their realm of normal duties. Setting: You are attending a monthly meeting where department heads/managers review their reports to keep other departments aware the overall of status of the company. The manger for XYZ is sharing a report provided by one of their staff. As this leader begins to share he/she notices an error and says, “Wait a minute this is a mistake. I will have to fix that when I get back to my office.” While the words written here have no way of projecting tone or facial expression, depending on your history you may be detecting a leader with an attitude while others may simply read it for face value, that there is a problem and the leader is choosing to fix it. In the scenario above, there may be nothing wrong with this leader fixing the problem when he or she returns to the office. Perhaps the leader knows this will fall on his or her shoulders as the person who generated the report is out on vacation and there is no reason to delay. In this case, it makes sense to not delegate out the correction. Even if the person is available, a leader may fix it if it is very small error and one that has never occurred before. However, it would be in the leader’s best interest to take a moment and advise the employee that an error was noted and corrected, so the employee is aware of this for the future. Or the manger could ask the employee to fix the error in order to assure the employee gets practice doing the report correctly. As we briefly look over this scenario, we need to note that more information would be needed to assure the best course of action. Yet it does provoke us to think about what our course of action would be and why? Please see the danger in managers or co-workers being the one to fix a problem another employee has. This puts the work on the manager or co-workers and relieves the employee of responsibility and accountability. Learned helplessness can begin quickly and become a unhealthy habit for others to see. Especially if the person is not held accountable. I have unfortunately seen this too often and worse yet, I have seen offices promote these individuals into positions they did not earn nor that they could do. Delegate and learn what employees can do to help you. Remember when we delegate professionally the employee see value. Delegating is not dumping! It is teaching responsibility and accountability so that others learn our job and can support and help us. It takes time but the pay off in the end is less stress, increased productivity and increased value for employees. Take the time.
There are many opportunities for leaders to delegate all we have to do is to get out of our way! Too often we are the barrier that prevents us from either being able to help us or willing to help us. In order for people to help us we must educate them on the process and then provide them the opportunity to learn the process and be available as they take it on the new responsibility. Too often we use the excuse that we don’t have time! Actually we don’t have the time to do it all. Research shows that one to two hours spent better managing time, in this case delegating a task can ultimately save us 10 hours. Personally, I would enjoy an extra 10 hours in a week. The sacrifice begins at the start and the benefit may take a while, but can save us a lot of headaches and loss of productivity in the long run.
People can only help us when we entrust them and empower them to do a task. If you delegate a task discuss with them how much freedom they have. How far can they proceed without input? At what steps or stages do they need to give you an update, if they need to provide an update at all? In the office and with the Boards that I work with each task has clear instructions on steps that we have outlined together and then at what point I need to have more information. When I facilitate business retreats and work with companies or associations to set goals they often adopt a form that I use because of its adaptability and yet clear use for keeping people on track and up to date. It consists of 4 columns across the top of the table. First – column is the Item. Second column outline steps or points of discussion. The third column is used to identify who is responsible – name, phone number, email. The fourth column provides due date. When is this individual to provide an update or to have completed this task or step? Generally there is a name for each step and a date for reporting on each step. If it is the same person and they only need it reported on that it was completed then the name is listed across from the last step and the date is far enough out that they should have had time to complete the steps. If I am using the tool for delegating, I will give a date to each step, to assure that the person understands the urgency to move forward by when I expect to see certain progress made.
I coach executives and managers who are working to develop their professional skills in management and to improve their communication. While we all feel our problems are unique, the good news is that someone somewhere can relate and we aren’t alone in our struggles. The most common area that managers and executives need help in is that of their communication. People in these positions know what they want done, know how they want it done. They have a vision and the struggle is getting others to see the same vision or goal that they see. When it comes to delegating one this is one of the excuses that is used. “ I can’t get them to understand how to do it so I will just do it.” What this can create is learned helplessness for the employees or staff. Worse yet, it encourages employees to not do a task well, because if someone doesn’t like the job they do, then they will not be ask to do it again. In certain work environments despite poor job performance, employees continue to hold their jobs. A key reason is poor documentation of poor performance. So let’s tie this together. If we delegate and use a chart that outlines the steps to be taken; reviewing this chart can help a manager or leader obtain clarity from the person they are delegating to. The follow up section shows accountability and provides a record of the tasks they have been asked to do as well as place to track if they are on task, behind task, because we had to change the date, or if they are ahead of task and complete work early. Using the chart as a guide can also help the manager or supervisor who has a habit or an approach of being direct that may be interpreted as barking out orders. A direct approach does not work with everyone and can cause disruption with staff instead of productivity. Understanding what employees need when giving directions is important in delegating successfully. When we know that one-employee needs all the steps spelled out we can provide it, while another employee just needs to know that we want to get to point B at the end. That particular employee can show they are responsible and prevent us from micro-managing them and thus improve our relationships.
Here is a scenario that may sound familiar to you. Background: The manager of XYZ Dept. has delegated to staff to complete certain reports. These reports are within their realm of normal duties. Setting: You are attending a monthly meeting where department heads/managers review their reports to keep other departments aware the overall of status of the company. The manger for XYZ is sharing a report provided by one of their staff. As this leader begins to share he/she notices an error and says, “Wait a minute this is a mistake. I will have to fix that when I get back to my office.” While the words written here have no way of projecting tone or facial expression, depending on your history you may be detecting a leader with an attitude while others may simply read it for face value, that there is a problem and the leader is choosing to fix it. In the scenario above, there may be nothing wrong with this leader fixing the problem when he or she returns to the office. Perhaps the leader knows this will fall on his or her shoulders as the person who generated the report is out on vacation and there is no reason to delay. In this case, it makes sense to not delegate out the correction. Even if the person is available, a leader may fix it if it is very small error and one that has never occurred before. However, it would be in the leader’s best interest to take a moment and advise the employee that an error was noted and corrected, so the employee is aware of this for the future. Or the manger could ask the employee to fix the error in order to assure the employee gets practice doing the report correctly. As we briefly look over this scenario, we need to note that more information would be needed to assure the best course of action. Yet it does provoke us to think about what our course of action would be and why? Please see the danger in managers or co-workers being the one to fix a problem another employee has. This puts the work on the manager or co-workers and relieves the employee of responsibility and accountability. Learned helplessness can begin quickly and become a unhealthy habit for others to see. Especially if the person is not held accountable. I have unfortunately seen this too often and worse yet, I have seen offices promote these individuals into positions they did not earn nor that they could do. Delegate and learn what employees can do to help you. Remember when we delegate professionally the employee see value. Delegating is not dumping! It is teaching responsibility and accountability so that others learn our job and can support and help us. It takes time but the pay off in the end is less stress, increased productivity and increased value for employees. Take the time.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Complaining vs. Delegating Part I
Do you ever feel that you have too much to do? That people at home or work, just don’t pick up their share of the workload and that you don’t have enough time to do it all. Well the good news is you are not alone. Effective leaders know how to delegate it is a skill that they learned. There are people that are professional jugglers, but leaders are meant to be professional delegators. Over the next two months I will be providing programs on Juggling it All and Leading a Balanced Life. If any one area of our life gets out of balance then we can easily become overwhelmed.
A cartoon we read in the United States is called “Peanuts” Snoopy is a dog in the cartoon, who has a lot of personality. Snoopy is lying on top of his famous doghouse, complaining that there is too much to do . In the final frame of the cartoon, he sighs and says, “I hate being head beagle!” We can all relate no matter our profession, to those days when we just wish we weren’t the one in charge. It isn’t the privilege of being the leader, but the responsibilities that often exhaust us. This happens when we haven’t learned the master of delegation. Perhaps you have heard the saying that you can do the work of ten men or get ten men to do the work. When we try to do the work alone, we quickly extinguish our enthusiasm and our productivity.
So why do we hesitate to delegate and instead attempt to juggle it all. Fear of losing our authority. Fear it will cost us! It is easier to do it myself. "It will cost me money," is the most common excuse not to delegate. It may be costing you money because of lack of delegation or for poor delegation skills. Employees of all ages feel more valued when they are entrusted to do work, they feel a sense of responsibility and thus are more motivated. If all they are given to do is menial tasks that have no known value or significance then they are less committed to the robotic type of job.
However, if you are practicing delegation are you sharing the work load? Too often people look for compliant people who will do the job. While this works for a while, leaders risk burning-out the compliant employee or person, because of our resistance to delegating to an individual who may challenge our authority or may question us. We must learn to delegate professionally to those who eagerly help as well as to those who resist. Companies working with Generation X and Y realize that employees will not stand by silently and do all the work, rather they will bring it to the leaders attention very quickly that other people are not doing their share of the work. Resentment among employees and even employer can grow if this is handled inappropriately. Are you confident in your skills? Do you need some coaching in this area? What will it take to better understand how to delegate professionally? Let us know if we can help.
What does it take to delegate? Proper communication skills, ability, and availability to teach. Communication is key to delegating effectively. Knowing how to ask people to help is one part. Enlist their help by asking versus telling them or demanding them to help. This can make all the difference in how people hear the request and thus respond. Begin the request with an “I” statement expressing needs from your perspective. Remember to be courteous in the approach and give them choices on what they can help with. For example, “I have 14 follow up calls to make and this package that needs to be delivered to the POG Dept. Which of these would you be most comfortable assisting with?” Practicing the “I” Statement and giving choices is the first step. Attempt to avoid the word “You” when delegating or in most sentences as it can sound accusatory or blaming and often puts people on the defensive.
For example: You need to take the trash out. Versus The trash needs to be taken out, I appreciate your doing that. Practicing these simple tips at work, at home and even when we are customers ourselves helps us get more of what we want. Stay tune for more delegating tips this month.
A cartoon we read in the United States is called “Peanuts” Snoopy is a dog in the cartoon, who has a lot of personality. Snoopy is lying on top of his famous doghouse, complaining that there is too much to do . In the final frame of the cartoon, he sighs and says, “I hate being head beagle!” We can all relate no matter our profession, to those days when we just wish we weren’t the one in charge. It isn’t the privilege of being the leader, but the responsibilities that often exhaust us. This happens when we haven’t learned the master of delegation. Perhaps you have heard the saying that you can do the work of ten men or get ten men to do the work. When we try to do the work alone, we quickly extinguish our enthusiasm and our productivity.
So why do we hesitate to delegate and instead attempt to juggle it all. Fear of losing our authority. Fear it will cost us! It is easier to do it myself. "It will cost me money," is the most common excuse not to delegate. It may be costing you money because of lack of delegation or for poor delegation skills. Employees of all ages feel more valued when they are entrusted to do work, they feel a sense of responsibility and thus are more motivated. If all they are given to do is menial tasks that have no known value or significance then they are less committed to the robotic type of job.
However, if you are practicing delegation are you sharing the work load? Too often people look for compliant people who will do the job. While this works for a while, leaders risk burning-out the compliant employee or person, because of our resistance to delegating to an individual who may challenge our authority or may question us. We must learn to delegate professionally to those who eagerly help as well as to those who resist. Companies working with Generation X and Y realize that employees will not stand by silently and do all the work, rather they will bring it to the leaders attention very quickly that other people are not doing their share of the work. Resentment among employees and even employer can grow if this is handled inappropriately. Are you confident in your skills? Do you need some coaching in this area? What will it take to better understand how to delegate professionally? Let us know if we can help.
What does it take to delegate? Proper communication skills, ability, and availability to teach. Communication is key to delegating effectively. Knowing how to ask people to help is one part. Enlist their help by asking versus telling them or demanding them to help. This can make all the difference in how people hear the request and thus respond. Begin the request with an “I” statement expressing needs from your perspective. Remember to be courteous in the approach and give them choices on what they can help with. For example, “I have 14 follow up calls to make and this package that needs to be delivered to the POG Dept. Which of these would you be most comfortable assisting with?” Practicing the “I” Statement and giving choices is the first step. Attempt to avoid the word “You” when delegating or in most sentences as it can sound accusatory or blaming and often puts people on the defensive.
For example: You need to take the trash out. Versus The trash needs to be taken out, I appreciate your doing that. Practicing these simple tips at work, at home and even when we are customers ourselves helps us get more of what we want. Stay tune for more delegating tips this month.
Delegating Tips
The steps of successful delegation
1 Define the task
Confirm in your own mind that the task is suitable to be delegated. Does it meet the criteria for delegating?
2 Select the individual or team
What are your reasons for delegating to this person or team? What are they going to get out of it? What are you going to get out of it?
3 Assess ability and training needs
Is the other person or team of people capable of doing the task? Do they understand what needs to be done. If not, you can't delegate.
4 Explain the reasons
You must explain why the job or responsibility is being delegated and why to that person or people? What is its importance and relevance? Where does it fit in the overall scheme of things?
5 State required results
What must be achieved? Clarify understanding by getting feedback from the other person. How will the task be measured? Make sure they know how you intend to decide that the job is being successfully done.
6 Consider resources required
Discuss and agree what is required to get the job done. Consider people, location, premises, equipment, money, materials, other related activities and services.
7 Agree deadlines
When must the job be finished? Or if an ongoing duty, when are the review dates? When are the reports due? And if the task is complex and has parts or stages, what are the priorities?
At this point you may need to confirm understanding with the other person of the previous points, getting ideas and interpretation. As well as showing you that the job can be done, this helps to reinforce commitment.
Methods of checking and controlling must be agreed with the other person. Failing to agree this in advance will cause this monitoring to seem like interference or lack of trust.
8 Support and communicate
Think about who else needs to know what's going on, and inform them. Involve the other person in considering this so they can see beyond the issue at hand. Do not leave the person to inform your own peers of their new responsibility. Warn the person about any awkward matters of politics or protocol. Inform your own boss if the task is important, and of sufficient profile.
9 Feedback on results
It is essential to let the person know how they are doing, and whether they have achieved their aims. If not, you must review with them why things did not go to plan, and deal with the problems. You must absorb the consequences of failure, and pass on the credit for success.
Levels of delegation
Delegation isn't just a matter of telling someone else what to do. There is a wide range of varying freedom that you can confer on the other person. The more experienced and reliable the other person is, then the more freedom you can give. The more critical the task then the more cautious you need to be about extending a lot of freedom, especially if your job or reputation depends on getting a good result. Take care to choose the most appropriate style for each situation. For each example the statements are simplified for clarity; in reality you would choose a less abrupt style of language, depending on the person and the relationship. At the very least, a "Please" and "Thank-you" would be included in the requests.
It's important also to ask the other person what level of authority they feel comfortable being given. Why guess? When you ask, you can find out for sure and agree this with the other person. Some people are confident; others less so. It's your responsibility to agree with them what level is most appropriate, so that the job is done effectively and with minimal unnecessary involvement from you. Involving the other person in agreeing the level of delegated freedom for any particular responsibility is an essential part of the 'contract' that you make with them.
These levels of delegation are not an exhaustive list. There are many more shades of gray between these black-and-white examples. Take time to discuss and adapt the agreements and 'contracts' that you make with people regarding delegated tasks, responsibility and freedom according to the situation.
Be creative in choosing levels of delegated responsibility, and always check with the other person that they are comfortable with your chosen level. People are generally capable of doing far more than you imagine.
The rate and extent of responsibility and freedom delegated to people is a fundamental driver of organizational growth and effectiveness, the growth and well-being of your people, and of your own development and advancement.
Levels of delegation - examples
These examples of different delegation levels progressively offer, encourage and enable more delegated freedom. Level 1 is the lowest level of delegated freedom (basically none). Level 10 is the highest level typically (and rarely) found in organisations.
1 "Wait to be told." or "Do exactly what I say." or "Follow these instructions precisely."
This is instruction. There is no delegated freedom at all.
2 "Look into this and tell me the situation. I'll decide."
This is asking for investigation and analysis but no recommendation. The person delegating retains responsibility for assessing options prior to making the decision.
3 "Look into this and tell me the situation. We'll decide together."
This is has a subtle important difference to the above. This level of delegation encourages and enables the analysis and decision to be a shared process, which can be very helpful in coaching and development.
4 "Tell me the situation and what help you need from me in assessing and handling it. Then we'll decide."
This is opens the possibility of greater freedom for analysis and decision-making, subject to both people agreeing this is appropriate. Again, this level is helpful in growing and defining coaching and development relationships.
5 "Give me your analysis of the situation (reasons, options, pros and cons) and recommendation. I'll let you know whether you can go ahead."
Asks for analysis and recommendation, but you will check the thinking before deciding.
6 "Decide and let me know your decision, and wait for my go-ahead before proceeding."
The other person is trusted to assess the situation and options and is probably competent enough to decide and implement too, but for reasons of task importance, or competence, or perhaps externally changing factors, the boss prefers to keep control of timing. This level of delegation can be frustrating for people if used too often or for too long, and in any event the reason for keeping people waiting, after they've inevitably invested time and effort, needs to be explained.
7 "Decide and let me know your decision, then go ahead unless I say not to."
Now the other person begins to control the action. The subtle increase in responsibility saves time. The default is now positive rather than negative. This is a very liberating change in delegated freedom, and incidentally one that can also be used very effectively when seeking responsibility from above or elsewhere in an organization, especially one which is strangled by indecision and bureaucracy. For example, "Here is my analysis and recommendation; I will proceed unless you tell me otherwise by (date)."
8 "Decide and take action - let me know what you did (and what happened)."
This delegation level, as with each increase up the scale, saves even more time. This level of delegation also enables a degree of follow-up by the manager as to the effectiveness of the delegated responsibility, which is necessary when people are being managed from a greater distance, or more 'hands-off'. The level also allows and invites positive feedback by the manager, which is helpful in coaching and development of course.
9 "Decide and take action. You need not check back with me."
The most freedom that you can give to another person when you still need to retain responsibility for the activity. A high level of confidence is necessary, and you would normally assess the quality of the activity after the event according to overall results, potentially weeks or months later. Feedback and review remain helpful and important, although the relationship is more likely one of mentoring, rather than coaching per se.
10 "Decide where action needs to be taken and manage the situation accordingly. It's your area of responsibility now."
The most freedom that you can give to the other person, and not generally used without formal change of a person's job role. It's the delegation of a strategic responsibility. This gives the other person responsibility for defining what changes projects, tasks, analysis and decisions are necessary for the management of a particular area of responsibility, as well as the task or project or change itself, and how the initiative or change is to be implemented and measured, etc. This amounts to delegating part of your job - not just a task or project. You'd use this utmost level of delegation (for example) when developing a successor, or as part of an intentional and agreed plan to devolve some of your job accountability in a formal sense.
1 Define the task
Confirm in your own mind that the task is suitable to be delegated. Does it meet the criteria for delegating?
2 Select the individual or team
What are your reasons for delegating to this person or team? What are they going to get out of it? What are you going to get out of it?
3 Assess ability and training needs
Is the other person or team of people capable of doing the task? Do they understand what needs to be done. If not, you can't delegate.
4 Explain the reasons
You must explain why the job or responsibility is being delegated and why to that person or people? What is its importance and relevance? Where does it fit in the overall scheme of things?
5 State required results
What must be achieved? Clarify understanding by getting feedback from the other person. How will the task be measured? Make sure they know how you intend to decide that the job is being successfully done.
6 Consider resources required
Discuss and agree what is required to get the job done. Consider people, location, premises, equipment, money, materials, other related activities and services.
7 Agree deadlines
When must the job be finished? Or if an ongoing duty, when are the review dates? When are the reports due? And if the task is complex and has parts or stages, what are the priorities?
At this point you may need to confirm understanding with the other person of the previous points, getting ideas and interpretation. As well as showing you that the job can be done, this helps to reinforce commitment.
Methods of checking and controlling must be agreed with the other person. Failing to agree this in advance will cause this monitoring to seem like interference or lack of trust.
8 Support and communicate
Think about who else needs to know what's going on, and inform them. Involve the other person in considering this so they can see beyond the issue at hand. Do not leave the person to inform your own peers of their new responsibility. Warn the person about any awkward matters of politics or protocol. Inform your own boss if the task is important, and of sufficient profile.
9 Feedback on results
It is essential to let the person know how they are doing, and whether they have achieved their aims. If not, you must review with them why things did not go to plan, and deal with the problems. You must absorb the consequences of failure, and pass on the credit for success.
Levels of delegation
Delegation isn't just a matter of telling someone else what to do. There is a wide range of varying freedom that you can confer on the other person. The more experienced and reliable the other person is, then the more freedom you can give. The more critical the task then the more cautious you need to be about extending a lot of freedom, especially if your job or reputation depends on getting a good result. Take care to choose the most appropriate style for each situation. For each example the statements are simplified for clarity; in reality you would choose a less abrupt style of language, depending on the person and the relationship. At the very least, a "Please" and "Thank-you" would be included in the requests.
It's important also to ask the other person what level of authority they feel comfortable being given. Why guess? When you ask, you can find out for sure and agree this with the other person. Some people are confident; others less so. It's your responsibility to agree with them what level is most appropriate, so that the job is done effectively and with minimal unnecessary involvement from you. Involving the other person in agreeing the level of delegated freedom for any particular responsibility is an essential part of the 'contract' that you make with them.
These levels of delegation are not an exhaustive list. There are many more shades of gray between these black-and-white examples. Take time to discuss and adapt the agreements and 'contracts' that you make with people regarding delegated tasks, responsibility and freedom according to the situation.
Be creative in choosing levels of delegated responsibility, and always check with the other person that they are comfortable with your chosen level. People are generally capable of doing far more than you imagine.
The rate and extent of responsibility and freedom delegated to people is a fundamental driver of organizational growth and effectiveness, the growth and well-being of your people, and of your own development and advancement.
Levels of delegation - examples
These examples of different delegation levels progressively offer, encourage and enable more delegated freedom. Level 1 is the lowest level of delegated freedom (basically none). Level 10 is the highest level typically (and rarely) found in organisations.
1 "Wait to be told." or "Do exactly what I say." or "Follow these instructions precisely."
This is instruction. There is no delegated freedom at all.
2 "Look into this and tell me the situation. I'll decide."
This is asking for investigation and analysis but no recommendation. The person delegating retains responsibility for assessing options prior to making the decision.
3 "Look into this and tell me the situation. We'll decide together."
This is has a subtle important difference to the above. This level of delegation encourages and enables the analysis and decision to be a shared process, which can be very helpful in coaching and development.
4 "Tell me the situation and what help you need from me in assessing and handling it. Then we'll decide."
This is opens the possibility of greater freedom for analysis and decision-making, subject to both people agreeing this is appropriate. Again, this level is helpful in growing and defining coaching and development relationships.
5 "Give me your analysis of the situation (reasons, options, pros and cons) and recommendation. I'll let you know whether you can go ahead."
Asks for analysis and recommendation, but you will check the thinking before deciding.
6 "Decide and let me know your decision, and wait for my go-ahead before proceeding."
The other person is trusted to assess the situation and options and is probably competent enough to decide and implement too, but for reasons of task importance, or competence, or perhaps externally changing factors, the boss prefers to keep control of timing. This level of delegation can be frustrating for people if used too often or for too long, and in any event the reason for keeping people waiting, after they've inevitably invested time and effort, needs to be explained.
7 "Decide and let me know your decision, then go ahead unless I say not to."
Now the other person begins to control the action. The subtle increase in responsibility saves time. The default is now positive rather than negative. This is a very liberating change in delegated freedom, and incidentally one that can also be used very effectively when seeking responsibility from above or elsewhere in an organization, especially one which is strangled by indecision and bureaucracy. For example, "Here is my analysis and recommendation; I will proceed unless you tell me otherwise by (date)."
8 "Decide and take action - let me know what you did (and what happened)."
This delegation level, as with each increase up the scale, saves even more time. This level of delegation also enables a degree of follow-up by the manager as to the effectiveness of the delegated responsibility, which is necessary when people are being managed from a greater distance, or more 'hands-off'. The level also allows and invites positive feedback by the manager, which is helpful in coaching and development of course.
9 "Decide and take action. You need not check back with me."
The most freedom that you can give to another person when you still need to retain responsibility for the activity. A high level of confidence is necessary, and you would normally assess the quality of the activity after the event according to overall results, potentially weeks or months later. Feedback and review remain helpful and important, although the relationship is more likely one of mentoring, rather than coaching per se.
10 "Decide where action needs to be taken and manage the situation accordingly. It's your area of responsibility now."
The most freedom that you can give to the other person, and not generally used without formal change of a person's job role. It's the delegation of a strategic responsibility. This gives the other person responsibility for defining what changes projects, tasks, analysis and decisions are necessary for the management of a particular area of responsibility, as well as the task or project or change itself, and how the initiative or change is to be implemented and measured, etc. This amounts to delegating part of your job - not just a task or project. You'd use this utmost level of delegation (for example) when developing a successor, or as part of an intentional and agreed plan to devolve some of your job accountability in a formal sense.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Honest Leadership
Have you ever looked in the mirror when you woke up? Have ever you wanted to see something better than the sleepy reflection looking back at you? For most of us the answer is yes, we have looked in the mirror and there have definitely been days when we wanted to see something better looking back at us. As leaders, we must be willing to look at ourselves and be honest about what we see. This means looking beyond the superficial exterior and truly examining the skills and characteristics that we possess.
Leaders can’t afford to live with a façade; they need to live with a reality. People they lead will see through false pretenses and will not be willing to follow.
Twenty or thirty years ago, the work force may have been willing to follow a leader who put on pretenses, but this is no longer tolerated today. Employees want and demand honesty. They need a leader who is willing to work through problems and who will overcome shortcomings. I meet with many leaders, CEO’, supervisors, managers etc. who want to believe that they are effective leaders but who haven’t looked in the mirror lately to see the reflection that their employees see. They miss seeing the message they give with their actions or lack of actions. As a facilitator, I provide strategic planning retreats for businesses and associations. I make it a goal to meet with the CEO or president and incoming officers or leaders to assure that I have an understanding of their goals, directions and any needs that they are aware of from the group they will lead. In addition, I schedule an Executive Debrief with the CEO/President to review the plan and discuss observations. This background work is invaluable to me, but the debrief is invaluable to the CEO’s or leaders, because of the feedback I am able to give them.
As a leader what do people see when they see you? What do they hear you say and see you do? How do they interpret your words and your actions? What do you do that conveys to them that you hear their concern and will give it consideration? Effective leaders are usually a visionary, which means they are often misunderstood and misinterpreted by the people they lead. Visionaries are looking into the future and the majority of the people that they lead are looking to get through the day, the week or the month. Rarely are the people that they lead looking to get through the next three to five years or more, so the leader’s agenda and approach to problems is not clearly understood. If there is a problem with a department or a worker employees may proclaim the need for immediate disciplinary action or even termination. While a leader, may plan on disciplinary action, but the leader may take another step before taking this action. There are numerous instances where companies have been lead by non-visionaries and employees have been terminated only to be re-hired later on and often with better wages. It seems crazy, but it happens frequently. Why? People who do this are not visionaries. They lack the ability to see the direction that their actions will have on the bigger picture. In the case where the employee is terminated, the leader receives immediate praise for taking action. Three or four months later when the department is struggling from being short staffed and employees are complaining because they haven’t found the right replacement, the leader is frowned up for having let go a good worker. There have even been cases where the same employees who wanted a worker terminated, later petitioned the business to hire the employee back. The morale to the story is that leaders need to be visionaries. They need to be honest with themselves and to find a way to communicate with those they lead that they will hear the problems but that they may not immediately react as it may not be in the best interest of the people they lead.
Leaders have to find a way to be clear in their direction by making sure their actions, reflect their direction. The leader who is looking at the bigger picture understands the problem exist, but knows that for every action, there is a reaction. If their actions are a reaction without thought about the impact, they could set into motion some devastating long term affects. For example, I recently spoke with an author who wrote a book about ethical decisions in the workplace. In our meeting, she talked about the complexity of making decisions that were ethical. To the outsider it is often black or white. To the person making the decision, their may be gray. The gray comes from knowing more facts and information than the regular population knows. I am a skydiver and in the sport, we have a two-second rule. Falling at approximately 125 mph, if there is a problem you have two seconds to fix it. If you cannot fix it then you need to pull your ripcord and get your chute open. If the chute doesn’t fully deploy in five seconds then you have two seconds to fix it. If you can’t get it fixed then you need to pull your reserve canopy. Timing is critical in the sport and not up for debate, because delays could cause injury or death. Fortunately, in the business world there is some luxury of time. Time to examine the information and to make decisions that are ethical and in the best interest of those we lead.
Of course, we want leaders to make ethical decisions, which means we need to trust them to understand what has lead us to this point, what will happen once they make the choice and where that will in turn lead us. It is a leader’s responsibility to weight the decision, to think ahead about what the action or lack of action will cost the business or association. It is also the leader’s responsibility to know how to act in a timely manner. Sounds complex and in many ways it is. Yet we all lead and on a daily basis make leadership decisions. For those who lead small offices or lead their family, our decisions may not seem as monumental as world peace, but make a decision that limits a teenagers freedom and it may seem like war has been declared. Yet the parent has considered all the reasons why the teenager should not have the freedom at the time, they have examined the potential consequences and are ready to stand by the decision. Leading requires being honest with yourself seeing who you are and how you exemplify that in your actions at home and at work. When we look in the mirror, we see our imperfections. We people look at us as leaders they too see our imperfections. Just as many people look in the mirror and attempt to make themselves look better before leaving the house, by combing the hair, brushing the teeth or putting on make-up. A leader’s goal is to make sure that our imperfections are as few as possible.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Identity Theft
Have you ever heard of identity theft? Most of us have and the idea that someone would steel our name, our personal information is terrifying to say the least. As a leader, our identity has value. People often go to great lengths to gain an identity that will make them appreciated, acceptable, or more recognizable. Identities can be associated with the type of clothes people wear, the cars they drive, or the way they look. Professions or careers also serve as an identity. We are many things to many people and our identity is broader than any one of the items mentioned above. As the 2007 year begins, it is a great time to reflect on our direction and who we are, what we represent, and if these are congruent.
Recently I got a new haircut. It has been refreshing to try something different. The benefit of a new haircut is that eventually the hair will grow out and we can return to our same old look, if that is what we wish to do. The irony has been that some people look at me differently, because the hire is spiked a bit and thus doesn’t look as conservative. My identity has not changed, only the hair. My values, beliefs, and educational knowledge are the same, but how I am viewed is different. Is that unfair? Yes, but does it happen to a lot of people yes. Today’s workforce is diverse and in training programs that I give on Generational Diversity in the Workplace, we discuss the identity of a person is more than meets the eye, but if we are not careful the eye can blind us and prevent us from seeing what really exist.
Perhaps you can relate to meeting the people who are leaders or members of a team that attempt to take on a false identity in the hopes of fooling people. As a speaker and trainer, I see this too often. The person who wants to answer all the questions in order to impress someone in the room, the person that can say the right answers, but wouldn’t have a clue of how to implement the plan, because they don’t understand the reason or the process. Most likely, this person has stolen an identity from a respected colleague. They are able to give the data, but are unable to apply the knowledge. As discussed in prior newsletters, I read people and fortunately am good at this. There are times when I am leaving a program and a participant will come up to me to express their frustration, because of the display a peer has demonstrated, trying to impress the people present with a level of buy-in or knowledge, yet the team member who works beside them knows that this is all a façade. They are often surprised when I advise them before they speak, that I know that the person was not being genuine and if the company has decided to do an executive debrief then I will be sharing my observations and the reasons that I believe this to be accurate as well as advising them on what to look for in the future.
Leaders and teams function best when the identity is real. It is predictable. The actions and the words are consistent. We develop our identity over time and it can be reshaped to be better as we grow. Leaders that are successful have demonstrated integrity in their character. They have proven themselves honest and dependable. They don’t need the power of a position to make them a leader for they will be a leader without the title, it is part of who they are and who they are meant to be, it is their destiny. They will be prepared, because they have a vision and are able to share it with clarity.
Take a look at your identity. What are your skills and your qualities? What is your direction and vision? What do you want to start doing to improve your identity? What do you want to stop doing to improve your identity or to make it more consistent with the direction that you want? What is unique to you and your identity? Is it your skill level or is it your personality, the way you interact with people.
When we examine our true identity we go beyond the resume credentials and thus must examine who we are that others see? Once a leader fully grasps who they are, they realize they have great potential and are able to tap into their resources to gain strength and insight to be effective leaders. Once we are better informed about ourselves and our capacity we can grow. With the knowledge that we have, there is no problem to big. Time and energy should be spent on being a leader with integrity, rather than a leader in disguise. So often people try to disguise their looks, their social circle and even move to be a new location. What they forget is that wherever they go, is where they are.
Happy 2007! Request reprint permission of an existing article or let us know if we can provide a customized article for your industry magazine or association newsletter.
Recently I got a new haircut. It has been refreshing to try something different. The benefit of a new haircut is that eventually the hair will grow out and we can return to our same old look, if that is what we wish to do. The irony has been that some people look at me differently, because the hire is spiked a bit and thus doesn’t look as conservative. My identity has not changed, only the hair. My values, beliefs, and educational knowledge are the same, but how I am viewed is different. Is that unfair? Yes, but does it happen to a lot of people yes. Today’s workforce is diverse and in training programs that I give on Generational Diversity in the Workplace, we discuss the identity of a person is more than meets the eye, but if we are not careful the eye can blind us and prevent us from seeing what really exist.
Perhaps you can relate to meeting the people who are leaders or members of a team that attempt to take on a false identity in the hopes of fooling people. As a speaker and trainer, I see this too often. The person who wants to answer all the questions in order to impress someone in the room, the person that can say the right answers, but wouldn’t have a clue of how to implement the plan, because they don’t understand the reason or the process. Most likely, this person has stolen an identity from a respected colleague. They are able to give the data, but are unable to apply the knowledge. As discussed in prior newsletters, I read people and fortunately am good at this. There are times when I am leaving a program and a participant will come up to me to express their frustration, because of the display a peer has demonstrated, trying to impress the people present with a level of buy-in or knowledge, yet the team member who works beside them knows that this is all a façade. They are often surprised when I advise them before they speak, that I know that the person was not being genuine and if the company has decided to do an executive debrief then I will be sharing my observations and the reasons that I believe this to be accurate as well as advising them on what to look for in the future.
Leaders and teams function best when the identity is real. It is predictable. The actions and the words are consistent. We develop our identity over time and it can be reshaped to be better as we grow. Leaders that are successful have demonstrated integrity in their character. They have proven themselves honest and dependable. They don’t need the power of a position to make them a leader for they will be a leader without the title, it is part of who they are and who they are meant to be, it is their destiny. They will be prepared, because they have a vision and are able to share it with clarity.
Take a look at your identity. What are your skills and your qualities? What is your direction and vision? What do you want to start doing to improve your identity? What do you want to stop doing to improve your identity or to make it more consistent with the direction that you want? What is unique to you and your identity? Is it your skill level or is it your personality, the way you interact with people.
When we examine our true identity we go beyond the resume credentials and thus must examine who we are that others see? Once a leader fully grasps who they are, they realize they have great potential and are able to tap into their resources to gain strength and insight to be effective leaders. Once we are better informed about ourselves and our capacity we can grow. With the knowledge that we have, there is no problem to big. Time and energy should be spent on being a leader with integrity, rather than a leader in disguise. So often people try to disguise their looks, their social circle and even move to be a new location. What they forget is that wherever they go, is where they are.
Happy 2007! Request reprint permission of an existing article or let us know if we can provide a customized article for your industry magazine or association newsletter.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Leading and Managing
Ever notice how much energy it takes to try to control a something or someone? Leaders provide direction while managers try to control direction. We know that we can’t control people nor can we control circumstances in a persons life. Leaders understand that surrendering and admitting our limitations frees us to be better leaders. Leadership is based on what we do while management is based on what we do and how we do it. Even a terrific leader, has limits, such as we can’t force people to take responsibility for themselves.
In the last 20 years the needs of leaders has changed. We have people who lead, but are not given official authority over the people they lead. In today’s workforce, loyalty means the employee will look at for his or her self first and the company later. Granted there are still some pockets of the population that may still have employees who are loyal to the company first, but this is a thing of the past, unless the company is taking positive action with employees.
I recently worked with an international company that does a great job examining the people within the company that are doing a good job. They are very proactive in their promotional steps. They have learned that what worked 20 years ago – even 10 years ago isn’t effective today. So they have stopped operating out of habit and started operating with intention. Their intention is to change the reward systems and determine what rewards and recognitions the employees personally value, so that it has meaning. This has involved taking time to meet with employees and to get to learn what employee’s value. In addition, the company has re-examined promotional methods. No longer does a person have to serve time to get a promotion, rather they have to show service and skill. But there is still more that needs to be done. While it sounds like this company has it together, we met because there is a missing piece.
The leaders are moving people into leadership positions in a timelier manner, which pleases the employees who can see the opportunity for growth, but that is where they drop the ball or stop the process. Do you know companies that have great employees that have potential so to reward the person they promote them and then abandon them? This can cause the employee feel unappreciated, which is confusing, because they initial reason the promotion occurred was because he or she was doing a great job, now they are left alone to try to survive. Some companies think that this strategy is an attempt to stop that managerial style approach that says I will tell you what to do each step of the way. Setting them free to sink without assistance isn’t leadership. There is a balance that needs to be found. Yes, a leader needs to realize that it is important to give a person room to grow, so we have to release our grip. We also have to teach future leaders how to release the grip and how to direct people. Leaders are not superheroes or people with special powers. Many of the most effective leaders in the world had no power over anyone, but had the greatest influence.
We can increase energy in a company by properly teaching people who serve in a leadership capacity regardless if they have authority over people or not. For those that get responsibility with authority, there is still another decision to make. Does that responsibility mean that have the necessary training to lead others. A hard dedicated, ambitious employee may just be a hard-dedicated employee but not a groomed effective leader. They may have leadership skills, the emotional intelligence to lead, but may lack the skills to effectively lead a group of people. To often companies unintentionally set people up for failure, because they take the best and then neglect to give them the training needed to assure that they will succeed, thus they have to learn to survive on their own. Human instinct to survive often means that they will survive but may eat up other good employees along the way. This is unintentional, but still it happens too often. Companies set people up in a great office and give them office equipment, but neglect to equip them with training. Some of the excuses are unbelievable. Those employees aren’t in the upper tier of leadership, so they don’t need it, we don’t have a budget for that group. Do you have a budget for hiring, because when leaders without direction lead others the wrong way, you may find yourself having to recruit new members for the team? As a leader we owe it to the people we lead, regardless of where they sit in the company to give them the internal equipment that is needed to assure their success and ultimately to assure our success.
Farmers know that when you want to reap something you must sow it. Why? Because the seeds you plant will reproduce their own kind. But the better care you take of the seeds, the soil and the environment, the better the crop. What are you doing to grow your future leaders? If you are not sure test the soil? Ask the leaders what they need from you and then listen to the answers. Take control of your direction by giving direction to the people who lead others.
Thank you again for sharing another Tuesday with us! Request reprint permission of an existing article or let us know provide a customized article for your industry magazine or association newsletter.
In the last 20 years the needs of leaders has changed. We have people who lead, but are not given official authority over the people they lead. In today’s workforce, loyalty means the employee will look at for his or her self first and the company later. Granted there are still some pockets of the population that may still have employees who are loyal to the company first, but this is a thing of the past, unless the company is taking positive action with employees.
I recently worked with an international company that does a great job examining the people within the company that are doing a good job. They are very proactive in their promotional steps. They have learned that what worked 20 years ago – even 10 years ago isn’t effective today. So they have stopped operating out of habit and started operating with intention. Their intention is to change the reward systems and determine what rewards and recognitions the employees personally value, so that it has meaning. This has involved taking time to meet with employees and to get to learn what employee’s value. In addition, the company has re-examined promotional methods. No longer does a person have to serve time to get a promotion, rather they have to show service and skill. But there is still more that needs to be done. While it sounds like this company has it together, we met because there is a missing piece.
The leaders are moving people into leadership positions in a timelier manner, which pleases the employees who can see the opportunity for growth, but that is where they drop the ball or stop the process. Do you know companies that have great employees that have potential so to reward the person they promote them and then abandon them? This can cause the employee feel unappreciated, which is confusing, because they initial reason the promotion occurred was because he or she was doing a great job, now they are left alone to try to survive. Some companies think that this strategy is an attempt to stop that managerial style approach that says I will tell you what to do each step of the way. Setting them free to sink without assistance isn’t leadership. There is a balance that needs to be found. Yes, a leader needs to realize that it is important to give a person room to grow, so we have to release our grip. We also have to teach future leaders how to release the grip and how to direct people. Leaders are not superheroes or people with special powers. Many of the most effective leaders in the world had no power over anyone, but had the greatest influence.
We can increase energy in a company by properly teaching people who serve in a leadership capacity regardless if they have authority over people or not. For those that get responsibility with authority, there is still another decision to make. Does that responsibility mean that have the necessary training to lead others. A hard dedicated, ambitious employee may just be a hard-dedicated employee but not a groomed effective leader. They may have leadership skills, the emotional intelligence to lead, but may lack the skills to effectively lead a group of people. To often companies unintentionally set people up for failure, because they take the best and then neglect to give them the training needed to assure that they will succeed, thus they have to learn to survive on their own. Human instinct to survive often means that they will survive but may eat up other good employees along the way. This is unintentional, but still it happens too often. Companies set people up in a great office and give them office equipment, but neglect to equip them with training. Some of the excuses are unbelievable. Those employees aren’t in the upper tier of leadership, so they don’t need it, we don’t have a budget for that group. Do you have a budget for hiring, because when leaders without direction lead others the wrong way, you may find yourself having to recruit new members for the team? As a leader we owe it to the people we lead, regardless of where they sit in the company to give them the internal equipment that is needed to assure their success and ultimately to assure our success.
Farmers know that when you want to reap something you must sow it. Why? Because the seeds you plant will reproduce their own kind. But the better care you take of the seeds, the soil and the environment, the better the crop. What are you doing to grow your future leaders? If you are not sure test the soil? Ask the leaders what they need from you and then listen to the answers. Take control of your direction by giving direction to the people who lead others.
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Friday, December 01, 2006
Leadership the Next Generation
Leaders wanting employees or family members to grow need to aim them in the right direction. Companies are very much like a family both functional and dysfunctional. To increase productivity and the ability to function properly leaders have the responsibility to nurture, and grow people. Leaders can accelerate or stifle a person’s gifts. They can also spend time, money, and energy providing benefits. The goal of companies and of families is that by putting time and energy into employees and family their will be a better chance of loyalty. In the last newsletter Vol. III No. 36, discussed how leaders are often aimed toward leadership but not given the authority to lead. In addition, we discussed the fact that larger companies are realizing the old corporate ladder didn’t create loyalty for the newer generations seeking advancement for their skills rather than for their years of service. So that today we need to stop operating out of habit and start operating with intention. Leaders have an obligation to the next generation to prepare them.
One of the first areas in which companies can fall short when promoting individuals within their organizations is in providing leadership skills necessary to help the organization function effectively and productively Many times people the goals have not been formally identified and communicated to employees. Too often companies wait until the unthinkable happens such as a leader having to take emergency and is on medical leave etc. Successful organizations are always preparing the next generation of leaders so that if a leader leaves, an equally talented and prepared employee is ready to step in and assume the responsibilities of the position. Without blinking an eye, a company should be able to send in a backup who will keep the team moving forward. Identifying and developing employees for leadership positions is essential.
How does a company establish a system for developing talent within its organization? Defining who is and who is not a leader in an organization largely depends upon the organization itself. Identification begins with a look at the company philosophy and objectives, as well as the fit of the person with the current people in leadership positions. Be careful to look for people who compliment yet who are not clones of the people already leading the company, diversity is essential to success. In a study conducted by SHRM and Personnel Decisions International in 2000, only 45 percent of the responding organizations reported having development plans for non-exempt employees. What these numbers indicate is that more than half of these organizations lacked formal leadership development plans for their rank and file–a critical part in identifying the next generation of leadership. As you are reading this, you may realize that your organization suffers from this problem. Companies such as Fed Ex, Avon, and Pampered Chef succeed because leaders are constantly seeking new people to become involved in the company and they are continually preparing there leaders by providing educational programs that are customized to their company.
If your organization is lacking in training it isn’t alone. A study conducted jointly by Anderson Consulting and the Economist Intelligence Unit confirmed that there is a lack of comfort that most organizations feel when it comes to the topic of leadership development. Ninety percent of the CEO’s reported that their organizations leadership development process was in its infancy phase and had definite room for improvement. FedEx, a Fortune 500 company based in
Great leaders and managers do not necessarily start with the basic skills needed to make them great. Companies that consistently, uniformly and regularly offer classes in management and leadership for up-and-coming employees find that promotion decisions are a lot easier because the training has taken place and people are ready to take on added responsibility. Another survey shows that eighty-two percent organizations are having a hard time finding qualified leaders. This leads us to ask questions: What does your current leadership training initiative look like, and is it working for your company? Does your organization identify people with potential leadership skills? What types of training and development opportunities are in place for these employees?
Leadership development—broadly defined as formal and informal training and professional development programs designed for all levels of executives and management employees to assist them in developing the leadership skills and styles required to deal with a variety of situations. Effective leadership development encompasses two key areas: 1) the ability to move future leaders forward and begin developing their leadership talent; and 2) determining cost effective leadership methods such in-house training programs, or hiring outside trainers to either build the program or do the training. Leaders like parents have a responsibility to prepare for the future. As leaders, we must look at ourselves closely and make sure that we reflect courage and are willing to encourage our organizations to make positive changes to develop leaders for the future. Too often companies find great people promote them and then see if they can lead.
The Importance of Thinking Before We Speak
Have you ever had a conversation with a person only to realize they weren’t listening? Perhaps you have had an entire conversation in which people were talking but no one is really listening, they are only waiting to reply. In the United States we are approaching a holiday called Thanksgiving. It is very typical for friends and family to come together during this time and attempt to communicate with one another, when in actuality all most of them are doing is talking, but they are not listening. They are so focused on sharing their information that they do not hear what other people are saying. They only hear the silence they take as permission to start making noise. This same problem happens everyday in any one of the 25 million meetings taking place or between worker and co-worker.
Listening is rare. Do you have people in your life that know how to listen? To really listen? If we are fortunate, we have someone in our life who we feel we can talk to because they listen and listen with such a deep capacity that they hear the person, the emotion, and even the unspoken words. They are able to communicate on a level rarely reached by people who listen to only the words. Listening on this level requires a skill. There are people who enable us to be as we are and to learn why we have never been more until we are willing to hear what they have to say.
Recently, I was doing a team building training program with a company and they had selected to have a debrief with me after the event was complete. The debrief involved me meeting one-on-one with each participant and discussing what I had observed, felt and heard. My role in this interactive teambuilding session was to use my skills, training, knowledge and expertise to determine what this team was doing well and what areas each team member needed to work on improving in order to move the team forward. In order for people to grow, they must understand how people hear them. A person who can help enlighten you on how what you say in your actions as well as in your words is invaluable. It has been said that a person will never truly know his or herself until they find a person who can listen and can help them to discover who they are. We can hide from ourselves alone, but we cannot discover ourselves alone.
Do you have a professional coach, an older, wiser, more experienced person who will stand on the sidelines of your life and see the big picture? So often in business people are competing with one another and are unable to see that growth isn’t about winning a race, rather it is about the performance in the race. While some people may walk away with a trophy, we all have to walk away with ourselves regardless of where we finished in the race. Do you have someone who will give honest feedback to you or to your team, see beneath the facades and openly discuss the way people work together and what needs to be done so that everyone is in the same game?
Who stretches your mind? Who can make you wince as they expose the truth that you don’t want to face? Who can give you feedback in a way that is open and informational so that you can grow? Many of us have people in our lives who are more than willing to expose our inadequacies and shortcomings, but they communicate in a way that is negative and thus it prevents us from hearing the message.
Who listens and encourages your growth personally and professionally? Success happens because visionaries see the possibility and hear destiny calling them. We need visionaries who can communicate the possibilities with us. They can see the dream and hear what we have to offer so that we can reach for our dream by making it a goal.
Companies who are having the most success with retention and motivation today have worked on improving communication among employees. They have heard the need and have established programs to build better communication across generations and from Top Management down and across.
When was the last time you attended a program on Generational Diversity or on Communication basics? Do you have a mentor or a coach? Does your employer offer a mentoring program to help employees grow? Are meetings facilitated in a manner that allows everyone to participate and be heard? Do you participate in strategic planning retreats with an outside facilitator trained to make sure that everyone’s ideas are heard? If you or your company are without these items, then it is very likely you or your company have come to a holding pattern. I am presently writing this newsletter, while in the air and delayed because the flight before was put in a holding pattern. A holding pattern is when a plane is unable to land because of unfavorable ground conditions. This is why planes have to carry extra fuel to make sure they can stay in the air longer should they be placed in a holding pattern. But this is costly! Either personally or professionally when we don’t have a person who can listen to us, or who can relay what our communication is saying to others, then we are in a holding a pattern. For growth and progress will not occur until we hear.
The company I just finished working with was pleasantly surprised at my ability to get to the issues so quickly and to help each person develop a plan of action, as well as the team, so they could begin to soar higher. Are you ready to soar higher? Then let’s get ready to take off together. Let us know what we can do to help you or your company improve communication. Don’t delay, take action today.
Listening is rare. Do you have people in your life that know how to listen? To really listen? If we are fortunate, we have someone in our life who we feel we can talk to because they listen and listen with such a deep capacity that they hear the person, the emotion, and even the unspoken words. They are able to communicate on a level rarely reached by people who listen to only the words. Listening on this level requires a skill. There are people who enable us to be as we are and to learn why we have never been more until we are willing to hear what they have to say.
Recently, I was doing a team building training program with a company and they had selected to have a debrief with me after the event was complete. The debrief involved me meeting one-on-one with each participant and discussing what I had observed, felt and heard. My role in this interactive teambuilding session was to use my skills, training, knowledge and expertise to determine what this team was doing well and what areas each team member needed to work on improving in order to move the team forward. In order for people to grow, they must understand how people hear them. A person who can help enlighten you on how what you say in your actions as well as in your words is invaluable. It has been said that a person will never truly know his or herself until they find a person who can listen and can help them to discover who they are. We can hide from ourselves alone, but we cannot discover ourselves alone.
Do you have a professional coach, an older, wiser, more experienced person who will stand on the sidelines of your life and see the big picture? So often in business people are competing with one another and are unable to see that growth isn’t about winning a race, rather it is about the performance in the race. While some people may walk away with a trophy, we all have to walk away with ourselves regardless of where we finished in the race. Do you have someone who will give honest feedback to you or to your team, see beneath the facades and openly discuss the way people work together and what needs to be done so that everyone is in the same game?
Who stretches your mind? Who can make you wince as they expose the truth that you don’t want to face? Who can give you feedback in a way that is open and informational so that you can grow? Many of us have people in our lives who are more than willing to expose our inadequacies and shortcomings, but they communicate in a way that is negative and thus it prevents us from hearing the message.
Who listens and encourages your growth personally and professionally? Success happens because visionaries see the possibility and hear destiny calling them. We need visionaries who can communicate the possibilities with us. They can see the dream and hear what we have to offer so that we can reach for our dream by making it a goal.
Companies who are having the most success with retention and motivation today have worked on improving communication among employees. They have heard the need and have established programs to build better communication across generations and from Top Management down and across.
When was the last time you attended a program on Generational Diversity or on Communication basics? Do you have a mentor or a coach? Does your employer offer a mentoring program to help employees grow? Are meetings facilitated in a manner that allows everyone to participate and be heard? Do you participate in strategic planning retreats with an outside facilitator trained to make sure that everyone’s ideas are heard? If you or your company are without these items, then it is very likely you or your company have come to a holding pattern. I am presently writing this newsletter, while in the air and delayed because the flight before was put in a holding pattern. A holding pattern is when a plane is unable to land because of unfavorable ground conditions. This is why planes have to carry extra fuel to make sure they can stay in the air longer should they be placed in a holding pattern. But this is costly! Either personally or professionally when we don’t have a person who can listen to us, or who can relay what our communication is saying to others, then we are in a holding a pattern. For growth and progress will not occur until we hear.
The company I just finished working with was pleasantly surprised at my ability to get to the issues so quickly and to help each person develop a plan of action, as well as the team, so they could begin to soar higher. Are you ready to soar higher? Then let’s get ready to take off together. Let us know what we can do to help you or your company improve communication. Don’t delay, take action today.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
The Depth of Leadership
Getting the lead on leadership comes down to one question. How deep is your leadership? Are you a leader on the inside? Do you know people who are only leaders by the labels or title that they wear? Leading without depth is a tough job. Over the last two months, the newsletter has covered topics about leading without authority now we are diving deeper into leadership, as we examine the depth of leadership.
Recently I was reading an article on the different types of Pine trees that prompted this article on leadership. See the Lodgepole Pine, Monterey Pine etc. are commonly called, fire climax pines, because their seeds are stored in closed cones until they are opened by a fire, at which time they are released in order to repopulate the forest. On the outside, a person unfamiliar with the tree may simply think it is like any other pine tree. This means that many people see only the pinecone without seeing or knowing that there is more to this cone. People who lead without authority are often as overlooked as these special pine trees. On the exterior they look co-workers. They may look less impressive than a person wearing a name badge that has a title of leadership.
As a speaker, who speaks on leadership, I meet a lot of people who wear a coat of armor or false front that allows them to look like they are equipped leaders, when actually they are missing the depth or soul of being a real leader. So often, we look at people and see only their exterior. Please understand that the exterior view of a person serves a purpose and sends a message about what the person seems to be. However, real leaders know that it is the interior that makes a person a real leader. In leadership, it is important to be able to identify real leaders. These are people that regardless of what a name badge or title says, they are ready to stand up under fire and place themselves in a position that will help the company or other people succeed.
Leaders don’t require titles or even authority because they are in charge of themselves and in any given situation, they remain true to who they are and lead others selflessly. Leaders are ready for challenges that come their way. When life, work, or family present real leaders with a bump or obstacle, these individuals stay up right. They remain true to their values, to their code of ethics, and to their friends and co-workers. They are dependable and the only thing that splashes out when they encounter a bump is their ability to lead calmly and with dignity, because they see the bigger picture in what is happening. Whether they are handling a customer complaint, an employee evaluation, or a disappointment from a peer or co-worker, these leaders remain objective, clear headed and determined to see how to make the situation become a win win. False leaders or people who wear the title of leadership on the outside, are usually quick to blame others and rarely take responsibility for mistakes or problems.
Bumps are going to happen; to expect otherwise is to set yourself up for disillusionment. The good news is that when leaders are tested the real leaders will reveal themselves, because it is who they are inside and out. The one’s who are wearing a façade will also reveal themselves in their inability to handle the situation properly. Obstacles help real leaders to refine their skills. Leaders don’t need a test to know the depth of their skills, they are already know that under fire they are ready to stand strong. They don’t fear being caught unprepared, because they are always prepared. Think of the hardest thing going on in your life right now, and then ask yourself, “Is this circumstance shrinking my leadership potential or stretching it?” It is stretching you to grow to go deeper inside and discover the skills, qualities and abilities that you have. Without stretching and without having depth, it is impossible to lead others. So let yourself grow! Embrace the challenges, accept the responsibility, and don’t worry about the credit or the titles that your have, because it is more important to be true to who you are and what you are meant to do, then to be labeled by someone who doesn’t really know you.
Like the pinecone that will open after a fire to ensure that future populations will have trees, leaders understand that it is more important to accept our fate than it is to worry about a title.
Recently I was reading an article on the different types of Pine trees that prompted this article on leadership. See the Lodgepole Pine, Monterey Pine etc. are commonly called, fire climax pines, because their seeds are stored in closed cones until they are opened by a fire, at which time they are released in order to repopulate the forest. On the outside, a person unfamiliar with the tree may simply think it is like any other pine tree. This means that many people see only the pinecone without seeing or knowing that there is more to this cone. People who lead without authority are often as overlooked as these special pine trees. On the exterior they look co-workers. They may look less impressive than a person wearing a name badge that has a title of leadership.
As a speaker, who speaks on leadership, I meet a lot of people who wear a coat of armor or false front that allows them to look like they are equipped leaders, when actually they are missing the depth or soul of being a real leader. So often, we look at people and see only their exterior. Please understand that the exterior view of a person serves a purpose and sends a message about what the person seems to be. However, real leaders know that it is the interior that makes a person a real leader. In leadership, it is important to be able to identify real leaders. These are people that regardless of what a name badge or title says, they are ready to stand up under fire and place themselves in a position that will help the company or other people succeed.
Leaders don’t require titles or even authority because they are in charge of themselves and in any given situation, they remain true to who they are and lead others selflessly. Leaders are ready for challenges that come their way. When life, work, or family present real leaders with a bump or obstacle, these individuals stay up right. They remain true to their values, to their code of ethics, and to their friends and co-workers. They are dependable and the only thing that splashes out when they encounter a bump is their ability to lead calmly and with dignity, because they see the bigger picture in what is happening. Whether they are handling a customer complaint, an employee evaluation, or a disappointment from a peer or co-worker, these leaders remain objective, clear headed and determined to see how to make the situation become a win win. False leaders or people who wear the title of leadership on the outside, are usually quick to blame others and rarely take responsibility for mistakes or problems.
Bumps are going to happen; to expect otherwise is to set yourself up for disillusionment. The good news is that when leaders are tested the real leaders will reveal themselves, because it is who they are inside and out. The one’s who are wearing a façade will also reveal themselves in their inability to handle the situation properly. Obstacles help real leaders to refine their skills. Leaders don’t need a test to know the depth of their skills, they are already know that under fire they are ready to stand strong. They don’t fear being caught unprepared, because they are always prepared. Think of the hardest thing going on in your life right now, and then ask yourself, “Is this circumstance shrinking my leadership potential or stretching it?” It is stretching you to grow to go deeper inside and discover the skills, qualities and abilities that you have. Without stretching and without having depth, it is impossible to lead others. So let yourself grow! Embrace the challenges, accept the responsibility, and don’t worry about the credit or the titles that your have, because it is more important to be true to who you are and what you are meant to do, then to be labeled by someone who doesn’t really know you.
Like the pinecone that will open after a fire to ensure that future populations will have trees, leaders understand that it is more important to accept our fate than it is to worry about a title.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Confused Minds
Have you ever had someone give you instructions that confused you? Do you remember your response? When asked to do something that confuses us our mind takes over and provides the response. A confused mind says, No! This internal response prevents us from hearing explanations and engages our personal defense system, thus decreasing our ability to communicate effectively or to gain clarity.
We have all had times when we find ourselves confused. As a speaker, trainer, leader, and parent, I have had many chances to encounter the look of confusion coming from someone who is being given instructions. In programs, that I do such as Train the Trainer, Presentation Skills or Teaching how to use Icebreakers etc. I emphasize the importance of being clear and in wording information in such a way to get the mind to say Yes! Being able to avoid a confused mind takes practice, as well as, an understanding of how to word information in such a way that the receiver hears the information fully. This alone can present a challenge. A confused mind can be caused by the sender or the receiver.
Sending Information
We are always learning and growing and applying what we learn from our personal lives to our professional lives and vice a versa. As a trainer, educator, and sales person, I know the importance of sending a message that is clear and concise. The person sending the information or instructions may word the information negatively thus leading the receiver to want to say No, which often ends the conversation at that point. The person sending the information, may lack the ability to be direct and clear with what the information is that they are attempting to share. In addition, confirming what was heard may be a skill that is missing from the person sending the information. So here are Five Quick Tips for avoiding the Confused Minds and in sending clearer Messages.
- Word the information in a positive manner
- Attempt to word information so that the person receiving the message will say YES either aloud or at least internally.
- Give instructions one at a time. Multi-tasking is great, but people are often on mental overload and multiple instructions can cause confusion quickly.
- Ask for clarity! Have the person receiving the message identify the task they are to do and the steps they will perform to do this.
- Use Open-ended questions instead of closed ended.
The Receiver
Have you ever had someone share information with you, only to discover somewhere in the sharing of information, you zoned out! In other words you were physically present but mentally absent! It happens to all of us. The person receiving the information usually has good intentions and wants to hear what is being said, but their own brain may create interference.
One word or phrase may cause them to start thinking about something entirely different than what is being said. The way information is worded may be negative causing the mind to launch into a state of defense in an attempt to avoid confusion. The receive was inadequately prepared to hear the information or the it was given to quickly and without a chance for clarity. In other words, the receive was not asked to tune in! When we make a phone call we know that the call isn’t completed unless someone answers or the voice mail picks up. So why would this be different when speaking to people directly. If the sender doesn’t get a response or ask for a response, then how do we know that the person we are sending information to has connected with what we are sending. We don’t! So the next time you are about to share information in a meeting, training event etc. Consider the following:
- Gain the receivers attention.
- Ask the receiver a question that gets them to say YES
- Allow them to repeat back what they understand.
- Avoid asking them if they have any questions – because this very question can cause confusion, instead say something like: Let’s have a dialogue what else can I share that would be helpful. The secure will ask questions the insecure will be more willing to babble their confusion so you can help them understand.
- Emphasize key words and provide explanation on what you mean when you use them.
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