Team Fusion

Being There For the Unexpected

2008-08-13T17:58:00Z

I had something unusual happen while at the doctor’s office last week for my annual physical. You know how the nurse comes in first and takes down all the basic information? It was no different this time—until she started crying. I thought, “Well this can’t be good!” My typical response to uncertain news is to turn it into a joke, if possible. I sat there dumbfounded while tears rolled down her cheeks, and realized the situation was not about me at all. The nurse’s sister had passed away in May, and the day of my appointment marked a special date for that family. Her emotions were simply too close to the surface. All I could offer was a hug and a listening ear.

Sometime in your career you will be faced with a team member who is emotional. These emotional outbursts could be sadness, frustration, anger, happiness - whatever. You need to show the right amount of care and concern with that employee, but also remain professional in your response. Here are some thoughts on how to respond:

Tips for Handling Employee Emotions
* Listen, just listen. Hear ‘between the lines’ to what is really going on.

* Be empathetic. Use the tone of your voice and body language to show you care.

* Don’t offer advice. Unless the employee asks, don’t offer. They may just need to vent before solving the problem on their own.

* Offer privacy. Allow the employee time to compose themself out of the public eye.

* If you feel the employee will harm themself, someone else, or the company, seek the advice of your Human Resources department. Some situations may require a specialized intervention which is outside your expertise.

In your role as leader, you are responsible to the team member but not responsible for them. Showing empathy is being responsible to the person. However, that individual has to make their own decisions and be responsible for those choices.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

Trying Something New

2008-08-05T16:40:01Z

Some people call it ‘taking a risk,’ but I prefer to think of the unknown as simply, ‘trying something new.’ It just seems less scary; less intimidating. By re-framing your thinking you can turn ‘fear of failure’ (commonly played out in your head as you are a failure) into ‘that didn’t work’ or ‘I didn’t like that and choose not to do it again’ (focusing on the task, not the person).

I’m looking at my August calendar and trying something new—no client bookings setup months in advance and taking the last week as a vacation. As an independent consultant, this is the scary part. How will I pay bills if I have no clients booked? Will clients remember my services when I start up again in September? What do I do with my time now?

The big question is: Why?! I firmly believe that if you want to attain remarkable results in your business, you must get out of your own way and “do” things differently. In a work environment, here are some techniques to try:

* Conduct cross-department or customer focus groups.

* Create a mastermind group with other managers who have skills different than you. Meet weekly to share best practices and resources.

* Brainstorm ideas using colleagues outside your industry. Work off 1 clear statement - for example, “How can we make our service better for the first-time customer?”

* Dig up some data. How recently have you conducted research around your demographics? Product? Customer trends? Obtaining current information and sharing it with your team is a great way to take the guesswork out, and make decisions in the present.

Getting a completely different perspective on your situation - in the team, department, or organization - opens up a whole new world of possibility. The possibility of deepening team relationships, designing additional products or services, seeing a new customer target market. Be open; be intentional; be conscious.

I got an unexpected phone call and decided to hop a plane to Tucson tomorrow—never been in that city, know little about the potential client, and their current state is somewhat desparate. I’m trying something new and the possibities are endless.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

What’s In It For Me?

2008-07-30T17:04:00Z

There is an acronym—WIIFM (What’s in it for me?)—that has been around for years. As leaders, we need to continually remember WIIFM when motivating either team members or customers. People are really only interested in doing something when they know what’s in it for them. What are the benefits to them personally if they participated?

In the book, Get Everyone in Your Boat Rowing in the Same Direction, Bob Boylan segments BENEFITS into two forms: logical and emotional.

Here is what each of these benefit categories address --

LOGICAL BENEFITS:
* Money
* Time
* Productivity
* Efficiency
* Safety

EMOTIONAL BENEFITS:
* Recognition
* Security
* Pleasure
* Achievement

If you want your team to embrace your vision, talk about the emotional benefits to them because these benefits are more powerful. Emotional benefits will make your vision tangible, and people are willing to follow if they are made to believe that following is in their best interest.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

You Can’t Lead Through Email

2008-07-25T16:15:00Z

I had a boss once who rarely left his office. He communicated his wishes via email; sometimes by voicemail—never face-to-face with you unless he wanted a favor. He made an early attempt at a monthly department meeting which ended up being a waste of time. There was no agenda, few goals, sporadic recognition and was more of an exercise in trying to get 9 people into a tiny office. This was abandoned after a few months. In fact, everyone stayed in there office and rarely interacted with the rest of the organization. Very ineffective for a Human Resources department.

What are the consequences of this kind of behavior? It led to the following:

* Low trust among the HR department staff (not to mention the organization in general).

* Individual development plans were non-existent and annual performance reviews written without input. (He also gave everyone the same merit increase percentage regardless of performance evidence.)

* Conflict was ignored and, therefore, unresolved leading to assumptions and judgments.

* Favoritism ran rampant so overall morale was low.

* Inappropriate use of company time was tolerated. (He’s probably still playing hours of Solitaire.)

The key to being a leader is to find out exactly what motivates each person on your team. You need to discover what benefits are important to them (both logical and emotional) for them to further your vision. This requires you getting out from behind your desk and actively pursuing an honest relationship with each individual. It can be as simple as:

* Having coffee together from time to time
* Dropping by their office with the day’s mail and chatting a few minutes
* Going on a customer call together
* Observing them in a customer conversation and giving them immediate feedback
* Acknowledging their birthday and work anniversary dates
* Having them sit in on one of your high-level meetings
* Rotating responsibility in setting the staff meeting agenda
* Impromptu stretch breaks during the afternoon slump

If you’ve been leading by walking around and talking with your team—Congratulations! If this is new for you, start out slowly and begin incorporating a new behavior weekly. The last thing you want to do is take these suggestions and implement them all at once. That would only create suspicion among your team members. Your goal is to increase trust levels.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

Old Habits Worth Reviving

2008-07-22T16:12:00Z

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wonder why I stopped doing that thing?” This thought came to me on a recent hot day and I revived a habit from childhood—swimming every day. Can’t remember when I stopped swimming regularly, and forgot about all the great benefits of the activity. Aside from the physical well-being, swimming gives me a sense of freedom and peace...plus it’s a lot of fun.

If you’ve been in the workplace for any amount of time, you have had the opportunity of seeing different programs come and go. I’ve heard some organizations call these programs “Flavor of the Month”—in other words, the hype will only last for a short time and be replaced by another program next month.

Reflecting back in my career, here are some of the leadership habits I learned from various training programs:

* Use a time management system and know the night before what your tasks are for the next day.

* Don’t be caught off-guard in a down economy. Consistently ask yourself (and the team) “What if we...?” when discussing your products, services, and customers.

* Give each member of your team weekly feedback and have a system for recording the information.

* Never neglect networking regardless of how busy you are.

Today, more than ever, there are some good leadership habits to revive regardless of current trends. What good habits do you need to resurrect that brought you early success in your career? Taking a few minutes and searching your memory for these gems may be exactly what your team needs.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

The Essence of Risk

2008-07-18T13:26:01Z

I regularly schedule “Adventure Days” either with friends or just by myself. The concept is simple - get in your car, pick a direction to drive, stow away your map, stay off major highways, and set out to see where the road leads and who you will meet on that road. I’ve come across the most spectacular scenery, met interesting people outside my normal circle of influence, and - once - managed to “find” the Mouse Haus Cheese Haus in Madison, Wisconsin for an hour. Don’t ask...all roads led to the same place and I had to break the rule of staying off major highways!

The idea of Adventure Day happened about 8 years ago when I felt myself getting into a rut—the same job, the same neighbors, the same stores, the same way of thinking. You get the idea. Then, something dramatic happened—my brother, Craig, died in a plane crash. We all have defining moments in our lives which shake us up, and we all have a choice on how we react in those situations. I realized with Craig’s passing it was the perfect time to embrace whatever is your journey (good, bad, or indifferent) and truly experience life.

Adventure and Risk go together. Bob Boylan in his book, Get Everyone in Your Boat Rowing in the Same Direction, states “Through risk, we gain a perspective on what it means to be alive, to try new things, to challenge, to accept the possibility of failure as well as success.”

How is this important to you as a leader? He goes on to say, “Leaders find it easy to risk because their commitment to the vision is so strong, and so clear to them. It’s already theirs. That’s why they sometimes don’t even see the specific tactic or strategy as risky.”

Do you find it easy to risk? Or, are you risk adverse? If you are risk adverse, go back and look at your vision and ask yourself if it is one to which you are totally committed. The reason you want to risk is to change (great for growing your team and business) and it’s stimulating (allows for creativity and possibilities).

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

Concentration - Total Focus

2008-07-14T13:58:00Z

The Principle of Concentration - as offered in Bob Boylan’s book “Get Everyone in Your Boat Rowing in the Same Direction” - seems simple, yet many organizations don’t get it right.

Recent client conversations keep coming back to the same thing, “We aren’t meeting our goals because the economy is in a recession.” What is the typical reaction of many leaders? They now try to become ‘everything to everybody’ in the hopes of maintaining revenue share. They think that by widening their customer base will make up the difference in lost sales in a down economy.

The problem, however, is they don’t believe in the strength of their original niche marketing to carry them through hard times. The uniqueness that differentiates you in the marketplace is what consumers will remember. The minute you deviate from that course you’ve lost the power of focused concentration. It might slip into your organization under the guise of reallocating resources away from the core business.

Your role as leader is to continue pointing out the direction of the company and demand loyalty to the vision. This is what you live by and will remind team members that’s what you stand for. Concentration is your secret weapon. Stay true to your message, deliver a superb product or service, and keep your customers.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

Rowing in the Same Direction

2008-07-09T13:38:00Z

A friend recently loaned me a book titled, “Get Everyone in Your Boat Rowing in the Same Direction: 5 Leadership Principles to Follow so Others Will Follow You” by Bob Boylan. I’m going to shamelessly promote a few of the author’s ideas over the next couple of blogs.

The first principle to resonant with me is: DECIDE “What’s Important Around Here?” This is foundational work which some leaders have called setting ground rules or expectations. In other words, defining what is important to the team and living by those guidelines.

Boylan, however, emphasizes taking an introspective approach before addressing your team. You’ve got to know who you are as a leader first—what are your “hot buttons,” your core values, your vision? He identifies the following areas to consider:

* Personal integrity - Doing what you believe in, care about, and feel is ethical

* Personal growth - Becoming steadily wiser and connected with other people

* Self-determination - Being able to choose what you do and how and when you do it

* Serenity - Feeling alert, yet at peace

* Time - Spending it with family, friends, personal interests, and/or your own thoughts

* Joy - Feeling effective, energized, and a dynamic part of the universe

If you haven’t yet voiced your own values, it’s time to let your team know and move forward into the future together.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

Patriotism & Loyalty

2008-07-05T13:15:00Z

Yesterday morning I spent watching our local parade with my niece and nephews. It’s been at least 20 years since I’ve gone to a parade, and was surprised to feel so emotional when seeing the American flags and our veterans pass by. I talked with the kids about patriotism. “What’s that?”, they asked. I said, “It’s when someone unselfishly serves their country because they love it so much.” The idea of “unselfish” escaped the 3-year-old, however, the older kids understood the concept of sacrificing for your beliefs.

This concept is called something different in the corporate world—Loyalty. Often, when visiting with clients, I’m asked why employees are no longer “loyal” to their company. The Miriam Webster dictionary defines LOYALTY as “unswerving in allegiance; faithful to a cause, ideal, custom, institution, or product.” We each have our own idea of the depth of allegiance.

If you are a Baby Boomer manager managing a Generation Y team member, you will need to understand what allegiance - loyalty - means to that employee. Don’t be surprised if they define it as:

* Only working 9am - 5pm. Over-time is not an option (it interferes with work/life balance).
* Not taking client calls on weekends.
* Keeping their resume updated and going on interviews.
* Meeting minimum goal standards. (If you wanted them to do more, then state that in the goal.)

Having a conversation around all team members’ boundaries will give you a better idea of their commitment to your team and organization.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

Things That No Longer Serve You

2008-06-26T18:50:00Z

I’ve kept the fact that I’m in the midst of writing 2 books relatively quiet, and just recently decided that thought process in no longer serving me. Why? Because by not talking about these projects has given me a great excuse for procrastinating. It’s so easy to find something else to fill up my time - easy tasks, planning fun team events, creating new team games, even filing papers had a special appeal the other day. Isn’t that interesting since the stack has been piling up for a month?!

As a leader, you can always find “other” things to keep you occupied during the day—and, these are the things that will stagnate your career if you let them continue. A quick client survey revealed the following ‘Things That No Longer Serve You’ responses:

* Not delegating administrative work to the appropriate team member.

* Forgetting important employee dates (birthday and anniversary)—it’s so easy now to track this in a planning system and goes a long way in creating good will.

* Working hours beyond day’s end (or taking work home). The quality of your work does not get better nor do you get more done.

* Not taking enough breaks throughout the day to breathe and think about what is going on “in the moment.” Be consciously present in every interaction and you will connect with your team on a much more genuine level. By the way, the breaks can be as short as a couple minutes to get yourself refocused. Oh - and stop eating lunch at your desk!

I urge you to spend a few minutes reflecting on your own personal list of things that no longer serve you. You may be surprised at what comes up and you now have the power to make different choices. For me, I’ve decided to talk about my team-building book and finish it in three months.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

Thinking On Your Feet

2008-06-19T14:44:00Z

One of the managers I coach called me highly frustrated. He had just completed a presentation to his executive team after months of preparation (which included the data analysis phase). He went into the meeting confident and full of energy. His quandary - a senior VP questioned some of the data collection methods and wanted an explanation. This manager fumbled through an answer which threw off his self-confidence, and the board did not accept his proposal. He was angry with himself for having “blown” it.

After working through all the things he thought went badly, I asked - “So what can you do to think better on your feet and not get rattled by questions?” Here are his suggestions:

HOW TO THINK ON YOUR FEET

1. Don’t rush the answer. Take a breath and allow your mind to settle down.

2. Know your material inside out. Be able to easily find the back-up documentation.

3. Ask a question back to allow yourself more time to think.

4. Keep voice tones low, speak at a normal pace, and continuing breathing so you don’t run out of air.

5. Answer as completely as you can. Commit to finding an answer quickly if it’s not at your fingertips.

6. Maintain eye contact—you have nothing to hide.

Remember these tips if you are ever caught off guard. They will enhance your leadership skills.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

How to Lose Clients

2008-06-17T14:21:00Z

I recently had an experience with a company wanting to hire me, and their behavior has forever impacted my decision ever work with them. Here are the events as they occurred:
* Received an unsolicited phone call and they left a voicemail.
* I returned the call in 2 hours leaving a detailed message of my availability.
* Two days elapse and I leave another message.
* Contact calls next day and urgently wants information saying it’s my fault time slipped away. (Color me surprised!)
* Hesitantly, I submit the requested information 24-hours prior to the deadline.
* No further word from potential client to date. She had promised to get back to me in a week.

I know, I know. You’ve already figured out what went wrong. If you want to lose a client, then feel free to: not have timely follow-up, not leave very specific information on voicemails (this helps eliminate placing additional calls), not follow through on agreements.

Put into practice an essential lesson—KEEP YOUR WORD—do what you say you will do! If you are a team leader, then hold your team responsible for exhibiting this behavior.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

Where Is Your Mindset?

2008-06-13T13:49:00Z

"Attitude is everything.” This is a mantra repeated by many corporate cheerleaders - usually with roots in the Human Resources department. Managers typically struggle in hiring employees with the right mindset for their organization’s culture. It’s so much easier to interview around technical skills and experience. But, how do you determine the “attitude” of a candidate and if they are a “fit” for your company?

My first recommendation from the employers perspective is for you to seek legal counsel advice on fair hiring practices. It is your responsibility to protect yourself and the organization, and give equal consideration to all qualified applicants. There is excellent training available on this topic so be sure and take advantage of it. However, I’m less concerned about the employers perspecitve.

How do you “show up” in daily interactions? Is your glass half-full or half-empty? How do you eliminate the fear, doubt, and worry (The Terrible 3) in order to accomplish all you need to? Here are some tips that have helped me achieve success:

1. Be in tune to those things you DESIRE. Why would you spend time on things you don’t enjoy and bring you down?

2. Determin a GOAL and FOCUS on the end result. Be sure and do any necessary research, if needed.

3. Picture yourself one year from today and you have not achieved your goal. How would you feel about that?

4. Surround yourself with trusted accountability partners who are a positive influence. These are the folks you call when the Terrible 3 show up.

5. Go on a media fast. Eliminate negative outside influences like TV and talk radio. People are attracted to bad news - don’t allow it into your thoughts.

The thoughts you focus on strongly impact your mindset and, therefore, influence the outcome. Want a different outcome? Change your mindset by creating an environment that supports you positively.

Until next time...life like you mean it!
Marjorie

I’m Back - Finding Balance?

2008-06-11T13:29:00Z

I hope you have not been counting how many days it has been since I last blogged. Frankly, it’s embarrassing! From your point of view there is no good excuse. From my point of view the last month has been one of creation.

I’ve created an ebook series on Team Leader Essentials, completed a rough draft for a teambuilding book, launched a new site (http://www.clearthinkformanagers.com), and co-facilitated a workshop to 260 peers at an international conference. (I will definitely keep you updated as the book goes to press in September.)

My difficulty was in finding the balance between serving current clients, creating new courses, writing a book, and business development. I thought nothing had “fallen through the cracks” until I looked at the Team Fusion site and the blog button jolted my memory. How can something that was such a habit have vanished off my radar screen?! After pondering this for days, I’m still stumped.

A month ago I would’ve been smug about the excellent functioning of my system. Clearly, I’m wrong. Was it the system that failed? Was it me? So my question to you is: When you are working by yourself, how do you insure that all tasks for multiple projects are noted and executed by the deadlines?

I won’t even mention that I also “forgot” two birthdays, a vet appointment, and a sailing date.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

How to Take Action

2008-05-09T17:43:01Z

We all have times in our business when the number of projects far exceed the number of working hours. I’ve been an advocate of the Franklin Covey time management system for a good 10 years, and it’s never failed me but I need to do my part in working the system.

The problem occurs when the sheer volume of work is so overwhelming that my mind goes into over-load. The time management system is still there ready for me to meet my deadlines. However, my frame of mind is out of whack and there is no motivation to get back on course.

When you feel yourself so out-of-balance keep in mind these tips:
* Talk it through with someone. Just the act of speaking your concerns is enough to jump-start you into moving. The person with whom you are sharing will be able to give you another perspective—listen to their feedback.

* Evaluate your project deadlines. Look at the goals you set and verify they are still achievable. It’s better to renegotiate a deadline early in the project then wait until the due date.

* Communicate with your team. People need to know what you are doing, how they are doing, and where each project is on a consistent basis. Be willing to give and receive feedback from the team regularly.

Keeping your mind uncluttered by details delegated to the team will give you more freedom in taking action.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie