Michael Lee Stallard's Blog, page 14
September 8, 2018
Never Worry Alone
Check Out my Guest Appearance on the Onward Nation Podcast
Thrilled to be a guest on Onward Nation – one of the most popular leadership podcasts because of its thoughtful host Stephen Woessner. One of the topics we discuss is why you should never worry alone. Check out our conversation here.
Photo by whoislimos on Unsplash
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September 3, 2018
Realign Your Team to Finish 2018 Strong
September has arrived and if you’re with an organization that plans by the calendar year, you’re less than a month away from the start of the final quarter. I’ve always felt September is the ideal time to gather the team together and check our alignment. By that I mean, are we focused on what needs to be completed before year-end? Are we set as a team, and individually, to finish strong? Are there things, like a car wheel out of alignment, that are pulling us off course, causing unnecessary wear and tear, making us function less efficiently?
I really enjoy the process of realignment. I welcome talking through and getting clear about what our team needs to focus on and what my personal part is in accomplishing the plan. I’ve found that with greater clarity comes reduced stress and more energy to put into those actions that will make a difference so that once the year ends, I can look back with a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment that progress has been made toward achieving our mission. Without these times, it can be all too easy to keep our eyes down on the tasks at-hand and not notice that we may have drifted off course.
The process I like to use begins with going out to the team to collectively review the top 3-5 priorities for the year and celebrate what’s been accomplished year-to-date under each of the priorities. This is a time to be positive and forward-focused, not a session to dwell on what hasn’t worked. As an example, this year we developed and began the beta test of our new Connection Culture e-course that we will be making available to the public later this fall. We also completed both the Connection Culture Inventory (CCI) that assesses subcultures in organizations and the Connection Culture Pulse (CCP) that can be taken throughout the year so that managers receive ongoing feedback about organizational health and employee engagement. Another encouraging development is that Jon Rugg, a Ph.D. student advised by our Chief Scientist, Dr. Todd Hall, completed an impressive study which found empirical evidence that Connection Culture as a general theory of leadership and organization culture and a practical model for leaders to develop culture, provides a competitive advantage to organizations. These items are among the great things that have happened this year that energize me and our team about the progress we’re making to help leaders and organizations create cultures that connect.
After reviewing what’s been accomplished year-to-date versus our 2018 top 3-5 priorities, I like to zero in on what we would like to complete before year-end; provide my perspective on some of the challenges; and ask colleagues to share their thoughts about what’s right, what’s wrong, and/or what’s missing from my thinking, and how we can overcome any obstacles to finish 2018 strong. Tapping into the ideas and opinions of the team produces the best thinking that we can factor into our plan for the fourth quarter. If you’re familiar with our work, you will have picked up on the similarities in this step of the realignment process and a “knowledge flow” session.
After conversations with the team, I commit the fourth quarter plan to writing and develop detailed W4s for each action. W4 stands for what has to be done, when it has to be completed by, who is responsible for overseeing completion and who needs to know about it. W4s bring clarity to implementation that converts the plan to reality. I recommend that you make the W4s available to the team as a natural follow-up, even if a particular W4 doesn’t pertain to each individual.
Taking time to check alignment and identify changes to make is an opportunity to further the connection on your team. It reminds you of the vision and mission in front of you, it calls upon the unique contributions that each person brings, and it invites everyone to contribute to the discussion (to hear and to be heard).
Going into the fall, my hope for each of you is that you and your team go through the September realignment process, come out of it feeling good about what you’ve accomplished thus far in 2018 and energized in your commitment to keep moving forward together, with greater clarity to finish the year strong and go into 2019 with a sense of accomplishment and enthusiasm for the year ahead.
You May Also Enjoy:
Theory C: A New Theory of Management
How U2’s Extraordinary Team Culture Helps the Band Thrive
Photo by Steven Lelham on Unsplash.
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August 12, 2018
Connection Culture Book Recommendation in Forbes
I’m delighted that Forbes contributor Blake Morgan recommended my book, “Connection Culture,” in her recent article on simplifying culture to make it actionable for managers. Read the full article and learn more about the book.
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July 22, 2018
Guest Appearance on the Proteus Leader Show
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Erika Andersen, host of the Proteus Leader Show podcast. Proteus addresses leadership readiness and our conversation focused on helping leaders understand what a Connection Culture is and how to create one in their organizations. Listen to the conversation.
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July 19, 2018
Why Self-Leadership Should be Focused on Others
It’s ironic that successful self-leadership has more to do with others and less to do with self. In an article I recently shared with the Luminate community, I outline three important lessons about self-leadership that I’ve learned throughout my personal life and professional career. I encourage you to check out the article and the other thought-leadership content from the Luminate community.
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July 12, 2018
High Stress + Low Human Connection = Poor Health
Check out this FindingBrave podcast interview I did with Kathy Caprino. We discuss how high stress and low human connection is harming individual (and organizational) health and reducing life expectancy.
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July 2, 2018
Are You Suffering from Today’s #1 Performance Blind Spot?
Years ago, I worked on a very difficult project. For one year, I put in long hours at the office and even when I was home my mind was on the challenges to be overcome. It crowded out time for family and friends. My performance failed to reflect the effort being put in. After a year, I lost hope the project would be embraced by enough key stakeholders that it could meet its objectives, and eventually I left the firm because my health was suffering.
Although it was a painful experience, I learned a huge life lesson: we are hardwired for human connection and when we crowd out time for connection, it sabotages our performance, happiness and health.
Looking back on the experience, I now see that I had been lonely. You can be surrounded by other people and interact with them throughout the day and still feel lonely. When you are in an environment that makes you feel controlled by others or you feel they are indifferent to you one of the consequences can be loneliness. Why does this matter in the workplace? People who are lonely are more prone to self-defeating behaviors. They lose enthusiasm, energy and optimism. They make poorer decisions. Loneliness, especially during times of high stress, frequently leads to ill health, including manifestations of ill emotional health such as anxiety and/or depression.
Today, America and other democracies around the world are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness, this according to research studies which were further supported by research released by the insurance company Cigna earlier this year. Cigna surveyed 20,000 U.S. adults using the 20-question, scientifically-validated UCLA Loneliness Scale. The average score was above the score that is considered to be lonely.
A curious thing about loneliness is that oftentimes we don’t know we’re lonely. That was certainly the case with me. If you had asked me if I was lonely, I would have said no. And yet, if I had taken the UCLA Loneliness Scale during that season of my life, I’m certain I would have scored in the lonely range. Given our tendency to overlook or downplay these feelings, loneliness is the #1 blind spot that is sabotaging people’s performance and holding them back from achieving their career hopes and dreams.
I believe loneliness is a primary reason so many people are struggling today. If you suspect this may apply to you, your family or friends, or the people you lead at work, join me from 2:00-3:00 pm Eastern on Thursday, July 12, 2018, for a free webinar I’m leading for the Association of Talent Development titled, “The Superpower of Human Connection and Perils of Isolation.” As part of the webinar, we will offer free resources and a hold a drawing to win copies of my bestselling book, Connection Culture: The Competitive Advantage of Share Identity, Empathy and Understanding at Work.
I’ll also share some best practices and inspiring stores about leaders who created cultures that connected people and achieved great things.
Learn more and register for the webinar.
Photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash
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June 24, 2018
Business of Learning Podcast: Creating an Engaged, Connected Organization
The issue of loneliness and connection in the workplace is top of mind for many organizations today, as new studies continue to demonstrate the growing reach of social isolation.
Along with Yale New Haven Health System’s VP of Education Jay Morris, I recently had the opportunity to participate in Training Industry’s Business of Learning podcast. We discussed what’s driving the loneliness epidemic and how organizations can respond.
Listen to the full conversation.
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June 19, 2018
You’re More Vulnerable to Isolation and Stress Than You Think
Check out my new article in Government Executive on the perils of isolation and stress. Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the devastating effects of stress and isolation that I write about in the article, including that it’s harming their health and performance. The article is titled “You’re More Vulnerable to Isolation and Stress Than You Think.” If you know someone who may be struggling with this, please forward the article to them.
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June 18, 2018
Article in Forbes: Seven Practices That Protect Your Organization From the Lethality of Loneliness
Recently, I had the opportunity to publish an article in Forbes on the rise of the loneliness epidemic and its antidote: connection. Read the article to learn seven practical ways to boost connection and fight loneliness in your organization.
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