Angie Morgan's Blog, page 36

Frontline Leadership

My small town in Michigan is in the midst of a major road construction project. (We often joke that the official state tree is that large, orange barrel because you see them everywhere in the summer.)

My commute time to my office has tripled. But despite this frustration, I have to say that the construction experience has been – shockingly – pleasant. And that’s mostly because of the flag holders who have been directing traffic.

I don’t know how they do it, but they are smiling 10 hours+ each day … even in sub-40 degree, rainy weather. Every time I pass them, they are nodding and waving, encouraging me to have a great day. Their enthusiasm has had an impact on all drivers – whereas you’d expect road rage and line cutting while traffic merges down to one lane, what you actually get is cooperative drivers who are all in it together. There is even a rumor going around that the construction will end early (I like to think it’s because we’ve all adapted to change very well!).

There are, of course, some lessons here:

Just because you work in a challenging environment doesn’t mean you have to be unpleasant – any job is what you make it.
An encouraging smile can be the simplest, and most profound, expression of leadership. And anyone, at any level of an organization, can do it. An ounce of positivity goes a very long way!
Change doesn’t always have to be painful. It’s how you approach it. When everyone makes the most of their role during change, camaraderie and cooperation emerge.

Interested in becoming a better frontline leader? Sign up for our 7-Day Building a Leadership Habit E-Course. Learn more and please share with the rest of your team!

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How to Thank a Veteran

Spirit, that made those heroes dare

To die, and leave their children free,

Bid Time and Nature gently spare

The shaft we raise to them and thee.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Memorial Day is when our country pauses to remember the men and women who have died while serving our country.

During this time I get many “thank you for your service” comments from those who haven’t served, but appreciate the sacrifices my family and I have made for our service. I value these expressions – even if they’re delivered as a shout out on Facebook. But I also know many service members (past and present) feel like the “thank you for your service” message is contrived.

Some believe it’s offered half-heartedly. Others feel like it doesn’t acknowledge their sacrifices. And many wish for more than appreciation – they also wish to be understood. Less than 1% of Americans have served in the military. Many Veterans feel that if more Americans knew more about the nature of military service, there’d be greater attention drawn to the challenges they experience once they transition out of active duty.

My personal belief is those who care enough to thank a service member also care enough to learn more from them. They just don’t know how to engage active duty personnel and Veterans. They’re unsure of the words to choose, or the questions to ask. They’re also careful not to offend, so they play it safe with a simple “thank you for your service.”

To help you spark a dialogue, I’ve created a list of follow on questions that can be presented after thanking active duty personnel and Veterans for their service. These are great conversation starters and are “safe” questions – questions that every service member has an answer to:

Why did you join the military? Which branch did you serve?
What did you do while you were in service?
Where were you stationed? Where were you deployed? Did you serve overseas?
Did other family members serve in the military? Which branches?
What lessons did you learn while in uniform that have served you well in your life?

This Memorial Day, I highly encourage you to engage a Veteran to learn more about their experiences and share your interest and curiosity. As America’s military is older than America itself, you also might get to hear a great sea story or history lesson that furthers your pride in our country and its service members.

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Control Issues

“Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it.” – Charles R. Swindoll

While it may be tempting to try to control everything and everyone around you, your efforts will always be futile. You can’t change the personality of a pessimistic co-worker. You can’t control how your boss might react to the bad news that you have to deliver. And you can’t control the actions of an unhappy or dissatisfied customer.

You must recognize that there are only two things in the world that you have control over: your own actions and your response to other people’s actions. So the next time you find yourself desperately grasping for control, stop and take a look at exactly what you are trying to achieve and ask yourself if control is even possible. Then focus on what you can do or how you can best react to effectively influence the situation in order to make progress.

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