S. Chris Edmonds's Blog, page 3

Good Comes First – Why focus on work culture now?

Today’s video features Good Comes First book co-authors Mark Babbitt and me discussing what it takes to build and sustain an uncompromising work culture. Here’s an excerpt.

Mark: Chris, a question I get often is not so much why this book, but why now? We’re coming out of this strange phase of business with a pandemic. And so, what does why now mean to you?

Chris: The idea of having leaders be interested in doing better, doing different . . . they can see the flaws of their operation, but often their focus is so exclusive to results and productivity and performance that the way people treat each other doesn’t appear on their radar screens at all.

And yet, as we think of our best bosses and the great bosses that we’ve studied for 30 years, they’re very much in tune with the way people are treated in the workplace. And so relationships are critical. And yet we don’t necessarily define what we mean by respect or integrity or honesty. We don’t measure it.

There’s this belief that if we announce it, then it’s going to magically influence everyone to be civil. And we know that does not happen. And particularly now with the tremendous negative, devastating impacts on many businesses that the pandemic has had globally, we’re now seeing businesses try to reopen. There’s a belief that we’ll plug people into the old system, the old structure. And we’ll operate from our, as leaders, old assumptions – and there could not be a bigger disaster headed your way if you try.

Watch this video for Mark’s insights on the “new normal.” (It’s not pretty.)

Good Comes First will be released on September 28, 2021. Learn more and purchase your copy at GoodComesFirst.com.

This is episode one of our Good Comes First video series. You’ll find Good Comes First and Culture Leadership Charge episodes and more on my YouTube, iTunes, and Amazon Podcast channels.

Have you responded to this month’s culture leadership poll? Add your ratings to two questions – it takes less than a minute. Once you vote, click “results” to see the responses from around the globe.

Video production was brilliantly handled by Phelos Productions – Chris Archuleta and David Towers.

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Culture Leadership Charge – Good Comes First

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I’m grateful to tell you about my upcoming book, Good Comes First.

Written with the amazing Mark Babbitt, Good Comes First is a practical, step-by-step guide to creating a work culture that’s better for morale and for your bottom line.

For decades, business leaders around the globe have spent billions of dollars and countless hours attempting to improve employee engagement, decrease burnout, increase retention, and improve productivity. Yet most workplaces still suck: employees don’t feel valued, workplaces aren’t fun or compassionate, and performance is often lagging.

You’ve probably run into these issues in your organization, but like so many professionals today, you don’t have a clear understanding of how to fix them.

In Good Comes First, Mark and I go beyond theory, offering proven tools and actionable insights for achieving a work culture that treats employees with respect while inspiring amazing results.

The book teaches readers how to:

Appreciate why a good comes first culture is a business imperative – especially for younger generations.Distance yourself from the competition that maintains an undefined work culture (one that most likely sucks).Identify what “good” means for your company in today’s business climate – and in the future of work.Define your uncompromising work culture with a foundation of respect AND results.Formalize your team’s servant purpose so that everyone understands how what your team does improves lives and communities.Specify respectful behaviors so your desired values are observable, tangible, and measurable.Align your entire organization to your desired work culture.Assess the quality of your work culture by measuring and monitoring how well your leaders and your executive team demonstrate your servant purpose, valued behaviors, strategies, and goals.Hold everyone accountable for both respect and results through modeling, celebrating, measuring, coaching, and mentoring leaders and team members.Implement real, needed change – and quit “thinking” about change and “talking” about change.Become a change champion while creating a lasting positive legacy as a business leader.Build a team of good people doing good work in a good company.

Don’t hesitate. You must create an environment that is purposeful, positive, and productive—where good comes first—and this book is the roadmap that will help you do exactly that.

Good Comes First is available for preorder now at your favorite online bookstore. It will be released on September 28, 2021. Learn more at GoodComesFirst.com.

This is episode ninety-six of my Culture Leadership Charge video series. In these concise videos, I share the best practices for creating and sustaining a purposeful, positive, productive culture – where good comes first.

You’ll find my Culture Leadership Charge episodes and more on my YouTube, iTunes, and Amazon Podcast channels. If you like what you learn, please subscribe.

Have you responded to this month’s culture leadership poll? Add your ratings to two questions. It’ll take less than a minute. Once you vote, click “results” to see the responses from around the globe.

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Culture Leadership Charge – The one lever great leaders rely upon

If you’ve been following my thinking over the past 20+ years, you know I coach senior leaders to define their desired culture, align their desired culture, and refine their desired culture.

Defining your desired culture is the easy part. Aligning and refining demands that leaders lean on the accountability lever, holding leaders and team members throughout their organization accountable for both respect and results, every day.

Workplace accountability means that 1) people understand what is expected of them—expectations for performance and values are clear, 2) people agree to those expectations, and 3) people deliver upon those expectations.

The leader’s role is critical in each of these three steps—clarifying and formalizing expectations for respect and results, securing agreement by all parties, and ensuring all parties do what they promised they would do.

The reality is we don’t hold people accountable either consistently or effectively.

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I outline the two elements that are prerequisites for workplace accountability – and describe how great leaders invest in modeling, coaching, measuring, celebrating, and mentoring to hold everyone accountable for respect and results.

This is episode ninety-five of Chris’ Culture Leadership Charge video series. In these concise videos, Chris presents the best practices for creating and sustaining a purposeful, positive, productive culture – at work, at home, and in your community.

You’ll find my Culture Leadership Charge episodes and more on my YouTube, iTunes, and Amazon Podcast channels. If you like what you learn, please subscribe.

Have you responded to this month’s culture leadership poll? Add your ratings to two questions. It’ll take less than a minute. Once you vote, click “results” to see the responses from around the globe.

Photo © Adobe Stock – Drobot Dean. All Rights Reserved.

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Culture Leadership Charge – Build a Good Comes First Work Culture

For decades, talented people have tolerated old-school leaders that put results before respect. Now is the time for leaders to create a work culture where good comes first for every employee—in every interaction – and where the doing of good leads directly to improved productivity, better customer service, increased retention rates, passionate employees, and higher profits.

Employees – your team leaders and team members – deserve a work environment that treats them, their efforts, their ideas, their contributions, and their accomplishments with respect.

And yet employees experience far more disappointment than good in today’s workplaces. Pent up frustration with unjust systems and practices, demeaning treatment, self-serving decisions, unfair or unequal compensation, rare recognition, bullying, and worse have led employees to the boiling point.

In the coming years, employees will seek out and join organizations and leaders that validate employees’ efforts, serve their communities, and make life better for their customers. Like metal to magnets, employees will seek out companies where good comes first.

The problem is that we’ve always been driven by results, so we’ve never asked leaders to change their work cultures. Even if we did, most leaders don’t know how.

My upcoming book with Mark Babbitt is titled Good Comes First. Step by step, this book provides proven, actionable strategies for leaders to create and sustain a vibrant, uncompromising work culture.

Good Comes First guides you to successfully implement three phases of our culture refinement process:

Define your desired work culture through a formalized organizational constitution, which specifies your servant purpose, values and behaviors, strategies, and goals.Align your desired work culture by modeling, coaching, measuring, and celebrating aligned players and practices.Refine your desired work culture by coaching and mentoring players and adjusting practices that don’t align with your organizational constitution.

Culture refinement is not easy. As a leader, you already know most change efforts stall or fail. But after reading this book, you will see that, done right, change is not just possible . . . change is practical, powerful, and profitable.

And you—the reader—will be the right person, at the right time, to make that change happen.

Good Comes First is available for preorder now. The publication date is September 28, 2021.

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I share more details about Good Comes First.

This is episode ninety-four in that series. Each episode is a 3-4 minute video that describes proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost respect and results across your work teams, departments, regions, companies, homes, and communities.

You’ll find my Culture Leadership Charge episodes and more on my YouTube, iTunes, and Amazon Podcast channels. If you like what you learn, please subscribe.

Have you responded to this month’s culture leadership poll? Add your ratings to two questions. It’ll take less than a minute. Once you vote, click “results” to see the responses from around the globe.

Photo © Chris Edmonds Photography. All Rights Reserved.

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Culture Leadership Charge – 3 Ways to Reduce Workplace Stress

What is your stress level? What are your employees’ stress levels? The pandemic has placed tremendous burdens on every human—and every company – on the planet.

Closed businesses and lost jobs have taken a significant toll on the economy and human wellbeing.

Stress is at an all-time high. A 2020 Harris Poll found that US adults’ average stress level was 5.4 (on a 10-point scale). This rating is significantly higher than the 2019 average stress level of 4.9.

Parents with children under the age of 18 rated their stress level at 6.7. That’s unfortunate, but not surprising.

For example, a client recently described an online team meeting where a key player had to beg off from participating because her three school-age children all had online sessions simultaneously as the company meeting. Each child had to log in and participate on a different platform with a different device. Mom was on learning support duty.

Effective leaders know that one of the most important things they can do to support team members is to remove employee frustrations.

During pre-pandemic times, lousy systems, poor communication, disrespect, and poor follow-through typically generated employee frustrations.

During the pandemic, employee frustrations have grown. Working remotely doesn’t solve the above issues—it amplifies them.

Leaders can do three things to help address employee frustrations:

First, ASK. Proactively engage with employees. Ask them how they’re doing. Ask what their biggest frustrations are with getting work done today.

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I outline the other two things leaders can do to reduce employee stress.

This is episode ninety-three in that series. Each episode is a 3-4 minute video that describes proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost respect and results across your work teams, departments, regions, companies, homes, and communities.

You’ll find my Culture Leadership Charge episodes and more on my YouTube, iTunes, and Amazon Podcast channels. If you like what you learn, please subscribe.

Have you responded to this month’s culture leadership poll? Add your ratings to two questions. It’ll take less than a minute. Once you vote, click “results” to see the responses from around the globe.

Photo © Adobe Stock – fizkes. All Rights Reserved.

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Culture Leadership Charge – Measure Respect

You measure results religiously. How often do you measure how well you and your company’s formal leaders treat others in your work culture?

Just as you measure progress towards desired results regularly, you must measure progress towards desired respect regularly.

You must gather objective feedback through regular assessments – at least twice annually – that enable employees to rate how well your company’s leaders model your values and behaviors.

By measuring values and respect in a formal way, you can then refine every leader’s efforts and, ultimately, improve the quality of your company’s culture.

The problem is that very few leaders have been asked to measure values or respect across their organization. Most don’t know how. Doing a values survey poorly is worse than not doing a values survey at all. Lousy questions result in lousy data that is not helpful or actionable.

You need proven expertise to help you build a values assessment platform to gather insightful feedback and to act on the objective data you collect. I have that expertise. I’ve been helping clients measure values and respect for decades.

Our values assessment platform helps you:

Create an effective values survey based on your desired cultureAdminister your effective values survey, gathering values feedback on all formal leadersDebrief your survey resultsCoach individual leaders to demonstrate your valued behaviors in every interaction

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I share how important the structure of your survey items (questions) is.

Thanks for your patience. Last month I had disk fusion surgery so was unable to do a video or podcast for you all. This month I’m back on track!

This is episode ninety-two in that series. Each episode is a 3-4 minute video that describes proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost respect and results across your work teams, departments, regions, companies, homes, and communities.

You’ll find my Culture Leadership Charge episodes and more on my YouTube, iTunes, and Amazon Podcast channels. If you like what you learn, please subscribe.

Have you responded to this month’s culture leadership poll? Add your ratings to two questions. It’ll take less than a minute. Once you vote, click “results” to see the responses from around the globe.

Photo © S. Chris Edmonds. All Rights Reserved.

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Culture Leadership Charge – Fix your loose cannons

Have you ever had a loose cannon in your company – a player that performs well but follows rules only when it’s convenient and treats others in the organization disrespectfully in most interactions?

This dynamic is difficult in any organization. And, if not proactively addressed, the impact this player has shifts from difficult to disastrous.

Here’s a typical loose cannon scenario.

Let’s call the perpetrator “Bob.” (In my 30 years of helping leaders with these challenges, I find that loose cannons are almost always male.)

What does Bob do that qualifies him as a loose cannon?

Bob generates results. He meets most if not all of the performance standards for his role. That’s a good thing.

Bob has positive relationships with customers. They feel they can depend upon him to deliver what they’ve asked for. That’s also good.

Bob has favorites on his team. The people he trusts, he treats respectfully. That’s OK.

Bob doesn’t participate in company meetings or celebrations. He’s (conveniently) not available to attend training sessions. That’s not good.

Bob believes that many people in the company don’t pull their weight. He consistently demeans, dismisses, and discounts their ideas, efforts, and contributions. That’s really not good.

Bob thinks the company’s efforts to build a values-aligned culture is horse manure. He mocks – to other company staff – the company’s messaging and coaching for everyone to treat others respectfully.

Everyone sees how Bob treats others. A steady stream of concerns and complaints are registered with Bob’s leader regarding Bob’s toxic behavior.

If you were Bob’s boss, what would you do?

Every boss I’ve coached in this situation wants to save the performance, to let Bob continue generating great results.

And, nearly every boss I’ve coaching in this situation underestimates the negative impact Bob has on both results and respect in the workplace.

One senior leader told me about his loose cannon, “This guy does 90% good things and only 10% bad things! We can’t throw out the good with the bad!”

The reality is that Bob’s negative impact on the business is far greater than 10%. Bob’s a great performer. Fine; Bob gets 50% credit for his contributions to results. Bob’s a bully. He get’s 0% credit on the other half of his job, which is “treating others respectfully.”

Firing Bob is something that is always on the table. Before we go to that last resort, we must offer Bob an avenue to genuine contribution AND respectful treatment of others. Coaching may not help Bob, but clear communication that the company will no longer tolerate Bob’s disrespectful treatment of colleagues – along with clear consequences – paves the the path for Bob to align or move on.

Consequences of Bob’s continued disrespectful treatment might include suspension without pay. Further bullying leads to the firm decision that Bob can’t work there anymore, and the process of dismissal begins.

Consequences of Bob’s improved, respectful treatment might lead to further coaching, validation that he’s on the right track, and a clear message that improvement is the only pathway to maintaining his role in the company.

This approach can change a loose cannon into a talented, committed team player who equally contributes results and respect.

This is episode ninety-one in my Culture Leadership Charge series. Most episodes include a short video and podcast. This month I had disk fusion surgery so the video and podcasts were set aside. I’ll resume both again next month (possibly in a neck brace!).

You’ll find my Culture Leadership Charge episodes and more on my YouTube, iTunes, and Amazon Podcast channels. If you like what you learn, please subscribe.

Have you responded to this month’s culture leadership poll? Add your ratings to two questions. It’ll take less than a minute. Once you vote, click “results” to see the responses from around the globe.

Photo © Adobe Stock – Elnur. All Rights Reserved.

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Culture Leadership Charge – Diversity, Inclusion, and Voting

The 2020 election is a pivotal time for the United States. I’m speaking of a constitutional opportunity that lies before us: increasing voter turnout in every community.

The good news is that US voter turnout in 2020 was the highest it’s been in 100 years. Over 150 million votes were cast for president. The not-so-good news? The percentage of the voter-eligible population that actually voted is 65%.

That percentage is 10% higher than voter turnout for the 2016 election. That’s great! But how does our voter participation compare with other developed countries?

Data from Pew Research indicates that even this year’s 65% participation falls far short of the standard. The top three are Belgium (87% in 2014), Sweden (82% in 2014), and Denmark (80% in 2015).

Our states have the responsibility to ensure that every citizen of voting age casts their vote in every election.

“Every citizen of voting age” means EVERYONE without regard to their race, gender, orientation, religion, nationality, if they were granted citizenship by birth, if they earned citizenship by naturalization, etc.

The problem? Tactics like purging voter rolls, closing polling places, reducing drop-off boxes, eliminating early voting, and challenging voter eligibility reduce voter participation, especially in Black, Latino, and Native American communities.

What is required of states to increase voter turnout? Three things. The first is: Make voting easy. Provide clear instruction, well-marked polling places, multiple drop-off boxes, and safe access.

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I share the other two things states must do to boost voter participation.

What can business leaders do? Ensure that their organizations model these three practices while modeling these practices themselves.

This is episode ninety in that series. Each episode is a 3-4 minute video that describes proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost respect and results across your work teams, departments, regions, companies, homes, and communities.

You’ll find my Culture Leadership Charge episodes and more on my YouTube, iTunes, and Amazon Podcast channels. If you like what you learn, please subscribe.

Have you responded to this month’s culture leadership poll? Add your ratings to two questions. It’ll take less than a minute. Once you vote, click “results” to see the responses from around the globe.

Photo © Adobe Stock – SeventyFour. All Rights Reserved.

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Culture Leadership Charge – What Do You Do?

Us Westerners have the unfortunate tendency to link our identity to what we do for a living. “I’m a plumber,” one says, or “I’m a teacher,” another says.

When someone asks me what I do – often on an airplane – I might answer, “I’m a speaker,” or “I’m an author,” or “I’m an executive consultant.”

I’m answering truthfully; those are things I do. Often. And, I might add, I do them really well.

But I am not what I do. Neither are you. Who we are is different than what we do.

Sometimes I’m presenting my culture leadership concepts in a speech on a stage. Sometimes I’m doing my working musician thing, playing guitar on a stage. Sometimes I’m doing the laundry. Sometimes I’m exercising or stretching. Sometimes I’m cooking. Sometimes I’m writing.

I “do” a number of things every day. But I don’t think of myself as a “doer of things” as much as I think of myself as a person of faith trying to keep aligned to my personal constitution, every day.

If I didn’t have a formal declaration of my personal constitution – my servant purpose, values, behaviors, and leadership philosophy – I’d probably see myself as a “doer of things” instead of a focused being on a journey of service.

It’s easy to fall into that tactical view of our world and our lives. There is a better way – a more inspiring, engaging, productive way of viewing our reason for being on this planet.

During these uncertain, trying times for everyone, take the time to formalize your personal constitution.

In today’s three minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I present greater detail on what to include in your personal constitution and how to live in alignment with those elements.

This is episode eighty-nine of my Culture Leadership Charge series. Each episode is a 3-4 minute video that describes proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, companies – and even homes and neighborhoods.

You’ll find my Culture Leadership Charge episodes and more on my YouTube and my iTunes channels. If you like what you see or hear, please subscribe!

Have you responded to this month’s culture leadership poll? Add your perspective to two questions – it’ll take you less than a minute. Then click the “results” link to see what others from around the globe think!

Photo © Adobe Stock – WavebreakMediaMicro. All rights reserved.

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Culture Leadership Charge – Good Comes First

The pandemic has caused immeasurable harm to the economy. Some businesses are operating at 50% capacity while others are closing – or are on the verge. Some employees are able to work from home while many have been laid off.

And social injustice and racial inequity are at the forefront. These issues can no longer be ignored – in our society, in our workplaces . . . anywhere.

Moving forward, employees expect companies to make morally just decisions. They expect respect. They expect to have a voice. They expect companies and their leaders to be a force for good in the world.

That’s a high standard. It requires leaders to shift their organization to being a great place to work – by ensuring that Good Comes First: good people doing good work in a good organization.

Creating a Good Comes First work culture requires leaders to evolve beyond an exclusive focus on results. It requires new beliefs, new behaviors, and new degrees of engagement from leaders. It requires new skills, including listening, validating, mentoring, delegating, and celebrating.

A Good Comes First work culture is based on a foundational principle and four cornerstones.

The foundational principle is “Value Respect and Results,” which asks leaders to create and sustain a work environment that expects respect and drives results.

The four Culture Cornerstones include:

Lean on Trust, Validation and GrowthLive Our Servant PurposeMeasure Behaviors and Expect PerformanceUse Our Voice for Good

In today’s three minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I describe each cornerstone in more depth and explain why leaders should create a Good Comes First work culture.

This is episode eighty-eight of my Culture Leadership Charge series. Each episode is a 3-4 minute video that describes proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, companies – and even homes and neighborhoods.

You’ll find my Culture Leadership Charge episodes and more on my YouTube and my iTunes channels. If you like what you see or hear, please subscribe!

Have you responded to this month’s culture leadership poll? Add your perspective to two questions – it’ll take you less than a minute. Then click the “results” link to see what others from around the globe think!

Photo © Adobe Stock – fitzkes. All rights reserved.

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