S. Chris Edmonds's Blog, page 8

Culture Leadership Charge – Make Your Values Measurable

Has your company or small business or division or team formally defined how you expect people to treat each other while getting their goals and tasks done every day? If not, you’re leaving the quality of workplace relationships to chance.

Observable, tangible, measurable values are the foundation of a work culture where everyone is treated with trust and respect in every interaction.

Many companies don’t have values statements at all. Those that do rarely have values that are specific and behavioral – much less measurable.

Without clearly defined valued behaviors, leaders and team members are left to “figure it out on their own.” The absence of values clarity and measurability erodes confidence, consistency, and relationships, across the organization.

Living in that environment is exhausting. You must be on guard every minute, waiting for the next dismissive, demeaning, or discounting words or gestures.

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I describe four proven criteria for making your company values measurable – and easy for leaders and team members to demonstrate daily.

My Culture Leadership Charge series features short (two-to-three-minute) videos that describe proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, and even your entire company.

Each episode’s “charge” is a challenge for everyone in your organization – not just leaders – to refine their behaviors and ensure everyone is treated respectfully at all times.

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

Don't miss a single episode of @scedmonds' #Culture #Leadership Charge video series - crisp & actionable! #WorkPlaceInspiration #PurposefulCulture http://drtc.me/ytube
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Does your company have formalized values? Are those values defined in measurable terms? More importantly, do people model your values consistently? Share your insights on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The post Culture Leadership Charge – Make Your Values Measurable appeared first on Purposeful Culture Group.

Culture Leadership Charge – Culture Details Matter

Does your work culture allow – or even encourage – fear, intimidation, and humiliation? Or is your work culture based on trust and respect in every interaction?

The problem is fear, intimidation, verbal abuse, belittling, and humiliation are very present in most workplaces around the globe today. The Workplace Bullying Institute’s 2017 survey found that 61% of Americans are aware of abusive conduct in the workplace.

Worse news: they found that 61% of bullies are bosses.

Great bosses do not assume a single thing. They know they must pay attention to the culture details.

They can’t rely on reports from others. Those reports help but great bosses invest 1-2 hours every day observing how people treat each other while working, while meeting, and while problem solving. They check in with players at all levels regularly to gain a broad perspective of how relationships are valued – or are not valued.

Obvious things like players praising and thanking each other – or even yelling and screaming at each other – are great indicators of the quality of your work culture. Often though, it’s the more subtle nuances of how people treat each other that indicate great practices or deep problems – or both – in your environment.

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I recommend proven ways leaders can stay in tune with the details and nuances of their day-to-day work culture.

My Culture Leadership Charge series features short (two-to-three-minute) videos that describe proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, and even your entire company.

Each episode’s “charge” is a challenge for everyone in your organization – not just leaders – to refine their behaviors and ensure everyone is treated respectfully at all times.

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

Don't miss a single episode of @scedmonds' #Culture #Leadership Charge video series - crisp & actionable! #WorkPlaceInspiration #PurposefulCulture http://drtc.me/ytube
Click To Tweet

Photo © Adobe Stock – rawpixel.com. All rights reserved.

How healthy is your work culture? Do leaders in your organization pay attention to the details of your work culture daily? Share your insights on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The post Culture Leadership Charge – Culture Details Matter appeared first on Purposeful Culture Group.

Culture Leadership Charge – People Don’t Leave Leaders They Love

Two important studies were published recently. Both provide actionable insights for business leaders – of teams, of divisions, of small businesses, of companies, and even of multi-nationals.

24/7 Wall Street shared their “Worst Companies to Work For” list. They analyzed employee reviews on Glassdoor.com, a platform where thousands of employees have rated thousands of companies from every possible industry. The average employee rating is 3.4 out of a 5-point scale. Today’s 18 worst companies have a score of 2.7 or lower.

Scott Dobroski, a Glassdoor community expert, says “the three top drivers of long-term employee satisfaction are company culture, career opportunities, and trust in senior leadership.” Companies that are unable to deliver that kind of positive environment suffer low morale and struggle to attract and retain talented employees.

The US Department of Labor’s monthly job openings and labor turnover report found that in May 2018 3.3 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs. That’s the highest quits rate since April 2001.

People don’t leave jobs – or bosses – they love. They leave jobs and bosses that don’t demonstrate authentic care and validation for their efforts and accomplishments.

You don’t have to live in one of the worst companies on the planet to feel discounted or unloved. TinyPulse’s 2018 Employee Recognition and Appreciation report found that 77% of employees do not feel strongly valued at work.

And, people have choices. Whether you’re a leader or a team member, one doesn’t have to stay in a lousy work environment. Life is too short!

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I outline how leaders can create workplace civility, sanity, and – God Forbid – validation to create a work culture where people thrive.

My Culture Leadership Charge series features short (two-to-three-minute) videos that describe proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, and even your entire company.

Each episode’s “charge” is a challenge for everyone in your organization – not just leaders – to refine their behaviors and ensure everyone is treated respectfully at all times.

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

Don't miss a single episode of @scedmonds' #Culture #Leadership Charge video series - crisp & actionable! #WorkPlaceInspiration #PurposefulCulture http://drtc.me/ytube
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To what degree do team members in your company LOVE their bosses? Share your insights on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The post Culture Leadership Charge – People Don’t Leave Leaders They Love appeared first on Purposeful Culture Group.

Culture Leadership Charge – The Perfect Storm

We’re in the midst of a most challenging time for leaders in businesses of all types – small businesses, divisions, companies, multi-nationals, and everything in between. It’s a “perfect storm” of leadership demands.

Leaders of organization’s today are faced not only with evolving performance requirements with aggressive global competitors but with generations with widely differing preferences, including older workers keeping their jobs longer and working alongside Gen-Z employees . . . remote contributors with team members working from all corners of the globe . . . technological advances and imperatives that don’t always work as designed . . . social media’s immediacy . . . differing spiritual beliefs . . . differing lifestyles . . . and more.

Managing one or two of these demands is doable for a talented business team and a competent, inspiring leader.

Managing ALL of these powerful and divergent demands – at the same time – is beyond the experience, skills, and confidence of most teams and most leaders today.

In this perfect storm, the demands on leaders are rapidly changing – but the mindset and skillset of leaders has not shifted or adapted to these new requirements.

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I specify what leaders must become – what they must evolve into – in order to serve well in the future of work.

My Culture Leadership Charge series features short (two-to-three-minute) videos that describe proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, and even your entire company.

Each episode’s “charge” is a challenge for everyone in your organization – not just leaders – to refine their behaviors and ensure everyone is treated respectfully at all times.

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

Don't miss a single episode of @scedmonds' #Culture #Leadership Charge video series - crisp & actionable! #WorkPlaceInspiration #PurposefulCulture http://drtc.me/ytube
Click To Tweet

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To what degree are your leaders challenged by this perfect storm – generational, technological, social, and more? Share your insights on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The post Culture Leadership Charge – The Perfect Storm appeared first on Purposeful Culture Group.

Culture Leadership Charge – Hire for Values, Train for Skills

What do you look for when hiring new leaders and team members for your organization?

It’s very likely that you’re looking for the best fit – so you take one of two paths in the hiring process:

* One, you focus on skills and accomplishments. You figure that if you can hire someone with the expertise and experience you need, they’ll produce and contribute much more quickly.

* Two, you embrace the “hire for attitude, train for skills” mantra. You check references to learn what the candidate’s attitude has been in the past. You interview based entirely on the persona that the candidate presents while in front of you.

There are problems with both of these approaches.

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I share my mistakes with these two paths and present a much more effective avenue: hire for values, train for skills.

My Culture Leadership Charge series features short (two-to-three-minute) videos that describe proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, and even your entire company.

Each episode’s “charge” is a challenge for everyone in your organization – not just leaders – to refine their behaviors and ensure everyone is treated respectfully at all times.

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

Don't miss a single episode of @scedmonds' #Culture #Leadership Charge video series - short & powerful! #PurposefulCulture http://drtc.me/ytube
Click To Tweet

Photo © Adobe Stock – klagyivik. All rights reserved.

How effectively does your organization hire for values-alignment? What tips have you learned to move past hiring just for skills? Share your insights on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The post Culture Leadership Charge – Hire for Values, Train for Skills appeared first on Purposeful Culture Group.

Culture Leadership Charge – Drive Out Fear

How prevalent is fear in your workplace?

Fear is an involuntary reaction prompted by a stressful stimulus. When we see a bear up here in our Rocky Mountain neighborhood, our hearts race, our breathing gets faster, and our muscles tense. Our bodies initiate a fight or flight response, trying to ensure our survival.

Fear generates a similar reaction at work. We tense up, our heart races, our breathing speeds up. We are in survival mode. We can’t be cooperative, supportive, or creative when we’re convinced we are in danger – of being ridiculed, of being blamed, of making mistakes, or of failing.

Garry Ridge, President and CEO of the WD-40 Company, has this figured out. When he was promoted to lead the company 20 years ago, he knew that global growth was key to sustaining the business. He and his executive team realized that global growth demanded a work culture based on values, fun, and cooperation across their team.

In a recent conversation with Garry and a client’s executive team, Garry explained that real traction towards their desired culture didn’t come about until they removed fear from their workplace.

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I share the open secret of WD-40 Company’s tribal culture – replacing fear with learning moments.

My Culture Leadership Charge series features short (two-to-three-minute) videos that describe proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, and even your entire company.

Each episode’s “charge” is a challenge for everyone in your organization – not just leaders – to refine their behaviors and ensure everyone is treated respectfully at all times.

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

Don't miss a single episode of @scedmonds' #Culture #Leadership Charge video series - short & powerful! #PurposefulCulture http://drtc.me/ytube
Click To Tweet

Photo © Adobe Stock – Sergey Nivens. All rights reserved.

How prevalent is “leadership by fear” behaviors in your workplace? How different would your work environment be if fear was removed – and replaced with learning moments? Share your insights on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The post Culture Leadership Charge – Drive Out Fear appeared first on Purposeful Culture Group.

Culture Leadership Charge – Frantic to Fantastic

We’re nearly halfway through 2018.

How’s the year going for you? Are you managing your various roles at home and work and community effectively?

If you’re like most humans, you’re running full tilt and never getting caught up.

Frantic is an apt descriptor of how you engage in life and work and community.

What if you were able to reset – to recalibrate – and learn to serve well and lead well and live well in every context and every role?

That would change frantic to fantastic.

Rushing from task to task or meeting to meeting doesn’t bring sanity, calm, engagement, learning, and fun into our lives.

A reset can provide clarity on what’s most important – on how we want to serve others, on how we best serve others, and how serving others brings calm, learning, and fun into our lives.

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I describe how my reset – driven by a significant health scare – helped clarify my servant purpose, values, and behaviors. Once clear, I’ve worked hard daily to live those – which has brought calm, fun, and contribution.

My Culture Leadership Charge series features short (two-to-three-minute) videos that describe proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, and even your entire company.

Each episode’s “charge” is a challenge for everyone in your organization – not just leaders – to refine their behaviors and ensure everyone is treated respectfully at all times.

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

Don't miss a single episode of @scedmonds' #Culture #Leadership Charge video series - short & powerful! #PurposefulCulture http://drtc.me/ytube
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How frantic is your life – at work and home and community – today? Would a recalibration bring clarity and significance into your daily life? Share your insights on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The post Culture Leadership Charge – Frantic to Fantastic appeared first on Purposeful Culture Group.

Culture Leadership Charge – Training Won’t Change Your Culture

Over the last 12 months I’ve had the opportunity to respond to a number of RFP’s – requests for proposal. These requests often come from large companies or government agencies that want a service and want the best solution at the best price.

In my case, these organizations were interested in my services – culture consulting – so they invited my response.

In each of the RFP’s I was invited to, these organizations specified that they were seeking a training program to address their culture issues. The problem? A bent or broken culture isn’t going to be fixed by a training program.

By definition, a training program builds awareness and skills that leaders and team members can use on the job. Training is a great way to increase players’ awareness and skills in organizing their work, communicating effectively, project management, leading their project team, completing reports, welding a seam, packaging product, and tasks like these.

A bent or broken culture, unfortunately, is not an awareness or skills problem. It’s a clarity and accountability problem!

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I specify how to address work culture challenges with clarity (of servant purpose and values) and accountability (for purpose, values, and results).

My Culture Leadership Charge series features short (two-to-three-minute) videos that describe proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, and even your entire company.

Each episode’s “charge” is a challenge for everyone in your organization – not just leaders – to refine their behaviors and ensure everyone is treated respectfully at all times.

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

#LifeLeadershipElevated Invest one day to boost your leadership effectiveness and reduce workplace drama. June 15, 2018. Denver, CO. Limited seating! Register: http://drtc.me/lev8
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How healthy is your workplace culture? To what degree is everyone treated with trust and respect in every interaction? Share your insights on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The post Culture Leadership Charge – Training Won’t Change Your Culture appeared first on Purposeful Culture Group.

Culture Leadership Charge – Generous Leadership

Generosity – by leaders, employees, and organizations large and small – is growing in importance.

Younger generations are inspired by workplaces that give back to their communities. Deloitte’s 2017 Millennial study found that opportunities to be involved with “good causes” at the local level, many of which are enabled by employers, provide millennials with a greater feeling of influence.

I spoke recently with two thought leaders I highly respect – Tamara McCleary and Susan Baroncini-Moe – about effective leadership. They both described the vital importance of generosity in leaders – particularly in senior leaders, those who drive the culture of their organization.

Tamara said that, “Very simply, great leaders are inspiring, generous, kind, and authentic. They care.” She described how top leaders drive feelings of validation, contribution, cooperation, and service every day. “People want to believe in a senior leader and in the direction of the company – purpose and values,” she said.

Susan described a conversation with a CEO at an organization that’s regarded as a great place to work. One of their company values is generosity. She asked him how they interview candidates for this “generosity” factor. He said, “We’re somewhat indirect. We ask questions like ‘when was the last time you took someone out for coffee – and paid – just because you like to hang out with that person?’ That gives us insights into whether they act with generosity on a regular basis.”

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I explain how a generous spirit is great but it doesn’t always translate to generous plans, decisions, and actions – and I describe what I learned from Tamara and Susan about acting with generosity.

My Culture Leadership Charge series features short (two-to-three-minute) videos that describe proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, and even your entire company.

Each episode’s “charge” is a challenge for everyone in your organization – not just leaders – to refine their behaviors and ensure everyone is treated respectfully at all times.

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

#LifeLeadershipElevated Take a 'spa day' for your brain! Lead well at work & home. June 15, 2018. Denver, CO. Limited seating! Register: http://drtc.me/lev8
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Photo © Adobe Stock – Photoma. All rights reserved.

To what degree is your current boss actively generous? How do you demonstrate active generosity daily at home and work? Share your insights on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The post Culture Leadership Charge – Generous Leadership appeared first on Purposeful Culture Group.

Culture Leadership Charge – Make Your People Better

“Make your people better.” I love this language! Thanks to Tech Sergeant Pete Ruiz of the US Air Force for sharing this idea with me.

Would it impact your team and your business if your people performed better, cooperated better, served others better, and teamed better?

Trust me – making your people better will make your culture better. Business results will improve, drama will diminish, and creativity, engagement, and teamwork will skyrocket.

The reality is that very few leaders around the globe today pay attention to the quality of their organization’s work culture – yet culture drives everything that happens in your organization, for better or worse.

As a leader of your team, small business, or company, the health of your work culture is one of your primary responsibilities.

Most leaders spend their entire careers managing results – and never pay attention to the quality of their work culture, the health of workplace trust and respect. They focus purely on results – which is half the leader’s job.

Ensuring people treat each other with trust and respect – in every interaction – is the other half of the leader’s job.

Culture is complex. There are hundreds of moving parts. How do you know what to pay attention to, what deserves your time and energy and focus? Over the last 30 years, I’ve studied human systems and organizational cultures and I’ve found a way of simplifying culture for senior leaders.

That simple lever is making values observable, tangible, and measurable – just as performance expectations are observable, tangible, and measurable.

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I share how to make values measurable – and how senior leaders modeling desired values makes your people better.

My Culture Leadership Charge series features short (two-to-three-minute) videos that describe proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, and even your entire company.

Each episode’s “charge” is a challenge for everyone in your organization – not just leaders – to refine their behaviors and ensure everyone is treated respectfully at all times.

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

#LifeLeadershipElevated Invest one day to change how you think about leadership. June 15, 2018. Denver, CO. Limited seating! Register: http://drtc.me/lev8
Click To Tweet

Photo © Adobe Stock – Photoma. All rights reserved.

How do your organizational norms make your people better – or worse? Share your insights on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The post Culture Leadership Charge – Make Your People Better appeared first on Purposeful Culture Group.