Phillip Van Hooser's Blog: Build Performance Blog, page 19

63 Things People Wish You’d Do At Work

There’s a really fine line we all should walk when it comes to pleasing people. #1 You should never compromise your integrity. #2 You shouldn’t obsess over making everyone happy. However, when it comes to work, if there are some things you can easily start or stop doing in order to elevate yourself in the eyes of your boss, coworkers, employees, and customers– why not adapt and help yourself?! Here are 63 things people might be wishing you would do at work.

63 Things People Wish You’d Do At Work

I was bold enough to ask for opinions on social media a few weeks ago. I know, what was I thinking? As soon as I opened the gates, the people came flooding in! I asked, “When it comes to what you want to see practiced more from people at the office, what would you say?”  I got a huge response from people of all ages and all levels of the organizational hierarchy. I am sharing some of the top responses with you in this article.

My goal in sharing this list with you is that it may open your eyes to some easy things you can change about the way you interact with the people at work. Some of these may seem like common sense to you, but most of them were mentioned several times. What does that tell us? That common sense is not always common practice, right?

I’ll be the first to say that I rolled my eyes at some of these when I read them and I had to use some serious self-control by not typing a rebuttal. However, if you find yourself doing the same thing, I encourage you to do as I did — pause, take a step back and think about the other person.  Unpopular opinion alert: I stand strong on my belief that it does matter what other people think about you because it affects how they treat you. So, while some of these things seem petty, it’s best to just get over yourself and do it. If it doesn’t compromise your integrity–it’s fair game! It’s how well you do the little things that will elevate you above your competition. It’s time to level up! Without further ado, in no certain order, let’s dig in!

 

Listen when someone is speaking to you. Don’t just wait to talk.
Don’t be the first one out the door every day if there is something you can do to help others leave faster, too.


Be present – don’t be looking at your phone while walking to break or the whole time you’re on break. Make the people in front of you as important as the people you’re texting or scrolling past on your phone.


Chew gum respectfully if working in an office or with the public–no smacking, popping, or bubble-blowing.
Respond to emails as fast as possible — even if it’s just acknowledging you received it.
Take really good care of the equipment you’re given to use at the job — computer, tractor, truck or office supplies. This speaks volumes about yourself and your level of professionalism.
Acknowledge everyone you come in contact with, whether it be a customer, co-worker, or supervisor, a hello or a smile goes a long way.
Air pods can cause issues when working with others. If people can’t tell that you have headphones in, they may think you’re rude and ignoring them. Is it really worth the risk?
Take pride in your position no matter what level you’re at in the organization. Leaders love to promote people who are happy to earn their place.
When going into a job interview, it’s always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed. Check out a companies website and social media to see what their typical dress code is.
Always make eye contact when talking face-to-face with someone. Don’t look down or around someone.
Deliver quality output. Put in the time and effort to do your work right the first time.
Don’t just bring a problem to your boss — bring a solution, too. If you have a problem, put in the work to think of a solution before you bring it up to your boss.
Keep a professional social media presence. Think of yourself as an ambassador of the brand that you are working for. Think about how your social media represents the company that is paying your bills.
Iron your clothes. No matter how nice the clothing is, if it’s wrinkled, it looks bad. Your appearance sends a message about yourself and the company you represent.
Keep your workspace clean and tidy. [Side note…several years ago there was a business owner in a room with me that said that if he walked past an employee’s car and it was a disaster…he would not consider them for a promotion. He said if they can’t take care of their car, how can I trust them with more responsibility in my business? My thoughts? Well, you need to know what matters to the people around you and adapt. If I worked for that guy, I’d be making sure my car looked like it just rolled off the lot 24/7! If you want to be more successful, you’ll do what you need to do!]
Look for ways to help the people around you, above you, and below you. Be a servant leader.
Slow down your words on the phone so the person on the other end can understand everything you say.
Put in the time and effort to work safely at all times.
Don’t do the bare minimum. Find ways to exceed expectations.
Say your emotion, don’t show your emotion. No one should lose their cool on someone else in a professional setting.
Instead of “yeah”, say “yes”. Instead of “nah”, say “no”. Choose to speak like a professional.
Don’t swear at work. By simply always being professional in your language and not swearing you will stand out in a good way.
Don’t criticize other colleagues in front of others. Develop a reputation for being supportive of others.
Don’t gossip. If your work involves others in the community, don’t discuss customer’s personal lives with employees.
Find coverage for your shift if you can’t make it, then call and tell your boss you’ve got it covered. Don’t put the extra work on them.
Even if you know what they are going to say next, don’t interrupt someone. Give them the respect to finish, then address the topic.
Make sure you completely understand the task and goal before you make suggestions on how it can be improved.
Smile when you’re on the phone. It’s nice for customers and coworkers to see as they walk by, and the person on the phone will be able to tell a positive vibe in your tone.
Say “ma’am” and “sir”. It’s always good to err on the side of more respect than less respect.
Keep your conversation positive. Don’t choose negativity. Bad vibes attract bad tribes. Be the good.
Follow the company dress code. Don’t try to slip things in/on/off.
Some people like to be called “honey, sweetie, etc.”, others, they hate it. Err on the side of caution.
Don’t be afraid to fail. Your boss and coworkers probably would rather you try and fail versus you calling them and asking for help before trying at all.
Accept responsibility for all your decisions and actions. This speaks volumes about your character.
Don’t dismiss any idea or thought from others–at least consider it.
Be on time. On-time means early. If your office opens at 8:00 am, then you better have already had your coffee, conversations, and restroom break before the door opens and the phone starts ringing.
Always smile when greeting customers/clients. Always.
Be coachable, listen and learn. New employees can learn from seasoned employees and vice-versa.
Leave your cell phone off during a job interview. Make arrangements or whatever you need to do in order to be out of commission during the time of the interview.
Say “please” and “thank you” in person, on phone, in email, at a drive-thru, etc. Manners go a long way.
During a job interview never bad talk your previous boss or place of employment.
Be willing to take initiative. Don’t wait for others to tell you what to do. Take ownership of your job and be willing to start something without having to be told every step to take.
When someone says “thank you” always say “you’re welcome” or “my pleasure”. (Thank you Chik-fil-A!) Saying “yep, sure thing, no problem, okay, etc. probably make you seem rude.
Don’t cross your arms when someone is talking to you. It makes them feel as if you’re frustrated or uninterested.
Do what you say you’re going to do. Be reliable.
If you see something that needs to be done, jump in and do it. Don’t just stand around.
When you are being interviewed, the goal is not to talk about how great you are but to show them how the company/team will be better because of your skills and personality.
Don’t have your mom help you apply for a job. Get your own application, go in by yourself, ask your own questions, call yourself and follow-up by yourself.  [Yes, this is really happening with young adults today!]
Be willing to learn a new way of doing things.
Craft a firm handshake.
Unless you have a very casual company culture, lose the hat. For many in older generations, this is still a big deal to them.
Answer your phone.
If you don’t know the answer, do some research to find out. As a last resort, ask someone else. Either way, don’t just say “I don’t know”.
Don’t be entitled. You may not get what you want or even deserve. Keep working hard anyway. It’ll pay off.
When answering the phone and before putting them on hold, say One Moment Please, not hang on a minute or just a minute or just a second. The latter two examples simply feel informal or lackadaisical. Choose to take the high road if you’re unsure.
Don’t complain about your job on social media. Period.
Know your audience in email. Choose respect and manners at all times. Match the tone of the person you’re emailing. If you’re emailing a coworker about a funny memory at the Christmas party, you probably don’t have to be very formal. If you’re emailing your boss or professor about a project, it’s best to err on the formal side.
Take the corrective criticism and learn from it. Don’t choose discouragement, choose to be better going forward.
Always show respect to those that are already there in the workplace. If you see things that need to be changed, all discussion needs to be handled in a very calculated way in order to keep a cohesive team culture.
Address issues respectfully. Don’t let bad feelings linger.
Don’t have the attitude or mentality of, “that’s not my job”. Do what you can, when you can, to help build up the team.
Communicate your expectations very clearly. What do you want, when do you want it, why do you want it, where do you want it, how do you want it, etc. People typically rise to meet clear expectations.

 

Understand, Adapt, Succeed

In the 21st Century, I deeply believe the most successful people will be those who take a very individualistic approach to understanding and adapting to the people around them. You must choose to understand what your boss, co-workers, employees, and customers want. Then, without compromising your integrity, you must choose to adapt to each individual person in order to exceed their expectations.

The long list you just read doesn’t even cover everything that was submitted to me. It doesn’t cover everything I hear from leaders through the training and speaking I do. However, I’m confident there are some actions on here you can take to elevate yourself professionally. From here, get to know the people around you better. Have conversations with them to figure out what they want. Then figure out how you can adapt. I can’t wait to hear about all the success you’ll have!

Did you really love this article? Share it with someone you know!

#emergingleaders #professionaldevelopment #levelup #professionalism #communication #softskills

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Decision Making Tools I Learned from Umpire School

Decision making tools or processes don’t seem to get taught very much. But knowing how to make good decisions is so critical to every aspect of our lives. Here are five decision making tools I learned from professional umpire school 40 years ago. I’ve applied these five lessons of decision-making to virtually every decision I’ve made since to get better results. Maybe this process will be helpful to you as well! (Prefer to watch the video? Click here.)

Decision Making Tools from Umpire School

Do you like antiques? No, I’m not talking about me! Look at this. I was digging around through a drawer recently, and I came across this tee shirt, and this tee shirt is definitely an antique! In fact, I received this tee shirt 40 years ago this week when I enrolled in Harry Wendelstedt’s Professional Baseball Umpiring School, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Let me tell you a quick story. It was just a few days after I graduated from Murray State University with a degree is business, but I had this burning desire. I wanted to see if I could be a professional baseball umpire, and thus, my first big adventure began. I headed for Daytona Beach, and I found myself there with 107 other prospective students who apparently wanted the same thing that I did, to become a professional baseball umpire and maybe even a major league umpire. Now, I didn’t make it to the major leagues. In fact, I turned down an opportunity to go into the minor leagues, but that’s not the real story.

You see, 40 years ago, I went with a dream to be a professional baseball umpire. What I didn’t realize was that during that umpiring school, I would learn a decision-making model that I’ve used ever since. I want to tell you five decision making tools that I learned at Wendelstedt’s Umpiring School that was supposed to be applied to baseball umpiring that frankly have been applied in almost every area of my life since. The five decision making tools are these.

Decision Making Tool #1. Have the Tools

Number one, any time you have to make a decision, you have to have the tools. Every job requires a certain set of tools to be successful. Decision-making is the same. Facts are tools; we have to explore the facts so that we can have the tool to make the decision.

(To help your leaders, managers, supervisors improve their decision making skills — call us now.)

Decision Making Tool #2. Know the Rules

The second thing is you have to know the rules. There’s rules in any decisions that need to be made. We need to know how far we can go and how far we shouldn’t go. We need to know the rules by which we will be judged before we make the decision.

Decision Making Tool #3. Position Yourself Effectively

The third thing that I learned at Wendelstedt’s school was beside having the tools and knowing the rules, you had to position yourself effectively to make the call. You had to be in a position to be successful, to be able to see it, to be able to understand it, and ultimately to be able to decide, but you had to be in position before things started happening, not during or after they started to happen.

Decision Making Tool #4. Master Your Timing

Then the fourth thing that you needed to do to make a good decision on a baseball field, but also in an office or in your life, was you need to master your timing. You never want to make a decision too quick before things are finished happening. You never want to make a decision by taking too long, long after things have happened, while people are waiting to see what your decision is.

Decision Making Tool #5. Make the Call

You have to have the tools, you must know the rules, you need to position yourself effectively, you master your timing. And then when you get all four of those things together, they told us you have to make the call. You have to make the call and sell the call. You have to stand on the decision you make.

All of us who are leaders or who aspire to be are in fact decision-makers and will be called to make decisions, some of which will be received gladly, some not so much. And when you have to make a call, if you’ve done the other four things appropriately and you know your decision is the best decision you can make, then stand on that call. Stand on that call, commit to that call, sell that call in such a way that others will understand the value that you placed in that decision. Some, probably not all, but many may come over to your way of thinking.

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Decision Making Tools to Make Life Easier

Yeah, 40 years ago, I was just a kid. 40 years ago, I was embarking upon a new career. I had little idea that I’d be able to take those five lessons of decision-making and apply them to virtually every decision that I’ve made since. I don’t remember all that I learned when I was in college, and I don’t remember all that I learned when I was pursuing my masters degree, but I remember the decision-making model that I learned 40 years ago this month.

For all those instructors and teachers and friends and umpires that I met at Wendelstedt’s Umpire School, thank you guys! You’ve made my life a whole lot easier because you taught me how to make a decision.

Now, maybe these decision making tools will help you as well!

#decisionmakingtools #decisionmakingprocess #umpireschool #professionaldecisionmakers #decisionmakingskills #havethetools #knowtherules #positionyourselfeffectively #masteryourtiming #makethecall

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2019 Wrap

Hey Gang! This is Phil Van Hooser! I’m in Denver International Airport. And just a few minutes from now, I’ll be boarding a flight back to Nashville. I was just working earlier today up the road in Fort Collins, Colorado with Larimer County — they were wonderful! We had managers, supervisors, leaders of all stripes and we had the opportunity to talk about leadership and team building!

Of course, that’s what we’ve been doing with clients all year long. I wanted to pause and say, since this is my last presentation of 2019 — of this decade — I thought it might be good to say thanks to all the clients who hired me, all the people who thought about me, asked about me, prayed for me. I want you to know I am appreciative of you all.

(We help leaders build solid employee relationships to improve business results. If you need help, call us now.)

And I’m already looking forward to 2020 — which will be the start of my 33rd year as a professional speaker, trainer and author. Always trying to bring leadership concepts to those that need and will appreciate them. I hope to see you in 2020! If I don’t, enjoy the year! But I also hope all of you enjoy a wonderful holiday!

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Enjoy your time with family and friends! I love you all!

Phil Van Hooser

phil@vanhooser.com



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Fanatical About Empowerment

When leaders are fanatical about empowerment, companies can unlock the option to achieve unprecedented success. Even with the promise of better results, many leaders still do not empower their team. Why? Let’s talk.

Fanatical About Empowerment

You may have read that title and thought, “Whoa! She’s coming in hot talking about “fanatical.” Well, I chose that word on purpose. Let’s define fanatical: a person who is extremely enthusiastic about and devoted to some interest or activity. Thank you Merriam-Webster.

I believe leaders who are fanatical about empowerment are extremely enthusiastic and devoted to taking intentional action to empower their employees constantly and consistently.

When leaders strategically empower their employees then they are helping their people to individually:

Learn how to think critically
Make the best decisions
Operate in autonomy

But wait, there’s more!

As your people get to the highest levels of empowerment, you give yourself:

Time back in your day (How often does that happen?!)
A higher-performing team
The ability to work on more value-added or interesting projects

There are huge benefits to empowering. That seems obvious to me. However, leaders still don’t do it. Why? Let’s talk about what’s holding leaders back and why they need to shift their mindset and actions to become fanatical about empowerment.

 

Why Leaders Aren’t Fanatical About Empowerment
Not Top of Mind

Leaders do certain things on purpose and other things without thought. I believe one of the top reasons leaders are not strategically empowering their employees constantly and consistently is because the idea of empowering individuals is not top of mind. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day activities of work. How do you start making empowerment top of mind for leaders? Create an environment that breeds empowerment. Talk about it in meetings, read about it, listen to podcasts about it, ask your colleagues about it, but ultimately—make a plan and EXECUTE! Knowledge without action is useless.

Don’t Have Time

Other leaders may have empowerment top of mind, but can’t figure out how to make time to execute. My response? Focus on the benefit. Let’s say you start off the empowerment process by taking a task you do every week and teaching an employee to do it. You may think, “I don’t have 10 hours to train this employee to do this task!” You have to flip the script and change your mindset. Think of it this way — if the task is taking you two hours every week, that’s 104 hours a year. Say to yourself, “I will spend 10 hours training this employee ONE TIME so I can spend 94 hours on a more valuable task EVERY. YEAR.”

Don’t Know How

Many leaders know they should be empowering employees. However, they aren’t because they don’t know how to do it correctly. Here is what I know… in order to empower employees effectively, leaders must be strategic about it. There has to be a well thought out communication and execution plan. Check out this blog for an idea: Empowerment—A Tricky Business. 

Afraid of Success

This is a reason most leaders would never admit, so I am going to do it for them. Some leaders are not empowering people because they are afraid that their employees might out-perform them and make them look bad. Here’s the deal, when leaders start strategically empowering their employees, they most likely will start performing at a much higher level. The fact of the matter is that this will not make the leader look bad. Instead, the leader will look like they are killing it (because they are)!

 

Empowering is Key to Maximizing Results

Let’s think about teams who are not empowered and how they operate. Teams of individuals that do not feel empowered are only able to achieve X number of results. Why? Because people who are not empowered typically only work inside the constraints of their job descriptions and what they currently know. If you only have so much knowledge and power and are unable to increase either, then you can only pump out a certain result.

Empowerment is so key to maximizing results throughout a team.

Let’s think about teams who are empowered and how they operate. Teams of individuals who are empowered are able to continue to achieve better and better results. Why? Because people who are empowered have a no-limits view of what is possible for them and the team to achieve. Empowered employees are free to think outside the box, come up with ideas that might not have been brought to the table otherwise. They are able to make better, faster decisions which can affect both the bottom-line and internal/external morale. And the leader is now freed up from time spent micromanaging to time spent on responsibilities that will move the needle more than ever before.

(Does your team need training on exactly how to strategically empower their employees? Let’s talk about some options.)

How Everyone Else Sees Empowerment

We talked about how leaders might feel when it comes to empowering employees. Let’s look are how everyone else in the company might see it.

When a leader gets a reputation for developing people to perform at their highest potential, two things are going to happen:

People below the leader on the organizational chart are going to want to be on that leader’s team. Why? Everyone wants to work for a great leader — someone who makes them better and helps develop their skills.
People above that leader in the organization are going to want to promote that leader. Why? Every company needs high performing employees — the more the better. Leaders will get promoted if they are known for making that result a reality. Empowerment is a win-win for everyone!

 

Go Kill It

Successful empowerment does not happen by chance or coincidence — it happens on purpose. Correct, calculated, consistent action is key to effectively empowering employees. Empowerment is critical to achieving more success. This is why I believe for leaders to be successful in the 21st Century, they must become fanatical about empowerment.

Leaders must make a plan and execute. When leaders do this, gone will be the days of frustration with employees who won’t take initiative and perform at a higher level. Instead, leaders will welcome in a new era of the workforce where companies can achieve even the most audacious goals.

When leaders are undaunted by the responsibility of empowering people — the best results are yet to come! Choose from today going forward to be fanatical about empowerment.

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Managing Remote Employees: Tools to Help

Managing remote employees is tough. Here’s a tool that will help you stay connected with the remote employees you’re managing and stay on top of how they are performing.

Tools to Help When Managing Remote Employees

I was recently interviewed by Alyson with STAKE: The Leadership Podcast on the issue of managing remote employees. I’ve included a video of the episode here and the excerpted transcript follows. Subscribe here to get our blog delivered to your inbox AND get our bonus welcome gift!

Alyson Van Hooser:

Hey everyone, this is part two of our series on leadership and managing remote employees. If you listened to part one then you know I’ve got Phil Van Hooser with me, he is my business partner and father-in-law. We are a leadership development company together named Van Hooser Associates. We work with leaders across the country — from front-line supervisors to CEOs — to help develop them as leaders. We’re talking about the challenge of managing remote employees. Today, one of my favorite things to do is to give you all practical, actionable tools to help you in your own leadership journey.

Phil has created a tool that you’re going to be able to use today to help you manage performance with remote employees, but also with your in-office employees. Phil, do you want to do a little bit of a recap on what we talked about on our last episode?

Maintaining Connection & Performance

Phillip Van Hooser:

Sure. In our last episode, we were talking about the initial stages of dealing with your request to work mobily or remotely…. and some of the challenges that I had to work through to be able to get to that. One of the things that I stressed, was how important it was for me that we would be able to maintain the synergy, the conversation, and the personal growth. How can we maintain that? And I’m always performance focused. How can we make sure that we meet our commitments both to our clients and also to one another?

When we’re working remotely, I don’t want to have to worry if you are actually working on the project. So how can I go make sure that the projects and the deadlines that we’ve established are going to be met, and it doesn’t stress me out? And I don’t have to micromanage you by calling you every 15 minutes to say, “Tell me again where we are on the project.”

We talked about different tools that we might have available or develop that would enable you to do that. And one of the things that we’ve talked about was what I call the Critical Incident File.

I’m going to tie the Critical Incident File with another tool that I use that is basically a time management and project management tool. Let me start by describing that.

Time & Project Expectations

First of all, in most environments, especially where people are working together in the same workspace, it’s not at all unusual for a manager to call a subordinate into the office and say, “Alyson, I’ve got a project I want you to take on.” That’s not unusual. Happens every day. It also needs to happen remotely because we still have to meet obligations.

More often than not, if you go back to the traditional way that unfolds, the “Baby Boomer manager” would tell you what they need to do, what you need to do and how you need to do it to some degree, and when it needs to be completed. The what, the how, the when — that’s pretty traditional.

I realized that when you’re forcing people to work their calendar or their schedule around yours, it’s going to bring a certain amount of stress and maybe even a certain amount of pushback. For example, if I say, “Alyson, I’ve got this project I want you to start working on. Want it done by a week from Thursday,” I don’t ask what other projects you’re working on. I don’t ask what other things you have in process at that moment. And so it’s very possible that you get frustrated, maybe even angry, maybe even resentful, simply because I don’t build that into the process.

Several years ago I adapted that process this way. “Alyson, I’ve got this project I need you work on. Let me explain to you why it’s so important.” In other words, talking about the “why” of the project. Here’s the importance to the organization and this is why I’m assigning it to you.

But then I ask a very simple question. “Alyson, you understand the importance of this project now, based on what I’ve explained. When do you think you could realistically complete this project?” That is a very subtle question, but it’s a very important question, I think. Instead of me making that assignment out of hand, I’ve asked you to participate by telling me when do you think you can get it done.

Now the assumption is you’re going to process all the other projects and deadlines that are upcoming for you. Even if I have assigned them previously, I may have forgotten about them. Right? So, now starts a period of negotiation.

“Well Phil, I’ve got two other projects that are upcoming that I need to finish in the next three weeks. I understand how important this new project is to you. I believe we could have it done by January the 15th.”

Now stop right here for a second. That’s an arbitrary number. You picked it. I had not really thought about January 15th, but in my head I had a pretty good idea of when I needed to have this project done.

So let’s assume January 15th is fine. So what am I going to say? “January 15th works really, really well for our schedule. Let’s write it down, commit to January 15th.”

Now if January 15th  doesn’t work for me, I’m going to simply say,

“Alyson, January 15th is a little far out from me. I really was hoping somewhere around the 1st of the year.” You may then counter with, 

“Well Phil, these other two projects are coming up about that same time. You tell me which one is the greater priority.” In other words, a negotiation starts. And it’s very fair for the person that is being delegated to to have that opportunity to discuss these other things as well.

The reality of it is, if this kind of discussion is open-ended — we’ll find a day that works. We’re going to agree upon something. And once we agree upon it, we’re going to commit to it. But I stress, this part of it has been negotiated.

Now I’m going to do something that is not negotiated, never is. Human nature says that if you know a project is due January 15th, chances are pretty good you’ll put off the date because you’ve got these other things that are foremost in your mind.

Our teacher tells us in college week one that 16 weeks later a term paper is going to be due. That’s why they call it a term paper, for this term of this class. And when do we start on it? A week, two weeks before? Obviously we don’t do as great job on it because we rush through it, but that’s human nature.

Unless of course we have a project report. So here’s the part that is not negotiated. We’ve now negotiated a January 15th completion date, but I’m going to simply say, “January 15th is great, but I would like to see what progress you’ve made on this.”

This is not a negotiated day. “On December the 15th, I’d like for you to give me a full reporting of what you’ve done on this project up to that point.” The project report date is not negotiated. This means that you’ve got to start, right?

4 Steps to Manage Remote Employee Project Expectations

Alyson Van Hooser:

So, let me just summarize that for you. Four steps when it comes to assigning a project or sitting out performance expectations.

Step one is “why.” Why is this project important? Why does it need to be accomplished?
Step  two is you ask the question of your employee and that’s really important. You’re asking them when can you realistically complete this project.


Step three is the negotiation period. They’re going to tell you a date when they can and if you need it to be sooner, then you’ll go through that process and come to an agreement.
And finally, maybe most importantly, you’re going to schedule a follow-up conversation to talk about where they are in the process of completing the project.

Four steps, really easy. That’s something everybody can do, it’s going to elevate your leadership. It’s just making the commitment to following through with the four steps.

Phillip Van Hooser:

The four steps are perfectly outlined by you just now, but I have found one thing to be true… When the person shows up for the project report date, about 75 to 85% of the time the person says, “Well, I think I’m almost finished.” Remember, the due date is still a month out.

Here’s the concept: it’s not hard finishing a project once we get started on the project. The hard part is to start it. So the simple act of giving somebody a project report immediately increases the productivity, the time management, 75 to 85% of the time. 

A bout 10% of the time the response will be,  “Well Phil, I’ve started it, but I’m at a dead end here. I don’t know what to do next.” Okay, we still have a month to be able to talk about, and reevaluate and refocus on what’s the next steps before we finish this project on time. Okay? So we’re good with that.

But here’s the last one. You can expect five to 10% of the time this happens: “What have you done on the project?” And the response is, “Nothing. I didn’t get to it.”

This is not good because now my confidence is shaken.We’ve waited two or three or four weeks to get to this project report. Now we’ve only got three or four weeks to go until it’s due and you’re telling me you have done nothing on it.

What I’m going to say is, “Alyson, I’m disappointed. I thought we agreed that today would be a progress report, but since you have not given me a progress report, now my faith is shaken on the completion date. So Alyson, here’s what we’re going to do. A week from today, I want a full reporting of what you’ve done. Specifically, I want you to include having called all the vendors and having the outline,” you know whatever. I’m going to give you assignments now that will assure that we’ll move directly toward completing this project successfully on time, but I’m going to make you now report to me as opposed to asking you to report to me.I have found this to work exceptionally well in terms of project management.

Managing Remote Employees with Two Questions

Phillip Van Hooser:

But then that brings us to the other tool that we’ve talked about, that we were going to talk about, relative to managing remote employees and that’s what I call the Critical Incident File.

Phil: A critical incident file is really, really simple and I’ll talk you through it. You can do it with one sheet of paper. You need to do it for every employee otherwise it could be seen as being biased or prejudicial. It takes about six or seven minutes per employee per week, so you can schedule your time accordingly.

You’re just going to simply ask yourself these two questions about every employe once a week.

What did the employee do that was above expectations?
What did the employee do that was below expectations?

Now, you’ve got to be very, very candid. You’re not judging this over the last month or last six months… it’s over a one week period. Then make a note of each item.

Once I have these on paper, I’m going to ask myself a question. Have I talked to the employee about each of these things? Here’s where we ensure the ongoing communication with remote employees. I’m going to plan a conversation to talk about the last week’s performance. I’m going to literally touch base on these things that were my observations.

I call this the “critical incident file.” Critical, because they exceeded expectations; critical because they did not exceed expectation. If it’s just what I expected, I’m not going to spend as much time worrying about that. It’s the things that are highs and lows that I want to call attention to.

Alyson Van Hooser:

If there are weeks where there’s nothing really great or nothing below expectations, then is there nothing in the critical incident file for that week?

Phillip Van Hooser

I’ll make a note that nothing out of the ordinary was witnessed. For that employee that is the solid performer, but not necessarily the superstar, I’m going to periodically tell them I appreciate their consistency. 

So yes, there’s going to be time where people perform just on the average. It’s not that it’s to be forced, but we need to capture those things that are witnessed or observable, things that we’re thinking about. And I think it’s especially important when that person’s working remotely. Your imagination can fill in a lot of blanks. If I wonder about what’s going on, my imagination can create a narrative, a story that’s not legit. I want to make sure that we have these ongoing conversations so that I don’t have to worry about it. You know what I’m thinking about, I know what you’re thinking about. You know that I’m recognizing good behavior, you know that I’m not ignoring bad behavior. And so all of these things are literally communicated about in real time.

Alyson Van Hooser:

So this has just given me so many good, different thoughts that I want the listeners, as leaders, to think about. There’s a statistic — I can’t cite the source right now because I don’t want to do it incorrectly — but it said that 66% of Gen Z, employees who are 24 years and younger, if they don’t receive feedback every few weeks, then they’re going to start looking either within your company or outside of your company for a job, for a leader who is going to give the consistent feedback. A leader doing that critical incident file every week is not micromanaging. If you have a conversation with your people every week, they are going to eat that up. That’s going to create a more engaged employee!

Phillip Van Hooser:

And I would go so far as to say this… even though we may respond differently, I would argue Baby Boomers are hungry for it as well.

Alyson Van Hooser

Good point.

Phillip Van Hooser

Understand the need is the same, it’s the behavior or the response to that unsatisfied need for feedback that may be different. So I don’t think it’s going to hurt anybody to get more feedback.

And When It’s Performance Evaluation Time

Alyson Van Hooser:

Perfect point. Two other thoughts. So when it comes to the six month evaluation or the annual evaluation, you have all of this documentation that’s going to help you when it comes. You’re not trying to remember what happened — you’ve got it documented.

Phillip Van Hooser:

If you don’t have this kind of captured information, you end up having an annual evaluation that covers the last six weeks or last month because we can’t think back that far. The employee that’s trying to get by with something simply cleans up their act for the last wo or three or four weeks of the year, knowing you can’t remember everything. But when you have this report, you can reference things you’ve talked about consistently.

Managing the Remote Employee’s Leader — Yourself!

Alyson Van Hooser:

Absolutely. Great point. I just want to make one final point on that. As you were talking about doing this for your employees, I couldn’t help but think doing one for yourself as a leader. So in thinking about how you’re leading your employees, did I go above their expectation this week or did I not even meet their expectation this week? What did I do right? What did I do wrong? And that’s an accountability measure for yourself to rise to the occasion and become the great leader that you want to be and keep tabs on yourself. How are you performing? Good or bad? So I like this tool for employees, but I also like it as a personal tool.

Phillip Van Hooser:

I think that’s a great application of this concept!

Alyson Van Hooser:

So let’s just wrap things up today. We call this podcast STAKE: The Leadership Podcast, because we want to give you all tools where you can put your stake in the ground and be better going forward.

We talked about two big things for managing remote employees today. 1) We talked about the process of lining out expectations for remote employees. The four steps, the why, the when, the negotiation and the follow-up. 2) And then we talked about the critical incident file that you can use on a weekly basis, both for your employees and then even for yourself in your own leadership journey.

So my question to you today is, what are you going to do with what you’ve learned? Are you going to access the critical incident file that I have put in the show notes? And are you going to implement that for your employees…for yourself? It is our hope that you absolutely do!

Thank you, Phil, for being on here. It’s been such a pleasure being able to share just your wisdom with the people on here. I know that so many people are going to gain value from this. Everyone else who’s listening, I look forward to seeing you all next time.

#managingremoteemployees #criticalincidentfile #employeeperformancemanagement #outofsightoutofmind #managingyourself

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Communication Issues to Solve? Try This

Communication issues are at the top of the list of challenges 21st-Century leaders are facing. Leaders who learn to communicate best — win. Let’s dig into a simple approach that may help you successfully navigate one communication issue — internal conflict.

A Tool to Help You Solve Communication Issues

I sat down with a Millennial leader yesterday to discuss how to deal with conflict in his organization. The issues he face are not unique. Leaders across the country are dealing with conflict either with or between their employees. We ended up discussing a theory that could be very valuable tool for leaders.

In the 1960s, psychiatrist Eric Berne developed the theory of Transactional Analysis to explain human behavior. The real value I see in this theory is that it is easily understandable for most anyone. A person does not have to be a psychiatrist or some sort of genius to understand the basics. Once a person understands this theory, it’s easy to see the root issue and the starting point for solving communication issues. Let’s dig in!

 

Ego State

In order for managers and supervisors to be successful in today’s multi-generation workforce, they must take a very individualistic approach to leading employees. The Transactional Analysis theory is a great tool to help leaders do that. 

The foundation of the theory is based on what Berne calls ego state. Putting this into my own words as I understand it, I’d say the ego state is where a person’s “head is at” in the moment when it comes to the situation. 

For leaders, understanding that people approach situations with different perspectives and thought processes is key to correctly breaking down the conflict and moving forward in a positive direction. Berne’s theory states that there are 3 ego states: Parent, Child and Adult. Everyone can experience each state. Let’s dig into what you need to know.

 

Parent Ego State

The theory explains the Parent ego state is created with the experiences a person has in the first five years of life. During this time, kids are hearing lots of “ Do this…” and “Don’t do this…” statements. 

In the workplace, employees in the Parent ego state will likely be the ones telling others what to do or how it is most of the time. You might say they have a “my way or the highway” approach.

 

Child Ego State

The Child ego state is different than the Parent ego state in that the Parent’s mindset is around control, where as the Child ego state is more focused around feelings. The theory says that this ego state, just like the Parent ego state, is created with the experiences a person has in the first five years of their life. However, instead of processing commands from authority figures as “Do this or that,” the Child ego state processes things less on what is being said to them and more how it made them feel. 

In the workplace, employees acting in the Child ego state may be operating more on feelings than facts. 

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Adult Ego State

The theory says that the Adult ego state starts becoming present as early as one year old. In really simple terms, the Adult ego state allows a person to be able to see things as they really are, not just as they have been told or felt. Those operating in the Adult ego state are able to separate feelings from fact.

In the workplace, your goal as a leader should be to get your people to consistently operate from the Adult ego state. Through the Adult ego state, people are able to make sound decisions for themselves and for the business. 

 

Put It Into Practice

It does a leader no good to learn something new and never put it into practice. So, with the Transactional Analysis theory we’ve just discussed, take action! Start simply solving communication issues among your team today.

Figure out your own current ego state. Next, take the time to figure out the ego state of your people. Then, educate and empower your people with this theory. 

My favorite thing about this theory is that most every employee — no matter their level of education or sophistication — can understand the foundational difference between the words Parent, Adult, and Child.  Once briefly explained, it’s very clear that everyone’s goal should be to approach everything as an adult.

If you are dealing with conflict, explaining this theory to everyone involved may help them correctly identify their current ego state and potentially shift their approach accordingly. This may help you as a leader open your employees’ eyes to root communication issues. When everyone has a clear understanding of the problem, you can work moire successfully towards a solution.

Ultimately, we are all adults working together but we don’t always act and think like it. It’s your responsibility as a leader to get people to where they need to be. My hope is that when you are working to solve communication issues, this theory will be a valuable tool in your pocket to help you do just that!

There’s another old school theory that can be eye-opening for leaders today. Check it out here: Old School Theory for Millennials & Gen Z

  #communicationissues #leadershipdevelopment #solveissues #communicatebetter #communicationtips #transactionalanalysis #individualisticapproach #levelup

 

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Leading Remote Workers

Leading “remote workers” or people working outside of the office is a challenge some may think is in the future, but it’s actually a growing trend now. A recent statistic says that 56% of global companies allow for remote workers. Even solopreneurs and small business owners like my company are working through the issue. So let’s talk about some concerns and considerations when leading remote workers.

I was recently interviewed by Alyson with Stake: The Leadership Podcast on the issue of leading remote workers. I’ve included a video of the episode here. The excerpted transcript follows.

Baby Boomers, Small Business Owners Leading Remote Workers

Alyson Van Hooser:

Hey there everybody. I’m so excited about today’s podcast — today’s guest is extra special. Phillip Van Hooser is my father-in-law. But Phil is also my business partner. He is my business partner, he’s a mentor, and today we’re going to talk about something that I know will be valuable for you as a leader.

Alyson:

A lot of people today are experiencing the challenges that come with people working outside of the office — remote workers. A lot of people think that working remotely is a future challenge but a recent statistic says that 56% of global companies allow remote work. So today we’re going to talk about the challenges for leaders of remote workers.

Alyson:

Phillip Van Hooser, will you go ahead and introduce yourself?

Phillip Van Hooser:

Well, thanks Alyson. This is special for me too, actually. I don’t know that I’ve ever been interviewed by my children or my in-laws, so for the rest of this conversation, it has nothing to do with family. It has everything to do with professionalism. Does that work for you?

Alyson:

Yes.

Phil:

From an introductory standpoint, I would simply say that for the past 32 years I’ve been an entrepreneur. I’ve owned this training and development company that we’ll talk more about in a few minutes, but there was a life before that as well. When I came out of college, I worked in major corporations, large companies. I was a human resource management professional leading up to a manager and director of the human resources. My industry was manufacturing, so I was working in heavy manufacturing facilities where there were as few as 150 employees all the way up to 1200+ people in one particular locale.

Phil:

I did that for the first eight, nine years of my professional career, and then decided that it was time to start Van Hooser Associates. And so for the last 32 years, I’ve been working with groups and organizations trying to help them build their leaders and their leadership culture. Of course, we were fortunate enough to have you join us 14, 15 months ago, and so the next generation of Van Hooser Associates is in the works.

Generational Perspective on Remote Workers

Alyson:

The topic that we want to focus on today is how does leadership look different when it comes to remote workers. I’ve been with Phil he said 15 months. A few months ago I had my big annual evaluation, and the thing that I ended on was asking if I could be a remote employee. Now, I’m a Millennial — I’m 30 years old. I had been here about a year, and like many other Millennials and Gen Z employees (those who are 24 and younger) we’re coming into the workplace saying, “I don’t want to work in a traditional office.” People have different feelings about remote workers. Phil, talk about your initial reaction whenever I asked that — what were you feeling, what were you thinking, and what was your process after that conversation?

Phil:

Well, you mentioned that you were a Millennial and that was your thought process. But I think it’s probably also appropriate for me to tell your audience that I am a Baby Boomer, so with different experiences, different generational experiences, and mindsets. Obviously, there’s going to be a transition.

Phil:

A couple of things that your listeners need to know is that, though I’m a Baby Boomer and though I have been a manager in corporate America, I think it’s fairly safe to say that I’m a little more progressive than maybe Baby Boomers in general are perceived to be.

Alyson:

I would agree.

Phil:

Now, I want to stress the perception, because we’re so quick to identify generational differences and then paint everybody with a broad brush. All Baby Boomers think this way. All Millennials think that way. I don’t happen to believe that. I believe there are exceptions to everything, therefore we need to get to know what those exceptions are so that we can fully understand.

Phil:

Now I come back to your comment in the evaluation, and yes, we did conduct a formal evaluation. Yes, you are my daughter in law, but you’re also an employee, and you’re also an employee that’s growing in the business. It’s really important that we evaluate all aspects of performance, not just the physical performance, but also the emotional mindset around that performance. When you came to me and asked — “What do you think about me working mobily, or working remotely?” — I sensed that you were hesitant about bringing it up because you didn’t know how I was going to respond.

Alyson:

That’s true. I was nervous going into the conversation. I was thinking, “Am I going to ask, or am I not going to ask?” I ended up doing it. But yes, you’re right, I was nervous about it.

Phil:

Well, for your listeners, it may be important for them to know that even though you reference working in the office, the office consists of three of us, so it’s not a huge office complex. The office also consists of a basement office in our home. Now that’s the way we’ve run our business. When I say we, I’m talking about my wife and I have run this business for 30 plus years — out of our home. It’s served our purposes well as we raised children, but there were a lot of other benefits. I can get up and go to work at any moment in time. I don’t have to drive across town. It’s cheaper, and so on.

Phil:

I only bring this up, because that is my mindset going into your question. So to your question, a year in to this new relationship — “Can I work mobily?” — I guess human nature asks, “Is there a problem? Are we not getting along?” Frankly, I didn’t think that that was a problem. Then I had to ask myself the question, “Will this work for what we’re trying to accomplish longterm?” You may recall that I said, “You’re going to have to give me some time to think about this.”

Phil:

I’m not one of these people that wants to make a real snap decision. I can if I have to, but I didn’t see that as being one of those things that was necessary. I said, “I’ll get back to you in a few weeks.” Now, I said ‘weeks’, because I wanted to make sure that this wasn’t a snap decision on your part. If you just woke up and said, “I think I’d like to work mobily,” are you going to feel that way a week or a month from now? It gave us both an opportunity to process.

Phil:

Here are a couple of things that you need to understand that were going through my mind. I think it’ll be important for your listeners to understand this as well.

Alyson:

Let me just say this real quick. As you’re listening to this, if you are thinking about asking to work remotely, I want you to consider what Phil is about to say. What your leader or the decision maker may be thinking, because that may change how you approach it, or how you see the reaction.

Phil:

That’s a very important point, and Alyson I’m glad you made it, because all too often we see whatever we’re about to do from one perspective, and that perspective is ours. I’ve learned that to be more effective in almost anything that you do, you need to see it from multiple perspectives. Certainly your own, you need to know why you’re wanting to do it. But you also need to understand what may be on the other side. And then of course if there are other people that are involved in the process, we need to process that as well.

Phil:

I start thinking about the whole process of working mobily, especially as it related to our unique circumstance. We’re trying to get you up to speed as quickly as we can on our business. My first question was, what are the drawbacks? It’s very important that you know that I was not concerned about work ethic. A lot of Baby Boomers who might be approached by some of their employees about working remotely, really hear that as, “I don’t want to work so hard,” or, “I don’t want you to watch me working hard. I want to be off doing my own thing and working my own schedule.” I really wasn’t worried about that. Over the last year, I knew that you were willing to do whatever needed to be done within whatever time frame. So I wasn’t concerned about the work itself. It was more how that work would be done and the quality of it, and would we be able to follow it.

(If it is an issue, here’s some guidance on how to discuss poor performance with an employee.)

Easing Concerns for Leading Remote Workers
Out of Sight, Out of Mind?

Phil:

The first thing I wondered about was this … I’ll call it the ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ In other words, if I’m not thinking about you, am I doing you justice by giving you the training and the counseling and the coaching that may be necessary in any kind of employee/employer relationship? I can get real caught up in what I’m doing and forget, because you’re not in the office. I can forget that maybe you’re out there doing your thing as well. Now, you may have seen that as being a positive. You may have said, “Okay, I don’t want to be interrupted by Phil all the time with the thought that he’s having, or with a suggestion he’s making. I want to be able to work on my things, my projects, and then be able to come back to him in a scheduled time.” I understood that.

Loss of Synergy?

Phil:

The second thing is we found great value in having you there to ask questions. “Why are we doing this? Why aren’t we doing this? Have you thought about doing it this way?” I consider that to be the synergistic approach at its finest. If you define synergy; synergy is the sum of the individual parts, when brought together create a better outcome. Well, Susan and I had been working together for 30 plus years. In many ways, she knew what I was thinking and I knew what she was thinking without even conversing, if you will.

Phil:

That wasn’t true with you. You came in and you didn’t know what we were thinking. We didn’t know what you were thinking. We had to talk more, but in so talking, there was this synergy. “Oh man, that’s a great idea. I hadn’t thought about that, Alyson.” You may have said to us or may have thought at some point, “Oh my goodness, I didn’t even realize that was something I needed to learn or be more aware of.” That’s the synergy. If we take you out of this environment, are we going to lose that? That was a major consideration or major concern for me.

Effective Project Coordination?

Phil:

Another thing I started thinking about was project coordination. You know that we had you working on a number of projects early on, and you knew that some of those projects were sequenced projects. Were we going to be able to coordinate those projects? Well, that’s more of an organizational concern than it was anything else. In other words, if I’m not able to do that, that’s not necessarily your fault. That’s my fault. Now I have to start thinking, “How am I going to coordinate more effectively?”

Lack of Performance Awareness?

Phil:

That leads, then to performance awareness. I have to not only have standards of performance, I have to be aware of those standards of performance. In other words, I need to know what you’re doing, how far along you are. Are you ahead of the process, ahead of where I thought you would be, or behind? All those are just performance awareness considerations.

Working in Isolation?

Phil:

As I was thinking about your question, I wasn’t just thinking yes or no. I was thinking yes and, or yes but. Then that brought me to frankly, was my greatest concern. I feared it for you, because I’d experienced it for myself. Let’s just call this the fear of isolation.

Phil:

I remember 30 plus years ago so very well. Working in a major corporation with several hundred people, I interacted with, not only daily, but literally hourly, and oftentimes on a minute-by-minute-by-minute basis. That was cool. I enjoyed that. That was my personality, and I know it to be your personality as well. Then I left that environment to start this business, and that next day, what happened? Where are the people? It was a shock to my system. Again, isolation. It took me a while to work through that. It took me a while to know, “Am I going to like this? Is this going to work?”

Phil:

Well, obviously it did work out. I liked what I was doing more than I feared the isolation of doing it, so I figured out a way to make that happen. But honestly I worried about that a little bit. You had gone from an organization of several people to this organization of three people. And now we’re going to cast you off and put you on an island someplace with one person. Those were some of the things that were going through my mind as we were considering this particular process.

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Why Would Someone Want to Work Remotely?

Alyson:

Let’s talk a little bit about what my thoughts were. Why would someone want to work remotely? What would be the pros and the cons? You said you wanted to make sure that this wasn’t a knee jerk reaction. In our business, we work one-on-one to develop leaders, and so Phil and I spent a lot of time researching what issues leaders are facing, or what trends are happening in the business world. One of those trends, like I said at the beginning, is remote workers. That does create a different … I don’t know if I would say challenge… but it’s something different that leaders have to deal with.

Alyson:

For me, I’m on board with everything that you said about the synergy of the team. Regarding being afraid to work alone — I’m reading that a lot of remote workers who get out there by themselves then say, “Hold up, I need some human interaction.” That is why we’ve seen places to rent space for the day because even though an employee might work best alone, they still want to be surrounded by activity.

Phil:

Even if they don’t rent space, they go to Starbucks or some place similar.

Alyson:

Absolutely.

We want to hear from you on working remotely or leading those that do. What has worked, what hasn’t? Comment below and thanks for adding to the conversation!

Actionable Process for Leading Remote Workers

Alyson:

Now I’ve been doing this for a couple months and I haven’t gotten to the place where I want that yet. Right now I’m good being alone. I think that eventually, yes, it will come to the point where I want to get out and be around more activity. Sometimes that actually helps me focus better, but right now I’m good working alone.

Alyson:

Let me touch on a few of the things that I’ve read in the research. They’ve also found that remote workers are struggling with anxiety more. You talked about managing performance. The articles that I’ve read … say that remote employees, once they’re removed from the office, become hyper aware. They think their boss is thinking that they’re at home not doing anything so they actually overwork themselves. They work more hours at home than they do in the office, because they’re trying to make up for whatever doubt might be in the leader’s mind. It also creates, in some cases, more of a work/life balance issue because they are constantly on. If they wake up early, they’re working early before the kids get up, and then they’re working when the kids go to bed. They’re trying to balance it all, so it’s creating more of a need for people to figure out how to manage their time and deal with work/life balance issues.

Alyson:

That covers why I asked to be able to work singularly, and then come together and have more formal communication. That allows me to hold on to what was said, where are we going, things are more concrete. We all know if you work in an office, there’s a lot of pass by communication. Things can get lost. Not that that was happening here, but that was one of the things that I would like — a more structured communication environment.

Alyson:

I wanted to work by myself, have that flexibility. I like being able to work at eight o’clock at night sometimes if I wanted to go have lunch with my kids or something, so there is that flexibility. I’m working on a new book, and my editor works from home. She was saying the same thing a couple of days ago. She said, “I like to take an exercise break and then come back and go to work.” Yes, people, especially Millennials … well, Gen X too. Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z are all saying that flexibility is so important to them, so leaders, you have to see that this will probably become an even bigger part of your business.

Phil:

Let me interrupt and say this. I accept the research for what it is, but research measures a point in time. But we also have to recognize that things change over time. There is some research now, I can’t quote a source at this moment, that says that many of those organizations that were so free with allowing people to work mobily now are changing for two basic reasons.

Trends Change, Performance & Communication Standards Shouldn’t

Phil:

Number one, employees are saying, “I want to come back and be a part. I feel like even though I work in this organization, I’m not a part of the organization, because I don’t see what’s going on for those people that are onsite.” That’s the desire of the employee, but the desire of the employer is that people come back in so that we don’t have to have that anxiety to make sure that they are doing what they need to do. That’s why you know that we set up some standards, some performance standards and communication standards, if you will. When we eventually did say, “Yeah, let’s go try it. Let’s experiment with that.” If you want to talk about that, we can.

Alyson:

Yes, so let’s finish up with that. Let’s talk about how leadership is different. What can leaders, what should leaders put in place? What have we experienced? Then we’ll talk about what other organizations are doing to best manage, best lead remote workers.

Phil

You know very well that I stress two things in my conversations with leaders — two things are paramount and foundational for a leader to be effective. Leaders need to be good planners and good communicators. I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t practice what I preached. So the first thing that we did was talk about, “How can we plan this most effectively?” We started establishing goals and objectives, and we communicated those goals and objectives over the next week, the next month, the next quarter.

Alyson:

Let me just give you all a practical tool. Here’s what we’ve done. We set up a bullet list of the daily and weekly performance expectations, tasks that have to be done. Then three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings, I call and check-in. First thing in the morning, eight o’clock, we talk about what’s been done, what’s coming up, do we need anything from each other, and if there’s anything else that has come up. If you’re thinking, “Okay, how do I even manage this?” There’s a tool right there. Line out all of the duties, and then create a schedule on when you’re going to touch base.

Phil:

Absolutely, and it works well too, I might add. The second thing I would say is that we have access to each other’s calendars so we know exactly what we’re doing at any moment in time, and because we have access, and of course I’m talking about online access to calendars, we have opportunities to build ourselves into that calendar.

Phil:

It’s not unusual for me to be on the road. I travel a lot in my work. Alyson travels too. She has access to my calendar. It’s not unusual for me to open up my calendar and see that I have a scheduled meeting with her. For example, I looked at my calendar a few days ago and I saw that I was going to be doing a podcast today at a particular moment in time. That’s all part of the plan too, so that when she needs me or vice versa, when I need her, we’re going to put on the calendar, and we’re not going to make it a pass by conversation.

Phil:

We’re also not going to assume we’ll just save all this stuff up and cover it at some particular moment in time. She mentioned that there’s at least three times a week; Monday, Wednesday, Friday, but there are also other independent opportunities, not to mention of course, if something just unique and individual and pressing pops up. The next thing you know, I’m getting a text, you’re getting a text, getting a telephone call, and we’re seven minutes away so it’s not unusual for her to pop into the office and say, “Okay, got this going on. It was easier to tell you about it than it was to send you an email.” Those are some of the things that we’re doing.

Alyson:

Let me just also emphasize something. One of the great things about remote workers, if you choose to lead well, is that you will probably communicate better and more often than when an employee works in the office.When you’re in the office, you’re probably not sitting down and having a purposeful conversation with your employees, because you see them every day, you make pass by comments about things. Think about this for just a second. How many times in … a week, a month, six months, do you sit down individually with your employees and talk about exactly what they’re doing, what’s going well, what they’re struggling with?

Alyson:

I know for me as a leader, when I was supervising people in different positions, I was not asking them three times a week about what’s going well, what are you struggling with, how can I help you?

Phil:

Or telling them three times a week what they need to be focused on, what’s coming, and what you expect of them.

Alyson:

Right. It’s an opportunity for leaders to be really intentional about communication, and even engage them at a higher level, which we all know improves culture, it improves retention rates, all of that.

Phil:

And performance.

Alyson:

Absolutely.

Phil:

Remember, I’m the old Baby Boom manager here. I’m always looking for bottom line performance, so that can never be ignored.

Alyson:

You can do this with your employees in-house too, but we’re talking about remote workers. I wonder, and this is just a thought, but I wonder if performance is better managed with remote employees, because communication is more intentional, because there’s more of a focus on what’s happening, what’s not happening?

Phil:

I think it’s possible, but I also think, just like we talk about remote employees need to be communicated with, training needs to take place. Remember, this is new and unique for Baby Boomers or older Gen Xers. They too need to be trained and plan to be communicated with. You can’t just assume it will work every time. It’s got to be both parties committed to the process.

Alyson:

Right, and keeping communication open the entire time. Let’s wrap things up for today. We had a Millennial come in and asked to be a remote worker. We talked about what that felt like from both perspectives. We talked about the strengths and opportunities from both perspectives. Then, we talked about leadership. What is the same with remote workers that it is with employees that are in the office? Planning and communication is still absolutely critical.

Phil:

Critical.

Alyson:

We talked about positive things with remote workers, and how you can be more intentional with your communication and with performance management. We are going to actually give you all a tool that we’re going to link in the show notes in episode two. This is part one of…

Phil:

I get to come back?

Alyson:

He gets to come back!

Phil:

Oh, man.

Alyson:

This is part one. We’re doing a two part series so we can really help you as leaders manage your remote workers. We’re going to give you a tool. I’ll link it in today’s show notes, but we’re going to discuss it in the next episode. Phil, thank you so much for being on here, and you all, I hope to see you in part two.

Phil:

Thanks so much.

#remoteworkers #outofsightoutofmind #worklifebalance #leadingremoteemployees #youwanttodowhat? #workingfromhome

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Kindness Equals Weakness is A Leadership Lie

When it comes to successful leadership, there are people who believe kindness equals weakness. So in order to be perceived as strong, some leaders are choosing to be forceful, extreme, or brutal in hopes to earn their seat at the table. Does that approach work? Let’s talk…

“Kindness Equals Weakness” is a Leadership Lie

I recently posted a blog titled: “Be An Attractive Woman In Business”. The main point of the blog was the huge value of kindness for increasing leadership influence. I had a comment on the vlog version of the post from a fellow woman in business I highly respect. She said, “The tough thing with women, in my experience, is that kindness can sometimes be taken as weakness in business. I’d love to hear more about how women can overcome ingrained biases that equate kindness with “softness” and that assume caring doesn’t mean strength.”

This is not the first time I have been asked a question such as this so I wanted to share my response with you in case you’ve wondered the same thing, too.

 

Initial Thoughts on the Perception

First, her point that kindness can sometimes be perceived as weakness is legit. Some people do have that perception.

Secondly, kindness equals weakness is a leadership lie. It’s not kindness that makes a leader seem weak. Instead, it’s when a leader gives second chances that aren’t earned or doesn’t stand their ground when they should, that they seem weak–because the inability to make decisions correctly is a sign of a weak leader. Kindness equals weakness is a leadership lie because you have to actually separate the attitude from the action in order to get to the root cause of this incorrect perception.

Third, I believe leadership in the 21st century is exposing that lie in a massive way. People are craving leaders with a servant’s heart. Servant leaders are extremely successful in today’s workforce. Service comes from a kind place. Put those things together and it’s safe to say that kindness equals leadership strength.

In today’s blog, I’m giving you more to think about on this subject. My hope is that if you are handling yourself and situations with others in a way that is not kind — for fear that you may seem weak — that after some careful thought, you would change your mind and your actions. I am confident you’ll be more successful in gaining positive leadership influence if you do!

No one wants to be perceived as a weak leader. So, let’s start with defining the opposite of weak — strong.

 

Defining Strong Leadership

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary has 16 different ways to define strong. Let’s go with the top 2:

having or marked by great physical power
having moral or intellectual power

I would agree that describing strong business leaders could partially mean they have great physical power, intellectual power, and great talent. However, those things alone do not fully describe the strong leaders I know personally, so let’s dig in deeper.

The word power shows up multiple times in the definition of the word strong. Merriam-Webster’s definition of power is:

an ability to act or produce and effect
possession of control, authority, or influence over others

So, to get what I believe to be a full picture of strong leadership… let’s put the definitions of both “strong” and “power” together: a person with moral or intellectual influence over others. 

 

Leadership Lie

Going with my definition of strong leadership here (a person with moral or intellectual influence over others), I want to ask you a question.

Have you had a leader in your life who made a direct, positive impact on you personally or professionally that was not kind to you in one way or another? Maybe they gave you an opportunity, taught you something or helped you through a rough time?

I believe it’s safe to assume that most of your answers will be YES!

That’s why “kindness equals weakness” is a leadership lie.

There is no arguing with the results. Strong leaders have positive results. Weak leaders have problem-filled results.

 

2 Types of Strong

You can be strong in a good way or you can be strong in a bad way. Going back to the 16 definitions of the word strong from Merriam-Webster dictionary…you can have a strong stomach and you can have strong breath. One is good, one is very bad!

You have to define which type of “strong” you want to be. Bad strong leaders may win a fight, but I believe in the end, good strong leaders win the war. 

Leaders who try to grow their influence through forceful, manipulative tactics such as threats, yelling, public humiliation, and more may be perceived as strong in their approach, but they are not strong leaders. Yes, they may achieve some measure of success but they have stepped on the hearts and lives of people to get there. At the end of the day, that person isn’t respected and admired for their successful leadership results. Again, they may have won the battle, but they will not win the war. In the end, they lost trust, respect, and credibility…all of which are essential elements to a sustainable, successful leadership journey.

On the other hand, leaders who treat people with kindness, communicate appropriately, plan for the future, remain emotionally controlled, and consistently perform at their best — those will be the leaders who will create a strong leadership legacy of positive results for years and decades to come. When you’re planning your approach to leadership success, that’s the kind of “strong” leadership that lasts.

If someone perceives you as weak because you are kind…wait it out. That perception of leadership is a losing game. Those who are kind are playing the long game — and playing it to win!

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Kindness Doesn’t Mean Pleasant

Let me be really clear with you though, kindness doesn’t mean that everything is all roses all the time. Instead, kindness means that even when working through difficult situations, you choose honesty, respect, professionalism, generosity, and you are considerate of the full situation.

There will be times as a leader you have to confront someone in a difficult situation. One example might be addressing an employee’s poor performance. 

Some leaders may publicly humiliate the employee. They may choose to use manipulative tactics to change employee performance. They may berate an employee to the point they completely destroy any ounce of positivity in their relationship. Doing any or all of those things may make a leader feel strong, but I can tell you confidently that their leadership is weak. Soon enough, their leadership results decline so rapidly that instead of looking or feeling strong, they may be looking for a new place to lead.

Then there are the leaders who are doing it right. Kind leaders face difficult situations head-on. They address issues privately, ask questions instead of assuming, make the hard decisions with appropriate reasoning, and communicate with honesty and empathy. 

You can be kind and not be a pushover. 

 

Leaders In Your Life

Finally, think about the leaders you’ve had in your own life…the one’s who made a really positive impact on you. Did they show empathy, excitement about your work, and a genuine interest in your personal and professional growth? I feel certain you said yes to at least one of those things. Would you also describe them as kind? Probably yes, too. Would you describe them as weak? Doubtful.

(Do you have women in your workforce that would benefit from leadership training? Let’s talk about some options.)

You see, most often we think kindness equals weakness because we think that’s what other people will think about us. But, you don’t think that about the great leaders in your life, right? Regardless of how pop-culture can make us feel sometimes, we are all more alike than we are different. Choose to be a kind leader. Kindness increases your influence with people. You will be more successful with that approach. Your leadership legacy will be strong, not weak, because of it.

When you are kind, you will increase your influence.

#kindness #kindnessequalweakness #womeninbusiness #boss #bosswoman #femaleleaders #femaleleadership #21stcenturyleadership #kindnessworks

 

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Shut Up or Speak Up, What Should I Do?

In a recent meeting of leaders, a person with a title and little common sense, chose to make another leader in the room look small. The harsh, unprovoked criticisms and the willingness to skirt decorum made for several tense moments. It got me thinking. When should a leader shut up or speak up? Here’s some food for thought on a ticklish leadership issue.

Shut Up or Speak Up — What Should I Do?

As a young boy, I commonly heard this statement issuing forth from the lips of adults. “Children should be seen and not heard.” Maybe that was because, shall we say, I was a talkative child. (Here is an explanation of the origin of that phrase that I found interesting, you might too.) 

But is the same advice good for leaders?

The example I mentioned earlier only lasted a few minutes. And then it was over. Or was it?  There were forced smiles all around. No harm, no foul, right? Business as usual, right? Now we just move forward , right?

Hardly.

Shut Up or Speak Up — Sooner Is Better

The deed was done. And accordingly, the tension in the room was immediate and palpable. Oh, the meeting went on, but things had changed. Immediately. Radically.

Those leaders who were NOT in the crosshairs, sat quietly, processing and analyzing what they had seen and heard. What just happened, they wondered? What was he thinking? Why didn’t he realize he needed to shut up? I wasn’t sure what to do — should I have shut up or spoken up?

But the individual who bore the brunt of the criticisms also sat quietly, processing and analyzing what had been said and done. He, too, wondered what had just happened and why. But he was also left wondering why the others in the room — supposed friends, colleagues, teammates — why they sat on their hands, rather than speaking up in his defense?

And just like that, things changed. Relationships changed. Some in the room wondered if the same happened to them, would they be left to fend for themselves? But for one individual that question had already been answered.

The Price for Unchecked Tongues

This post is intended to be an unapologetic, cautionary tale. Here it is.

Throw your weight around and you’ll most certainly pay a price. And that price can be measured in degrees of lost respect, lost influence, lost support.

Here’s a word to the wise. Before you do irreparable harm to yourself and your organization, wise up and shut up.

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Silence Isn’t Always Golden

But there is a second cautionary note to be sounded too. This one applies to those leaders choosing to sit by silently as others take unfair advantage.

A leader should speak up in the defense of the innocent. And when they do, the deed will never be forgotten.

But for the leader who fails to speak up in the defense of the innocent — that deed will never be forgotten either.

It might be right for children to be seen and not heard, but I don’t think the same holds true for leaders.

Take some time to evaluate situations when you should shut up as well as  when you should speak up. It will be time well spent.

When It’s Hard to Shut Up or Speak Up

Many of us wrestle with controlling the mouth. Some days we can’t close it soon enough and other days we regret not opening it at all. How have you effectively resolved the issue of when to shut up or speak up? Thanks for sharing your comments.

#wiseup #shutuporspeakup #tonematters #childrenshouldbeseenandnotheard #silenceisgolden #leadersoughttoknow

 

Here’s another post with a perspective to consider before you speak up.

 

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Gratitude Quotes

Gratitude Quotes

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” Gratitude quotes like this one by William Arthur Ward help us remember what Thanksgiving is all about!

In a couple days, we will celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with our families. From the youngest to the oldest around our table, we will share what we are thankful for. Then we’ll pause to give thanks for our blessings.

We want you to know that you are among our greatest blessings! Thank you for reading our posts, sharing your insights and inviting us to work with your people!

William Arthur Ward’s sentiment is one of several gratitude quotes featured on SmallBusiness.com. Look here for the full list. Here are the top 10.

10 Gratitude Quotes

“O Lord that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!”

William Shakespeare, Henry VI
Thankfulness is the tune of angels.

Edmund Spenser (1895)
“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.”

Maya Angelou
“Thanks are justly due for things got without purchase.”

Ovid
“That possession which we gain by the sword is not lasting; gratitude for benefits is eternal.”

Quintus Curtius Rufus
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

William Arthur Ward
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

G.K. Chesterton
“If you count all your assets, you always show a profit.”

Robert Quillen
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

Robert Brault
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”

John F. Kennedy

#thankfulthursday #thanksgiving2019 #gratitudequotes #countyourblessings #grateful #gratitude #givethanks #happythanksgiving

2019 marks 31 years in business for Phil — here are some of his thoughts on that milestone. Happy Thanksgiving!

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