Phillip Van Hooser's Blog: Build Performance Blog, page 23

Love Your Job

Love Your Job

Human nature causes people to be drawn to activities that excite, inspire and fulfill them. However, we all know life and work are not always exciting, inspiring and fulfilling.  Sometimes you are called to rise above what you wish you could avoid completely.  Whether you love your job or not, all of your personal and professional activities can be enhanced if you simply commit yourself to do your job and do it at the highest level possible.  Here are three ideas on how to get better.

Strive to Become A Better Communicator

My intention is not to burden you with a suggested reading list as long as your arm. However, self-study prepares the mind and will for greater accomplishment.  If you are interested in reading materials to improve communication skills , fifteen minutes in your local library, bookstore or online will provide you dozens of options.  I will suggest two books that I think can be helpful to anyone at any stage of life or career.

Secure a copy today of Dale Carnegie’s classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People.  You won’t be sorry.  It hasn’t sold millions of copies over sixty-plus years by accident.

My book, We Need To Talk, is an easy read under 100 pages. It contains actionable, practical insights for communicating more successfully with anyone, anywhere, anytime and under virtually any circumstance.

 

Work to Exceed Expectations

“Do more than is expected” is one of my mantras for life. So, whether you love your job or not, I would say — do more than is expected. You will never worry about evaluations, regardless the form they might take, if you are constantly doing more than is expected.

If you are a teacher, pay close attention to other teachers and students.  Maybe you are a manager, pay close attention to other managers and employees.  You may be a parent, pay close attention to other parents and children.  If you are a member of the clergy, pay close attention to other spiritual shepherds and their flocks.  Watch and listen.  Gather up all the good ideas you can unearth and incorporate them into your “bag of tricks”.  Above all, notice the gaps that exist that people are talking about.  Then do everything you can to make sure you are not guilty of the same.

Don’t wait for your boss, your spouse, your parent, your client or anyone else to challenge you to exceed their expectations because it probably won’t happen.  Remember, they aren’t expecting much.  The opportunity always exists for you to give them more.

Never Give Up

I will make this last point short and sweet — don’t you dare give up! Don’t ever allow yourself to think your effort to develop yourself means little.  Whether you love your job right now or not, as a professional you should always be looking to become better so you can achieve better.

 

Need Help Improving Your Leaders & Teams Communication? Let’s Talk About It.

#loveyourjob #nevergiveup #professionaldevelopment #successmindset #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #dalecarnegie #leadersoughttoknow

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Before You Speak Up

I believe you can ignite your professional success when you boldly speak up.  But, no matter how incredible your presentation, product or proposition is, before you can get a seat at the table, your professional reputation has to get you through the door.

No one has to listen to you.  There may be some people who don’t have a choice but to hear you, but to truly listen, that’s their decision.  So whether you want a promotion at work, the chance to get in front of a prospective customer, or maybe you really just want the people around you to value your thoughts, before you speak up, make sure you’ve created a reputation that will earn you a seat at the table.  If you don’t, your bold ‘ask’ will most likely fall on deaf ears.

Reputation

I’m not all about Taylor Swift, but do you remember her song End Game?

Toward the end of the song she says ‘reputation precedes me’.  She hit the nail on the head with that phrase.  Before you ever get a chance to speak up for yourself, people are already going to have an opinion about you.

Should other people’s opinion of you matter?  Absolutely.

Why?  Their opinion of you matters because it drives how they treat you.

 

It Didn’t Work

I heard a story recently about an employee who wanted a raise.

If you’ve heard me speak before, then you know I believe you should speak up and ask for what you want to get what you want (I wrote a short blog on that, too: Ask for Opportunity).  

The employee did just that, he spoke up and asked for what he wanted. 

What happened? 

He didn’t get it.

A Day In Agriculture

The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Research and Education Center was and is a critical resource not only in western Kentucky, but the entire United States for animal science and crop science.  In 1973, I had my first “real” job at the UKREC.  I came off the farm so I understood what to do, I just didn’t understand why I was doing it. My work there helped me understand not only the what (application) but more important, the why (education.) Let me explain.

Become The Expert

Travis Legleiter is an Extension Assistant Professor at the UKREC.  Travis is a member of my Vision 2050 Emerging Leaders Program.  Through this program he is participating in developing his leadership skills for an entire year, however, he is already a recognized authority in his field of agriculture.

 

Travis invited me to come to his presentation at the UKREC 2019 Field Day where he was talking to professionals all across the country about weed science.  He was talking not to farmers, but experts.  This was experts learning from experts and I was impressed.  Travis was training the other experts with new information to teach, train and share with other people.

It was truly wonderful to be there, surrounded by agriculture experts. Even though I didn’t understand much of what was being said, they completely understood.  That encouraged me to get better at understanding what I talk about so other people can understand and apply it better, too.

 

Learning Should Never End

This day just kept getting better.  About halfway into the morning, I ran into this guy, Nolan Mullican.

I was climbing on a trailer to be taken to some food plots and I had to ask this young man if I could join him.  As he scooted over, I jumped in and greeted him,  “Hi, how are you?” I noticed that he had a hat on that said Hutson Inc.  Hutson, Inc. happens to be one of my clients, so I asked, “Do you work for Hutson?”  He said, “I do.  This summer I am an intern.”

Then he looked at me strangely and he said, “Do you mind if I ask you what your name is?” I said, “Sure, I am Phillip Van Hooser.”  He immediately lit up.

He said, “I was a member of the Helena Agri-Enterprises Intern Class of 2018.  I have kept up with you but I didn’t recognize you in your cap and sunglasses until now.  I’ve read your Willie’s Way book and I read your blogs — I love everything you say!

I want you to know how much I appreciate you coming and talking to the intern group at Helena.  It was a wonderful foundation that I am now able to build on.  I am from Owensboro, KY and am entering my senior year of college at the Hutson School of Agriculture at Murray State University and I am sure I’ll be able to apply the same information as I move in to my new job about a year from now.”

I’ve had the good fortune to not only work with Hutson, Helena and Murray State’s School of Agriculture but to get to know the leaders of these organizations and their commitment to the on-going education of their employees, interns and students through hands-on application.

 

The Big Takeaway

It was a pleasure to be Travis’ guest and to bump into Nolan that gorgeous summer morning at the UKREC Field Day. But my big takeaway from both these guys was the reminder that continuing education (learning that doesn’t end) plus application (hard work) — both pursued passionately — leads us to a level of excellence and expertise that companies and colleagues recognize, seek and reward. I’d say that’s a lesson most of us need to remember. Thanks guys!

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Mistakes At Work: Rise Up from a Slip Up

 There is not a person out there who has never made mistakes at work — don’t let IG, Snapchat, or some other form of highlight reel deceive you.  It is encouraging though, that the most successful people are the ones who have likely made multiple mistakes along the way!  There is hope ?!  It is a person’s reaction and response to their mistakes that will ultimately separate the successful few from the unsuccessful masses.  Here is my 3 step process — learned the hard way –to help you rise up when you slip up.

In my 20’s (I turned 30 this year ?), I definitely made my share of mistakes at work.  Whether it was calling a Code Black to all staff and customers, rushing hundreds of them to a safe place, then realizing the siren wasn’t a tornado warning.  Or maybe it was the time I left the bank doors unlocked all night (still dying over that one).  Then there was that one time that I could not wait to present a project, but forgot to obtain one of the most critical pieces of information. ?‍♀️

Alright, I’ll stop roasting myself for a minute. ?

The thing about it is, if you go back and talk to all of my previous supervisors, those mistakes aren’t the things they will tell you about me.  Most of them don’t even remember them–I’ve asked!  But what they do remember is that I consistently handled myself as a professional and they were impressed.  You see, even when you slip up, you can still go up.

Here is my proven 3-step process to help you next time you make a mistake:

 

1.  Admit

Admit it was you that made the mistake.  I have probably gained more respect from my coworkers not by successfully leading massive projects, or sharing new ideas that increased profits, etc., but by owning my mistakes.  You build trust, break down walls, increase communication, and relieve tension when you step up to the plate and admit you’ve made a mistake.

Now, if at all possible, I would encourage you to take time to prepare for steps two and three thoroughly before you own up.  Not because letting time pass will make things better, it won’t at this point.  But because you want to show everyone affected that you are someone to be taken seriously because you take yourself serious.  However, if there is no time for that in the moment, if you’re in a meeting when the mistake is realized and the boss wants to know who is responsible, then pull up your boot straps and own it.  And when you do, make it clear that you plan to dig deeper into making things right ASAP.

 

2.  Apologize

You’ve admitted fault.  Now you must apologize.  Here’s the thing, when you make mistakes at work, it can affect other people — coworkers, subordinates, customers, and even shareholders.  Apologizing may be hard for some people, but it is absolutely necessary. Apologizing helps mend the emotional aspect of relationships damaged in the way of trust, confidence, etc. by your mistake.

Most importantly, your apology must be sincere and hit home to what’s important to the affected party.  Acknowledge how the mistake hurt them and express empathy for that.  I say it all the time, but this is just another reason why you must deeply know the people you work with. Your understanding of them will affect multiple aspects of your own career.

 

3.  Explain

You have to explain these three questions:

❓How did you get to the place where you made a mistake?

Were you rushing?  Did you not do enough research?  Whatever the reason, know it.  Own it.  Say it.  

Take time to nail down the root cause of why your mistakes at work happened so you can make sure this doesn’t happen again.

❓How are you going to fix it?

Hopefully your mistake is one that can be fixed.  If it’s not, you have to move on to the next question.  If there is a solution, figure it out and do it.

❓How are you going to make sure it doesn’t happen again?

Apologies are worthless if your actions don’t change.  You have to know the answer to #1 so you can figure out #3. 

If you continue to make the same mistake over and over, it is no longer a mistake but a choice.  It’s your future — so choose wisely.

 

Professionalism Defined

Professionalism wins — all day every day.  Professionalism is a choice.  Choosing to consistently handle yourself in a controlled, mature, intuitive, humble, driven state of excellence, then people will not ignore you.  You will be recognized as one of the best — as a professional — and professionals get opportunities, even if they’ve made mistakes in the past.

 

Need Help Improving Your Leaders & Teams Performance? Let’s Talk About It.

 

#professionalism #shouldiapologize #communicatebetter #ownit #professionalismformillennials #professionalismforgenz #keynotespeaker #leadershiptraining #emergingleaderdevelopment

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Kill The Beef: Interpersonal Issues At Work

If you have beef with someone, you’re not enjoying hamburgers ? on your lunch break — you have issues with someone ?.  How you handle these interpersonal issues at work affects you, the people around you, and your potential future opportunities.  Here are 3 tips to help you kill the beef at work, check it out!

You’ve either been there before or are in the midst of issues at work right now.  So, let’s dig into a few lessons I’ve learned the hard way, but have proven to be beneficial in the end for everyone involved.

 

1.  Get Over Yourself. ?

I understand that the issue you’re having may not be your fault, but if you don’t want it to negatively affect your career, you have to take responsibility for fixing it.

“get over yourself” is harsh, but it was almost too late before someone finally said that to me — and I don’t want it to be too late for you!

Okay, they didn’t actually say to me, “get over yourself”, but my supervisor at a past job told me I was not getting promoted if I didn’t fix an issue between me and another co-worker, “Ben.” Here’s the thing, Ben had an issue with me, I didn’t have an issue with him.  I was doing what I was supposed to and getting great results! So, up until this point, I thought this was Ben’s problem — not mine.  Obviously I was wrong.

After that specific conversation with my supervisor, I realized really quick that I had to get over myself and the attitude that it wasn’t my problem.  That obviously wasn’t getting me anywhere.  If I was going to move up in the organization I had to own the responsibility of making things right.

What issues at work are you facing that you could fix if you just choose to own them and make it right?  If you don’t, what opportunities could you be missing out on?

2.  Figure Out The Root Issue. ?

Now that you’ve got the first step — choosing to get over yourself and own the responsibility to make it all right — the next step is to get to the heart of interpersonal issues at work.

The thing is, symptoms of issues can show up in different ways: a rude comment in a meeting, a lack of communication between departments, disengaged co-workers, etc.  But, you can’t fix an issue if you only know what the symptoms are.  You have to get down to the root of it all or else you’ll keep spinning your wheels putting bandaids on things that are actually much deeper.

Through my years of experience working in multiple management roles, in multiple industries, with multiple generations, I learned that the best way to get to the heart of an interpersonal issue is to approach it privately, with humility, and kindness.

If you have an issue with someone, or if you know someone has an issue with you, ask to have a private conversation with them.   Once you’re alone, tell them you genuinely want to understand why you are not jiving and you will do what it takes to make it right.  Remember to use kind words, a kind tone of voice, and have a kind demeanor.   Doing this will help create an environment where the other person feels comfortable enough to let their guard down and open up.   Once that happens, you both can get down to real issue at hand so you can move on — and move up!

3.  Be The Solution to Interpersonal Issues at Work. ??

To get rid of interpersonal issues at work once and for all, ask them how you can fix it — wether its your fault or not.

If the solution is not going to sacrifice your professionalism, then do it.

(Yes this may mean you put your phone away more.  It may mean you lose the messy bun.  You might have to show up to work earlier, check and respond to your email and voicemail more often, take on more responsibility or even keep your mouth shut, etc.)

Don’t be fooled by pop culture telling you that you should #doyou and never adapt to what other people want.  That approach might work if you’re Cardi B, but I am talking to people like you and me.  The people who are working in banks, hospitals, plants, mines, schools, restaurants, stores, and offices.   You have to get along with people if you are going to be successful.  You have to be willing to bend even when you don’t like it.  This is the crossroads for the successful path and the unsuccessful path, so buck up buttercup!  It might be tough, but so are you!  You are meant for more, so be part of the solution.

Less Drama = More Opportunity ?

If you’re easy to work with and take responsibility for fixing interpersonal issues at work as they come up, your name will start rising to the top of the list for the next opportunity.  Maybe that opportunity is to gain more dedicated followers at work.  Maybe that opportunity is a promotion. The possibilities are endless!  If you want more professional opportunities, kill the beef at work.

 

Need Help Improving Communication Among Your Leaders & Teams? Let’s Talk About It.

#interpersonalskills #communicationskills #professionaldevelopment #nomoredrama #killthebeef #ownit #getopportunity #leadershipdevelopment #emergingleaders #newleaders #keynotespeaker

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