Becky Robinson's Blog, page 25

Women, Step Into Your Power with Bonnie Marcus

These are challenging but changing times, and more than ever, women need to know how to position themselves at work. Many women focus on performance, thinking that good work garners promotion. Yet too often, unconscious bias and stereotypes create special challenges for women, and they’re left outside of the circles of power and influence where decisions are made that affect their careers.

Bonnie Marcus, president of Women’s Success Coaching and author of The Politics of Promotion, provides a framework for breaking into those circles and learning to navigate the complex rules and customs that hinder professional recognition for women. Her ongoing Women’s Empowerment Series offers the tools and guidance women need to successfully navigate the realities of their organization.

How to Step Into Your Power

In the first session of the Women’s Empowerment Series, Bonnie explained the subtle ways women give their power away — and how they can get it back. It’s no secret that society still isn’t comfortable with powerful women. And as ambitious women, we struggle to balance our desire to succeed and our need to be liked and accepted. As a result, we often give our power away.

Watch below to discover how we choose to use our power by unconsciously giving it away, consciously giving it away, or owning it. You will learn about the implications of the Doer trap, and be empowered to take control of your life and career!

Bonnie continues the Women’s Empowerment Series by considering how women can navigate a rapidly changing workplace. Watch the second installment below to learn how organizations can best support women in the workplace. Explore the idea of sponsorship of women by men, and consider how to effectively increase communication and interaction between men and women. You will gain a better understanding of the dynamics of office politics, and discover how women can use the tools in the political toolkit to become politically savvy!

Join Us Next Time

Join us for the next installment of the Women Empowerment Series on November 13, as Bonnie discusses how to develop personal authentic leadership. Discover how to best position yourself as a leader in a crowded field, and how to avoid some common traps that hold you back. This will be a valuable resource to anyone interested in self-development as a tool for leadership! Learn more & register here.

Women, Step Into Your Power!

These are challenging but changing times, and more than ever, women need to know how to position themselves at work. Many women focus on performance, thinking that good work garners promotion. Yet too often, unconscious bias and stereotypes create special challenges for women, and they’re left outside of the circles of power and influence where decisions are made that affect their careers.

Bonnie Marcus, president of Women’s Success Coaching and author of The Politics of Promotion, provides a framework for breaking into those circles and learning to navigate the complex rules and customs that hinder professional recognition for women. Her ongoing Women’s Empowerment Series offers the tools and guidance women need to successfully navigate the realities of their organization.

How to Step Into Your Power

In the first session of the Women’s Empowerment Series, Bonnie explained the subtle ways women give their power away — and how they can get it back. It’s no secret that society still isn’t comfortable with powerful women. And as ambitious women, we struggle to balance our desire to succeed and our need to be liked and accepted. As a result, we often give our power away.

Watch below to discover how we choose to use our power by unconsciously giving it away, consciously giving it away, or owning it. You will learn about the implications of the Doer trap, and be empowered to take control of your life and career!

Bonnie continues the Women’s Empowerment Series by considering how women can navigate a rapidly changing workplace. Watch the second installment below to learn how organizations can best support women in the workplace. Explore the idea of sponsorship of women by men, and consider how to effectively increase communication and interaction between men and women. You will gain a better understanding of the dynamics of office politics, and discover how women can use the tools in the political toolkit to become politically savvy!

Join Us Next Time

Join us for the next installment of the Women Empowerment Series on November 13, as Bonnie discusses how to develop personal authentic leadership. Discover how to best position yourself as a leader in a crowded field, and how to avoid some common traps that hold you back. This will be a valuable resource to anyone interested in self-development as a tool for leadership! Learn more & register here.

3 Ways to Celebrate Your Book Launch

You’ve written your manuscript, found a publisher, survived the revisions, and now you have a date circled on your calendar when your book will launch into the world. This is a big deal, and you need to celebrate it! 

If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got three ideas that you can take action on and personalize to fit your book and audience. 

You’re Cordially Invited

I can always tell when one of my kids has received an invitation to a birthday party from a classmate, because as soon as they get in the car they’re talking about it and asking if they can go. They’re excited about the possibility of doing something fun, eating something good, and joining in their friend’s celebration. So why should a book launch be any different? Don’t you want people to be that excited with you about this major life event?

TAKE ACTION ⇒ We’ve talked about the importance of creating permission-based email lists in the past, and this is why. It’s time to reach out to those people who have opted in, and let them know that your book is coming and you’d like to invite them to help you celebrate. Don’t just make it another form letter, though . . . get creative! Start by asking yourself why people would want to support, buy, and promote your book over others in the same genre, and then share that with them. 

Excitement is contagious, so if you’re excited, chances are, they will be too. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Be The Center of Attention

Becky Robinson has been known to say that a book launch is like a wedding. Why? Because major life events such as a graduation, wedding, or retirement, usually involve a party, where your friends and family gather to celebrate with you. Reaching this milestone of becoming a published author should also be acknowledged and celebrated.

TAKE ACTION ⇒ This book that you’re about to publish is the culmination of months — if not years — of work, so don’t be shy about throwing some cake at it and inviting your friends to join you! Host the event at an independent bookstore, in your backyard, or at a local coffeehouse. Announce it through your social channels, and invite others to join you. The more the merrier! Set up a photobooth at the event, with copies of your book on hand (and your social handles clearly visible) so people can immediately take a snapshot and share their support of your hard work.

You’ve worked hard to get here, so don’t be afraid to shine!    

Apply The Peppa Pig Principle

When my youngest turned five, she was right in the middle of a Peppa Pig phase. At her party we had Peppa Pig plates, napkins, cups, hats, and party horns, and when she received a giant stuffed Peppa Pig, no one had any doubts about her excitement. Well, guess what? You’ve written a BOOK — you should be as excited as a Peppa Pig crazy five year old! 

TAKE ACTION ⇒ If people visit your website, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter accounts, can they instantly tell that you’ve written a book and you are excited about it? Have you “decorated” your online world with beautiful graphics announcing the release? Can they easily find out when it’s coming or where they can pre-order it? If the answer is no, then one of the first things you need to do is visit a free site like Canva and work on your party decor! Update your social headers, create graphics using book endorsements or quotes and share them regularly, let people know that you . . . and others . . . are a fan of this book!

In a world full of bad news, give people something to get excited about.

3 Outward Bound Lessons to Spark Your Leadership Growth

Outward Bound Lessons to Live a Life of Leadership explores the concept of Expeditionary Leadership through the stories of former instructors and graduates of Outward Bound USA, and demonstrates how each of us can — in our own way — use the Outward Bound philosophy to bravely face the wild unknowns in our daily lives.

Here are few key thoughts from the book to help you embrace your role as a leader, whatever your current job title may be.

You Are Already A Leader

Mark has a few key points he focuses on in this book that follow the Outward Bound tagline — To Serve, To Strive, and Not to Yield.

To Serve: mission-driven work, serving the community, and following your path
To Strive: the leader as learner, the importance of continuing to learn throughout the journey, and the value of perseverance
Not to Yield: learning new areas of yourself you don’t know exist, and using that knowledge in your life

The Outward Bound motto, which is the the way the book is broken down, had significant impact on me. When I read the book, I started with the mindset that this is a leadership book, and I need to read it as if I were the leader of a business, or a teacher, or — for lack of better words — in a position of leadership in which I had a lot of people following me.

As I continued reading, I realized that each of these areas of the Outward Bound motto fit into the different leadership roles I play in my own life. The motto doesn’t require you to be in a high position of authority, but it applies to the areas of leadership that we often forget about. For me personally, it’s the leadership role of being a mom. In my family, I am a leader.

I quickly began to shift the lens in which I was reading the book from, and looked for ways to apply it to my everyday, ordinary life as a wife and mom.

To Serve: I was challenged to think about the mission of my role as a wife and a mom. What is it that I want to see my family achieving, and what is my role in that? How am I setting up my husband and daughter for success? What values am I living out and instilling in them? What can I be doing to care for them well so that they do the same for others?

To Strive: I was challenged to consider the opportunities to learn and grow that I have neglected. Being a leader, no matter how big or small the role might be, there is a constant learning curve in order to be the best leader one can possibly be. What can I be striving after to better my role as a wife and a mom? What resources are available to me that I am not taking advantage of? In what areas of my leadership role do I need to dig in a little bit deeper, especially when it gets difficult, and what do I learn from those experiences?

Not to Yield: This part of the Outward Bound motto probably impacted me the most. It was almost like receiving permission to explore my life. It reminded me that it is absolutely okay, and even beneficial to take time to do some self-reflection and learn about myself. The only limits I experience are the limits I put on myself, and this was almost like a statement of freedom, to say, “I will not stop here! I’m not yielding to anything, and I am going to learn all there is to know about myself, even the stuff that surprises me!”

Since then, I have been doing some more self-reflection, and I have even been challenging myself to some brainstorming sessions where I have been writing down things I am noticing or discovering about myself and then making a plan to bring some of those things to life, whether it is a new activity I want to try, an adventure I want to go on, or something about my character that I want to develop a bit more.

Leadership Is About People

“Empathy and action together form the true measure of distinction of an expeditionary leader.”

In order to be the best leader you can possibly be, you first have to care for people.

Empathy — not only feeling for someone, but placing yourself in their shoes to try and understand what they are feeling — is a form of compassion and service. When you are empathetic, you are serving an individual. Without empathy, you won’t build strong relationships with those you are leading, because they won’t ever feel that you are connecting with them as an individual.

When you pair empathy with action, you have a strong leader. Someone who seeks to understand those they are leading, makes a plan of action, and then executes that plan . . . now that is a powerful leader.

There’s Always Opportunity To Lead

“We can lead from where we are. We don’t need the title or position of leader. We just have to do what is right. Despite the risk. For ourselves. For each other.”

I am not the CEO of a large company, or a professor at a large university — but I am a wife, a mom, a friend, I am involved in church, I serve in my community, and there is always an opportunity to be a leader.

We tend to place the importance of a leader based on how many followers they have, but this quote made me realize that I am being a leader any time I make the choice to do the right thing. Anytime I am making a decision that will impact people beyond just myself. There is no “number requirement” to be a leader.

All of us are leaders in several areas of our lives; we have to embrace those roles, even if they don’t have a title!

If you read Outward Bound Lessons, what were some of your key takeaways?

If you haven’t read it yet, order your copy here!

The 10 Commandments for Writing Killer Articles

Every author needs to write and publish constantly—right? If we don’t… who are we? Will our skills crinkle up and disappear? Will our influence disappear from the interwebs altogether?

Articles are a great way to build your platform and reach new readers, but crafting your message and selling your message are two very different skill sets. Some writers can do both. Most can’t.

So maybe there’s another way to look at article writing. Maybe instead of trying to meet an arbitrary quota, we should start asking whether the reader can smell our desperation when we set out to write an article that “sells” our idea rather than something that matters. (Spoiler alert: it’s all about the reader.)

If you’re feeling the pressure (or desire) to write an article, think through these ten things first.

1. Why are you feeling the pressure?

Peer pressure?
To get up on a soapbox?
To test out an idea for a new book?
To answer a question you get frequently?
To build your platform?
To beef up your blog archives?
To impart a small nugget of wisdom?
Vague ennui?

None of these are necessarily bad reasons for writing an article. But consider that, depending on your expectations and your season of life, there may be even better ways to impart that idea.

Maybe it’s a strategic coffee invitation, so that you can process your idea verbally with immediate feedback. Maybe it’s a quick invitation for comment on LinkedIn. Or maybe you are just trying to stay disciplined about writing every day. (If that’s your goal, consider a tool like 750words.com instead… your blog doesn’t need to be a dumping ground for every passing thought.)

2. Who is your audience?

If the article is for a publication, how much of that publication have you read? The best pitches come from interacting organically with an outlet or community for a while. When you’ve had a subscription for years, you’ll have a much better idea of the topics it covers and the way it covers them.

Never, never write a boilerplate pitch to shop around to multiple outlets. Let me repeat this: never, never, sent boilerplate pitches!! No two publications have exactly the same audience (or the same editorial staff), so why would one pitch work for both of them?

If you’re writing for your own blog readers, this is much easier because you’ve probably been interacting for years. You may even know many of them by name—in fact, you may be able to predict their comments in your head before the post even goes live.

But you’ll still need to answer the following question:

3. What is the ask?

Put another way: when my reader finishes reading this, what specific actions am I hoping they’ll take?

Examples of your ‘ask’ might be something that directly benefits you:

Buying your book
Leaving a comment on the post sharing their own experience with the subject
Subscribing to your email list so they never miss another brilliant idea

Or it might be a behavior change that benefits society:

Reconsidering a previously held belief
Apologizing to someone
Doing more research on the subject
Shifting mindsets

Whatever the ask is, make sure it’s absolutely clear. Otherwise, you’ve just wasted your reader’s time.

4. What is the very best format for this article?

Maybe you blog pretty regularly, but have hit a plateau on traffic. Why not try writing an op-ed? Or pitching your favorite magazine or industry publication? Trying out a fresh format might take a little extra research, but breathe fresh air into your writerly sails. (Of course, if you can turn the whole thing into a listicle, do that whenever possible.)

5. Where is the best place to share your article?

Proceed with caution when cross-posting content to your social networks, since each of your online networks has a different purpose—and a different blend of people. (Remember the rule about writing for your audience?)

Here are some basic rules:

Twitter—for anyone who has followed your professional work or wants to interact with you
LinkedIn—for anyone you’ve worked with directly, or would like to work with
Facebook—for anyone who might appreciate keeping up with your work (in a limited way!)
Email list—for anyone who has specifically signed up to read more of your content
Instagram—for anyone who might want to be part of your community, see you speak in person, or buy your book

Once again: it’s all about the audience. Think about which of your followers would most appreciate seeing this article, where, and in what way. If an article you really love starts to take off—as in, racking up hundreds of hits and comments in its first few hours online—consider capitalizing on the momentum by paying for ads to boost it even more.

As you finish the process, consider adding a few finishing touches to your article:

6. Within the article, can you link (strategically) to other posts on your site, or to sites you admire?

This is good for your SEO (search engine optimization) and might get noticed on the other end by your author crush.

7. How readable is the article?

Check the Flesch-Kincaid reading level here. Most newspapers and websites aim for an 8th grade reading level, so favor short, clear sentences over long ones.

8. Does it have a nice, clicky headline?

They’ll never find your content if they don’t love your headline. Headline Analyzer from CoSchedule will analyze your headline grammar and keywords and give you a predictive rating for how the headline will perform.

9. Have I read it out loud?

Unless you have a professional editor proofreading every post, read that sucker out loud. It’s the best way to catch awkward phrasing and mistakes.

10. Have I gone on a “which” hunt?

As you read it out loud, kill all your passive verbs (which slow down your writing). Keep an eye out for any cliches, overused phrases, or unnecessary words, like “which” and “that.”

Your turn! What are some other questions you ask yourself before writing an article?

Outward Bound Lessons to Live a Life of Leadership

The principles that bind people together in the natural world work just as well in cities, companies, and communities. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than through Outward Bound USA’s education programs, which puts strangers in unfamiliar and unpredictable settings, where to succeed they must develop a sense of resilience, self-confidence, teamwork, and a focus on the greater good.

This week, we are honored to launch a book that describes in detail the principles of Outward Bound, told through the stories of former instructors and graduates who show how to apply them to create healthier, more effective teams, organizations, and communities.

Outward Bound Lessons

For nearly six decades, Outward Bound USA’s education programs have shaped the lives of tens of thousands of participants. Strangers are put in an unfamiliar and unpredictable setting, where to succeed they must develop a sense of teamwork, resilience, self-confidence, and a focus on the greater good. But, Mark Brown asks, isn’t the modern world just as unpredictable and challenging as any mountain or desert? He shows how the same principles that bind people together in the natural world work just as well in cities, companies, and communities.

This book explores the concept of Expeditionary Leadership through the stories of people such as third-generation business steward Laura Kohler, the Home Depot cofounder Arthur Blank, and former United States Senator Mark Udall, whose lives were touched by Outward Bound and who then went on to make a positive difference in the world. They show how each of us can, in our own way, use the Outward Bound philosophy to bravely face the wild unknowns in our daily lives.

From training the first Peace Corps volunteers to partnering with thousands of educational institutions and corporations, Outward Bound has helped build the self-confidence and character of participants who have gone on to live richer, more fulfilling, and successful lives. Outward Bound internationally operates in thirty-three countries and impacts nearly a quarter of a million people annually.

Meet the Author

Mark Brown, former participant and instructor in Outward Bound USA’s education programs, believes the modern world is just as unpredictable and challenging as any mountain or desert. He shows how the same principles that bind people together in the natural world work just as well in cities, companies, and communities.

Originally a native of Northeastern Ohio, Mark moved to Naples, Florida, where he worked as a writer and magazine editor. At the age of 25, he decided to attend a 23-day trip to an Outward Bound course in Utah. It was life changing. After taking a temporary job as a van driver for Outward Bound in Minnesota, he helped successfully search for and rescue a teenage boy that had become separated from the group. As a result, Outward Bound asked him to become an instructor ,which began a 22-year working relationship with the organization. He accrued over 1,000 days in the wilderness as an instructor.

Mark eventually relocated to Asheville, NC, and continued his work with the North Carolina Outward Bound School. He trained to be a professional coach and began designing some of the first corporate leadership development programs that Outward Bound offered, blending the wilderness with classroom training and organizational consulting. He also earned a master’s degree in business/entrepreneurship from Western Carolina University, and began serving as a transformational leadership consultant in a variety of industries.

Mark currently lives in Hawaii with his family, where he continues his work as a master coach, consultant and facilitator, helping people and organizations successfully navigate the rapid changes of our modern world. When he’s not working, you’ll most likely find him disappearing down a trail, fishing with his son, or paddling a canoe somewhere. The wilderness always calls!

Praise from Readers Like You

“Outward Bound Lessons is simple, direct, practical, and can be implemented in nearly any setting. The three points – To Serve, To Strive, and Not to Yield are well illustrated by the author with his own experiences and those of others who practice these principles.” —DocMyron, Amazon review

“This book really brings together the story of outward bound but throughout this you also experience many leadership principles as well. I love that this book encourages all of us to be a lifelong learner no matter what. . . . Anyone that wants to learn some solid leadership principles will leave reading this with great ideas for the future.” —Dad of Divas, Amazon review

“I like the term ‘Expeditionary Leader’ that’s used in the book because it suggests good leaders never stop learning and they never stop being a part of the adventure. The book is relatively short, contains real life examples, and unpacks the Outward Bound motto: ‘To serve, to strive, and not to yield.’ Divided into three sections, each point of the motto is expounded upon with real people examples.” —Lisa K, Amazon review

“This book is a call to discover the possibilities of serving, striving and not yielding in ourselves and to set our own sails ‘outward bound.’ Each chapter ends with reflection questions to help the reader reflect and apply the content.” —Leslie, Amazon review

Learn More

Visit Amazon to buy a copy of the book or leave a short review of it.
Visit the website to learn more about Mark and other expeditionary leaders.
Watch the recent webinar to learn more about expeditionary leadership.

How to Choose Your Own Core Values

Having established and well-defined core values matters for everyone, at every level: from college students to stay-at-home moms, executive officers, retirees, city officials, regional managers, international business owners, and leaders of nations.

They represent our most deeply held beliefs, determine how we develop our culture, and give us a code of conduct for every situation.

So have you taken the time to determine your own values? If not, here are a few simple steps to get you started.

Consider What’s Important

Set aside an hour and start jotting down your highest priorities and most deeply held convictions. Are you religious? Are you a “family first” sort of person? Do you put everything on hold to focus on your health? Is there something you’re always saying — like “you’re only as good as your word” or “laughter is the best medicine”? Do you view certain attributes as an instant turnoff, like closed-mindedness or unreliability?

If you need some help, browse a few lists of core values (like this or this). Read what our team has chosen for their personal values. Consider the Weaving Influence values.

Refine Your Foundations

Feel free to let that list simmer for a few days, if you want. Some of us take longer to process ideas, and you might have a few lightbulb moments in the shower or the middle of the night (just keep paper and pen handy so you don’t disrupt your sleep trying to remember it all night!). When you’re ready to move on, print out the list and a few different colored pens. Read over each entry:

Does it duplicate or overlap with any other entries?
Is there a more succinct way to say it (i.e., simplify “being honest, open, and trustworthy” to “integrity”)?
Is it something you want to be known by for the rest of your life?

Using one color, make revisions beside each entry. Now grab a second color, and start underlining the top dozen things that matter most to you. Once you’re finished, grab a third color and circle the top five from that list.

Clarify Each Value

Open a new document and list those top five values. Under each one, write a short (1-2 lines) statement of how you define that value. For instance, under integrity you could write: “Not just refraining from verbal lies, but being trustworthy, authentic, and honest in every area of my life.” Under people first you could write: “Value others more than stuff or status. Prioritize time together. Support each others’ endeavors. Work life around family, rather than the other way around.”

This step may take some time, dictionary work, and soul searching to complete — but don’t rush the process. Mull it over as you go through your days, making decisions and interacting with others. How are those five values motivating you and guiding your actions? How can you better define and describe their significance in a timeless yet personally applicable way?

Add Specific Applications

For each value, what are some specific ways or scenarios that it will be acted upon? List up to five for each one. For example, where does integrity matter most to you? Some things you could list include: doing what you promise, conducting business in a trustworthy manner, interacting with others respectfully and openly, giving your best effort in every area, etc.

You want these examples to be timeless, not just “being honest when I have lunch with my sister on Friday” — but also specific, not vague generalizations such as “always being honest.” Think of it like a spectrum: your examples need to land somewhere in the middle. Again, take a few days or a week to consider where each value has the most impact in your everyday life. And remember, this list is for you alone. Include whatever makes the most sense for your life, where you need the reminders most, or where you want each value to have the most impact.

Review and Remember

Once your top five values have been clarified and defined, and you’ve listed some specific ways you will live them out — don’t just close the document and forget about it! Now is the time to celebrate a fresh sense of purpose and priority! Post your values where you’ll see them on a regular basis. Here are some ideas:

Print out individual values and definitions in an eye-catching font and color, then frame each and hang on your office or bedroom wall.
Create a simple but professional looking document with the entire list (sans applications) and frame to put on your desk.
Dedicate a space in your yearly planner for your values list, and include the list of applications for each.
Include your complete values and applications list with your monthly, quarterly, or yearly goals worksheets.

Again, there’s no wrong way to do this — figure out what works best for you. The point is to keep them front of mind and review them on a regular basis, to ensure that you’re living according to the values you’ve chosen. They may change a bit down the road, and that’s okay. They’re your values: feel free to revise and rearrange them through the years to fit your changing priorities and beliefs.

Have you ever set personal core values? What are your top five?

Core Values: Flexibility

Flexibility (noun): the ability to be easily modified; willingness to change or compromise.

At Weaving Influence, one of our core values is flexibility, and being in a virtual work space, I see this playing out in many different ways every single day. 

In a virtual work environment, being flexible is a must. There are a lot of different people with a lot of different schedules, doing a lot of different things, with a lot of different timelines. A client project has a lot of different pieces to the puzzle, and everyone has their piece. You have to be willing to be flexible with your piece — and those of others — in order to achieve the common goal of serving our clients with excellence.  

Sometimes being flexible looks like waking up at 5 AM because that time works best to jump on a call with a colleague to figure out a web issue (been there, done that!). Sometimes, it looks like pushing back a task to allow someone else a little more time to finish their part first.

Sometimes being flexible looks like stopping in the middle of a project and going back to square one, because you have input from a client or coworker that will make your work so much better. 

But sometimes in the Weaving Influence world, flexibility looks far different.

The very heart behind Weaving Influence is a mom who was sitting in Starbucks, sipping an iced mocha, chatting with a friend, and thinking to herself, “There has to be more. There has to be some opportunity to use my skills and talents in a professional work environment, while still having time and space to be present in the lives of my spouse and kids.”

Fast forward seven years.

That very heart and desire has created incredible opportunities for 20+ people to have a flexible work schedule and a flexible work environment that allows them to be present for the things that matter most in life — our loved ones. 

Flexibility in my day looks like hearing my 11-month-old daughter laughing and playing in the other room, and having the freedom to hit the pause button on my work to go be present and soak up and savor every single one of those baby giggles.

It looks like intentionally planning and organizing my tasks for the day, but having the freedom to be interrupted by a lunch date with my husband.

It looks like creating a plan to work ahead for a day, so that I can take a day off to enjoy time with family members when they come to visit.

It looks like having a team of incredible people all across the country who are ready and willing to step up to the plate and take some of my workload if there is a family emergency.

Flexibility in my day looks like tending to and caring for all of the things that matter most to me, while still having an outlet to use, build, and grow my professional skills and talents. 

Flexibility in the workspace takes away the pressure of normal 9-to-5 work hours and timelines, and allows our team members at Weaving Influence to create a schedule that works for their lives.

We still have deadlines, and we still meet them. We still have personal and professional goals; the way we achieve them might just look a bit different!

Here is the most important rule of goals: ‘Be clear about your goal but be flexible about the process of achieving it.’ — Brian Tracey

 

Core Values: Parternship

Partnership — noun part·​ner·​ship | ˈpärt-nər-ˌship

also ˈpärd : the state of being a partner : PARTICIPATION

At Weaving Influence, one of our core values — partnership — is what makes this whole remote working gig possible. I spend many of my working hours in video “meetings” where we are partnering on client work, there are several group “pings” that feel as though we’re in a conference room bouncing ideas off one another, and then we have our illustrious “campfire chats” where there are endless numbers of GIF’s that provide a mid-day chuckle. 

“Don’t you get lonely?” “Is it hard to stay focused?” “Wouldn’t an office be easier?”

These are the questions I am often asked when I tell people what I do and where I do it. To all of them, I say a resounding, “not at all.” You see, Weaving Influence is a company with many remote employees. I’ve never even met my boss in person! But, we are also a team of people who are encouraged and coached often. We sometimes have to learn difficult lessons, but because we have core values that we try to live each and every day, we are able to work collaboratively and effectively — with the same end goal in mind — how to best serve each other and our clients.

Jonathan Farrington of Project Smart writes: “Involving people on broad issues is motivational. Never underestimate people. Their views can enhance everything: methods, standards, processes and overall effectiveness.”

This is true of not only the work we do for our clients, but it’s imperative in the work we do on ourselves. We are always working to ensure workload is evenly distributed, what can we learn from a project or client, and what are some key takeaways we can hold onto.

I find so much value in all of the core values at Weaving Influence, but particularly in this one.

As a mom, life and the endless to-do list sometimes becomes a bit overwhelming. You feel like you have to do it all, be it all, and hold it all together. You are the rock of your kids’ world, and if the rock shifts or is unstable, it could all come crumbling down.  Knowing that I have partners at work has allowed me to see the value in partnership in my personal life. I’ve started asking for help more often, started delegating tasks to my kids more, and have even started scheduling more dates with my husband.

Living and working in partnership requires thoughtful effort, so at Weaving Influence we like to always remember: “Work with and because of our clients. Co-own their goals and success, just as we share in colleagues’ wins.”

We are in this as partners!

Core Values: Integrity

Over the course of the last couple of months, we’ve been talking a lot about values, specifically core values and what they mean to us individually, but also the core values of the collective whole as an organization.

It comes as no surprise that one of Weaving Influence’s core values is integrity. The very definition of the word embodies so much of what I’ve come to know of the company and the many people I have been fortunate enough to work with over the course of my (albeit short) time here so far — an honest, hardworking group of people who honor our clients as well as our team to produce a quality service.

Why Integrity Matters

In my own life, integrity is very important to me; although I’m sure this core value was instilled in me growing up, I wasn’t aware that it was a personal core value until early in my career when a client taught me just how important integrity was. 

It was my first job out of college, and I was grateful for the chance to work with a New York Times bestselling author. He was quirky and sometimes way out there, but I enjoyed his perspective on life, and I think his openness to all people all the time allowed me to learn the valuable lesson of integrity. 

After a newsletter with some wrong information went out to his entire mailing list, he sent an email to the team asking us to do better. There were no reprimands. There was no anger. There was no finger pointing or calling anyone out. There was just a gentle guidance to always do our best. I immediately spotted the error as mine, and instead of hiding behind the “team,” I came forth to let him know it was me and that I was really sorry to not have fact-checked the information better, and of course, promising to do better in the future.  

From my perspective, it was embarrassing, but in that embarrassment was a lesson . . . and a lifelong reward.

He praised my integrity and the courage it took to come forth. He said he valued my honesty and that, while he wasn’t happy the wrong information was sent out, he was glad it happened as it showed him who I was at my core. It was a building of trust, a strengthening of our relationship. In my coming forth, he gained respect for me; and in his kind response, I gained a newfound respect for him.

It was then that I knew integrity mattered; that it was important.

He would go on to lay off many people over the years, but throughout each round of layoffs, he always kept me on. In fact, I was one of the last two people left on the team before he decided to shut his business down. Of course, I can’t say for certain, but I always think back to that newsletter and the opportunity it afforded both of us.

This experience taught me the value of integrity, and it’s a core value I hold tight, for myself and for others.

Not only is it the basis for a strong moral compass, it also signifies togetherness, a wholeness. That unity is the driving force to our team here at Weaving Influence, and I’m proud to be a part of a company that upholds the values of the organization and demonstrates integrity, not just in words on a page, but in daily actions that speak (loudly) for themselves.