David Dye's Blog, page 26

Leading a Fast Growing Remote Culture with Antonella Pisani

Episode 239: Antonella Pisani, the CEO and founder of Eyeful Media, a digital marketing and consulting firm, joins host David Dye, and discusses the importance of culture, values, and remote culture in leadership. She emphasizes hiring experienced talent and creating an intellectually stimulating environment. Pisani also highlights the significance of transparency, humility, and social responsibility in building a strong company culture. She shares insights on remote work practices, such as using communication platforms like Slack, organizing shared drives, and implementing project management tools. Pisani encourages leaders to prioritize creativity and innovation by hiring the right people and fostering a culture of continuous learning and testing. She concludes by emphasizing the importance of adding value and building trust with clients and team members.

Unlocking Leadership Wisdom For A Growing Remote Culture00:00 – Embracing Diversity in Team Dynamics

Discussing the dynamics of collaborating with diverse mindsets, the speaker emphasizes the enriching and sometimes challenging aspects of building a business alongside people with differing world views, underscoring the value such diversity brings to the workplace, particularly in a remote culture.

00:14 – Leadership in a Remote Culture and Organizational Success

Introducing EFU Media, the conversation touches on the company’s remarkable growth and its focus on creating an intellectually stimulating remote culture. The CEO details how balancing life, social responsibility, and an innovative remote work environment contributed to their success.

02:01 – Foundations of Leadership: Early Beginnings

Antonella Pisani reflects on her earliest leadership experiences, starting from her teenage years. She shares how these formative experiences, including running a small business and taking initiative in various roles, laid the groundwork for her future success, especially in shaping her approach to remote culture.

03:18 – The Entrepreneurial Spirit in Youth

Pisani’s story about her early foray into entrepreneurship as a young teen selling baseball cards provides a charming glimpse into the roots of her business acumen. It highlights how early, simple ventures can spark a lifelong journey in business leadership and adaptability in a remote culture.

03:57 – Strategic Focus in a Growing Business

Here, Pisani elaborates on Eyeful Media’s core business strategies, focusing on performance-oriented services like paid search and SEO. This segment gives insights into how a customer-centric approach, combined with strategic planning, drives success in a remote culture.

06:05 – Leveraging Cross-Industry Experience for Innovation

The conversation shifts to the importance of learning from various industries. Pisani discusses how this diversity of experience fosters innovation and keeps her team challenged and engaged, a crucial aspect of maintaining a vibrant remote culture.

06:41 – Cultivating Company Culture in a Start-Up

Detailing her approach to building a company culture, Pisani emphasizes the significance of authenticity, experienced talent, and social responsibility. She shares how these elements have been integral in developing a cohesive and productive remote culture at EFU Media.

10:15 – Authenticity and Employee Engagement

Here, the focus is on the strategies employed to create a workplace where employees feel comfortable being themselves. This approach, especially critical in a remote culture, involves thoughtful hiring practices and fostering a supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

17:53 – Client Expectations vs. Team Wellness

This segment tackles the challenging balance between meeting client demands and ensuring team wellness, particularly in the context of a remote culture. Pisani candidly discusses the complexities of managing growth and maintaining employee well-being in a fast-paced environment.

26:00 – Principles of Effective Remote Culture

Closing with practical advice, Pisani shares her insights on what makes remote work successful. From communication tools like Slack to intentional knowledge sharing and fostering connections among team members, these tips are crucial for anyone looking to enhance their remote culture.

Thank You to Our Guest

Connect with Antonella Pisani

Visit @ Eyeful Media

If you’d like more specific, practical phrases and approaches for common sources of workplace conflict, check out our newest book (May 2024—available for pre-order now): Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict—What to say next to de-stress the workplace, build collaboration, and calm difficult customers.

The post Leading a Fast Growing Remote Culture with Antonella Pisani appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

4 Powerful Communication Strategies for an Unpopular Return to Office Decision

How Do I Communicate an Unpopular Return to Office Decision #AskingForaFriend?

“Hi Karin, we’ve just received word that after much debate and deliberation, there is a company-wide mandate that EVERYONE must return to office at the beginning of the year.

I know my team is not a fan (and quite frankly, neither am I). I get the rationale, AND it’s going to make all of our lives a bit harder.

We’re past the point of making a case; I’ve been told that this is no longer up for discussion. It’s time to communicate this to my team. The timing is terrible. It’s so close to the holidays I feel like the Grinch who delivered bad news.”

What’s the best way to communicate this to my team #AskingforaFriend

4 Approaches to Get Your Team Past the Disapointment and Moving Forward Productively

As a leader, not every decision you make will be popular. Sometimes you’ll be tasked with delivering news that you know won’t be popular. So, how do you communicate these tough decisions effectively? In the video above, I share four strategies that can help. Here’s a bit more.

1. Create Clarity

Communicate the ‘Why’ Behind the Decision

Explain the Rationale: Your team will be more receptive when they understand the “why” behind the decision. It’s easy to assume they know. But keep in mind, they’ve not been in the same meetings as you. They haven’t heard the case from both sides of the argument. What seems obvious to you, might not be clear to them. Be transparent about the factors that led to the decision to return to office.Anticipate Questions: Prepare yourself for the questions your team might have and address these proactively in your communication.

Communicating the Decision Clearly

Be Transparent: When you’re worried about how people will respond, it can be easy to throw the bad news in the”diaper genie” and disguise it with spin and ambiguous language. Better to speak the truth.Be Direct but Empathetic: Acknowledge that the news might not be what the team wants to hear, but it’s necessary.2. Cultivate Connection

Creating a Supportive Environment

Open Dialogue: Encourage your team to share their feelings and concerns.Reflect to Connect: Show that you’ve heard them by reflecting on what you’ve heard them say. “It sounds like you’re really frustrated.” “What I’m hearing you say is that the commute is going to create childcare issues for you.” The Powerful Phrases Connection G.O.A.T.s work well here.

Maintaining Team Morale

Focus on the Positive: Highlight any potential benefits or opportunities from this change.Provide Support: Offer resources or additional support to help your team adapt to the change that comes with the return to office initiative.3. Cultivate Curiosity

Encouraging Team Involvement

Brainstorm Together: Invite your team to share ideas to make the transition smoother. A great question to start is by asking “How can we…” make the most of this situation?Respond with Regard: Respond to their ideas with gratitude (thanking them for their contribution), information (what will happen next– even if it’s not something you can do), and an invitation to continue contributing.

Focusing on Innovation

Think Forward: Discuss how this decision might lead to new opportunities for growth, innovation, and collaboration.Encourage Creativity: Challenge your team to think creatively about how they can turn this situation to their advantage.4. Create Commitment

Ensuring Understanding and Agreement

Recap the Plan: Summarize the key points of the decision and the plan moving forward.Check for Understanding: Make sure everyone is on the same page and understands their role in the implementation.

Setting the Course for Action

Schedule the Finish: Lay out clear, actionable steps for how to proceed.Regular Check-Ins: Schedule follow-ups to assess progress, address any issues, and provide ongoing support.

Communicating unpopular decisions like return to office is undoubtedly challenging, but it’s a part of the leadership journey. By creating clarity, cultivating connection and curiosity, and creating commitment, you can navigate these tough conversations with more confidence and empathy. Remember, the way you communicate can significantly impact how your team receives and reacts to the decision.

Have you had to deliver difficult news to your team? What strategies worked for you? Please share your experiences, and let’s learn from each other.

Want more powerful phrases for dealing with tricky situations?

If you’ve noticed we’ve been talking about workplace conflict and collaboration a lot recently, it’s because we’ve been doing a lot of research, learning from people all over the world about their biggest workplace conflicts and what they would do differently next time. More on that research here.

In the meantime, our new book, Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict: What to Say Next to Destress the Workday, Build Collaboration, and Calm Difficult Customers is AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW,  and we’re working on building our speaking tour for Spring 2024 (you can take a quick peek at some of our new conflict and collaboration programs here).

 

Related Articles:

How to Stay Productive as You Return to the Office

Leadership Communication: How Do I Get Everyone On the Same Page?

Human-Centered Communication with Lizabeth Wesely-Casella

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Failure to Communicate: What to Do When Your Boss (or Team) Don’t Get It

Frustrated that they “just don’t get it?” You have a chance to lead and overcome a failure to communicate.

Nearly every leader we’ve ever worked with feels it. Those moments where the thread of understanding seems to unravel, leaving you feeling exasperated and silently screaming “Don’t they understand?” (or sometimes not so silently). At their core, these moments of frustration are an opportunity to lead and solve an all-too-common problem: failure to communicate.

Turning Frustration into Opportunity

When you find yourself frustrated, asking, “Don’t they understand? Doesn’t my boss get it? Doesn’t that senior leader know what impact they’re having here?” or, “Doesn’t the team understand why we’re doing what we’re doing?” – the answer is almost always “No, they don’t get it. They don’t fully understand.”

The alternative is that they understand–they’re fully aware of the situation and the consequences of their decisions—and they made their choice, anyway. Sometimes this happens. But you don’t want to assume that you’ve got the full picture—or that they do. Those assumptions are often at the core of our failure to communicate well with one another.

In those moments, it’s worth your effort to understand your leaders’ or your team’s decision-making if you can. You may gain a strategic insight, a longer-term focus than you had. Or you may find a problem you didn’t know about. You might discover your leaders or your team have a very different set of values and you should start planning a change.

But most often, when you feel frustrated and ask, “Don’t they get it?” The answer is “no, they don’t.”

As a leader, manager, and team member, you stand at a crossroads every time this question arises. The path you take will either lead to more frustration or to better collaboration.

When You Experience a Failure to Communicate

Imagine a senior leader shifts a process without input from you or your team. It’s easy to feel overlooked and to wonder, “How could they not see the full picture?” And if you want to be a “team player” you might feel like you must just say “yes” and add it to the long list of impossible tasks you already face.

But that’s not quite true. You still have an opportunity (and responsibility) to say something. To ask questions, understand the goals, and help your leaders understand the realities confronting your team.

When change cascades and frustration mounts, remember that silence solves nothing. Start the conversation. You have information they need. Share the trade-offs and consequences of decisions. If additional hours, resources, or shifts in priority are necessary, voice it.

You might phrase it in terms of a current choice. For example, “As we incorporate this change, here are the opportunities we have. We can adjust our KPIs for the next several weeks to accommodate the new process and time it will take to adapt it. Or we can resource differently—perhaps add people. Or we can do extra hours or overtime.”

When you have the option of more hours or intense effort, you want to voice that. It’s not a choice you can make too often before people burn out, leave, or quality suffers. So don’t assume it’s the only answer. It is a choice among others.

Your insights are the missing puzzle pieces that can complete the bigger picture for those who may not see it fully.

Own Your Leadership

Leadership isn’t about quiet compliance; it’s about courageous conversations. By communicating effectively, you’re not just passing along information; you’re advocating for your team, your customer, and for the success of the project.

Being a team player doesn’t mean saying “yes” at the cost of your team’s well-being. It means taking a stance, proposing solutions, and being the buffer that absorbs shockwaves from above, not merely a conduit for them. When you lay out the implications of decisions and suggest alternatives, you do more than share information—you guide it.

What if the response is an unreasonable expectation of overworking your team indefinitely? Then you, as a leader, are at a juncture to advocate for sustainability, to signal that while the crisis may call for short-term sacrifices, the ‘normal’ must always respect human limits.

What About Your Team or Skip-Level Frustrations?

If you have to ask, “Doesn’t my team get it?” they probably don’t.

They may not realize the importance of the issue. Often, the “why” behind actions and decisions got lost in translation. Or they don’t trust that it will last and so don’t want to waste their time. Or they’re struggling to do the thing.

Whatever the reason, there’s a failure to communicate and you can fix it. Begin by clarifying the why – what’s the reason for the request. Then check in on their understanding and ability to do it. They may need training. Or encouragement. Or a little accountability. (For more about how to have the conversation your team member needs now, check out the Confidence-Competence Model.)

If you’re a senior leader talking with people two or three levels removed, you’ll have the same frustrations.

Once again, if you have to ask, “Don’t they get it?” the answer is “no.”

Often, the first part of your communication to go missing is the “why.” You were busy and told your managers on the “what,” assuming that they would fill in the blanks for their teams. But they didn’t fully get the “why” either and in their hurry to get things done, they simplify it and just pass through the “what.”

Now you have people working without purpose, just doing what they’re told. Or you have frustrated people who grudgingly follow instructions but wonder why in the world they must do this?

If there’s misunderstanding, gently share the missing information with the employee, then reach out to their manager. Do a “check for understanding” to see how well they’ve got it. Fill in their gaps as needed, then reinforce the need for them to communicate fully with their team. Encourage your leaders to engage their teams not only in the “what” but also in the rich texture of the “why.”

Your Turn: Addressing a Failure to Communicate

In the end, each “Don’t they understand?” is a call to leadership. To take responsibility and figure out where there was a failure to communicate. Either on your part or theirs. And either way, what you can do to improve the communication and ensure everyone has the information you do.

Your senior leaders won’t always make the choice you would. And you won’t always make the choice your team would make. And that’s okay. Ensure that you understand the “why.” Clearly take ownership for and communicate the tradeoffs. You’ll build more effective collaboration and gain a reputation as a leader who people can trust.

We’d love to hear from you: when “they” just don’t get it, how do you constructively address the failure to communicate?

You may also like:How To Get Your Boss to Appreciate and Recognize Your GeniusAargh! Don’t they Understand? (Podcast)From Fiasco to Opportunity: How to Reframe a Team Setback With Better WordsGreat Skip Level Meetings: 5 Strategic Approaches for Executive VisitsHelp Reluctant Team Members Share Their Great Ideas

If you’d like more specific, practical phrases and approaches for common sources of workplace conflict, check out our newest book (May 2024—available for pre-order now): Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict—What to say next to destress the workplace, build collaboration, and calm difficult customers.

The post Failure to Communicate: What to Do When Your Boss (or Team) Don’t Get It appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

How to Be More Thankful for Your Team (Easy Employee Appreciation Ideas)

Your team yearns for a cadence of sincere “thank yous”
more than grand gestures

Every week we hear from hard-working, high-performing employees who long for more appreciation at work. Ironically some of these complaints come after some kind of big employee appreciation event.

It’s about time, I’ve been killing myself all year without even a thank you!

Just like a great Thanksgiving meal is nice, but not sufficient when it comes to letting your family know how grateful you are,  it’s hard for a grand gesture to make up for week after week of feeling over-pressured and undervalued.

When it comes to appreciation at work, what most organizations need is more people saying “thank you” more often.

If you’re familiar with the Gallup organization and its extensive research on employee engagement, you know they focus on a dozen key drivers of employee engagement, known as the Q12 survey.

Question 4 reads, “In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.

Why 7 days?

Because frequency matters.

It’s the cadence of positive reinforcement that creates a consistent dopamine response. People need to feel seen and appreciated regularly to feel valued.

You get more of what you regularly encourage and celebrate and less of what you ignore.

The Frustration is Real

And it’s not just front-line employees sharing their lack-of-appreciation-induced frustration. In fact, it’s one of the hottest topics in senior-level coaching conversations.

“I just wish my boss would say thank you!”“We always talk about where we have to improve, I just wish we could take a breath and look at how far we’ve come.”“I just finished a big project, and my manager didn’t even acknowledge it before she dumped the next one in my lap.”“Arghh, I haven’t even spoken to my boss in a week, I’m not sure they even know what I’m doing.”“Our virtual one-on-ones are always about the work on my plate, never about what I’ve accomplished.”“I’ve worked for this guy for a year, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard what I’m doing well, only what I need to do better.”“My boss does great recognizing employees on the front line, but behind closed doors with his direct report team, it’s a whole other story. I don’t need much. Just a simple thank you would make a difference.”How to Get Better at Consistent Employee AppreciationSchedule time each week (or daily) for informal recognitionKeep track of who you’ve appreciated and howEncourage others to notice and celebrate what’s workingVary your celebration and employee recognition methodsTake an extra three seconds in your emailsAsk for feedback on how your appreciation is landing

Employee appreciation doesn’t need to take long. Imagine how many people you can appreciate in a block of just ten minutes on your calendar.

Here are a few practical habits that can help.

1. Schedule time each week (or daily) for informal employee appreciation

Some leaders I know make this the first task of the day, every day. It becomes automatic. Just like pouring that first cup of coffee.

Of course, when you begin your day with a bit of celebration, you feel better too.

If every day feels overwhelming, start with a slightly longer block one day a week. Schedule the finish by putting it on your calendar, as you would other meetings. If something comes up, don’t cancel it. Commit to rescheduling the time to keep your commitment to employee recognition.

2. Keep track of who you’ve appreciated and how

Giving yourself a micro-goal can make all the difference when it comes to employee appreciation.

If you have a large, or remote team, you might find it helpful to keep a list of your employees’ names on your desk and record each time you gave them appreciation or recognition that week.  When I’ve done this, I’ve often been surprised at who I’ve overlooked on any given week, and then make a deliberate effort to notice something important.

3. Make employee appreciation a team sport

The larger and more disbursed your team is, the more help you’re going to need. Set up systems and people to help you, even with your informal employee recognition. It doesn’t have to be a big formal process.

For example, each week, you might ask your direct reports to give you three people to call and thank them for their work. You don’t even need to know the whole story. You can just ask open-ended questions, such as…

“Hey, I heard you did a great job on ______.Can you tell me more?I’d love to hear how you did that.What are you most proud of about this?What are you excited about next?

And of course, you don’t always need to be involved. Carve out time and encourage your team to appreciate and celebrate one another.

4. Vary your celebration and employee appreciation methods

When we teach communication, we talk about the importance of 5×5 communication. An important part of capturing people’s attention is mixing up the WAY you celebrate. Sure, thank you emails are always good. And a thank you email every few days certainly can’t hurt. But, imagine the power of mixing in a hand-written note, a video message, a haiku, a cup of coffee, or your manager as a surprise guest popping into your Zoom call, just to say thanks.

5. Take an extra three seconds in your emails

Every now and then I have a manager tell me, “yeah, I just tell my employees to not expect too many “pleases” or “thank yous” from me. We’re moving so fast I don’t have time for that.

Okay.  So I just timed it.

Here are appreciation phrases you can type in three seconds or less.Thank you.Great job.Much better.Significant improvementGetting closer.Excellent.Yes!Nice job.Perfect. Game on.And here are a few that can be done in seven seconds or fewer.I appreciate your time.I know this isn’t easy. Thanks for the extra effort.I really appreciate the work you put into this.I’m impressed by the level of research you put into this.I know there’s a lot going on, thanks for making time for this, this weekend.

6. Ask for feedback on how your employee appreciation is landing

If you’re not sure how people on your team want to be recognized, ask them. No one will be offended if you set a clear intention to do this better. “It’s really important that you know how much I value you and your important contributions to the team. Beyond the usual that everyone wants (e.g. raises, bonuses, etc), what kind of recognition do you find most meaningful?

And don’t be surprised if you hear “Gosh, I just really like a sincere thank you.” If you hear that, keep those thank yous flowing.

Your turn.

We would love to hear from you. How do you ensure employee appreciation is a regular habit?

The post How to Be More Thankful for Your Team (Easy Employee Appreciation Ideas) appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

For Team Leaders Who Want A Promotion

Episode 238: In this episode, David Dye discusses practical ways for team leaders eager for promotion to prepare themselves for more responsibility. He emphasizes investing in knowledge and wisdom, achieving results, building relationships, and speaking up. The podcast provides specific tips and strategies for each area, such as getting to know the business, asking for feedback, prioritizing peers, and attending conferences. David also addresses what to do when positions are not available, suggesting looking for different assignments or exploring opportunities outside of the current organization. Overall, David encourages team leaders to consistently invest in their skills and qualifications to increase their chances of promotion.

Smart Advice for Leaders Who Want a Promotion

00:00 – “Leadership without Losing Your Soul: Episode 238. Today’s focus: Team leaders eager for promotion and practical leadership strategies.”

02:01 – “Frustration in Promotion: Avoid telling team leaders, ‘Give it time, you’re not ready yet.’ Discover actionable steps for seeking advancement.”

03:03 – “Knowledge and Wisdom: Understanding your business, its revenue model, and the impact of your team’s work is crucial for aspiring leaders.” 

04:28 – “Ask Why Respectfully: Seek big picture goals for better alignment and strategic thinking.” 

06:09 – “What Matters Most: Align with organizational values and outcomes beyond securing advanced degrees.”

07:07 – “Ambitious Team Leaders: Communicate your aspirations for higher roles and seek feedback on skills and experiences needed.”

Team Leaders: Focus on Results!

10:04 – “Results Focus: Ensure their teams meet KPIs and tackle challenges proactively for promotion readiness.”

13:41 – “Relationship Building: As a team leader, prioritizing peer relationships and collaboration is key for career advancement.”

17:11 – “Building Leaders: Focus on developing leadership skills within their teams to become more promotable.”

21:40 – “Speaking Up: Sharing ideas and solutions can establish team leaders as critical thinkers and proactive contributors.”

If you’d like more specific, practical phrases and approaches for common sources of workplace conflict, check out our newest book (May 2024—available for pre-order now): Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict—What to say next to de-stress the workplace, build collaboration, and calm difficult customers.

The post For Team Leaders Who Want A Promotion appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

How to Train a Struggling Team Member to Make Better Decisions

Hi Karin, I need better results from a person on my team. They really SHOULD know what to do. But some of their decisions are taking us in a completely different direction. What should I do without telling them what to do? How do I get them to make BETTER DECISIONS? hashtag#askingforafriend

5 Actionable Strategies for Making Better Decisions

This is actually something I wrestle with quite often. You have a vision in your head. And you know what needs to be done. You know exactly the steps that need to happen to make the right decision.

And it can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you feel they’ve been trained. You don’t want to micro-manage; giving them the answers will frustrate everyone involved.

But here’s the thing. If they’re not doing things the way you know they need to be done– if there’s a “right way” that matters to make these decisions, they don’t need encouragement or coaching; they need training.

Here are some actionable strategies for making better decisions:Define Success Clearly: Clarify what successful decisions look like. This step is crucial in guiding team members toward better decisions.Share Your Thought Process: Break down how you approach these decisions. This includes the options you consider and the questions you ask yourself. By doing this, you’re telling them what to do and teaching them how to do it.Use Real Examples: Apply your thought process to actual scenarios. Show how you would navigate these situations, and then let the team member try their hand at it. This hands-on approach reinforces the training and encourages better decision-making.Transition to Training Mode: Sometimes, stepping back into a training role is necessary. It’s about equipping your team with the skills to do better independently.Continue Support: After the training, continue to encourage and coach. The goal is to empower them to excel in their roles.

Fostering better decisions within a team isn’t about dictating every move. It’s about training, sharing insights, and supporting them in applying these skills. This approach solves the immediate problem and strengthens the team’s decision-making capabilities.

Related Articles:

How to Get Better At Delegating the Right Decisions [image error]

Translate Leadership Training into Behaviors that Last

Fuel Your Career: 17 Critical Skills When You’re a Young Leader Hungry for Success

The post How to Train a Struggling Team Member to Make Better Decisions appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Leadership Book Club: How to Read Courageous Cultures With Your Team

Practical ways to engage your team (or leadership book club) as you read Courageous Cultures together.

One of the real joys of being authors is hearing from leadership book clubs and teams who are reading our books together.

We love learning about what’s resonating, and most importantly, how teams are applying what they’re reading as they grow leaders and encourage courage and innovation.

And, you don’t get better at leadership or building culture just by reading a book. You’ve got to do something with what you read. We write all of our books so the techniques are easy to apply. We also make it easy for teams to read together and discuss what they’ve learned.

5 Ways to Improve Your ROI of Reading Courageous Cultures With Your Team

So if you’re considering reading Courageous Cultures with your team or leadership book club, here are some ways to spark deeper reflection, better conversation, and most importantly, action. You can also download (or listen to) the first chapter and the foreword from Amy Edmondson.

1. Download the Executive Strategy Guide

The Courageous Cultures Executive Strategy Guide is a free fillable PDF workbook where you will find the First Tracks templates, additional discussion questions to engage your team or leadership book club, and more detail about the tools, best practices, and approaches you can use to build a Courageous Culture in your organization.

You will find the guide here (scroll to the bottom of the page at this link.)

2. Leverage the “First Tracks” Tools and Conversation Starters

As your team or leadership book club reads Courageous Cultures, you will likely encounter ideas and techniques that feel like you’re in unchartered territory. If you’re a skier, it might feel like you’ve ridden the first lift up the mountain after a great fresh night of show and you get to make the first tracks in the deep powder.

Or perhaps you had a similar feeling as a child jumping in the wet sand and making prints for your friends to follow. Beginning in chapter 5, we conclude each chapter with a “First Tracks” exercise. These work great for book group conversation starters.

For example, chapter 5’s First Tracks exercise is a Courage Map to reflect on your own moments of courage. You could have each person in your leadership book club or team complete their map and come ready to discuss the questions in the guide. Questions like: “As a leader today, where would it be helpful to show up more like this or with these values?”

3. Own the U.G.L.Y. and/or Share an I.D.E.A.

Over the last few years, we have been using our I.D.E.A. Incubator process with teams all over the world to apply the tools to strategic business challenges and come up with practical, remarkable, usable ideas.

We would love to come work with you in this way. You can learn more about our Courageous Cultures strategic team innovation programs here. 

And, in the meantime, you can also do this yourself. You can download our FREE I.D.E.A. Incubator Guide which guides you through the process.

4. Supplement Your Conversation with Multi-Media Discussions

In any team or leadership book club, you’re going to have people who absorb information in different ways. Courageous Cultures is available on Audible (read by us). You might also consider including some supplemental videos like my recent TEDx Talk: The Secret to Getting Remarkable Ideas You Can Actually Use which contain new insights since the book was first published.  You might even invite each member of your leadership book club to find one fun way to share a key insight from the book.

A few ideas of how your team can share a big takeaway:

A short fun video highlighting a key pointHave each member bring an object to your meeting that represents something they learnedInvite people to draw a picture of a Courageous CultureOr, if you want to get fancy, like this team at Amazon, use LegosDivide your leadership book club into smaller groups and each group teaches back a main pointHave your team share images of where they’re reading Courageous Cultures.5. Bring your Leadership Book Club or team to our FREE Courageous Cultures Book Group Event.Learn about the research that grounds Courageous Cultures and what we’ve learned applying these techniques with teams over the last few years.Explore a few of our favorite Courageous Cultures tools and how you can apply them with your leadership book group or team.Bring your “Asking for a Friend” questions.

Register HERE for this FREE leadership book club event.

The post Leadership Book Club: How to Read Courageous Cultures With Your Team appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Help Your Boss Stop Wasting Time with Bad Delegation

Episode 237: Do you ever get frustrated that your manager wastes time with bad delegation? They ask for something to be redone over and over, never seeming to know what they want? Or they change their mind after you’ve already finished what you thought they asked for? In this episode, David gives you practical tools to help avoid these frustrating moments and build a far more effective, collaborative relationship with your leader.

How to Help Your Boss Stop Wasting Time with Bad Delegation

(02:07):

A question of bad delegation?

Alright, today’s question comes from a manager named Declan, and that is not Declan’s real name, but we’re going to use the name Declan here. And conversation with Declan. Declan was pacing back and forth and fuming, and here is a synopsis of what he said. He said, I busted my ass to get this done, made sure it was perfect and I met every one of the projects requirements. I met with my boss today and she blew it off. She’s a world-class, bad delegator. So I asked, okay, what’d she say exactly? And he let out an exasperated sigh. She looked at what I’d done and she frowned, and pretty soon she says, well, this isn’t what I wanted, but it’s what you asked for. Yeah, but I don’t like this. It’s not what we need. We need to do it differently. So Declan says, did exactly what she asked, but then she criticizes the work and makes me start over. I’m so over this, she’s just going to waste my time. Why bother trying? So later went and talked to Declan’s manager and her perspective was a little different. She was grateful for Declan’s work, but she was also a little confused why would he be satisfied with something that doesn’t do what we needed to do? So Declan was frustrated, but so was his manager.

(03:29)
So let’s take a look at why your manager might waste time with what you perceive as bad delegation, because at the heart of their frustration, Declan and his manager, at the heart of all that frustration and disappointment with one another, there is an expectations conflict. Declan felt like he had clear parameters, he knew the assignment and he gets to work. He expected that by fulfilling those parameters, he’d done good work and that his manager would acknowledge that work. And if you’re like Declan, that probably all makes sense and I can be like Declan in this scenario. And if you’re like Declan, when you delegate, you probably think through the success criteria. You give someone clear outcomes to meet, and when they meet those outcomes, you’re satisfied. You may go for another level, you may iterate, you may do some other things, but that’s how you operate and you would expect other people to do the same. And when they don’t, it feels like bad delegation.

(04:25)
I like to say in David’s world, this is how it works, but we don’t live in David’s world because there’s other people. So what’s, and we don’t live in your world either. So what’s happening with Declan’s manager, she’s got different expectations. Her expectation likely includes the opportunity to iterate, to see something before she can respond to it and know if it’s going to work, if it makes sense or it meets the needs. Her mind. The goal is we need to do what matters most here. So for this kind of leader, their ability to see and touch a work product is crucial. And once they see and feel it, then their brain fires up. It starts making connections, and sometimes those connections result in those fun last minute enhancements that keep everyone working way past deadline, but do genuinely make a better product or service. Other times seeing and touching that work product makes them realize just how much something different will better meet the teams or the customer’s needs. So they scratch everything out and start over, but they couldn’t have told you that before they saw, touched and felt something tangible. So if you’re like Declan’s manager, you probably hope the first iteration that you get, it’s going to meet your expectations, but often you’re going to get something that disappoints you. It didn’t meet expectations you didn’t even know you had until you saw something that didn’t meet them.

(05:54)
So if you’re Declan, and again, my sympathy here for parties because I have definitely been Declan many a time where even sometimes I’ll create something that I’m like, wow, I’m solving this problem. I’ve built this solution, check this out. And then a manager or somebody will say, well, well that’s interesting, but why doesn’t it do this? You’re like, you didn’t even know it existed until five minutes ago. How are you questioning it or criticizing? And they’re not necessarily, you’ve just given them an opportunity to see and respond to something different. So if you’re a manager and you’re delegating, you’re dealing with and you have that tendency like Declan’s manager, please make sure and acknowledge their work. We’ll talk about that a little bit later in the show here. But let’s start with Declan. How do you help your boss stop wasting your time with bad delegation? So there’s some steps that you can take to help align expectations, lower your frustration, and keep your boss from wasting your time.

Solutions for Bad Delegation

(06:55)
The first is to clarify intent. So the next time your manager brings a project to you, ask about their intent. You might recall the past situation even and bring it up and clarify your intent for the conversation. For example, hey, last time we worked on a project like this, I put in lots of time on it and then you wanted to go a different direction. So my intent here is to ensure I understand what you’re looking for upfront and minimize those kinds of frustrations. Is this a project like that where you’d like something to respond to, or do you see it as being complete and finished the first time? If they clarify that, they need to see it in order to know for sure. Now you know how to proceed. Set up a timeline that allows for iteration and an initial draft or a proof of concept, which we’ll talk about in a minute.

(07:46)
Next thing you want to do is draw out the details. Draw out as many details as possible about what the task will achieve. And this is critical. It’s not enough to get specific details about what they think they want. Ask them what it will do, what will it accomplish? How will it improve the customer’s experience or your team’s efficiency or whatever the goal is, focus time on the outcomes they want to achieve. Once you know those outcomes, you’re able to ask questions and to help them think through the details. And that will in turn reduce the number of iterations you need to make. And it also establishes you as a more strategic thinker, which is a nice side benefit. So draw out those details by asking about the outcome. What is this thing going to achieve? What’s it going to do?

(08:35)
Then next is to focus on a proof of concept. So if you clarify success criteria and you work hard to build a perfect solution might be time to try a fresh approach. You can save time and frustration by starting with a draft or a proof of concept instead of delivering a finished product, start with a light version. What’s a draft of the task that gives your manager something to respond to? Give ’em enough detail that you can ask, is this on the right track? Is this feeling good to you? As you draw out details, you might hear your manager say things that feel ambiguous like it needs to sing, or I want it to have youthful enthusiasm. Those can be very frustrating if you’re kind of a detail oriented person because those are subjective standards that can vary and they fall into the category of I’ll know it when I see it. It’s not bad delegation, it’s a personality difference.

(09:24)
So give them something to see before you go to all the effort of building something that isn’t what they ultimately want. And again, with sing or youthful enthusiasm, draw out the details, clarify what they’re going for there. Or sometimes even you can find other examples. Let’s look at some things by comparison. What is something for you that sings or that has that youthful enthusiasm? And you can start to compare and maybe draw attention and bring out some examples that way. All right, number four, explain the trade-offs, and we talked about this in our previous episode, is even when you clarify intent, draw out the details and focus on a proof of concept, you’ll still have moments of frustration where your manager asks for more changes their mind or wants to go in a different direction. And so you get frustrated and you’re asking yourself, I don’t have time for that.

(10:14)
They understand what they’re asking and as we said, the answer is often no, they don’t. They’re living in a world of possibilities and guiding the team to create a future that doesn’t exist and that’s their job. So you need to help them understand the trade-offs. Just spell it out. Here’s what we can do, and here’s the trade-off that will require. Now when you have that conversation, your manager might decide the current version is sufficient or that another project can wait, or they’ll find more resources, but they can’t make any of those decisions unless you give them the information. So those are four steps to help you with your manager to avoid bad delegation, clarify the intent, draw out the details, focus on that proof of concept, and explain the trade-offs. Now, what do you do if you are more like Declan’s manager and you are the bad delegator? You’ve got a frequent need to respond and iterate.

(11:13)
First piece of advice, be clear about that from the beginning. Let your people know that that’s how you operate, and that’s going to help them to draw out the details and to focus on proof of concept rather than thinking that they’re done and they can move on to the next thing. They’ll be able to budget time and mental energy for enhancements or a full restart when that’s needed. If you don’t tell them that upfront, you’re setting them up for disappointment and frustration. Also, when you respond to a work product said this earlier, manage your communication so you aren’t critical of their work. Telling someone who’s poured their heart into doing what they thought you’d ask that their product sucks. It comes across as criticism of their work, but I know you don’t mean it that way, or at least I’m hoping you don’t mean it that way. (If you did, that would certainly be bad delegation.)

(12:00)
So you can try something else like, Hey, this is exactly what I asked for. You did a good job building that out. And as I’m seeing it, I’m recognizing this won’t work the way we’d hoped. Here’s what I’m seeing. What would you add? So you’re acknowledging their work and acknowledging the outcomes it needs to achieve and then inviting them into the process of moving forward. That kind of response empowers your people, it avoids demoralizing your team, and it includes them in the problem solving. So Declan, thanks again for bringing this question to us. I really appreciate your vulnerability and transparency in sharing it because I know that these are frustrating situations. And for everyone listening, you can help manage the frustrations that come from a boss who wastes time with bad delegation by taking responsibility for your communication with one another, align expectations by clarifying intent, drawing out the details, provide a proof of concept, and explain the trade-offs. And together you and your manager are going to build far more effective products, services, and projects with a lot less wasted time, and you’re on your way to being the leader you’d want your boss to be. Until next time.

If you’d like more specific, practical phrases and approaches for common sources of workplace conflict, check out our newest book (May 2024—available for pre-order now): Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict—What to say next to destress the workplace, build collaboration, and calm difficult customers.

The post Help Your Boss Stop Wasting Time with Bad Delegation appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

How to Break Monotony at Work for Better Employee Engagement

Hi Karin, I’ve got to tell you my team’s work is pretty monotonous, so filled with repetitive work. Sometimes it feels like a merry-go-round week after week. How do I keep my team motivated when there is so much monotony at work?  #AskingforaFriend

Breaking the Monotony: 6 Ways to Keep Your Team Fired Up

Feeling stuck on the monotony at work merry-go-round? When tasks feel more monotonous than merry, it’s crucial to inject some energy and motivation back into your team. If your team’s workday feels like a looped replay, this edition is tailored for you. Here’s how you can flip the script on repetitive tasks and keep the team morale high:

1. Talk About It

Instead of trying to persuade your team that those repetitive tasks shouldn’t feel like monotonous work, make that conversation visible. You can say, “Hey, I get that a lot of this work can feel repetitive and not that exciting, and I want us all to feel good about coming to work each day. What can we do to make this coming year the best year ever?

2. Connect to the Bigger Picture

Sometimes, the key to engagement is reminding your team why their work matters. Connect their tasks to the organization’s larger goals and show them how their efforts contribute to the bigger picture. When people understand the impact of their work, they find more meaning in even the most repetitive tasks.

3. Embrace the Power of Small Innovations

When the work feels repetitive, yearning for sweeping changes is tempting. However, seismic shifts are not always necessary or practical. Instead, focus on incremental innovation. Encourage your team to find small, everyday processes that can be improved. These micro-innovations can lead to significant enhancements over time and less monotony at work, and more importantly, they empower your team members to own the transformation.

4. Celebrate Every Success, No Matter the Size

Recognition is a catalyst for engagement. Make it a habit to celebrate successes, no matter how small. Did someone find a way to shave off a few minutes from a daily task? Applaud it. Did the team go a week without a single error in their work? Commend it. These celebrations create positive feedback loops that boost morale and reinforce the value of everyone’s contributions.

5. Set Challenges and Gamify

Turn work into play. Setting up friendly competitions or gamified challenges can make repetitive tasks more exciting. Who can come up with the most innovative solution to a common problem? Can the team beat its previous best performance? This not only makes the workday more engaging but also drives performance.

6. Inject Variety with Cross-Training

Monotony often stems from a lack of variety. Cross-training combats monotony and builds a more resilient team. By training team members in different roles, you not only give them a break from the humdrum but also foster a deeper understanding of the team’s work. This variety can reinvigorate interest and spark new ideas for efficiency and collaboration.

Join the Conversation: Got some tricks for turning the tedious into the terrific? Drop your monotony at work reducing ideas in the comments. Let’s make every day less about the grind and more about the growth.

Related Articles:

How Leaders Can Find Fun During the Slog

Workplace Innovation: The Secret to Getting Better, Remarkable Ideas

Leading Through Change: 4 Practical Ways to Get Your Team to Embrace Your New Idea

The post How to Break Monotony at Work for Better Employee Engagement appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Overloaded at Work: How to Ask For the Support You Need

What to say next when you’re overloaded at work (without sounding whiny)

Ever found yourself cackling at the monstrous to-do list glaring back at you, thinking “Right, that’s not happening,” only to gulp back a sob as you realize none of it’s optional? You’re overloaded at work. Stuck in a world where productivity meets panic and trying to be a ‘team player’ feels like a conspiracy against your sanity.

Clear communication and unbridled curiosity are the name of the game when you’re overloaded at work. You want clarity about what’s most important and why. And curiosity about how to approach your work differently.

The Strategic Sort: Deciphering What Matters Most

Picture this: Your boss slides over a scroll of 27 KPIs and you’re playing a corporate game of ‘Which Metric is Least Tragic?’. Identifying the expendable can be surprisingly quick once you start that dialogue. Embrace the wisdom of knowing what ‘winning’ looks like. With the finish line in sight, you can innovate without fear, tossing out time-saving hacks like confetti.

A few powerful phrases that can help.

“What’s most important?”

Focus is the antidote to overwhelm. Be sure you know the MITs (most important things) you need to accomplish at a strategic and tactical level.

“Paint me a picture of the victory lap.”

One way to get curious about alternative, time-saving approaches is to be sure you have a shared understanding of success. With success clearly defined, you can feel more empowered to share ideas for new ways of doing things.

The Help-Seeker’s Script: How to Holler for a Helping Hand

And, here are a few powerful phrases to help get past that feeling of overload by asking for help.

“Will you lend a hand?”

It’s a simple and criminally underused phrase when you’re overloaded at work. If you’re up to your neck in it, asking for help isn’t a white flag; it’s a strategy.

“I have an idea.”

Constraints are the gateway to creativity. If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work, look for new ways of working, share your ideas, and ask for support to make it happen.

“Here’s what I need.”

When your boss asks what they can do to help, have an answer.

For Managers: Powerful Phrases for Supporting Your Overwhelmed or Overloaded Team

First, if you’re a manager, here are a few frequently uttered unhelpful phrases. Please don’t say these things:

“We just have to do more with less.”

“The boss says . . .”

“We’re just lucky we have jobs.”

Those phrases don’t empower people or lead to productive solutions. And the worst thing you can hear when you’re overwhelmed is the equivalent of “Suck it up, buttercup.” As a manager, you want to do what you can to prevent the snowball of overwhelm from picking up speed as it rolls downhill. Your team needs options before the overwhelm leads to burnout.

Say This Instead

If you’re a manager, the previous phrases will work well to get the support you need from your boss. Here are a few bonus phrases you can use with your team.

“This is not okay. That can wait.”

We can’t tell you how many times employees have come to us feeling overloaded at work, and when we encourage them to talk to their boss, the hours the employee works or the level of effort they give to a project shock their boss.

“I don’t want you working all weekend.” “It’s not okay that you missed your child’s dance recital.” Sometimes, high-performing employees need their manager to tell them when to stop working. “Oh, you don’t need eighteen pivot tables, just some back-of-napkin math will do.”

“Let’s figure out a different way to do this.”

It’s easy for your team to get stuck in old ways of doing things, particularly if they think that’s what you want. In our research for Courageous Cultures, 67 percent of respondents said their manager operates around the notion of “this is the way we’ve always done it.”

Teach your team to be curious and to look for alternative solutions.

“I really appreciate you and all you are doing.”

Feeling overwhelmed is discouraging. Feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated is demoralizing. When your team is under stress, particularly if some knucklehead told them to “do more with less,” you can’t say “thank you” and “I see you” too much.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, start with better clarity of what matters most and why, and get curious about alternative ways of working.

More Useful Articles to Help When You’re Overloaded at Work

Help for the Overwhelmed Working Manager (podcast)

How to Get the Support You Need When Your Boss is Overwhelmed

How to Say No at Work: Powerful Phrases to Stand Your Ground.

Available for Pre-Order Now

If you’ve noticed we’ve been talking about workplace conflict and collaboration a lot recently, it’s because we’ve been doing a lot of research, learning from people all over the world about their biggest workplace conflicts and what they would do differently next time. More on that research here.

In the meantime, our new book, Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict: What to Say Next to Destress the Workday, Build Collaboration, and Calm Difficult Customers is available for pre-order now, and we’re working on building our speaking tour for Spring 2024 (you can take a quick peek at some of our new conflict and collaboration programs here).

“Your must-have roadmap for courageous conversations at work. Karin and David give you the tools, techniques, and inspiration to turn stress and frustration into career-defining moments of leadership and innovation.”  –Dorie Clark, executive education faculty at Columbia Business School and WSJ bestselling author of The Long Game.

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