David Dye's Blog, page 34

Authenticity, Love, and Legacy with Rani Puranik

Showing up with authenticity and love creates a legacy. In today’s episode, Rani Puranik shares lessons of life, love, and leadership from her book, 7 Letters to My Daughters: Light Lessons of Love, Leadership, and Legacy. Rani provides a roadmap to equip not only her daughters but the daughters of the world.

From growing up in a country foreign to her family to finding strength during a tumultuous and scarring divorce to finally understanding a greater purpose and independence in spite of cultural norms, Rani knows adaptability, authenticity, and how to remain a leader through turmoil. If you want to grow through adversity, move forward no matter the circumstance, and define who you are and what you want, this episode is for you.

Authenticity, Love, and Legacy

16:16

How do you ensure that your leaders are given authority to complement their level of responsibility?

20:09

Advice for listeners as they experience challenges around having responsibilities without the authority to make decisions required to meet your targets.

29:24

Intentions may stay the same, but the decision a leader makes today may not be the decision they make tomorrow. The world will be a different place, the leader will have evolved. And we have to maintain that adaptability.

38:17

Sometimes it’s harder to put your faith into action, but if you do, you will see the results.

42:15

How do you as a senior leader ensure that people are getting the leadership skills that they need?

44:26

Leadership is a bridge and love is really at the core of what we’re doing as leaders.

49:04

Love is the authenticity of who we are as human beings. When we just show up as pure, authentic love then we become powerful people.

Connect with RaniInstagramFacebookLinkedInGet the Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How to Get Your Coworkers to Embrace Your Great Idea (Video)

Get Your Coworkers to Embrace Your Great Idea and Make a Bigger Impact

“I went to my boss with a great idea, and she said, “Go see what your coworkers think.” They’re already so busy and overwhelmed, I’m finding it hard to get their attention. What should I do?” How do I convince my coworkers I have a great idea?  #AskingforaFriend

Why It’s Important So Important to Get Your Coworkers on Board with Your Great Idea

Your great idea could make work (and life) better for everyone and could have a real impact on the results of the organization. And, your boss is far more likely to embrace your new idea when everyone else is talking about the benefits too. With more people in support, your idea will be easier to implement.

Quite notably, participants in our strategic leadership and team innovation programs said that when they shared their great ideas and spoke up courageously at work they felt “excited,” “proud,” and “accomplished.”

If you’re ready to help your organization bust through the notion of “that’s the way we’ve always done it” and share your ideas so you can innovate for progress and results, start here.

5 Ways to Get Your Coworkers to Embrace Your Great Idea

 

1. Be a great listener yourself (reciprocate)

If you want people to listen to your ideas, make it a habit to listen to theirs. If you have a reputation for caring about your peers and supporting their efforts, they’re more likely to take you and your idea seriously.

2. Know what matters most to them, and communicate your idea in that context

As you listen, you may find real barriers or needs you can address as you develop your great idea.

3. Talk them through the “how” of your idea

Show them that you’ve thought through the idea with tangible actions. Show them the “how” with step-by-step action items and expected results. As you break it down it won’t appear so overwhelming.

4. Anticipate their objections and concerns, and speak to them directly

Anticipating and speaking to your co-worker’s objections as early as possible in the conversation is a great way to get them to listen. Try saying…”If I were you I might be wondering… (and then fill in the anticipated concern).” Be thoughtful about how you respond to concerns and stay open to many points of view.

5. Articulate your “ask”

Be clear with what you need from your coworkers and request just one commitment from them at a time. You might say…

“So to move forward with this great idea, here’s the support I need from you…
“Just a thumbs up when I raise the idea in our next MS Teams meeting”
Or,
“I’m thinking that if each of us spent (insert required time) this month, we could knock this out.”
Or,
“I’m looking for a few customers to try this with. Would you be open to helping me find the customers we could work with on this?”

And what would you add as #6? How would you suggest this friend position their great idea with their coworkers? What’s worked for you in the past?

Ready to rally YOUR team for breakthrough results with Let’s Grow Leaders?

Establish a Courageous Culture of critical thinkers, problem solvers, and customer advocates in your organization with a Team Innovation Challenge or Executive Leadership Workshop. These strategic innovation events – in person or virtual – will help shape the culture of your organization, skyrocket employee engagement, and clear the path for great ideas and increased team innovation.

Let’s Grow Leaders programs are highly customized to your organization’s needs, hands-on, practical, and interactive. Get ready for leadership development that sticks.

See Also: Our Training Magazine Webinar on 7 Practical Ways to Be a Bit More Daring

The post How to Get Your Coworkers to Embrace Your Great Idea (Video) appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

How to Stop a Workplace Bully (Without Losing Your Lunch Money)

Powerful Phrases to Confidently Confront a Bully at Work

Looking back I feel I should have stood for myself and not give into this bully. I only feared hurting her and not getting into an ugly argument. However, this has made me not decide so many things for myself like my career path, my job etc…at that time. I am much stronger now and would deal with such a bully differently if history was to repeat.

– Female, 47 Dubai (from our World Workplace Conflct and Collaboration Survey)

You would think by now, we’d be past the need to write about dealing with a workplace bully.

Most Gen Zs and Millennials have been told bullies are bad since elementary school. And if you’re a parent, you’ve probably pulled a peanut butter-stained, “How to Stop a Bully” flyer from your kid’s backpack and thought wistfully, “I wish they talked about bullying when I was in school. Surely, this focus will make for better grown-ups.”

Sigh.

We should all know better. But here we are. If you’ve Googled this and are here. We’re sorry. You shouldn’t have to deal with a bully at work.

What is Workplace Bullying?

What is workplace bullying? According to the National Bullying Hotline, here are five questions to ask yourself as a starting point.

Do I feel intimidated or threatened at work?Am I regularly humiliated or ridiculed in front of my colleagues?Have I been called names?Are my efforts consistently undervalued or disregarded?Do I feel sick or nauseous when working with a particular colleague or manager?

If you have a cocktail of the above going on, chances are you’re dealing with some degree of workplace bullying, or at the very least toxic management or bad team culture. The approach below is meant to be a starting place for acute acts of workplace bullying. If you’re dealing with a chronic bully, PLEASE call HR and report the toxic courage crusher. You shouldn’t have to face this situation on your own.

How to Turnaround a Bullying Situation: Stories of Hope

In our research for our upcoming book on navigating workplace conflict, we’ve been talking to people who’ve confronted a workplace bully and changed the story. Many of these stories have two things in common. First, they found support from a trusted colleague so they weren’t managing the situation alone. And second, they didn’t react at the moment, but instead calmed down and planned a careful intervention to address the concern.

Here are two examples from our research. Let’s call them “Laura” and “George”

“Laura’s” Story (Now a CEO)

Laura shares her powerful example of asking for help and creating an intervention by asking a powerful question:

“Is this the way we’re going to work together?”

I was working on a project and somebody made a mistake (not related to me). But his boss thought I had made a mistake, and left me a scathing voicemail copying six other people on the team. He was really personal in the attacks. I was new in this position. And, even if I had been wrong, it was a horrible way to behave. Just so demeaning and so personal. So I went to a conference room and called one of my colleagues and decided to be vulnerable and ask for help to process what had happened. Being able to reach out to someone when I wouldn’t do that under normal circumstances meant the world.

And then…

I brought the team of people together, including the guy who had made the mistake. And in a moment of assertiveness I didn’t think I had in me I said, “Look, is this the way we’re going to work together? Where we’re blaming each other and yelling at each other, and there is public humiliation?” I was so frustrated and I found my voice that day.

The intervention worked. It was a declaration that I wasn’t the one to mess with. I think the best way to deal with a workplace bully is direct and strong and professional. You can’t let them get away with that behavior even if you’re in a junior position. I found with sloppy bullies like this that your own dignity and strength in the situation are embarrassing to them. And, it makes them look all the worse in front of anyone witnessing it. They’re less likely to mess with you in the future.

“George’s” Story (Now a Successful Entrepreneur)

George also gets some help, by inviting a neutral party in to verify the facts. And then uses this poignant powerful phrase:

“This is what it’s like to be me in this situation.”

My company was acquired into a very different culture and leadership style.  There were so many tangly problems “collaborating” as we began working together.

One result of the collaboration failures is that I received critical materials for a presentation a few minutes before I needed to present—at the client site—to our C-suite sponsors.

So I’m updating our presentation deck (high-stress mode, because in moments I’m going to be the presenter, ready or not!) with part of the client team in the conference room. My new CEO is there. And as I’m racing to get this done, he’s growling negative feedback at me (targeted at me) about the presentation and shaking his head to emphasize his disappointment. He was making everyone uncomfortable, and setting exactly the wrong mood. And it was too late for it to be remotely constructive.

I waited a week to soften the emotional impact. Then I set up a call with my CEO and a project manager from his team (someone he trusted) that was in the room. I calmly painted a picture of what it was like to be me in that situation, and what I thought the client might have felt watching it go down.

I also successfully debunked some of the criticisms he’d given that I didn’t want to argue about with clients in the room.

Initially, he downplayed his behavior and denied that there were clients in the room while it was happening—but his project manager confirmed it all. My CEO took a long breath.

And then the CEO Said…

“It took great maturity and discipline for you to wait for the proper moment and environment to give me this feedback. Thank you.”

That conversation didn’t save the project, but it built more trust between the two of us. And I’m not taking all the credit. The CEO’s response to this conversation was obviously much more considered and strategic than his feedback at the client site.

From my perspective, the moral is that time, place, and company (who is there) all matter when you’re confronting a bully.

More Powerful Phrases for Dealing with a Workplace Bully

Talking with a workplace bully can feel like trying to reason with a grumpy cat – you may end up getting scratched, hissed at, or completely ignored. But with persistence and a strategic approach, you might just be able to tame the feline fiend and turn them into a more pleasant coworker.

1. Start with this powerful phrase. “That’s not okay.”

When a workplace bully starts to intimidate or belittle you, it’s vital to speak up with a hard stop. Saying “that’s not okay” sends a clear message that you won’t tolerate their bullying and that you expect them to treat you with respect.

Sure, it can be scary to confront a meanie. But you have the right to a safe and respectful workplace. By speaking up and setting boundaries, you are taking a powerful step towards protecting yourself and creating a more positive work environment for everyone.

Note: This is part of our series of Powerful Phrases for Dealing With Conflict at Work. Which we’re curating as we write our next book coming out next year. We would love to hear your insights (would you please take 5 minutes to contribute to our World Workplace Conflict and Collaboration Survey, click on the image on the right).

“Laura’s” question, “Is this the way we’re going to work together is a powerful variation of this powerful phrase posed as a question. And, “George” made an excellent case for why the behavior was not okay, with his phrase, “This is what it’s like to be me in this situation.”

2. “Nope. I can’t let you talk to me that way”

Workplace bullies often thrive on making others feel uncomfortable, so it’s important to assert your boundaries and let them know that their behavior is not acceptable.

By saying, “I feel uncomfortable with your behavior,” you’re making it clear that their actions are not welcome and that you will not tolerate being treated disrespectfully. This phrase is a simple and straightforward way to assert your boundaries and make it clear that you will not be intimidated.

3. “I would like to discuss this issue with you in a private setting.”

Many workplace bullies love to perform for a crowd. By saying, “I would like to discuss this issue with you in a private setting,” you’re taking control of the situation and removing the bully’s audience. This phrase is a respectful yet assertive way to communicate that you will not tolerate being bullied in front of others.

Both “Laura” and “George” made the wise move of letting some time pass, and then organizing a deeper conversation.

4. “I am not going to engage in this behavior.”

Workplace bullies often try to provoke others into a reaction. By saying, “I am not going to engage in this behavior,” you’re refusing to play into their game and asserting your right to be treated with respect. This phrase is a simple yet effective way to communicate that you will not be bullied into a reaction.

5. “I would like to involve HR in this discussion.”

By saying, “I would like to involve HR in this discussion,” you’re making it clear that the situation is serious. And, that you will not tolerate being bullied. This phrase is a powerful way to communicate that you are willing to take action to protect yourself and the good of the team.

Dealing with a workplace bully is never fun. And yet, quick action can prevent the situation from escalating. By using these powerful phrases, you can assert your boundaries and support a better workplace for others as well.

Your Turn

What advice do you have for someone dealing with a workplace bully?

Do you have a story about confronting a workplace bully or successfully navigating a workplace conflict? We would love to hear from you as part of our ongoing research. Please drop us a note at info@letsgrowleaders.com.

The post How to Stop a Workplace Bully (Without Losing Your Lunch Money) appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Making Time for Strategy with Richard Medcalf

If you find yourself caught in the day-to-day demands wondering how do I find time for strategy that allows me to invest in myself, be more effective, or invest in building my business, you don’t need a new productivity trick. The first step is to begin a deeper leadership journey and address four core factors – Tactics, Influence, Mindset, and Environment (T.I.M.E.).

In this episode, Richard Medcalf gives you a roadmap to becoming a more strategic leader and offers a complete set of strategies to help you elevate your focus.  Learn how to clarify your most important strategic activities, build a plan to quickly free up time for strategy, win over your key stakeholders, address the beliefs that are keeping you in busy work, and create a culture of focus across your entire team.

 

Making Time for Strategy

08:32

Help people think differently about the opportunities available to them so that they can work on what matters.

15:33

Mindset is a great place to start because it’s what we believe is necessary, possible, and desirable that actually determines what we do.

18:13

The number one key performance indicator for any leader’s future success is managing your time for strategy so you can invest in making your future better.

20:33

Being a business of one and taking inventory of what are you doing to create that space, profit, and energy to be able to reinvest in yourself.

34:55

The worst thing we can do is try to work on the wrong area at the wrong time.

41:51

If we are not making time for and investing in now so that we can have an impact, then do we really think we’re gonna be in a better position next month to do that?

48:48

How we start to create a culture of strategic focus in our team.

51:16

If we want people to think creatively, they have to have time to think creatively.

Connect with Richard

LinkedIn 
Podcast 
Book website
Xquadrant website

 

Get The Book

 

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Workplace Culture: How to Leverage Innovation No AI Bot Can Replace

The Power of Workplace Culture in an AI Universe: A virtual conversation about Empathy and Innovation

Note: This article on Workplace Culture is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of our book, Courageous Culture: How to Build Teams of Micro-Innovators, Problem Solvers, and Customer Advocates. And, for grins and remarkably accurate insights, ChatGPT weighs in with commentary at the end.

Thoughts on AI and Workplace Culture

If your business includes work that is repetitive, routine, or structured in a predictable setting, you face competitive pressure to automate that work—if you haven’t already. Technology is commoditizing many products and services, and “easy” jobs are going away.  According to a Pew Research study experts predict robots and digital agents powered by artificial intelligence will significantly displace blue-collar and white-collar jobs by 2025.

More restaurants are moving toward tablet-based ordering; banks are closing branches as consumers prefer to do easy transactions online; and even healthcare visits are being reduced by remote monitoring. In some circumstances, your customers may be delighted at the efficiency while you’re also saving time and money. With so much being automated and quality service and products becoming the default price of admission, how do you differentiate your business from your competition?

The secret to surviving and thriving in the automation revolution is in what computers can’t replace: human creativity, empathy, and critical thinking—especially in unpredictable environments. Leading in the automation revolution isn’t about what you can control; it’s about what you can create and contribute. How often are your employees speaking up with creativity, empathy, and problem-solving? In too many businesses, the answer is “not nearly enough.” If you want a competitive edge, you’ve got to tap into your team’s human potential to do what humans do best—connect and create.

Connect

Computers may be able to “think,” but we’ve never met one who can feel. Empathy can’t be outsourced to computers.

It’s the humans who can pay close attention to the frustration points and figure out how to make it better.

What ticks off your customers?

What’s annoying your team?

Why are your peers so demoralized?

And what really needs to be done to fix all that?

The impact of AI isn’t limited to employees. AI is changing how workers trust and engage with their managers—and connection is at the heart of these changes.

Some workers prefer AI (think voice-assistant chatbots) to get information on topics like company policies, health insurance, and their remaining vacation days. These are areas where machines excel: providing accurate information quickly. But people still turn to human managers who can understand how they feel, coach them in their careers, and build culture.

When connection matters, there’s no substitute for a human being.

Create

Let’s say your AI system tells you thirty-seven thousand of your customers used profanity to describe a recent transaction.

Ouch. That’s really important data, but what do you do next? It’s the humans who can understand what’s going on from a human perspective and work to solve the problem. Do your teams have the skills they need to contribute at that level?

When the easy work is automated, will your managers know how to draw out the best solutions from their teams? Do your front-line employees feel encouraged to speak up and share solutions? Do employees at all levels have the critical thinking skills to get to the root cause? If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. According to a recent Price Waterhouse Cooper CEO survey, 77 percent of CEOs say they struggle to find the creativity and innovation they need.

When you build a dynamic culture that leverages humanity to solve problems, respond to customers, and adapt to change, you build a strong foundation to survive—and thrive—in the automation revolution.

ChatGPT’s Thoughts on AI, Empathy, and Innovation in Workplace Culture

So here’s what we asked ChatGPT about AI, empathy, and innovation when building a workplace culture.

We asked:

“One challenge we see with an over-reliance on AI in the workplace is that it can’t replace the uniquely human qualities of empathy and innovation. What’s your perspective on that?”

As an AI language model, I can certainly understand the potential limitations of over-reliance on AI in the workplace. While AI can be incredibly useful for automating repetitive or routine tasks, it can’t replace the uniquely human qualities of empathy and innovation.

Empathy is a fundamental human quality that allows us to connect with and understand others’ emotions and perspectives. It enables us to build relationships, solve problems collaboratively, and create meaningful work. While AI can analyze data and provide insights, it can’t replicate the emotional intelligence required to truly empathize with others.

Similarly, innovation is driven by human creativity, imagination, and the ability to think outside the box. While AI can be programmed to identify patterns and generate new ideas based on existing data, it can’t replicate the unique human ability to see possibilities that don’t yet exist.

That said, I don’t believe that AI is inherently in conflict with empathy and innovation. In fact, AI can be a powerful tool to augment these qualities by providing insights and freeing up time for humans to focus on more creative and empathetic work. It’s all about finding the right balance between the strengths of AI and the strengths of human workers.

Ultimately, the best approach is likely to be a collaborative one, where AI and humans work together to achieve shared goals. By combining the strengths of both, we can create a more effective and efficient workplace that values both empathy and innovation.

Your Perspective?

We would love to hear from you. What are the vital human qualities AI can’t replace? What are your best practices for building a human-centered workplace culture?

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How to Be a Better Manager of Managers (let’s talk about accountability)

If your managers of managers are struggling to hold their teams accountable, dig a level deeper into the root cause

This Asking for a Friend question came in from a manager of managers in one of our executive development programs. 

I’ve got a manager of managers on my team, let’s call her “Sue.” Sue’s an incredible leader. Smart. Strategic, Analytic. Hard worker. But she’s got a weak team. I’m so tired of getting pulled into the weeds on issues her team should be handling.  And Sue’s exhausted too. How do I get Sue to hold her team accountable, without micromanaging?

It sounds like Sue has some amazing leadership competencies, so you have a lot of good to work with here. And, if Sue has been in this role for a while, with this team, you are right to be concerned. Strong leaders don’t have weak teams.

Where to Start: Get Curious About What’s Really Going On

 

3 Questions to Ask if Your Managers of Managers
Aren’t Holding Their Teams Accountable

I would start with curiosity. It’s certainly possible that Sue is avoiding accountability conversations, or doesn’t know how to have them well. It’s also feasible that she could use some support in other areas as well.

1. Is she effectively communicating her team’s strategic initiatives, the Most Important Things (MITs), to the team?

Are expectations clear?

Does the team understand what matters most, and why? Do they have enough context to prioritize work, make decisions, and to “say no” to distractions as needed?

As a manager of managers, is Sue able to translate those Most Important Things into practical, tactical behaviors that the team needs to execute well in order to meet their metrics and quality standards?

You can start, by asking Sue to describe their most important priorities at a strategic, initiative, activity, and behavioral level. If she has a good grasp, then you can ask how she’s communicating those priorities and checking for understanding with her team.

This article will help if this is an area that needs more focus.

Creating Clarity:  Strategic Activities For Human-Centered Leaders

2. Does her team have the capacity (e.g. tools, training, and resources) to be successful?

Ask your Sue if she thinks she has the right people, with the right expertise, working in the right roles. Does everyone on the team have the training they need in order to execute their job well?

It’s possible she has capacity concerns but feels constrained or afraid to ask for help.

3. As a manager of managers, is Sue connected to her team?

Is she connected and building trust?  You can ask her about her approach to building trust and connection. If you are concerned that they might be struggling with this aspect of their leadership, you might also consider doing a skip-level meeting to talk with their direct reports.

When doing a skip-level meeting, it’s important to stay curious, and open-minded, and ensure your manager knows you have their best interest at heart. 

One of the Biggest Struggles for Many Manager of Managers

If you’re absolutely sure it’s an accountability issue, you need to have a “no diaper genie,” INSPIRE performance feedback conversation about the pattern of not having accountability conversations.

Share the pattern you’re noticing and the impact it’s having. You may need to reset expectations that as a manager of managers, the ability to hold accountability conversations is a critical component of her role. If you’re confident she’s done all she can, she may need support in progressing the performance management conversation. See Also: How to Be Okay When It’s Time to Fire a Poor Performer.

Your turn.

What would you add? If you’re an executive or manager of managers, how do you help your team strengthen accountability?

P.S.

Would you like to have a more Courageous Culture on your team?  Are you looking for practical tools and techniques to help your employees speak up, share their ideas, and drive quality performance and productivity? Check out our Strategic Leadership and Team Innovation Programs for more inspiration.

See Also:

Team Accountability: Great Teams Hold One Another Accountable (You Can Too)

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Leading with Genuine Concern with Virg Palumbo

Do you experience genuine concern in your leadership? Do you lead by example and does your team feel like they are in the V.A.U.L.T? In this episode, David talks with Virg Palumbo, President of Organizational Efficiency for Kforce Inc. on what leadership is, how to handle high-pressure, high-stress situations, and how every person on your team can make a difference.

 

Leading with Genuine Concern

03:58

Human-centered leadership comes down to having a genuine concern for those that I serve.

06:24

How to balance having a genuine concern for the human beings on my team and the mission or the objective?

06:37

Being Valued, Accepted, Understood, Loved, and Trusted makes the V.A.U.L.T. As a leader you want everyone on the team to feel this way.

13:25

Why strategy without tactics is a hallucination.

16:04

The most important thing to remember in navigating those high-pressure, intense, stressful situations is this, the event plus your response equals the outcome.

17:04

As you’re processing information keep in mind the different types of response and have the awareness to acknowledge if yours fall above the line or below the line.

19:40

Keeping perspectives as a leader and why it can be so valuable.

27:26

Ignorance is a choice and there is significance in educating yourself through your experiences or others’ experiences.

 

Connect with Virg

LinkedIn

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Team Accountability: Great Teams Hold One Another Accountable (You Can Too)

Want to Reduce Unwanted Team Conflict,
Make it Easier to Talk About Team Accountability

When team members don’t get along, one of the biggest sources of conflict is a lack of team accountability.

And, when you look at the research about high-performing teams, one common characteristic is that team accountability isn’t just the manager’s job – the team holds one another accountable (and their manager too). When you talk to high-performing teams, it’s easy to see that this team accountability doesn’t just happen. They work at it. They talk about it. And, they have the tools to address it when things break down.

If you’ve read our first book, Winning Well, or attended one of our foundational leadership development programs, you’ve likely encountered our INSPIRE method for accountability conversations. (If you’re interested in how to use INSPIRE for performance feedback conversations, start here).

The INSPIRE Method can also be used as a practical way to address accountability issues with anyone you work with.

As we teach in our conflict and collaboration courses, an effective conflict conversation includes connection, curiosity, and commitment. The INSPIRE method is a way to guide your conversation through these stages.

How to INSPIRE Better Team Accountability

Connection

Begin with connecting to the person and to the topic you want to discuss by I – Initiating the Conversation, N -Noticing a behavior, and S – providing Supporting examples.

I – Initiating the conversation respectfully and stating your intention

In this first stage, you connect and clarify. This could be something as simple as “My intent for our conversation is to make sure we can get this project done with minimal disruptions to both of our teams.” or “I’d like to talk about how we can take less time to get our reports done accurately. Is this a convenient time?”

Or, if you have a more sensitive or serious conversation in mind, you may say something like, “I really care about this project and our working relationship. We’re behind on our commitments and I have some ideas that can help. Do you have some time later today to talk?”

Then you N – Notice and share your observation.

This is where you start with your experience of the situation. Keep the focus on what you have observed, not what you think their behavior means. We’re very deliberate in using the word “notice” because you can notice a behavior, but you can’t notice an attitude.

For example, you wouldn’t want to tell your coworker, “I noticed that you’re lazy.” Instead, focus on observable behaviors. For example, “I’ve noticed that I don’t have the report you said I’d get at nine this morning.”

You can help your team think about observable behaviors by asking them to imagine watching a video of what happened and narrating the action. Describe the activity (or its absence) in the imaginary video. Those are observable behaviors.

And the final step of the CONNECT stage is S – Support, where you provide supporting evidence.

For example, “I’ve noticed you’ve been joining our meetings late. Today’s Zoom meeting started at 8 and you joined at 8:15. Yesterday’s staff meeting started at 4:00 and you joined at 4:20.”

Connecting well makes all the difference when holding a team accountability conversation with a colleague.

Curiosity

The real magic of the INSPIRE method comes in the CURIOSITY stage. This is where you ask open-ended questions to encourage them to reflect on what’s happening.

When you P – Probe It could be something as simple as, “What’s going on?” Or, “How does this look from your perspective?” The key to this step is to ask with genuine curiosity. There may be an excellent reason for what happened. You don’t want to assume a character flaw or ill intent.

Then, in the I -Invite stage, you ask them to come up with ideas to address the situation. “How do you think we can get the data from your group on time?” Or, “What do you think you can do to ensure you can be at our meetings on time?”

Commitment

And the final stage of the INSPIRE process is COMMITMENT.

This stage starts with R – Review. Here’s where you recap their commitment. This is a check for understanding. “Great, so what I hear you’ll do is talk to the developers and let them know you have to finish this project before going full force on that one?” Or, “So, you’re going to see if you can eliminate some meetings from your calendar, so you’re not always running back to back (and late).”

Finally, encourage your team to E – Enforce. This is where they schedule a follow-up to discuss their new commitment. “So we have two more cycles on this project this month. Can we schedule time on the 30th at 3 pm to talk about how we’re doing?”

The INSPIRE Method Provides a Framework for Connection, Curiosity, and Commitment

The INSPIRE Method gives you a natural opportunity to use some core power phrases as well.

For example, in the Connection Phase, you could say.

“I care about _____ (you, this team, this project) and I’m confident we can find a solution that we can all work with.”

or to connect first to their emotion

“It sounds like you’re feeling _____ is that right? [pause for affirmation]. Thank you for letting me know how you feel.” Here’s how I’m feeling. I’ve noticed…”

Or in the Curiosity phase, you might say

“What would success look like for you?”

And then in the Commitment phase, you might close with,

“So, to recap our conversation, we’ve agreed to _________. Is that your understanding?”

And, ” Let’s schedule some time to talk about this again, and see how our solution is working,”

The INSPIRE method is a proven method for making team accountability natural and helps to prevent conflicts from escalating.

For more important team accountability conversations see…

How to Build a High-Performing Team: Ten Vital Conversations

The post Team Accountability: Great Teams Hold One Another Accountable (You Can Too) appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Leadership Visibility: How to Ensure Your Team Gets the Attention They Deserve

Your Work is Valuable – Let’s Make Sure You Get Leadership Visibility

Let’s talk about getting more leadership better visibility and recognition for YOU – and YOUR TEAM’s – work.

Today’s #AskingForaFriend came in from our Micro-Learning Lab.

“I’ve always had trouble “selling” my (or our) job to higher management. I thought the work should speak for itself. However, in a very busy environment, the message may get lost. How do I ensure that management knows of our achievements and realizes how much work the team does?“

Three Ways to Position Yourself for Better Exposure

 

1. Position Your Team Strategically for Better Leadership Visibility

In order to achieve better leadership visibility, set clear and measurable MITs (Most Important Things) that align with the bigger picture. If you need help creating clarity, this article is a great place to start. Or, drop us a note. We’d love to chat.

By setting specific MITs for your team, you show the impact of your work. And, track progress toward bigger organizational goals.

Provide regular updates on your team’s progress. You might even use our 5×5 communication technique to expand leadership visibility to your work.

This can help build trust and credibility, and demonstrate the value your team brings. Additionally, by regularly reviewing and adjusting your goals as circumstances change, you ensure your team REMAINS aligned with strategic objectives,

2. Build Cross-Functional Relationships with Other Departments

Help your team build deeper, collaborative relationships with other departments.

When people in other departments talk positively about your team, you get better leadership visibility without saying a word. Great work never happens in a vacuum. And some of the best recognition comes from peers.

By collaborating effectively with other departments, you can also gain a better understanding of the organization’s overall goals and priorities. This helps better align your work with strategic priorities (see above). Which, in turn, helps gain support from senior leadership, Think of this as the leadership visibility snowball effect.

Furthermore, when YOU help OTHER DEPARTMENTS gain visibility and recognition, you pave the way for future collaboration. By working together and sharing successes, you can create a positive feedback loop that benefits everyone involved.

3. Invite Senior Leadership to Meetings

For more leadership visibility, invite senior leadership to a meeting and strategically share your work. It’s not bragging, it’s useful. Just be sure you’re ready to nail it. Not all executive exposure is good exposure. See Also: 6 Reasons to Give Your Team Better Executive Exposure.

A few tips to keep in mind (and more tips here on presenting to executives)

Be transparent and authentic in your communication.Let them know the intent of the invite, and topics to discuss.Provide any relevant background or context.Be an excellent steward of time.Avoid overselling or exaggerating your accomplishments.Focus on presenting an accurate and honest picture of your team’s work and progress.Emphasize your commitment to working collaboratively towards shared goals.Use data to back up your claims and present them in a meaningful and compelling way.Final Tip

When presenting your team’s work to senior leadership, be sure to emphasize the importance of collaboration and teamwork. Highlight the contributions of individual team members. Demonstrate how their skills and expertise complement each other to achieve shared goals. This helps demonstrate your leadership skills and your ability to build and manage high-performing teams. Additionally, by emphasizing collaboration and teamwork, you reinforce your commitment to a culture of shared ownership and responsibility.

And psst…Dear Leader…if you want to bring human-centered practical leadership training to your teams, visit our Team Accelerator page. Learn about our manager-driven team development program to sustain company-wide change, from the inside out.

And now, your turn. How do you help your team’s performance stand out so it’s impossible to ignore? How do you ensure that they get the attention they deserve? Leadership visibility does more than improve morale, it also leads to better creativity, innovation, and courage.

This article will also help.

How to Help Your Team Reflect on Their Accomplishments

The post Leadership Visibility: How to Ensure Your Team Gets the Attention They Deserve appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Anytime Coaching for Leaders with Wendy Swire

Leaders know how valuable coaching conversations can be but it’s not always easy to find the time. In this episode, Wendy Swire, author of Anytime Coaching: Unleashing Employee Performance, gives us effective and impactful coaching skills to use at any time. The Anytime Coaching model equips managers (from first-time supervisors to senior executives) with tools they can use immediately to transform the way they work with employees and colleagues unleashing their best thinking and developing their overall competence. 

Tune in to learn how the anytime coaching approach enables you to understand the importance of both self-awareness and organizational awareness, view your employees and the work you do in fresh and positive ways, know how to respond once you have observed, inquired, and listened, recognize how to share feedback and realign when coaching conversations get off track. Whether you lead a temporary, cross-functional team on a short-term project or formally manage large groups of people on a daily basis, Wendy’s practical tips and insights will help you improve performance and achieve results.

 

Anytime Coaching for Leaders

4:46

What is the field of Neuro Leadership?

8:12

Why it’s important to be able to have coaching conversations anytime as short conversations where you bring out the best in people and help them solve whatever the issue is, and they come up with the insight.

14:47

Taming your FRG (fast results gene) to be a more effective coach.

16:56

What are the four practices of any time coaching? And the importance of checking in before you begin to ensure you are Present, Aware, and Focused (PAF).

18:49

Learn to coach for developmental feedback as well as for positive behavior that you want to reinforce.

23:00

Getting into the coaching mode and using your questions intentionally. Focus on mainly open-ended, simple questions and not leading questions or close-ended questions.

37:36

If you’re truly listening in a coaching conversation or as a leader, you’re listening for congruence and listening for stories.

Connect with Wendy

Website
LinkedIn

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