David Dye's Blog, page 67
April 1, 2021
Thriving into the New Abnormal: How to Support Your Team (with Video)
Your team is looking to you for guidance on what happens next. As you’re making plans think beyond the new normal, and focus on helping your team thrive in the new abnormal.
Last week I attended the Association of Training Providers conference, where people like us who run training companies like ours gather to talk about industry trends, share ideas, and help one another better serve our clients. Wow, it felt great to be on the other side of a keynote speech for a change 
One of my favorite sessions was on resiliency, led by Leo Flanagan, Ph.D. who runs The Center For Resilence.
Three points really resonated with me and the work we’ve been doing to support our clients in this transition.
CDC statistics show increasing trends of anxiety and depression–an increase of 514% in the last 14 months.To quote, Dr. Flanagan, “there is no returning – there is only going forward into an unprecedented era of innovation”“Physical safety does not equal emotional safety.”I’ve thought about all this before but, somehow this really hit me right between the eyes.
There is nothing normal about making sure you have your mask and hand sanitizer with you as you leave for work.
Or socially distancing from your colleagues in a meeting. That’s not the new normal. That’s the next phase of the new abnormal. We need to prepare our teams for that.
Amen.
4 Important Considerations to Help Your Team Thrive Into the New AbnormalSo as you consider the next phase of your new abnormal, here are a few key considerations to keep in mind as you build your strategy and approach. What would you add?
1. Make Mental Health a Top PriorityIf your team is even remotely like the rest of the population, you have many people dealing with significant mental health challenges that aren’t going to magically disappear with their second dose of the vaccine.
In addition to important work like safety protocols, vaccination policies, and training your managers on leading hybrid teams, it’s important to continue the conversations of supporting the mental health and well-being of your people.
Demonstrating a bit of vulnerability can go a long way. “This is hard for me too, and this is why.”
2. Clarify Your MITs (Most Important Things)During times of uncertainty and change, it’s easy to focus on what we don’t know. Be sure your team has a clear understanding of their strategic, short-term, and daily priorities.
And when things change, be sure they know not just what is changing but also why as you work to navigate the new abnormal.
This article on productivity and setting MIT priorities can help.
3. Conduct frequent assessments to know how people are truly feelingIt’s easy (and sometimes tempting) to listen to a few outspoken voices and think that’s how everyone is feeling. “Everyone wants to come back to work in the office.” “Everyone wants to stay working from home.” These are both sentences we’ve heard recently from leaders in the same organization.
Employees may feel pressure to say what they think you want to hear. Frequent, short pulse surveys can be invaluable to know what’s really on people’s hearts and minds and to know how their thinking is evolving in this rapidly changing new abnormal.
4. Involve your team in building a better futureAn important part of Dr. Flangan’s resiliency model is what he calls “Pragmatic Optimism.”
He defines a person with “pragmatic optimism” as someone who: “Believes the future will be better and they have a role in making it so.” (p.s. if you’ve missed our BEDTalk from the very early days of the pandemic, we talk about this too.
it’s not too late to gather your team and capture what you’ve learned and are still learning, as you involve your team in preparing for the new abnormal. Our FREE I.D.E.A. Incubator Guide can help.
Your turn.What would you add? How are you helping your team prepare for the new abnormal?
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March 29, 2021
Winning Well: Be the Leader You Want Your Boss to Be (Videos)
Winning Well – the art of blending the bottom line with the human spirit Winning Well gives leaders practical tools to achieve breakthrough results that last. After training over 10,000 leaders in fourteen countries in our Winning Well practical leadership tools and […]
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March 26, 2021
Transform Your HR Relationships and Your Leadership
In this inspiring conversation with Elle Marc-Charles, Director of Inclusive Culture for Belden Corporation you’ll get practical insights into how to guard yourself and your leaders from losing their humanity, how your human resource professionals can help you achieve your strategic results, […]
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March 25, 2021
Too Many Meetings – How to Free Your Team to Build, Create, and Thrive
Too many meetings can frustrate productivity and morale. Reduce them to free your team. When your calendar staggers under the weight of too many meetings, start with design thinking, involve your team, and improve your use of asynchronous tools. It’s a refrain […]
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March 24, 2021
Work-Life Balance and Integration: What Matters Most?
Practical Techniques For Work-Life Balance and Integration In this week’s Asking For a Friend Live, I speak with Monica Hammond, VP Business Government Operations at Verizon, Leslie Eubanks, Senior Vice President at Kforce, and Tabana Jabeen, Senior Vice President at Ibex. We […]
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March 22, 2021
Want Better Influence at Work? Avoid These Communication Mistakes
When it comes to having better influence at work, words matter.
Of course, WHAT you say will instantly influence your credibility and impact.
But, what’s REALLY tragic is to see well-intentioned leaders with great ideas getting talked over or ignored, because of HOW they contribute.
Subtle word choice makes all the difference.
Jane’s storyWe once coached “Jane” a woman executive (she, her, hers), the only member of an all-male, executive team (he, him, his).
“Jane” was frustrated that her voice wasn’t being heard.
Jane’s boss, the CEO. was also frustrated that Jane, “lacked confidence.”
Was there some bias going on? You bet.
No question, we had to address that.
But you know what else was happening nearly every time she spoke up? Weak words sabotaged her influence.
By changing the words surrounding her ideas, her ideas suddenly gained traction, and she had a seat at the table.
3 Communication Mistakes That Sabotage Your Leadership Influence at WorkLet’s talk about three categories of words that sabotage your influence at work and what to say instead.
1. Pre-ApologiesThere’s no question that self-deprecating humor has a place at work. In fact, we often notice some of the most successful leaders in our leadership programs using self-deprecating humor brilliantly.
Poking a bit of fun at yourself and allowing others to have a good laugh at your expense can do wonders to break the ice, particularly if you’re the one with more position power.
And, of course, REAL apologies are vital in building trust, influence, and connection. If you screw up, admit it.
But, pre-apologies where you apologize for an idea you’re about to present, scream, “Don’t listen to me, wait for the next guy. I’m sure his idea will be better.”
It’s so sad to watch a manager with a great idea start with a pre-apology and then wonder why their voice isn’t heard.
Examples of Pre-Apologies“I’m usually wrong about such things, but …”
“This is probably a bad idea …”
“In my feeble little mind …”
“In terrible at math, but …”
Note: If you are really terrible at math, double-check or get some help. But our experience is most people who start with “I’m terrible at math” have a gut instinct that tells us something is wonky on a spreadsheet or in a presentation even faster than the best math geek.
What to say instead:“I have an idea …”
“In my experience …”
“Great thoughts, have you also considered?”
“Can we just double-check the numbers? Can you please walk us through how you got to that?”
2. Selling Past the CloseBack in my early HR days at Verizon, I (Karin) was really excited about a new mentoring program we had developed, but I had to convince the operations leadership that the time was right. I had carefully crafted my argument and all the reasons why we needed this now.
Three minutes in, the senior vice president of sales I was meeting with said “yes.”
But, I hadn’t yet shared all my talk points or data. So, I kept talking sharing my carefully crafted pitch. He quickly interrupted and shared, “Karin, you’re selling past the close.”
If you want better influence, know when to stop talking.
What to say instead:“Great. Glad you agree. Game on. Here’s what I recommend we do next.”
3. HedgingWhen I think of “hedging words,” I think of the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. “Well we could go this way, but we could also go that way.”
You present a perfectly good idea, and before people can respond you quickly jump in with all the alternatives as you waffle a bit about your recommendations.
What to say instead:It’s perfectly reasonable to concisely show your work, and explain the alternatives you considered. If you want more influence you should also have a point of view.
“I carefully considered these three alternatives. And, this is why I recommend we go this way.”
Start Here to Be a More Influential Communicator at WorkIt’s easy to fall into the trap of using these derailing words, and not even notice it. The easiest way to know is to ask for feedback from someone you trust. “I’m working on improving my communication to have more influence at work. If you see me starting my sentences with a pre-apology, would you let me know?”
Or you can even record one of your virtual meetings, play it back and watch for patterns.
Your turn:What communication mistakes have you seen sabotage influence at work?
See Also: 9 Phrases that Immediately Expose Weak Leaders For Who They Are
How to Be a More Courageous Manager
Psychological Safety or More Courage? What Your Team Needs Now
Leadership Skills: 6 Competencies You Can’t Lead Without
Executive Presence in a Virtual World: What Matters Now
The post Want Better Influence at Work? Avoid These Communication Mistakes appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.
Want Better Influence at Work? Avoid These Communication Mistakes
3 Communication Mistakes That Sabotage Your Influence and Impact When it comes to having better influence at work, words matter. Of course, WHAT you say will instantly influence your credibility and impact. But, what’s REALLY tragic is to see well-intentioned leaders with […]
The post Want Better Influence at Work? Avoid These Communication Mistakes appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.
March 21, 2021
Celebrating 100 Winning Wells Providing Clean Water in Cambodia
Celebrating Over 100 Clean Water Winning Wells in Cambodia It was the Summer of 2016 and we had had just launched our new book Winning Well: A Manager’s Guide to Getting Results—Without Losing Your Soul. We were talking to our good friend […]
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March 19, 2021
How to Partner with Your Learning and Development Team
Training and development are a vital part of every team member’s growth and success (including yours!) But there are common mistakes leaders make that undermine that success. In this episode with Director of Learning and Development from UFHealth Jacksonville, Dan Kurmaskie, you’ll […]
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March 18, 2021
Inclusive Leadership – Moving through Discomfort
Inclusive Leadership Isn’t Comfortable Building inclusive leadership requires getting comfortable with discomfort, taking daily small steps, and being selective with the feedback you listen to. I’ve been reluctant to write this. At the core of my hesitation was that, as a white […]
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