Susan Scott's Blog, page 105

Fierce Resources: A Leadership Lesson: Stay Out of the Way When Things Are Going Well

This week’s Fierce Resource was first published on Tuesday on the TLNT HR blog and was written by Derek Irvine. This week on the Fierce blog we focused on speaking out and taking a stand, particularly as a leader.

A Leadership Lesson: Stay Out of the Way When Things Are Going Well explores how a leader’s job is to get the right people in the door and work hard to keep them. Along the way, many times, the best thing leaders can do to support their teams is to step out of the way.

“Trust your employees. You hired them for their skills, knowledge and talents. Unless they need you, get out of their way and let them do what they do best.”

To read the full blog, click here.

As a Leader, You Need to Think Big

Great leaders think big. Their focus is outward and not just on what is right in front of them. It is past that. They view the world in soft focus, so they can use their peripheral vision.

Every job description for leadership positions should read: Think big and then communicate that picture to your team effectively.

So how do you do that?

You do it by constantly having conversations with your team, other leaders, and your mentors to keep yourself grounded in the issues and challenges. So when you look to tomorrow, next month, 5 years down the road, you can create a road map that is dynamic and strong, because it is a result of many people’s perspectives.

You embrace your team’s “pipe” dreams and shout them into the universe. You commit to being the champion of your team’s goals. You understand positivity is contagious.

You don’t put unnecessary limitations on yourself, your team, or your organization, because you know that the outside world will do that for you.

How do you think big as a leader?

Fierce Tip of the Week: Say It Out Loud

An old adage that I heard often growing up was think before you speak. This is a very valuable saying for me, because I am what you would call a classic “external processor.” While that phrase has saved me from saying things that could have a negative impact, it has also encouraged me to self-edit and sometimes hesitate to voice opinions or concerns.

This week’s Fierce tip encourages you to say it out loud.

This isn’t about indulging in stream of consciousness, rather, it’s about not over-analyzing. This week if you’re in a meeting and you have an idea that you think could really move the team forward – speak up. Let go of needing to have a perfectly formed thought and allow others to influence and build off your inspiration. If your idea is met with a luke-warm reaction, don’t get discouraged.

As Albert Einstein said, “If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.”

Fierce Resources: Mokita Busters – Fierce Conversations in Chicago

This week’s Fierce Resource was first published last week on the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago website.

Mokita Busters – Fierce Conversations in Chicago explores how Fierce and our Authorized Provider, Cam Tripp, have partnered with the Diocese of Chicago to transform the conversations the bishop and his staff are having with each other and the larger community.

“One of the most significant ways is that when we on bishop’s staff go out into congregations, we have these sort of conversations. We are honest and we encourage others to be honest,” he (Reverand James Steen) says. Fierce precepts are also being discussed in diocesan programs such as Thrive, the new congregational development initiative; Fresh Start, and the Making Excellent Disciples program for new clergy.

“It is hard to have a conversation in this building,” Steen said referring to the diocesan offices, “without someone asking ‘what would we be focusing on now if we were having a fierce conversation?”

To read the full article, click here.

Fierce Tip of the Week: Engage in Conversations for Change

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom”. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Monday, in the United States, we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day while simultaneously swearing into office, for a second term, the first ever African-American president. In honor of Dr. King, this week’s tip is to engage in conversations for change.

Dr. King was a visionary, someone who dreamed about the world becoming very different than it was. His ability to create change came from his courage to be honest and engage in conversations that were confrontational, authentic, and hopeful.

This week honor Dr. King by engaging in conversations that are both reflective and help to spur change. To quote Fierce founder Susan Scott: While no single conversation is guaranteed to change the trajectory of a career, a business, a marriage, or a life, any single conversation can.

Fierce Resources: Confronting an Employee? 3 Communication Mistakes Managers Make

This week’s Fierce Resource was first published on the The Daily Muse website and was written by Fierce CEO & President, Halley Bock.

Confronting an Employee? 3 Communication Mistakes Managers Make explores the three most common errors managers make when having a confrontation conversation and how to use the conversation to enrich the relationship.

“Yes, when it comes to confrontation, it can be a frightening world out there for leaders. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be so tough—and if we stop making some highly unfortunate communication mistakes, it can get a whole lot easier. Here are three of the most common errors managers commit, and tips on what you can do instead—so neither you nor your erring employee has to dread the conversation.”

To read the full article and learn all three tips, click here.

Presbyterian Senior Living & Fierce Case Study

Fierce is excited to announce a new case study that highlights our partnership with Presbyterian Senior Living.

Presbyterian Senior Living (PSL) is an over 80-year-old not-for-profit, charitable organization, governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees. Committed to developing their employees, PSL CEO Steve Proctor saw an opportunity to strengthen employees’ communication skills and ultimately, the business.

Fierce partnered with PSL to roll out Fierce Conversations. By starting with senior management, PSL built top-down commitment that began to permeate throughout all levels of the organization.

“We want to empower all our respective staffs at each location. We want them to have a process framework for problem solving and give our folks the necessary skills to resolve issues and make plans at the local level, with their local constituents,” said Jim Bernardo, Chief Operating O�fficer at PSL.

To learn more about how Fierce supports Presbyterian Senior Living in achieving their goals, download your complimentary Presbyterian Senior Living & Fierce Case Study.

Fierce Tip of the Week: Avoid Scare Tactics

As a leader, motivating your employees to be their best can require discipline. It can take many conversations to find ways that will inspire all of the members of the group. In place of having these conversations, sometimes leaders can make the mistake of resorting to scare tactics to motivate.

Don’t do this.

This week’s Fierce Tip encourages leaders to have the conversation with those they lead and find out what inspires them. Doing this, instead of resorting to fear-based methods, builds trust and helps create the relationships necessary to have full commitment.

Fear might get you the short-term outcomes you want. However, in the long run, if you do not have the relationships and strong communication with your employees – they will lose momentum, and you will be right back where you started.

Fierce Resources: What Successful People Do with the First Hour of Their Work Day

This week’s Fierce Resource was first published in August of 2012 on the Fast Company website and was listed on LinkedIn’s 12 Most Popular Stories of 2012.

What Successful People Do with the First Hour of Their Work Day, written by Kevin Purdy, gives insight on some great ways to manage your time.

“Remember when you used to have a period at the beginning of every day to think about your schedule, catch up with friends, maybe knock out a few tasks? It was called home room, and it went away after high school. But many successful people schedule themselves a kind of grown-up home room every day. You should too.”

To read the full article, click here.

How to Help Employees Stay Organized

Without fail, at the start of every new year, the words on the tips of many people’s tongues are: This year I want to get organized. This yearly mantra is pledged, and usually by mid-month, the resolution is forgotten and old behavior resumes.

As a leader, dealing with disorganization can be highly frustrating. Detail orientation, time management, and efficiency are all part of being organized, and they are essential for things to run smoothly.

It can be incredibly hard to confront someone about how they choose to organize their work, because it is such a personal topic. However, if a direct report’s organization is causing repeated error, then letting them continue down that path helps no one.

Below are three easy tips to have the conversation with an employee to develop and hone organization skills.

Tip #1: Recognize Success

No one is completely unorganized. We all have areas where the processes we put into place really work. It is important, as a leader, to get curious and ask your employee what is working best from their perspective. Highlight areas where you notice success.

Tip #2: Be Specific

The point of this conversation is to develop your employee and provide feedback. In order to do this, be specific with your examples and explain how you view the current organization process hindering performance. It is critical that you come to the conversation with methods your employee could try and then leave time for you and your employee to brainstorm more about those ideas. Create a detailed action plan that you both help mold.

Tip #3: Follow-Up

If your employee is serious about creating new organization habits, it is something they will have to work on every day. In order to show your commitment to the process, your support will need to reach past this initial conversation. Set up follow-up conversations to check-in and see how the new processes are going. Stay aware and give feedback when you see old behaviors dominating. On the flip side, when you see growth, make sure you give the recognition they deserve.

As a leader, how do you help your employees stay organized?