Susan Scott's Blog, page 120

Are Workplace Practices Working?

To help ensure that everyone's putting their best foot forward, organizations create practices, both written and unspoken, that employees are expected to follow. The hope is to support their employees and establish success.

Question is: are these practices working?

We want to know!

Join Fierce and take our survey.

Are they supporting you in accomplishing your work or hindering your success? Is your company willing to change practices based on employee input and feedback?

Follow this link and let us know your thoughts!

For more information about leadership development and training, visit our site (www.fierceinc.com).

A Workplace You're Entitled To

We are all entitled.

We have certain laws in place to make sure we all have a safe work environment, fair wages, and to not be discriminated against due to the color of our skin, our gender, or our sexual orientation.

These are our rights in many places in the world, and should be everywhere.

We should also have work cultures that have open and honest communication. To spend each day engaged on a visceral level, being part of a place that dignifies hard work, day in and day out, whether your job is a lineman, teacher, or CEO.

Creating a workplace that embraces this type of communication, happens through the participation of each employee. People make a culture. People drive whether an organization will be productive, innovative, and committed.

So why are there organizations that employ amazing people and don't have amazing cultures?

It all relies on the conversations that take place.

At Fierce, our mission is to change the world one conversation at a time. What if every individual started honestly and respectfully communicating? Think how your organization could change.

It's important for communication to not be dictated by one person – this only supports a culture of group think. There should be many voices and they should reflect the people who are speaking- varied, unique, and not always in agreement. It can be difficult, and that's how you know it's worth it.

This collective voice is called participation.

Hold yourself and those you work with able to handle what each individual has to say. This is important for both leaders and individual contributors.

Take control of what you can do to make this happen. Think of the possibilities!

Deliver the Message Without the Load

The challenge seemed easy this week, until yesterday! Lack of sleep, exercise, being snowed in at home with a long to-do list and toddler meltdowns was enough to make me almost lose it. Plus, I woke up in a less than bright mood. The words, "be intentional", scrolled through my mind.

When my 3-year old, Niko, is in a bad mood and wants to stay there, I tell him "it's okay to feel you're in a bad mood, and it's your choice to stay there. It's okay to feel crummy – and it's not okay to take it out on others."

The impact of our words and their delivery – our body language, tone – can be stunning. Yesterday, I was reminded that there is no excuse to talk with someone in a way that causes harm.

Regardless of how I feel about something, I can share my perspective – even frustration – in a way that doesn't damage the relationship. Otherwise, I'll find myself more frustrated by the clean-up work I have to do in the aftermath.

The bottom line for me is – in case I ever want to make excuses for bad behavior – I know if I don't practice delivering a message without a load attached, I won't grow the kinds of relationships I want in my life. I won't be the kind of person to whom people will commit at the deepest level. And lastly, my message won't get heard.

When I'm flooded by emotions, before speaking, I try to ask myself some key questions:

1.    What is my intent? What is my intention in this conversation and my desired outcome? Connecting with it helps me be mindful about what I'm going to say before the words come out.

2.    What is my outlook? I try to do what I call a quick "context check" at the start of the day. Did I wake up on the wrong side of the bed? What is my outlook today – positive or negative? My outlook drives my behavior and results. If it's negative, how can I make another choice and better navigate conversations?

3.    Am I getting triggered? It's easy to get triggered in a conversation. I need to recognize it when I do, and for goodness sake, stop speaking and take a breath. Then ask questions to let my curiosity replace judgment.

4.   What if I make a mistake? I know that if I get sloppy with my emotional wake, I owe the other person an immediate apology – whether a co-worker, a spouse or my child. No excuses. I don't gain respect without giving it

Fierce Conversations are not about being ferocious in our conversations, they are about saying what we need to say in a way that moves the relationship forward – with skill, clarity, conviction and compassion.

I expect to hold my feet to the fire and have high expectations of my behavior, and I hold others able to do the same. It's a matter of personal responsibility and it's necessary – to move our work, our families and our communities forward.

Maya Angelou said, "People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel."

That's enough to motivate me.

We'd love to know: how did you do this week?

For more information about leadership development and training, visit our site (www.fierceinc.com).

Success and Confrontation Go Hand-in-Hand

A challenging conversation becomes increasingly more challenging the longer you avoid it. What was once a simple and straightforward issue only becomes more complex. Time compounds the situation.

Very few people think they will thrive in situations when they have to confront someone. It can be awkward, unpleasant, and most of all, scary. The range of uncertainty only escalates the "what if" factor. It is easy to focus on the negative.

Yet your success is dependent upon addressing issues as they arise.

To be successful, one must be able to have confrontational conversations in your workplace. When things are not going the way one individual thinks they should, that person has to have the skill-set and support to have that conversation.

I recently read a blog posted on onlinecollege.org titled, 15 Characteristics Correlated with Success. All these characteristics for success supported skillfully having difficult conversations rather than avoiding them.

The first three characteristics listed are personal accountability, resilience, and to be a lifelong learner. These characteristics relate to self-awareness and taking ownership, which are extremely important in all aspects of communication.

When approaching challenging conversations, you must know that you will not have all the answers, and it is vital to be open to learning more about the other's perspective.

What happens to your organization if the people within it aren't living up to their full potential? What if they can't have the conversations essential for their success?

You slowly build a culture of avoidance, one that breeds mediocrity, and creates distance between its people.

Confrontation is a relationship builder.

It is a chance to expand one's point of view and challenge an idea. It creates space where growth can happen on both the individual and organization level. Success is, by definition, an outcome. Possessing both a strong skill-set and character traits to embrace confrontational conversations is how you get there.

If your culture does not support having these challenging conversations, stop right now and think immediately about how you can begin to change that.

For more information about leadership development and training, visit our site (www.fierceinc.com).

Interrogate Reality

The second week's challenge in our Fierce 6 Challenge is to interrogate reality. The purpose is to test your assumptions and really seek others' views.

John Lennon once said, "Reality leaves a lot to the imagination."

That's at the heart of this challenge.

I know what I know. You know what you know.

If we don't take time to interrogate and question each other – we are merely living in a fantasy land. And that land tends to not be where the best decisions are made.

What keeps us from being open and learning other's perspectives? Well…it's scary. What if I'm totally off? What if I have to go on a totally different path?

It is important in the long run to do this, though. There lies the challenge.

As the Director of Marketing, I am leading the efforts for our website redesign (stay tuned, everyone!). This week for the challenge, I worked really hard to interrogate reality around this. I met and talked with various team members from all different facets of our company– client development, training, and outreach. I know what I know. However, I need to know what I'm not seeing.

What am I missing? What could be better from where you sit?

When I went into those conversations, I tried my best to not jump in with justifications for why I was thinking of going direction A. There may be a direction B or C or even Q.

We had great conversations, especially because I was less focused on getting my points across and more focused on learning.

For instance, one of my colleagues who works with clients on a day-to-day basis mentioned including a resource for our clients on the website that I had never considered. Some great ideas were born.

When reflecting on how I interrogated reality, I found myself using these three tips the most:

1. Listen more. When I was tempted to share my view, I stopped myself. This required me to consciously not open my mouth multiple times.

2. Ask probing questions. Asking yes or no questions rarely helped. I tried to ask more in-depth, thought-provoking questions.

3. Be thankful. It helped me to be thankful and continue to practice Challenge 1. People don't have to share their candid opinions about something; it can be scary for them too. I made sure to show appreciation.

So, how did you do? How did you interrogate reality? Do you have any tips or lessons? Let us know!

For more information about leadership development and training, visit our site (www.fierceinc.com).

Make a Plan, and Then Get Ready to Change It

I'm a grade "A" plan maker. I make beautiful plans that involve elaborate outlines, detailed schedules and helpful drawings. They're works of art.

The big flaw?

I leave no room for reality.

I learned this lesson while building my first household budget for my husband and I. It included red and black columns that detailed out specific expenses. It was beautiful!

The problem is that my budget had no room for unforeseen things that would come up. Our savings was slowly chipped away for tires and household supplies that needed to be purchased months before their scheduled replacement dates.

The truth is, none of us live in vacuums. And as John Lennon said, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."

So what does that mean for your organization?

First, when envisioning the future, it's never a bad idea to look back at the past. You can bet that my second household budget was informed from the first, and a new column for "unexpected costs" was added.

Seeing where your previous plan couldn't bend with reality helps you stay more flexible the next time around.

Second, who are you inviting to the table? Honestly, I made that first budget without much input from my husband. This means I left out the perspective of someone who does 50% of our household spending.

When  creating your plan, are you involving enough differing opinions? No one person owns the truth. A good way to create a plan that can survive outside of a vacuum is to invite the people who will be affected during the planning phase.

Third, make sure you schedule time to course correct. Pilots use waypoints, which are sets of coordinates that identify a point in physical space, so they can course correct during the flight and make sure they get to their destination the most effective way possible.

It's unreasonable to think about charting a course from L.A. to New York without taking the miles in between into consideration. This is true for most plans. Make things less difficult by giving yourself the ability to check back in.

Any plan, whether it's a personal budget or the strategy for an entire organization, cannot survive its collision with reality. But it can be ready to embrace it!

Seattle Business Week:The Engaged Workforce

Fierce CEO, Halley Bock, is currently writing a column for Seattle Business Week Magazine focusing on family owned businesses. We wanted to share with you her most recent article on engaged workforces.

According to a recent study conducted by Gallup, 71% of the workforce is unengaged, costing the U.S. economy an estimated $385 billion in productivity loss each year. Conversely, organizations with high levels of employee engagement experienced 5-16% greater financial performance than their less fortunate peers.

Bottom line: employee engagement is a huge factor in an organization's success and is one of the best leading indicators of financial performance. In other words, if you want to know how your company will perform in a year – measure employee engagement today.

For any organization, creating high levels of engagement is difficult. For family businesses, it can be yet more complex given the built-in dynamic of family versus non-family members in the workforce.

Here are 3 key areas of focus for those seeking to join the ranks of highly engaged and highly profitable companies.

1. Redefine "family". Merriam Webster has a few definitions for "family". There is the most common definition: a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head. Then there is this definition: a group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation.

For reasons, some obvious and some not, I prefer the latter when I think of my "family" business. The only purpose I have for the traditional meaning is to merely define how the company is set-up akin to checking a box for Sub-S, LLC, or C-Corp on a tax return. Beyond that component, the notion of the traditional family business ends.

Instead, we become a family dedicated to the mission and vision of the company and committed to one another regardless of rank, title, or relation. Flattening the significance of how your organization is structured is essential to creating a landscape upon which everyone will enthusiastically build upon. If there is no sense of ownership, then there can be no meaningful engagement.

2. Ask questions. As French philosopher Alain said, "Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it's the only one you have." Many businesses (family or otherwise) were built on one great idea. For some lucky few, that idea will sustain the business for years to come. More than likely, the organization will remain relevant and viable by constantly adjusting to the ever-changing markets and needs of today's society.

While this may seem like a no-brainer, I have seen more than a few family-owned businesses fail because the next generation was simply mimicking the founder's original concept or seeking strategic advice from an insular group of family members.

To ensure your company is around for the next generation while keeping your workforce engaged, constantly ask your employees for honest feedback, ideas, and suggestions as it pertains to where the company is going and how it's going to get there.

3. Speak of the "unspeakable". The Papuans of New Guinea have a term, mokita, which means "that which everyone knows and no one speaks of." And they judge the health of any community by the number of mokitas existing within it. That said, the more mokitas – the less healthy the community.

As you can imagine, family businesses are more susceptible to mokitas than other organizations. First, there may be fear of retaliation if an employee calls out Uncle Bob's fondness for online poker tournaments and morning martinis. Second, there are opportunities for collusion amongst family members who can "gang up" on your corporate ethics.

And, finally, if other family members aren't calling out behavior, then employees assume it's a known issue and that by saying nothing, the behavior is condoned.

Unfortunately, one or two rotten eggs along with an apathetic management team can ruin the lot for everyone – seriously tanking employee engagement. It's extremely important that all employees feel they can speak the truth and that their honest feedback is more important than any sacred cows currently occupying space within the company.

If you want your workforce to bring all of themselves to work each day then nothing should be off-limits. In fact, a recent study conducted by The Executive Board found that organizations where employees felt they could share honest feedback without fear of retaliation financially outperformed their peers by 7.9%.

Here's to creating an honest, collaborative, and engaged family business in 2012.

This article first appeared in Seattle Business Week Magazine. Click here to see the full article.

Spread Joy through Conversation

I'm excited to kick off the challenge and share my experience of spreading joy through conversation.

I chose to apply this challenge in two ways: first, to spread joy by showing appreciation to both my colleagues and family. I tend to think appreciative thoughts, but I don't always verbalize them. I'm not sure why I do this.

The challenge was an awesome opportunity to share my thoughts with others out loud, instead of keeping them in my head.

For example, my husband often goes out of his way to accommodate my work schedule by driving me to work, so I can sleep in a little later.

I made sure every day this week to tell him how this helps make my day so much easier, how much it means to me that he does it, and that I don't take his act of kindness for granted.

I instantly saw the impact of me sharing these few thoughts of appreciation.

At work, this week kicked off an exciting new opportunity with the addition of several team members. One, specifically, is a colleague I will be working very closely with.

Every day I made the conscious effort to let him know how much I appreciate that he has taken on the challenge of this new role, and how much I admire his dedication.

If I'm being honest, these are two conversations I would have had in my head instead of out loud. This little practice has hooked me to keep the appreciation flowing out of my mouth!

The second way I chose to spread joy through conversation was in showing up with that posture with others.

I did this by being more present in my conversations and listening more. I tried not to run through my to-do checklists when having conversations with others.

When I show up fully, the conversations are far more satisfying for everyone.

I tried to keep my attitude in mind this week as well. How was my mood affecting my conversations? What could I change to make them more positive?

All in all, I felt it was a successful week for me. I didn't always have conversations that were as eloquent as I might like, and yet, I had them.  That was a big step for me.

Taking responsibility for my attitude and presence felt very empowering.

So, how did you do? How did you spread joy through conversation? Let us know!

For more information about leadership development and training, visit our site (www.fierceinc.com).

No Risk No Reward

We try and minimize risk. We create algorithms so we can measure impact. We make safety procedures to ensure that fall outs will not be too severe.

Oftentimes, risk = scary territory that is chalk full of danger.

Risk has become a very dirty word.

This demonization of risk causes real stalemate in industry.

What happens when everyone colors in the lines? You get a bunch of pictures that look exactly the same.

So how do you encourage risk?

Create relationships.

Think of a time when you took a risk. What motivated you to act despite your fear? I know personally it has always been because I knew if I failed, someone would be there when I fell.

As a leader do you want pictures that stand out and are different? Do you want innovation for your organization? Then you have to give people the space to risk.

If you're already working for an organization that gives you that space, don't wait another moment- take the opportunity.

If you're currently working for an organization that doesn't give you that space, don't wait another moment- make the opportunity.

So how do you set yourself up to take the big leap?

Have conversations.

Just because you're doing something risky doesn't mean you need to throw all caution to the wind. Engage with those around you.

Incite feedback, collaborate often, and engage in a way that keeps you moving forward in a positive direction.

As we start 2012 off: risk more, engage more, and gain more.

Fierce-ify your 2012 and Challenge Yourself

A tradition in our society as one year ends and another begins is to make resolutions for how we want to improve ourselves in the New Year.

We want to challenge ourselves to be better people. Commonly these resolutions take the form of us wanting to eat better, exercise more, volunteer our services, spend more time with family- all things we know would progress our lives.

In the spirit of this tradition, we at Fierce would like to offer you a challenge to Fierce-ify your 2012.

For the first six weeks of 2012, Fierce will provide you with a challenge focusing on improving your communication.  Our goal is to practice fierce concepts and share tips and tricks with one another.

The Fierce team is joining in on the fun, and different team members will be blogging each week about how we did. We also want to hear how the challenge is progressing for you!

So join us now and register here.

Happy New Year! Cheers to living Fierce.

For more information about leadership development and training, visit our site (www.fierceinc.com).