Susan Scott's Blog, page 46

Fierce Tip of the Week: Have a Scary Conversation

In the vein of Halloween’s ghosts, gremlins, and other frightening characters, think of something that is equally scary: a conversation you are avoiding. Perhaps it is a conversation with your boss about something she is doing that is not helpful. Or a conversation with a peer about what you are noticing that is not working for him. Or taking it home, maybe it is a conversation with your spouse or family member to discuss something that you do not feel the other is willing to talk about.

Ok, do you have that conversation in mind?

Does the thought of this conversation make you want to evaporate? Or run out the door? Or go on vacation? If so, that’s a good sign.

This week’s tip is to stop stalling and have the scary conversation now. Why? Because you own the fear, and the cost of not having the conversation is much greater than the risk of it going badly. No one will be physically hurt in the process. And your mental health and wellbeing are at stake here. This needed conversation is weighing you down – whether you admit it to yourself or not.

With the holiday today, there are choices people make: Should I embrace nervous energy and go for it? One of my prior bosses once told me that the butterflies you feel before a tough conversation are an indication of how much you care about the person. I like to think of it that way; put a positive spin on it. Ultimately, if you don’t care about a relationship or a person, you wouldn’t bother having the conversation. So, come to terms with the way you feel and expect some nervousness. See it as a good sign instead of wanting to flee.

If we have any lessons from Halloween, being a little spooked can be a good thing – it can even be fun.

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Friday Resource: How to Design a Corporate Wellness Plan That Actually Works

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published by Harvard Business Review and discusses why so many corporate wellness programs fail, and explains how to create ones that stick.

There is a lot of discussion around “wellness programs,” also known as workplace health promotion programs and their effectiveness. A wellness program, like any other company-wide initiative, can only be successful if it is designed and executed properly.

Many times, organizations try to pass off a single effort or one-time event as a complete wellness program – these are destined for failure. Employees need follow-up and structure to continue making smart decisions about their health.

To figure out what is working, and what isn’t, HBR prepared a report, “From Evidence to Practice: Workplace Wellness that Works.” Hector De La Torre and Ron Goetzel, Ph.D., Harvard Business Review, identified certain trends that led to successful and failed programs.

Per Torre and Goetzel, a few of the failed tactics include:

Paying people to change their habits. While financial incentives may help in the short-term, they do not drive real behavioral changes in the long-term, thus limiting their impact.Administering health risk assessments only. Although asking employees questions and analyzing risk through assessments is part of a larger strategy, oftentimes organizations will not provide the tools and resources employees need to make the necessary changes in their lives.

On the opposite spectrum, some strategies that moved the needle included:

Leadership commitment and buy-in. Like any company initiative, getting support from company leaders is instrumental to success. Leaders with successful programs have managed to integrate health initiatives into the vision and purpose of the company.Asking for help. Empowering employees and helping them shape the vision for the program is a great way to gain buy-in. Conduct surveys and ask questions about what is working and what isn’t. When employees feel ownership of the program, and understand the benefits to the company, they are more likely to engage.

These are some tips to help get your wellness program headed in the right direction. Now, it is up to you to lead the way.  

To learn other tips for wellness programs, read the article.

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Common Pitfalls for Managers Building Accountability

Daniel, a young manager, frequently finds himself frustrated that his team is not delivering projects on deadline. He doesn’t know how to fix it, and often uses a repertoire of different tactics to try to combat it. However, it seems that every time someone comes to him with a setback, he validates their reasoning. When asked about his approach, Daniel feels that he is being empathetic – a key trait for successful leaders. It wasn’t that long ago that Daniel was standing in their shoes.

When Daniel is listening to his team, he understands the reasoning behind their comments. There’s truth to the excuses. He finds himself saying things like “Oh, I know the budget isn’t where it should be”.  Or “Oh, I understand we do have a lot of projects on the table.”  His frustration lies in the fact that while the excuses keep coming, the results stay the same. Things aren’t getting done on time.

Have you experienced this on your team? In your organization?

Creating accountability is difficult. And it is a leader’s job. It is the leader’s responsibility to embrace the mindset: GIVEN my current reality what DO I need to do to create the results, the career, the life that I want. When the managers have that mentality, they share it with their team members.

Below are three common pitfalls to creating accountability in organizations.

Managers aren’t trained to have the conversations. Many people leaders are not properly trained to respond to their direct reports’ excuses or lack of accountability. Because you can’t mandate accountability, leaders must know how to create an environment where people choose accountability, where they choose to come to a problem with solutions rather than excuses.

Now, imagine if Daniel had a conversation with his team members that was skilled and structure. One critical tool used in Fierce Accountability is to reframe the excuse. Instead of saying, “OK.” Daniel can ask, “Given that the budget isn’t where it should be or given that we do have a lot going on, what can you do?” Instead of just acquiescing to excuses, and saying “well, okay, I hear you”, the manager needs to say “I hear you AND what can you do about it?” The manager must be able to hold the space and have the skillful conversation to move the person to action. This comes with practice and feedback.

Managers want to be liked. Does your culture frequently recognize the “most liked” individuals? Or does your culture recognize the “biggest driver of results”? We often work with organizations that have “terminal niceness”. There is so much fear around stepping on someone’s toes or holding others to specific standards, that all of the conversations become superficial. How balanced are those two spectrums?

Take a long look at your performance management process. Evaluate how you are rewarding behaviors. If managers who get the most gold stars on dimensions that can be tied to “popularity” instead of driving results, you may need to adjust some of your goals and processes. Be intentional with what you expect and reward.

Managers do not see their role. Lack of accountability quickly becomes a slippery slope. Think about many of the disasters in this past decade from the financial crisis to auto and cellular phone recalls. Once knowledge of what has really happened gets to the press, employees come from all facets of the organization sharing how the behavior, fraud, whatever it may be, was known by some. Or that the top person didn’t do anything about it. You may be inclined in these situations to point fingers at one person in particular. That is what the press loves to do.

However, if your leaders’ inclination is to say that they can’t have accountability because your culture does not have it. Or your top leaders don’t have it, then stop them right there. And share this blog. And share: Culture doesn’t live outside of you. That’s not how it works. You are the culture. You choose what it looks like every day. You choose it in the conversations you have. And even more so if you lead people, you model and reinforce those choices each time you interact with others.

If accountability is an issue in your organization, do not just wait for something to shift. You must create a plan to equip people with the skills and practice they need to really believe and move the mission forward. And watch out for those common pitfalls – some are easier to see than others.

For more details and a robust discussion about accountability, please join our Master Facilitator, Beth Wagner, in our Fierce Webcast Be Fierce: 3 Tips to Build an Accountable Culture. Beth will share three tips to help you ignite the conversations that will develop a culture of true accountability, and encourage employees to succeed and grow while advancing the goals and initiatives that are critical to your organization’s success. You can register here.

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Fierce Tip of the Week: Stay Healthy

It is that time of year again in North America. The days are shorter, and you most likely go into the office when it is still dark. And leave when it is dark too. It’s called winter.

The seasonal change can often foster reflection and nesting, which are very positive. However, if your office is like Fierce’s headquarters lately, people are battling colds, and the collaborative goal is to keep them from spreading (easier said than done).

Office health and wellbeing has been a growing topic of focus in the past few years. You can see it from Arianna Huffington’s focus on sleep to the growing revolution of mindfulness to the at-your-fingertips access to personal health, employees are paying attention. The 2016 Consumer Health Mindset Report reveals that while employees perceive that health and wellness support through their employers has improved — there is still room to grow. In this report, it focuses on the growing influence of millennials:

All consumers would prefer an employer to focus on physical and emotional/mental wellness, though over half ranked financial well-being in the top two as well. However, Millennials are more likely to rank social well-being in the top two considerations for resource allocation compared with other generations—potentially making it more important to consider in the future.

This week’s tip is to encourage your leaders and employees to take care of themselves and stay healthy. Here are some high level recommendations to keep in mind:

Encourage people to work remotely (if possible) when they are not feeling well. Good employees feel lucky to have the flexibility and care that comes from making their health important.Hold workshops and education on healthy practices. When people learn how to eat healthier and take care of themselves, it sets an environment where personal well-being is deemed a priority.  Model healthy work/life blend. When leaders do, their employees feel safe to take care of their own lives as well. Sometimes this can mean gathering your leaders around and talking about what this means and doesn’t mean.

Does your organization focus on staying healthy? If so, how? 

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Friday Resource: 12 Different Strategies for Dealing with a Boss Who Plays Favorites

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published by The Muse  and provides twelve strategies for dealing with a boss who consistently plays favorites.

Whether you have had a boss that played favorites or have witnessed it in some capacity, those managers are out there, and it is important to know how to deal with them.

It is human nature to be drawn towards certain people or personalities, but it is up to the individual leader to act in a professional manner and treat all of their direct reports with the same amount of attention and enthusiasm.

If you find yourself in a situation like this, it can be damaging on multiple levels. Perception of lower self-worth swirl around with the knowledge that your journey towards promotion may be significantly harder than some of your peers within the organization.

Stacey Gawronski, The Muse, offers some steps you can take to navigate this and improve the situation.

1. Behave normally. Reacting to the favoritism and bringing emotion into the situation is the worst thing that you can do. In truth, you don’t know where you rank on your boss’ totem pole so it’s best to not react negatively and REALLY get on their bad side.

2. Continue to build the relationship. Don’t assume that things will not change and you cannot change your boss’ perception of you. Continuing to produce high-quality work and proving to your boss that you are a valuable asset to the team is the best thing you can do.

3. Find a mentor. Before escalating the situation and confronting your boss or going straight to HR, find a mentor that can offer some guidance through the situation. Maybe they have been at the company for a while, and have been through the same experience. If not, they can help hone your strategy to get the recognition you deserve.

Read the article and discover the other tips.

 

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3 Steps to Help You Confront Your Boss

Confronting someone is scary. It can be even scarier to confront your boss. Often times, the anxiety you feel is strong enough to make you want to bury your head in the sand, no matter what the issue.

However, avoiding confronting your boss can turn a straightforward conversation into something bigger and more complex.

For example, at a team meeting your boss makes a comment about your work that you think is off-base. Afterwards, you think: is this what my boss really thinks of me?

The next day when he/she walks by you in the hall without smiling, you begin to wonder if you’re a hop, skip, and a jump away from being fired. You now want to avoid your boss at all costs, in hopes that his or her feelings towards you will work themselves out.

Soon a low-grade resentment begins to breed toward this person, and every interaction you have with them only strengthens your context that they’re unhappy with you. And guess what? You may find yourself less and less happy with them.

Having a confrontation conversation allows you the opportunity to see the whole truth, and to hear both sides of the story, rather than just your side. This helps you take the appropriate next steps, and move forward on solid ground.

Does knowing this make it less scary? No.

Does it make it necessary so you can be happy and engaged at work? Yes.

To help take away some of the anxiety, here are three simple steps to prepare.

Step 1: Know Your Issue

In the Fierce Confrontation Model, the first step in preparing to confront anyone is to name the issue for yourself. This is even more critical when confronting a leader. BE SPECIFIC. If you take the above example, the real issue is the leader’s comment in the meeting. Simply saying, “I want to talk with you about the effect your comment, at the team meeting today, had on me” is a great way to start the conversation. Simple, straightforward, and to the point!

Step 2: Schedule a Time.

Leaders are busy. It’s not uncommon that throughout the day they’re pulled in many different directions. Catching them off-guard can mean that emotion from an issue that has nothing to do with you seeps into your conversation. You deserve the leader’s full attention. To ensure your conversation is a success, make it a priority for both of you, and schedule a meeting.

Step 3: Prepare Yourself.

Confrontation conversations are meant to be conversations. This is not a one-sided speech. Meaning, this is not an opportunity to go in and rail against your leader and expect them to just sit there and listen. Invite your partner to respond. The point is to learn more about their side, and to clarify if there is a bigger issue. And if so, what are some next steps in helping resolve it.

To make this less scary, begin to examine how you see the situation. Ask yourself: how have I contributed to the issue? How do I feel about it? Take notes. This will help you stay clear when you begin to hear their side and can help show you where you need to shift in order to move forward on a positive note.

The reality is there is no trivial comment made by leaders. Ambiguous comments about work or performance can manifest themselves  and deserve a conversation.

Use these three steps, to help empower yourself to take responsibility for your happiness at work.

Have you had to confront a leader, what did you do to prepare?

Originally posted by Jaime Navarro on April 11, 2012 on the Fierce Blog. 

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Fierce Tip of the Week: Take Time to Talk with Your Boss

Today is National Boss’s Day, and whether you loathe or admire yours, it’s a good time to reflect on the role this individual plays in your life. There are identified areas that contribute to a healthier employee-boss relationship, and one of them is continuously giving and acting on feedback.

A few years ago, we conducted a Fierce Survey exploring employee-supervisor relationships. Eighty percent of respondents who reported a good employee-supervisor relationship claim that the most important thing a boss can do to create a positive working relationship is to both solicit and value their input. Among respondents who claimed to have a poor relationship with their boss, 42 percent stated that one of the top reasons the relationship was strained was due to their boss’ failure to listen or take their input into account.

If you do not feel your boss listens or takes your input seriously, it is time to take responsibility for your work life and the relationship with your boss. This week’s tip is to talk with your boss about what is working and not working. Whether you believe it or not, leaders do crave conversations that give insight and help set the relationship up for success. These are not always easy, but they are critical for a strong working relationship.

David Whyte, English poet, was once interviewed by HR.com, and he was asked the question: What are the guidelines you feel are necessary for a genuine conversation to be created? I absolutely loved his answer.

“The primary guideline is that you treat the other person and you treat your world as if it´s alive. The other people you work with, the person you are married to, they are not just there as a highly paid extra in your career drama. They are actually alive and your world is alive. Everything is a source of revelation. The basic dynamic of a real conversation is that you are not just using other people to take the next step; you are actually interested in the dynamic of meeting something other than yourself.”

Given that, I encourage you to treat your world as if it’s alive. Assume good intent, and connect with your boss this week. Have the conversations you need to have.

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Friday Resource: How to Create Organization Habits That You’ll Actually Stick To

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published by Fast Company and explains how to create organization habits that will stick.

Everyone wants to be more organized. Whether it is a constantly overflowing inbox, or that stack of documents on your desk that never seems to dwindle. The issue is finding organizational practices that you can actually sustain in a business world that can be chaotic.

Many leaders and business professionals feel there is never enough time in the day, yet they devote little or no time to the biggest time saver available to them: organization.

Leo Babauta, Fast Company, offers some tips for forming habits of organization that can last. There are countless options for tools and software to accomplish these various tips, so it is a matter of finding what works best for you and your needs.

A few of the habits are:

Create a place for everything. Whether you are using task boards in Trello (Fierce uses this for our blog, and we love it) to keep a clean to-do list or Dropbox for financial documents and receipts, everything should have a home. Instead of letting that email sit in your inbox, put it in its correct place right away, knowing that you can easily find it when needed and turn your attention to the most important tasks at hand.Review the systems every morning. Get in the habit of reviewing your task list and calendar every morning for 20 minutes so you can keep things organized. Move things from the “Today list” to “Done list” and adjust tasks where needed. Being diligent in this habit will allow you to know where everything, limiting distractions and increasing productivity.

Read the rest of the article to learn the other tips and tools to create sustainable organization for yourself. You will thank yourself later.

Read the article.

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Going Deeper with Accountability

Accountability is a huge challenge in business today. The Workplace Accountability Study recently revealed that 82% of respondents have no ability to hold others accountable, but 91% of people rank accountability as one of the top development needs they’d like to see at their organization.  So simply put, we all want accountability, but we feel we don’t have the ability to get it.

At Fierce, we’ve worked with thousands of leaders and organizations over the years to help them create the business culture they want and more importantly, need, to get results. We’ve heard leaders describe accountability as culpability, responsibility, wrong doing, and “blame.” In other words, I need to know who to blame if this all goes wrong.

And it is true – the majority of people attach some level of fault and blame to the word accountability.

Accountability is something that you must choose every day. It is a private, non-negotiable choice that you make on how to live your life. Are you the kind of leader who encourages accountability? Or do you play into others’ excuses?

If you are interested in learning more, join Fierce Master Facilitator, Beth Wagner, in our Fierce webinar Be Fierce: 3 Tips to Build an Accountable Culture. Beth will share three tips to help you ignite the conversations that will develop a culture of true accountability, and encouraging employees to succeed and grow while advancing the goals and initiatives that are critical to your organization’s success. You can register here.

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Fierce Tip of the Week: Get Organized

According to a Wall Street Journal Report, office workers waste an average of 40% of their workday.  Not because they aren’t intelligent, but because they were never taught organizing skills to cope with the increasing workloads and demands.

How much time do you waste during your day? Stephanie Winston, author of The Organized Executive, estimates a manager loses 1 hour/day to disorder, costing the business up to $4,000/year if earning $35,000/year – or $8,125/year at $65,000. Those are very tangible costs to businesses.

And those costs don’t take into account the emotional toll. I know many leaders and executives who feel emotionally exhausted from the overload. On top of that, over time, this causes extreme burnout.

This week’s tip is to focus on your organization in one specific area. Where do you feel that you waste the most time?

For me at one point in my career, I felt my weekday mornings were constantly being pummeled, and at the end of the day, I would feel overwhelmed with what wasn’t accomplished. This is very counter to my belief in creating momentum and starting projects/events/days with drive and energy. In the past years, I purposefully have started my mornings very early, so that I can spend one to two hours a day before 8:30 AM to focus on the biggest tasks on my plate. To accomplish what I truly need to.

Other examples: I know an executive that swears by time blocking with emails. He only checks email twice a day, and it is the only way he doesn’t get sucked into the never-ending flow of messages. One of my friends spends an hour before bed organizing her next day to the extreme. So like these examples, find your thing. Focus on a specific way you can organize your days.

There is no better time than now. This time of year, before heading into the holidays, can be especially chaotic, so take time to organize. Choose one focus. And begin.

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