Susan Scott's Blog, page 63

Fierce Tip of the Week: Celebrate a Woman in Your Life

October is women’s small business month. As a women-owned business, Fierce wants to thank all of the women-owned businesses that make an impact in our community – from Seattle to around the globe. I want to shout out to Blink UX, WiRL, Communique PR, and PACE Staffing as some of our women-owned business partners, who grow their businesses with brilliance and strength.In the United States, there is a surge of women-owned businesses. According to the 2014 State of Women-Owned Business Report, there are nearly 9.1 million women-owned enterprises, employing nearly 7.9 million workers and generating over $1.4 trillion in revenues. Between 1997 and 2014, the number of women-owned firms grew at 1 ½ times the national average.So I ask you: Do you have women entrepreneurs in your life? What have you learned from them? This week’s tip is to celebrate a woman in your life. Find a time to talk with someone who has been critical to your success. If possible, schedule a lunch date. If not, pick up the phone and spend some dedicated time together.How will you celebrate?

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Fierce Resource: Three Ways to Build Employees into Leaders

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on TrainingIndustry.com and outlines three tips for developing more leaders within your organization.Organizations need more leaders and less bosses. What do we mean by that? Well an organization’s culture either creates more bosses or more leaders, and this choice has a huge impact on an organization’s bottom line. While bosses just want to get things done, leaders will constantly push themselves to improve. When confronted with an obstacle, a leader will explore avenues outside of the set process to solve the problem at hand.The question simply put is: How do we create more innovators and less followers?Three Ways to Build Employees into Leaders urges organizations to stop coaching and start challenging your employees. If you never challenge a team member, they will never have a reason to tap into their leadership potential.Are you holding your team accountable?“Increase the capability of your staff through more challenges as opposed to coaching. Being coached is easy to ignore. Striving to accomplish a new challenge is difficult. By encouraging people to think, you may be surprised at the solutions they come up with.”Read the article.

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How to Take Responsibility for Your Conversations

There is no trivial comment for leaders. I would also argue: for anyone. How you show up and what you say have impact.Your actions and conversations are monitored at all times by those you work with. The upside of that is you have great ability to influence change and your culture.Nobody is perfect, and your co-workers shouldn’t expect you to be. However, not fully owning your conversations will quickly produce an environment of low morale and engagement.If you’re having a bad day and you show up at a meeting with a bad attitude, that will be noticed, talked about, and internalized by those around you. Have multiple bad days in a row, and you can watch people quickly disengage from you.Below are three steps you can take to help you more fully own your conversations.Step 1: Obey your Instincts Want to build emotional capital with people really quickly? Then obey your instincts. Take the example above. If you leave the meeting knowing you just showed up in a way that you would never tolerate from someone else on your team, contact those who were there and apologize. It’s that simple, and there is no need to go into detail about why.If your attitude was because you were unhappy with your team, take this opportunity to address the issue head on and reschedule another meeting to discuss what was bothering you.Step 2: Master the Courage to Interrogate Reality Is communication not something you feel totally comfortable with? Many don’t. Maybe you need to continue to develop your communication skills. Reach out to others within your organization and see what training your company is offering, or spearhead bringing training in yourself if it’s not available.Leaders in companies, regardless of titles, recognize their own strengths and weaknesses and set out to help improve them. Make your job easier by paying attention to how effective your conversations are, and if you need help, do something about it.Step 3: Take Responsibility for Your Emotional Wake Part of being a leader is developing your emotional intelligence. One of the ways you do that is to take responsibility for your emotional wake. Dr. Albert Mehrabian’s pioneering research on human communication tells us that only 7% of how we communicate is the words we say, 38% is tone of  voice and 55% of communication is non-verbal.Meaning, even when you’re not speaking, you’re conveying something. Being aware that you are doing this can be a challenge. When you do take notice, it doesn’t stop there. To make sure you aren’t infecting your culture with a lingering wake, check in with people. Also, when you catch yourself putting something out there that isn’t productive, address it right away.How do you take responsibility with your conversations?

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Fierce Tip of the Week: Write Your Q4 Goals, Now.

This week marks the start of the last quarter of 2015. Yes, that means you have three more months to achieve what you set out to do this year. Does that make you feel excited…or overwhelmed?Many leaders I am talking with are overwhelmed with planning for 2016, while working to simultaneously close out this year strong. It is a constant juggling act at this time of year. Throw in the holidays and family obligations, and it is surprising that many of us can achieve what we do!When you are feeling overwhelmed, the biggest Fierce guidance is to lean on our principle: Tackle your toughest challenge today. And yes, that means this moment do what you need to do – not tomorrow, or the next day. It is about having the conversations you need to have right when you know you need to have them. It seems difficult, yet it is very simple. And when you get in the discipline of approaching your greatest issues this way, it is game changing.This week’s tip is to set aside time and write your top three goals to achieve by year end. Whose help do you need to achieve them? What do you need to keep doing? Stop doing? What conversations do you need to have?As Eckhart Tolle in The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment said, “Any action is often better than no action, especially if you have been stuck in an unhappy situation for a long time. If it is a mistake, at least you learn something, in which case it’s no longer a mistake. If you remain stuck, you learn nothing.”So come on. It is time to act, my friends…no procrastinating.

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Fierce Resource: 4 Ways Smart Leaders Are Shaking up Their Culture

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on The Huffington Post and outlines four ways to revamp your work culture to help retain and attract new talent.A 2015 study by Deloitte found that more than 50% of millennials say they would take a pay cut to find work that matches their values, while 90% want to use their skills for good. This shift has made company culture one of the most important factors in attracting top talent to a business. The challenge is how you maintain a balance between satisfying new talent and keeping your current employees happy.4 Ways Smart Leaders Are Shaking up Their Culture recommends creating a collaborative learning environment where employees can engage with leaders at all levels of the company, at their own pace. This will ensure organizations’ talent delivers on business outcomes today and in the future, while also creating a more inclusive environment for all employees.How are you developing your next set of corporate leaders?“The old view was that managers deliver on work outcomes and their employees attend training classes to pick up new skills. That idea must be flipped. Yes, attend the training classes, but the manager has an essential role of developing talent, increasing the capability of her team, and teaching. Many organizations would say they have this expectation today, yet this intent must be reflected in how managers are selected, promoted, measured, and rewarded and how their time is spent.”Read the article.

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Don’t Lie to Yourself: 3 Myths about Toxic Workplace Cultures

Toxic workplace cultures can make or break a company. It can be the difference between innovation or routine. Happiness or disappointment. Growth or decay.There’s some significant bottom line impact to boot. Low-level engagement within companies results in a 33 percent decrease in operating income and an 11 percent decrease in earnings growth, as stated in this Entrepreneur article.If we are not addressing the issues around low engagement and unhealthy behaviors, we are making costly mistakes. And sometimes, our mistakes may not be as obvious as they seem.Here are three of the top myths that leaders we work with say: There will be a spontaneous change.

In the depths of our hearts, we, leaders, sometimes wish that one day we could walk into our offices and the negative behaviors/people would just be gone. And then, it is affirmed once more, that they still exist. They may have even grown in size overnight.

Hope is not a strategy, people. Conversations are required. And not just any conversations, they need to get to the heart of the issues and talk about what’s at stake if things don’t change. We teach this skill set in organizations around the globe, because there is an effective way to do it…and a not so effective way.

One negative person will not affect the entire culture.

This is a funny one, because we often use it as an excuse to not confront the problem. In fact, in our recent survey, 80% of employees claimed that their organizations are somewhat to extremely tolerant of colleagues with negative attitudes. And they weren’t happy about it.

One negative person can really destroy a healthy culture, not only because that person can spread beliefs, but also because people see leadership’s complacency. Silence can be equated to “this is okay behavior as long as you produce that large quota…or launch that new product”. People will fill in the silence with their own stories, if you are not communicating.

The culture is out of your control.

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.

Sometimes this awareness comes naturally to people, and sometimes it doesn’t. There is a need to focus on accountability with cultural expectations. I talk about this more here.

Have you told yourself any of these myths?

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Fierce Tip of the Week: Be Inclusive to Solve Problems

The answers are in the room. – Susan Scott

Last week, I was in Chicago at the Human Capital Institute’s Learning and Leadership Development Conference. A resounding theme from Fortune 500 leaders was the need to engage on a deep level with employees, to include them, when solving the most important issues for the business. They encouraged companies to invite others outside of the usual suspects. There were many examples of how ‘best’ practices ended up not being what worked for their companies, and what really worked was listening to their people.This mentality of engaging with others to solve problems applies on an organizational level along with the individual. So I ask you: What do you currently have on your plate that would benefit from other perspectives?From where I sit, the marketing team at Fierce is innovating on some processes we use with our Salesforce system. It is absolutely necessary for the marketing team to get together with the sales team and talk about the problems we want to solve. To be more inclusive, we are creating think tank meetings, and we will be using our team model. In this model, we take the time to truly discuss and understand the diverse perspectives before jumping to the decision. I am excited to see the solutions that come to the table.This week’s tip is to solve a problem by including others. Ask people for their perspectives on an issue and really get curious. Stop being the expert in the room, and rather, facilitate a conversation.Besides different people being invited to the conversation, do you have any tips for being more inclusive?

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Fierce Resource: An Organization’s Identity Has to Inspire Customers

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Gallup and identifies the five drivers that encourage employees to make their organization’s desired mission, brand, and culture a reality.Culture is defined as a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization. It is also so much more than that. It forms the basis of an organization’s identity, and it can either inspire customers and employees or have them running for the door.A recent Gallup article, An Organization’s Identity Has to Inspire Customers, found that when customers are aligned with a brand’s promise, they give that brand twice as much share of their wallet (47%). To create a culture that delivers on a company’s promise, leaders must first focus on engaging employees in a way that reinforces the organization’s values.Are your actions creating a gap between reality and your brand’s aspirational identity?“Too many companies establish and deliver their selection, engagement and development programs in silos. This approach doesn’t deliver business results, and it doesn’t support an organization’s desired identity. A new employee might be attracted to a company because of its promised focus on strengths, but in his performance review, all his manager talks about are his weaknesses and how he’s missing goals.”Read the article.

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Meet Our September Fierceling of the Month: Matt Dunn

Here at Fierce, we honor a person once a month with the coveted title of Fierceling of the Month. The qualification for a Fierceling is someone who has been nominated by peers for exceptionally exhibiting the fierce values and the 7 principles of our work. There are some great internal perks including choosing your favorite restaurant to catering a company-wide lunch. Each month, I look forward to interviewing these amazing people.This month, I had the honor to connect with Matt Dunn.Why did you come to work here? I came to Fierce for the opportunity to be a part of a mission that makes a difference in the world and to develop professionally/personally.What are some responsibilities of your role? Some responsibilities in my role include:Being a Brand AmbassadorMaking sure clients’ feedback is being relayed to our marketing and Senior Leadership teamHelping clients make the best training choices depending on their budget, time restrictions, and competencies they would like to developHelping to create reinforcement/sustainability plans to ensure Fierce is being used after workshopsHelping our clients achieve the results they want to seeWhat’s the coolest thing you are currently working on? I’m fortunate to work with amazing people and organizations. One of the things I love about my position is how each client has their own unique goals and roadmaps for how they would like to build training. I’m grateful to work with such passionate people that strive to develop their team members, so that they can work more effectively together and solve so meaningful opportunities/problems. I feel honored to help clients reach their desired results and being their trusted advisor.What is your favorite thing about working at Fierce? This is such a fun working environment. We have a close “Fierce Family” where we do a ton of fun things together. We have monthly happy hours, company outings, and sporting events. It’s often we are also spending time with each other outside of the office. It’s special when you can wake up and look forward to the people you are going to see at work and also rally together to support a common mission.When you’re not at Fierce, what are you most likely doing? When I’m not at Fierce I’m most likely spending time playing or watching sports. I like to stay active, and I like competing. Sports are a great medium for me to do that.What Fierce Principle are you focusing on this month? The Fierce Principle I am working on this month is “Be Here, Prepared to Be Nowhere Else”. This is essential in working with clients and giving your team members the proper respect.What inspires you? What inspires me is knowing the work I am doing is making a difference in the world. In my position as Director of Business Development, I get the privilege of interacting with our clients on a regular basis. I thrive off of their success stories, whether they are gaining confidence to confront an issue, building a stronger relationship with a team member, or even on a deeply personal level, saving a marriage. At Fierce, we develop professional and personal skills that are essential in building strong relationships, and when I hear these success stories it fuels me to spread this mission with others.What else do you want to ask Matt? Tweet @fierce_inc #fiercelingofthemonth to ask any other questions.

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Meet Our August Fierceling of the Month: Matt Dunn

Here at Fierce, we honor a person once a month with the coveted title of Fierceling of the Month. The qualification for a Fierceling is someone who has been nominated by peers for exceptionally exhibiting the fierce values and the 7 principles of our work. There are some great internal perks including choosing your favorite restaurant to catering a company-wide lunch. Each month, I look forward to interviewing these amazing people.This month, I had the honor to connect with Matt Dunn.Why did you come to work here? I came to Fierce for the opportunity to be a part of a mission that makes a difference in the world and to develop professionally/personally.What are some responsibilities of your role? Some responsibilities in my role include:Being a Brand AmbassadorMaking sure clients’ feedback is being relayed to our marketing and Senior Leadership teamHelping clients make the best training choices depending on their budget, time restrictions, and competencies they would like to developHelping to create reinforcement/sustainability plans to ensure Fierce is being used after workshopsHelping our clients achieve the results they want to seeWhat’s the coolest thing you are currently working on? I’m fortunate to work with amazing people and organizations. One of the things I love about my position is how each client has their own unique goals and roadmaps for how they would like to build training. I’m grateful to work with such passionate people that strive to develop their team members, so that they can work more effectively together and solve so meaningful opportunities/problems. I feel honored to help clients reach their desired results and being their trusted advisor.What is your favorite thing about working at Fierce? This is such a fun working environment. We have a close “Fierce Family” where we do a ton of fun things together. We have monthly happy hours, company outings, and sporting events. It’s often we are also spending time with each other outside of the office. It’s special when you can wake up and look forward to the people you are going to see at work and also rally together to support a common mission.When you’re not at Fierce, what are you most likely doing? When I’m not at Fierce I’m most likely spending time playing or watching sports. I like to stay active, and I like competing. Sports are a great medium for me to do that.What Fierce Principle are you focusing on this month? The Fierce Principle I am working on this month is “Be Here, Prepared to Be Nowhere Else”. This is essential in working with clients and giving your team members the proper respect.What inspires you? What inspires me is knowing the work I am doing is making a difference in the world. In my position as Director of Business Development, I get the privilege of interacting with our clients on a regular basis. I thrive off of their success stories, whether they are gaining confidence to confront an issue, building a stronger relationship with a team member, or even on a deeply personal level, saving a marriage. At Fierce, we develop professional and personal skills that are essential in building strong relationships, and when I hear these success stories it fuels me to spread this mission with others.What else do you want to ask Matt? Tweet @fierce_inc #fiercelingofthemonth to ask any other questions.

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