Susan Scott's Blog, page 66

Meet Our July Fierceling of the Month: Margaret Weeks

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 Margaret Weeks.Why did you come to work here? At the time, I was ready for the next step in my career. Fierce is an amazing company with opportunities to learn and grow professionally. I was excited to do what I do best (detail-oriented tasks and staying organized) for the life-changing work we do here.What are some responsibilities for your role? I make our Client Solutions team look good by taking care of all the behind-the-scenes tasks: creating sales orders and invoices, ordering workshop materials, coordinating workshop logistics, etc. I also manage the contract process with new and existing clients and help with sales operations.What’s the coolest thing you are currently working on? We are working on a case queue in my department, which will ultimately make us even more efficient at what we do. My colleagues and I came up with the idea, pitched it, and it was approved. It’s so great to work at a company where our input is valued, and we are allowed to create new and better processes.What is your favorite thing about working at Fierce? I’m going to cheat and say my favorite TWO things about working here. The people are amazing, hands down. I have never worked with a more passionate group of individuals in my life. Secondly, I also love working at a small company, because it allows us to be so agile. We all end up wearing a ton of hats, because there just aren’t very many of us. It keeps me sharp, and I learn something new every day.When you’re not at Fierce, what are you most likely doing? My husband was diagnosed with brain cancer in January 2015, so much of my “free time” is spent on that – taking him to doctor’s appointments, coordinating his care, and taking care of things at home. We are planning a trip to Europe in December. He has always wanted to go to Germany, and since we don’t know how many years he has left, we’re making it happen now!What fierce principle are you working on this month? Be here, prepared to be nowhere elseWhat inspires you? I have a personal and professional mentor who has taken me under her wing the past few years. I have learned so much from her and she has encouraged me and challenged me in so many ways. Recently, we were talking about my career and she told me what she envisioned for me – it completely blew the doors off what I thought was possible for my career.What else do you want to ask Margaret? Tweet @fierce_inc #fiercelingofthemonth to ask any other questions.

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Fierce Tip of the Week: Talk with Intention

Yesterday was National Talk in an Elevator Day. Considering it was a Sunday, use this week as an opportunity to talk with someone new in an elevator…or anywhere else for that matter.At Fierce, when we say “talk”, we mean CONNECT. To have an exchange. To walk away from the conversation with new insight. There is a lot at stake for us to truly understand and engage with one another.In Fierce Leadership, Susan Scott shares a poem that highlights the importance:

A Ritual to Read Each Other by William Stafford   If you don’t know the kind of person I am   and I don’t know the kind of person you are   a pattern that others made may prevail in the world   and following the wrong god home we may miss our star.

We don’t want to miss our star. We can’t. This week’s tip is to show up in your conversations with intention to really understand and connect.Perhaps even share the poem with someone.  

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Fierce Resource: Attitude Check at the Office? Look to the Top

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Training Industry and offers simple tips to help leaders create an uplifting work environment.In the summer time, it’s easy to get caught up in the office grind, especially when your colleague’s “fun in the sun” vacation is only a mouse-click away. But instead of fantasizing about life outside of work, it’s time to take charge of your own happiness and change the way you look at life. Attitude Check at the Office? Look to the Top finds it is critical for organizations to create cultures that inspire a positive attitude amongst employees. Either way, attitude is contagious. If you let a negative attitude take hold, it can spread like wildfire breeding blame and cynicism.When was the last time you had a temperature check with your team?“Attitude is a way of looking at life. It’s why some folks see opportunity when things don’t go as they’d hoped or expected, and others see obstacles. A positive attitude helps us rise above cynicism and negativity. It leads to solutions, whereas the opposite drags down morale while breeding blame and dead-end thinking.”Read the article.

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5 Easy Ways to Refresh Your Summer Work Routine

Let’s be honest. Sometimes the summer work routine can drag you down. You are at the office grinding, while you longingly stalk your colleagues on social media – sailing in the Caribbean or camping in Yellowstone. Summer vacation jealousy rears its ugly head.So…how do you deal?  Use the summer as a reason and time to explore different ways you can work. It is a great time to take advantage of more daylight, and other people’s vacation time to get ahead.Here are five routine shifts to try: Change your hours. Experiment with when you work. Perhaps the sunshine in the morning makes it easier for you to wake up. Go to the office early, so you can leave and enjoy more of the afternoon sunshine. If you can’t change your hours, run errands or pay bills early in the morning, so you can play after work.Work somewhere new. Change your surroundings. If you can work remotely, find a coffee shop (if you want stimulation) or a public library (if you want quiet) to change your work environment. If you can’t work remotely, explore where you can work in different areas of your office. Perhaps your out-of-town colleague will loan you their corner office.Regulate your Facebook and Instagram use. During your work hours, restrict your social media use to only work and business. The jealousy factor will continue to go off the charts if you keep living vicariously through others. Focus on being present with your colleagues and current work.Meet new people. Attend some fun summer networking events. Summer is a great time to connect with people and go outside of your comfort zone. Have a colleague or friend attend the event with you.Take mini-vacations. If you can’t take two weeks off in the summer, make sure to take a day or two. The benefits of truly disconnecting are profound. Make plans to explore or do something that will make your mini-vacation memorable. In fact, a Twitter study found that 94% found traveling during the vacation to be more meaningful than a “staycation.” How can you switch it up in the next month?

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Fierce Tip of the Week: Change Your Routine

July is National Anti-Boredom Month. With summer activities, festivals, and vacations, it is hard to imagine July as a boring time.However, with many distractions outside of work, it can make your responsibilities feel quite dull.So I ask: Are you bored in your role this summer? Do you find yourself in auto-pilot? Do you want your one week vacation to be all month?If you answered yes to any of those questions, look in the mirror. You are the person accountable for that. No one else. So, what are you going to do about it?It won’t be fixed overnight. But you can start now, and gradually it will shift.This week’s tip is to change your routine, so you can feel more energized about your responsibilities. Take a different bus. Work from a coffee shop for a morning if you can. Go to lunch with a new client or employee. Attend a networking event. Talk with someone new from a different department. There are so many options – just pick one.Last week, I worked a couple days from a lake in Idaho. It is a happy place for me. I was able to focus, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and get a lot of work done. The change of environment made me so excited to tackle the big projects I had in front of me. And now, I am back in the office refreshed.How are you going to switch your routine? What has worked for you?

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Fierce Resource: The Top Complaints from Employees About Their Leaders

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Harvard Business Review and explores common management offenses that are preventing effective leadership.Our recent survey on toxic employees uncovered a clear disconnect between employee satisfaction and leadership decisions. The data points to an alarming lack of emotional intelligence that could help employees connect with their leaders. The Top Complaints from Employees About Their Leaders finds the key to employee engagement and increased productivity is tied to communication and connection.Are you failing to make a genuine connection with your team? “Much of a team’s success lies in the pattern of connection a leader has with direct reports, and the way he or she empowers them to extend that pattern to his or her direct reports, and so on. In a business environment that is woefully lacking in employee commitment, leaders who aren’t actively connecting with people are themselves a liability.”Read the article.

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Leaders, Stay Away from 3 Toxic Employee Traps

/trap/ noun: trap; plural noun: traps — an unpleasant situation from which it is hard to escape

In a new Fierce Survey released today, we found four out of five employees believe leaders don’t do enough to combat toxic employees. Do your employees think that about you?It’s time to wake up and be aware that the potential for toxicity in your organization is everywhere. And it is your job, leader, to make sure you don’t fall into any of the traps that create negativity.Trap #1 Employees feel undervalued. Employees who feel disposable, commoditized, or who don’t understand their role within an organization often hold on to negative energy. This negative energy can be poisonous when spread amongst other colleagues.Tip: Ask each member of your team how and when they feel most valued. Get curious and learn what matters to the people you work with every day. Make next steps that are easy to put in action and show your commitment.Trap #2 Employees lack recognition. Asking for the best of someone and giving them nothing in return, except perhaps a paycheck, can be demeaning. If an employee feels they are not being recognized well, over time they are likely to become bitter, which can turn toxic quickly.Tip: In your next team meeting, leave 10-15 minutes to do “shout-outs”. Kick off this exercise by you, the leader, sharing positive things you have noticed with the team and/or individuals in the past month. Keep the examples specific and share the impact they have had on the team and organization.Trap #3 Conflict exists between employees. Our survey found that over half of employees argue with their co-workers at least once a month. Not resolving these conflicts, which are inevitable in many ways, can leave an employee with feelings of helplessness and futility.Tip: Bring in training for your team to deal with conflict in a healthy, productive manner. Our confrontation model reframes a potentially combative interaction to a solution-oriented conversation. Give your team the skills they need to better address issues – small and large.As a leader, do you fall into any of these traps? Check out our survey infographic for more stats.

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Fierce Tip of the Week: Stop Your Excuses

Where in your work life do you make the most excuses? What are the most common ones?Some typical excuses I’ve heard in offices:I don’t have anyone to delegate to.I’m better than the person that was just promoted.My workload is too big. The thing about excuses is that they are often grounded in some truth. It can be true that you do not have enough resources to complete something. Or you don’t have the right people on your team.However, excuses become a problem when you dwell on them and don’t do anything about it. So instead of dwelling, at Fierce we recommend you reflect and say: “given x, what am I going to do about it?”So…Given I don’t have anyone to delegate to, I’m going to…Given I’m better than the person that was just promoted, I’m going to…Given my workload is too big, I’m going to… The person in the driver’s seat is you. You are in control. Stop pointing your fingers outside of yourself, and instead, look within.This week’s tip is to stop your excuses this week. When you feel tempted to talk about why something can’t happen, pull yourself back. Ask: What am I going to do about this?As Susan Scott says in Fierce Leadership, “In a very real sense, the progress of my organization depends on my progress as an individual now.”

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Fierce Resource: Get in the Right State of Mind for Vacation

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Harvard Business Review and offers tips for achieving a calm, happy, and energized state of mind while taking a vacation.Unfortunately as most of us know, taking a vacation rarely ends with a rejuvenated mind, body, and soul. Instead, most of us spend our precious time off “checking-in” to see if there are any fires that have popped up while we are away. But Get in the Right State of Mind for Vacation finds that your state of mind before and during vacation determines the quality of your time off.Before your next vacation ask yourself: Are you prepared to be truly there?“Be present: Truly appreciate each moment. Center yourself with pauses similar to the ones you should take at work but make them longer. Breathe in and out for a total of 10 seconds, check your body and ease any discomfort with stretching or movement, clear your mind, and then activate a positive feeling of appreciation and gratitude for where you are at the moment.”Read the article.

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unplug to recharge: 3 tips for a successful summer vacation

School’s out for summer leaving corporate hallways nearly as desolate as their high school counterparts, as families and individuals alike break out to enjoy the long summer days ahead. Unfortunately, many will return to the office as depleted, if not more so, than before they left. A survey conducted here at Fierce, Inc. found that 58 percent of workers feel absolutely no reduction in stress from their vacations, and 28 percent return even more stressed. Not exactly the outcome one would hope for.Here are some tips to ensure this year’s vacation provides ample relief:1)   Communicate Intention. In a society that has adopted a 365/24/7 work-available mindset, it’s important to set clear expectations for how much (or how little!) you will be available during your time out of the office. For a vacation that truly recharges your batteries, communicate to your team, colleagues, and boss that you intend to fully unplug and focus on family. Ensure them that you will have all your ducks in a row should things pop up during your time away. Which brings me to…2)   Delegate Mindfully. Understanding that “the show must go on,” be mindful of the projects, pipelines, and responsibilities currently underway which may need attention while you’re out. Well in advance of your departure, identify team members or colleagues who either have experience with similar opportunities or who have shown aptitude in other areas and an interest in yours. Clearly outline the level of decisions they can make around each item and how you would like those decisions communicated. If no team is available and timeline isn’t an issue, make your vendors and partners aware of your “break,” and when you will be back to pick up work again.3)   Commit Wholeheartedly. As with any plan, success requires commitment and a healthy dose of trust. If you’ve promised yourself, your spouse, or your family that you’ll unplug, THEN DO IT. Sadly, we have become addicted to checking our smartphones because we feel it connects us to the world around us. Meanwhile, the most important connection needing tending to is sitting right in front of you. If it makes you uncomfortable to leave your phone or laptop locked up in a drawer, then all the more reason to re-establish the important relationships in your personal life. Put down your phone and look up.Bring back the joy of summer vacation by escaping the cubicle and venturing into the unknown wherelong-lasting memories can be made. Recharge and reinvigorate your energy, passion, and relationships by unplugging and connecting with what’s most important – you and your family.This article was originally published on Business 2 Community.

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