Susan Scott's Blog, page 87

Fierce Tip of the Week: Track the Trends

Highly effective people track trends in their lives – all the time. This isn’t just a recommendation or a “nice to have”. Tracking trends is truly the way that people get the results they want – both inside and outside of work.

What does that even mean though? How do people track trends?

They have the conversations. 

The world is constantly changing around us, and it is pivotal to check-in with people and the strategies that are currently in motion. Gaining more clarity about a situation is exactly what you need to then make decisions on what you know is going on as opposed to what you think is.

This week, if you sense that something is not going as planned, or you are noticing something under the surface, explore it.

Now is the time to get curious about what is really going on. Otherwise, you are operating in fantasy land.

Fierce Resources: What’s the Endgame for Social Media?

This week’s Fierce Resource was first published on the Harvard Business Review website and was written by Clara Shih.

What’s the Endgame for Social Media? shares trends on social media in business today. The article explores how social media is being used in the workplace now, where it may go, and how it will be integrated. 

“Authenticity has become a prerequisite to doing business in this new era, and empowering employees to use social media for business will be the number one way companies stay relevant and top of mind”

What do you think?

To read the full article, click here.

The Conversation Continues: Social Media, Gen Y, and You

There’s so much hype lately about Gen Y needing to be careful about what they post on their social media pages. These things, after all, are being looked at by recruiters, by prospective universities even.

I mean, who would hire you if you were dancing on top of a bar during Spring Break in Cancun? Silly question? Take a look at the number of “Boomers” who will be leaving the workforce soon and ask that question again. They will get hired. Trust me.

They will also continue to use social media while they are employed by you. What does that mean?  For you? For your organization? It’s time to think about that.

Maybe this new generation gets something we (from the older generations) don’t.  They don’t think publically talking about the things they’ve done or are thinking about doing is such a big deal.  Many of them even think “outing” their current employer on their favorite social media site is necessary.

It’s just what needs to be done in order to change things.  Maybe this new generation is smarter than we give them credit for.

The challenge will be for the rest of us to stop getting in their way, crimping their style, telling them no, and they can’t.  This generation is going to invent things we can’t even imagine.

They are going to blow the top off of “corporate spin” and introduce a new type of corporation – one that is radically transparent, intensely humane, brilliantly fun and amazingly fair.

I don’t plan to get in their way…I want to learn from them.  Join them.  Friend them.

This piece was originally posted on August 30th, 2011 by Aimee Windmiller-Wood, SVP of Learning and Development. The conversation is still ongoing around this issue…What do you think?

Fierce Tip of the Week: Embrace Social Media

There’s a lot of talk about Facebook and other social media outlets in the workplace. Do they lessen productivity? Are they a time suck?

The answer? Maybe and you should still embrace it.

The reality is that we now live in a world where the conversation has extended into the virtual space. We no longer just talk in person or even over the phone. Our communication has transferred to email, text, and, yes, Facebook. The upside is there are also places like LinkedIn where professionals voluntarily put themselves out there for contact and conversation.

Embracing social media is about embracing the idea that where and how conversations happen has now shifted. We live in a world where you can find out what’s happening to friends and family at a click of button.

While you can fight to shut that down –  is that really the best use of the organization’s time?

Fierce Resources: Great Leaders Build a Culture of Courage in a Climate Of Fear

This week’s Fierce Resource was first published on the Forbes website and was written by Margie Warrell.

Great Leaders Build A Culture of Courage In A Climate Of Fear explores how leaders can move beyond a culture of fear and encourage courage and candor among their employees. The article explores three ways leaders can embolden, encourage, and and inspire their employees to be more brave.

“Fear has always been a potent human emotion. Whether in a society or a corporation, fear  can spread like wildfire and sabotage the brightest minds, the biggest organizations and the most robust economies.   Which is why, in today’s competitive, accelerated and uncertain marketplace, creating a ‘culture of courage’ that emboldens employees to rise above their fears is vital to creating and sustaining competitive advantage.”

To read the full article, click here.

What Are Your Top Leadership Fears?

Fear is a very real emotion for many leaders and often it has a prime seat at the table when tasked with making decisions, innovating, or trying new experiences.

I remember once being told by a teacher, who was not impressed with my jungle gym skills, that I lacked a necessary level of fear. That always stuck with me, because while it didn’t bother me at all to not look before I leaped, there were things that terrified me. What scares leaders is different for everybody. One leader might be terrified about delegating their responsibilities and then not even think twice about green lighting a new project with many unknowns.

The reality is that things become less scary when the dialogue is open and honest. Nothing combats fear faster than having a conversation – whether it’s with others or yourself. If you think about a common tactic of a fear-based leader, it’s usually shutting down communication and limiting the conversation.

Ask yourself: Are there people within my organization who know what scares me as a leader? Does my team know what triggers me or puts me in cold sweats? What would happen if I even dared to say my fears out loud?

While it may seem like your burden to bear, letting others know what jolts you is humbling and shows vulnerability, which builds trust and emotional capital with your team. It also begins your development through those worries.

For leaders, it’s important to know: How do you show up when you’re scared? What’s the impact on your leadership style and the team?

Building this awareness happens when you give yourself permission to not be the “perfect” leader. Have the conversation about what scares you, how that impacts your leadership style, and continue to talk with others through your fear.

Start the conversation with us, we want to know: What are your top leadership fears?

Fierce Tip of the Week: Provide Autonomy

With engagement levels of employees at an all time low, many organizations are looking at what they can do in order to engage the hearts and the minds of their teams.

While there is no one single right answer, our Fierce Whitepaper, What Employees Really Think About Best Practices: Survey Uncovers 3 Things Employees Crave, shows that the top highest rated practices are Transparency, Autonomy, and Responsiveness. Nearly 50% of those responded identify the most beneficial practices as those that encourage accountability, development, and individual empowerment within the organization

Autonomy does just that. As defined in the Fierce whitepaper, autonomy provides people with the freedom to make appropriate decisions which ensures employees remain focused and engaged.

This week ask yourself: Do I provide my team the necessary level of autonomy to be active and engaged in their work? Are they clear on where they can act and when they need to check in?

Don’t make assumptions. If you’re unclear, have the conversation and ask.

5 Ways to Foster Baby Boomer Engagement

This week’s Fierce Resource was first published on the Talent Management website and was written by Leon C. Prieto and Simone T.A. Phipps.

5 Ways to Foster Baby Boomer Engagement looks at recent research by Gallup, which finds that baby boomers have not only the lowest levels of engagement, they have the highest level of active disengagement. While companies may be tempted to put more time and energy into the up and coming generation of workers, further the research from Gallup shows that boomers plan to stay in the workforce longer.

“Employee engagement plays a key role in fostering productivity. It conveys a sense of the connection employees have to their organization as well as the passion they have for their work. A lot of focus in recent years has centered on ways to better manage and engage the youngest generation in the workforce, Generation Y. But according to the latest research from Gallup, baby boomers have the lowest level of engagement. What’s more, Gallup research shows that baby boomers have the highest level of active disengagement. Here are five ways talent leaders can increase baby boomer employees’ engagement.”

To read the full article, click here.

3 Delegation Best Practices for First Time Managers

Often times we avoid certain conversations not because we don’t want to, but rather, because we don’t know how to. As a new manager, a conversation that you need to have with your direct reports is the development conversation. Those you lead are now looking to you to help get them to their next step.

A common misunderstanding among leaders is that delegating is about giving away tasks you don’t want to do. The delegation conversation is really a development conversation and understanding how to communicate what is expected, who owns what, and where you want to see members of your team grow. When leaders delegate effectively, they are looking at what responsibilities are no longer the best use of their time and what skill gaps on their team can be closed.

Below are three best practices to support you in having those delegation conversations.

#1: Manage Your To Do List

The first step for you as a new manager is to look at your to-do list. Chances are there are still some things you’re holding onto because either you love doing it, no one else knows how, or you don’t trust anyone to do it correctly. No matter what, if this job is not central to achieving your goals or supporting your team, it is no longer the best use of your time. Write down what these different responsibilities are and begin to identify who you can delegate it to. Also look at the amount of time you save by letting someone else take ownership and now ask yourself: What can you do with that time?

#2: Create a Common Language

The second step is to have the conversation with your direct reports, share that you want to delegate some new responsibilities, and see if their is a mutual interest. In the Fierce Delegation model we use the analogy of a tree to represent the four levels you can delegate a project: leaf, branch, trunk, and root. These levels help give a common language to teams so that everyone has a mutual understanding of the decision making process on any given project. Having a defined language is important because oftentimes when we delegate there can be misunderstanding about what projects your direct report needs to keep you in the loop on and what responsibilities they can act on autonomously.

#3: Help Your Team Partner

As a new leader it can be tempting to want to be everything to everyone, and the reality is that it is not sustainable. Have your team create accountability partners to keep each other on-track about things like time-management and deadlines. The reality is that when you delegate new responsibilities, those you lead will need to look at how they manage their schedules.  Encourage them to create check-ins with one another and to share their progress – you might even free up more time for yourself.

Are you new to being a people leader? How do you delegate?

Fierce Tip of the Week: Develop Your Future Leaders

Ask yourself: Why do I hold on to certain responsibilities that are no longer the best use of my time?

Common answers include: “There’s no one that can do it but me”, “I’m afraid it will be done incorrectly”, “I don’t have the time to train”, “I don’t want to ‘dump’ my job on someone else”, or if people are being honest, sometimes it is, “I’m afraid someone else might do it better”.

What’s the problem with having this viewpoint?

While your organization may offer leadership development and training, if your current leaders aren’t allowing your future leaders to test some of those new skills out and give them stimulating, engaging, and challenging responsibilities to work on, then you run the risk of losing your next generation of leaders.

Take the time this week to evaluate what you do on a day-to-day basis that could be a huge development tool for another person. Determine what pieces you want them to own and what pieces are appropriate for you to still own. Then have the delegation conversation.