The Importance of Effective Critical Feedback

People seem to have contradictory feelings about critical feedback. Most people will say they hate it, but some studies show that most of us would like more feedback than we currently receive even if it’s critical. However, many leaders are hesitant to share critical feedback because they worry about how the person on the receiving end will react.

What Can Happen If We Don’t Share Critical Feedback?

Perhaps we have a team member who has a performance issue. We are aware of this, but we can’t quite steel ourselves to tackle the problem. However, by not facing the difficulty head on, we are also impacting the rest of our team, who have gradually lost respect for the under-performing team member and for ourselves because we failed to do something about it. 

We hope the problem will just go away, but instead it escalates until, eventually, the offending person’s employment is called into question. We finally are forced to talk to the team member about the problem, but by that point, everyone is so frustrated that the team member is destined for failure. It’s impossible for this individual to improve quickly enough, and they will probably lose their job. 

Refusing to Share Critical Feedback Is Unfair and Unkind 

We may have a team member with a long history of treating co-workers and customers poorly. Despite numerous complaints, no previous managers had addressed the issue with him because they were afraid he would respond aggressively. Because no one told him there was a problem, he naturally kept behaving the way he always did. 

By the time we decide to address the issue, the train is probably too far down the tracks, and the person simply isn’t able to change his behavior. The outcome is that he loses his job. This situation could most likely have been avoided if previous team leaders had done their jobs properly and shared the critical messages that needed to be shared.

Sugarcoating Tough Feedback Doesn’t Help

If we are in charge of a problem employee, we might be tempted to share critical feedback infrequently and cautiously. Under the guise of kindness, we might try to soften feedback by downplaying the issue in the following ways:

·       Even when we know the issue is the cause of major problems, we “sandwich” a critical message between a couple of compliments, so the person leaves feeling happy. 

·       We sympathize by saying we’ve all made similar mistakes in the past. 

·       We dilute the message by beating around the bush or saying too much.

·       We touch on the problem but end the conversation by telling the employee that they are doing well. The necessary critical feedback is entirely lost amidst fuzzy compliments.

Unfortunately, the more justification we provide and the more we downplay a difficult message, the less likely the person is to receive the news we’re trying to impart.

When sharing a hard message, it’s best to be assertive and direct. That doesn’t mean we should never share genuine positive messages along with more negative ones. However, when we do, we must be abundantly clear with our direct feedback to ensure the core message is not lost.

By sharing direct and candid feedback, a problem employee might realize the significance of the problem and be motivated to alter his behavior and thus keep his job. 

We May Have a Misguided Sense of Kindness

We seem to be hardwired to believe that critical feedback is unkind because it could hurt the recipient’s feelings. However, employee problems can occur if we give in to a misguided sense of kindness because we value our personal emotional comfort over another’s growth. 

But think hard about what is more unkind. We can be honest with someone and, in the process, allow them to improve. Or, we can set them up for failure because they have not been made to fully realize that there is a problem.

Unfortunately, if our overwhelming fear is causing emotional pain to someone, we may leave many bodies in our wake. We are potentially lowering the quality standards of our organization, permitting problems to fester, and causing people to get fired when they might have been able to improve.

In her book Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility, former Netflix Chief Talent Officer Patty McCord, who doesn’t believe in Chief Happiness Officer, sums up the problem perfectly:

One of the most important insights anyone in business can have is that it’s not cruel to tell people the truth respectfully and honestly.

If we can embrace that idea and redefine the notion of kindness to include candor, we will enhance the development of our team and our organization. 

Critical Feedback: Final Thoughts

Giving critical feedback is difficult, but it’s also a very selfless thing to do. We need to put more value on another’s growth and less on our personal comfort. 

Our next article will follow up on the subject of critical feedback and discuss ways to be candid without coming across as insensitive.

For additional reading, check out these great books on feedback:

Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson

Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen

Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott

Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio

Radical Candor by Kim Scott

Finally, if you want to improve your leadership skills including the ability to apply effective critical feedback, Shaping Development can help. Contact us today to learn more.

How to Succeed as a (Newly) Virtual Leader

Previously, we discussed how it’s possible to communicate remotely and get work accomplished with the aid of ever more innovative digital technology. We then examined why this new way of working can present a challenge not only to virtual leaders but also to their team members. So let’s continue to explore more helpful ideas that can assist you in managing your virtual team in the best way possible!

Reset Roles and Responsibilities

Some people really love working remotely and have no desire to go back to normal office life. However, others may lack motivation or feel challenged in other ways. It might not be obvious who is struggling at first, but your job as a virtual leader is to assess how each team member is coping. So, during your one-on-one meetings, ask questions along the following lines:

·       How are things going for you?

·       What challenges are you facing? 

·       What is it you need to be successful? 

·       How can I, or other team members, help?

These discussions will give you the chance to re-evaluate each individual’s particular strengths and weaknesses. For example, you may discover that it’s necessary to move jobs or responsibilities around or enroll those who feel less comfortable in training sessions.

·       Example: One of your team members excels at running meetings in person but lacks either the facilitation or technical skills to conduct them remotely. 

·       Example: You have a team member who participated actively during in-person meetings but says hardly anything in virtual meetings.

Handle Change Carefully

Because change - like taking on new work or exchanging roles - can bring on sensitivities in people, it’s essential to shape any suggestions you make as opportunities to grow in the job. Your aim should be to diagnose your co-worker’s strongest and weakest points and provide them with guidance when they are struggling. By placing them where they can best succeed, you will be helping your colleague develop, and your entire team will become more productive. 

In your talks with each team member, ask for their thoughts and feedback on how the team can be improved. Remember that authenticity, respect, and empathy form the foundation of strong leadership.

Keep the Big Picture in Mind

When working remotely, it’s all too easy to stay glued to your computer, fielding email after email, in an earnest but completely unorganized fashion. With your to-do list squarely in front of you and no work colleagues to pull you out of your head, it’s tempting to stay buried in the weeds. 

However, you are a virtual leader, and people need to rely on you for direction, especially in these uncertain times. This means that you may have a multitude of small tasks filling up your calendar, but you need to be able to pick your head up and keep at least one eye on the bigger picture.

Carve Out Some Time for Strategy

Be sure to set aside some time to work on your organization’s business strategy vs. working in its business operations. For example, you can choose to block off some time on your calendar to think about strategy. Or, if your thoughts are already clear on that point, schedule a strategy session with your team. 

Use this time to revisit fundamental questions about your organization and the business it’s involved in. Ask yourself the following:

·       Do our customers (or clients) see our value proposition clearly? 

·       Can we find opportunities to enhance our business model? 

·       Are my team members sufficiently engaged, inspired, and productive to do their best work?

Here’s an idea from Michael Porter’s classic piece, What Is Strategy? He wrote:

“New [strategic] positions open up because of change…new needs emerge as societies evolve.”

What can you take from this? First, the changes you are experiencing because of the Covid-19 crisis will probably open up opportunities for your organization and you as a leader. Second, in a time when it’s easy to focus only on defense, it’s up to you as a virtual leader to take the offense and be on the lookout for new opportunities. 

Strengthen Your Company Culture

Right now, your team needs to feel connected to each other and also to your organization’s mission. A good way to accomplish this is to routinely schedule sessions for each team member to shine a spotlight on and share “wins” delivered to customers, the team, or the business as a whole.

Your aim should be to tie the sharing of these “bright spots” to the organization’s values, vision, or mission. At the same time, you should restate the organization’s purpose and the essential role played by everyone in striving to achieve it.

·       If time for meetings is tight, a quick email, slack page, or other non-verbal communication types can be used.

You also might want to consider prioritizing some team-building pathways that were somewhat less essential before your team members were scattered remotely. Some ideas are virtual social hours, fitness challenges, art sharing clubs, book clubs, meditation groups, team musical performances.

·       Even something as simple as beginning a meeting by asking people to share a video, a meme, or a photo that gives them joy can foster camaraderie. 

Virtual Leadership: Final Thoughts

Is there a silver lining to our current business environment? I would say yes. The virtual leadership skills you are building now in a time of crisis will still serve you after Covid-19 is finally in the past. While there is probably no reverting to exactly how things were before, new opportunities will continue to open up. 

We may be heading to completely virtual workforces on a scale we’ve never experienced before. But, thanks to this unforeseen time we are in, your virtual leadership skills can rise to meet the challenge.

If you feel you are way behind with the virtual skills necessary to lead effectively in this era of remote work, Shaping Development can help! Contact us to learn more.

8 Simple Strategies to Avoid Leadership Burnout

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels

Are you feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities and the amount of work that keeps piling up? If so, you may be heading for full-blown leadership burnout. 

·      According to a Gallup study, a whopping two-thirds of full-time workers have grappled with burnout.

·      The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified work-related burnout as both an ‘occupational phenomenon’ and a ‘syndrome’. 

How Do You Know if You Have Leadership Burnout?

With escalating stressors, speed, and supercharged connectivity encompassing the modern workplace, you may reach the point when you feel like you just can’t work another minute. 

Symptoms of burnout include feelings of exhaustion or energy depletion, a lowering of confidence, decreased motivation, and more negativism. Plus, there’s a higher likelihood that you’ll take a sick day. 

The Good News – Self Help for Leadership Burnout

You don’t have to give in to burnout. You can learn some ways to self-soothe when your job seems to be spiraling out of control or when you think you just can’t take it anymore. Here are eight tips to help banish that helpless feeling and put you back in control. 

1.    Pay attention to your breathing. As soon as you feel stress hitting, turn to conscious breathing – deliberately take several slow and deep breaths, and concentrate on your breathing. This helps to expel tension and prevent it from getting stuck in your body.

2.    Visualize your stress away. Envision a stream of pure white light coming from the top of your head and a flood of darkness flowing out from the soles of your feet. This is one of several visualization techniques to help reduce overwhelm and produce more positive and productive energies.

3.    Give yourself some comfort. Just as a mother might console her baby by patting his/her chest, you can comfort yourself by placing your hand over your heart. This behavioral shift can give you something to focus on by feeling your heartbeat and chest breathing in and out.

4.    Talk to yourself positively. Don’t allow fear-based or negative thoughts to get in the way of believing in yourself. Instead, shift negative self-talk to positive self-talk, e.g., This is only a transient situation. I will come up with the best way to handle it, and everything will turn out okay.

5.    Be your own witness. The whole you is bigger than any fear, anxiety, or self-doubt. Tell yourself: I am not this emotion. I can center and calm myself and free myself from this state of feeling overwhelmed. And I can bear witness to my own experience. If you can master this technique, you will relax and gain a new and different perspective.  

6.    Accept others’ behaviors, experiences, and actions as their own. Everyone deserves the dignity of walking their own path. By accepting this affirmation, you will more readily take people for who they are, appreciate their life experiences, and avoid taking their actions personally.

7.    Be self-compassionate. The way you think makes a profound difference in your life. So don’t beat yourself up when you feel overwhelmed; exercise a little self-compassion instead. Be gentle and kind to yourself. Allow yourself some personal time, nourish yourself with rest and relaxation. Cut yourself some slack and tell yourself that you’re doing the best you can. 

8.    Body Scan.  Imagine a scanner going from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes.  What are you feeling, seeing, hearing in your body as you go through the scan.  Focus on the specific areas of tension that you are noticing.

More Ways to Self-Soothe

Self-soothing means doing things that make you feel food. For example, spend time with family and friends, dote on your kids and your pets, take a nature walk, curl up with a good book, binge-watch your favorite TV show, savor a special drink or food, meditate, pray. Do whatever resonates with you.

·      Most importantly, understand that with some simple strategies and a little daily practice, you can self-soothe and stop leadership burnout. However, you may need some support from Shaping Development to help you with overwhelm. Working with a coach can help you avoid burnout and improve your leadership skills.

Time Management for Leaders: 7 Tried and True Tips

As a leader, it seems that many things conspire to prevent you from focusing on your main roles – increasing sales and propelling your organization forward. This is why effective time management for leaders is crucial to your success. And, it's not just about getting everything done – it's also about having a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day and avoiding burnout. The following are seven time management tips for leaders to help you balance your responsibilities.

1.    Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize

Prioritizing what you want to accomplish is your number one time management for leaders step. Commit to writing the most important tasks you want to get done this week and this month. You can even go further out and include this quarter or even this year. Your list should be confined to the level of tasks (not projects.)

·      Example: Your project might be preparing for an upcoming tradeshow. Your tasks might be training your staff to manage your booth or getting your marketing materials ready.

Give each task a deadline but leave some blank time to cope with those unexpected tasks that will inevitably pop up to steal away your time and attention. 

2.    Avoid Robo-Checking Your Email

Your email inbox is waiting to enslave you! Don't let yourself be subjugated. Set aside regular times to read and reply to messages. Let your co-workers and employees know when you will be electronically available. Request that they only contact you during your offline hours by calling or texting with urgent issues. And don't be tempted to respond to those email pings and pop-ups that will keep alerting you even when you've gone home for the day. Silence your phone when you retire for the night or leave it in another room.

3.    Organize Your Emails

You'll spend less time in your inbox if it's organized. Here are some ways to keep your inbox from taking you over.

·      Delete emails you're never going to read again.

·      Unsubscribe from those recurring emails you never read.

·      Use folders and categories to keep your inbox organized. Use labels such as Action Items, Reference, Waiting, and Archives. If you have no problem keeping on top of your folders – particularly those labeled Action and Waiting – use them as your daily to-do list.

·      Have your mail automatically sorted into particular folders as soon as it comes in. 

·      Make use of a helpful app such as Boomerang for Gmail. With Boomerang, you can draft an email and then schedule it to go out later. You can "boomerang" a message out of your inbox and have it return later when you actually need to address it. You can also receive a reminder if you haven't received a reply from a recipient after X number of days.

4.    Use Your Calendar Wisely

Choose the kind of calendar that works best for you - on your computer, on your phone, or the old fashioned way - on paper. Better yet, use a calendar that you can access on your desktop and on all of your devices. Immediately transfer any appointments you quickly jot down on paper on to your calendar. You could also use your calendar to schedule specific times to complete a task or a project. 

Most electronic calendars also allow you to create several overlapping calendars, e.g., a personal and a work calendar. This is a helpful feature to avoid double-booking yourself. Some people like to have a planning calendar. When there's an event you might attend, or if you're going back and forth with someone to schedule an appointment, you put it on your plan calendar. So they look tentative in your schedule, assign a light color to your plan calendar appointments. When plans firm up, you can transfer them to your work or personal calendar.

5.    Make Your Meetings More Productive

Every leader knows how hard it is to get anything else done when spending most of the day in meetings. When you head up a meeting, make it more productive and efficient right off the bat by clarifying the meeting's goals and objectives from the outset. Before heading to the conference room, ask yourself the following questions:

·      What am I looking to achieve?

·      What do I want agreement on? 

·      How can I best get a list of action items?

6.    Book Meetings for Less Time

Just like household items expand to fill a larger house, meetings tend to stretch out to fill up the available time. If there's a sense of time constraint because of a shorter meeting time, people are more likely to get to the meat of the matter and wrap up their points more quickly. Remember, when the meeting ends and attendees still have questions or concerns, you can always sit down with them individually or schedule a follow-up meeting.

7.    Schedule All Your Meetings Back-to-Back

It's harder to concentrate on other things when you're anticipating your next meeting. You're less likely to be at your best if you frequently have to interrupt what you are doing. So, if you can, set up all your meetings back-to-back. This way, the rest of your day won't be broken up by another conference. 

Time Management for Leaders: Final Thoughts

There's a lot of time-saving advice on time management for leaders out there. Please remember that what works for others might not feel right for you. So, don't feel guilty if you abandon a strategy that doesn't suit your personality or needs. If you find that you are struggling with time management, let Shaping Development help you manage your time. It’s worth your time to book a consultation with us to see how we can assist.

Leadership and Management: Is One Better Than the Other?

Is leadership a higher calling than management? This topic is somewhat controversial. Many who weigh in position themselves on one side of what they see as the great chasm that yawns between leadership and management. They tend to praise leadership and look down their noses at “inferior” management. However, even though leadership and management are not exactly similar, they are both necessary and essential for any organization to function well.

It’s not difficult to unearth examples of alluring leaders who ultimately led their followers to disaster or gifted managers who did not have the skills necessary to inspire and lead. This post will discuss what differentiates leadership and management and why it might be optimum to have a combination of both.

What Is Leadership?

Leaders are able to persuade others to aim for a common goal. Leaders tend to have a vision and share three characteristics:

• They can inspire others to have faith in their vision.

• They are able to encourage and motivate others to follow them in pursuit of that vision.

• They assist others in eliminating stumbling blocks along the path leading to the fulfillment of that vision.

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want

done because he wants to do it. - President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Three Leaders That Inspired Others

Let’s look at how a trio of great leaders achieved their visions. 

Mahatma Gandhi’s vision was to free his country, India, from the British Raj. He led the Indian campaign for independence by employing nonviolent actions of civil disobedience. Gandhi was faced with the staggering challenge of trying to unite a country that contained many competing factions and religions. Through his visionary leadership, he inspired the Indian population to set aside what divided them and focus on what all groups had in common.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision was to win civil rights for the black people of the United States. He also used nonviolent methods to work toward his goal. King had to meet the challenge of diverse groups within the movement, some of whom did not go along with his philosophy of nonviolence. As a leader with great powers of oratory, he used this skill to focus attention on the second-class status of black people in the United States so that, in time, this could no longer be ignored. 

Maria Theresa is not someone you may have heard of. However, she earned the accolade of outstanding leadership after becoming the head of state of Austria in 1740. At the time she ascended to the throne, Austria was poorly governed and in financial straits. She possessed the leadership skills necessary to put together a contingent of skilled advisors to whom she delegated responsibilities. She turned around the flailing economy, modernized the military, and mandated education for women. All of this while birthing sixteen children and coping with a couple of wars!

What Is Management?

Management is concerned with regulating or dealing with people or things. The emphasis here tends toward things rather than people. Managers need to be methodical and approach things in a systematic manner – they need skills pertaining to organization, planning, and coordination. They also need to be analytical so that they can take the measure of their progress and make any necessary adaptations.

What’s measured gets improved. - Peter F. Druker, Management Consultant

Three Great Managers

Highly successful managers often have more laurels heaped upon them than great political or social leaders. Let’s look at three of the greatest.

Henry Ford introduced the United States to car culture. Not only that, his approach to the manufacture of automobiles influenced many other industries. Ford’s production approach was a revolution at the time – the creation of the modern assembly line. This innovation brought about an increase in efficiencies and a reduction in the cost of manufacturing materials. The final result was a product that could be affordable to the average US citizen.

Walt Disney began his working life as an accomplished cartoonist but, over time, became an unmatchable figure in the realm of global entertainment. His success was achieved by his managerial ability to recognize and utilize the talent of others. He assembled and oversaw teams that created a collection of iconic motion picture characters that are recognizable worldwide.

Madam C.J. Walker is a name you are probably not familiar with. During the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, this African-American woman created and marketed hair products for an underserved market - African-American women such as herself. She is a perfect example of someone with managerial gifts who recognized a neglected niche and had the entrepreneurial and management skills to fill it successfully.

Why Combined Leadership and Management Skills May Be Best

You have probably realized from the above examples that certain attributes belong to both strong leaders and effective managers. In fact, it is often necessary, according to circumstances, for leaders and managers to function in both roles at different points in their careers. 

So, What Is Our Conclusion?

It’s clear that an exceptional leader is not more worthy than an accomplished manager or vice-versa. Therefore, any person whose job includes responsibility for others will be more effective if they possess a blending of leadership and management skills in varying proportions depending upon their position and circumstances.

At Shaping Development our vision leads us to help individuals and organizations shape their personal or organizational skills. Whether you are a leader or a manager, or you realize you sometimes need to be both, we can help you become more effective. Get in touch with us for more information.

Can Personal Development Coaching Improve My Leadership Skills?

Arguably the essential leadership skill is self-awareness. Without self-knowledge, it’s impossible to effectively develop or improve on any other skill. Personal development coaching aims to increase your self-awareness and help you cope with your work challenges. It will also assist you in establishing and achieving your career goals and aspirations. You will learn to assess your strengths and weaknesses so that you have the self-knowledge necessary to improve particular areas of your leadership style.

Why Does an Athlete Need Coaching?

Think about an athlete (you may even be one yourself). An athlete enlists the help of a coach to support and train them to achieve their sporting goals. Similarly, a personal development coach will support and encourage you to reach your life and work-related goals. You will learn expert techniques to help you feel confident and at ease in any changes you want to make as a leader or any changes that are forced upon you. A coach will teach you to be happy and proud of where you are and help you with any skills you wish to improve.

How Does Personal Development Coaching Work?

A personal development coach will strive to help you recognize not only where you want to be in your business life but how you can get there. A coach is skilled at identifying the potential that already exists within you and that you might be only partly aware of or completely unaware of. This is often accomplished via a series of questions designed to help you recognize, accept, and build upon your strengths and weaknesses.

Are You Happy With Your Progress?

You will be provided with the opportunity to assess your level of emotional well-being and how you are progressing in your working life. You will be encouraged to consider whether you are reaching your goals and are happy both with yourself and with your relationships with your business colleagues and coworkers.

A Personal Plan

Personal development coaching is not an authoritarian enterprise. A coach won’t tell you exactly what to do or necessarily offer you direct advice. Instead, they will offer support and guidance through a tailored personal development plan. You will learn how to set realistic goals for yourself and continue working on your self-development journey outside of your coaching sessions.

If you’re considering personal development coaching but are still hesitant, ask yourself the following questions:

·      Do I wish I could communicate better with my team?

·      Am I lacking in self-confidence?

·      Do I need to be more motivated?

·      Am I lacking a specific skill that is hindering my ability to be a better leader?

·      Do I want to be more content and happier as a leader?

Throw Out the Clutter

Personal development can be likened to a thorough reorganization of your house or apartment. You go through your home and throw out all of those things that are causing clutter and holding you back from a better living environment. A coach will help you evaluate aspects of yourself, throw out those cluttering up your mind, and put the useful ones in order of importance. Personal development coaching is particularly valuable in helping you reorganize your thoughts, wants, and aspirations and rating them through an objective point of view.

For personal development coaching to be effective, you need to feel ready to begin making permanent changes in your leadership style and be dedicated to achieving them.

How Shaping Development Can Shape You

A behavior analyst can help you accept your strengths, work on your weaknesses, build confidence. They will work with you every step of the way on a journey towards change and a more effective and happier leadership style. Shaping Development offers personal development coaching to enable you to develop your leadership skills. Sign up here for a consultation call to learn more.

How to Learn to Pivot through Failure

I am reading Kristen Hadeed's book, Permission to Screw Up: How I Learned to Lead by Doing Everything Wrong.  This book has really helped me reflect the last week on how I've developed my own leadership skills through various failures.

As a child growing up, I have always been a perfectionist.  I had to get perfect grades, and excel in everything I set up for myself as a task.  My first failure hit me hard senior year of high school when I was denied admission to the music school I wanted to attend, to become a concert flutist.  I was devastated.

I entered college my freshman year undecided with the hopes that I could re-audition in the spring for fall entry into the music program.  I studied flute with a doctoral student in the hopes to get better.  In the spring, I auditioned again, and again, another denial.

This was also the time I met my mentor, who brought me in to the field of behavior analysis.  Once I experienced the second failure, I pivoted and focused my attention on becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst after support and discussion with my mentor (who was also a classically trained musician, and worked on that skill on the side).  Looking back at this time, I felt like it was the biggest failure, and I would never succeed in life.  What it really taught me was when we come up against challenges, we need to learn to pivot our direction (much like hiking when you come to a block in the path, or a cliff, you must pivot your direction around or away from it), so that we do not drown in our failures.  This lesson has come up for me time and time again throughout my practice and development as a leader in the field.

Pivoting is important because it helps us to re-focus our energy on a new project, or new skill to develop.  At this stage in my development, I don't look at failures as failures, but rather as "triggers" to pivot to a new idea or project.  

Want to hear more about my story?  Here’s a podcast I did with Coaching for Leaders host, Dave Stachowiak!

Have your own "failure" experience to share?  Leave a comment below!

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Four Strategies When Holding 1-on-1s

By: Daniel Soeiro Sanches, Guest Post

www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-sanches-ab56a52

I took quite some time until I found out how 1:1's would work out well for me and my team--it actually took me a year. When I look back and think about what has actually helped me in having constructive 1:1's, I have 4 points that I follow:

1) One Size Doesn't Fit All

People are so different from each other and have so many different interests and ambitions (personal and professional) that even though you might standardise on a template or a series of questions, the most important is that over time you understand how to get each person talking which will be unique.

2) Understand Why You Need to Have 1:1’s

Across the different types of people that I have managed, driven by their uniqueness in styles and background I have found out extremely useful to understand why I need to have 1:1's. The most frequent whys that I have discovered are: 1) a need for coaching; 2) a need for getting up to speed on the small details that are not talked in the drumbeat team meetings; 3) provide a safe environment for feedback and discussion and any other topics that could be affecting performance; and 4) provide a time slot to discuss career and ambitions.

3) Good Quality 1:1's Require Preparation

This can be done via a template, but what I typically do to make sure there is always something to discuss is: 1) note down three to four things concerning the person's work that I want to know more about; 2) note down specific feedback from the past week/weeks (and this alternates between feedback on how to improve, and recognition for work completed); and 3) always request feedback on something I may have done over the past time period since we last talked.

4) Some 1:1's Should Be Strategic On a Quarterly Basis

I always ask my reportee to review her/his workplace and provide me with an overview of the results achieved to date and whether they are on track/off track. This provides room for discussion, open and honest feedback and typically also supports my building of a story for the person when the performance review time comes up. It also makes sure both of us are up to speed.

For more information and to connect with Daniel, please see his LinkedIn Profile:  www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-sanches-ab56a52

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Three Questions to Ask When Creating a Mission Statement

Simon Sinek, in his book, Start With Why, makes it clear that leaders must ask the correct questions when guiding their teams.  Sinek believes that this question is "Why--" to determine why the team exists, and their purpose.

This purpose can be summed up in a mission statement.  From a larger company level, or a specific team level, all teams need to have a mission statement to guide their work.  Though Sinek makes a compelling argument to "Start with Why," I feel that there are actually three questions we must ask when we are creating the mission statement for our team: 1) Who, 2) What, and 3) Why.

1) Who

The "who" is important because it describes who is responsible for carrying out the mission of the company or the team.  It is helpful to list this out from a broad (company) perspective, but also at a specific team level, so that all can adopt the mission statement as part of company or team culture.

2) What

The "what" specifies what the company or team will be doing on a day to day basis.  This can describe from a broader sense what it is the company does, or from a team level the work the team accomplishes.

3) Why

The "why" is the third question teams should ask when creating the mission statement.  The "why" describes the purpose of the organization, and why the team exists.  This is the goal of the organization or team.

By answering these three questions, we can create mission statements that unifies our team to actions that accomplish our larger goals.

For more strategies on creating mission statements, see our eWorkbook: How to Create A Mission Statement.

References:

Sinek, Simon. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. New York: Portfolio / Penguin, 2011.

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What You Should Know About Leadership and Management Roles

In my career, I have held management positions where I was actually a leader, and in leadership roles where I was in a management position. As I reflected this week, I wondered, what is the difference?  Can someone be a Manager and a Leader?  Or does it have to be mutually exclusive?

Carl Binder, in his article "Integrating Organizational-Cultural Values with Performance Management," (Binder, 2016) writes that it is actually "work output" that defines the role (he takes it a step farther to define work output as the metric for defining company culture, but that will be an article for another day, so stay tuned...)

"Work output"  (Binder, 2016; www.sixboxes.com) can be seen as analogous to Thomas Gilbert's* concept of "accomplishments (Gilbert, 1978)."  It is the product of the behavior, or the goal of what the person needs to accomplish.  The following outlines the differences in work output between a manager and a leader.

1) Leadership

For a leader, work output must be defined from a telescopic viewpoint.  In this job description, we are focused on the "big picture"--the vision of the company and how to incorporate that vision within the metrics of the business as a whole.  The leader focuses on the purpose of the business, and work output is focused on incorporating that purpose within everything that management and employees do in the day to day.

2) Management

The manager's work output can be defined from a microscopic viewpoint.  The manager is focused on the day to day operations, and making sure that everything from an operational standpoint is running smoothly.  In other words, widgets are made, staff are performing, and deliverables are shipped.

Can a leader be a manager and a leader at the same time?  From experience, I say yes, depending on the resources the leader has at their disposal.  If a leader is able to delegate, the microscopic work outputs can be moved to managers, leaving the leader time to think about the big picture and ways to constantly evolve the business; however, if the resources are not there, the leader must take on multiple hats.  This is possible as long as the leader can make time to take off the management hat, and put on the leadership hat, so that they can continue to focus on "big picture" projects.  A business will not be able to grow and scale unless it has managers and leaders...even if they are the same person.

References

Binder, C (2016). Integrating Organizational-Cultural Values with Performance Management. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 36(2-3), 185-201

Gilbert, T.F. (1978). Human competence: engineering worthy performance.  New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Book Company

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How Practicing Mindfulness Can Shape Development

The practice of mindful meditation has recently been very much publicized in the news and the interwebs lately, and for good reason.  In fact, I recently did an online search at a bookstore for the topic and it came up with 2,231 search results for book topics and related material!

Practicing these behaviors have been shown through empirically validated research to reduce stress and anxiety, and increase emotion regulation and focus (Davis & Hayes, 2011).  Steven Hayes also provides support for the practice of mindfulness within Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, an empirically validated intervention, which exists within the one of its six tenets: "Being Present (Hayes, 2004)." (see also  Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)* With the benefit of modern technology, the practices of mindfulness and meditation are no longer accessible to those traveling to far off places who participate in retreats or structured classes, as many applications and books provide support in the practice, teaching beginners and advanced learners.

I have to be honest, I was incredibly resistant to engage in mindful meditation.  However, as a highly (self-proclaimed) anxious individual, I read countless articles proclaiming its benefit  to increase productivity and decrease anxiety and stress...so I decided to give it a try.

I started to notice a difference in my thinking and reactive behavior after the first week, though I'll be honest, and I almost gave up after the first or second session.  I scheduled time first thing in the morning to block off five minutes where I would sit in silence and "practice" mindful meditation.  I focused on my breathing, and tried to simply "notice" my thoughts.  The first two sessions were a disaster, and my thinking just kept racing at quick speeds about everything I needed to do that day in my business.  The third day, I was on the verge of giving up, when it finally clicked. One of the practices of mindfulness, advises people to think of a metaphor of a "Passenger on a Bus," to practice noticing your thoughts.  In this metaphor, the person practicing meditation imagines that they are a passenger on a bus, and all the thoughts and feelings present in the mind, pass by out a window as if you are a "passenger on a bus."  As soon as I visualized that scenario, I was able to think more on my breathing, and react less to the thoughts and feelings occurring.  By the end of the first week, I already saw a difference in my thinking and reacting to stressful situations.  By the end of the second week, I was able to stretch the practice time to 20 minutes instead of just 5 minutes.

As a skill set, practicing mindfulness, shown through both research and my own experience, has allowed myself and others to access more information, focus on work, and reduce stressful thinking practices.  If all leaders: teachers, parents, and business executives learned to practice this skill, and then in turn teach the skill to those they lead, we could all develop new ways to combat stress and anxiety in our daily lives!

*Please Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 

References:

Hayes, S.C (2004). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the new behavior therapies: Mindfulness, acceptance and relationship. In S. C. Hayes, V. M. Follette, & M. Linehan (Eds.), Mindfulness and acceptance: Expanding the cognitive behavioral tradition (pp. 1-29). New York: Guilford.

Davis, D.M & Hayes, J.A.(2011) What Are the Benefits of Mindfulness A Practice Review of Psychotherapy-Related Research. Psychotherapy 48(2) p 198-208

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The 3 Assessments Every Leader Needs To Guide Their Organization

As a behavior analyst, I have always used assessments to guide my decision making.  Prior to making any recommendations to a client, or feedback to staff working in the field, it is necessary to have data to support recommendations or feedback.  This is where assessments become important and valuable tools.

Assessments can come in two forms: objective and subjective.  Behavior Analysts typically favor objective assessments, but in my experience, subjective assessments can also have a purpose when a leader wants staff members to provide a self-report on their behavior, or when a leader may also want to do some self-assessment on their own behavior.  Here are the assessments that I typically use in my practice:

1. Performance Checklists

This is the primary objective assessment I use, in which measurement is based off of direct observation of staff, performing their assigned tasks during a specific time period.  The manager in this situation, would write out (using behavior-specific definitions) the responses required in each task outlined in a person's job description.  Once defined, the manager can than observe the person performing the tasks, and then derive a score based off of performance.  Ideally, the manager will then use those data to create a performance development plan for the individual they are supervising (Note: it is always best to provide feedback following the observation, as soon as possible, and allow the person to remediate the skill that was not performed with criteria outlined.)

2. Leadership Practices Inventory

This assessment was created by James Kouzes and Barry Posner.  It divides leadership skills into constructs of leadership practices which are: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.  Based on self-report, answers are ranked with a ratings scale and the inventory provides a rating score for each heading.  Kouzes and Posner have developed a workbook and a book that is based on these principles to help leaders develop skills, and can also be used to develop managers in your organization.  The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen In Organizations by Kouzes and Posner* is a great resource for leaders to develop managers in their organization, as well as to develop their own leadership skills.

3. StrengthsFinder 2.0

This is an assessment created by Donald O. Clifton and Tom Rath in collaboration with Gallup.  The purpose of this assessment is to "help people discover and develop their natural talents."  This is a great tool for leaders to use to assess staff strengths, and then create job descriptions and performance development plans based off of those strengths.  This assessment can be found at: http://strengths.gallup.com.  Ideally, this is an assessment you would complete during the orientation period of a staff member, however, it can also be utilized during staff promotions or when there are changes in the organization that would effect an employee's position in the organization.

Whatever tool or assessment you use, keep in mind that leaders should always use data to drive decisions when guiding their organizations!   Subjective assessments in conjunction with objective measurement of performance, are useful tools in shaping the development of staff and leaders.

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