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(26542, 374, '2015-07-01 06:00:58', '2015-07-01 10:00:58', 'Last month, the voluntary theme for contributors to the Lead Change Group blog was <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/our-june-theme-unexplored-territory/\" target=\"_blank\">Unexplored Territory</a>.\n\nFor July, we are taking the lead from <a href=\"https://arbinger.com/anatomyofpeace/\" target=\"_blank\">The Anatomy Of Peace</a>, the new book from The Arbinger Institute being launched in July.\n\nThis book acknowledges the fact that conflict is unavoidable. The authors say, “While we can’t avoid conflict, we can certainly choose how we respond to it.”\n\nThis month, we challenge you to write about <strong>Creatively Responding To Conflict</strong>.\n\nIf you are interested in submitting original material for Lead Change, we would love to consider your contribution! You do have to be a Leading Voice, Instigator, or Member to write for Lead Change. \n\nFor information about joining, click <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/join/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>. If you have questions that are not answered on our website, please contact Paula Kiger at <a href=\"mailto:paula@weavinginfluence.com\">paula@weavinginfluence.com</a>.', 'Our July Theme - Creatively Responding To Conflict', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'our-july-theme-creatively-responding-to-conflict', '', '', '2015-07-01 06:00:58', '2015-07-01 10:00:58', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26542', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(26552, 372, '2015-07-06 06:00:07', '2015-07-06 10:00:07', 'How well do you and your leaders balance performance and meaning in your workplace?\n\nIf the only things that leaders demand are results and performance, players in your organization will do their best to deliver those things. This singular emphasis on results can, however, cause players to operate from an “I win, you lose” philosophy - and act to inhibit others’ performance while they maximize their own.\n\nWhen players in your organization understand the <strong>context</strong> for their work and how their work <strong>benefits others in their communities</strong>, they have a hard time discounting that meaningfulness. They, in fact, are inspired by it and drawn to it.\n\nMeaningful work is equally as important as results, but too many leaders focus exclusively on results. That’s not surprising, since it’s very likely that their bosses - present and past - focused exclusively on results, as well.\n\nA balance of meaning and results enables players to act from inspiration and cooperation, not purely from competition.\n\nMy best boss had this balance down to an art form. Every project we took on was carefully positioned and aligned with our team’s purpose, values, strategies, and goals. We spent time discussing how a project or a goal would move our team forward AND would benefit our customers and members of our community.\n\nWe acted from a place of thorough understanding of the meaning and significance of our work, not just the results we were striving for. Each of us could articulate how our plans, decisions, and actions aligned with our team purpose and values, plus how they boosted service to our community members.\n\nHow do you build relevance for meaningful work at work? You craft your team’s (or department’s or company’s) <strong>organizational constitution</strong> and align all behaviors and practices to it.\n\nAn organizational constitution is a formal document that specifies your team’s present day purpose, values and behaviors, strategies, and goals.\n\nYour team’s purpose, values, and behaviors are the foundation of meaningful work - of service to others. Your team’s strategies and goals are the foundation of desired results - delivering on the promises you make to customers and consumers.\n\nA clear purpose builds relevance for meaningful work by specifying your team’s “reason for being” beyond making money. Making money is inspiring for your owners and stakeholders but it has little tactical relevance to front line employees. Making money doesn’t naturally inspire them.\n\nAn effective present day purpose statement should answer three questions: What does your team do? For whom do they do it? To what end does your team do it - how do customers and community benefit when it’s done well?\n\nHere are two examples. The first is from a manufacturing company, which states their purpose as, “Creating superior value for our customers, employees, partners, and shareholders.\"\n\nWhat does this company do? It’s impossible to tell. They could make window blinds or drinking fountains. The only output they refer to is “superior value,” which doesn’t specify their product or service.\n\nWhom do they do it for (whatever superior value means)? Just about everyone. Again, they are not specific.\n\nTo what end is this company toiling - and how do customers and community benefit? There is no clarity here.\n\nThe second example, from a pharmaceutical company, states their purpose is “to discover, develop, and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases.\"\n\nWhat does this company do? They discover, develop, and deliver innovative medicines.\n\nFor whom do they do it? For patients with serious diseases.\n\nTo what end is this company toiling? To help these patients prevail over their diseases.\n\nRather a different context with this second purpose statement, wouldn’t you agree? It is crisp, clear, powerful, and inviting.\n\nA purpose statement like this creates a firm foundation for meaningful work AND desired results. Values and aligned behaviors deepen employee engagement and commitment - but it all starts with an effective purpose statement.', 'Make Meaningful Work as Important as Results', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'make-meaningful-work-as-important-as-results', '', '', '2015-07-06 06:00:07', '2015-07-06 10:00:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26552', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(26577, 398, '2015-07-30 06:00:51', '2015-07-30 10:00:51', 'You were not promoted again this year? After putting in so much effort and hard work this year you were still not rewarded?\n\nSitting in your chair idly, looking at those happy faces who got promoted this year, are you asking yourself \"what went wrong?\"\n\nAre you wondering why you didn\'t get promoted and wondering what else your employer wants from you?\n\nAs you silently wonder how your promoted peers deserve advancement more than you, your brain starts switching in different modes, such as:\n\n<h3>Comparison Mode</h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li>He is less educated then I am</li>\n<li>He has less experience than I do</li>\n<li>She has a higher absenteeism rate than I did</li>\n<li>He is too young to be promoted</li>\n<li>She never devoted herself to like I do</li>\n<li>He doesn’t deserve this promotion as much as I do</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3>Judgement Mode</h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li>He must be the boss\'s favorite</li>\n<li>He must have flattered the boss</li>\n<li>My boss must have personal issues with me</li>\n<li>My boss doesn’t like me</li>\n<li>I was the most deserving candidate this year</li>\n<li>The boss makes decisions based on who she personally likes</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3>Accountability Mode</h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Maybe the boss got angry because I spoke bluntly</li>\n<li>He didn’t like the metrics I reported on my assignment</li>\n<li>Maybe I think I am performing at the same energy level as him but he differs</li>\n<li>Maybe I did not accommodate the boss\'s mindset</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3>Blaming Mode</h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li>My boss doesn\'t know how to get the best from his team</li>\n<li>He only prefers his choice of people to come forward</li>\n<li>He didn’t give me a chance to be prominent in front of higher management</li>\n<li>He gave me the less important job so that he could have an excuse of not promoting me</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3>Self-Pitying Mode</h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li>I deserved this humiliation because I never gave my best shot</li>\n<li>I think I have lost my spark</li>\n<li>I am not able to compete with new and fresh blood</li>\n<li>I am getting old; that’s why management didn’t think about me</li>\n<li>This job is not for me</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3><b>Abusing Mode</b></h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li>I will not follow his orders anymore</li>\n<li>He is selfish</li>\n<li>He doesn’t deserve a faithful employee like me</li>\n<li>I will complain about him to HR</li>\n</ul>\n\nMaybe there are some other modes too but these are the most common ones which our brain swings on when we don’t get what we have been expecting for a long time.\n\n<h3>What Should You Understand?</h3>\n\nIn circumstances where you are not being listened to, all your efforts are zero, you are being ignored, and it seems nothing is heading in a positive direction, you need to realistically assess your role in the situation as well as the likelihood that conditions will change. Your job may be done in that place, with any additional effort or struggle getting you nothing except pain and misery.\n\n<h3>What Should You Do?</h3>\n\nThere can be two actions. First, you may choose to leave that place and discontinue efforts to make a change internally. Don’t expect that you will be asked to stay or any such favor. At first, such immediate actions will result in more anxiety and frustration but they will also activate your fighting mode for survival which will boost your energy to find a better way of living.\n\nSecond, you can give yourself another shot and ignore everything. Once again make a new strategy by changing your thoughts, vision, actions, dealings, communication, etc. Gather all your strength and passions to prove you are best. It will help you to reveal your hidden potential which you may have never witnessed before.\n\nWhatever action  you choose, it has the potential to bring the best out of you. There will be aftershocks, but with a strategy for pursuing your next direction, you can strongly and confidently prepare for a future free of comparison, judgement, abuse, or self-pity, with a focus on accountability.', 'Decisions &amp; Timing', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'decisions-and-timing', '', '', '2015-07-30 06:00:51', '2015-07-30 10:00:51', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26577', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(26595, 252, '2015-07-08 06:00:40', '2015-07-08 10:00:40', 'There are opportunities every day to engage in some form of conflict.\n\nSomeone cuts you off while driving. The customer service rep on the phone gives you the runaround. Your co-worker undermines you in a meeting. A friend lets you down on a promise made.\n\nWant to de-escalate conflict? Don’t do these things.\n\nFor some reason it is easier for me to describe what to avoid, rather than how to creatively deal with conflict. Probably because I’m thinking of all the times I made a mess of things.\n\n<h3>Blame</h3>\n\nI’m working to let go of being incensed at someone who owes me money. Someone who has been stringing me along. For months. The real truth is that I didn’t get enough in writing. And from the beginning something didn’t feel right. I was naive in my trust. I read somewhere recently the vehemence of our blame is often in direct correlation to our own lack of responsibility. When I face my part, I calm down.\n\n<h3>Jump To Conclusions</h3>\n\nA colleague in the financial industry gave me this permission to share his story. He emailed someone in his firm to initiate a trade. Later when he checked, he didn\'t see the trade had happened. He asked about it via email. The response was “I resent that email.”\n\nHe wrote a few paragraphs putting the person in his place. Then he got, “I mean I re-sent your trade request,\" as in sent again. Someone earned a hand-written apology and a night on the town. My colleague learned many things, among them, don’t assume the worst, and check before going ballistic.\n\n<h3>Act from entitlement</h3>\n\nI’m sure many of us can relate to this, particularly when driving. For instance, it’s difficult to tell someone doesn\'t see us when they cut us off. Or if they feel entitled to take our parking spot.\n\nI heard author, coach and inspirational speaker, Iyanla Vanzant, was involved in a car accident once. Another woman involved in the accident was verbally berating her. Iyanla calmly responded, “What have I done that makes you think you can talk to me like that?” Indeed. I know I can learn from both sides of this example.\n\n<h3>Carry A Chip On Your Shoulder</h3>\n\nSeveral years ago, while conducting sexual harassment prevention training, one attendee was working very hard at not participating. He slumped in his seat, arms crossed, wearing mirrored sunglasses. Something finally prompted him to speak. I don’t even remember what he said, but he was ready for a fight. I told him he was right. I didn’t even have to work to make him right.\n\nThat’s a great way to de-escalate conflict, but this was no stretch for me in this case. He said another version of what he started with. I told him again how he was right. He wanted to argue so much he couldn’t take it in that I agreed with him.\n\nThe entire 4 hours we spent together I wondered how much energy it took to not participate. That chip must have been heavy. How heavy is yours?\n\n<h3>Swerve Into The Other Person’s Lane</h3>\n\nThis is my personal favorite because it\'s my biggest temptation. I regularly receive well-crafted emails that I consider the equivalent of a cold call. A few days ago a woman wrote me asking about my services, as if she could be a potential client, but she was a little vague in her request. I had a feeling something wasn\'t right.\n\nWhen I asked her what she was looking for precisely she responded that she had read one of my recent blog posts and even quoted from it. She went on to try to sell me exactly what I already do. I wanted to tear that email apart with all the assumptions she had made, and how she had not done her homework. But, not my job. I have more constructive things to do.\n\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Haruki Murakami</div>\n</blockquote>\n\nSo, when you think about dealing with conflict, here\'s what I can offer. Be a leader, rise above the fray and don’t do the things I listed here today.', '5 Surefire Ways To Make Conflict Worse', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '5-surefire-ways-to-make-conflict-worse', '', '', '2015-07-08 06:00:40', '2015-07-08 10:00:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26595', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(26614, 374, '2015-07-07 06:00:01', '2015-07-07 10:00:01', 'The Lead Change Group is grateful to Jane Perdue of <a href=\"http://braithwaiteinnovationgroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Braithwaite Innovation Group</a> for hosting the <a href=\"http://braithwaiteinnovationgroup.com/july-2015-leadership-development-carnival/\" target=\"_blank\">July 2015 Leadership Development Carnival</a>.\n\nContributions that incorporated themes of freedom, independence, and pushing boundaries were encouraged.\n\nIn addition to freedom, independence, and pushing boundaries, we also noted several entries that happened to coincide with the Lead Change July theme of \"<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/our-july-theme-creatively-responding-to-conflict/\" target=\"_blank\">creatively resolving conflict</a>.\"\n\nHere are a few examples:\n<h3>Moral Values</h3>\nIn the <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/your-character-is-showing/\" target=\"_blank\">post</a> contributed by Chris Edmonds, he addresses the choices people can be faced with when directed to act in ways that <strong>conflict</strong> with their moral values. He encourages:\n<blockquote><em>Make the choice today to be trustworthy, to do what you say you will do, to be kind, to be gracious, to express gratitude for effort as well as for accomplishment, to be reliable, to be respectful with everyone.</em>\n\n<em>You’ll be able to hold your head high – and you might even influence others to be more respectful and of service, over time.</em></blockquote>\n<h3>Anti-yous</h3>\nDoes an \"anti-you\" seem like someone with whom you would potentially have a <strong>conflict</strong>? In his <a href=\"http://management.about.com/od/managementskills/fl/How-to-Make-Better-Faster-Decisions.htm\" target=\"_blank\">post</a>, Dan McCarthy explains why effective decision making is more likely if a person consults their \"anti-you\":\n<blockquote><em>The quickest, easiest, and most effective way to do this is by consulting an “anti-you” before you make a decision. Another term used to describe “anti-yous” is “PNLUs”, or “people not like us”. Getting diverse perspectives will usually generate more innovative solutions.</em></blockquote>\n<h3>The Collision of Holacracy and Freedom</h3>\nIn his <a href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/2015/06/how-do-holacracy-and-freedom-collide/\" target=\"_blank\">post</a>, Jon Mertz explored what happens when the activist employee culture of holacracy conflicts with freedom. Having read the book <a href=\"http://holacracybook.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Holacracy</a>, he opines:\n<blockquote><em>Holacracy and freedom need to collide. From these collisions, good things are ahead for the next generation of leaders and team members.</em></blockquote>\n<h3>The Conflict Between How You See Yourself and How Others See You</h3>\nIn her <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/upgrading-how-the-world-sees-you/\" target=\"_blank\">post</a>, Susan Mazza suggests leaders come to terms with how the world sees them, because sometimes leaders change but the people around them do not realize the depth of the changes. She notes:\n<blockquote><em>You may even discover that some of the people most important to you have actually been waiting for your perception of yourself to catch up to their already high regard for you.</em></blockquote>\n<em><strong>Freedom ... Independence ... Pushing Boundaries ... Conflict</strong></em>\n\nPlease visit the full carnival post <a href=\"http://braithwaiteinnovationgroup.com/july-2015-leadership-development-carnival/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> to see all 22 submissions!\n\nEach of the contributors would appreciate a visit to their articles, and we would be grateful if you would share the carnival among your contacts. You can easily tweet your support by using our simple <a href=\"http://ctt.ec/6Og8K+\" target=\"_blank\">click to tweet</a> feature.\n\nThe Lead Change Group will be hosting the August 2015 Leadership Development Carnival so stay tuned for our announcement in the coming weeks. We\'re looking forward to another great month.', 'July 2015 Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'july-2015-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2015-07-07 06:00:01', '2015-07-07 10:00:01', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26614', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(26631, 389, '2015-07-09 06:00:33', '2015-07-09 10:00:33', 'In this increasingly more-with-less business world, we can’t afford to let our employees be more or less checked out. And yet an astonishing 70% are just that, disengaged at work (Gallup).\n\nIt’s almost impossible not to disengage when toiling in the paralysis of indecision. It’s hard to imagine anything more meaning and motivation draining, more bereft of a sense of significance, or anything simply more frustrating.\n\nDeciding not to decide has a price. A big one. It can create doubt, uncertainty, lack of focus, and even resentment. Multiple options can linger, sapping an organization’s energy and killing a sense of completion. Timelines stretch while costs skyrocket.\n\nNone of us are indecisive on purpose. We’re not evil. Indecision can be borne from a pragmatic desire for more data, which when overdone can cross over into perfectionism. Some of us are unwilling to compromise until we see an option that contains no trade-offs.\n\nThe failure of a deciding body to feel a sense of accountability can grind things to a halt. Fear of making a wrong decision can come into play as well. We can lose sight of what the objective behind a decision is in the first place, confusing ourselves in the process and overcomplicating the choice to be made.\n\n<h3>How To Authoritatively End Indecision</h3>\n\nSome of us lack confidence to make a firm decision. Whatever the cause, the corrosive effect is inescapable. As leaders, we can do better.\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Meter Your Emotions</strong> - Sometimes our emotions can get in the way of making a decision, causing us to gloss over facts right in front of us or creating a desperate search for information to support the decision we really want to make. Countering indecision may require accepting inevitabilities much sooner while refusing to let emotions cloud the realities at hand.</li>\n<li><strong>Step Back & Evaluate</strong> - What is the the true impact of a wrong decision? Fear of making an incorrect decision can paralyze the well-meaning manager. At such times, step back and ask “What is the worst thing that could happen in the long run if this decision turns out to be wrong?” Such a question may unveil that the consequences aren’t that dire after all, and may well net much more decisiveness. Getting comfortable with the possibility of being wrong can actually help the right decisions happen faster.</li>\n<li><strong>Consider The Risks Of Not Doing something</strong> - Asking the question, “What are the risks/costs of not making a decision?” may create awareness of the pitfalls that would otherwise be glossed over. It may become obvious that budgets will run over, competitors will gain precious time for counter plans, or that resources will have to be further stretched and kept from working on some other priority.</li>\n<li><strong>Act With Self-Assurance</strong> - Acting with self-confidence and a you have to break some eggs to make an omelet mindset is one of the greatest enablers for making a decision. Self-doubt or worrying about what others expect you to decide can cripple a decision in progress. Self-confidence helps bolster the internal fortitude to make the tough calls, as well as the external reception of the decision once made. Ever watch someone arrive at a decision, but they do so in a manner riddled with visible self-doubt? These are the decisions most unlikely to stick.</li>\n<li><strong>Rediscover The Plot</strong> - Sometimes simply stepping back and getting some distance from a problem and refreshing yourself on the importance or objective of a decision to be made can be tremendously helpful. What seemed like a huge call to be made might reorient itself and shrink vastly in size. Revisiting the objective behind the decision to be made may provide a useful reorientation and illuminate a very clear choice amongst a set of options. And granting some time, space, and distance can help the fog of being too close to clear, making way for a re-energized and decisive point of view to emerge.</li>\n<li><strong>Don’t Vacillate In A Vacuum</strong> - Step back and seek advice. Indecision can arise from the constant rehashing of the same set of data, input, or experiences. Therefore, indecision can be conquered with exposure to new perspective from other stakeholders or from someone not as close to the decision. Having someone else to play devil’s advocate, counter your biases, and bring different experiences to the table can help break the stalemate.</li>\n<li><strong>Set Time Parameters For Making The Call</strong> - When left to our own devices, it is only natural for us to take as much time as we can to decide something. Establishing tension in the form of time limitations can help stimulate decision making. Concrete, time bound parameters with some teeth to them can force the perfectionist or those who want it all to compromise and let go a bit.</li>\n<li><strong>Sharp Discussions Net Sharp Decisions</strong> - We’ve all been in meetings where a decision is supposed to be made but in fact you are left with no sense of tangible forward progress. The discussion seems circular, someone hijacks the meeting and launches into an unfocused or politically motivated soliloquy, or everyone and anyone jumps in with points that aren’t even fully on topic. Free-for-alls like this distract the decider and throw the decision making process off course. The deciding manager needs to be prepared to run a disciplined and pointed meeting that drives towards a decision by asking the right questions, controlling the discussion flow, reining in where necessary, and expanding discussion where appropriate to get all the information, options, and points of view out on the table.</li>\n</ol>', '8 Ways To Decisively End Indecision', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '8-ways-to-decisively-end-indecision', '', '', '2015-07-09 06:00:33', '2015-07-09 10:00:33', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26631', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(26637, 251, '2015-07-07 16:32:14', '2015-07-07 20:32:14', 'Welcome to the July 2015 Leadership Development Carnival. This month brings a treat of 22 leadership posts to savor and share.\n\nTopics range from moral character to leadership lessons from World War II to stepping out of comfort zones. Ready to dive in?\n\n<strong>Art Petty</strong> of the <a href=\"http://artpetty.com/blog/\" target=\"_blank\">Management Excellence Blog </a> shares <a href=\"http://artpetty.com/2015/06/08/leadership-caffeine-becoming-agile-and-adaptable-is-the-leadership-issue/\" target=\"_blank\">Becoming Agile & Adaptable Is The Leadership Issue.</a> Art asks us to think about our willingness to let go of dated thinking and obsolete approaches to leading and managing. It\'s time for all of us to re-think how to reapply the tools of management and leadership to a world that isn\'t going to revert to what used to work. Connect with Art on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/LeadershipCafn\" target=\"_blank\">@LeadershipCafn</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Bruce Harpham</strong> of <a href=\"http://projectmanagementhacks.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Project Management Hacks</a> shares <a href=\"http://projectmanagementhacks.com/how-to-expand-your-job-the-pushing-boundaries-strategy\" target=\"_blank\">How To Expand Your Job</a>. Bruce reminds us that our job description is only a starting point. To get ahead and land promotions, use the pushing boundaries strategy to learn new skills and push the boundaries of your job. Connect with Bruce on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/PMPhacks\" target=\"_blank\">@PMPhacks</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Chris Edmonds</strong> of <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Driving Results Through Culture</a> shares <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/your-character-is-showing/\" target=\"_blank\">Your Character Is Showing</a>. \'\'Chris takes a look at leadership through the lens of moral character, Chris\' worst boss asked him to lie. A major news anchor is suspended for enhancing his reporting experiences. Presidential candidates distort the truth to gain an edge. We need leaders with moral character, today more than ever. Connect with Chris on Twitter <a href=\"https://twitter.com/scedmonds\" target=\"_blank\">@scedmonds</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Dan McCarthy</strong> of <a href=\"http://management.about.com/\" target=\"_blank\">About.com Management & Leadership</a></strong> shares <a href=\"http://management.about.com/od/managementskills/fl/How-to-Make-Better-Faster-Decisions.htm\" target=\"_blank\">How To Make Better, Faster Decisions</a>. Dan points out that bad decisions can ruin an organization and kill careers. Have you been given feedback that you need to improve your decision making? If so, you are not alone. Managers often get poor grades from 360 degree feedback assessments in the areas of quality and timeliness of decisions. Connect with Dan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/greatleadership\" target=\"_blank\">@greatleadership</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>David Dye</strong> of <a href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Trailblaze, Inc</a> shares <a href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/resources/engage-newsletter/3-delegation-mistakes-you-dont-have-to-make/\" target=\"_blank\">3 Delegation Mistakes You Don\'t Have To Make</a>. David provides tips and pointers for correcting three common delegation mistakes leaders make so your people grow, your team gets more done, and you have more time for the work only you can do. Connect with David on Twitter <a href=\"https://twitter.com/davidmdye\" target=\"_blank\">@davidmdye</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jeff Harmon</strong> of <a href=\"http://brilliancewithincoaching.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Brilliance Within Coaching</a> shares <a href=\"http://brilliancewithincoaching.com/self-leadership/empty-your-leadership-cup\" target=\"_blank\">Empty Your Leadership Cup</a>. Jeff encourages us to be an empty-your-cup\"leader, challenging us to consider how we invest in others and what consistently holds us back from being that kind of leader. Connect with Jeff on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/jeffdharmon74\" target=\"_blank\">@jeffdharmon74</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jesse Lyn Stoner</strong> with the <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Seapoint Center</a> shares <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/worst-popular-leadership-quotes/\" target=\"_blank\">The 10 Worst Popular Leadership Quotes</a>. Jesse asks us to push the boundaries of our thinking. Instead of repeating the same leadership quotes you hear all the time, consider what they\'re really saying. How many of these 10 leadership quotes have you used? Are you sure you really agree with them? Here\'s why I don\'t. Connect with Jesse on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/JesseLynStoner\" target=\"_blank\">@JesseLynStoner</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jill Malleck</strong></span> with <a href=\"http://epiphanyatwork.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Epiphany At Work </a> shares <a href=\"http://epiphanyatwork.com/want-to-be-a-trusted-leader-ask-questions/\" target=\"_blank\">Want To Be A Trusted Leader</a>. Jill prompts us to use questions in our conversations at work, so we can begin to notice commonalities. Your intentional listening with demonstrate consideration for others. Questioning, when done skillfully, will increase the trust others have in you. Connect with Jill on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/epiphanyatwork\" target=\"_blank\">@epiphanyatwork</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jim Taggart</strong> of <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Changing Winds</a> shares <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/2015/05/24/are-you-finding-your-leadership-voice/\" target=\"_blank\">Are You Finding Your Leadership Voice?</a>. Jim throws down the gauntlet for making room at the top of organization for more women, noting the big smucks at the top earning the disproportionate bucks, disconnected from reality and who frequently execute poorly conceived corporate strategies, are the ones in dire need of descending from 40,000 feet to ground level. Connect with Jim on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/72keys\" target=\"_blank\">@72keys</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Joel Garfinkle</strong> of the <a href=\"http://careeradvancementblog.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Career Advancement Blog</a> shares <a href=\"http://careeradvancementblog.com/new-job-action-plan\" target=\"_blank\">Starting a New Job? Have an Action Plan for Success!</strong></a>. Joel says don\'t spend even one day relaxing and enjoying the security of your position. Instead, immediately start to develop an action plan for success. Create relationships with bosses, stakeholders, and peers that will raise your visibility and assure your success. Connect with Joel on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/joelgarfinkle\" target=\"_blank\">@JoelGarfinkle</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jon Mertz</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Thin Difference</a> shares <a href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/2015/06/how-do-holacracy-and-freedom-collide/\" target=\"_blank\">How Do Holacracy & Freedom Collide?</a>. Jon writes that organizational structure has not dramatically changed in decades, but Holacracy is dramatic. It collides with freedom in many positive ways. With a new generation coming, it\'s a business model to engage. Connect with Jon on Twitter <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThinDifference\" target=\"_blank\">@ThinDifference</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Julie Winkle Giulioni</strong> with <a href=\"http://designarounds.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Design Arounds</a> shares <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/blog/career-matters/the-pernicious-4ps-that-undermine-career-development-satisfaction/\" target=\"_blank\">The Pernicious 4p\'s That Undermine Career Development Satisfaction</a>. Julie says promoting more career development-and more satisfaction with it-means waging war on the 4Ps: processes, paperwork, program and promotions. Connect with Julie on Twitter <a href=\"https://twitter.com/julie_wg\" target=\"_blank\">@Julie_WG</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Kevin Eikenberry</strong> of <a href=\"http://blog.kevineikenberry.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The Kevin Eikenberry Group</a> shares <a href=\"http://blog.kevineikenberry.com/leadership-supervisory-skills/your-development-belongs-to-you/\" target=\"_blank\">Your Development Belongs To You</a>. Kevin makes the business case for owning building your knowledge, skill, and abilities. You get the chance to be more efficient and effective. You become more productive and promotable, and you gain confidence, and over time, hopefully a larger paycheck. Connect with Kevin on Twitter <a href=\"https://twitter.com/KevinEikenberry\" target=\"_blank\">@KevinEikenberry</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Lexie Martin</strong> with <a href=\"https://www.leadershipdirections.com.au/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Leadership Directions</strong> </a >shares <a href=\"https://www.leadershipdirections.com.au/knowledge-centre/emerge-from-your-management-comfort-zone\" target=\"_blank\">How Managers Can Emerge From Their Comfort</a>. Lexie demystifies common fears that prevent managers from stepping out of their comfort zone. She offers ways for us to achieve success by overcoming our fears and developing the skills required to become a courageous leader. Connect with Lexie on <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=86545376&amp;authType=name&amp;authToken=lkuM\" target=\"_blank\">LinkedIn</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Lisa Kohn</strong> from <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/thoughtful-leaders/\" target=\"_blank\">The Thoughtful Leaders Blog</a> shares <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/2015/06/04/five-key-reasons-you-must-learn-to-trust-yourself/\" target=\"_blank\">Five Key\nReasons You Must Learn To Trust Yourself</a>. Lisa observes that while it may seem difficult to trust yourself or it may seem too grandiose, it is also essential to stand tall and strong with your conviction and faith in yourself. Connect with Lisa on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtfulLdrs\" target=\"_blank\">@ThoughtfulLdrs</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Mary Ila Ward</strong> with <a href=\"http://horizonpointconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Horizon Point Consulting</a> shares <a href=\"http://horizonpointconsulting.com/blog3/item/if-you-want-to-make-a-difference-start-a-business-not-a-charity\" target=\"_blank\">If You Want To Make Difference Start A Business Not a Charity</a>. Mary Ila discusses the various ways we are seeing conscience capitalism infiltrate business and leadership models.\" And, \"in celebration of our country\'s independence this week, notes it\'s wonderful to realize all the leadership opportunities that exist in conscience capitalism through entrepreneurial leaders. Connect with Mary Ila on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/MaryIlaWard\" target=\"_blank\">@MaryIlaWard</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Mary Jo Asmus</strong of <a href=\"http://www.aspire-cs.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Aspire Collaborative Services, LLC</a> shares <a href=\"http://www.aspire-cs.com/the-most-important-part-of-your-day\" target=\"_blank\">The Most Important Part Of Your Day</a>. Mary Jo reminds us that the fact of the matter is that you can\'t lead without others, and people need you. They take time. They take effort. They take relationship-building. Last but not least they take conversation. Connect with Mary Jo on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/mjasmus\" target=\"_blank\">@mjasmus</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Michael Lee Stallard</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.michaelleestallard.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Lee Stallard</a> shares <a href=\"http://connectionculture.com/grassroots-innovation-contributed-to-wwii-victory/\" target=\"_blank\">Grassroots Innovation Contributed to WWII Victory</a>. Michael asks us to consider what would happen if you trusted your team members enough to give them the freedom to take risks and voice ideas openly? The answer can be found in this inspiring WWII tale. Connect with Michael on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/michaelstallard\" target=\"_blank\">@michaelstallard</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Neal Burgis, Ph.D.</strong> with <a shref=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Burgis Successful Solutions</a> shares <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/2015/06/25/expressing-your-creativity-independent-of-others/\" target=\"_blank\">Expressing Your Creativity Independent Of Others</a>. Neal encourages us to get our independence back by being creative again. Don\'t let others from your past stop you from re-creating your curiosity of creativity and innovation. Understanding both will help you move forward in your work. Create your own confidence in your creativity. Connect with Neal on Twitter at <a href=\"http://twitter.com/Exec_Solutions\" target=\"_blank\">@Exec_Solutions</a>.\n<div class=\"dividr\"></div>\n<strong>Susan Mazza</strong> of <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Random Acts Of Leadership</a> shares <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/upgrading-how-the-world-sees-you/\" target=\"_blank\">Upgrading How the World Sees You</a>. Susan points out that changing the perception others have of you begins with recognizing how you have changed and clarifying how you want to show up in the world, from this moment forward. Here are 3 steps you can take to help others expand their perceptions of you, as you grow as a leader. Connect with Susan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\">@susanmazza</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Tanveer Naseer</strong> with <a href=\"http://www.tanveernaseer.com\" target=\"_blank\">Tanveer Naseer Leadership</a> shares <a href=\"http://www.tanveernaseer.com/a-personal-lesson-on-the-power-of-commitment-over-obligation/\" target=\"_blank\">Do You Motivate By Obligation Or Commitment?</a>. Tanveer provides an examination of the motivating factors of obligation and commitment and how one of them can help leaders to promote the best in those they lead. Connect with Tanveer on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/TanveerNaseer\" target=\"_blank\">@TanveerNaseer</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Wally Bock</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.threestarleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Three Star Leadership</a> shares <a href=\"http://www.threestarleadership.com/performance-management/how-to-talk-to-team-members-about-performance\" target=\"_blank\">How To Talk To Team Members About Performance</a>. Wally notes lots of bosses dread talking to team members about performance and offers advice on \"how to make it easier and more effective. Connect with Wally on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/wallybock\" target=\"_blank\">@wallybock</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\nThank you to all who contributed a post for this month\'s carnival. If you liked what you read, connect with our always thought-provoking contributors. If you\'re interested in sharing your thoughts about leadership, consider contributing a post yourself.\n\nForward your submission to the ever-on-top-of-things Paula Kiger with Becky Robinson\'s amazing <strong>Weaving Influence</strong>, home of the <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/about/\">Lead Change Group</a>. You can reach paula at <a href=\"mailto:paula@weavinginfluence.com\">paula@weavinginfluence.com</a>.', 'Braithwaite Innovation Group Presents The July 2015 Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'braithwaite-innovation-group-presents-the-july-2015-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2015-07-07 16:32:14', '2015-07-07 20:32:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26637', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(26661, 251, '2015-07-10 06:00:05', '2015-07-10 10:00:05', 'We sat down once a month to review the reports of accidents that had occurred the preceding month.\n\nThe assessment of preventability was an invaluable learning opportunity. We knew we weren’t going to eliminate all accidents; some were inevitable given the nature of the work.\n\nOur purpose for the review was to gain knowledge so we could more effectively manage the conditions that caused the accidents. Conflict management merits a similar process and mindset.\n\nConsider for a moment these statistics from the University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work:\n\n<blockquote>\"If we could shrink the earth\'s population to a village of 100 people, there would be 61 Asians; 12 Europeans; 14 from the Americas, both north and south; 13 Africans; and 1 Australian. 50 would be female and 50 male. 14 would be unable to read and 1 would have a college education. 3.3 would have access to the Internet. 11 would be gay or lesbian. 25 would live on less than $1 per day.\"</blockquote>\n\nWith that level of diversity of ethnicity and sex, let alone thought, opinion, and perspective, conflict is a given.\n\nIn their book <em>Interpersonal Conflict</em>, Joyce Hocker and William Wilmot define conflict as the: \"expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce rewards, and interference from the other parties in achieving their goals.\"\n\nFresh Tracks, a team development company, notes: \"Conflict arises from differences and when individuals come together in teams, their differences in terms of power, values, and attitudes contribute to the creation of conflict.\"\n\nThese two items sum up my experience with conflict at every place I’ve worked. Same with you? Or something different?\n\nI’ve seen managers twist themselves into pretzels trying to resolve conflict. Some want to be nice and willfully ignore it; others want to attack so they can win or prove others wrong.\n\nResearch from Linda Putman and C.E. Wilson showed that a manager\'s place in organizational hierarchy influences how they handle conflict. They prefer to confront subordinates, smooth it over with superiors, and compromise with their peers and colleagues.\n\nDiversity and difference are here to stay. That means conflict is here to stay, too. To make our lives less anxious and to open doors to personal and organizational growth, how about we quit fighting or ignoring conflict, and make friends with it instead? I think of conflict like kale—not my first choice but definitely good for me.\n\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">\"Teams need conflict to function effectively. Conflict allows the team to come to terms with difficult situations, to synthesize diverse perspectives, and to make sure solutions are well thought out. Conflict is uncomfortable, but it is the source of true innovation and also a critical process in identifying and mitigating risks.\"</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Liane Davey, Psychologist & Business Strategist</div>\n</blockquote>\n\nMary Parker Follett, a pioneer in the fields of organizational theory and organizational behavior and one of my favs, was an early advocate of making conflict work for, not against, us. Conflict is useful for bubbling up and resolving problems, learning our styles for managing for disagreement, learning to appreciate differences, finding alternatives, providing feedback, clarifying diverse points of view, and inviting all voices to be heard.\n\nFollett identified how the tension of opposites is an integral part of conflict, saying, \"values when put together look different from the same values considered separately, for in the act of comparison there is a simultaneous view of all values.”\n\nConflict forces us to deal with the paradoxes of life, love, and leadership: avoid and engage, soften and harden, open up and close down, etc. As leaders, we can have a robust relationship with conflict—and still be a nice person.', 'Reframing Our Relationship With Conflict', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'reframing-our-relationship-with-conflict', '', '', '2015-07-10 06:00:05', '2015-07-10 10:00:05', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26661', 0, 'post', '', 7),
(26682, 374, '2015-07-31 06:00:15', '2015-07-31 10:00:15', 'Here at Lead Change Group, we know that problems are most effectively solved when individuals come together to meld ideas, energies, and approaches.\n\nTo use a golf analogy, not every shot is a long drive. Many times, golfers have to take a chip shot to move the ball along for a short distance, with incisive accuracy.\n\nIf you are new to the Chip Shots green, welcome. In our Chip Shots feature, our Leading Voices are invited to provide brief insights into a leadership-related topic.\n\nTo learn more, spend some time browsing the entire <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/topics/chip-shots/\" target=\"_blank\">Chip Shots</a> Series.\n\n<h3>Today’s Question</h3>\n\n<strong>When you think back on incidents of \"conflict\" in your life, what is the one thing you were told that made a difference in the outcome?</strong>\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/david-dye/\" target=\"_blank\">David Dye</a> responds: It’s been shared in so many different conflict resolution courses, but the first place I learned it was in Harper Lee\'s To Kill a Mockingbird, when Atticus Finch tells Scout: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”\n\nWhen you’re in conflict, it’s vital to really look at the world from the other person’s perspective if you want to create lasting solutions.\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/jon-mertz/\" target=\"_blank\">Jon Mertz </a>answers: What made the difference in the outcome is the issue was raised as one to begin with. Too often we let conflicts fester. Once raised, it was done with a listening mindset. What this really means is not being accusatory but communicating what the conflict is and what it means to me and our relationship. In the process, offering suggestions on how to change the situation and listening to suggestions as well. By listening and remaining calm in understanding, a better way forward is discovered.\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/karin-hurt/\" target=\"_blank\">Karin Hurt</a> recommends: Try to step back from the situation and view it as an outside observer to see both sides of what is really happening.\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/mary-schaefer/\" target=\"_blank\">Mary Schaefer</a> shares: Once when I was bemoaning how an interaction went, a mentor of mine told me that good communicators don\'t always get it right the first time. Humbly ask for a do-over.\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/mike-henry/\" target=\"_blank\">Mike Henry</a> reminds us of Steven Covey\'s fifth habit, \"Seek first to understand, then to be understood.\"\n\nThank you David, Jon, Karin, Mary, and Mike for taking a shot at this question!', 'Chip Shots - Creatively Resolving Conflict', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'chip-shots-creatively-resolving-conflict', '', '', '2015-07-31 06:00:15', '2015-07-31 10:00:15', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26682', 0, 'post', '', 8);
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(26686, 282, '2015-07-13 06:00:10', '2015-07-13 10:00:10', 'In the movie Armageddon, the President of the United States is talking to NASA scientist Dan Truman, played by Billy Bob Thornton, about the approaching asteroid. Let’s listen in…\n\n<strong>President:</strong> What is this thing?\n\n<strong>Truman:</strong> It\'s an asteroid, sir.\n\n<strong>President:</strong> How big are we talking?\n\n<strong>Scientist:</strong> Sir, our best estimate is 97.6 billion.\n\n<strong>Truman:</strong> It\'s the size of Texas, Mr. President.\n\n<strong>President:</strong> Dan, we didn\'t see this thing coming?\n\n<strong>Truman:</strong> Well, our object collision budget\'s about a million dollars a year. That allows us to track about three percent of the sky, and begging your pardon, sir, but it\'s a big-ass sky.\n\nConflict is bound to happen. There’s no way we can see all of the potential conflicts headed our way. The sky is just too big. Sure, sometimes we see it coming, but other times it sneaks up on us and catches us off guard or unaware. But conflict, like the asteroid in the movie, is coming whether we like it or not.\n\nThe challenges we face as we lead others are how to prepare for times of conflict, how to deal with it when it happens, and possibly avert or minimize the consequences of conflict. Let’s focus on the latter here, and maybe discover some ways that we that we might diminish or avoid a number of potential conflicts.\n<h3>Houston, We Have A Problem</h3>\nI know that quote is from a different space movie, but you get the point! Effective and clear communication is a vital practice if we’re going to cut back on the amount of conflict in our organizations. Just a few suggestions when it comes to clear communication are:\n<ul>\n	<li>Put important messages in writing.</li>\n	<li>Ask for feedback from your team.</li>\n	<li>Communicate often and in as many different ways as possible.</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Set Phasers to Stun</h3>\nSeriously, space movies are hostile places. That being said, many major conflicts can be avoided by dealing with little problems while they are still small. Ignoring problems is not the same as avoiding conflict. Proactively addressing smaller issues so that they don’t metastasize into much bigger problems is a skill every leader needs. Consider these possibilities when confronted with smaller, but potentially growing problems:\n<ul>\n	<li>Go to the source of the problem for the clearest picture of what the issue is.</li>\n	<li>Look for common ground or ways to mediate a peaceful resolution.</li>\n	<li>Don’t overreact or make more of a problem than really exists.</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Use The Force, Luke</h3>\nYou may not be a Jedi master, but you’re the leader. Some leaders stumble into the role, but it’s more likely you’ve made it there through hard work, training and trusting your instincts. Sort of sounds like you are a Jedi. When trying to survey the landscape of team interaction and potential problems, use and trust the instincts that got you where you are. Other things you might consider are:\n<ul>\n	<li>Surround yourself with leaders who also have instincts that you trust.</li>\n	<li>Take some time to reflect on those gut feelings. Don’t react too quickly.</li>\n	<li>When all else fails, remember this; you NEVER have to apologize for doing the right thing.</li>\n</ul>\nAnytime more than one person occupies a space, whether it is outer space or an office space, there’s bound to be conflict sometime. As the leader, plan ahead. Communicate, don’t overreact and use your instincts to minimize the effects that conflict will have on you, your team and your organization. You can do it.', 'Star Wars Don&#039;t Have To Be Your Wars', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'star-wars-dont-have-to-be-your-wars', '', '', '2015-07-13 06:00:10', '2015-07-13 10:00:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26686', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(26693, 243, '2015-07-23 06:00:07', '2015-07-23 10:00:07', 'Our stated topic this month is <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/our-july-theme-creatively-responding-to-conflict/\">responding to conflict</a>. It was carefully chosen. We can’t avoid conflict. Conflict comes with purpose.\n\nThink of conflict like friction. We create friction as we pursue purpose.\n\nConsider the piston of an engine or the wheel of a car. As they do their job, they interact with other engine parts or with the axle and the road.\n\nPurpose creates movement which in turn creates friction. The axle’s purpose is to hold the wheel in a particular place relative to the vehicle. The road’s purpose is to provide ease of movement.\n\nWhen working with people, the more we work toward our chosen purpose, or our desired goals, the more possible and noticeable conflict becomes. Conflict is an outcome. We must manage it. To avoid conflict, one must abandon purpose.\n\nThinking on the subject, I came up with three responses to conflict:\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Face Conflict Head On</strong></strong> - Often we think we have managed conflict when the other party is simply passive in their reactions. They’re secretly looking for a job and talking behind your back. You think they’re OK with what’s going on. You even think they’re doing a pretty good job. But they’re dying to leave. They’re looking for a chance to exit. Just because we don’t sense the conflict or feel the heat doesn’t mean conflict is not in the room, or on the team. We hide our conflict when we don’t think we can deal with it effectively. Our passivity comes from perceived powerlessness. Face the conflict. Don’t run from it. Look for the places where conflict should exist. If you know you’re giving someone all of the worst work, find a way to reward the effort or compensate for the grief. Address the issue. For each team member, try to gauge their stress and conflict level. Address it openly. Face the conflict on your team and deal with it.</li>\n<li><strong>Pursue Engagement</strong> - Conflict tempts many of us to withdraw. When we see team members begin to withdraw, we must restore engagement. The sign of engagement is energy. Pay attention to your team members and look for signs of engagement. True engagement creates energy. Everything else drains energy. Look for signs of renewable energy in your team as a sign of true engagement. Often we see this renewable energy in the actions our team members take without being asked. Notice the energy when they go the extra mile. Appreciate when they give a full explanation instead of a simple, easy answer. If you look closely, you can see the places where your teammates get fired up. Find ways to connect their best energy with the team’s greatest need.</li>\n<li><strong>Respect</strong> - We each engage when we believe our power will create a personal win. In team situations, we look for a win-win goal - one that produces a win for each member as well as for the whole team. In <a href=\"http://characterbasedleader.com\">The Character-Based Leader</a>, I wrote about <em>WIN <sup>n</sup></em> where each stakeholder wins. Respect is what we do when we pursue <em>WIN <sup>n</sup></em>. We want our team members to be engaged, so we try to make sure a win for the team produces a win for each team member.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<img class=\"alignright wp-image-22270\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/CBL-Cover-209x300.png\" alt=\"\" /> When conflict arises, give each person the benefit of the doubt. Help each person choose to appreciate the team’s win and the individual win. When we respect others, we give them the freedom to make the best choices based on the best information.\n\nRespect enables team members to pursue their purpose. Invest the energy to understand your teammates and their purpose. Your understanding will inform your own purpose and help you achieve the team’s purpose.\n\nWhen conflict impacts your goals, face it, pursue engagement, and demonstrate respect.\n', 'Three Responses To Conflict', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'three-responses-to-conflict', '', '', '2015-07-23 06:00:07', '2015-07-23 10:00:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26693', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(26697, 343, '2015-07-24 06:00:19', '2015-07-24 10:00:19', 'Conflict. The very word sends negative and fearful thoughts through even the most hardy leaders.\n\nNone of us like conflict. If we had our way, each one of us would steer away from it and navigate towards the less painful, smoother waters.\n\nHowever, where would any one of us be if we avoided conflict altogether?\n\nWe must admit that while uncomfortable, and even painful, conflict helps us become better leaders. Like an intense workout, the benefits that are received through times of resistance and pressure give us wonderful opportunities to grow and become stronger.\n\nWith the opportunities to grow in mind,  I offer some benefits for us to keep in mind on how conflict makes us better overall:\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Makes Us Understand Others</strong> - Conflict is usually the stark differing of viewpoints, values, or vision. When we get outside of our views to see the other side, or as Stephen R. Covey stated \"seek first to understand,\" we will find out what the other party holds close to and begin to work towards a more common ground.</li>\n<li><strong>Builds Relationships That Were Previously Non-Existent</strong> - In finding common ground, we may discover a shared value, thus starting down the road to a more solid team, better working relationship, or a business partnership that otherwise would have been left undiscovered.</li>\n<li><strong>Pushes Us To Overcome Fear</strong> - Fear in conflict stems from stress of the conflict itself, the element of the unknown, or the potential loss of control or loss of something we hold dear. When we work through these times and stay mindful in overcoming those fears, we find freedom to more actively pursue resolutions rather than being on the defensive.</li>\n<li><strong>Teaches Us How To Be Better Communicators & Listeners</strong> - How many times have we put our walls up when a conflict is about to ensue? These walls prevent us from listening or understanding, both of which are very detrimental to our pursuit of growing our leadership influence. If we are cognizant about learning how to improve our communication, we will see the opportunities the situation presents to us.</li>\n<li><strong>Challenges Us To Build A Connected Team</strong> - Build a connected team beyond our varying viewpoints and differences. The proverb of <em>iron sharpens iron</em> is true in these instances as well. Teams with <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141201173031-71195251-beware-of-the-cookie-cutter-employee\">cookie-cutter individuals</a> are redundant and one-dimensional. Having a healthy disparity of views, skills, and approaches will stretch us to find ways to keep the team engaged and build around the core with everyone\'s unique input.</li>\n<li><strong>Makes Us Grow Outside Our Comfort Zone</strong> - Growing makes us get out of our comfort zones. Let\'s be realistic, avoiding conflict is simply staying within our comfort zone. Just like a baby chick needs to break out of its shell to grow, we need to smash our comfort zones as well.</li>\n<li><strong>Tests Us To Be Truly Authentic</strong> - Be true to your core. You will never know what you truly believe in until your values are tested. An <a href=\"http://upwardsleader.com/2014/12/30/defining-the-authentic-leader/\">authentic leader</a> is one who is not just true to themselves, but <em>true to who they claim to be</em>. Conflict will show us what we hold dear, and if we still hold to our values through them, we can actually give a greater influence and inspiration to others who are watching how we respond to the trials.</li>\n</ul>\n\nIf we approach conflict not with trepidation but with a sense of anticipation (\"How/what could I/we learn from this?\"), we can look expectantly to a more positive outcome in spite of the pressures we endure along the way.', 'How Conflict Makes Us Better', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-conflict-makes-us-better', '', '', '2015-07-24 06:00:19', '2015-07-24 10:00:19', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26697', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(26705, 276, '2015-07-14 06:00:06', '2015-07-14 10:00:06', 'I’ll begin with this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”\n\nIt is a great quote which reminds us that without our acknowledgement no one can put us down. However, it is easier said than done.\n\nConfidence, although it sounds simple, is not simple at all. It is complex and it is not biased. Many people from all walks of life suffer from lack of it. Some find their way while others continue this lonely journey until the end.\n\nMany folks go through life failing to realize their potential because they lack confidence. These people are not dumb or inept; they are bright and have achieved great marks in their academic pursuit. However, confidence is still lacking. Why?\n\nConfidence is something that is shaped by your environment. The people you’re around and those who influence you. It is also attributed to life events and things that occurred in your life.\n\nGrowing up, I had my fair share of suffering lack of self-confidence. In my situation, it was the people close to me who affected me the most. I was not the brightest or the smartest amongst the children of my parents. The strong emphasis on academic achievement was the key measure used by my parents.\n\nI was told repeatedly that I wasn’t smart like my siblings, that I would not be able to accomplish things in life and that my future would be bleak. People around us, including teachers, often made comparisons that I wasn’t as good as my siblings. It did not help at all. People’s perception becomes your reality when things seem to be falling into place which further reaffirm everyone’s perception. It took me many years to snap out of it.\n\n<h3>How Do You Develop Confidence?</h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Loving Yourself</strong> - Acknowledging that you have a unique talent and abilities, that you exist in this world for a specific reason. Seek to find that meaning and be at peace with it. It is a journey and the more you do the more you get to know yourself. It is like peeling an onion; each layer enables you to know more about yourself.</li>\n<li><strong>Believing In Yourself</strong> - We are all born with unique gifts and talents. No one knows you better than yourself. Remember when you say you can’t, you’re really not able to do it. It is worth noting that world records are not created because people who said I can\'t.</li>\n<li><strong>Take Stock, Start Small, Go One By One</strong> -  Take Stock of things you cannot do. Then start small and tackle one of them. According to William Jennings Bryan, “The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and get a record of successful experiences behind you.” This is exactly what I did. Now, instead of thinking \"I cannot do it,\" I go ahead and do it and challenge myself. If I used to study three hours, I add one more hour and examine the outcome. If I can’t learn it one way, I ask someone for help and offer to help them too. Little by little you start to develop the competency and strength to improve your self-confidence.</li>\n<li><strong>Don\'t Wait - Do It Now</strong> - Don\'t wait until everything is just right to start. It will never be perfect and the more you wait the more you’ll fall deeper in the hole of lack of confidence. Remember, building something requires you to start somewhere. Do it now even though you’re afraid. Remember that for each positive outcome, you’ll develop confidence. No matter what happens, life always has challenges and obstacles.</li>\n<li><strong>List Your Strengths & Weaknesses</strong> - Continue to showcase your strengths and create an action plan on how you will address each of your weaknesses. By turning weaknesses around, you’ll begin to feel better about yourself. Remember that preparation is your friend. Waiting and doing nothing is your enemy.</li>\n<li><strong>Stop Feeling Sorry For Yourself</strong> - There is clearly nothing accomplished by feeling sorry for yourself. You start feeling sorry for yourself, hours and even days elapse; nothing changes and you’re still in the same situation. Therefore, what is the benefit of spending your precious energy in an unproductive exercise? Pick yourself up and dust things off and get back on the saddle. You can do it only if you do something about it.</li>\n<li><strong>Ask For Help</strong> - We are not alone in this world, although we might feel that way sometimes. Ask for help, seek guidance and don’t do it alone.</li>\n<li><strong>Celebrate Each Small Win</strong> - Learn to recognize that a big accomplishment consists of daily habit and practice. Therefore learn to enjoy your accomplishments and uplift your spirit.</li>\n<ul>\n\nI’ll close with this:\n\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">\"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.\"</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Ralph Waldo Emerson</div>\n</blockquote>\n\nBe yourself and overcome the fear of what people will say about you, because chances are they are not paying attention to you. Do not cloud your mind with worry when you can spend the same amount of energy making yourself better and achieving things you otherwise thought you could not accomplish.\n\nIn the end, when we conquer our fears, we will come out of our cocoon ready to tackle the world. Writing is a labor of love, share this to your friends who you think need a pick me up and a catalyst to jumpstart themselves.', 'Developing Confidence', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'developing-confidence', '', '', '2015-07-14 06:00:06', '2015-07-14 10:00:06', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26705', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(26723, 376, '2015-07-15 06:00:50', '2015-07-15 10:00:50', '<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> \"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.\"    </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">~ <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/George_Bernard_Shaw/\">George Bernard Shaw</a></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have heard this saying most of my working life.  I cannot remember where or from whom I first heard it, but I’ll bet it was someone trying to justify their unreasonableness in a situation.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This thought is sometimes used to reframe unreasonable behavior as something more positive than it actually is.  Sometimes we are just trying to make our unreasonableness look better or convince ourselves that being unreasonable is a value in and of itself.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">For example, have you ever worked with someone who just will not “play nice with others,\" but insists on acting on their perception of how things ought to be? With great pride, they will claim to be trying to achieve progress for the organization, but are actually just pushing their own agenda. </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This type of workplace behavior can result in deep divisions within a team, isolation of a potentially valuable employee by others, or when the unreasonable person is the boss, a great deal of wasted time, energy, and resources.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">If you have ever said to a coworker anything like “<em>I tried to tell him/her, but he/she just would not listen.\"</em> you may have experienced this situation. </span>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When can unreasonableness be of value?</span></h3>\n<ul>\n	<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When you attack a problem, and not a person</span></li>\n	<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When you teach others what you know, so they change their perception of the problem</span></li>\n	<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When you struggle to reach a goal that is inclusive rather than exclusive</span></li>\n	<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When you spend minimal time griping about how others do not appreciate your genius</span></li>\n	<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When the solution you seek does not benefit you personally, but changes someone else’s world for the better</span></li>\n</ul>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Adapting to reality is not a negative thing … it is a survival thing.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Our ability to adapt to what we need to is essential for us to continue to live and thrive. Sometimes the reasonable thing to do really IS the most reasonable choice.  Adaptation can set the stage for deeper ultimate change and is essential in times of great uncertainty.  Most businesses that are surviving and thriving understand and practice the art of adaptation.</span>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\">However, adaptability can be negative when one or more of the following are present:</span></h3>\n<ul>\n	<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We adapt without true change, outwardly compliant, inwardly entertaining emotions and thoughts which are incongruent with our external appearance and behavior.</span></li>\n	<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We allow things to happen which we should face and change, such as inequality or exclusion. Sometimes we need to be unreasonable.</span></li>\n	<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We hunker down and only see to our own comforts and survival, without considering our fellow travelers on the planet. While our personal environments are of necessity often foremost in our minds, we live in connection with others in our groups, our communities, and our world.  </span></li>\n</ul>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Sometimes change only comes by openly confronting what is, to move to what could be …</span>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Let me be clear …</span></h3>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Many battles have been fought, on the field and in the workplace, because someone did not want to accept the status quo and this is indeed a good thing … as long as the battle is being fought for the right reasons.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Progress does depend much on changing things as they are, while most want to keep up those same things or at least change very slowly … inertia is the enemy of true progress. I am not suggesting we never act up and promote change.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">My point remains that the impetus for change should be the value of the change, rather than simple validation of one’s eccentricities or personal desires. The trick is to be able to clearly know when your unreasonableness is a positive force and when it’s just an ego trip for you.</span>\n\n<em><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When have you been unreasonable for a very good reason?</span></strong></em>\n\n<em><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">How do you tell when your unreasonableness is really reasonable?</span></strong></em>\n\nThis post is a revision of a post which was originally published on <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https://strategiclearner.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The Strategic Learner </a>as <a href=\"https://strategiclearner.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/being-unreasonable/\" target=\"_blank\">Being Unreasonable</a> on September 24, 2013.', 'Unreasonable Reasonableness', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'unreasonable-reasonableness', '', '', '2015-07-15 06:00:50', '2015-07-15 10:00:50', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26723', 0, 'post', '', 11),
(26735, 268, '2015-07-16 06:00:15', '2015-07-16 10:00:15', 'Some people miss out on life’s opportunities. They freeze themselves into inaction by overthinking worst-case scenarios and shying away from imagined calamities.\n\nOthers, full of optimism, forge ahead with gusto, experience meteoric success, and later face a precipitous change in fortune due to a circumstance that could have been planned for.\n\nFor career and business success, it’s worth pursuing a middle ground—one where we take calculated risks but have a fallback strategy in case Plan A craters.\n\nEarlier this month, I vacationed in Leadville, Colorado, a small community with a storied history. The city’s name may not ring any bells if you live outside Colorado. But in 1880, Leadville ranked as Colorado’s second largest city. Several famous people built fortunes here, including Meyer Guggenheim - think museums and the Guggenheim Pavilion at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center - and David May of May Company department stores.\n\nThe nearby town of Climax got television reception even before Denver. And at the 880-seat Tabor Opera House, patrons enjoyed John Philip Sousa, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera stars, Harry Houdini, and Oscar Wilde.\n\nOnce vibrant and thriving, Leadville experienced a string of cringe-worthy setbacks that diminished its luster and population. I found myself wondering if better contingency planning could have mitigated the damage. These five questions came to mind as I heard Leadville’s stories:\n<h3>What conditions Am I counting On?</h3>\nBimetallism, pegging the dollar’s value to gold and silver, versus a gold standard (pegging the dollar’s value only to gold) was a hotly contested economic issue in the late 1800s. Given the level of contention, it was not safe to count on the permanence of any government legislation on this topic.\n\nHowever, it appears silver mining companies were banking on the Bland-Allison Act of 1878, which authorized bimetallism and called for large government purchases of silver, and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890, which expanded the purchase quantities, helping to keep silver mining profitable.¹\n\nWas anyone asking, “What will happen if Congress decides to return to a gold standard?” When that occurred in 1893, the price of silver plummeted, feeding the Panic of 1893, a deep depression that resulted in many mine closures and left previously wealthy families in financial ruin.\n<h3>What Assumptions Am I Making?</h3>\nIn an attempt to salvage Leadville’s economy and prominence, residents envisioned and built a massive tourist attraction in 1896. Leadville’s Ice Palace, “the largest ice structure ever built, housed a ballroom, a 180-foot skating rink, a curling rink, a restaurant, a dance floor, gaming rooms, a theatre, toboggan runs and a carousel house.\"²\n\nStakeholders assumed the winter of 1896 would be like all others—cold and snowy. At 10,152 feet above sea level and with snow that typically lingers through May, no one expected an early March thaw. The melting structure, condemned on March 28 as unsafe, was “a financial disaster for the investors who built it.\"³\n<h3>Are All My Eggs In One Basket?</h3>\nLeadville continued to mine lead, zinc, molybdenum, and other minerals. Despite the bitter lessons of 1893, the city failed to diversify its economy adequately beyond mining.⁴\n<h3>What Paradigm Shift Might Derail My Success?</h3>\nIn the same decade that Swiss watchmakers were reeling from the game-changing introduction of quartz technology, Leadville suffered a similarly profound paradigm shift. The Climax mine, near Leadville, “at one time produced 75 percent of the world’s molybdenum,” an additive that strengthens steel.⁴ But in the 1970s, “new technology enabled copper mines to extract molybdenum from waste material. Caught off guard (by this new competition), Climax lost half its market share.\" ⁵\n<h3>How Will I Adapt To Changing Circumstances?</h3>\nHindsight is reliably 20/20. But it is foresight that lets you formulate a Plan B strategy before a disaster ensues. One might argue that 19th-century mining companies had limited or delayed information for decision-making, given the lack of electronic communication. But in 21st-century industry, you still find organizations counting on conditions that are likely to change, basing decisions on iffy assumptions, putting all eggs in one basket, or being blind-sighted by paradigm shifts.\n\nThe reason? I think confidence, dreams, ego, enthusiasm, intoxication with current success, and other factors create blinders and rose-colored glasses that keep us plowing ahead, instead of occasionally stopping to ask what-if questions. When someone does raise a yellow or red flag, have you ever responded, “Don’t be such a killjoy.” Or have you opined, “We don’t need to think about that right now\"?\n\nLeadville’s population plummeted from nearly 15,000 in the 1880 - some estimates say a total of 40,000 lived in the immediate vicinity of Leadville - to 7,500 in 1910 to 5,000 in 1920. When you visit today, you’ll find an economy still struggling to diversify beyond mining, a fancy opera house looking for a buyer, and a permanent population of about 3,000. Would the outcome have been different if business owners in Leadville’s heyday had explored the questions above more often and more thoroughly?\n\nPlan B brainstorming sessions, using the five questions above, can help you build a safety net and may also spark your next great business idea.\n<em>\n</em>1 - <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bland%E2%80%93Allison_Act\">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bland%E2%80%93Allison_Act</a> and <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Silver_Purchase_Act\">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Silver_Purchase_Act</a>\n\n2 - <a href=\"http://www.legendsofamerica.com/co-icepalace.html\">http://www.legendsofamerica.com/co-icepalace.html</a>\n\n3 - <a href=\"http://www.legendsofamerica.com/co-icepalace.html\">http://www.legendsofamerica.com/co-icepalace.html</a>\n\n4 - <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadville,_Colorado\">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadville,_Colorado</a>\n\n5 - From an exhibit at National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, Leadville, Colorado', 'Managers, What’s Your Plan B?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'managers-whats-your-plan-b', '', '', '2015-07-16 06:00:15', '2015-07-16 10:00:15', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26735', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(26744, 329, '2015-07-17 07:52:02', '2015-07-17 11:52:02', 'He was a terminally ill ten-year-old boy, but he had a Steinway smile and an invitational attitude. His malady had left him completely blind for the previous two years.\n\n“You gotta meet this kid,” the hospital administrator announced to a visiting colleague while they were together making hospital rounds. She briefly outlined the boy’s prognosis as the two approached his hospital room.\n\n“How’s it going?” asked the hospital administrator as they drew closer to the boy’s bed. “If I were a kitten, I’d be purring.” he said. His giant laugh shot out of the room and landed halfway down the long corridor.\n\n“Are they treating you okay?” the visitor asked, trying to get a handle on this awesome bundle of joy patiently waiting to die. “You bet. They make me feel purple,” he responded.\n\n“Purple?” the visitor queried. “Yes, they tell me neat stories, they listen to all my questions, they get me what I need real fast, and then they give me a great big hug. It makes me feel like a prince - all purple.”\n\nGreat leaders are purple makers. They know there is a straight line between how employees feel and how they make customers feel or how much passion is put into their work. A leader cannot make someone feel a particular way.\n\nAs Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “No one makes you feel inferior without your permission.” She could have substituted any emotion - happy, sad, excited, or apathetic - for the word inferior. But, leaders can influence how employees chose to feel exactly in the fashion outline by the junior philosopher.\n\n<h3>They Tell Me Neat Stories</h3>\n\nGreat leaders are storytellers. They recognize that traditions, values and beliefs are communicated through anecdotes. While the communication today is fast, furious and oftentimes overheated through emails, tweets, and Instagrams, the present atmosphere of tribe and the future awareness of legacy are still both accomplished through the retelling of stories.\n\nStories telegraph a set of norms unique to the organization. When Southwest Airlines employees tell of CEO Gary Kelly’s dressing as KISS for their annual Halloween party, they are really saying, “We are supposed to have fun.”\n\nWhen Marriott managers tell stories of founder J. Willard Marriott noticing customers buying sandwiches at his restaurant near the D.C. airport to eat on the plane and then his starting the first meal catering service to the airlines, they are really saying “Take care of customers and look for opportunities to serve.”\n\nJust as great teachers have always used stories to foster learning, great leaders tell stories to serve as the glue to mold a gathering of people into a partnership of colleagues. If stories are told with consistency, conviction, and clarity, they are heard. If stories are followed by aligned actions and obvious accountability, they are believed. If stories are repeated by those not the subject of the tale, they are remembered.\n\n<h3>They Listen To All My Questions</h3>\n\n“But you don’t listen to me.” It was the ages old line a teenage boy shot point-blank at his frustrated father in the heat of their verbal battle. The words ricocheted across several neighborhood yards. And, it tactlessly lassoed everyone in earshot into involuntary eavesdropping.\n\n“What do you mean?” his father responded in his own defense. “I listen to you all the time.” The decibel level of their fight suddenly went hushed and died after the next heart splitting line.\n\n“You and mom listen to me talk. But my friends listen to what I say.”\n\nThe lament of the teenager was for recordings on the heart, not for sound waves on the ear. He did not feel understood, and therefore valued. Today’s employees feel over surveyed and undervalued. Too much effort goes into listening to employees talk rather than listening to what is said and meant. Too often the pursuit is for facts rather than feelings; conversation instead of candor.\n\nLeadership connections are similar to electrical connections. The most effective power comes from connections that are grounded and on the same wavelength. Employees are much more focused when they can operate from a wholesome, solid, no BS position. Their commitment also soars when interaction between leader and employee is one of mutuality - that is, it has the spirit of an interpersonal dialogue.\n\n<h3>They Get Me What I need Real Fast</h3>\n\nGreat leaders blend attentive learning with rapid action. Alphagraphics is a chain of quick copy print shops around the country. “What are ways you think we act differently than what we say or promise?” asked Rockwall, TX store manager Butch Clarke of a customer one day as a print job was being picked up.\n\n“You talk about right job right at the right time, but I don’t see a clock anywhere,” responded the frequent customer. “Why don’t you put a big school house wall clock where both your employees and customers can see it?”\n\n“Great idea,” Butch answered. Opening the cash register and withdrawing a $20 bill, he turned to his colleague and said, “Steve, please take this money to store at the end of the block and buy us a big battery operated wall clock to put on the wall right there. We can do the paperwork later.”\n\nThe move was dramatic. No sooner had Butch learned of an improvement idea from a customer but he implemented the idea right in front of the customer. No, you can’t instantly implement every idea every customer or employee suggests. Employees and customers don’t expect you to do everything they ask for. It is being valued that employees and customers light up about.\n\nGreat leaders have a strong drive for implementation. Granted, there is value in careful planning and thoughtful preparation. However, until there is execution, no plan is flawed, no preparation inadequate. Execution spotlights all. Cultures can get enamored with the preliminaries since there are no consequences. Sometimes, the rapid, daring example of a Butch Clarke reinforces an attitude that it better to fail moving forward than to fail standing still.\n\n<h3>And Then They Give Me A Great Big Hug</h3>\n\n“Don’t ever hire someone you’d be reluctant to hug,” a highly successful CEO shared with a group of new managers. This particular CEO was not speaking of the workplace as a country club or fraternity house. Nor was this CEO advocating leaders be big huggers. Some people are uncomfortable with public displays of affection. Instead, he was espousing a belief that greatness emanates from a culture of affirmation. When people work around people they genuinely like and enjoy, that spills over in their dealings with customers and into the pride they show in their work.\n\nHe was also implying that great leaders eliminate obstacles to expressing affection. And, non-huggable could be a barrier. Watch leaders in organizations known for greatness. Without exception, they are quick to affirm others. From a warm nod to a pat of the back to a big bear hug, they boldly and obviously express kinship with associates. Some are interpersonally shy and awkward with affirmation. Yet, they soar past their own internal reservation because they value the impact affirmations have on others.\n\n“Feeling purple” is an individual choice. But that choice is more easily taken when, behind the front line associate, stands a leader “telling neat stories, listening to all their questions, assertively getting associates what they need - and then, giving them a great big hug.”', 'The Leader As A Purple Maker', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-leader-as-a-purple-maker', '', '', '2015-07-17 07:52:02', '2015-07-17 11:52:02', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26744', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(26749, 307, '2015-07-20 06:00:07', '2015-07-20 10:00:07', 'Please don\'t do this. Last week I spoke with a company executive who said, \"People are upset, can you help us with some team-building?\"\n\nI replied, \"Probably not.\"\n\nHe looked at me with a combination of shock and amusement - he wasn\'t used to trainers or consultants telling him they didn\'t want his money.\n\n\"Okay, tell me why you won\'t help us?\"\n\nIt\'s not that I wasn\'t willing to help - of course I would. But if your people are upset, team-building isn\'t the solution.\n\n<h3>Start Here</h3>\n\nAs with any problem solving, the first step is to get the facts and identify the real problem. When people are upset, that\'s generally a symptom of a problem, not the problem itself.\n\nWhen I asked the executive why his people were upset, he wasn\'t entirely sure. \"They seem frustrated.\"\n\nAs we dug deeper, we discovered that there were significant breakdowns in communicating big changes along with one midlevel manager who had started acting territorial and was needlessly frustrating other departments.\n\n<h3>Fix The Real Problem</h3>\n\nYou can’t team-build your way out of fundamental problems. Fix the problem.\n\nFor this executive, that meant apologizing for the communication problems, getting the right information out to everyone, listening to and addressing the concerns his people had about the new process, and then taking aside the territorial manager for some one-on-one coaching and accountability.\n\nDon\'t team build in response to problems or low morale. Fix the communication problems. Improve the process issue that prevents people from doing their job.\n\n<h3>Icing on the Cake</h3>\n\nTeam-building is often loathed and panned by employees and managers alike because it\'s a waste of time - a well-intentioned, but completely ineffectual response to a problem that takes real work to solve.\n\nDone properly, real team-building is the icing on the cake. Imagine trying to spread frosting on a cake that is only half-cooked. You\'d a have a nasty, goopy mess that ends up in the trash. You can\'t frost a half-baked cake and you can\'t use motivation or relationship-building in place of fundamentals.\n\nDon’t try to motivate your way out of a mess. Fix the mess. That\'s real leadership.', 'A Critical Team Building Mistake to Avoid At All Costs', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'a-critical-team-building-mistake-to-avoid-at-all-costs', '', '', '2015-07-20 06:00:07', '2015-07-20 10:00:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26749', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(26764, 385, '2015-07-29 06:00:21', '2015-07-29 10:00:21', 'Recently a vice president of human resources shared with me that he had been approached by another senior executive who was having trouble with a particular employee.\n\nWhen he asked her what the problem was, the other executive informed him that her employee was just not doing the work that was required.\n\nIn response to her query he asked her, “Are you using the magic words?” Somewhat puzzled she answered, “I guess not because nothing has changed.” Then she asked, “If you don’t mind sharing, what are the magic words?”\n\nWhat are the magic words? The magic words are, “You are not meeting my expectations.” You can’t expect people to give you what you want if they don’t know what is expected.\n\nUsing the magic words is becoming more and more of a necessity as various industries grow and evolve. In many instances, the job that an individual was hired to do has changed or morphed into a number of different tasks and requirements that the individual may no longer be capable of completing.\n\nWhen someone is not meeting your expectations, it is absolutely critical that you clearly state what you need them to do and recognize that they may not have realized that your requirements are not being met. Sometimes this occurs because the job has changed and you assume that they understand those changes. At other times, priorities change and you assume that the individual understands how to adapt given those changes. And sometimes an individual’s lack of awareness arises because the manager has failed to hold a conversation that is long overdue.\n\nWhatever the reason behind someone is not meeting your expectations, here are a number of suggestions that may help you manage this difficult conversation with positive effect:\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ease Into The Conversation</strong> - Whatever you do, you don’t want to begin with the magic words. That would be like dropping a bomb. Doing so would create emotion and defensiveness on the part of your listener that would end the conversation from the beginning.</li>\n<li><strong>Take a coaching approach</strong> - Begin by asking the individual to identify and assess the current challenges they are facing. Then move to your evaluation of their performance by sharing the data of the impact that their performance has had. You will also want to increase their awareness by asking them what they might do differently to achieve their goals. Allow them to offer suggestions for improvement as a way of identifying how you might best support them. If you believe there is any doubt as to the impact of their performance, then you need to use the magic words.</li>\n<li><strong>Expect The Unexpected</strong> - Don’t be surprised if the magic words take them completely by surprise. If they can hardly believe what they are hearing, they might respond in one of two ways: they may say nothing or they may ask you if you can furnish specific examples of what they have or haven’t done that would provide further support for your statement.</li>\n<li><strong>Initiate Their Learning</strong> - If they say nothing, then you need to ask them, “Would you like to understand in detail what my specific expectations are that are not being met?” Hopefully they will ask for clarification, but if they don’t, then you need to initiate their understanding of the current situation. You do that by moving to a discussion of what they can do to meet your expectations.</li>\n<li><p><strong>Be Prepared</strong> - You will need to prepare to clearly and specifically share your expectations. You should also be prepared with specific examples of times when you gave direction or instruction, and they did not carry out or complete the instructions as requested. You also need to be prepared to share exactly what your expectations are going forward or what exceptional performance may look like. If you do not prepare to hold this conversation with added clarity, then you cannot expect them to change or know exactly what to do.</p><p>You should be prepared to speak in a kind, matter-of-fact, detailed way and invite a conversation. This should not be an interrogation or lecture where the individual feels reprimanded or belittled. This should be a conversation where the individual comes to understand what is expected and for you to understand what is going on with them. It is entirely possible that you will discover that the person didn’t meet expectations because they misinterpreted your directions, didn’t have the needed resources, were intimidated or afraid to ask questions, or couldn’t admit they needed help for fear of looking incompetent. And, it will make a difference how you handle the conversation if you are presenting this information to the employee for the first time, or the second or the third.</p></li>\n<li><strong>Check Their Understanding</strong> - Once you believe that you have been clear, ask them a number of questions that will help you understand if they have thoroughly understood your expectations. Just don’t clarify your expectations and then assume that they have understood you. If you do this, you may not find out that you have been misunderstood until they deliver on a specific project, and it is not what you wanted. Take the time to understand their understanding.</li>\n<li><p><strong>Expect Them To Become Emotional</strong> - When people work hard and don’t receive any kind of feedback that their work is not up to expectation, they may naturally feel violated or ambushed by what you are telling them. This establishes the necessity of looking at how you are managing this individual and becoming more aware of whether you are providing the kind of feedback on a regular basis that will allow them to improve and develop into the kind of performer that you expect. If on the other hand, you have been providing regular updates about their performance, then the magic words should come as no surprise to them. Then the conversation can take a course of exploring a number of developmental options to move forward.</p><p>If they react emotionally, remember that asking questions to understand the meaning or source of their emotions is one of the easiest ways to defuse their defensiveness. Asking questions forces them to the logical, rational part of their brain while reducing their heightened emotional state. It also allows you to understand their perspective. Additionally you know that to be effective that you must remain calm and in control if they become highly emotional in the situation. Let them work through their own feelings. Being emotionally intelligent during this conversation is an absolute must. (You can find more about emotional intelligence at “<a href=\"http://www.dialogueworks.com/pages/blogs.php?blog_id=77#.VXjMHGdFCM8\">How can you increase your emotional intelligence?</a></p></li>\n<li><strong>Assess The Fit</strong> - You will need to assess whether the job has changed to the point that the individual is no longer able to make the contribution that you need them to make. Take the time to assess if the individual’s skills and capability can be improved or upgraded or not. If not, then you will need to decide what adjustments need to made to improve your success.\n<li><strong>Be encouraging and positive</strong></li> - This type of conversation is not easy to hear. If the individual can make the adjustments to improve their performance, then express confidence in them and their ability to do so. It is highly motivating to hear that someone believes that they can and will be successful. However, these types of positive expressions need to be sincere and honest in their intent.</li>\n<li><strong>Offer Your Support</strong> - Finding out if there are missing gaps in education, understanding, or resources goes a long way in helping a person feel like you want to help them be successful, rather than just being critical.</li>\n</ul>\n\nAsking the magic words is a critical part of helping to improve performance. If done in the right way with the intent to help people be successful, it can be a powerful tool in helping people achieve their full potential.\n\nClearly sharing your expectations is the first step to helping the individual to grow and develop and to achieving the results that you really want.', 'Are You Using the Magic Words?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'are-you-using-the-magic-words', '', '', '2015-07-29 06:00:21', '2015-07-29 10:00:21', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26764', 0, 'post', '', 2);
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(26767, 385, '2015-08-12 06:00:23', '2015-08-12 10:00:23', 'Many of the organizations that I have worked in this year are involved in dramatic change. They are doing more to meet the increasing demands of customers in order to compete with companies within their industry.\n\nThey are implementing new productivity standards, causing them to measure more effectively the behaviors of their employees and the return on investment for the implementation of newly defined competencies.\n\nBecause we usually get what we measure, these organizations are measuring more of their companies’ efforts and outcomes.\n\nAll of these changes place more and more demands on the people within these organizations, demands which contribute to stress in the workplace.\n\nNaturally, many of these organization-wide changes are met with resistance in some form or another. Employees may become increasingly irritable or defensive when their performance doesn’t meet the expected standards. There is usually more negativity, blaming, or complaining because of all the emerging change in the present landscape. People spend their time lamenting about the good old days or how much easier work used to be.\n\nBecause many changes require doing more while doing many of the original job assignments, stress mounts and people become short tempered or critical of one another. People also want to blame their leaders for the new demands placed upon them or they complain about how management is being unfair or unreasonable in all that is required.\n\nIn whatever situation you may find yourself, particularly if you are a leader or manager, you can have a positive impact on the people in your work group or team. Here are a number of tactics that you might decide to adopt to reverse the feelings of negativity and help the folks to refocus their efforts during these times of unrelenting chaos.\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Change Your Perspective</strong> - If you don’t understand or support the changes that your organization is implementing, then you had better take the time to become a convert. If you are not on board, then your lack of commitment will be communicated to your people through your words and actions. Your lack of commitment will signal to them that they don’t need to be committed either. Assess your own commitment level, take steps to understand the changes, and do what is needed to implement the new developments.</li>\n<li><strong>Learn From Your People</strong> - Discovering what is not working and why allows you to address challenges in a more timely fashion. The challenge is often to fail quicker so that you can discover what needs to be fixed or improved. Your people know what is not working and it frustrates them. Learn to recognize their frustrations, talk to them about why they are upset, and work together to resolve their concerns.</li>\n<li><strong>Identify The Needs Of The Individual</strong> - I think it is safe to assume that most people come to work looking to perform adequately and not intentionally mess something up. When things don’t go as planned, or you don’t get the results that you expected, take that as an opportunity to identify what that person needs to do to be more effective. Doing so reinforces to the individual that you really are committed to their success and development in light of all the new tasks that may be required of them.</li>\n<li><strong>Be Optimistic</strong> - Someone once said that there is no failure, only feedback. Every situation is an opportunity for learning. You need to see and help others to see the results that they are creating as a means for learning, growing, and contributing to your organization’s success. It is important to help people focus their efforts on what they will do differently going forward rather than dwelling on past failures.</li>\n<li><strong>Be Enthusiastic</strong> - Your people will reflect the tone and demeanor that you display. If you are positive, energetic, and enthusiastic, then they will also adopt your demeanor. Don’t accept ongoing negativity. Help people to see the positive in the situation. Explain repeatedly why you are asking them to change some facet of their work, and then be patient.</li>\n<li><strong>Offer Frequent Encouragement</strong> - I have been told repeatedly over the years that, “No news is good news.” In other words, the only time a person’s manager may speak to them is when they have messed up. Don’t let this be said of you. Try to catch people doing the right things, and then recognize and express appreciation for their efforts. When people don’t meet your expectations, take the time to encourage them and tell them that you know that they will do better next time. Help them with any deficiencies they may have and celebrate their efforts when they succeed.</li>\n<li><strong>Set aside your needs</strong> - We often become so busy or wrapped up as managers that we don’t recognize the needs of others. Others’ needs are really your needs. If those that work for you are not successful, then neither are you. If you will take the time to offer support and assistance, you will help others to meet your expectations. Also encourage others to offer assistance to those who may be struggling. When things change, people sometimes become so focused on their own work that they don’t see the needs of others nor do they take the time to offer assistance and support. Fostering a culture of teamwork and helping others will greatly improve the morale among the troops.</li>\n<li><strong>Help people to see their opportunity</strong> - Those who are consumed with negativity don’t often see their own opportunities.  Take the time to identify opportunities that are available to the people who work for you and find or create occasions to share them.  Helping people to understand that they have control over how they feel, how they see the situation, and their actions and reactions, can help them to be responsible for what they create for themselves.</li>\n<li><strong>Hold people accountable</strong> - If people are dragging their feet or are not embracing the required change, then you need to call them on their behavior. Hold the conversation to reinforce the importance of the needed change, be clear about your expectations, and then do all you can to help them succeed. Don’t let it be said of you that you didn’t provide them with what they needed to be successful. If they refuse to change, then that decision is theirs and not yours. Respectfully help them to see and take responsibility for their actions and attitude in the current situation.</li>\n</ol>\n\nChange is never easy, but as a manager, leader, or as an individual contributor, you can have a positive impact in the face of the uncertainty that often comes with change. You can take the initiative to be a positive influence in helping yourself and others to be successful.', '9 Tips For Creating A Positive Change In Your Culture', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '9-tips-for-creating-a-positive-change-in-your-culture', '', '', '2015-08-12 06:00:23', '2015-08-12 10:00:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26767', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(26770, 381, '2015-07-21 06:00:57', '2015-07-21 10:00:57', 'A while back, I was given a project that would ultimately lead to improved processes, produce less waste, and create a utopian working environment envious.\n\nI just made up that part about utopia, but if you’re going to aim for something, aim high. Right?\n\nFrom the moment the objectives were explained, I was motivated. I liked the idea of methodologies and analyzing complicated processes broken into little steps.\n\nI could spend hours blissfully poring over bubbles and swim lanes in search of better performance.\n\nMy teammates did not share my enthusiasm on this project and in fact their enthusiasm had left the building. There were some lessons to learn.\n\nWhile this story sounds like a girlfriend’s guide to process improvement, the underlying message is all about relationship improvement. Teamwork is the backbone of productivity. Rarely is a person credited with completing a project singlehandedly. Wherever there are people, there are relationships and they are not inanimate widgets on an assembly line.\n\nPeople are a conglomeration of talents, skills, backgrounds, personalities, opinions, and attitudes that will often run counter to each other. There is a resolute need to get along and be able to work together agreeably – even if we disagree. If we are wise, we’ll bring out the industrial sized toolbox and build some solid relationships.\n\nRecall that I was coming in hot on this project, pencils sharpened, white boards glistening, and markers that smelled like fruit (yes, they did) ready for our project meeting. I don’t have to tell the rest of the story; you to know where this is going. Stephen Covey, in his book, <em>The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</em>, introduced the concept of the emotional bank account. He said positive things feed our emotional bank account while negative things make withdrawals. Let’s fast forward to lessons learned from working through three of the most frustrating relational episodes.\n\n<h3>Ambivalence</h3>\n\nIndecision and incessant vacillations practically guarantee progress will come to a standstill. By their nature, processes have many working parts and there are countless ways to accomplish the same goal. Some team members have genuine fear of multiple solutions or are passionate about leaving things as they are.\n\n<strong>Feed The Emotional Bank Account</strong> - We divided the full project into smaller work groups to simplify the context. This helped those who struggled with ambivalence to get off the fence and not worry that they were in danger of choosing the wrong alternative or creating an irreversible risk. It’s important for individuals to be confident in knowing their fears are valid, that others feel anxiety too, but that we will all be there working through the changing processes and making sure that the proposed change is best.\n\n<strong>Argumentative</strong> - You don’t have anyone on your project team who argues. Right? Argumentative people want to be heard, and not just heard, they want to be acknowledged and understood. It might be necessary to take those who continually argue aside and speak with them privately, but the tools to use in either case are the same.\n\n<strong>Feed The emotional Bank Account</strong> - Listen to understand the real subject of the argument. Be kind. Don’t take offense to shared thoughts and ideas. This is not about you even if it feels like that. Passion breeds arguments and when you talk about changing the as-is to the to-be, passions rise like a phoenix from the ashes. Get to the specifics; don’t guess at the root of the argument. \n\nBe direct and don’t embed this topic into a conversation about something else. It’s unlikely that the real topic will be revealed if it’s covered with something else. Then be generous with compliments and pointing out skills and experiences of individuals that are needed to successfully complete the project.\n\n<h3>Animosity</h3>\n\nOf all the things that drain the energy and motivation from a team, animosity ranks right up there at the top. It’s difficult to resolve differences when people have disdain for each other and refuse to work together peaceably.\n\n<strong>Feed The emotional Bank Account</strong> - It’s important to be objective and impartial when trying to assimilate warring team members. Publicly recognize the intrinsic qualities of individuals and the combined values they bring to the team. Get them to talk about their grievances candidly so you know what’s going on behind their eyes. If you can do this as a team, it will open a transparent dialog, but realize the team members might not be ready for emotional calisthenics.\n\nConsider the baseline of what needs to be accomplished and come to consensus on assignment details, team classifications, and the roles each team member will play. Acknowledge the background and talents of each person so they know they fill a unique place on the team. There is no magic formula for soothing animosity or antagonism on a team, and no pixie dust that makes everyone feel the love. There are tools for working through differences that make strides in that direction.\n\n<h3>What Can We Learn From This</h3>\n\nBack then, one of the main objectives of that project was to reengineer our processes to create new ones that would ultimately produce positive results, then repeat them again and again. Why shouldn’t we do the same thing with building relationships? Turn the workplace into a feeding frenzy for emotional bank accounts.Find behaviors that make deposits in emotional bank accounts, then repeat them again and again.\n\nThings like listening with all our senses, understanding, empathizing, and being generous with compliments. Try it often and be specific:\n\n“You did a great job on that needs analysis.”\n\n“Way to find the defects in that code.”\n\n“Good job on the presentation to the client group.” Your turn...\n\nRemember, the goal isn’t to complete this one project. The real goal is to build relationships that will sustain the organization though innumerable projects. It’s possible that people who are forced to work together will build a rapport and completely change the team dynamics so future projects don’t go through the same resistance.\n\n&nbsp;', 'Stocking Your Relationship Improvement Toolbox', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'stocking-your-relationship-improvement-toolbox', '', '', '2015-07-21 06:00:57', '2015-07-21 10:00:57', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26770', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(26832, 282, '2015-07-27 06:00:31', '2015-07-27 10:00:31', 'We\'ve moved through the Information Age at light speed over the last few years, and find ourselves lost in the deep space of the Information Overload Age.\n\nKnowledge from the ancient thinkers, wisdom from our founding fathers and the most current insights from some of the best minds of the world are at our fingertips. A simple Google search turns up hundreds of thousands of answers to the very same question.\n\nIn light of so much information, what can we do to keep from being overwhelmed? What should we do? How do we narrow our focus?\n\nSimply put...the most important lesson you will learn today is this...\n\n<h3>Learn One Lesson Per Day & Learn It Well</h3>\n\nStop burying yourself in multiple blogs, 3-to-10 books at a time, webinars and online learning courses. You can fill up every second of existence exploring all that is available to you, and still never scratch the surface of all there is to know. But you can learn one thing, one lesson per day. Can\'t you?\n\nWhile you\'re at it - learning that one thing - why not learn it really well? If you are going to the trouble to read, research, understand and apply, then be great at it. Excellence matters so learn one thing today, and do it really well.\n\nHow do you make that happen? How do you learn one really awesome thing per day, and make it spectacular at the same time?\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Set Boundaries</strong> - As I said earlier, if you\'re a normal person with a life, a family, job and other stuff, you have to set some time limits on the amount of study and brain immersion you do each day.</li>\n<li><strong>Be Choosy</strong> - Limiting your time forces you to be choosy about what you spend your time reading or studying. There are tons of good resources. There are much fewer great resources. Choose greatness.</li>\n<li><strong>Sit Still</strong> - If you tend to read, quickly digest and then jump to the next topic you are cheating yourself, and diluting the impact of the information you just read. Take the quiet, focused time to thoughtfully process, evaluate and make plans to implement the things you\'ve read and studied.</li>\n<li><strong>Activate Soon</strong> - If you are reading just to check things off of your list, and yet you never put into action those things you\'ve learned then you\'re wasting the most precious commodity you have- your time. If it\'s on your mind to study it, read about it, meditate on it and consider it... then for heaven\'s sake, put it to work. Take action!</li>\n</ul>\n\nLearn one lesson today...learn it well. Then put it to work.', 'This Is The Most Important Lesson You Will Learn Today', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'this-is-the-most-important-lesson-you-will-learn-today', '', '', '2015-07-27 06:00:31', '2015-07-27 10:00:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26832', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(26854, 376, '2015-07-28 06:00:27', '2015-07-28 10:00:27', 'The two words do not seem to go together, do they? Creativity might be defined as the ability to make something come into existence that did not previously exist. It often refers to artistic endeavors, such as painting, acting, or music.\n\nWe do not often think of our daily lives as creative. Many people do not think they are particuarly creative.\n\nIn reality, we are all creative to varying degrees and much of our creativity is well within our individual control, if we choose to exercise that control. Creativity is generally viewed as a good thing.\n\nConflict brings to mind, at least to many, hard times when people disagree vehemently about an issue or an event. Images of physical or emotional violence seem to appear, along with the sound of angry voices loudly disagreeing with fervor and passion.\n\nChairs flying, angry voices clashing, and no visible work being done for the good of the organization. Not the scene most of us hope to see our our weekly staff meetings. Conflict has a bad rap.\n\nThe reality: creativity and conflict are both essential for progress and true collaboration. Without the dynamic energy that comes from engagement, thoughtfulness, and discussion, we stagnant.\n\nIt takes little or no energy to work with others when we all agree. However, the work is easier because it is usually less valuable. While getting everyone on board is often touted as a goal of work teams, when the goal becomes to get everyone to agree, rather than to achieve or create, we have problems.\n\nOne way to approach this is to consider the difference between problems and issues. I like to describe it thusly:\n\n<blockquote>A problem is something we can all agree needs to be fixed or achieved. For example, few would probably disagree that we need to strengthen our economy. An issue is an action or solution to the problem that knowledgeable people will not always agree is best. For example, some people feel that the economy will grow when government gets the heck out of the way and others feel that government actions are the key to growth.</blockquote>\n\nSo how do we engage in peaceful conflict to resolve problems and not get caught up in fighting over issues? I am no fan of Ronald Reagan, but he happens to have made a thoughtful observation about all this:\n\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">“Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.”</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Ronald Reagan</div>\n</blockquote>\n\nHere are some suggestions for how we might do this:\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clearly define the problem and insure that most people involved do want to resolve it</strong> - We can disagree about how to do something and engage in conflict to resolve the differences between how we need to solve a problem. If we are arguing about whether something is a problem or not, then we have a much higher possibility of unproductive conflict. When the problem is not clearly defined and accepted, everyone goes to their corners and squares off with a goal of defending their position. This appears to be the case with hot button issues like gay rights, law enforcement actions, and the other topics creating much debate across our screens and news feeds</li>\n<li><strong>Acknowledge that some people will champion different ways to resolve the problem.</strong> - This does not make them enemies of mine, insincere, or less than intelligent. When I can consider a different approach than the one I prefer and see why someone else might choose that approach, I am beginning to understand their viewpoint. This usually leads to a kinder, gentler discussion</li>\n<li><strong>By constantly and consistently refocusing on the problem as the important thing.</strong> - Each viewpoint can be considered and evaluated based on one deceptively simple question: “How well does this address the Problem?” Not whether you agree with it or not and not how it fits your personal values, but how well this approach works to resolve the situation about which we are all concerned</li>\n<li><strong>By keeping it classy</strong> - This one can be difficult given the partisan nature of politics, the competitive nature of business, and the deeply personal nature of our religious and moral beliefs. All the more reason to make it a priority. Being classy simply means avoiding namecalling, snide remarks, inattention/non-active listening, and other behaviors that communicate lack of respect for another\'s thoughts and beliefs.</li>\n</ul>', 'Creative Conflict?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'creative-conflict', '', '', '2015-07-28 06:00:27', '2015-07-28 10:00:27', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26854', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(26896, 274, '2015-08-03 13:00:38', '2015-08-03 17:00:38', 'Welcome to the August 2015 edition of the Leadership Development Carnival.\n\nJuly is a month when many people vacation, relax, and recharge. Clearly, these 26 contributors found time among the summer doldrums to think and write about leadership. We believe you will be challenged by these posts to be the best leader you can be. We know we were!\n\n<h3>Let\'s Get Started</h3>\n\n<strong>Art Petty </strong>of The Management Excellence Blog contributed <a href=\"http://artpetty.com/2015/06/29/leadership-caffeine-the-alchemy-of-great-leadership/\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership Caffeine: The Alchemy of Great Leadership</a>. Art begins with: \"newsflash: there are no shortcuts to great leadership.\" He shares ten lessons learned in the search for leadership success. Find Art on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/artpetty\" target=\"_blank\">@artpetty</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Bruce Harpham</strong> of <a href=\"http://projectmanagementhacks.com/#sthash.Zeperxcx.dpbs\" target=\"_blank\">Project Management Hacks</a> submitted <a href=\"http://projectmanagementhacks.com/field-report-world-domination-summit-2015/\" target=\"_blank\">Field Report from the World Domination Summit</a>. Bruce asks, \"Have you participated in a conference in 2015?\" In this post, Bruce shares his notes and lessons learned from participating in the World Domination Summit event in Portland, Oregon. Follow Bruce on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/PMPhacks\" target=\"_blank\">@PMPHacks</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Chery Gegelman</strong> of <a href=\"http://consultgiana.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Giana Consulting</a> shared <a href=\"http://consultgiana.com/the-epidemic-risk-of-inconsistency/\" target=\"_blank\">The Epidemic Risk of Inconsistency</a>. In this post, Chery provides \"real examples from our expat lives that emphasize why consistency is a critical leadership skill.\" Follow Chery on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/GianaConsulting\" target=\"_blank\">@GianaConsulting</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Dan McCarthy</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/p/about-dan-mccarthy.html\" target=\"_blank\">Great Leadership</a> submitted <a href=\"http://management.about.com/od/leadership/fl/How-to-be-a-Collaborative-Leader.htm\" target=\"_blank\">How to be a Collaborative Leader</a>. In contributing this post, Dan contributes ten ways to build more collaborative work relationships. He points out how critical this is in light of an increasingly VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) business environment. Find Dan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/greatleadership\" target=\"_blank\">@GreatLeadership</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>David Dye </strong>of <a href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Trailblaze, Inc.</a>, shared <a href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/resources/engage-newsletter/2-ways-to-influence-people-at-work/\" target=\"_blank\">Two Ways to Influence People at Work</a>. In this article, David shares two ways you can build relationships and achieve results with using the methods he suggests to influence people at work or in any other leadership role. Discover David on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/davidmdye\" target=\"_blank\">@davidmdye</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jennifer Miller</strong> of <a href=\"http://people-equation.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The People Equation</a> provided <a href=\"http://people-equation.com/even-good-leaders-lose-against-a-bad-system/\" target=\"_blank\">Even Good Leaders Lose Against a Bad System</a>. Jennifer writes about how even the most talented and self-assured managers get trampled by executive dysfunction. She prompts leaders to take a look at their culture for any signs of this type of dysfunction. Find Jennifer on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/JenniferVMiller\" target=\"_blank\">@JenniferVMiller</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jesse Lyn Stoner</strong> of the <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Seapoint Center</a> provided <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/vision-requires-action/\" target=\"_blank\">Vision Requires Action: 7 Tips To Move &amp; Keep Moving</a>. Jesse summarized: \"Creating a shared vision is one of the most important roles of a leader. But vision alone is not enough. Vision requires action.\" Follow Jesse on Twitter at <a href=\"http://twitter.com/JesseLynStoner\" target=\"_blank\">@JesseLynStoner</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jill Malleck</strong> of <a href=\"http://epiphanyatwork.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Epiphany at Work</a> contributed <a href=\"http://epiphanyatwork.com/try-these-new-mindsets-to-manage-a-demanding-world/\" target=\"_blank\">Try These New Mindsets to Manage a Demanding World</a>. Jill defines this post as \"a look at how shifting your mindset can solve your overwhelm.\" Find Jill on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/epiphanyatwork\" target=\"_blank\">@epiphanyatwork</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jim Taggart</strong> of <a href=\"http://changingwinds.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Changing Winds</a> submitted <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/2015/06/28/the-incredible-shrinking-middle-manager-flat-is-back/\" target=\"_blank\">The Incredible Shrinking Manager: Flat is Back</a>. In this post, Jim looks at the role of the middle manager as being one of the more maligned functions within organizations. Whether they’re the opinions of employees, management theorists or pseudo experts vying for attention, it seems that everyone likes to target middle managers as being redundant to organizations. These bouts of revelation come typically during slow economic growth periods, and especially during recessions. Find Jim on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/72keys\" target=\"_blank\">@72keys</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>John Hunter </strong>of the <a href=\"http://management.curiouscatblog.net/\" target=\"_blank\">Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog</a> provided <a href=\"http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2015/05/13/the-aim-should-be-the-best-life-not-work-v-life-balance/\" target=\"_blank\">The Aim Should Be The Best Life, Not Work Versus Life Balance</a>. John explains, \"Work is a big part of life. As with any system the results depend on the overall system not the performance of individual parts taken separately.\" Follow John on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/curiouscat_com\" target=\"_blank\">@curiouscat_com</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>John Spence</strong> of <a href=\"http://johnspence.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Achieving Business Excellence With John Spence</a> submitted <a href=\"http://blog.johnspence.com/2015/07/leadership-philosophy/\" target=\"_blank\">What is Your Leadership Philosophy?</a> This post challenges leaders to take the time to write down their personal leadership philosophies (if they have not already done so). Find John on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/awesomelysimple\" target=\"_blank\">@AwesomelySimple</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jon Mertz</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Thin Difference</a> sent <a href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/2015/07/can-you-wait-nine-years/\" target=\"_blank\">Can You Wait Nine Years?</a> Jon asks: \"Can you wait nine years? What if the new patience is not waiting but instead doing the work and wanting something bigger?\" Follow Jon on Twitter <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThinDifference\" target=\"_blank\">@ThinDifference</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Julie Winkle Giulioni </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Julie Winkle Giulioni</a> contributed <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/blog/career-matters/how-do-your-employees-define-success/\" target=\"_blank\">How Do Your Employees Define Success?</a> In this post, Julie ponders how \"perhaps it’s time to consider and expand our own definitions of career success\" and suggests ways to surface what matters most to employees. Find Julie on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/julie_wg\" target=\"_blank\">@Julie_WG</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<div class=\"divide\">\n\n<strong>Kevin Eikenberry </strong> of <a href=\"http://blog.kevineikenberry.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The Kevin Eikenberry Group</a> provided <a href=\"http://blog.kevineikenberry.com/leadership-supervisory-skills/business-lessons-from-a-farm-party/\" target=\"_blank\">Business Lessons from a Farm Party</a>. Utilizing the backdrop of his annual farm party, Kevin extrapolates lessons applicable to work and life, for farm folk AND city folk. Follow Kevin on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/KevinEikenberry\" target=\"_blank\">@KevinEikenberry</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong><b>Lexie Martin</b> of <a href=\"https://www.leadershipdirections.com.au/\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership Directions</a> </strong>sent<strong> <a href=\"https://www.leadershipdirections.com.au/knowledge-centre/climbing-the-ladder-to-leadership-success\" target=\"_blank\">Climbing the Ladder to Leadership Success</a>. </strong>In this post, Lexie poses the following question: \"Whether you are climbing the rungs or enjoying the view from where you are, you need to ask yourself one very important question: have you got your ladder leaning up against the right wall?\"\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Linda Fisher Thornton </strong>of <a href=\"http://leadingincontext.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Leading in Context</a> submitted <a href=\"http://leadingincontext.com/2015/07/22/10-behaviors-kill/\" target=\"_blank\">Just Say No to 10 Behaviors That Kill Competence</a>. She summarizes: \"On the lifelong quest to become our best selves, we must stretch and grow and learn from our mistakes. Being a flexible and willing learner, we more easily stay competent as the world changes. Here are 10 things that we must NEVER do if we are to accomplish the elusive goal of becoming our best selves.\" Find Linda on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/LFisherThornton\" target=\"_blank\">@LFisherThornton</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Lisa Kohn</strong> of <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/thoughtful-leaders/\" target=\"_blank\">The Thoughtful Leaders<sup>TM</sup> Blog</a> provided Mindfulness: <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/2015/07/02/mindfulness-the-right-way-to-do-it/\" target=\"_blank\">Mindfulness: The Right Way to Do It</a>. In this piece, Lisa shares how mindfulness creates unity and camaraderie, chills you and your team out, and changes your perspective. Follow Lisa on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtfulLdrs\" target=\"_blank\">@ThoughtfulLdrs</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Mary Jo Asmus</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.aspire-cs.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Aspire Collaborative Services, LLC</a>, contributed <a href=\"http://www.aspire-cs.com/5-leadership-behaviors-to-move-up-on-your-priority-list\" target=\"_blank\">5 Leadership Behaviors to Move Up on Your Priority List</a>. This post explains why leaders need to move relationship-building behaviors such as listening and encouraging up to the top of their priority lists. Find Mary Jo on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/mjasmus\" target=\"_blank\">@mjasmus</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Mary Ila Ward</strong> of <a href=\"http://horizonpointconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Horizon Point Consulting</a> provided <a href=\"http://horizonpointconsulting.com/blog3/item/3-steps-to-better-leadership\" target=\"_blank\">3 Steps to Better Leadership</a>. She describes how leaders can become \"career agents\" and why that can make a difference in evaluating, developing, and growing people within your organization. Follow Mary Ila on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/MaryIlaWard\" target=\"_blank\">@MaryIlaWard</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<div class=\"divide\"><strong>Molly Page</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.mollypg.com/\" target=\"_blank\">mollypg</a> shared <a href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/2015/07/do-you-lead-with-a-selfie-stick/\" target=\"_blank\">Do You Lead With a Selfie Stick?</a> Molly asks, \"What if leaders adopted a selfie stick mentality?\" and continues, \"these five clues might indicate you could use a little more collaboration in your leadership practice.\" Find Molly on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/mollypg\" target=\"_blank\">@mollypg</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Neal Burgis, Ph.D.</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/\">Burgis Successful Solutions</a> submitted <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/2015/07/27/leading-creative-leaders/\" target=\"_blank\">Leading Creative Leaders</a>. Neal summarizes: This article gives you a brief understanding of Leading Creative Leaders. Leading creative employees are underneath it all, leaders who generate, create and produce their breakthrough results. Find Neal on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Exec_Solutions\" target=\"_blank\">@exec_solutions</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Paul LaRue</strong> of  <a href=\"http://upwardsleader.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The UPWards Leader</a> contributed <a href=\"http://upwardsleader.com/2015/06/14/how-to-get-it-done-with-the-people-youve-got/\" target=\"_blank\">How to Get it Done with the People You\'ve Got</a>. In this post, Paul addressed people who are new to supervising teams which have shared histories. Read his post to find out how \"with the right leadership most any team can, and will, be able to attain new heights.\" Find Paul on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/paul_larue\" target=\"_blank\">@paul_larue</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Randy Conley</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.leadingwithtrust.com/\">Leading With Trust</a> submitted <a href=\"http://leadingwithtrust.com/2015/06/28/5-qualities-every-employee-wants-in-a-boss/\" target=\"_blank\">5 Qualities Every Employee Wants in a Boss</a>. Randy shares: An employee’s level of engagement and success on the job is greatly determined by the relationship with his or her boss. In this post, he provides 5 common sense…but not always common practice…qualities that employees want in their bosses.  Follow Randy on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/RandyConley\" target=\"_blank\">@RandyConley</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>S. Chris Edmonds</strong> of <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The Purposeful Culture Group</a> contributed <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/the-leadership-void/\" target=\"_blank\">The Leadership Void</a>. In sharing this article, Chris asks: \"What happens when there simply isn’t leadership or direction in an organization?\" and he continues, \"strong personalities fill the void - and may not go where you’d like your team to go!\" Follow Chris on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/scedmonds\" target=\"_blank\">@scedmonds</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Susan Mazza </strong>of <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Random Acts Of Leadership</a> submitted <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/a-core-belief-of-effective-leaders/\" target=\"_blank\">A Core Belief of Effective Leaders</a></span>. Susan explains: \"While leadership can be witnessed in a person’s actions, there are a specific set of core beliefs that effective leaders use to guide their actions. One of those core beliefs is: \'The Future Is Up To Me\'.\" Find Susan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\">@susanmazza</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Wally Bock </strong>of Three Star Leadership contributed <a href=\"http://www.threestarleadership.com/boss/being-a-good-boss-means-doing-the-whole-job\" target=\"_blank\">Being a Good Boss Means Doing the Whole Job</a>. Wally writes, \"Being a boss is hard work, and it can be the most rewarding work in the world. But you have to do the whole job.\" Find Wally on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/wallybock\" target=\"_blank\">@wallybock</a>.\n<h3>Until Next Time</h3>\nThank you to everyone who submitted articles for this month\'s carnival. We are pleased to announce that <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/instigators/chris-edmonds/\" target=\"_blank\">Chris Edmonds</a> of <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The Purposeful Culture Group</a> will be hosting the September Leadership Development Carnival. We will send submission details later this month.\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ldc_square.png\" alt=\"\" />\n\n</div>', 'August 2015 Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'august-2015-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2015-08-03 13:00:38', '2015-08-03 17:00:38', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26896', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(26917, 389, '2015-08-05 06:00:54', '2015-08-05 10:00:54', 'The startling truth is that 70% of employees are disengaged at work - checked out.\n\nThat’s a real dilemma for the companies trying to do more with less, which is of course all of them. The answer to winning back disengaged employees (and keeping the engaged employees, well, engaged) isn’t pay, perks or promotions.\n\nIt’s meaning – that is, giving work a greater sense of significance, and thus, making work matter.\n\n<h3>Markers Of Meaning</h3>\n\nHow, do leaders create meaning at work for others and themselves? Here are 7 ways, what I call the markers of meaning.\n\n<ol>\n\n<li><strong>Help your team understand their purpose, and show them that their work matters.</strong> - Carve out time for employees to explore the purpose--or profound why--of what they do. A study of lifeguards showed they performed better when they were told about other lifeguards who saved lives, rather than about how learning lifeguarding skills would benefit them personally later in life. So, introduce your team to their customers. Gather stories of how their work helps others, even in small ways, and encourage them to share their own stories. Reframe the work your team is doing so they can understand how and why they fit into that work.</li>\n<li><strong>Commit to crafting a learning environment that energizes and maximizes personal growth for your team.</strong> - Make space for your team to create and execute their own learning plans, offering help along the way. Understand their different learning styles and attention spans, and provide experiences for growth expanding on what they already know, with immediate opportunities for practice. For more ways on how to energize your team, read the <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/the-organizational-energy-formula/\" target=\"_blank\">Organizational Energy Formula</a>.</li>\n<li><strong>Be intentional about building self-esteem so others feel valued and valuable.</strong> - You care about your personal family and friends, but what about your work family, whom you probably see the most? Do you ever ask how your employees are doing, and care about what they say? By showing employees their value, they will feel valued as individuals and in turn are more likely to live up to their value in the workplace. What is competence without confidence?</li>\n<li><strong>Involve the troops in decisions to net a sense of control, and grant autonomy liberally.</strong> - Micromanagement can be a meaning-killer. Including your employees in decisions and giving them space to get the job done helps them feel less like numbers and more like contributors. Whether it’s where to put the new soda fridge, or how to solve a million-dollar problem, don’t manage in a vacuum.</li>\n<li><strong>Create a caring and authentic culture, where people feel free to bring their whole self to work.</strong> - This starts with bringing your whole self. By being your authentic self, you give employees permission not to check their identities at the door, even if they root for the Yankees.</li>\n<li><strong>Help others see where they fit in the mission, and that the mission depends on them to achieve it.</strong> - Your employees will never think their work matters if they don’t know that they matter. Achieve this by showing them the long-term vision and how they fit in it--beyond the org chart.</li>\n<li><strong>Free the workplace from corrosive behaviors that serve as barriers to the best self.</strong> - Innstilling fear and introducing uncertainty to your team can mean two steps back on any progress you’ve made to create an authentic, meaningful workplace. So can a lack of decision-making and/or integrity. Cut off corrosive behaviors that stand between your team’s potential to thrive in an authentic culture thriving on meaning, allowing each member to be his/her best self.</li>\n</ol>', '7 Ways To Make Work More Meaningful', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '7-ways-to-make-work-more-meaningful', '', '', '2015-08-05 06:00:54', '2015-08-05 10:00:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26917', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(26956, 372, '2015-08-04 06:00:25', '2015-08-04 10:00:25', 'I’m a <a href=\"http://chris-edmonds-music.com\" target=\"_blank\">working musician</a> on the side. I’ve been playing music professionally since the early ’70’s. It is difficult to make a living in music, as much today as it was forty years ago.\n\nThe band I’m in here in Denver has been together since 2006. It’s a team of skilled musicians with shared values and common goals. We all have day jobs - but we commit a great deal of time and energy to this band.\n\nThrough member changes we’ve remained strong. We can’t perform at our best if we don’t trust and care for each other.\n\nGreat band performances don’t happen by default. Each member must practice individually to know their parts. Our total band rehearsals help us make music - not noise - by playing and singing “to standard” while listening to each other, responding to each other, and working together.\n\nGreat band teamwork and support doesn’t happen by default. We have formalized team values - citizenship standards - that we demonstrate in every interaction with each other, with clients, and with guests. If we tolerate rude or selfish behaviors from bandmates, it won’t take long for trust and respect to erode completely.\n\nIn our rehearsals, we’re tough on each other. If I’m late coming in with a harmony vocal, my bandmates let me know. If one of us starts a new song in the wrong key, everyone laughs, then jumps in to redirect. If we tolerate poor performance in rehearsal, that’s what our audiences will see and hear in our band’s shows.\n\nIt’s not easy. It’s a lot of work. Even nine years in, we spend hours individually preparing and together rehearsing so our shows WOW our audience members (GOOD WOW, not BAD WOW).\n\nMy consulting framework operates the same way. I help leaders understand that a high performing, values-aligned culture doesn\'t happen by default. It only happens by intention, reinforced with dedicated time and energy. I help them boost performance accountability and values accountability, every day.\n\nClients typically bring me in to help them formalize the first three elements of their <a href=\"http://thecultureengine.com\" target=\"_blank\">organizational constitution</a>: their company purpose, values, and valued behaviors. Most clients are convinced that they’re doing great on the other two elements of an organizational constitution: strategies and goals.\n\nThe reality is that, for 90 percent of my clients, performance expectations are not clear across their organization - and performance accountability widely varies. There are pockets of clear goals and consistent accountability in my clients’ organizations - but those are the exception, not the rule.\n\nResearch supports my experience. Psychometrics Canada’s <a href=\"http://www.psychometrics.com/docs/engagement_study.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">2010 Engagement study</a> surveyed HR professionals in over 360 organizations. When asked what company leaders should do more of to increase employee engagement, 71 percent said leaders should communicate clear expectations.\n\nTiny HR’s <a href=\"http://www.tinyhr.com/2014-employee-engagement-organizational-culture-report\" target=\"_blank\">2014 Employee Engagement and Organizational Culture report</a> found that 26 percent of employees do not have the resources they need to be successful. They don’t have the tools, the training, or efficient processes to follow to meet their performance expectations - and they’re frustrated.\n\nIf you want better, more consistent performance, three things must happen.\n<h3><strong>First, clarify performance expectations</strong></h3>\nDefine goals in specific, measurable, time-bound terms. Link individual goals to team goals - and team goals to division goals, etc.\n<h3><strong>Second, clear the path</strong></h3>\nRemove hurdles to aligned action by team members and by teams. Provide appropriate resources, raw materials, tools, and systems. Light the desired, most efficient path to performance success - and check that path daily (so overnight growth won’t trip people up).\n<h3><strong>Third, coach to success</strong></h3>\nEngage regularly so employees can tell you what’s going well and what’s not with performance traction. Listen, learn, and refine processes to boost performance. Praise effort as well as accomplishment. Redirect players when they get off track - don’t ignore them until just before the deadline. You can’t fix issues at the last minute very effectively.\n\nDon’t leave performance success to chance. And, if you happen to be in the Denver area, check our band\'s <a href=\"http://www.chris-edmonds-music.com/gigs\" target=\"_blank\">gig schedule</a>. We’d love to see you at a show!', 'Want Better Performance? Clear the Path!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'want-better-performance-clear-the-path', '', '', '2015-08-04 06:00:25', '2015-08-04 10:00:25', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26956', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(26991, 374, '2015-08-03 06:00:03', '2015-08-03 10:00:03', 'For August, we are taking the lead from <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XZ7U0V4/ref=cm_sw_su_dp\" target=\"_blank\">The Genius of Opposites</a>, the new book from <a href=\"http://jenniferkahnweiler.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Jennifer Kahnweiler</a> being launched on August 17.\n\nJennifer believes, \"When you skillfully combine the extrovert set of strengths with those of the introvert, you don’t just get addition. You achieve exponential results.”\n\nThis month, we challenge you to write about <strong>co</strong><strong>axing productivity out of \"opposite\" situations</strong>.\n\nIf you are interested in submitting original material for Lead Change, we would love to consider your contribution! You do have to be a Leading Voice, Instigator, or Member to write for Lead Change.\n\nFor information about joining, click <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/join/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>. If you have questions that are not answered on our website, please contact Paula Kiger at <a href=\"mailto:paula@weavinginfluence.com\">paula@weavinginfluence.com</a>.', 'Our August Theme - Dealing With Opposites', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'our-august-theme-dealing-with-opposites', '', '', '2015-08-03 06:00:03', '2015-08-03 10:00:03', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26991', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(26998, 252, '2015-08-06 06:00:00', '2015-08-06 10:00:00', 'How you show up in the world matters. You can go along to get along.\n\nYou can have a public persona or a mask you work from. If your mask spoke, you might hear: “Don\'t make anyone uncomfortable” or \"Never let \'em see you sweat,\" or \"A good offense is better than a good defense.\"\n\nRelationships with people are one thing. Relationships with peoples\' humanity is another thing altogether. I draw this contrast between relationships with people and relationships with people\'s humanity because the humanity part is a nuance for me.\n\nYou see the humanity part when someone flips out when cut off by another driver, or when a customer growls because the barista gets the coffee order wrong. The humanity part is when someone is disappointed because a beloved other doesn\'t call.\n\nThe humanity part shows up at work when an employee:\n<ul>\n<li>Is disappointed because the promotion didn\'t come through.</li>\n<li>Doesn\'t have the resources to get the job done properly.</li>\n<li>Is confused because the boss keeps moving the goal line.</li>\n<li>Disagrees with this year\'s performance appraisal.</li>\n<li>Ends up without a chair in the latest game of musical chairs, and didn\'t see it coming.</li>\n</ul>\n\nSome of us are not well positioned to deal with people\'s humanity simply because we can\'t face our own. We stuff it down: with food, with drink, with sleeping, TV, Internet, gaming or other distractions. If I can\'t face my own pain, how can I possibly witness yours?\n\n<blockquote>\"When I know myself deeply - deeply enough to know the human experience - I can be truly compassionate.\"</blockquote>\n\nIf organizations are to thrive, managers are going to have to take seriously their own health and face their own demons, in order to learn to truly lead others. No more big chinks in the armor. Can we have a Lucy from Peanuts table in every building?\n\nBecause that\'s what’s going on, you know. I almost wrote, \"that\'s <strong>all</strong> that’s going on,\" as if managing gremlins like self-doubt, overwhelm, or a hair-trigger temper are simple things to resolve. Some wounds are clearly bigger than others.\n\n<h3>What Would It Take To Create A More Human Workplace?</h3>\n\nThis does not mean we hold hands and sing summer camp songs, or that you need to become a therapist. It means that we are adults at play at work. We all get to use what we are good at. We work through conflicts in a healthy way. Conflict is inevitable and good for challenging the status quo.\n\nWe respect the ways in which each person is different and have fun with it. Catch yourself when you want to judge, keep secrets, force conformity, manipulate, or look away from another\'s humanity.\n\nInstead, use differences, disagreement and compassion for each other\'s humanity in the organization\'s best interest.', 'Are You A Leader Who Can Deal With The Humanity Of Others?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'are-you-a-leader-who-can-deal-with-others-humanity', '', '', '2015-08-06 06:00:00', '2015-08-06 10:00:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=26998', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(27035, 251, '2015-08-10 06:00:14', '2015-08-10 10:00:14', '“We’ve been hiring women and minorities like crazy,” shared a client. “But our culture is worse than ever. This diversity stuff doesn’t work.\"\n\nI’ve seen his frustration before. Many managers share his view.\n\nFeeling internal and external pressure to have more diversity, some companies define diversity as making the numbers, and task Human Resources with hiring more women and minorities. That’s typically the beginning and end of attention companies give to becoming more diverse.\n\nUntil the problems arise - destructive and open conflict, lowered employee satisfaction, and turnover among the recently hired women and minorities. When these issues occur in less evolved organizations, they label the diversity initiative a failure and folks in HR lose their jobs.\n\nHowever, in other organizations none of this happens after a commitment is made to having greater diversity. Why not? Because in these organizations there’s an appreciation that differences are the sand particles that create the pearls of success.\n\nThese organizations get the power of paradox - opposites, duality, or polarity - and manage, in fact maximize, the differences inherent in paradox.\n\n<em>The Smart Leadership™</em> program of the <strong>Center For Women</strong> defines this as the process of recognizing, balancing, and using conflicting yet complementary attributes to drive cultural change for success in a global economy.\n\nIn organizations which get the power of paradox, leaders transcend us-versus-them thinking. They move beyond visible diversity - gender, race, ability, and age - to valuing deeper, unseen differences of thought, opinion, and perspective. These leaders display four behaviors noted by <a href=\"http://www.bteam.org/\">The B Team</a> as being critical for making diversity a success: cooperation, individual accountability, inclusion, and respect.\n\n<h3>5 Leadership Paradoxes For Maximizing Differences</h3>\n\nLeaders who know how to make diversity work for them, their teams, and their company have mastered a number of paradoxes including:\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Cooperation & Competition</strong> - Focus on who is in the in-group and who is in the out-group is replaced by a universal focus on achievement of over-arching company goals. Everyone plays in the same sandbox, and they are expected to, and held accountable for, playing nice.</li>\n<li><strong>Inclusion & Exclusion</strong> - This one might seem a little counter-intuitive, but not everyone can be a part of everything. The difference is that the reasons for particular work assignments are communicated—before, not after, the fact. People understand that their knowledge, skills, and abilities are needed in other areas to make the overall greater good possible. They’re included where their contribution is the greatest.</li>\n<li><strong>Respect & Challenge</strong> - Conflict is a normal by-product of diversity. Individuals practicing paradoxical leadership assure that conflict remains healthy and constructive. They practice what philosopher Theo de Boer calls epochè, which is a temporary suspension of the truth of one’s own conviction, as they interact with others.</li>\n<li><strong>Freedom & Accountability</strong> - Leaders using paradox to leverage the positive power of differences encourage ideas and change, acknowledging that’s the path to innovation and ongoing relevancy. They hold people accountable for making results happen. As The B Team observes, ownership of diversity efforts is the linchpin of success.</li>\n<li><strong>Task & Relationship</strong> - While effective leaders never lose sight of the bottom line, they don’t favor profits to the exclusion of all else. Rather, they foster and maintain an equal emphasis on profits, principle, and people, and hold those around them accountable for doing the same.</li>\n</ol>\n\nRecognizing and managing paradox requires time, effort, and awareness, but the payoff is well worth the investment. Ready to flex some paradoxical leadership muscle?', 'Call Them Opposites. Call Them Paradoxes. Just Manage Them.', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'call-them-opposites-call-them-paradoxes-just-manage-them', '', '', '2015-08-10 06:00:14', '2015-08-10 10:00:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27035', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(27038, 376, '2015-08-07 06:00:21', '2015-08-07 10:00:21', 'I like a good discussion.\n\nRecently, I have responded to several questions about generational differences and leadership in the workplace on various forums.\n\nThis topic has had my attention over the years.\n\nI am sharing an edited and expanded version of my thoughts below.\n\n<h3>Two Caveats</h3>\n\n<ol>\n<li>I am only talking about differences which can be demonstrated and measured by objective means. I don\'t care what a pop culture meme says about any groups.</li>\n<li>I am referencing the United States in my comments. All bets are off regarding generational differences when we extend this discussion to a hemispheric or global level.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<h3>Three Compelling Reasons Why This Is Important</h3>\n\n<ol>\n<li>We now have five generations mixing in the same workplace. This is not creating a competition for jobs among the generations, as some have claimed, because significant differences exist between generations based on general experience level, skill sets acquired, and the rapidly changing world of jobs. My grandchildren will compete for jobs which I cannot name at this time. The skills they may need to compete are not yet identified. The challenges they may face are unknown to us all.</li>\n<li>Generational generalizations are generally, general. In other words, any attempt to describe a cohort of millions of people will be both very accurate and very inaccurate. When I describe my fellow Early Boomers, born 1946 to 1956, I can fairly say both that we were inspired by political events and the Vietnam War. However, some of us wore a uniform and served, while others railed against any military connections. Some of us became outrageously conservative as we aged, and others became hysterically liberal , in all cases based somewhat on how we experienced those early shaping events.</li>\n<li>While we work with others who have characteristics of whatever groups to which they belong, we always end up interacting with an individual who might be as unique and different from the generational description as we all know we are. Recognizing our uniqueness is easy for us when we think about ourselves, but becomes much more difficult as we consider others, and the further away from US the others are, the harder it is to see them as individuals.</li>\n</ol>\n\nGeneralizations, if accurate, are valuable for the broad view of a group of individuals. While all members of any group, generation, or identity do not fit the accepted description, we can still use these high-level views for general purposes. If it is true of most, we can make some general assumptions based on that.\n\nGenerational events is a sociological term for those major happenings that occur and leave a lasting impact upon a generation, especially for those who are adolescents and young adults, roughly 13-to-25 years old at the time of the event. We are at a particularly impressionable place in our human development during those years and things etch themselves more deeply on our minds, our hearts, and our souls.\n\nHowever, at some point, we have to start focusing on sub-groups. The Vietnam War affected most of my generation, but not in the same way. A world of difference exists between my fellow Boomers who were in uniform and those who protested during this turbulent time. I also notice that every generation has Liberals and Conservatives, albeit in different percentages and with different issues.\n\nEventually, or sooner if our work requires us to deal with individuals, we come face to face with a person who is a member of some identified generation, but is a breathing and unique individual. Nobody fits the generational generalizations to a \"T\".\n\nIn my opinion and based on my experiences, avoiding assumptions at all levels, but especially at the individual relationship level is very important.', 'Talking &#039;Bout My Generation...', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'talking-bout-my-generation', '', '', '2015-08-07 06:00:21', '2015-08-07 10:00:21', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27038', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(27043, 398, '2015-10-21 06:00:18', '2015-10-21 10:00:18', 'This blog may be a little different than your typical leadership blog post, but I hope my perspective encourages you to think from a different angle.\n\nThis August marked a decade from the time I began my professional journey. \n\nI had not even noticed this milestone, but my colleagues on a professional networking site kept mentioning it. I wish it could be considered a happy milestone, but the feelings are mixed.\n\nMy feelings are mixed because my transfer to another country has resulted in many challenges to my sense of satisfaction with myself professionally and personally.\n\nIt seems like only a prisoner can acknowledge another prisoner on continuing a legacy of a prison. There is a tidal wave of questions inside my head.\n\n<h3>The Questions</h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Did I ever love my job?</li>\n<li>Were all those years really worthwhile?</li>\n<li>Why did I always swim against the tide?</li>\n<li>What was I always looking for?</li>\n<li>Why I am still not satisfied with myself?</li>\n<li>Is it a time to start a new chapter of life?</li>\n</ul>\n\nDespite all the questions swirling in my head, maybe I do possibly have more answers than I think.\n\n<h3>The Possibilities</h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Maybe I have learned something in all these years.</li>\n<li>Maybe changes have occurred inside me.</li>\n<li>Maybe I have lost more than I realize.</li>\n<li>Maybe there will be a way to repay kindnesses eventually.</li>\n<li>Maybe I was misunderstood or I misunderstood the situation.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3>The Present</h3>\n\nEverything is history. Whether I accept or reject it nothing will change. What is lost will remain lost but what I have may have some worth. Sometimes you don’t have to write or explain everything. We should leave a few things the way they are.\n\nThis article is hopefully more than the irregular thoughts of a grumpy old lost prisoner. Hopefully it leads you to ask yourself questions as you live your life. Because ultimately you are the one who knows the fate of your destiny. You hold the key to being released from prison.', 'Legacy Of A Prison', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'legacy-of-a-prison', '', '', '2015-10-21 06:00:18', '2015-10-21 10:00:18', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27043', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(27055, 290, '2015-08-11 06:00:40', '2015-08-11 10:00:40', '“Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.” A quote that warms our heart from the classic film, <a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>It\'s a Wonderful Life</em></a>.\n\nA commercial version is “When your sandwich is just the way you want it, ring the bell.”\n\nThis is a sign in a Subway store encouraging customers to let others know when they got what they wanted.\n\nHow often do we really get what we want?\n\nRemember the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Can%27t_Always_Get_What_You_Want\" target=\"_blank\">Rolling Stones </a> song that says:\n\n<blockquote>“You can\'t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes well you might find, you get what you need.”</blockquote>\n\nRing a bell, an angel gets its wings. Ring a bell when you get what you want. But you can’t always get what you want.\n\n<em>Ding!</em>\n\n<h3>How This Relates To Change.</h3>\n\nWe wish we could just ring a bell and help someone. We wish we could ring a bell ten times a day, because we got what we wanted when we wanted. And then reality hits. We can’t always get what we want.\n\nSo what do we do? Transformation and change are not simple. Both are what we need, yet our achievement and satisfaction will vary.\n\nWhat we need to do is to <em>do the work</em>. Not any work, but the work we feel a <a href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/2015/03/the-leadership-challenge-soul-sparks/\" target=\"_blank\">spark within our soul</a>.\n\nNot all work will deliver that spark, but the reality is there is work we need to do no matter what. To gain change in a situation, behavior, or direction, we need to work hard to make it happen.\n\n<h3>Do The Work</h3>\nSo, our first step is to <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leadership-change-is-not-free/\">do the work</a>. The next step is to understand our purpose and then activate it. Some may be lucky and just know their purpose. Many times, I am jealous of musicians. Their talent is so evident and often seems very effortless. On their work stage, <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/the-joy-of-leadership/\">a sense of joy</a> seems to fill their every chord and interaction.\n\nWe know a musician’s life is not easy. There is a lot of work required, many hours on the road, and much more. No different than our lives, yet they do it. Musicians are using their talents fully in the bringing joy to others and to themselves. This is purpose understood and undertaken.\n\nRight now, some may question why understanding your purpose is not the first step. The reason is simple. Many times, when we show up in different places and do the work required, we begin to understand our purpose. Work helps define our purpose, and then purpose makes our work more meaningful.\n\n<h3>Find Your Purpose & Use Your Talents</h3>\n\nThe second step is to find our purpose and use our talents to enliven ourselves and others.\n\nAs we think about this change and transformation, we realize it isn’t just about us. There is a community that gains in what we do. More than this, our community challenges us to do more and be more.\n\nTo me, this is what the Lead Change community has been. A community that rings the bell for someone, encouraging their leadership soul to get its wings. A community that rings the bell when others get it right or a challenge to think differently about a problem or a call to stand up and do more.\n\n<h3>Engage With A Leadership Community</h3>\n\nThe third step is to jump into a <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leadership-and-community/\">leadership community</a> and engage with others to make each other better. More than this, engage a community to prevent becoming stale in your leadership ways. The status quo can be dangerous and slippery. Leading change requires ideation, practice, and gratitude.\n\n<h3>Ring the Bell of Change!</h3>\n\nNext time you hear a bell ring know that:\n\n<ul>\n<li>A leader just found their leadership soul.</li>\n<li>A leader just adopted a positive change and a community rejoiced.</li>\n</ul>\n\nBe this leader of change and growth. Ring a bell for getting satisfaction in developing your leadership soul, because this is what our communities need.\n\n<em>Editor\'s Note: The Lead Change Group will be hosting a conference call on Wednesday, August 13, at 1 pm EDT. The call is open to current Lead Change Community members as well as people who just want to know what it is all about.</em>\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 100%;\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/LCG-Call-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" />', 'Is Your Leadership Soul Getting Its Wings?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'is-your-leadership-soul-getting-its-wings', '', '', '2015-08-11 06:00:40', '2015-08-11 10:00:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27055', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(27064, 318, '2015-08-13 06:00:14', '2015-08-13 10:00:14', 'Presenting to senior leaders can be nerve-racking at best. You\'ve got a short window of time to articulate your passionate point of view or showcase the outcome of your team\'s good work.\n\nMost of us have a story about a time we blew it, and our well-rehearsed intentions spiraled downward in a frenzied fiasco.\n\nExecutives are naturally a tough audience. They\'ve got limited time, competing priorities, information overload, demanding bosses, and pressure to make great decisions quickly.\n\nAs an ambassador for your team, your job is to give them all the information they need in a way they can easily digest it.\n\n<h3>10 Tips For Presenting to Senior Leaders</h3>\n\nFollow these ten tips to be sure your message is heard:\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Keep Your Cool</strong> - The execs will only buy your message if they believe you know what you\'re doing. It\'s vital to show up confident and strong. One exec I know stayed up late every night the week before her presentation to the senior team, doing deep research and getting the presentation just right. No one in the room knew a tenth as much as she did on the subject. But when one exec made a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/communication-listening/trickle_down_intimidation/\">snarky remark,</a> she lost it and burst into tears - tragic credibility buster. Exhaustion and too much caffeine prevented her from responding calmly and redirecting the conversation. Other credibility-busters include weak phrases such as: \"I guess,\" \"This is above my pay grade,\" and \"You all are a lot smarter than me.\" You are the expert. Show up strong.,/li>\n<li><strong>Have a Clear Structure</strong> - A good presentation sets the table so listeners have a sense of what’s coming next. When working to gain executive buy-in to an idea, a simple structure like this works well: Set the stage, describe the problem, offer a solution, and describe the impact.</li>\n<li><strong>Anticipate Tough Questions</strong> - Do your homework so you can answer the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/authenticity-transparency-trust/6-simple-ways-to-answer-tough-questions/\">tough questions</a> well. Is there a month where the results dipped or improved? Understand why. Are there others who have skin in the game? Ask them in advance for their advice. Answer their questions with confidence. Be comfortable challenging faulty thinking in a professional and respectful manner. Don’t waffle just because the inquirer has more power.</li>\n<li><strong>Stay Humble</strong> - It’s likely these execs have perspective you may not have. Listen carefully to really understand their concerns. Write down their suggestions. Be sure they feel heard. Know that as much as you know, you don\'t know it all.</li>\n<li><strong>Have A Clear Objective</strong> - When I\'m working with leaders on honing their executive presentations, I\'m often surprised how few can articulate their primary objective. Be sure you can complete this statement in one sentence: \"As a result of my presentation she/he/they will ____________.\"</li>\n<li><strong>Know Your Audience</strong> - Executives can often be hard to read, but there\'s a lot going in their quick-thinking brains. Do everything you can to learn about the executive\'s goals, competing priorities, decision-making styles, and political dynamics. This isn\'t easy, but it\'s a worthwhile investment. Talk to those who\'ve presented in the past. Talking to key members of their team is another great option.</li>\n<li><strong>Stakeholder In Advance</strong> - If the topic is complex and/or controversial, it\'s going to be tough to get traction in a room of opinionated execs. Seek out a few key players to ask for their opinion in advance. Incorporate and acknowledge their thinking. It will show you\'ve done your homework and also have a few friendlies in the room supporting your argument.</li>\n<li><strong>Be Memorable</strong> - It’s likely yours is the fifth or sixth PowerPoint deck they\'ve seen that day. Spice up your data with a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/communication-listening/strategic-storytelling/\">strategic story</a>, metaphors, or illuminating statistics with powerful comparisons. Classic research by Hermann Ebbinghaus shows that most people forget 40% of what was said within the first 30-minutes. Be sure your message is memorable. A great, easy read to inspire better presentations is <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Get-To-The-Point-What/dp/0963978705\">Get To The Point</a>.</li>\n<li><strong>Keep Your Slides Simple</strong> - You know a lot, or you wouldn\'t be in the room. Resist the urge to throw it all up on your slides. Use clean visuals (not cute clip art) that represent your message with a few key points per slide. Always include a meaningful heading that could tell the story on its own. A punch box at the bottom to reinforce your point can also be quite useful. If you can\'t come up with a punchy summarizing statement, consider if you really need that slide.</li>\n<li><strong>Ask For What You Need</strong> - It sounds so obvious, but it\'s one of the biggest mistakes I see. Be very clear on your proposed next steps and what you need specifically from whom. Funding? Support from above? Their support in communicating the message deeper in the organization? Resources? Sure, some details may need to be worked out later, but be sure you can answer the question, \"What do you need from us?\"</li>\n</ol>\n\nYour message is important. Your team is counting on you to get it right. With a little extra preparation, you can remove any distraction, and ensure your voice is heard.', '10 Tips For Presenting To Senior Leaders', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '10-tips-for-presenting-to-senior-leaders', '', '', '2015-08-13 06:00:14', '2015-08-13 10:00:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27064', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(27108, 376, '2015-08-14 06:00:10', '2015-08-14 10:00:10', 'In her latest book, <a href=\"http://jenniferkahnweiler.com/books-on-introverts/the-genius-of-opposites/\" target=\"_blank\">T<em>he Genius Of Opposites</em></a>, author and keynote speaker <a href=\"http://jenniferkahnweiler.com/about/\" target=\"_blank\">Jennifer Kahnweiler</a> continues to explore the world of introverts and extroverts, as we all learn more about the power that comes through being different.\n\nNot having read the book yet, I have no comments directly on Kahnweiler\'s ideas, other than to heartily endorse the general idea that introversion is not a handicap, but an asset, as well as the notion that we all might work together more productively if we understand both our individual inclinations in this regard and how to effectively work with those who have different preferences.\n\nI have a special interest in this workplace discussion. My career includes frequent and highly visible public interaction combined with periods of quiet reflection and solitude.\n\nMy personality and behavioral assessment scores may reflect either an \"I\" (for introversion) or \"E\" ( for extroversion) orientation at any given time, depending on how I am feeling or what I am focusing on in that moment. Since I usually appear very comfortable as I present, facilitate, speak, and teach groups of various sizes, people often think that I am an extrovert, and are surprised when I indicate that I more often live in the introversion camp. This is partly because many people confuse introversion with shyness, which is not at all the same thing.\n\n<h3>I Ain\'t Shy</h3>\n\nShyness might be defined as a profound reluctance to be in the spotlight stemming from deep-seated feelings of insecurity or instability. Shyness has more to do with lack of confidence than lack of ability, although obviously, in some contexts, confidence affects ability directly.\n\nA truly shy person may not feel worthy of attention and harbors some doubts regarding their ability to interact successfully with others. They do not feel able to navigate our highly social world.\n\nThis creates various hurdles for the truly shy person, including reluctance: to market what they do have to offer, to achieve success in many career fields, and to take full advantage of the positive aspects of our highly “social” and online world.\n\n<h3>I Do Need Alone Time</h3>\n\nIntroverts are fully capable of interacting, do so well when needed, and labor under no serious fear of being around others. Some introverts may not feel comfortable being “up front and verbal,\" but so do some extroverts. Other introverts, like me, are comfortable being in the public eye, but simply need to recharge our batteries every once in a while. We do so by withdrawing from the noise of the public arena and enjoy being alone with our thoughts.\n\nIntroverts are usually confident in their own abilities, maybe more so because they develop their thinking, values, and perceptions by themselves, rather than relying on others.\n\nIntroverts simply choose regularly to spend time with themselves … quality time, as we call it. When introverts do this regularly, they function better in most aspects of their life, whatever they are called to do.\n\n<h3>Bottom Line</h3>\n\nAs leaders, we need to consider this aspect of workplace collaboration intentionally and with a view to making sure that everyone on our teams has knowledge of their own preferences, others\' perceptions, and how to make all this work for us, rather than against us.\n\nAs indicated by the general behavioral preferences identified through DiSC assessments or the psychological leanings shown by MBTI scores, introversion and extroversion are simply points on a continuum, rather than distinct groupings.\n\nLife has a way of requiring certain types of behavior from us. We may be more or less comfortable engaging in a specific type of behavior, but we are still capable of doing a wide range of things acceptably and even unusually well. The quality of our work is not dependent on our personal preferences or make-up, but on the level and quality of our motivation to excel in a role.\n\n<ul>\n<li>This is why people who become parents often find themselves doing things they could not previously conceive of themselves doing...</li>\n<li>This is why some leaders \"rise to the challenge\" of unexpected difficulties...</li>\n<li>This is why our best bet is to become continual learners and change agents, to more effectively deal with and thrive through that continual change which comes with life...</li>\n</ul>\n\nExperience, context, and role expectations all impact where our little dot is on that behavioral continuum at any given time.  Understanding this, rather than adopting the attitude that someone at a different point than you are is somehow defective, incapable, or just weird, is the most productive approach.\n\nSome questions to consider here:\n\n<ul>\n<li>How do I know whether I am more introverted or extroverted?</li>\n<li>How do I determine the relative strength of my introversion and my extroversion?</li>\n<li>How do I use this knowledge to work more effectively with others, especially those way left or way right of me on the continuum?</li>\n</ul>', 'Opposites Attract...But Do They Stick?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'opposites-attract-but-do-they-stick', '', '', '2015-08-14 06:00:10', '2015-08-14 10:00:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27108', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(27130, 389, '2015-08-17 06:00:24', '2015-08-17 10:00:24', 'The unsung hero of a fully engaged, energized workplace may surprise you.\n\nTo uncover this everyday tour-de-force, let us turn for a moment to perhaps the most challenging of all battlegrounds for maintaining attention and engagement—teenagers in a classroom.\n\nSam Intrator is a teaching expert who spent 130-days shadowing and closely observing teenagers in a diverse California high school. He discovered the key to holding their attention, making personal connections, and thus making learning meaningful for them.\n\nIs it a boisterous presentation? Is it a commanding and even fear-inducing presence? Is it a comedic or hip approach? No, it’s authenticity.\n\nIntrator says,\n\n<blockquote>“Teachers who connected with students told poignant personal stories, conveyed their passions, and expressed emotion and vulnerability. Time and again, I heard students say about teachers who were capable of snaring attention, ‘Mr. X is a real person.’”</blockquote>\n\nIn the workplace, too, it is the existence of a real environment and accompanying genuine behavior that maximizes the quality of connections between coworkers, fires up engagement, and creates enduring moments of meaning. It starts with the primary teachers in an organization, its leaders and managers, who must role-model authentic behavior.\n\nIt’s easy to understand the importance of this when you imagine what it’s like in an inauthentic environment where disingenuous, untrustworthy, or fake behavior is the norm. The unhealthy roots of such inauthentic behavior will soon kill the tree that’s trying to grow. Moreover, the offending acts don’t remain buried; disingenuous behavior has a way of surfacing and revealing itself. Human instinct is strong and in tune to a lack of authenticity.\n\nIn fact, nothing is more transparent than when someone’s not being transparent. And again, the effects can be devastating.\n\nThink of the incredibly negative emotions you have toward people when they are not being transparent and you know it. It’s hard to repair. Now think of how energizing it is when you are encountering someone being genuine and honest. Why wouldn’t you always seek to create that kind of energy? The truth is, most managers absolutely want to be transparent and authentic. However, the problem arises in the level of vigilance required. Well-meaning managers can ruin years of goodwill with just one unintentional slip.\n\nAdhering to a code of conduct for authenticity is one helpful way to ensure the right behaviors are always top of mind. Sharing these principles with your organization can help set behavioral expectations and standards. Accordingly, I’ve outlined a code of conduct for being authentic:\n\n<h3>The Authenticity Code of Conduct</h3>\n\n<h4>Be a beacon of...</h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>transparency, honesty, and integrity.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h4>Be worthy of...</h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>belief and trust.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h4>Behave...</h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>in a genuine, down-to-earth, and approachable manner (no matter the conditions).</li>\n<li>in a manner congruent with your values and character (at work and outside of work).</li>\n<li>with humility, humanity, and vulnerability.</li>\n<li>without regard to position-power, leveraging relationship-power instead.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h4>Believe...</h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>in the power of each person bringing his or her whole self to work, and encourage individuals to bring forth their unique skills, styles, and original thinking.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h4>Be beholden to...</h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>employees who speak truth, expose issues, and admit mistakes (and do so yourself).</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h4>Be the first to...</h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>live the values of the organization (especially if you establish them).</li>\n<li>show passion and productive emotion.</li>\n<li>give credit away and accept blame.</li>\n<li>laugh, have fun, and encourage others to do the same.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h4>Be wary of...</h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>politics and two-faced behavior.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h4>Be a provider of...</h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>truth, reality, and hope.</li>\n<li>genuine feedback that is positive and corrective (and from the heart).</li>\n<li>a safe haven for taking risks and venting frustrations.</li>\n</ul>\n\nAll in all, promoting an atmosphere of authenticity helps yield norms of behavior that forge strong, meaningful bonds and that produce vastly stronger results. It is the unsung hero that can turn you into an everyday superhero at work.', 'The Genuine Power Of An Authentic Workplace', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-genuine-power-of-an-authentic-workplace', '', '', '2015-08-17 06:00:24', '2015-08-17 10:00:24', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27130', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(27132, 389, '2015-09-04 06:00:56', '2015-09-04 10:00:56', 'We have enough barriers to performing at our best in today’s high-stress work world.\n\nWhy on earth would we add to the tension even more by unknowingly compromising our employee’s self-confidence? We don’t mean to, but yet we do.\n\nResearch indicates that dismissing the importance of an employee\'s ideas or work can crush a sense of self-confidence and accordingly a sense of meaning for the employee.\n\nThis can occur whether the work is overtly dismissed or even if there is simply a failure to recognize the importance of one\'s contributions.\n\nThe same is true of overly critical or punishing behavior such as unduly harsh feedback, overemotional reactions, a nothing-is-ever-good-enough mindset, or plain callousness - all of which can induce the question, “What\'s the point?.\"\n\nCriticized employees start to wonder if they are truly valued and respected or if they will ever match up to the overbearing bosses expectations. It\'s hard for our employees to find meaning and fulfillment at work when doubt continually creeps in for them and they start wondering whether they are even fulfilling our base expectations. Likewise, if you are quick to criticize and slow to praise, don\'t be surprised if your employee\'s work needs criticizing and isn\'t worth praise.\n\nI can recommend six ways to help keep you from exhibiting overcritical and callous behavior at work, thus avoiding the potential to compromise an employee’s sense of self-confidence:\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Assume They Care About Doing Good Work</strong> - Criticism about someone else\'s work is often born out of frustration and assumptions that the other person lacks regard for doing the job right. Don\'t assume that. Plain and simple: stop being so critical. There is simply no substitute for giving the benefit of the doubt and building corrective comments on a foundational belief that others want to do their best. People generally want to shine, not shirk.</li>\n<li><strong>Don\'t Create The Need For Neutralization</strong> - When people get harshly criticized, they tend to engage in a number of tactics to neutralize the sting. They will do things like seek out other people\'s opinions, withdraw and take recovery time, console themselves that their manager doesn\'t define them, or look for validation elsewhere. An ounce of prevention is required here. Imagine sending someone off forced to soothe the bite of brittle feedback and anticipate that you could cause this scenario if you aren’t careful. This will remind you to apply a filter to avoid unduly harsh feedback.</li>\n<li><strong>Plant Seeds Of Growth, Not Seeds Of Doubt</strong> - Related to the above but worthy of separate consideration is the thought that criticism should be given and framed in a way to actually encourage nurturing and growth. The idea is to give constructive, not destructive, feedback and to avoid creating self-confidence setbacks.</li>\n<li><strong>Don\'t Manufacture Mis-Attribution, Share Context</strong> - There is a good chance that criticism poorly delivered from you will be rejected by the recipient and attributed to any unkind perceptions the recipient might have about you, thereby widening an existing rift or unintentionally causing a new one. Context can often be missing--context that, if you shared and clarified, would improve receptivity of the well-intended criticism. Instead, package criticisms with thoughtful explanations of why the criticism is being offered and how it could help the individual. By depersonalizing the criticism you will turn it from overbearing to overflowing with good intent.</li>\n<li><strong>Better Self-Manage Anxiety & Stress</strong> - Criticism of others often comes from our insecurities or inability to manage our own anxieties and stress. Better managing these forces can make us better managers - ones that don\'t subconsciously project our own insecurities by defaulting to criticism of others, and thus causing insecurities to arise in others as well.</li>\n<li><strong>Warm Up</strong> - Yes, this means stop being an ice queen or king. This can create doubts in your employee’s minds about how you are perceiving them. People can read a lack of compassion and warmth a mile away, and they will stay a mile away when they sense it.</li>\n</ol>', 'How To Avoid Crushing The Self Confidence Of Others', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-to-avoid-crushing-the-self-confidence-of-others', '', '', '2015-09-04 06:00:56', '2015-09-04 10:00:56', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27132', 0, 'post', '', 9),
(27134, 389, '2015-09-30 06:00:06', '2015-09-30 10:00:06', 'If what we do really matters, it’s meaningful. The exact antithesis of this, then, is work that is literally wasted, has no point, or is done twice.\n\nIt\'s hard to imagine anything that matters less and it isn\'t the workers who typically cause this violation of meaning - it\'s their managers.\n\nWhy? No one sets out to create rework and waste, and yet it happens.\n\nOne culprit is when we give unclear or imprecise direction upfront. Another is when we fail to get our chain of management aligned to something, which then triggers substantive work later. Lack of respect for people\'s time causes us to be late or engage in behaviors that effectively waste time.\n\nA desire to exhaustively cover every angle leads to work that ultimately is done without a useful purpose. Indecision and insecurity plays a part as well, as does overreacting to new developments. The bottom line is that this behavior kills the sense of completion that human beings are deeply drawn to.\n\nRepeating or reworking a task is inherently bereft of fulfillment because the human mind can\'t resist drawing the conclusion that the first go-around, or any go-around, didn\'t matter. Completed work that is a complete waste causes frustration and drains meaning. And I\'m not referring to work that was ultimately discarded but served as a valuable learning experience and stepping stone along the way. I\'m talking about lazy behavior causing unnecessary rework and waste--something that simply has no place in a meaning-making organization.\n\nAsserting control over these specific corrosive behaviors requires awareness of three power questions we can ask ourselves:\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Did I give a clear brief for the work?</strong> - Businesses all the way from advertising agencies to military organizations require a clear brief for the mission before they get started. What is the objective of the work? What are the expectations? Who is doing what? Are all the stakeholders of the work\'s outcome aligned to the work to be done? An undisciplined approach to the assignment of work will lead to great inefficiency and wasted effort and energy.</li>\n<li><strong>Is the juice worth the squeeze?</strong> - This question helps us to get serious about simplification. Asking for work in an effort to cover every angle is not exhaustive thinking - it\'s exhaustively lazy thinking. And it hints at underlying insecurities, which cannot be the driving force behind requests for work. Each new piece of work requested should be carefully viewed through the filter of whether it\'s truly worth doing. The bottom line here is that you must realize you could be asking someone to do something that is literally meaningless. That is the exact opposite of bringing more meaning to the workplace. Of course, you have to consider new information along the way that could trigger new or different work. However, this is about choosing not to do the easy thing by doing everything, but instead being disciplined enough to choose only the worthy things to work on. Such a mindset helps ensure no effort is wasted.</li>\n<li><strong>Am I acting with an abundant scarcity mentality?</strong> - People have limited time, resources, and energy. Respect for those scarcities should be abundant. Wasteful behavior here causes missed opportunity for a sense of completion realized elsewhere.</li>\n</ol>', 'How To Halt The Creation Of Rework &amp; Waste', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-to-halt-the-creation-of-rework-and-waste', '', '', '2015-09-30 06:00:06', '2015-09-30 10:00:06', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27134', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(27136, 389, '2015-10-19 06:00:54', '2015-10-19 10:00:54', 'George Bernard Shaw once said, \"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.\"\n\nTherein lies the problem. In environments where communication is poor, we are either not investing the time it takes to communicate effectively, we believe communication is happening at a sufficient level when in fact it is not, or we are simply not listening well.\n\nCommunication all too often breaks down not only because the sender isn\'t really sending, but because the receiver isn\'t really receiving.\n\nA sense of certainty will ultimately and undoubtedly be compromised in such an environment – certainty that one’s efforts matter, certainty that the receiver of the message cares, and certainty that everyone is on the same page.\n\nThe potential for a trickle-down negative impact on meaning, fulfillment, and performance is too great to not get all this right. The solution is to first make the commitment to invest in two-way communication. Then, get to work on the powerful, but lost art of simply inquiring and listening.\n\nMary Kay Ash built an entire cosmetics empire around a simple philosophy: \"Everyone has an invisible sign around their neck that says, \'make me feel important.\'\"\n\nAt work you can regularly check in and ask how your employees and co-workers are doing and see what is going on in their lives. Use a technique that I call P:60 - which stands for personal sixty seconds. Before the start of a regularly scheduled team meeting, go around the table asking each member to give sixty seconds of personal information, sharing something that\'s going on in their lives outside of work that will help others to see more of the whole person.\n\nSimilarly, ask Mike Michael about the power of listening - really listening - to facilitate high-quality communication and a corresponding high-quality result. Mike is president and CEO of Fifth Third Bank\'s largest region. The bank went through a massive system conversion in 2013, condensing twenty-four types of checking accounts down into five.\n\nHow could the bank keep the lines of communication open and ensure the net result maximally benefited the customer? Michael harnessed his reputation for being a genuine, caring listener and leader and took it to a whole new level. He and his retail team launched a listening exercise conducted on a scale never seen before in the industry. They talked and listened to over 300,000 people, face to face.\n\nThey delved into life status and life objectives so that they could figure out the best ways to help. The result was an organization that\'s much more practiced in the art of carefully receiving communications, that is unequivocally certain about its client’s needs, and that now has a much happier client base.\n\nWhen you commit to the practice of inquiring and listening, you too can create a much happier client base- your employees and co-workers.', 'The Lost Art Of Inquiring &amp; Listening', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-lost-art-of-inquiring-and-listening', '', '', '2015-10-19 06:00:54', '2015-10-19 10:00:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27136', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(27138, 389, '2015-11-30 06:00:00', '2015-11-30 11:00:00', 'The causes of negativity in the workplace are too many to count, but you can count on any one of them impacting the sense of community present in an organization.\n\nThe multiplier effect that even one negative personality can have on an organization should be seen as too much to bear.\n\nHere are five ways you can keep negativity at bay.\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Drive Awareness Of The Behavior\'s Impact</strong> - Negative individuals might not realize the full extent of the corrosive impact they are having. Furthermore, it is critical to make it clear that the negative behavior won\'t be tolerated. In fact, it is your responsibility--after all, you will get the behavior you tolerate.</li>\n<li><strong>Switch The \"-Isms\"</strong> - Go from pessimism to optimism. It sounds simple. But continually having to counter pessimists with positivity can be positively draining. Sticking at it, however, wears down the naysayer and reinforces to them that their negative behaviors are unwelcome. The pessimists may eventually get caught up in the optimism and thus vastly increase their capacity to contribute in a productive manner.</li>\n<li><strong>Challenge Cynics</strong> - Cynics get their power when no one challenges them--their acidic statements can seem smart in the absence of a countering force. Challenge their statements and invite them to be a part of the solution instead. If they can\'t suggest solutions, they lose their power.</li>\n<li><strong>Don\'t Let Falsehoods & Ferocity Fester</strong> - Speak up. Stating nothing in the face of falsehoods, unduly negative commentary, or vicious pessimism is as bad as adding to it. Don\'t get sucked into the orbit of negativity.</li>\n<li><strong>Build People\'s Self-Image & Redirect Their energy</strong> - Negative individuals may have a lot of negative things going on behind the scenes. Demonstrate empathy and find places to build their self-esteem. Get to work on redirecting their energy.</li>\n</ul>', 'Neutralizing Workplace Negativity', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'neutralizing-workplace-negativity', '', '', '2015-11-30 06:00:00', '2015-11-30 11:00:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27138', 0, 'post', '', 1);
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(27140, 389, '2015-12-14 06:00:18', '2015-12-14 11:00:18', 'For every action there is a reaction.\n\nBut for the leader’s 5 worst inactions, there is often a chain reaction of undesirable consequences.\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>Failure To Make A Decision</strong> - Indecision can paralyze an organization. It can create doubt, uncertainty, lack of focus, and even resentment. Multiple options can linger, sapping an organization’s energy and killing a sense of completion.\n<br />\nTimelines stretch while costs skyrocket. As we vacillate, competition can eat our lunch, or worse, as HR expert Ron Thomas points out in his article on <a href=\"http://www.tlnt.com/2013/07/01/the-consequences-of-leadership-yes-indecision-is-a-decision/\" target=\"_blank\">indecision</a>. The leader must always be wary that choosing not to decide is a choice, with consequences.</li>\n	<li><strong>Failure To Stop Spin</strong> - A close cousin to indecision, this form of inaction happens when the leader is out of touch and continually misses signals of stalled progress. Such signals include repeated meetings on the same topic, milestone dates missed, long periods of silence where nothing is heard from the team, or one-off overtures from individual team members pleading their case on something the team should be working on together.\n<br />\nSpin is caused by the leader giving unclear direction; not establishing clear roles/behavioral expectations for each team member, allowing too many cooks in the kitchen; not ensuring success is clearly defined; not ensuring alignment up the chain to strategies and planned actions; not appreciating the difficulty of a project; or by delegating and forgetting.</li>\n	<li><strong>Failure To Resolve Conflict In A Timely Fashion</strong> - Debate is a healthy and necessary component of everyday business. Sometimes debate can grow uncomfortable, which is okay as long as respect is maintained and truth and transparency come out. It is when the leader allows the debate to devolve to conflict, and the conflict lingers, that trouble arises. Reality can be distorted as both sides spiral into an us versus them mentality, inefficiency and stress surge, and bonds may be irreparably weakened.\n<br />\nThe leader must cut off disrespectful behavior, deflate, not elevate, overly emotional behavior, and keep focus on building a team-based approach. Asking the troops to work it out is a cop out; sometimes rolling up the sleeves, getting to the root of the conflict, and mediating a resolution is required. Conflict often arises from the passion opposing sides feel for the matter at hand; leaders must be on high alert to channel unproductive passion into high energy solutions. For more ideas help on just how to do so, visit <a href=\"http://positivesharing.com/2006/07/5-essential-steps-to-resolve-a-conflict-at-work/\" target=\"_blank\">Positive Sharing</a>.</li>\n	<li><strong>Failure To Reward &amp; Recognize</strong> - A missed opportunity to recognize is a missed opportunity to energize. There are plenty of <a href=\"http://www.globoforce.com/gfblog/2013/why-managers-fail-to-recognize-employee-contributions/\" target=\"_blank\">seemingly good excuses</a> for why the rewards and recognition never takes place. However, the bottom line is that failure to reward and recognize creates doubts in employees’ minds.\n<br />\nThey wonder: \"Am I working on the right things? Does my leader notice my efforts and accomplishments, or even care? Are my efforts not up to his/her standards?\" It can manifest itself as a plain old fashion lack of feeling appreciated. And all of this leads to a lack of feeling motivated.</li>\n	<li><strong>Failure To Inform</strong> - It’s difficult enough to gain competitive intelligence; why would we withhold our own? And it happens far too often - how many times have you been on a team, found out something too late, and thought, “It would have been nice to know that a month?\" As leaders, when we withhold information or don’t make the time investment to openly share critical information, we handicap our organizations.</li>\n</ol>\nThink of this article as a call to action to avoid damaging inaction.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Make-It-Matter-Managers-Motivate/dp/081443617X\"><img class=\"wp-image-28570 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Make-It-Matter-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Make It Matter\" width=\"100\" height=\"150\" /></a><em>Editor\'s Note: Scott is donating December 2015 proceeds from the sale of his book, <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Make-It-Matter-Managers-Motivate/dp/081443617X\" target=\"_blank\">Make It Matter: How Managers Can Motivate by Creating Meaning</a>, to the United Way. We admire and applaud your generosity, Scott!</em>', 'A Failure To Act - The Leader&#039;s 5 Most Damaging Inactions', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'a-failure-to-act-the-leaders-5-most-damaging-inactions', '', '', '2015-12-14 06:00:18', '2015-12-14 11:00:18', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27140', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(27148, 397, '2015-08-19 06:00:46', '2015-08-19 10:00:46', '<em>Note: This is the first of a two-part series. Part one focuses on questions to help win support.</em>\n\nOne of the main reasons that projects fail to launch, or realize long-term success, is the lack of executive sponsorship.\n\nIn fact, a 2014 Research Study by Prosci indicated that projects with strong, effective executive sponsorship were 3.5 times more likely to meet or exceed objectives than those with weak sponsorship.\n\nHere are three self-reflection questions to help you frame, communicate, and earn the executive sponsorship you need to gain buy-in for your initiative.\n<h3>How aligned is my project to the overarching strategies of the organization?</h3>\nA cardinal rule of gaining effective momentum to implement any project or change management endeavor is organizational alignment. No amount of change management training will substitute for an organization lacking in alignment of strategies and decision making.\n\nAsk yourself the following: What is the overarching goal of your project, and does it support the current strategic priorities of your organization? Or, does it detract from the momentum of those priorities?\n\nA good way to assess this is to ask yourself, “In support of my organization’s current priorities, does my project ____________?”\n<ul>\n	<li>Improve patient care or safety?</li>\n	<li>Increase revenue? Improve efficiency?</li>\n	<li>Improve employee satisfaction, engagement or productivity?</li>\n	<li>Accelerate a task or a desired outcome?</li>\n</ul>\nIf your project is not in alignment, or its activities detract from the current 2-3 strategic priorities of your organization, it’s time to put it aside and redirect your time, energy, and focus to initiatives that support the overall direction of the organization.\n<h3>Do I know what makes the Executive Leader tick?</h3>\nAn often overlooked way to gain support for your initiative is to speak the same language as the leader from whom you are seeking sponsorship.\n\nFirst, you may already have an idea of how she makes decisions if you frequently work with this leader. Reflect on past decisions and points of influence; whether the leader made decisions on data, facts and ROI, or on ideas, innovation and culture.This can help you frame your argument.\n\nSecond, if you do not frequently work with this leader, survey other team members who work directly for her, or who have successfully influenced her in the past.\n\nNo matter her decision-making style, come to the table prepared with a balanced argument. Build a cross-disciplinary task force that can help you develop strong data, facts, and ROI to influence the decision. In addition, be able to present strong arguments that discuss the culture, patient care, and innovation aspects.\n\nEssential to success is the ability to pull together the right team – one that can clearly articulate the vision of what you want to achieve in terms of ROI, patient outcomes, and employee experience.\n\nFinally, if your organization uses personality assessments such as Emergentics, DiSC, MBTI, etc., use that information to help you frame your presentation. Your chances of being successful as an influencer will skyrocket if you take the approach of bending toward their decision-making and communication style versus your own.\n<h3>Am I acting patiently persistent?</h3>\nDemonstrating a high level of accountability is more than just taking ownership of a project or idea. It’s demonstrating a continuous resilience in the face of setbacks. It can also be taking ownership of feedback you receive on your delivery, data points, or project scope as you pursue your effort.\n\nIf you determined in question one that your project does indeed support the direction of the organization, realize that it may take more than one presentation to effectively gain the support you need. If you don’t immediately influence your decision makers, revisit question two to ensure you are communicating the vision, data, and value in terms that resonate with your leader. This openness to continuous learning will improve your influencing skills and refine your presentation to ensure it features the most relevant information.\n\nFinally, if your presentation fails to gain traction, realize that sometimes the best feedback may be that which we are not receiving verbally – it could be lack of buy-in. It is your accountability then to ask the Executive Leader, “What’s missing from my approach that is keeping you from moving forward with my proposal?” Be open to the feedback you receive.\n\nYou may hear that your project, in their view, just isn’t in alignment with strategic priorities right now. Instead of getting defensive, ask what you can focus on now to help your leader drive current priorities. Or, you may be asked to tweak data or your style. This is an easy fix and an opportunity for you to ask the leader about her preferred communication and decision-making style.\n\nEither way, you win – you are perceived as flexible, action-oriented, and quick to act in support of current initiatives. Or, you gain valuable insight on the best approach to influence this leader on current and future projects.\n\nPlease feel free to email me with any questions or insights at <a href=\"mailto:kelli.hinshaw@avantas.com\" target=\"_blank\">kelli.hinshaw@avantas.com</a>. In the second part in this series, I’ll share the three keys to maximizing the executive sponsor relationship.', 'Essentials Of Executive Sponsorship (Part One)', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'essentials-of-executive-sponsorship-part-one', '', '', '2015-08-19 06:00:46', '2015-08-19 10:00:46', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27148', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(27150, 329, '2015-08-18 06:00:50', '2015-08-18 10:00:50', 'A maverick band of rabbits, threatened by the spread of industrial construction near their warren (home), start out on a quest for a new warren and a better society.\n\nThis is the backstory for Richard Adams’s 1972 best-selling book, <em>Watership Down</em>. The story describes the rabbits’ sudden evacuation and long odyssey complete with extreme danger, delightful fun, and challenging hurdles.\n\nOne part of the story has the band of rabbits encountering a group of caged rabbits on a small farm. The wandering pack needs more does (females) for their new society and there are two does and two bucks inside the small cage in the back of the barn. They extend a heartfelt invitation to all (does and bucks) to join them on their wild journey.\n\n“Do you ever come out?” asks the leader, Hazel, puzzled by the caged rabbits\' docile nature. “Yes, sometimes,” one of the nervous rabbits declares. “The little boy takes us out and puts us in a pen on the grass.”\n\nOpening the cage door, Hazel works to convince the four to abandon their confined and boring dwelling and join his band in the wild. As he spins his story of adventure and liberation, the caged rabbits resist with concerns for their security. “Besides,” one laments, “the nice little boy always comes to feed us and keeps us away from the big dog.”\n\nThe caged rabbits seem at once both bewildered and fascinated. As they continue their “freedom versus security” discussion, Hazel comes to a powerful realization:\n\n“Although they were glad to talk to him and welcomed his visit because it brought a little excitement and change into their monotonous life, it was not within their capacity to take a decision and act on it. They did not know how to make up their minds. To him and his companions, sensing and acting was second nature, but these rabbits had never had to act to save their lives or even to find a meal.”\n<h3>What Is Leadership, Really?</h3>\nThe classic tenets of what it means to be a leader originated in an era of \"cage” employees. Employees punched in, went to their workstations, did their tasks all day, and punched out. New employees hoped to avoid getting a bad boss and stayed worried about their pay raises and performance reviews. They learned to keep their heads down; mouths closed, and just get the job done. Good bosses were benevolent but controlling; bad bosses were judgmental and controlling. Bosses held control over their means for food; and, if employees were good team players they got to enjoy the equivalent of being in the pen on the grass.\n\nLeaders were instructed to be tough but fair. Many focused on their own welfares and drilled inflexibly for greater productivity. Even the language of business was littered with combative idioms like “cut throat,” “hands tied,” “take the bull by the horns,” “get a foot in the door,” and “twist an arm.” Recruiters were headhunters; organizational charts were chains of command. Leaders avoided getting in “hot water” or “burning bridges” and tried to stay “ahead of the pack.” Some led with directives via email or endless meetings; some walked the floor as “snooper-visors” with an ever-present eye for error.\n<h3>Welcome To The Wild</h3>\nToday’s employees work virtually, remotely, or on a shift different than their bosses. They are more interested in the camaraderie of collaborative work than in the aloneness of solo tasks. They are propelled more by the intrinsic worth of doing a good job than by simply completing their assigned work. They are more likely to leave because of a poor relationship with their immediate supervisor. While the great majority of managers today believe employees exit for more money, research shows only 12% leave for compensation concerns.\n\nWe live in a brain-based economy, not a brawn-based one. In such a world, employees thrive with more autonomy, more affirmation, and a sense of ownership in the goals of the unit. They want professional growth not necessarily upward mobility. They want to make a real difference. While they constantly court burnout from an unrelenting work pace, they are more apt to blame global competition than the quirkiness of their leader. All these pressures have changed the requirements for great leadership.\n<h3>The Way Of The Leader In The Wild</h3>\nHazel provides a prototype of a leader excelling in the wild. His band of renegades is deeply committed to their mission and the members enjoy working together to overcome obstacles. They operate more as a partnership—a confederation of equals with different skills and talents but a shared calling and a collective zeal to see it through. Below are four tenets from Watership Down for leading in the wild.\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>Pursuit Of Purpose</strong> - It was not easy to enlist a few rabbits to trust Fiver’s nightmare vision of the impending destruction of their warren while ignoring the naysaying “Great Rabbit” and risk an unfamiliar journey. It required a compelling sense of purpose. At the end of the book, the band of rabbits learns that Fiver’s vision came true—bulldozers destroyed the warren the band had abandoned. Today’s workers value a cause, not just a course. They learn the capacity to make wise decisions when propelled by a noble mission. They require a sense of the why, not just the what or how.</li>\n	<li><strong>Lead With Stories</strong> - Each evening before the rabbits went to sleep a story was shared. Adams’s book devoted a full chapter to each story. Filled with promise and courage the stories instructed as well as inspired. They yielded hope and courage. Great leaders are storytellers. Stories are more than just tall tales or campfire yarns. They include discussions of the enterprise in the future tense. They are visions of what can be, not just what is. They are dreams, not just plans. In a complex, unpredictable and volatile competitive work world, stories of promise instill conviction and bolster confidence.</li>\n	<li><strong>Champion Diversity</strong> - Wise leaders know that success in the future will not come from incremental improvement but rather through disruptive innovation. Most surviving organizations have squeezed most of the waste and inefficiencies from their operations. Playing to win requires divergent perspectives, risk-taking confidence, and the bold embrace of change. That means a culture filled with a sense of adventure and a strong reception of different perspectives. Diversity is more than “does and bucks;” it is an attitude of continual learning and passionate curiosity--the engines of breakthroughs.</li>\n	<li><strong>Leadership As A Force</strong> - From abandoned warren to a new home, leadership among the rabbits influenced and inspired their collective success. While Hazel was the “appointed” chief, leadership was communal--coming from the rabbit best able to deal with the challenge or situation. Hazel believed in the goodness of everyone and nurtured each to be a fellow leader. He respected the astute instincts of Fiver, the runt of the warren. Leadership in the wild is an adaptable and helpful force, not a role. Since it is shared power, it is trusted power. It nurtures rather than controls; mentors instead of commands.</li>\n</ol>\nA wise coach once said:\n<blockquote>“My responsibility is getting all my players playing for the name on the front of the jersey not the one on the back.”</blockquote>\nLeadership today is about achieving an honorable collective purpose while building a better society. In the end, Hazel and his band of rabbits were successful, not for their victorious house hunting, but for their virtuous community building.', 'Leading In The Wild', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'leading-in-the-wild', '', '', '2015-08-18 06:00:50', '2015-08-18 10:00:50', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27150', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(27178, 377, '2015-08-21 06:00:32', '2015-08-21 10:00:32', 'If I had a nickel for every time I\'ve heard people confess to their fear of failure as the reason for abandoning their dreams, I\'d be a wealthy woman today.\n\nYet failure, however much we might fear it, is often how we learn best, if we\'ll open ourselves to the learning along the way.\n\nUnfortunately, fear rarely travels alone.\n\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">\"Failure is often how we learn best. Fear and pride are what keep us from the lessons.\"</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\"><a href=\"http://ctt.ec/mYAuj\" target=\"_blank\">Tweet This</a></div>\n</blockquote>\n\nIn my experience, one of fear\'s favorite companions is pride -- and not the kind of pride that leaves us feeling good about ourselves and our accomplishments, either. Sometimes it shows up as \"I\'m too good for\" or \"not good enough.\" When we think we\'re too good for, we avoid taking risks; we avoid the inevitable vulnerability that comes from stepping out of our comfort zone, choosing instead to maintain the false mask of control and perfection.\n\nConversely, when we think we\'re not good enough, there is the temptation to internalize failure, allowing it to defeat us instead of failing forward -- limiting us from learning the lessons needed to ensure our success in the future. But perhaps there\'s a better way.\n\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">\"Fear of failure and pride lures us into false thinking about ourselves and others.\"</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\"><a href=\"http://ctt.ec/Oea8Z\" target=\"_blank\">Tweet This</a></div>\n</blockquote>\n\nThis past spring I attended the <a href=\"http://mccollcenter.org/\" target=\"_blank\">McColl Center for Art & Innovation\'s Innovation Institute</a>, a Charlotte, NC-based program that uses artists-in-residence to facilitate and teach the creative process, with both a business innovation and personal leadership development perspective in mind. On day one we met Shaun, a talented sculptor with a passion for public art.\n\n\"Do you ever struggle with fear of failure or of being criticized by others?\" one participant asked.\n\nI honestly don\'t recall whether there was a time in his distant past when he feared failure, though one part of his answer has remained with me since. He shared that instead of fearing failure, criticism or condemnation, he instead approaches his work with an open mindset of curiosity, exploration and continual learning, actually inviting critique and disruption as a way of learning more about himself, about others, and the infinite possibilities for his work - an approach I have since adopted in my own pursuits that has in turn helped minimize my fears, while expanding my own sense of possibility.\n\nDo you struggle with a fear of failure? Has a fear of failure ever kept you from pursuing your dreams? What might happen if you replaced pride and a fear of failure with a mindset of curiosity, experimentation and learning? Can you view failure as an invitation to grow rather than a condemnation of your own value and self-worth?', 'Fearing Failure', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'fearing-failure', '', '', '2015-08-21 06:00:32', '2015-08-21 10:00:32', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27178', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(27190, 343, '2015-08-24 06:00:09', '2015-08-24 10:00:09', 'Have you ever noticed how people tend to herd into groups and stay in those groups?\n\nDo you notice that most people \"seek their own\" in your organization and stay in those comfortable groups?\n\nHave you ever been frustrated that your people don\'t seem to cross the aisle, or the building, and readily build relationships among each other?\n\nGetting your folks integrated with each other is a challenge for most leaders. However, it\'s a vital skill that you can easily hone to create a more engaged community within your own organization.\n\nEngagement isn\'t just defined by employees being engaged with the company\'s leaders. Engagement is at its best when employees across all departments and teams work together and create a synergy that perpetuates the organization\'s culture and values.\n\nAs a leader, you play a key role in jump-starting the process of connecting your people. Here are five great approaches to creating a culture of connection in your organization:\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Have A Host Mindset</strong> - When you host a gathering at your home, it is natural to introduce new people to each other and grow new friendships. It\'s similar in the workplace. By being a host, or the term I use, <em>connector</em>, you can forge new work relationships that will build a deeper team and create more working partnerships within the overall organization.</li>\n<li><strong>Get Others Talking Among Themselves</strong> - Beyond connecting people, it is necessary at times to instigate dialogue in order to get people to fully connect. One way is to start conversations then fade away as the parties start to relate. This area is a guilty pleasure of mine, because fading into the background as two people connect is a thrilling part of leadership and team building. Do this and watch with amazement at what happens.</li>\n<li><strong>Cross Over Teams With Projects In Ways They Otherwise Would Not Connect</strong> - Sometimes we get so routine oriented that we silo projects within one team, thus isolating the teams by our own design. Think of how a project can benefit from other people\'s input, or how they can develop through the project. Fold them into the other teams to create a big picture awareness of the organization and a mutual vision of what the company is working towards.</li>\n<li><strong>Build Training Around Interdisciplinary Groups To Build Teamwork</strong> - I conducted food safety kitchen training for healthcare organizations before realizing they were not the only ones involved in the food chain. I opened this up to the nursing and direct care staff, then realized that the entire organization could benefit from these courses. Food safety in the home is important too. What resulted was a popular class because it was one of the only times the organization was able to meet and work together. By finding applications in training for the entire team, you can build their awareness, and appreciation, for what their colleagues do and create better understanding to processes. People will be more willing to resolve any issues if they know what is involved.  You can also invite other departments to team meetings each time to build bridges as well.</li>\n<li><strong>Feature A Different Team Regularly In Your Organization</strong> - Is everyone aware of the rides maintenance crew in a theme park? How about the housekeeping staff at an assisted living facility? Do your people realize there are some dedicated employees in the accounting department? Or that an employee - a young college student - just won an academic award? Use your company\'s newsletters, intranet, quarterly meetings, and company bulletin boards to promote teams and individuals across the workplace and gain an appreciation for the people behind the faces.</li>\n</ol>\n\nImagine the incredible opportunities you have to build culture, engagement, and an enjoyable workplace if you connect your people to each other. These points are just a starting block, the rest is up to you to pursue.', '5 Approaches To Connecting Your People', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '5-approaches-to-connecting-your-people', '', '', '2015-08-24 06:00:09', '2015-08-24 10:00:09', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27190', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(27193, 380, '2015-08-20 06:00:54', '2015-08-20 10:00:54', 'If you are anything like me, you will be able to relate to the main character of my most recent book, <em>Rapid Teamwork</em>.\n\nHis name is Greg – and as the director of a large organization, he does a good job.\n\nBut his team is under-performing...and despite his focus on strategy and skills and metrics, he can’t figure out what is missing.\n\nSo his management team is encouraged to take a trip together – to go whitewater rafting.\n\nWhat follows is a series of powerful and entertaining lessons, as their rafting guide shares a recipe with Greg and his people that includes the n.\n\n<ul>\n<li><p><strong>Goals & Gear</strong> - According to the guide, all great teams begin with a compelling common goal that requires people to work interdependently as a small part of something more significant than themselves. People have to have a why that defines their daily efforts. They need to have the gear that makes the journey possible. But it is also important to ensure that focusing on the gear doesn’t become a distraction to accomplishing the stated goals – because comfort without commitment produces complacency.</p>\n\n<p><strong><em>To become a team, individuals must have oars, a boat, and a map that clearly communicates signs and where they are going</em></strong>.</p></li>\n\n<li><p><strong>Rapport & Relationships</strong> - One of my favorite quotes from Andy Stanley, senior pastor of North Point Community Church, is that “rules without relationships lead to rebellion.” The second lesson that the rafting guide offers to Greg and his people is that you will always be able to work more effectively with people when you are more aware of their beliefs, experiences, and desires. This is the part of the recipe that I, and honestly most people in positions of authority, struggle to understand the importance of in their role as leaders. According to Greg’s guide, leadership and relationships occur one conversation at a time. The problem is that most conversations are about authority instead of asking questions to improve our awareness.</p>\n\n<p><strong><em>To be come a team, individuals spend time together and learn to appreciate other\'s talents</em></strong>.</p></li>\n\n<li><p><strong>Expectations and Encouragement</strong> - The third step in building a high-performing team is to have clear expectations for each person and what their roles will be. A high-performance team is one where everyone is contributing according to their strengths. That is why so many organizations invest in personality style assessments. Leaders want to get good people in the right seats on their bus and ensure they can use the same vocabulary and follow the effective protocols that their company has established. And encouragement is important because there are two types of whitewater rafters; those who have fallen out and those who someday will. When people struggle, great teammates support and assist others to get them back into the boat.</p>\n<p><strong><em>To become a teams, individuals must assign and accept roles and provide praise for teammates to meet those performance standards</em></strong>.</p></li>\n<li><strong>Traits Four & Five</strong> - Traits 4 and 5 are waiting for you in the final third of the book and are vital to creating a high-performing, cohesive, and collaborative team culture. By the time Greg and his coworkers have finished their trip down the river, they are ready to go back to work with the tools and insights that allow them to eventually become a more productive team.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<img class=\"alignright\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/TALENT-IS-ESSENTIAL-425-X-300.jpg\" width=\"425\" height=\"300\" />If you are leading a team in any industry, the lessons of Rapid Teamwork will resonate and provide a relevant and useful recipe for building a better team culture with your people. The quote from the following image is incredibly accurate.\n\nI invite you to visit the <a href=\"http://greatresultsteambuilding.net/rapid-teamwork-2/\">Rapid Teamwork</a> website to learn more about the book, share a few quotes from the book as tweets, and consider following Greg on his journey of awareness to improve yourself as a leader.', '5 Essential Steps To Transform Any Group Into A Great Team', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '5-essential-steps-to-transform-any-group-into-a-great-team', '', '', '2015-08-20 06:00:54', '2015-08-20 10:00:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27193', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(27245, 374, '2015-08-25 06:00:46', '2015-08-25 10:00:46', 'Here at Lead Change Group, we know that problems are most effectively solved when individuals come together to meld ideas, energies, and approaches.\n\nTo use a golf analogy, not every shot is a long drive. Many times, golfers have to take a chip shot to move the ball along for a short distance, with incisive accuracy.\n\nIf you are new to the Chip Shots green, welcome. In our Chip Shots feature, our Leading Voices are invited to provide brief insights into a leadership-related topic.\n\nTo learn more, spend some time browsing the entire <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/topics/chip-shots/\" target=\"_blank\">Chip Shots</a> Series.\n\n<h3>Today’s Question</h3>\n\n<blockquote>Have you ever been in a situation where people of opposing styles found a way to work productively together? What made things change for the better?</blockquote>\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/becky-robinson/\">Becky Robinson</a> says: I\'ve loved working with Carrie Koens, a self-proclaimed introvert. I\'ve learned to allow her time to process questions and think through things - and I\'ve adapted to providing written information in advance of calls.\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/david-dye/\" target=\"_blank\">David Dye</a> responds: My most productive team experiences have been with people of opposing styles and differing strengths who came together to use their different abilities for a common goal. To make it work, the team leader needs to acknowledge those differences, emphasize the benefit when different strengths and perspectives are in play, and ensure that people’s tasks match their styles. When different styles begin to conflict, have a conversation about the goals in that particular situation and which style will best serve that specific goal.\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/jon-mertz/\" target=\"_blank\">Jon Mertz</a> answers: Purpose is the difference-maker when it comes to people with oppositive styles working together. If opposing styles cannot agree to what the higher purpose is and if the purpose cannot take precedence over style, then productivity will never be gained. Self-centeredness will always defeat productivity and meaningful results, just as committed focus to purpose will always win. More often, purpose will win. The reality is, however, self-centeredness is hard to crack at times.\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/karin-hurt/\" target=\"_blank\">Karin Hurt</a> provided a great thought:\n\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-27246 aligncenter\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Karin.jpg\" alt=\"Karin\" width=\"401\" height=\"523\" />\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/mike-henry/\" target=\"_blank\">Mike Henry</a> wrote: Many projects I\'ve worked on over the years have had people with opposing styles. The variety adds depth, diversity and strength. What makes this work is some humility, an appreciation of the others and their differences, and a commitment to the overall goal. In every case one team member proposed cooperation for the goal and once embraced by the team members, progress became easy.\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/will-lukang/\" target=\"_blank\">Will Lukang</a> shares: When working with a new manager, I always do the due diligence to learn and understand the person\'s work preference.  I make sure to schedule a one-on-one and ask questions on the person\'s preference.  I believe that it is my job to adjust to my manager\'s style and make my manager look good.\n\nThank you Becky, David, Jon, Karin, Mike, and Will for taking a shot at this question.', 'Chip Shots - When Work Styles Differ', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'chip-shots-when-work-styles-differ', '', '', '2015-08-25 06:00:46', '2015-08-25 10:00:46', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27245', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(27254, 386, '2015-08-26 06:00:08', '2015-08-26 10:00:08', 'I have had a challenging time with my left eye over the last fourteen months. It started with a torn retina that became a detached retina, which was immediately operated on, until finally a cataract developed in my left lens as a result of the retina surgery.\n\nFor over a year my vision has been impaired. The cataract, first diagnosed in March, developed so fast that almost every fifteen days I could tell of negative changes in my vision.\n\nThe photo of me was taken six days after cataract surgery. You probably could not tell that I had surgery by looking at my eye, even close up. You might notice me staggering occasionally or reaching for something and missing.\n\nThese changes had a big impact on my depth perception, which in turn impacted my balance. As I lost more and more of the vision in my left eye, I was left only being able to see smudges of color with my left eye.\n\n<h3>The Inside & The Outside Are Different</h3>\n\nThankfully, I can see shapes and colors once again with my left eye. Due to damage to my retina, I’ll likely never regain full vision, but with a new eye glass prescription I hope to be able to see much more than I have for the last year. With my vision stabilized, my brain will once again recover my depth perception and balance.\n\nWhat does this have to do with you? Most of the time, we judge people by what we see on the outside. We look at the way they walk, talk, interact, appear to us, and a myriad of other “clues” which we assume tell us what is going on for the other person.\n\n<h3>You Have To Ask & Listen</h3>\n\nIn my case, there were few, if any clues, about what I was experiencing by observing me from the outside. The only way to know was to ask me and then listen to my answer.\n\nTo really hear what someone tells us about what they are experiencing, we need to deeply listen to what they are saying. This includes the emotional content of what they are prepared to share with us. People only share their feelings to the point that they feel that we have been vulnerable with them.\n\nPart of my sharing my story about what has been happening inside me with my eye and surgeries, is so that you can know that it has been scary, uncomfortable, required me to let go the outcome and trust the process, while also acknowledging to myself and others the massive impact my lost eye sight has had on my energy levels and perception of the world.\n\n<h3>The Group Dynamic</h3>\n\nIn team settings, we often only know our coworkers by their work context. This is not enough to build the trust that is needed to truly allow other people to share what is going on inside for them.\n\nYou too can be vulnerable. Find group settings where you and your team can do one of these exercises to really get to know the true person you are and those you work with:\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Paper Bag</strong> - Ask team members to bring a paper lunch bag filled with three things from home that represent important aspects of their life. Go around the table getting each person to pull each thing from their bag one at a time and tell a story about why each is important to them.</li>\n<li><strong>Life Line</strong> - Ask each team member to create a graph and using two colors go as far back as they remember marking their satisfaction over time with personal and work/school experiences (highs and lows) in their life (this should take five minutes or less). When you are all together, get each person to review their lifeline, taking at least twenty minutes to describe some of their personal and work/school experiences and why they are important to them.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3>Trust Starts With Vulnerability</h3>\n\nThe exercises above take time, because being vulnerable and building trust takes time. If you want to create high performing teams, you have to create massive trust between team members. Then you can ask each other what you really think and are feeling about issues and get the inside story instead of just outside appearances.', 'Trust From The Inside Out', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'trust-from-the-inside-out', '', '', '2015-08-26 06:00:08', '2015-08-26 10:00:08', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27254', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(27263, 268, '2015-08-27 06:00:51', '2015-08-27 10:00:51', 'Sometimes a skilled employee has a problem behavior that adversely affects team dynamics, morale, productivity, quality, or other business measures.\n\nOrganizations face two questions: “How much do we invest in helping the employee change this behavior?” and “How long do we allow for behavior modification before we say, ‘Enough is enough.’”\n\nTake Sally, for example. You hired Sally for her unparalleled subject matter expertise.\n\nHowever, within a few weeks of bringing her on board, you begin receiving a stream of complaints about her communication style. Abrasive. Impatient. Arrogant. According to colleagues, she seems clueless about how she is affecting others.\n\nBecause she is relatively new to the organization, you are inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. In her interviews, she had come across as a polished, precise communicator.\n\nSo, you bring her in, share the feedback you’ve received, and ask if she is aware of the tension. She seems genuinely surprised, because in her view, things have been going smoothly.\n<h3>How Do You Proceed?</h3>\nThree things need to happen at this point:\n<ol>\n	<li>Note the date and gist of the feedback conversation in her personnel file.</li>\n	<li>Develop an action plan with her regarding how she is going to work on this particular issue. For example, she could meet with her team, acknowledge the feedback she has received, and invite team members to call her attention to offensive communications in real time so she becomes more aware of the impact of her words and tone on others.</li>\n	<li>Agree to meet in six weeks to discuss progress and whether the complaints have subsided.</li>\n</ol>\nThis light amount of coaching gets some employees on the right track quickly. In some cases, though, no amount of feedback, coursework, or coaching seems to make a difference, and the complaints keep rolling in.\n<h3><strong>Pinpointing The Problem</strong></h3>\n<a href=\"http://www.nlpu.com/NewDesign/NLPU.html\" target=\"_blank\">Robert Dilts</a>’ concept of <em>Logical Levels</em> is a helpful framework for understanding why training or coaching sometimes falls short.\n\nHe articulates the following hierarchy:\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Dilt-Chart.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-27278\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Dilt-Chart-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Dilt Chart\" width=\"550\" height=\"550\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHis premise? In order to successfully enact a change, you must work at a level above the area you are trying to change. For example, if I want to change a behavior, then the answer is at a level somewhere above behavior. It may be a capability issue, a belief/value issue, an identity issue, or a spiritual issue.\n\nDilts’ theory explains why environmental changes, such transferring a problem employee to a different team, do not resolve behavioral issues.\n\nTo complicate matters further, multiple factors can affect capabilities, beliefs/values, and identity, making it harder to find a lasting solution for a vexing behavior. Examples include learning disabilities, high IQ, mental health disorders, lack of cross-cultural communication sensitivity, and more.\n\nEmployers can shape the company environment—corporate culture, team make-up, etc. They can attempt to shape behavior through performance feedback. They can augment capabilities through training and coaching. But what if none of this is making a difference in resolving a personnel problem?\n<h3>Where Do You Draw The Line?</h3>\nSome organizations find it easy to have shape-up-or-ship-out conversations with employees - even star performers and key subject matter experts. If Sally stays and does not adjust her communication style, there’s an easy-to-anticipate set of consequences. Some of her colleagues may transfer or choose to leave the company, creating an expensive turnover problem. Morale may take a hit, which can diminish productivity. If Sally isn’t noticing the effect of her communication inside the company, there is a risk she may alienate customers outside the company, too.\n\nUnfortunately, many organizations hang on to people like Sally far too long. Instead of presenting a cost-benefit analysis to Sally, clearly spelling out that she is costing the organization more than the value she is delivering, they transfer her from team to team or adjust her role, somehow hoping for better results.\n\nI included the Dilts information to emphasize that there are some situations outside an employer’s ability to diagnose and fix. There are coaches, neuropsychologists, and other outside experts, who may be able to help if an employee really wants to pursue change. But whose responsibility is it to seek those outside resources?\n\nThe health of your organization depends on timely correction of performance issues. Some employers may choose to invest in an outside expert to help a high potential employee. But you can’t afford to experiment for months or years when an employee’s bad habit is damaging relationships and business results.\n\nAs a manager, if you have provided the tools and training to do a job, the employee’s success or failure is not your responsibility. It’s up to the employee to make the adjustments necessary to be an effective member of your team.', 'When Training &amp; Coaching Fail', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'when-training-and-coaching-fail', '', '', '2015-08-27 06:00:51', '2015-08-27 10:00:51', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27263', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(27283, 376, '2015-08-28 06:00:56', '2015-08-28 10:00:56', 'You are only as good as you think you are. This month\'s theme about opposites was focused on one well-known set of opposing characteristics: Extroverts versus Introverts.\n\nReading some of the thoughtful observations has made me think a little more generally about how opposites exist and sometimes clash in the workplace and everywhere else, for that matter.\n\nMany of us approach interactions with others with one deeply-held belief: Our own preferred beliefs and behavior are the standards by which all others should be measured.\n\nWe base our perceptions of others on how closely they fit us and how we behave and think. In other words, you are more or less task-oriented compared to me or you are more extroverted than I. We do not often go to objective measures to determine where another person is on a continuum of a specific behavior or attitude.\n\nIt’s all about how you compare to the “I” I imagine myself to be. Another time I will explore this idea of the “imagined I,\" but for right now, let’s stick to sizing up others.\n\nOur beliefs about what constitutes normal behavior are formed rather early, during the enculturation period which extends from infancy through early adulthood. Even later in life, we still experience some changes in our perceptions, but the largest share of the work is done by the time we leave home.\n\nNote, I just used a term leave home as though everyone who reads this will have the same general idea of what that phrase means. However, I\'ll bet we did not all leave home at the same age or in the same way.\n\nI believe that you are more or you are less tolerant compared to me. Here\'s how all this works: If you are like me in some respect, I tend to view you as normal. If you are farther away on a scale of beliefs or behaviors, you are different.\n\nI might even use labels like liberal or conservative, good or bad, and so on...but always based on the perception that my beliefs and behaviors are smack dab in the middle of the scale, right on top of the marker that says OK or Normal.\n\nOf course, none of us are really normal, at least to the degree we think we are. Sorry about that, but we all deviate from the norm in some respects to some degree. Well, yeah, maybe Tom Hanks is perfectly normal, but the rest of us?\n<h3>Why Does This Matter?</h3>\nIf we judge another\'s behavior by what is familiar and comfortable for us, we are missing the opportunity to appreciate that other\'s behavior for its own value.\n<ul>\n<li>When we measure another\'s beliefs by the values we hold dear, we are viewing that person and their world from a very narrow perspective.</li>\n<li>When our own behaviors and values form the standard, we might actually be way short of where we need to be aiming.</li>\n<li>When we consider opposites and how being different can be a strength, one of the things we probably need to do is clear our minds of those enculturated ideas about what is normal, right, or preferable.</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Be Aware Of Your Prejudices &amp; Preferences</h3>\nAs leaders and those who help leaders grow, we first need to <em>get our minds right</em> so that we are aware of our own prejudices and preferences, and how this comes across to others. Let me suggest three specific strategies to help you do this.\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Hang Around With People Who Are Different Than You</strong> - When you are exposed to folks whose experiences and background differ from your own, you grow in your ability to appreciate differences. This is because your own perceptions and expectations change. We tend to hang with those with whom we have most in common – break that habit.</li>\n<li><strong>Listen To Others To Really Understand Them At A Deep Level</strong> - Those of us raised in the United States often struggle with the idea of work as a collaboration between equals, and not a competition with those who are different, which may just reflect a different company culture. Put the gloves down and extend your hand.</li>\n<li><strong>Create A Personal Growth Goal To Notice &amp; Change Your Behavior Toward Others</strong> - Notice when you are judging another based on your personal preferences. Stop yourself. Confront judging by others. This may be the most challenging aspect of all this.</li>\n</ol>\nWhen you do the above, you model more inclusive behavior, which in turn strengthens the workplace and creates opportunities for growth through deepened appreciation of those who are not just like you.', 'Stuck In The Middle With Me', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'stuck-in-the-middle-with-me', '', '', '2015-08-28 06:00:56', '2015-08-28 10:00:56', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27283', 0, 'post', '', 10);
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(27307, 243, '2015-08-31 06:00:59', '2015-08-31 10:00:59', 'My first job as a manager ended up being much more of a lesson than I had hoped. My prior leadership experience was limited to my fraternity or the Jaycees.\n\nIn my jobs, I had only had 2 or 3 bosses by the time I became a boss so I made things up as I went. Many of the things I made up were mistakes.\n\nThe trucking business experiences high turnover, but ours was even high for the industry. Our first hires left quickly. When I gave someone work, they often produced different results than I expected. And when they did something without being told, it was very often not what I would have wanted.\n\nAs the boss, I had to be called often, mostly for things being broken or stuck. Every call was a problem. It was a difficult time.\n\nOut of frustration I began searching for answers. Both during and after that first leadership job, I made 6 attitude adjustments that transformed my negative, stressed, micro-management approach into a more creative, energized leadership.\n<ol>\n	<li><a href=\"http://mikehenrysr.com/2015/08/17/attitude-adjustment-focus-on-others/\">Focus On Others</a> - Our team won’t be successful unless the members of the team are successful too. Focus on making our team members successful in a way that also creates success for the overall team.</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://mikehenrysr.com/2015/08/20/attitude-adjustment-transparent-accountable/\">Be Transparent &amp; Accountable</a> - We get what we model. If we want accountable, reliable team members, we must be one too. As the manager, I had the power to fake it, but I didn’t want to institutionalize faking it, so I began to practice transparent accountability.</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://mikehenrysr.com/2015/08/26/attitude-adjustment-everyone-chooses/\">Everyone Chooses</a> - We always volunteer our best energy. If we feel forced to do something, we seldom give it our best. I began to ask rather than to tell and give people the opportunity to choose.</li>\n	<li><strong>Everyone Leads</strong> - We are each leaders. We each influence. I wanted to identify those who were purposeful and responsible with their influence, and give them the opportunity to choose to move toward the team’s ideal future.</li>\n	<li><strong>Everyone Learns</strong> - We don’t have to be taught, but we do have to learn. I worked to give people opportunities to self-develop.</li>\n	<li><strong>Respect Elevates</strong> - when we focus on others, model accountability, honor people as choosers, leaders and learners, we demonstrate respect. Our ideal team members are energized and elevated by that respect.</li>\n</ol>\nWe respect our teams when we practice these attitude adjustments. And that respect brings energy and hope.\n\nNow that you’ve read about my adjustments, what have you learned on your journey? What mental shifts have you made?  Which do you need to make? Share your thoughts below and let others in on your experience.', 'Leading Change Requires Attitude Adjustments', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'leading-change-requires-attitude-adjustments', '', '', '2015-08-31 06:00:59', '2015-08-31 10:00:59', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27307', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(27326, 399, '2015-09-01 06:00:24', '2015-09-01 10:00:24', 'Have you ever heard the statistic 9 out of 10 new business fail within the first five years?\n\nMany people have mentioned this or a similar statistic to me, often in reference to restaurants in my hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana, that seemed to open and go out of business every other day.\n\nWhen I heard about how <a href=\"http://cherylbachelder.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Cheryl Bachelder</a>, CEO of Popeye’s chicken and veteran restaurant industry leader, was able to bring back Popeye’s declining brand - increasing sales by 25% and profits by 40% within 7 years of her appointment as CEO - I was amazed.\n\nTaking a small, local restaurant and trying to re-vamp it: <strong>difficult</strong>. Taking a large, national chain that had decreased in popularity for various reasons over a number of years and once again winning customers’ loyalty: <strong>extremely difficult</strong>.\n\nDespite the odds, Cheryl and her team have triumphed in doing just that by focusing on people in order to create a workplace of respect and dignity that still challenged employees to perform at the highest level.\n\nIn her latest book, <a href=\"http://daretoserveleaders.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Dare To Serve</a>, Cheryl takes you first-hand through the transformation of Popeye’s and asserts how leaders at all levels can become <em>dare to serve leaders</em>. In addition to reading the book, you can visit Cheryl’s website where she has generously offered some extremely practical and applicable <a href=\"http://cherylbachelder.com/resources/\" target=\"_blank\">free resources</a>. It is seriously worth your time-check it out.\n\n<h3>Journey To Personal Purpose Self-Assessment</h3>\n\nOk, who isn’t a sucker for self-evaluation? I love it all—personality tests, strength/weakness indicators, and the whole she-bang. In this comprehensive resource, Cheryl covers all the bases in self-assessment with the core question being, “Do you know why you lead?”\n\nThis question is surprisingly often overlooked, as many leaders end up in their position simply as a result of being promoted. I think it’s really important to look at leadership as not just another step up the career ladder, but a opportunity to give back using your own unique set of skills.\n\nThe assessment goes on to take you through the journey of analyzing your lifeline - the major events in your life that led you to where you are today - exploring the values that have been integrated into your reality as a result of those life experiences, your strengths, and your purpose.\n\nOnce you have clarified those key foundational aspects of yourself, the assessment guides you towards understanding an approach to your leadership that integrates all the best elements of who you are and what your experience is. This is an extremely thorough and thought-provoking exercise that is designed to help you get to know yourself in a deep and impactful way.\n\n<h3>Dare To Serve Discussion Guide</h3>\n\nThis discussion guide requires some commitment of time and energy (there is also available in a faith-based version). It is designed to serve as a resource over eight weeks of small-group meetings in which participants meet for 2-hours each session, getting to know each other, watching and discussing the Dare to Serve videos, making commitments to taking new steps in leadership, and asking for accountability from others.\n\nI would love to get a group together to explore how this thorough resource could help us all challenge the way we look at our leadership. I also really appreciate the accountability section of this guide. Often, it seems like leaders are so focused on holding others accountable and analyzing the work of their teams that they forget to also hold themselves accountable. Having accountability partners seems like a great way to help each leader reach his or her potential.\n\n<h3>The 40-Week Leadership Challenge</h3>\n\nThis resource is simple. All you do is sign up for a weekly email in which Cheryl guides you to become a <strong>Dare To Serve Leader</strong>. I love how this resource engages you for long enough to actually see results. Emails include a weekly question, inspirational stories, and tips of how to put your learning into practice. I would say this is the simplest of all the resources, as it doesn’t require any significant time commitment, but still offers deep insights into Cheryl’s practical leadership philosophy.\n\nI am so impressed that Cheryl is offering such amazing resources as a free gift. This only further impresses upon me how important is that leaders make service one of their primary focuses. I hope to take these resources and incorporate them into my own work as a virtual manager.\n\nOh, and check out the Popeye’s <a href=\"http://popeyes.com/our-story\" target=\"_blank\">website</a>. I love how it features milestones in the company’s growth - something worth being proud of.', 'Bringing A Business Back To Life (And Free Resources)', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'bringing-a-business-back-to-life-and-free-resources', '', '', '2015-09-01 06:00:24', '2015-09-01 10:00:24', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27326', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(27331, 374, '2015-09-03 06:00:40', '2015-09-03 10:00:40', 'For September, we are gleaning our theme from <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/1626564566/ref=cm_sw_su_dp\" target=\"_blank\">Co-Active Leadership</a>, the new book from <a href=\"http://weavinginfluence.com/authors/karen-henry-kimsey-house/\" target=\"_blank\">Karen and Henry Kimsey-House</a>, which is being launched on September 21.\n\nKaren and Henry believe: \"People aren’t compartmentalized.\"\n\nThey employ concepts such as: A life purpose statement, another way of capturing the essence of what it means to be fully alive - living life intentionally, making choices that increase the value of life to one\'s self and to others.\n\nThis belief: \"In the big picture, fulfillment is about living a life that is valued, purposeful, and alive, and balance is about choosing a life that is in action, aligned with a compelling vision.\"\n\nThis month, we challenge you to write about times when you were called upon to lead when someone’s work/life areas bled into one another.\n\nIf you are interested in submitting original material for Lead Change, we would love to consider your contribution! You do have to be a Leading Voice, Instigator, or Member to write for Lead Change.\n\nFor information about joining, click <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/join/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>. If you have questions that are not answered on our website, please contact <a href=\"mailto:paula@weavinginfluence.com\">paula@weavinginfluence.com</a>.', 'Our September Theme - When Life Is Messy', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'our-september-theme-when-life-is-messy', '', '', '2015-09-03 06:00:40', '2015-09-03 10:00:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27331', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(27345, 252, '2015-09-11 06:00:51', '2015-09-11 10:00:51', 'I was going through some papers the other day and came across a scrap with some scrawled handwriting. I recognized it as my own and realized I wrote it after waking up from a dream.\n\nI had written that <em>Little Promises I Make to Myself</em> would be a book title.\n\nI had forgotten all about it until I rediscovered this scrap. I knew what the book was meant to be.\n\n<h3>You Probably Have Little Promises You Make To Yourself Too</h3>\n\nI don\'t always make good on my little promises. Some are clearly from my childhood. Others I developed through my experience as an adult, growing up. I distinctly remember this realization in my early forties. As adults we continue to mature and adapt and change - hopefully for the better.\n\nHere\'s just one <em>little promise</em> I\'ve picked up along the way.\n\n<h3>Do What I Say I\'m Going To Do When I Say I\'m Going To Do It</h3>\n\nPromises like this can be noble. For me, this is important so people know they can count on me. It represents consistency, which leads to credibility. Credibility leads to trust and being counted on. It\'s important for me to let someone know if I cannot make good on what I told them I am going to do - whether it matters to them or not. It matters to me.\n\nUltimately this is where the <em>promise</em> to myself comes in. This consistency, credibility and ability to be trusted come into play about how I view myself. Integrity is my number one value. I can feel it in my body when I am out of integrity.\n\n<h3>How Does It Feel When You Don’t Keep Your Promises?</h3>\n\nWhat does it mean to be out of integrity? For me, it\'s when I knowingly do not do what I say I\'m going to do, and don\'t admit it. I make flimsy excuses. I expect more from others than I expect from myself. I know I\'m out of integrity when I am going off on someone else about a failure to keep this promise to me.\n\nI jumped on someone the other day who failed to do what he said he was going to do. It’s happened so many times it’s affecting my trust in him. I was going to point that out until he got it.\n\nHe clearly thought I was a maniac. At first I judged him for not having the same value as me, and for not respecting my need that he make good on his word. That\'s what got my attention. My need for it.\n\nLet’s see. If I were clean on that one, why would I be so upset? It\'s a little thing called projection. It made me think about where I might be letting myself down. Perhaps I’m letting myself down by counting on someone I know will let me down.\n\n<h3>The Promises You Make To Yourself Are The Most Important You Make</h3>\n\nI talk a lot about how we show up in the world. How you show up for yourself is important too. I remember reading that those who don’t trust others are the least trustworthy themselves. We get what we put out there.', 'Little Promises I Make To Myself', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'little-promises-i-make-to-myself', '', '', '2015-09-11 06:00:51', '2015-09-11 10:00:51', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27345', 0, 'post', '', 14),
(27369, 400, '2015-09-02 06:00:05', '2015-09-02 10:00:05', 'Why is payroll considered an expense, a liability? I would like to know who decided, way back in the dark ages, that payroll was to be placed in the expense side of a financial report.\n\nThis fundamentally flawed perspective has had a damaging effect on our workforce since time began. Payroll is also considered a liability and a burden.\n\nIt may make sense in order to count beans, but it makes no sense when you must get work done through other people. The current perspective of our American workforce is fundamentally erroneous.\n\nIn order to lead, action is required. The actions a leader takes are based on their beliefs. If you believe your employees are an expense, you will treat them like an expense and they will feel like an expense, a burden and a necessary evil.\n\nIf they feel like a burden, how will you get them to outproduce your competition? How will you get them to innovate? How will you get them to tackle the next big change in the industry and stay ahead of the competition? Demotivated employees only do enough not to get fired.\n\nYour leadership may be hog-tied from the beginning if you come out of the gates believing your employees are an expense or a burden. Attitude reflects leadership. Employees don\'t follow words or commands, they follow your actions.\n\nTo be an exceptional leader requires extraordinary leadership perspectives that produce actions that people want to follow. I suggest removing this practice of accounting for payroll. It should never have been placed in the expense or liability section of any report. Instead, I recommend placing it in the asset column.\n\nPayroll is an investment, not an expense. Change your perspective on payroll, change your perspective on your employees. Begin seeing them as an investment, an asset, something to vest yourself in and receive a return. The next question should be, what is my return on my investment? You invest a lot of money in payroll; what is your return?\n\nAs a leader, when you begin to see your employees as an asset, your actions toward them will change, and their attitude will reflect you. They will begin to feel like an asset and begin to innovate and produce more.\n\nNow, this is being discussed as a simple concept, and it really is that simple. But know it takes time and a commitment from management to build. Most employees, according to Gallup, are unhappy at work, over 70%. It\'s because most don\'t feel appreciated. The number one reason people leave work is because of bad management, and the belief that management doesn\'t care.\n\nI believe it\'s because management is unaware of the implications of their actions. In order to invest in an employee, management must measure the skill set of an employee and know what makes them fulfilled at work. Perhaps they need to be moved to a different department to get the most out of them. Maybe they need more training, better tools and control of their environment if possible.\n\nThink of a farmer who plants corn. First the ground is tilled and fertilized then the seeds are planted. Next, the farmer waters the corn then sprays for weeds and bugs.\n\nThe farmer is constantly tending to the corn to help it grow and produce the maximum amount of ears per stock. Never do you see the farmer yelling at the corn, or telling the corn to grow anyway in spite of the fact that he could not water it today. No, the farmer feeds and protects the corn so the corn may grow.\n\nEmployees know they are valued when they get the best training, are given great tools to do their job and are protected so they may excel.\n\nIf you want great employees who produce great results, it starts with leadership. They will reflect you as the leader. Know your leadership perspectives and the results they create in your employees. Keep it simple and know that managers are better at demotivating than motivating.\n\nEditor\'s Note: We invite you to check out Leo\'s new book, <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Attitude-Reflects-Leadership-Leo-Hamblin/dp/1511749407/\" target=\"_blank\">Attitude Reflects Leadership</a>, to delve deeper into his thoughts on leadership.', 'Why Employees Feel Like A Burden', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'why-employees-feel-like-a-burden', '', '', '2015-09-02 06:00:05', '2015-09-02 10:00:05', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27369', 0, 'post', '', 11),
(27413, 374, '2015-09-08 06:00:54', '2015-09-08 10:00:54', 'The Lead Change Group is grateful to Chris Edmonds of <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The Purposeful Culture Group</a> for hosting the September 2015 Leadership Development Carnival.\n\nIn addition to two posts touching on the timely topic of the corporate culture at Amazon, such as <a href=\"http://www.eileenmcdargh.com/resiliency-motivational-speakers-blog/is-amazon-s-bezos-busted\" target=\"_blank\">this one</a> and <a href=\"http://connectionculture.com/3-lessons-from-the-attack-on-amazon/\" target=\"_blank\">this one</a>, there are several ideas among the 29 contributions which stand out:\n<h3>On Innovation:</h3>\n<blockquote>Innovative leaders do not delegate creativity and innovation; they lead it. - Neal Burgis</blockquote>\n<h3>On Trust:</h3>\n<blockquote>If you have your team’s trust, you open the doors to all kinds of possibilities. - Randy Conley</blockquote>\n<h3>On Leadership:</h3>\n<blockquote>People need to believe in leadership again. - Bill Treasurer</blockquote>\nPlease visit the <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/september-2015-leadership-development-carnival/\" target=\"_blank\">full carnival post</a> to see more of others\' thought-provoking ideas about leadership.\n\nEach of the contributors would appreciate a visit to their articles, and we would be grateful if you would share the carnival among your contacts. You can easily tweet your support by using our simple <a href=\"http://bit.ly/1JPi7zg\" target=\"_blank\">click to tweet</a> feature.\n\nThe Lead Change Group will be hosting the October 2015 Leadership Development Carnival so stay tuned for our call for submissions in the coming weeks. We know October will be another fantastic month!', 'The September Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-september-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2015-09-08 06:00:54', '2015-09-08 10:00:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27413', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(27417, 372, '2015-09-09 06:00:29', '2015-09-09 10:00:29', 'Maybe that’s a bold a statement - but it’s very close to reality. Research shows that middle managers don’t get much love.\n\nA recent study by the journal <em>Sociology of Health and Illness</em>, shared in this <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/08/20/why-middle-managers-are-more-likely-to-be-depressed/\" target=\"_blank\">Washington Postarticle</a>, found that middle managers and supervisors are more likely to suffer depression, to feel taken advantage of at work, and to experience anxiety about work than are frontline workers or senior leaders.\n\nWhen I was a middle manager - a program director at three different non-profits - I felt this frustration. My role required that I balance the demands placed on me by my responsibilities and by my bosses with the desire to have my direct reports be productive, happy, and cooperative team members.\n\nMore often than not I felt I was set up to fail. I was between a rock and a hard place! My team members may not have had the skills to accomplish new tasks or hit new targets - and I may not have had the skills to inspire my team to consistent performance.\n\nI didn’t always have bosses who were nurturing sounding boards or who were able to teach me needed skills. I did the best I could but I know I missed the mark more often than I hit it. That was demoralizing and frustrating. I felt anxiety more than I felt inspiration.\n\nWhen I did have bosses who listened, laughed, guided, taught, and inspired, I was less anxious, less frustrated - and I contributed more, to my organization and to my team.\n\nEmployee engagement is an important outcome for leaders - but don’t let the term “employee” mean “front line team members.” Middle managers are employees, too!\n\nFor example, Tiny HR’s <a href=\"https://www.tinypulse.com/2014-employee-engagement-organizational-culture-report\" target=\"_blank\">2014 Employee Engagement and Organizational Culture Report</a> found that only 21 percent of all employees who responded to their survey feel “strongly valued” at work. Among the “all employees” who responded, some were supervisors and managers.\n\nIf the recent study noted above is on track, asking that same question (\"Do you feel strongly valued at work?\") of supervisors and managers would result in fewer than 21 percent feeling consistently and strongly appreciated.\n\nThat’s not a healthy environment for productivity, inspiration, cooperation, and growth.\n\nHow can a middle manager lift themselves up, in the midst of demanding circumstances?\n\nFirst, be clear on who you are as a person. You’re not a cog in a wheel - you’re an important human. You’re, in fact, one of the most important humans in your life.\n\nBy clarifying your <a href=\"http://thecultureengine.com\" target=\"_blank\">personal constitution</a>, you formalize your reason for being on this planet - in terms of how you serve others. You formalize your personal values and specify the behaviors you demonstrate when you’re living in alignment with your values, every day, in every interaction. You then formalize your leadership philosophy, outlining how you want to serve others so that agreed to commitments are delivered with little drama and much joy.\n\nSecond, share your personal constitution with your team members. By explaining your personal purpose, your values and behaviors, and your leadership philosophy, you set up a partnership with a valued teammate. You enable them to understand you better - and you invite their feedback when they see you behaving in ways that seem inconsistent with your personal constitution.\n\nWhen you receive feedback - indicating alignment or mis-alignment with your personal constitution, thank people. Consider their feedback and refine your behaviors to more consistently live your purpose, values, and philosophy.\n\nYou might not be able to change your demanding circumstances but you can change the relationship you have with your primary customers - your team members.', 'You’re A Middle Manager? How Depressing.', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'youre-a-middle-manager-how-depressing', '', '', '2015-09-09 06:00:29', '2015-09-09 10:00:29', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27417', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(27425, 251, '2015-09-10 06:00:09', '2015-09-10 10:00:09', 'Go ahead - second guess yourself.\n\nDone intentionally and constructively, not self-destructively, giving your actions one last loving look before moving forward is a good thing - for you, your colleagues, company, community, and workplace culture.\n\nThat thoughtful pause can assure you’re not leaving discrimination in your wake.\n\n“No way,” you exclaim. “I’m not biased, so I couldn’t possibly discriminate.” Therein lies the problem.\n\n<ol>\n<li><p><strong>Bias Mistake #1: Believing We’re Not Biased</strong> - Many of us work hard to be good, unbiased people. Sadly, despite our good intentions, that’s an unreachable goal. We can’t avoid being biased—our brains push us in that direction.</p>\n\nResearch by psychologist Dr. Mahzarin Banaji reveals: \"that the human brain is hard-wired to make quick decisions that draw on a variety of assumptions and experiences without us even knowing it is doing so.”\n\nOur unconscious assumptions influence, shape, and bias what data we take in, how we process that data, and how we act on it. If we believe people who take all their vacation time are less dedicated than we are, our unconscious bias may manifest itself as a deep-seated resistance to their ideas: <em>They aren’t committed, so how can their input have value?</em>\n\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">“Hidden biases are neither a moral failing nor a sign of a bad person. So it isn’t a matter of being ashamed or embarrassed as long as we work to identify and overcome our unconscious attitudes and act differently. It starts with making the unconscious conscious.”</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Zabeen Hirju, CHRO, RBC</div>\n</blockquote>\n\n<strong>Solution:</strong> Be mindful of those quick decisions—the assumptions driving them may be flawed. Check with others for their perspective as it is often hard for us to see our own biases.</li>\n\n<li><p><strong>Bias Mistake #2: Believing That Training Eliminates Bias</strong> - Eliminate is a big, bold word that falls short when it comes to bias. Biases can be managed and minimized but total elimination is highly unlikely given the brain thing that’s going on.</p>\n\nWhen we meet someone, our brains use visual and sometimes irrelevant stimuli to categorize the person as being like us or being different. Research by Meagan M. Patterson and Rebecca S. Bigler showed that something as simple as wearing a red or blue tee shirt served as an indicator for young children that kids wearing a different colored shirt were one of them, not one of us.\n\nOur mental categories of good and bad, right and wrong, same and different, etc., occur unconsciously. They’re based on past experiences and cultural conditioning and may unintentionally prompt us to subtly treat the them differently than those who are like us.\n\nSome women and men prefer to work collaboratively. If they work in a culture where competitiveness is a prized attribute, they’re likely to be labeled as not having what it takes to succeed. Because the preference for competitiveness is ingrained and viewed as a positive, training about not discriminating won’t help because the inclination isn’t seen as bias but rather as just fitting in.\n\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">“An important aspect of leadership is to turn around and see who is following you. If those who follow you all look and behave just like you, something is wrong. That is simply not representative of our highly diverse society.”</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ ~Fiona Macfarlane, Chief Inclusiveness Officer, EY Canada</div>\n</blockquote>\n\n<strong>Solution:</strong> Acknowledge we all have blind spots and proactively look for them. Accept as a fundamental premise that different isn’t wrong, just different.</li>\n\n<li><p><strong>Bias mistake #3: Believing That An Outlook Isn’t Biased Because The Data Supports It</strong> - Scientist Peter Senge wrote about how success messes with our ability to reason. We fall victim to confirmation bias, which is seeing only the facts that support our position. We rationalize or deny evidence to the contrary.</p>\n\nSuppose our startup is wildly successful, and meetings there are loud, raucous affairs where people talk all over one another. As such, we may view the modest, reserved applicant as unqualified. Groupthink says it’s brash extroverts that make the company thrive. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt notes that our minds “unite us into teams, divide us against other teams, and blind us to the truth.”\n\n<strong>Solution:</strong> Learn to balance a leader’s ability to act and advocate with listening, inquiring, and acquiring.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">“A human being is a deciding being. Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Viktor Frankl, Psychiatrist</div>\n</blockquote>\n\nFor sure, it’s a crazy, busy world where time is a precious commodity. We’re pushed, encouraged even, to think and act fast, believing there’s no time for the second look. Resist that impulse. Taking a few uncomfortable minutes to hit the pause button and look with beginner’s eyes pays big dividends in both economics and engagement.', 'How to Avoid 3 Big Mistakes About Being Biased', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-to-avoid-3-big-mistakes-about-being-biased', '', '', '2015-09-10 06:00:09', '2015-09-10 10:00:09', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27425', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(27430, 277, '2015-09-15 06:00:51', '2015-09-15 10:00:51', 'Think of a skill you highly value in others. Chances are it’s a skill where you personally excel. Salespeople notice strong presentation and relational skills. Accountants often prize attention to detail. It is common to appreciate in others (or over-appreciate) skills you are good at and to discount the value of skills you are less good at. This tendency is problematic if you are a manager.\n\nWhen I was CEO of Hewitt Associates, an HR consulting firm (now Aon Hewitt), we were a partnership. Each year, we asked all the current partners to provide feedback regarding every partner candidate they had personally worked with. These appraisals told us as much about the evaluators as the people they were evaluating.\n\nOur account managers liked candidates who were versatile and had broad knowledge. Our business developers endorsed highly personable candidates who were dynamic, persuasive presenters. Our actuaries noted accuracy, speed, and an unflinching willingness to tackle complex analysis and calculations. Our lawyers had a hard time appreciating what the head of recruiting did for the firm that might deserve partnership. Most of the partners evaluated candidates through the lens of their own best skills.\n\nThe Executive Committee and I took particular notice of partners who appreciated skills they themselves did not have. It was these partners we considered for broader management positions, because we had learned over time that the best managers:\n\n<ol>\n<li>Ask themselves, “What am I weak at, and who among my employees can best cover for my weaknesses?”</li>\n<li>Make a list of each employee’s top skills and use this information when assigning work, so that most of the time, employees are operating from their strengths.</li>\n<li>Help employees feel appreciated for everything they are good at.</li>\n</ol>\n\nOn occasion, you may want to ask employees to work outside their comfort zones to help them stretch, gain vital experience, or overcome weaknesses, as long as you can cover for those weaknesses before the work reaches the client. But the majority of the time, you want employees to utilize their best skills.\n\nBeing an effective manager requires fighting human nature—resisting the tendency for <em>like-me</em> hiring and promotion, and realizing that the best team performance comes from appreciating and embracing diverse skill sets and temperaments.\n\nAre you ready to look at your skills and the skills of each of your employees in an objective way?', 'One Secret Of Highly Effective Managers', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'one-secret-of-highly-effective-managers', '', '', '2015-09-15 06:00:51', '2015-09-15 10:00:51', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27430', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(27442, 374, '2015-09-25 06:00:14', '2015-09-25 10:00:14', 'Here at Lead Change Group, we know that problems are most effectively solved when individuals come together to meld ideas, energies, and approaches.\n\nTo use a golf analogy, not every shot is a long drive. Many times, golfers have to take a chip shot to move the ball along for a short distance, with incisive accuracy.\n\nIf you are new to the Chip Shots green, welcome. In our Chip Shots feature, our Leading Voices are invited to provide brief insights into a leadership-related topic.\n\nTo learn more, spend some time browsing the entire <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/topics/chip-shots/\" target=\"_blank\">Chip Shots</a> Series.\n\n<h3>Today’s Question</h3>\n\n<blockquote>If an employee\'s personal challenges are impacting their work and the work of their team, what is the first thing you should do or say as a leader in order to restore a sense of order?\n</blockquote>\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/chip-bell/\" target=\"_blank\">Chip Bell</a> responds:\n\n\"What you actually say would be tailored to the person but the messaging should be compassion, commitment and discipline. First, I care about you; I care about our work together as a team. How can I help? Second, we have a job to do that we are accountable for achieving; how can our team help you through this challenging issue? Finally, what commitments can you make to ensure you shoulder the responsibilities you have agreed to perform as a member of our team?\"\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/david-dye/\" target=\"_blank\">David Dye</a> advises: \n\n\"Start with empathy: That sounds frustrating, difficult, overwhelming, etc. If the person needs assistance that your organization or another offers, let them know its available. After making the human connection, reinforce expectations and, if needed, ask how you can work together to get them back to 100%.\"\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/mike-henry/\" target=\"_blank\">Mike Henry</a> contributes: \n\n\"Balance in this area is difficult. Often so much depends on the actual personal challenges and the scope of impact to their work. If the personal challenges are extra-ordinary, then the leader should volunteer the resources to assist in restoring order. The leader should offer the person time off or  whatever is needed to help the team member get through the personal challenges.  Recently, my employer made some fairly expensive travel adjustments to enable me to assist my family in time of loss.  The lost day or two didn\'t kill the team and I ended up where I needed to be. I appreciated the accommodation.\"\n\n\"The problem comes when the personal challenges are everyday in nature. Sometimes we let small things have a disproportionate impact. Then our leader must help the individual restore perspective and challenge them to minimize the impact to the team. The challenge for leaders is gauging the challenge without offending the team member or creating undue burden for the rest of the team.\"\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/mary-schaefer/\" target=\"_blank\">Mary Schaefer</a> writes: \n\n\"You\'ve got an HR manager answering this one, so I\'m going to go conservative. Often managers think they know what is going on, and it is not good to assume. Even if an employee is willing to talk about a personal issue, first, they may not want you to bring it up before they choose to, and secondly, you may get in over your head really fast.\"\n\n\"My best advice is to describe to the employee the behavior or performance deficit you see and note that it is different than usual. Ask if there is anything you can do. Depending on the relationship and the work culture, you might be able to get more personal, but then you have to consider if you would do that with everyone. It\'s best to acknowledge what you notice and let them reveal what they choose.\"\n\n\"You can also carefully remind them of the benefits available to them, like employee assistance. And compassionately remind them of their responsibilities and standards in the workplace. It\'s a careful balance of I\'m on your side and I\'m holding you accountable.\"\n\nThank you Chip, David, Mike, and Mary for taking a shot at this question.', 'Chip Shots - When Personal Challenges Impact Work', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'chip-shots-when-personal-challenges-impact-work', '', '', '2015-09-25 06:00:14', '2015-09-25 10:00:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27442', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(27444, 380, '2015-09-22 06:00:20', '2015-09-22 10:00:20', 'As a leader, you should always be concerned about two things: mirrors and windows. Mirrors are about focusing on personal responsibility. That part of leadership is important, and is honestly often discussed.\n\nBut windows are equally important because they allow you to see the impact your actions have on the people around you. Windows are about focusing on relationships.\n\nWhen I was coaching high school boys’ basketball, I had a kid on my team named Jason. Jason was a pretty good player – but he was always late when we had Saturday morning basketball practices. Because I was a good coach with rules, Jason stayed after and ran every Saturday in November.\n\nThen again in December, when we were out of school and practiced over winter break, he was late to our first practice. So he ran.\n\nI was getting tired of it, so I finally asked him, in a very angry tone, “Dude, what is your problem? Why aren’t you getting here on time? You could be a starter.”\n\nI had assumed he was irresponsible. I assumed he was oversleeping. I had assumed the negative in absence of information.\n\nThen one of his teammates came over to me after practice and asked: “Coach – do you not know about Jason’s situation?”\n\n“What situation?\"\n\n“Jason lives with his grandma, and she won’t let him ride with anybody else. But she doesn’t bring him until his brother has been taken care of. His brother is paraplegic.”\n\nWow! I had made assumptions and punished instead of asking questions to understand and resolve a problem.\n\nThe more aware you are of your teammates and their highlights and their hardships, the better you can work with them. Because the truth is that our personal and professional lives are always impacting each other, and...\n\n<blockquote>\"To neglect knowing about one is to sacrifice success in the other.\"</blockquote>\n\nOne of the best days I had as coach of that team was later in the season, when Jason’s family was moving from one rental house to another. His grandmother wasn’t able to do much lifting, so our coaches and our players and their parents all showed up one Sunday.\n\nWe moved every piece of furniture and we carried boxes and we spent time together eating and laughing like we never would have on the court. They became a closer team off the court by investing in each other.\n\nLooking out windows invites you to cross a line. You know the line I’m talking about. It’s the line between personal and professional lives that we often make the mistake of believing should never be crossed. It’s the one that tells you not to ask about Jason’s situation at home. But winning teammates know how important it is to cross the line.\n\nEarly in my career as a coach, I drew up a lot of plays and focused on strategy and saw every player in my locker room as a uniform. It was only when I started to understand and appreciate the people inside the uniforms that I really became a good coach. That’s how you establish trust and loyalty.\n\nEvery professional is first a person, with a life outside your locker room or office. Invest in their lives and they will invest in your office. You don’t have to help them move or cater their wedding. But you do need to know and care about what’s going on in their life.\n\nBuilding relationships is one of the 5 essential steps for transforming any group into a great team. It is a process I share in my newest book, Rapid Teamwork, which is a parable for team leaders. If you want a high-performing team, you have to look out windows to see and become more aware of others.\n\nThere is a secret that will help you to learn more about your teammates and coworkers. Pens ready? Here’s the secret: “Ask questions.”\n\nBe courageous enough to cross the line by asking questions:\n\n<ul>\n<li>Will you tell me about your family?</li>\n<li>How are your parents doing?</li>\n<li>What is happening with your daughter’s volleyball team?</li>\n</ul>\n\nWhen you ask a question and sincerely want a quality answer, you transform yourself from being superficial to being concerned. Winning teammates don’t give or accept speeding fines.\n\nYou know what speeding fines are? “Oh, I’m fine. He’s fine. We’re fine. Everything’s fine.” Fines are efficient but efficient is never effective when it comes to building stronger and deeper relationships.\n\n<img class=\"alignright wp-image-27654 \" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RT-3D-Cover-image-276x300-1-276x300.png\" alt=\"Sean Glaze\" /></a>I hope you will pick up a copy of my book, <a href=\"http://greatresultsteambuilding.net/rapid-teamwork-2/\" target=\"_blank\">Rapid Teamwork</a>, and share its lessons with the other leaders in your life to help them build effective teams more quickly. \n\nI hope you will remember to look out your windows and take the time to ask questions of people in your organization to increase your awareness of their dreams, and difficulties.\n\nStrengthening relationships is the first step in strengthening your team and improving the collaborative conversations that will contribute to your success.', 'Why Leaders Should Focus On Mirrors &amp; Windows', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'why-leaders-should-focus-on-mirrors-and-windows', '', '', '2015-09-22 06:00:20', '2015-09-22 10:00:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27444', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(27447, 329, '2015-09-17 06:00:43', '2015-09-17 10:00:43', 'Luca de Meo at Volkswagen AG did it. Ed Catmull at Pixar Animation did it. Larry Page at Google also did it. Realizing the path to innovation would require revolutionary new thinking; all three leaders grasped that it would also take a new way of coalescing and harnessing talent.\n\nReading <em>Collective Genius</em>, <em>The Innovators</em>, <em>Creativity, Inc.</em> and <em>The Google Guys</em> yields a strong confirmation that the pursuit of innovation might require a partnership approach, not a traditional teamwork style.\n\nAsk twenty people the difference between a team and partnership and you will likely get as many answers. We enjoy watching powerful examples of superb teamwork on the court, field or racetrack pit on weekends and think it must surely be the most effective structure for all manner of results. But, what if a collection of people with complimentary talents focused on an innovation goal actually worked better as a high performance partnership, not as a team? We sometimes use the words synonymously but there are fundamental differences.\n\nA team is focused on accomplishing a mutual purpose and uses an effective relationship as a tool for achieving it. A partnership is focused on creating a relationship context from which all manner of outcomes can be accomplished. Among a team the task is preeminent; however, <em>relationship</em> distinguishes a partnership.\n\nStated differently, the task focus of a team might be so compelling that even a less-than-superior team could produce superior performance (see the movie <em>Hoosiers</em> for an example of high performance teamwork). In a partnership, excellence cannot be sustained without a superior relationship of diverse strengths (see any movie about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson for an example of a high performance partnership).\n\n<h3>Sourcing Innovation Collaboratively</h3>\n\nInnovation is far more likely to happen when leaders create and nurture a flexible ecosystem. Luca de Meo, as head of marketing at Volkswagen AG, created a series of two-day events called <em>Marketing Works!</em> which were solely aimed at creating a strong collaboration ethic and served as a chance for assembling people from all over the world who had deep histories of working separately or in the fashion of a linear fire brigade. The objective was to create deep respect, trust, and an egalitarian community for sustaining innovation.\n\nThe standard of interpersonal depth is different in teams than in partnerships. In a partnership the members are expected to BE something as well as DO something distinctive. Partners are more like soul mates, not just work mates. Thus, for partnerships, core values are as critical as talents; unswerving character is as important as competence.\n\nTeams can be superficially interested in <em>being</em> only as a measure of the result, not as a culture. When teams say, “We want to be/are the best,” it is generally a recognition of an externally conferred designation, a championship status they are either striving for or have attained. When partners say, “We are compassionate,” it is acknowledgment of a cultural linkage only the partners can affirm, one anchored in their own connection of values. It is about what they are, not what they do.\n\nThe life cycle of a team is more like the cycle of maturity (dependence, counter dependence, independence, interdependence or some might prefer the Blanchard labels—forming, storming, norming and performing). The focus is on abandoning self-ness to achieve the synergy needed for collective high task performance.\n\nThe life cycle of a partnership is more like the cycle of courtship (curious, courteous, comfortable, congruous and constant). Relationships that are congruous and constant become sustainable in their excellence. The partnership dynamic is more unfolding, growing and ever evolving. Teams pursue focus, much like a telescope narrows toward precision. Partnerships pursue development, more like a fine wine.\n\n<h3>The Power Of A Partner-Leader</h3>\n\nLeadership is vital to the effectiveness of a team. Generally, great energy is devoted to leadership enlistment; getting associates to accept, value and respond to followership induction aimed at subordination to a mutual purpose. Even in leaderless or self-directed teams - those groupings aimed at operating without the formal identification of authority - a sort of pack mentality encourages the emergence of a leader.\n\nIn partnerships, followership is less person-centered and more the quest for ego-less collaboration. Google Co-Founder and CEO Larry Page said:\n\n<blockquote>“If you can run the company a bit more collaboratively, you get a better result, because you have more bandwidth and checking and balancing going on.”</blockquote>\n\nLeaders of partnerships become servants to the confederation. Pixar President Ed Catmull said it well, referring to managers in the context of partnership:\n\n<blockquote>“I believe the best managers acknowledge and make room for what they do not know - not just because humility is a virtue, but because until one adopts that mindset, the most striking breakthroughs cannot occur. I believe that managers must loosen the controls, not tighten them. They must accept risk; they must trust the people they work with and strive to clear the path for them; and always, they must pay attention to and engage with anything that creates fear. Moreover, successful leaders embrace the reality that their models may be wrong or incomplete. Only when we admit what we don’t know can we ever hope to learn it.”</blockquote>', 'Partnership - A Crucible for Innovation', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'partnership-a-crucible-for-innovation', '', '', '2015-09-17 06:00:43', '2015-09-17 10:00:43', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27447', 0, 'post', '', 3);
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(27451, 401, '2015-11-12 06:00:55', '2015-11-12 11:00:55', 'Some job interviews aren’t one-on-one, straight up Q&amp;A sessions.\n\nSometimes you’ll be put in a group while other times you’ll be having lunch with your prospective boss or the board of directors.\n\nWhatever the case, every interview format presents its own set of challenges, so you have to be prepared.\n\nIf you\'re looking to move up from an entry level position to a management post, or from junior management to senior or executive level management, you have to be prepared for these interview formats as they are a norm for jobs with a leadership capacity.\n<h3>Master The 5 Alternative Interview Formats</h3>\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>Facilitation or Presentation Interview</strong> - This interview is often done for training and sales positions, where the job requires demonstration, teaching and engagement skills.In this type of interview, you’ll be requested to create a short lesson or workshop on a particular topic. Aside from the hiring manager, your prospective colleagues and boss might be in the audience, too.<strong><em>Tips:</em></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Pick a specific, not too broad topic that you’re comfortable with.</li>\n	<li>Anticipate the questions that will be asked and prepare answers for each one.</li>\n	<li>Prepare engaging visuals - no boring PowerPoint presentations please.</li>\n	<li>If there’s time, conduct a short group activity.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n	<li><strong>Group Interviews</strong> - Group interviews come in different formats. But for the sake of this article, we’ll focus on the most common one - a group discussion where one person interviews multiple candidates. A round table discussion like this lets the interviewer examine your communication skills, and ability to work with a group.\n<strong><em>Tips:</em></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Remember, this isn’t a contest. <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/how-to-avoid-crushing-the-self-confidence-of-others/\" target=\"_blank\">Don’t one-up </a>the other candidates.</li>\n	<li>Don’t blend in and agree with what everyone says. Stand up for your beliefs, explain your opinions and let your unique skills stand out. This is the best way to stand out in the eyes of the interviewer.</li>\n	<li>Having the interviewer repeat himself will reflect badly on you. Demonstrate your listening skills by adding on to what another candidate already said, or by saying <em>“Like x said, I think…”</em></li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n	<li><strong>All-Day Or Sequential Interviews</strong> - All-day interviews are common for senior-level positions, where both interviewers and candidates have strict schedules so they’d rather have it all in one day instead of breaking it up to several days.The challenge here isn’t the interview itself, but the energy required to survive (and not be grumpy) throughout the day.<strong><em>Tips:</em></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Bring some light snacks and energy bars to fuel you up.</li>\n	<li>Get a list of the people interviewing you, so you can research them beforehand.</li>\n	<li>Start and end each interview on a high note. Even if this day feels like a drag to you, remember that’s not the case for the interviewer.</li>\n	<li>Anticipate the questions they’ll ask, and compile a list of stories and examples you can use for each.</li>\n	<li>Interviewers might ask you the same questions, or a variety of the same question. Don’t be tempted to recite the same story or example every time. They’ll get suspicious if you do.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n	<li><strong>Panel Interview</strong> - A panel interview has one candidate facing two or more interviewers on the opposite end. Panel interviews are often done to give the hiring company different perspectives on a candidate.This format is also typical in executive leadership and C-suite positions, where a candidate is often interviewed by the C-level team or sometimes the board of directors. If it makes you feel any better, the interviewers are probably just as uncomfortable as you are.<strong><em>Tips:</em></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Relax, the interviewers will sense if you’re tense.</li>\n	<li>Include all the interviewers in your answer, not just the one asking.</li>\n	<li>Don’t just focus on whoever is \"friendliest,\" that aloof guy is on the hiring committee, too.</li>\n	<li>Remember the name of each interviewer, so you can personalize your response to them.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n	<li><strong>The Coffee Or Lunch Interview</strong> - Having the actual interview outside the office may feel casual, but don’t be fooled. You’re being tested just the same, maybe in more ways than you realize.A meal interview is designed to test your social and conversational skills in <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/a-leadership-balancing-act-boundaries-risk-and-responsibilities/\" target=\"_blank\">high-stakes situations</a>. For instance, a job that requires lots of wining and dining with other guests needs a candidate who can look professional in different social events.<strong><em>Tips:</em></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Find out where the interview is and know what to order in advance.</li>\n	<li>Don’t drink, even if the interviewer is having one.</li>\n	<li>Don’t order anything messy or smelly.</li>\n	<li>Have a light snack before the interview. You don’t want to look ravenous.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ol>\nWhatever the format, one thing remains constant: There’s one thing that doesn’t change in every interview - you. You control your reactions, answers and behavior during the interview. Practice and prepare for what you can control, and don’t mind the rest.', 'How To Ace Nerve Wracking Alternative Format Interviews', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-to-ace-nerve-wracking-alternative-format-interviews', '', '', '2015-11-12 06:00:55', '2015-11-12 11:00:55', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27451', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(27461, 282, '2015-09-16 06:00:43', '2015-09-16 10:00:43', 'Keith Boyd is an 11 year old boy in Oklahoma. In spite of the fact that Keith was born with Cerebral Palsy, Keith has dreams, ambitions and high hopes for the future.\n\nRefusing to allow his physical limitations to interfere, Keith had a dream to raise funds for the Little Light House, an amazing school that he and many other special needs kids attended.\n\nKeith had a lemonade stand a few years earlier to raise money for a toy he wanted, so he knew how to make it happen. But knowing he wanted this to be much bigger, Keith wrote a business plan for a venture called Keith’s Ice Cold Lemonade Stand, with plans for multiple lemonade stands around the Tulsa, Oklahoma metro area.\n\nWith the assistance of local Chick-fil-A owner Arthur Greeno, and Clay Clark, CEO of Thrive 15, a business dedicated to helping entrepreneurs, Keith’s dream became a reality.\n\nKeith was able to raise $120,000 through his lemonade stands, and has had his product line picked up by a local grocery chain! He continues to work through his foundation to raise funds for other special needs kids, and was recently awarded the True Inspiration Award from the national Chick-fil-A Foundation. Not bad for a kid who many might say was dealt a bad hand from life from the day he was born.\n\nHow do we handle the <em>lemons</em> that life hands us? Complain? Blame? Retreat? Give up? I’d like to suggest a few different approaches that you and your team could take when your circumstances turn sour:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Check For Bugs &amp; Rotten Spots</strong> - Tough times show us where our weaknesses are. When buying produce, wise people will pick up the piece of vegetable or fruit, and inspect it closely. It’s crazy to buy something that is rotten or spoiled. It’s the same in our businesses and organizations. Take the time with difficult times come, and inspect your situation. Discard the junk that might have brought you to that point. Get rid of the processes, policies or people that continually drop rotten fruit in your lap.</li>\n	<li><strong>Peel The Skin Off</strong> - Tough times show us what our team is really made of. There are times when everything on the outside of a piece of fruit looks great, but once you peel the skin you find a worm or a rotten interior. Gross! But how many times have we failed to look beyond the surface level performance of our team members or the organization, and then found ourselves shocked when something rotten spilled out later when we were forced to dig deeper? Evaluation BEFORE eruption is a much better plan to follow.</li>\n	<li><strong>Get A Bigger Pitcher</strong> - Tough times stretch us to our limits. Bar Rescue is one of my favorite shows. John Tapper works with struggling bars to improve their business and their people. They always do a <em>stress test</em> night to see just how staff will respond when hit with a huge crowd, and it nearly always is a dismal failure. He then evaluates their strengths and weaknesses, provides training from experts, and motivates them to be the best version of themselves. We can do that same thing with our teams and with ourselves. Stretch everyone during and after those tough times. If you’re going to serve a lot of lemonade, you’re gonna need a bigger pitcher.</li>\n	<li><strong>Add Sugar &amp; Ice</strong> - Tough times highlight areas we can grow in. Lemonade, sugar, water and ice are the primary ingredients of good lemonade. Leave out any one ingredient and you risk having a drink that lacks balance in flavor or refreshment. Don’t believe me? Go suck a lemon, eat a cup of sugar straight out of the bag, or drink from a pitcher of lemonade that has sat in the summer heat for a couple of hours. Get the picture? Revamping your systems, and making sure that the best procedures, people and practices are in place don’t guarantee success, but they certainly diminish your chances of failing miserably.</li>\n	<li><strong>Squeeze A Lemon &amp; You Will Get Lemon Juice </strong> - Tough times keep us humble. You’ve most likely heard the old adage, “Pressure brings to the outside what was on the inside.” Robert McKee says, “True character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure - the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice to the character\'s essential nature.\" You and your team will ultimately get a much clearer vision of the each other’s character, work ethic and values during times of stress and pressure. Core Values aren’t typically enunciated - they are excavated. To say it another way, just talking about what we say is important to us isn’t nearly as valuable as the lives we lead and the things we do in showing others what we are really about.</li>\n	<li><strong>Today Is The Best Day To Open Your Lemonade Stand</strong> - Tough times can motivate us out of complacency. Startups tend to grow much faster than businesses or organizations that have been around a while. Why is that? Shouldn’t the businesses that have pushed past the jitters of starting up, grown beyond the challenges of building a customer base or establishing themselves do better than a bunch of newbies in business? Of course they should. But the older and more experienced an organization gets, the easier it is to become complacent, and to fear taking any new risks or making any gutsy new decisions. This causes them to flatten out in growth and creativity and allow others who are doing those things to pass them. Kick start your organization with the challenges you face from time to time. Grow through them, and allow them to be a motivator to be better, smarter and more successful, regardless of the challenges you encounter.</li>\n</ul>\nBy the way, Keith is doing great. I was blessed to be able to be a part of his crowd funded project to get his bottled lemonade line up and running! You can go check out his progress for yourself at <a href=\"http://www.keithsicecoldbeverages.com\">http://www.keithsicecoldbeverages.com</a>. If you’re in Tulsa, be sure and pick up some of his ice cold lemonade. I’m sure knowing Keith’s story will make it taste even sweeter than any other you’ve ever had!\n\nNote: For a Pinterest-friendly summary of this post, please click <a href=\"https://www.pinterest.com/pin/382806037056265702/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.', 'When Life Hands You Lemons, Say Thank You!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'when-life-hands-you-lemons-say-thank-you', '', '', '2015-09-16 06:00:43', '2015-09-16 10:00:43', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27461', 0, 'post', '', 42),
(27486, 402, '2015-09-14 06:00:21', '2015-09-14 10:00:21', 'Many will argue about the importance of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership. Some believe that a high EQ is absolutely necessary in order to be a successful leader, whereas others believe that you can be a good leader even with a low level of <a href=\"https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/emotional-intelligence\">emotional intelligence</a>.\n\nCan a high level of Emotional Intelligence help you become better in your role as a leader?\n\nLogically, one thing is easy to conclude for sure; having a high level of <a href=\"http://www.free-management-ebooks.com/dldebk-pdf/fme-understanding-emotional-intelligence.pdf\">emotional intelligence</a> can definitely help leaders in their aspirations to become better at their jobs.\n\nHere we’re going to take a look at the established domains of emotional intelligence and how they affect the leadership style. According to Daniel Goleman, author of <em>Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ</em> and <em>Working With Emotional Intelligence</em>, there are five main domains of emotional intelligence.\n\nThese domains are part of the emotional intelligence model which is based on the two primary competencies: personal competencies and social competencies. You can read a detailed article by Travis Bradberry, co-author of <em>Emotional Intelligence 2.0</em>, who writes about the four core skills of the <a href=\"http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241998\">emotional intelligence</a> primary competencies model.\n\n<h3>What Kind Of Leadership Traits Do You Exhibit?</h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Self-awareness</strong> - What does self-awareness mean for you as the leader? Are you aware of your own emotions and reactions? How do you react to situations with your co-workers? If you are someone who is aware of your own strengths and weaknesses, you will know how to deal with your feelings in most situations. Self-awareness is the domain in which we all should seek growth personally and professionally. As a leader, a high level of self-awareness will allow you to deal with criticism and conflicts in a more constructive manner.</li>\n<li><strong>Self-Regulation</strong> - How do you manage your emotions? Do you over-react or under-react? If you want to be a good leader, you should know how to express your thoughts and feelings in a mature and controlled way. If you can’t control your negative emotions and you explode in moments of conflict, or yet you keep your negative feelings inside of you; you risk creating an environment of disunion and poor communication within your team.</li>\n<li><strong>Motivation</strong> - No matter how many people you have on your team, you need to be able to motivate them. But if you can’t motivate yourself, how will you motivate others? A good leader needs to continuously <a href=\"http://www.dallasiia.org/PDF/What_is_your_emotional_IQ.pdf\">motivate and inspire</a> team members.</li>\n<li><strong>Empathy</strong> - The ability to feel “with someone” gives a leader a huge advantage in knowing how to connect with people and how to approach people in problematic situations. When you’re able to understand someone’s perspective of a situation you’re much more likely to achieve your team goals; working in harmony, reaching a mutual agreement, exploring new innovative ideas and so on.</li>\n<li><strong>People Skills</strong> - People skills are actually essential in order to be a good leader. If you don’t know how to organize and communicate with your team, how will you reach your team goals? If you can’t manage your relationships within your team, what kind of a work environment will be created? A successful leader is able to pick up on people’s feelings and thoughts thus being able to approach the people and situations in the best possible way.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<strong>Daniel Golman\'s EI Model</strong>\n\n<img class=\"size-full\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Presentation1-e1441981295688.jpg\" alt=\"Daniel Golman\'s EI model\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" />\n\n<h3>What’s Your EQ?</h3>\n\nThere are a lot of tests out there for determining your EQ. But these tests aren’t scientific, which means it is very easy to lie and to fool them in order to get the results you want. If you want to get real results, you need to look at your real life situations and be honest to yourself.\n\nIf you work on a job position which is of leadership character, then revise your real life behavioral patterns at work in accordance with the above mentioned domains of Emotional Intelligence. This way you will be able to see where you are at with emotional intelligence. Further on, if you want to improve and become a better leader, look at your stronger domains and your weaker domains and work on them.\n\nI have always set myself up for leadership positions in whatever domain, whether it be in sports, games, organisations or running a Web agency in <a href=\"https://graftene.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">Graftene</a>. I believe that leadership skills can be learned by modifying our behavioral patterns and it takes self awareness to understand just how effective or ineffective we are at our role.', 'Emotional Intelligence &amp; Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'emotional-intelligence-and-leadership', '', '', '2015-09-14 06:00:21', '2015-09-14 10:00:21', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27486', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(27516, 276, '2015-09-21 06:00:47', '2015-09-21 10:00:47', 'Last week, I was teaching part three of the <em>15 Invaluable Laws Of Growth</em> at our company. As I was presenting, one topic, what came to mind is the <em>Do Not Do List</em>.\n\nLike anyone, I often struggle as I work at overcoming some of my weaknesses in life. This is a daily challenge and I persevere to keep at it. So I thought it would be appropriate for me to write an article on this topic.\n\nWhat is a do not do list? A do not do list is a list of things that are holding you back. It could include habits, practices or behaviors that prevent you from making progress.\n\nOn my list, procrastinating is number one. I have the tendency to put things off because I think that I can get it done tomorrow. This habit has caused me a lot of trouble because I fail to accomplish the things that I need to do, therefore I cannot move to the next step.\n\n<h3>Create A List</h3>\n\nFold a piece of paper in the middle. Write the headers <em>weaknesses</em> on the top left section and <em>action items</em> on the right side. THen take the next steps:\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>List Your Weaknesses</strong> – These are habits, behaviors and practices that are holding you back.</li>\n<li><strong>Write It Out</strong> - Write each weakness on the left side of the paper and on the right side list action items that you need to do to improve or eliminate your weakness. More importantly, state when you will work on it</li>\n<li><strong>List The Impact Of Each Item To Your Life</strong> – How much impact does it have? Does it hold you back? Mark it as High - for very impactful, Mid - for impactful, or Minor — for little impact, for the level that it holds you back.</li>\n<li><strong>Prioritize</strong> – Do this by marking the most impactful first. High impact to minor impact</li>\n<li><strong>Start now</strong> – Don’t wait another day. Start now and make it happen</li>\n<li>Persevere & Be Persistent – Don\'t stop.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3>Consistency Is The Key To Your Success</h3>\n\nOnce you have the list, you need to change your habits and the things that you do in your life. In order to make progress, we must change our habits.\n\nThere will be days we don’t feel like working on our weaknesses, but a day wasted means we are day away from achieving our goals. Keep at it and be persistent. Writing is a labor of love; share this to people you know will benefit from reading it.\n\nLet me know if it works for you by leaving a comment.', 'Do Not Do List', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'do-not-do-list', '', '', '2015-09-21 06:00:47', '2015-09-21 10:00:47', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27516', 0, 'post', '', 11),
(27531, 323, '2015-09-24 06:00:55', '2015-09-24 10:00:55', 'Charles wants a boat. Once upon a time Charles wanted to buy a boat. He approached his wife, Emma, with a list of personal expenses he was prepared to sacrifice to afford the boat.\n\nEmma took one look at his list and was not convinced. She was not on board with the boat idea.\n\nNot to be deterred, Charles paused and reevaluated his approach. After some thought he returned to Emma with a new plea.\n\nHere’s what he said:\n\n“Emma, I really want to buy a boat. I’ve been thinking about it for months and I can’t sleep at night I want it so bad. All growing up my favorite memories were of the times I was with my family at the lake. You see, my dad owned a boat and every Sunday my parents, my brothers and sisters and I took the boat out. We fished, we played games, we laughed, we cried. Now that I’m married and we have two beautiful kids of our own I want us to make our own memories at the lake. I really want to buy a boat.”\n\nThat was the day when Emma and Charles bought a boat.\n\nThis is a true story and one of my favorites. I love it because, while maybe not obvious at first, it serves as a terrific example of how to flex one’s style to an individual and situation in order to gain support for a goal. It is a story about influence, a critical leadership skill.\n<h3>I Just Love stories</h3>\nAs a kid you would have found me in the front row at school for story-time. As an adult – have a good story, you have my attention.\n\nBut some of my all-time favorite stories are the ones told by leaders who recognize the power of a tale as a leadership tool. Stories are accessible, easy to relate to, readily ignite our passions, and – most importantly – can inspire and rally people around an idea.\n\nSure, data and metrics drive organizations and make us think. But stories will compel us to think <em>and</em> feel. A good narrative will speak to both our reason and emotion.\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">\"People think in stories, not statistics.”</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Arianna Huffington</div></blockquote>\nConsider the immense popularity of the book <em>Who Moved My Cheese?</em> In Dr. Spencer Johnson’s book he recounts a delightful parable of four mice who care very much for their cheese and react in different ways when it gets moved, i.e. when they are confronted with change.  Dr. Spencer replaces statistics with anecdotes and he teaches us about change.\n\nAs children we told stories with ease. But as adults have we lost the art of story-telling?  Impossible. <span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Muriel Rukeyser, American Poet, puts it this way: </span>\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">“The universe is not made of atoms. It’s made of tiny stories.”</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Muriel Rukeyser</div></blockquote>\n<h3>Leadership Stories Are all Around Us</h3>\nStories are everywhere, we just have to look for them. Here\'s how to find them:\n<ul>\n	<li>Look for themes while you watch movies, the news and talk to friends</li>\n	<li>Ask your children about their classmates and teachers</li>\n	<li>Read the biography of a president, famous coach or business leader</li>\n	<li>Invite a long-tenured member of your company to lunch and just listen</li>\n	<li>Read Aesop’s Fables – as one example, the <em>Boy who Cried Wolf</em> is a timeless tale of the consequence of lying and the importance of everyday integrity</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Leadership Stories Are In You</h3>\nThe most personal stories can have the greatest effect on connecting our audience to us and our ideas. One of the most powerful ways to find a personal story is through reflecting on our unwritten autobiography.\n\nFor example, what did you like to do as a kid? Is there a story in there somewhere? Or, was there ever a time when you felt your back was against the wall and all was lost? What happened there?\n\nHere are some questions you can ask to find your personal stories within:\n<ul>\n	<li>When did I stick to my values in the face of great adversity?</li>\n	<li>How have I fabulously failed?</li>\n	<li>Where have I grown the most?</li>\n	<li>Why did I choose my current vocation?</li>\n	<li>What’s something I tried but never thought I would?</li>\n	<li>Who were my most memorable mentors? And how did they help shape me?</li>\n	<li>What am I most proud of in my career so far? Least proud?</li>\n</ul>\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">“The greatest art in the world is the art of storytelling.”</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Cecil B. DeMille</div></blockquote>\nWhen leaders tell stories we listen.', 'When Leaders Tell Stories', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'when-leaders-tell-stories', '', '', '2015-09-24 06:00:55', '2015-09-24 10:00:55', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27531', 0, 'post', '', 7),
(27539, 384, '2015-10-27 06:00:19', '2015-10-27 10:00:19', 'It is still an amazing thought to realize the source of feeling you get from an experience, even when you are troubled that you might be wrong. You might mentally teeter on that side or this side, but somehow you just know.\n\nUnderstanding comes either from a life-long pursuit of understanding through books and teachings or simply an undefined wisdom that crept day by day, experience through experience, into the network of the mind.\n\nI have come to see the behaviors of others as part of a story that slowly unfolds before me, like a movie in my mind. I\'ve sat in meetings and have stared at the faces of those in the room only to glance away as their wondering gaze juts back and forth and then finally towards mine. I am looking for information with which I hope to fashion into intelligence.\n\nI want to understand others, how they feel, what they think and where their mind is taking them. While I don\'t believe in the supernatural 6th sense or the merely entertaining concept of mind reading, I do believe in the ability to mix mindful experience with social commonalities and just enough imagination to bake a tasty human understanding pie.\n\nWhile I have spent a fair more amount of time than many others watching people as a voyeur (not the creepy kind) I have developed an ease of belief in how some feel in some situations and others feel in other situations. Combining memory, willingness for empathy, and imagination I trust myself to see what others are feeling before, during and after events. I believe that the imagination portion plays a crucial part in my derived intelligence but only because I recognize what imagination might be.\n\nImagination is our ability to see into the future or to where we can\'t likely use our eyes and cognitive ability. We string together our past experiences and the stories we\'ve heard to weave a tapestry of what lies beyond. To finalize our creation we toss in a helping of possibility, probability and then we plagiarize the rest.\n\n<h3>That Was The What. Here Is The Why.</h3>\n\nI sat in a meeting sometime back and witnessed an amazing display of non-verbal communication. This particular meeting was not unique in either the content or the roster of those present.\n\nIt was, however, distinct in my mind as it was the third or fourth time I had witnessed the same non-verbal display by the same person. He sat next to me this time and so his gestures, muted sounds and tones of irreverence blared at me as if Louis Armstrong had nestled the business end of his trumpet up to my ear and blown hard.\n\nI recognized each of the tones he used while speaking and they all would be thrown into the condescension bucket. In step with his tones was an amazing ability to employ sarcasm and anger in such a way that neither was overbearing on the other but a sheer mastery mix of disdain.\n\nWhat stands out to me as the ultimate amazement from this behavioral dance of the macabre, is the fact that I was the only one who noticed. With two other professionals in tow during this experience I walked out of the meeting dizzy from wondering if either I had just had a hallucinatory experience or if I had discovered a superpower that I had in noticing sheer ugly anger.\n\nIt was my ability to replay my experience, tone for tone, non-verbal gesture for gesture and almost word for word that grounded me into what is now my honest recollection of that meeting. I\'d sat with one professional willing to metaphorically shed his suit and behave like an irrational child and two others who forgot to put their professional suits on that morning. Together the four of us accomplished the weary task of building tremendous walls between each of us and our ability to work together.\n\nThe outcome of the meeting was greatly unfavorable for me, my judgments and desires, but that seems completely unimportant now and honestly it was also unimportant right after the meeting. What stands out was the obvious way in which one of my colleagues behaved and how the other two completely missed it. Could it have been my imagination? I\'d rather consider a lack of courage served up in chilled glasses to the three of them and having been gulped down before I arrived.\n\nEnough of the story dripping with sufficient metaphor to make a college professor choke; here\'s my take on the bottom line:\n\nBehaving in a professional manner includes the ability to control your emotions and believe both in action and behavior, showing that the people you are working with are your partners. If you treat your partners with behaviors and words which would likely get your face slapped from your dear grandmother then you\'ve failed your emotional intelligence test, the class and the ability to retake the class should you so choose.\n\nProfessionalism in its mastery form looks like the Dalai Lama negotiating for peace for Tibet, not like Donald Trump enjoying the words, \"You\'re Fired!\" It lies in the words as they are formed to make sentences and the expressions which frame the sentences. It is a totality of empathy and understanding combined with surgical skill in clarity and premier respect, for even your worst corporate enemies.\n\nIt is true that this level of professionalism is saved for the cream of the crop, but then what else should we aspire to? We should consider our furrowed brows, our rolling eyes and the shape of our mouths as much as we do for the words which flow from the latter. We should aspire to show people our charisma, which by definition makes others really want to hear what we have to say.\n\nWe all should step away from our partners in business and in life leaving them with a sense of awe and admiration, not vilification having been insulted because it is the only way in which we might make our case. As professionals we owe it to each other to learn as much as we can about how we look, act and treat others as the worst forms of ourselves and then discard those non-verbals, tones and words in exchange for the ones that make us better professionals.', 'It&#039;s What I See, But Some May Not', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'its-what-i-see-but-some-may-not', '', '', '2015-10-27 06:00:19', '2015-10-27 10:00:19', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27539', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(27562, 307, '2015-10-02 06:00:37', '2015-10-02 10:00:37', 'Have you ever heard a supervisor say something like, “Why should I have to encourage people? This is their job isn’t it?” Have you ever thought those words yourself?\n\nRecently, I received an incredibly strong answer to this question from Jennifer, a former store manager at a national women’s clothing chain.\n\nJennifer is outgoing, incredibly gifted at making customers feel comfortable, and was considered a “high-potential” by her district and regional managers. Within a year, however, she had quit.\n\nA few months later, she ran into her district manager at a coffee shop. As they talked, the district manager expressed surprise that Jennifer had left. “You were one of the most talented, capable managers we had. You had so much to offer and you left. Do you mind if I ask why?”\n\nJennifer told me, “It took me a few moments to recover from the shock…the district manager had never shared any of those positives with me. I got a weekly, sometimes daily, breakdown of where I wasn’t good enough – and that was it.”\n\nJennifer told her former district manager, “I thought I was failing. I’m shocked to hear that I was doing anything right. I wish you had told me I was talented or capable at the time.”\n\n<h3>Why Encourage People For Just Doing Their Job</h3>\n\nThat depends how important is it to you to keep your top performers? How much lost talent, energy, and productivity will a lack of encouragement cost you?\n\nHuman beings need encouragement. It’s a fact of life. You get more of what you encourage or celebrate and less of what you criticize or ignore. If you want a team that doesn’t need to be encouraged, get a cat. Otherwise, if you’re working with people, they need encouragement.\n\nIf you’re married, imagine what would happen if, after your wedding, you never said “I love you” or never held hands or kissed the other person. You couldn’t expect your relationship to last very long.\n\nThat’s the equivalent of never saying “thank you” or encouraging your team members. Yes, it’s their job in so much as they’ve made a commitment to your company – just like spouses make a promise to commit to one another. That doesn\'t mean you should take that commitment or your team’s work for granted.\n\n<h3>3 Keys To Effective Encouragement</h3>\n\nRecently, when I shared Jennifer’s story, an audience member asked, “How do I encourage people? I understand the concept, but struggle to do it well.” Effective encouragement requires three things:\n\n<ol>\n<li>Avoid “great job!” Instead, try something like: “I really appreciate the extra effort you put in on that project last Tuesday. The client loved the work and renewed their account.”</li>\n<li>Encourage people in ways that are meaningful to them. The easiest way to find out, is to ask. When you onboard people into your team, ask them, “How do you like to receive recognition for a job well done?”</li>\n<li>Make sure your encouragement is related to the work and business outcomes. It demoralizes everyone when you encourage someone for something that actually detracts from the team.</li>\n</ol>\n\nThank you for your commitment to leading well. Remember, you get more of what you encourage and celebrate. Everyone needs encouragement – they just need it in ways that are meaningful to them.', 'The Price Leaders Pay For Silence', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-price-leaders-pay-for-silence', '', '', '2015-10-02 06:00:37', '2015-10-02 10:00:37', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27562', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(27567, 403, '2015-09-23 06:00:50', '2015-09-23 10:00:50', 'We use the word team so often that it has almost become a garbage can word. Everything is a team.\n\nWe have our department team, our sales team, our whole company is called a team, and we have even called the guys who meet every Friday night a team.\n\nBecause we use the word so frequently, we think we know how to work effectively with teams. Unfortunately we do not.\n\nTeams are complex dynamic systems that face many challenges. In fact 60% fail to reach their potential.\n\nListed below are eight of the most common reasons teams fail based on our experience and research:\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Lack Of Clear Purpose & Goals</strong> - Without clear purpose and goals, the team will falter. Not knowing what to accomplish and why it is important is a major reason for lack of performance.</li>\n<li><strong>Unsure Of What Requires A Team Effort</strong> - Not every decision or action requires a team; some are best accomplished by individuals. Team action is required when the result calls for multiple skills and perspectives and for a common goal.</li>\n<li><strong>Lack Of Accountability</strong> - The very definition of a team is one where mutual accountability for outcomes is a given. Effective teams hold themselves and each other accountable for commitments made and results.</li>\n<li><strong>Lack Of Effective Or Shared Leadership</strong> - Applying leader behaviors that do not meet the developmental level of the team impacts both productivity and morale. Every team needs a leader, but as the team develops leadership needs to be shared. You will never have a high performing team if the leader does not give up control.</li>\n<li><strong>Lack Of Trust Among Team Members</strong> - Teams are trust- based systems. The lack of trust leads to poor communication and withholding of information, which is a barrier to relationships and innovation.</li>\n<li><strong>Inability To Deal With Conflict</strong> - Not dealing with conflict will cause productivity and morale to come to a standstill or worse. Rather than being seen as differences, it can become a struggle for control. If dealt with correctly can be the source of innovation and deepened relationships.</li>\n<li><strong>Ineffective Problem-Solving Skills</strong> - The strength of the team lies in its ability to creatively and effectively deal with challenges. Without this skill set (which thrives on different perspectives), it will not reach high performance.</li>\n<li><strong>Lack Of Focus On Creativity & Excellence</strong> - Creativity and excellence cannot be taken for granted but ideally written right into the values and norms of the team. Continual improvement is applauded and honored. Team members should be allowed to take calculated risks. If mistakes occur, they are treated as learning opportunities.</li>\n</ol>\n\nOvercoming these challenges is not easy but doable. Teams are a powerful vehicle to produce results and build morale. When managed effectively, they can outperform any group of individuals and do more to unleash creativity and build skills than individuals working alone.', '8 Reasons Why Teams Fail', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '8-reasons-why-teams-fail', '', '', '2015-09-23 06:00:50', '2015-09-23 10:00:50', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27567', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(27569, 403, '2015-10-29 06:00:32', '2015-10-29 10:00:32', 'When I first started working with teams, I heard the phrase High Performing Team (HPT) used frequently.\n\nI understood that a this type of team produced consistent quality results and its members cared about each other.\n\nI wondered, though, what it was that made this team different from the rest of the pack? If I knew what it looked like and how it operated, then I would know what to shoot for in my own leadership.\n\nMy colleagues and I devised a simple interactive activity to find the answers. We have used this activity at all levels in all kinds of organizations, with intact teams and newly formed teams composed of strangers. Remarkably, the results are always the same.\n\n<strong>Here is how it works:</strong>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Ask individuals to think of their best team experience- where they were very proud of the results and very proud to be a member. It could be any kind of team - sports, work, project, or community.</li>\n<li>Have participants write down 5 or 6 elements that made that team so special.</li>\n<li>Then in small groups, compare their lists and determine the 6–8 characteristics or elements that were consistent in everyone’s list.</li>\n<li>Have table teams report out. The themes will become evident.</li>\n</ul>\n\nThis activity is simple and the results are powerful. For 30 years, despite changes in technology, economics, and generational considerations, the characteristics are always the same no matter the form the team takes.\n\nKnowing the characteristics of a highly effective team gives you as a leader a goal to shoot for as you work with teams and the ability to identify gaps where the team may need work. Knowing your goal is so important. To paraphrase the Cheshire Cat: “if you don’t know where you’re going, then any road will get you there.”\n\nWe put the characteristics of a High Performance Team into an acronym so it is easy to remember. The acronym is called <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/8-reasons-why-teams-fail/\">PERFORM</a>.\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>P = Purpose and Values</strong> - A high performing team shares a strong sense of purpose and a set of common values. They are clear about what their work is and why it is important. The purpose is what focuses energy and drives interdependence and performance. It is from purpose that mutually agreed upon goals are derived, roles defined and strategies developed. If purpose and values are not clear, the team will falter.</li>\n<li><strong>E = Empowerment</strong> - Policies, rules and procedures enable the team to do their work easily. The team has access to relevant information and resources. They have the skills necessary to succeed or at least know how to get them. The team’s decision-making practices, scope of authority, and accountability strategies are clear. They have the autonomy, opportunity and ability to experience their personal and collective power.</li>\n<li><strong>R = Relationships & Communication</strong> - This is the lifeblood of the team. Team members feel like they can take risks, share their thoughts, opinions and feelings without fear. Listening is considered as important as speaking. Differences are truly valued and if differences lead to conflict, the team is skilled in dealing with it in a way that maintains human dignity. Trust and mutual respect are high. They care and depend on each other.</li>\n<li><strong>F = Flexibility</strong> - The team has the ability to adapt to constantly changing conditions and demands. Roles are shared and team members back one another up. Everyone shares in team development and leadership. Strengths are identified and used. The team engages in both hard work and fun. Feelings as well as opinions are valued.</li>\n<li><strong>O = Optimal Productivity</strong> - A HPT is committed to producing significant results. There is a commitment to high standards and quality. They take great pride in meeting deadlines, achieving goals and getting the job done. They hold each other accountable. There is striving for continual improvement. They have effective decision and problem solving methods to enhance creativity and participation. Everyone carries their weight and they hold each other accountable. They take great pride in team accomplishment.</li>\n<li><strong>R = Recognition & Appreciation</strong> - Recognition and appreciation is the responsibility of all team members and the leader. The organization recognizes and values the team contribution. Individual and team accomplishments are recognized. Milestones are celebrated. Team members feel highly regarded in the team.</li>\n<li><strong>M = Morale</strong> - Morale is the sense of pride and satisfaction that comes from belonging to the team and accomplishing its work. Team members are confident and enthusiastic There is a sense of optimism about the future. Team spirit is high.</li>\n</ol>\nIn essence, a team is high performing when there is a clear purpose and values, mutual accountability for results, interdependence and a deep care and commitment for the task and each other.', '7 Characteristics Of A High Performing Team', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '7-characteristics-of-a-high-performing-team', '', '', '2015-10-29 06:00:32', '2015-10-29 10:00:32', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27569', 0, 'post', '', 3);
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(27586, 270, '2015-09-18 06:00:43', '2015-09-18 10:00:43', 'Last week when I sat down to review my calendar, I noticed that Monday, September 21, is the <em>International Day of Peace</em>.\n\nPeace, a little word that stirs so much inside of me.\n\nImages of the green pastures I saw in Ireland this summer and how restful they were to my sand-covered, expat soul.\n\nAnd the thankfulness that filled my heart until tears ran down my cheeks.\n\n<strong>Thoughts of a class I took several years ago...</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>That helped me realize that there is a difference between a <a href=\"http://consultgiana.com/leadership-and-peace-making/\">peacemaker</a> and a peace faker.</li>\n	<li>And the power that comes from learning to <a href=\"http://consultgiana.com/got-sugar-learning-to-speak-truth-with-grace/\">speak truth with grace</a>.</li>\n</ul>\n<blockquote>Truth shines light, banishes fear, builds hope and ignites peace.</blockquote>\n<strong>Endless examples of workplaces...</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>That are so divided that <a href=\"http://consultgiana.com/the-enemy-within-internal-customer-service-impacts-growth/\">employees have to battle each other</a> to get work done while customers suffer.</li>\n	<li>And the knowledge that organizational growth begins with real peace.</li>\n</ul>\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">\"When there is trust, conflict becomes nothing but the pursuit of truth, an attempt to find the best possible answer.\"</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Patrick Lencioni</div></blockquote>\nConnection, admiration and empathy as I think of people I know that have lived in, escaped from or have families that are living in war torn countries.\n\n<img class=\"alignright\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Fotolia_2099921_XS1-225x300-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Peace - A Leadership Strategy, Not Pixie Dust\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /><strong>Memories</strong> of my Grandfather, a WWII Battle of the Bulge Veteran...\n<ul>\n	<li>Who fought for the peace of others, but struggled to find peace himself.</li>\n	<li>Until he had an opportunity, 60-years later, to learn <a href=\"http://consultgiana.com/broken-you-cant-have-an-omelet-without-first-breaking-the-eggs/\">how much peace means</a> to the people he fought for.</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>Scenes from the movie <a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0277434/?ref_=nv_sr_1\" target=\"_blank\">We Were Soldiers</a>...</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Where I first began to ponder the importance of the words, <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/together-you-stand-divided-you-fall/\">Together You Stand, Divided You Fall</a>.</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>Lessons from two of the most divisive people I’ve ever met...</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>That taught me to recognize that division is used for <a href=\"http://consultgiana.com/11-tips-for-dealing-with-manipulators/\">power, control and profit</a>.</li>\n	<li>And provided some <a href=\"http://consultgiana.com/1-way-you-can-create-a-more-peaceful-world-really/\">clear opportunities</a> for the rest of us to prevent division.</li>\n</ul>\nYes - evil people really think like this.\n\n\"The receptivity of the masses is very limited, their intelligence is small, but their power of forgetting is enormous. In consequence of these facts, all effective propaganda must be limited to a very few points and must harp on these in slogans until the last member of the public understands what you want him to understand by your slogan.\" ~ Adolf Hitler\n\nBut we don’t have to fall for it!\n<blockquote>\"Peace will never begin <em>out there</em>. It will always begin within us.\"</blockquote>\nCheck out these examples of people who are sowing seeds of peace outside of what the world thinks is possible:\n<ul>\n	<li>Police officers implementing <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_29TS6jjsA\">new ways of policing.</a></li>\n	<li>An Israeli and Palestinian mother who are <a href=\"http://www.because.net/bushra-a-woman-peace-leader-story/\">working together for peace</a></li>\n</ul>\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Below are several ideas from others about things that you can do to limit division and create more peace:</strong>\n<h3>Jaynia Samaroo - Jamaica</h3>\nTreat people as you would want to be treated. Look beyond the usual divides of race, religion and politics and see people as persons... with same wants, fears, hopes and dreams.\n\nI think to maintain or have peace is a decision that we have to make, as strife is easily stirred by various situations so we have to choose to find a peaceful resolution and actually want it. If not for ourselves we should want to foster peaceful relations so our kids can have better lives and quality of life.\n\nIt\'s really horrendous when people choose hate even when they don\'t have any idea why...except history dictates this. I don\'t generally hate people. I find that too strong a word anyway. I try to hate what they do, not them. There is something to love or even like or even admire in each person.\n\nI think some people, however, just have a spirit of hate and even the nicest of persons they will find something negative about and feel the need to create division. Those people need prayers!\n\nAt the country level at the home Level, in the workplace...leadership can help facilitate more interactions which can see people gaining relationships with others and as such help, I\'m making them see beyond the veil.  In Jamaica they try to have sporting activities played by mixed teams from rival communities. This builds comradeship among unusual groups.\n<h3>Carol Dougherty‪ - USA</h3>\nFor me it\'s about being authentic and allowing others to be their authentic self. As Stephen Covey said, \"Seek first to understand, then be understood.\" I work to stay open to where others are coming from - their experiences are different than mine so I can learn from them. I also work (hard at times) to be kind and to respect others.\n<h3>‪John Harrison Thurlbeck‪ - UK</h3>\nTo be the authentic me, in whatever environment I find myself. By this I mean I am polite, courteous and respectful to all, especially by saying please and thank you. I offer passion, energy and enthusiasm. I smile a lot and regularly use humor. Often to defuse and mediate situations. I also provide and seek feedback wherever I can and always seek to help people in doing so.\n\nI praise and celebrate whatever I can and am thankful for the many privileges that life has bestowed upon me. Most of all, whilst being a great talker too, as human interaction is the key to greater understanding and self-awareness, I listen attentively to what people say and then I try to act on all the things that I hear wherever I can.\n<h3>Kate Nasser - USA</h3>\nTo me, peace comes through a couple of universal steps:\n<ul>\n	<li>Questioning, learning, understanding.</li>\n	<li>Belief in something other than our own individual needs.</li>\n</ul>\nIt’s a part of emotional intelligence and yet we see even in religions that very rigid beliefs breed selfish inflexibility. That breeds conflict. When we keep our minds open, learn, discuss, and work through issues to a reasonable win/win — peace is at hand.\n<h3>Ruchi Gai - India</h3>\nBuddha said the final battle could be achieved by love and humanity among us. Gandhi said an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. This is what happening all over the world now.\n\nIt\'s on the verge of destruction; Buddha preached peace and even the Mighty King Ashoka in ancient India after fighting many wars joined Buddha as he realized there is no end to war.\n\nViolence only breaks the country and its people into bits.\n<h3>Patsy Claremont - USA</h3>\nForgiveness and choosing to live with an accepting attitude rather than criticism or looking for what to say to put someone down.\n<h3>Alicia Cheng - China</h3>\nWe need to know that people are all very different from us, this way, we can be more tolerant and accepting. We find comfort and encouragement from the verses in 1 Peter, 1:6-7.\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">\"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.\"</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Helen Keller</div></blockquote>\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Please share your thoughts</strong>. What can seemingly ordinary people do to create more peace?\n\n<img class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-27594\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/iStock_000017558689XSmall-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"iStock_000017558689XSmall\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" />I’m honored to co-host a <strong>#PeopleSkills</strong> Tweet Chat this <strong>Sunday, September 20th, at 10 AM EST</strong>, one day prior to the International Day of Peace.\n\nYou’re invited to bring your thoughts to this chat and join people from across the world as we discuss <strong><em>Peace Making versus Peace Breaking</em></strong>.\n\nFor more information about that chat and how you can join us. <a href=\"http://katenasser.com/peace-making-vs-peace-breaking-join-people-skills/\">Click Here.</a>', 'Peace - A Leadership Strategy, Not Pixie Dust', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'peace-a-leadership-strategy-not-pixie-dust', '', '', '2015-09-18 06:00:43', '2015-09-18 10:00:43', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27586', 0, 'post', '', 9),
(27629, 290, '2015-10-01 06:00:14', '2015-10-01 10:00:14', 'Life is messy. Too often, we miss this fact.\n\nThe <a href=\"https://hbr.org/2013/01/the-grass-isnt-greener\" target=\"_blank\">grass is not greener</a> on the other side; the other side may be better cared for.\n\nEven though life is more like a <a href=\"https://www.thindifference.com/2011/09/life-isnt-a-journey-life-is-a-warrior-dash/\" target=\"_blank\">warrior dash</a> than a journey, either way, too many muddy their paths in unnecessary ways.\n\nWe may try too hard to get from Point A to Point B, and we miss the longer term opportunity for growth and achievement. We may try too hard to keep up with someone, and we get distracted from our personal mission. We may also try a shortcut and only find ourselves at a dead end.\n\nMessiness arises from our actions. What may be missed is the messiness that gets us stuck when we do not take positive steps. We may even make things messier in our inactions rather than in <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/little-promises-i-make-to-myself/\">our actions</a>.\n<h3>Inaction Ensures A Messy Life</h3>\nHighlighted below are eight ways inaction ensures a messy life and actions to take, avoiding as much messiness as possible.\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>Don’t Define Your Leadership Philosophy &amp; Core Beliefs</strong> - We lead and live on fumes. We think we have an idea of how we will act, react, and empower. When the path gets tough or the inevitable arises, we run out and wander in an aimless manner.\n\nA <a href=\"https://www.thindifference.com/2014/01/need-leadership-philosophy/\" target=\"_blank\">leadership philosophy</a> and defined core beliefs are the fuel to keep us energized and on task. We know we need to refuel (learn) and tune-up (adapt), but there are certain beliefs that keep our backbone stiff and our thoughts resolute.</li>\n	<li><strong>Don’t Define Your Family Values &amp; Goals</strong> - No different than our business life or our career path, our family life needs a center. Families can be messier than any team we may deal with, so we need a center we can return to, guiding us through how we want to live together in our differences and commonalities.\n\nMy advice would be to define your family values and goals before you ever say “I do.” Sit down, put away your devices, and have a conversation on what each person values and how you want to interact as a family. Keep these values front-and-center. Keep refreshing your goals, especially as new, youthful voices join in.</li>\n	<li><strong>Don’t Evolve Your Leadership Philosophy Or Family Goals</strong> - Running in place gets us nowhere. Eventually, an unchanged leadership philosophy and family goals will leave most people unsatisfied. Evolution is natural.Things around us change. This does not mean we need to chase the next material thing. However, we need to determine how to lead and live in a changing, more modern world.\n\nNew voices arise. As they mature, your kids will have a voice to be heard. As you hire new team members and engage new colleagues, they will have a voice to be heard. New voices will test our listening skills. More than this, they will test our leadership philosophy and family goals, as they should. The question will be: Are you strong enough to change?</li>\n	<li><strong>Don’t Develop Relationships With People Who Make You Better</strong> - We choose with whom we develop relationships. We can select from three types of relationships:\n<ul>\n	<li>We can engage relationships with people who hold us in place – never challenged, never improving.</li>\n	<li>We can engage relationships with people who pull us down, getting us off track.</li>\n	<li>We can activate relationships with people who pull us up, giving us a hand when we need it, challenging us when no one else will and coaching us through good and bad times.</li>\n</ul>\nWe should always build relationships in the third type and actively avoid the other two. We need to be proactive in our relationships and develop friendships with people who make us better. And we return the favor.</li>\n	<li><strong>Don’t Read Books</strong> - There is so much content online that we can spend all of our time in a social world. Good content exists, but we need to unplug and read a book, too.Books tell a story. Books challenge our thinking. Books make us laugh and cry. Books bring to life lessons, and we grow through those lessons. By reading, we may keep our actions more centered. By reading, we grow, and we can never stop growing.</li>\n	<li><p><strong>Don’t Change</strong> - Some revel in being stuck in their ways:</p>\n<ul>\n	<li>“My beliefs are better than yours.”</li>\n	<li>“My ideas are smarter than yours.”</li>\n	<li>“You’re stupid; I’m smart.”</li>\n</ul>\nSome success may come the way of individuals who do not change. However, at some point, they will be very alone.\n\nStanding still is falling back. Get better in:\n<ul>\n	<li>How you think</li>\n	<li>How you interact</li>\n	<li>How you move projects forward</li>\n	<li>How you build relationships</li>\n	<li>How you raise kids</li>\n	<li>How you are a partner</li>\n	<li>How you__________</li>\n</ul>\nGetting better is part of <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/what-is-your-change-thesis/\">being human</a>. Be human. Change. Listen. Engage. Learn. Adapt.</li>\n	<li><p><strong>Don’t Let Others Develop</strong> - When we do not change, we usually will not let others develop either. Some will cloak coaching as just a way to put someone down. If someone leaves your <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/coaching-is-not-kleenex/\">coaching session</a> wanting to leave your team or department, you are not a good coach.</p>\n\nWhen you do not develop others, you hurt a community of people. A hurt community holds many back, making life messier than before. Develop others. Coach to gain a visual cue that you made a difference. Be a good citizen in life, community, and business.</li>\n	<li><p><strong>Don’t Exercise, Eat Right, &amp; Care For Yourself</strong> - Not caring for self lowers esteem and creates messier health situations. Yes, it takes effort to live a healthy life. The effort required includes:</p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li>Understanding what you are eating and maybe even why you are eating certain things</li>\n	<li>Eating the right mix of foods and beverages</li>\n	<li>Exercising regularly each week – walking, running, lifting weights, yoga, or whatever keeps you active</li>\n	<li>Unplugging and sleeping well</li>\n	<li>Taking time to give back by volunteering within your neighborhood and community</li>\n</ul>\nEffort produces healthier results. Healthier mindsets and relationships begin with a healthy life.\n<h3>Avoid Leadership &amp; Life Messiness</h3>\nAvoid as much messiness in life as often as you can. Life is messy enough to begin with, so be active in the storms. Being active will clear a better path forward, enabling you to <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leadership-change-is-not-free/\">lead change productively</a> and live life fully. Defining how you what to live, lead, and build will create a more purposeful path ahead.\n\nTake the time. Embrace the everyday messiness. Avoid creating a self-mess as much as possible.</li>\n</ol>', '8 Inactions to Ensure a Messy Life', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '8-inactions-to-ensure-a-messy-life', '', '', '2015-10-01 06:00:14', '2015-10-01 10:00:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27629', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(27689, 252, '2015-10-08 06:00:19', '2015-10-08 10:00:19', 'Your relationship with your boss can be one of the most complicated relationships you have. It doesn’t have to be.\n\nWhether you think you have a boss you can work with or not, take charge of making it work.\n\nAfter all, your boss’s opinion matters. His or her opinion has a significant impact on your earnings, your enjoyment of your work, and your future employment.\n\nLook at the list below. Clarifying these points can be the difference between smooth sailing and navigating rough seas with your boss.\n\n<ul>\n<li>Getting agreement on your work objectives and how they will be measured.</li>\n<li>Knowing your boss’s hot buttons, e.g. what she always looks for, what he never asks about.</li>\n<li>Addressing any proposal/concern you have in terms that influences your boss to buy-in. In other words, make it clear what is in it for them and the organization.</li>\n</ul>\n\nSo, you get your boss’s opinion. You may not agree with it. But that’s all good. You have more information now. You may conclude you need a different assignment or even a different employer. Knowledge is power. Being informed supports good decision-making.\n\n<ol>\n<li><p><strong>Don’t Take Anything For Granted</strong> - You may find that you and your boss have experienced disconnects in the past. Looking at the list above, any one of those points could be at play, but are not being spoken or clarified. But now, by using the right tools, you can get a common understanding of your job.</p>\n\nDepending on the kind of relationship you have with your boss, you can:\n<ul>\n<li>Initiate a meeting and go over the list together.</li>\n<li>Raise up one point you think is particularly relevant.</li>\n<li>Keep this list in the back of your mind and ask a question in an opportune moment.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li><p><strong>Get What You Need From The Challenging Boss</strong> - You thought you understood his or her feedback, but you keep hearing about it. What’s up? For example, you might hear: “You need to exhibit more teamwork.” I also often hear a need for improved communication skills or strategic thinking. You can ask:\n\n<ul>\n<li>What kind of behavior demonstrates teamwork to you?</li>\n<li>Is there something I’ve done that makes you say that? (If needed, ask: “Can you give me some details?” It could be just one incident they are generalizing about. Then you can talk it through.)</li>\n<li>Repeat back to them, “So if I (do the specific behavior they describe), you would see me as improving in the area of teamwork?”</li>\n</ul>\n\nI know it may feel tough to muster up your best intentions. It’s better than wasting your time trying five different things to satisfy them, without knowing specifically what the rub is.\n\nDon’t be surprised if the specifics you get have nothing to do with how you would define teamwork. No need to point that out. Now you know the details and what needs to be done to satisfy this point for them.</li>\n<li><p><strong>Be Your Own Leader</strong> - We talk about managers and organizations creating environments of empowerment, but you have the ability to empower yourself. When I say this what I mean is for you to:</p>\n\n<blockquote><em>“Claim and embody your own authority; own your dreams, decisions, actions and impact.”</em></blockquote>\n</li>\n</ol>\n\nWith the simple points in the list at the top of this post, you can get clear now rather than suffer later because you didn’t. Learn to show the value of your ideas and performance. Earn trust and credibility and set the stage for more opportunities.\n\nYou have a right to expect a lot from your boss, and you are not always going to get what you need. You are responsible for making the relationship work for you. You can do it.\n\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n\n<strong>Editor\'s Note:</strong> Mary will be presenting a Soundview Live webinar on <em>How To Make Your Relationship With Your Boss Work For You</em> later this  month. The webinar will be on <strong>Thursday, October 22 - 12:00pm ET</strong>. Registration is free.\n\nPlease visit <a href=\"http://tiny.cc/mary-SV-LCG\" target=\"_blank\">Soundview Live</a> to register.', '3 Key Tips to Manage Your Boss', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '3-key-tips-to-manage-your-boss', '', '', '2015-10-08 06:00:19', '2015-10-08 10:00:19', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27689', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(27706, 282, '2015-09-29 06:00:50', '2015-09-29 10:00:50', '\"Yogi\" Berra was actually born Lawrence Peter Berra on May 12, 1925, and just passed away on September 22, 2015.\n\nYogi was a pro baseball catcher, manager, and coach for 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (1946–63, 1965).\n\nHe also had the distinguished honor of being an 18-time All-Star and 10-time World Series champion as a player, and he is one of only five players to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award three times.\n\nThose who follow baseball revere him as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, and his election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 bears witness to that.\n\nBut what many people around the world know Yogi for are his unique, witty and off-centered perspectives on life. Many refer to his quotes as <em>Yogi-isms</em>. But when you take a closer look at some of the wise, humorous and unusual things he said, you begin to sense that maybe Yogi had a better grasp on life, leadership and success than the rest of us. Here are my <em>Top Twenty Yogi-isms</em> for your consideration:\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>\"When you come to a fork in the road, take it.\"</strong> - The point is simple. Do something, anything. Just don\'t sit there and let inactivity or laziness ruin you.</li>\n<li><strong>\"You can observe a lot by just watching.\"</strong> - Pay attention. It\'s a lost art. Watch for more than details; watch for signs of character, of ethic and attitude.</li>\n<li><strong>\"It ain\'t over till it\'s over.\"</strong> - Never say die, never surrender. Whether you like it or not, others are watching you, and you will impact their next moves.</li>\n<li><strong>\"No one goes there nowadays, it\'s too crowded.\"</strong> - Popularity isn\'t all it\'s cracked up to be. Being where it\'s easy or popular\"isn\'t always right or what\'s best for you.</li>\n<li><strong>\"Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical.\"</strong> - Be smart…and if you can\'t, then be as smart as you can. Effort matters, but intention, heart and common sense matter too.</li>\n<li><strong>\"A nickel ain\'t worth a dime anymore.\"</strong> - Invest wisely, because you\'re gonna need it later. The future is a moving target, so you better pay attention.</li>\n<li><strong>\"Always go to other people\'s funerals, otherwise they won\'t come to yours.\"</strong> - Pay it forward. It will come back to you. It may not come back from every person you help, but payback will find its way back.</li>\n<li><strong>\"We made too many wrong mistakes.\"</strong> - Don\'t be afraid to fail, but avoid those mistakes that can be terminal. It\'s up to you to avoid the team ending or character destroying activities or actions.</li>\n<li><strong>\"You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I\'m not hungry enough to eat six.\"</strong> - Perception isn\'t the only thing, but it is a huge thing. Learn to cast vision in pizza-pie sizes, but lead in bite-sized pieces.</li>\n<li><strong>\"You wouldn\'t have won if we\'d beaten you.\"</strong> - Overstating the obvious is never a winning strategy. There\'s nothing to be gained by undermining another person\'s success to make you feel better.</li>\n<li><strong>\"Never answer an anonymous letter.\"</strong> - Quit worrying about cowardly critics, and certainly don\'t dignify them with any response. Stay busy and focused on the areas you know need your touch.</li>\n<li><strong>\"Slump? I ain\'t in no slump; I just ain\'t hitting.\"</strong> - Just because you\'re not winning doesn\'t mean you aren\'t playing well. Playing for a championship or working for success means focusing on the long haul. Do the little things well and excellence is sure to be the end result.</li>\n<li><strong>\"The future ain\'t what it used to be.\"</strong> - Times they are a changin\', so you better work towards the future that will be. Consider what factors or circumstances can or will change over time, and adjust your life, practices, policies and teams accordingly.</li>\n<li><strong>\"Pair up in threes.\"</strong> - Over planning makes it easier to over deliver. Help yourself and your team succeed by being over manned and over prepared. The Bible says, \"A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.\" (Ecclesiastes 4:12)</li>\n<li><strong>\"It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much.\"</strong> - Make sure that people are hearing the message you genuinely want heard. The old TV commercial that said \"When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen,\" reminds us that too much noise and verbal clutter can undermine the value of the important things that need to be heard.</li>\n<li><strong>\"I don\'t know (if they were men or women fans running naked across the field). They had bags over their heads.\"</strong> - Don\'t ignore the obvious signs in front of your face. How many times have we all been guilty of not seeing the forest for the trees? When facing challenges work on those that you can see first.</li>\n<li><strong>\"I never said most of the things I said.\"</strong> - Be clear that you say what you mean and mean what you say. You\'ll get credit for saying and doing things that you truly weren\'t responsible for. Take extra care with your words to minimize your exposure here.</li>\n<li><strong>\"It ain\'t the heat, it\'s the humility.\"</strong> - We all face stressful times, but pride determines whether we get burned. Humility is one of your most important tools in dealing with conflict and misunderstandings. Remember, humility is not just a virtue, it\'s a discipline.</li>\n<li><strong>\"So I\'m ugly. I never saw anyone hit with his face.\"</strong> - You may not be perfect in every way, but you that has no bearing on your success. Don\'t waste time listening to your critics. There\'s always someone willing to point out your flaws. Instead, leave them behind in a wake of your own awesomeness.</li>\n<li><strong>\"If the world were perfect, it wouldn\'t be.\"</strong> - Nobody, no company, no organization is perfect. Get over it if you\'re holding yourself or your team to an unrealistic expectation of perfection.</li>\n</ol>\n\nThere you have it! So the next time you’re faced with an unusual problem or crazy challenge with your team or your organization, don’t give up or panic. Pull out the <em>Yogi Berra Guide To Living</em>. He’s sure to have some sound advice to help get you through.\n\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-full\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/yogi-image.jpg\" alt=\"yogi image\" width=\"400\" height=\"289\" />', 'It’s Deja Vu All Over Again', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'its-deja-vu-all-over-again', '', '', '2015-09-29 06:00:50', '2015-09-29 10:00:50', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27706', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(27730, 376, '2015-09-28 06:00:07', '2015-09-28 10:00:07', 'As I joined the many who enthusiastically celebrated the launch of <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Co-Active-Leadership-Five-Ways-Lead/dp/1626564566/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8\">Co-Active Leadership</a> by Henry and Linda Kimsey-House over the past week, I also chose to take another look at their earlier book, <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Co-Active-Coaching-Changing-Business-Transforming/dp/1857885678/\">Co-Active Coaching</a>.\n\nBoth books reflect a deeply human approach to their topics, with a strong emphasis on the relationships which create strength and opportunity for all involved. While each title is distinct and stands nicely on its own, knowing and using the valuable information from both is like getting a nice Christmas bonus of learning and professional development.\n\n<em>Co-Active Coaching</em> is considered a foundational text for leadership and life coaching, and it lives up to its reputation in a big way.\n\n<h4>Co-Active Coaching</h4>\n\nOne important commonality between the two titles is the use of the term <em>Co-Active</em”. Briefly stated, the authors recognize the essential connection between the relationships which develop between leader/follower or coach/client and the actions which subsequently emerge from those relationships.\n\nWhen well-developed and healthy, the relationship, the <em>Co</em>, drives what emerges and is accomplished in the <em>Active</em>.\n\nMuch exists in <em>Co-Active Coaching</em> that will interest those of us who care about developing good leaders and helping people grow. One section really stood out for me, because it focuses on something we all do and which has the strongest impact on the quality of our relationships, whether we lead, coach, or both, as is so often the case.\n\n<h3>Three Levels Of Listening</h3>\n\n<blockquote>\n<em>As coaches listen, they make choices that change the direction and focus of coaching.” (Pg. 40)</em>\n</blockquote>\n\nI doubt anyone will be surprised that this essential coaching and leadership topic is <em>Listening</em>. As the authors point out, we all listen often enough, although we also often do not listen to the depth they discuss.\n\nThe levels discussed in the book are based on the interaction of two important dynamics in the coaching relationship: Awareness and Impact. Awareness involves gathering information, upon which we will base our actions and behaviors. Impact involves what happens when we act. Continued awareness building results in further actions and further evaluation of the results, and so it goes.\n\nIn short, we become aware of information through a range of channels, consider what we will do with what we have become aware of, and ultimately analyze how our actionswill affect the relationship, in a continuing learning cycle.\n\nI have created a brief and generalized explanation of each of the three levels below. As you read, consider honestly in which stage your own listening usually occurs and how you might move to a deeper level.\n\n<h4>Level 1 - Internal Listening</h4>\n\nWhen we listen at Level 1, we hear the words spoken by others, but internally focus squarely on our own thoughts, experience, needs, and desires. We listen, but only to formulate our response. What we say and how we respond is driven by our own goals and feelings about the situation.\n\nIt’s less about listening to understand and more about listening to respond. Unfortunately this is both the most common way in which we listen AND the least effective way to create a strong relationship with another.\n\nWhile professional coaches or leaders should move beyond this level most of the time, the employee or client is supposed to be at this level, focused on their own needs … this is as it should be.\n\n<h4>Level 2 - Focused Listening</h4>\n\nWhen we engage in focused listening, our full attention goes to the other person, with less awareness of the outside world and possible distractions. Words like <em>empathy, clarification, and collaboration</em> apply nicely to this level, where the relationship is more about learning how to see the world through the other’s eyes.\n\nWe move from focusing on ourselves while listening to another, to the much more productive state of focusing on that other. As we hear their words, we engage in curious exploration of their world and their perceptions by asking questions and considering their responses.\n\nWe usually think this is successful coaching and leadership. This is how most of us visualize successful coaching, as people engaging in active listening and relationship building.\n\n<h4>Level 3 - Global Listening</h4>\n\nHowever, a third level exists. When we listen at Level 3, we receive and process information arriving from multiple and diverse channels, including the other person, the environment, and our own intuition. We adjust our own words and actions as we assimilate and consider information from all sources.\n\n<blockquote>“Listen as though you and the client were at the center of the universe.” (Pg. 37)</blockquote>\n\nIn Level 3 Listening, the true art of being an effective coach and leader comes into play. To absorb and evaluate <em>spoken and unspoken</em> information from varied sources requires special skills, developed over time by careful practice and the structure of a professional development plan.\n\nWe are now listening “<em>beyond the words”</em> and this is powerful country in which to roam.\n\nFor an expanded and more nuanced description of effective listening, along with some excellent examples to clarify the differences between the levels, see <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Co-Active-Coaching-Changing-Business-Transforming/dp/1857885678/\">Co-Active Coaching</a>, Chapter 3, pages 31-37.', 'Can Ya Hear Me Now?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'can-ya-hear-me-now', '', '', '2015-09-28 06:00:07', '2015-09-28 10:00:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27730', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(27765, 268, '2015-10-23 06:00:31', '2015-10-23 10:00:31', 'If senior management cuts your budget, says no to replacing broken equipment, or reduces your headcount, what is the first feeling that wells up inside you? Irritation? Anger? Panic? A sense of unfairness? Probably not gratitude.\n\nA situation on the home front recently triggered my thinking on this topic. When I opened my refrigerator a few weeks ago, the typical chill was absent.\n\nThe milk had curdled. The freezer smelled like dead fish. Melted ice cream dripped through the shelves, and previously frozen bread dough had started to rise, exploding out of its packaging.\n\nA few choice expletives fleeted through my mind as I surveyed the mess. I was not mumbling in gratitude as I tossed over a hundred dollars of ruined food into the garbage and wiped sticky goop from the freezer drawer. And I was not brimming with excitement when I learned that we either needed to remodel the kitchen or wait a month for a special-order fridge to fit our current space.\n\nIn the ensuing days, however, frustration gave way to resignation and eventually to acceptance and a desire to explore the experience. In hindsight, I found myself wishing that my initial reaction to our dead refrigerator had been a sense of adventure, not dread.\n\nNext time you face a workplace cutback, consider these four points:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>1. Adversity Is A Team-Building Opportunity</strong> - After discovering that we would be waiting a month for a permanent solution, our family members had a brainstorming session. What could we adjust on a day-to-day basis to meet our food storage needs?</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>2. Adversity Offers A Chance To Get Creative</strong> - I once read that creativity is a product of boundaries and constraints, not unlimited budgets and freedoms. Our kids would have been pleased with three restaurant meals a day, but we decided to look only at options that would cost the same as or less than what we typically pay for food in a month.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>3. Take Time To Examine &amp; Reflect</strong> - I’m perpetually curious. The lack of refrigerator led me to wonder, “How many people in the world actually have mechanical refrigeration?” According to recent estimates, somewhere between 97.8 and 99 percent of U.S. households have a fridge, including most impoverished families. It’s something we think of as a necessity.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">In contrast, it’s an aspirational purchase in India. According to India’s most recent census data (2011), only 11.04 percent of rural households have a refrigerator. In some areas, electricity is spotty, meaning there isn’t always power to run appliances.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I was also fascinated to find a small but growing number of people in the U.S. who are voluntarily giving up refrigerators to reduce their carbon footprints and live a greener lifestyle.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I ended up exploring a number of topics I hadn’t previously considered - what U.S. poverty really looks like; the differences in market penetration for various types of technology (not just refrigerators); the carbon footprint aspects of the technologies we use; and new ways to think about food purchasing and preparation.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">In the end, we discovered a refrigerator is a nice-to-have item, not an essential.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>4. Adversity Presents An Occasion To Rethink Assumptions &amp; Priorities</strong> - You can resist change and expend energy complaining about it or trying to maintain the status quo. Or you can flow with a change and use it as a chance for experimentation and evaluating how you do things.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">During our time without a fridge, I went to the store at 6 a.m. each day to purchase ice and only the groceries needed for that day. Living just fine with what fits in a camping cooler, we realized we don’t need six different salad dressings and 10 cooking sauces. Previously, we had assumed our bulk shopping was more economical and convenient than once-a-day trips to the supermarket, but we discovered this wasn’t true for our family. We spent much less on groceries by purchasing a small amount each day and had far less food waste.</p>\n\n<h3>A Cutback Is A Change</h3>\nChange shakes things up and forces you to revisit your habits, and that’s a good outcome. So, before you balk at a resource reduction and before you petition to keep the status quo, step back and consider what you might learn from the changed circumstances. You may discover a new and better way of doing business.', 'Is Grumbling Your First Response To Cutbacks?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'is-grumbling-your-first-response-to-cutbacks', '', '', '2015-10-23 06:00:31', '2015-10-23 10:00:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27765', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(27774, 276, '2015-10-14 06:00:52', '2015-10-14 10:00:52', 'At a recent mass, I was listening to the homily that talked about Jesus taking his twelve disciples to a place to spend time with them.\n\nWhen Jesus asked them who had any questions, no one asked because they didn’t want to be looked at as inadequate, as each one of them thought that he should be number one in Jesus’s eye.\n\nAs I reflected on this statement, it dawned on me that it is akin to management offsite meetings, where the head of the organization will take their senior leaders to strategize and plan the upcoming year.\n\nThis is also an opportunity for their constituents to spend more time with the leader and get to know the leader.\n\nAs I reflected on the offsite concept, I found the resemblance intriguing in that frequently the direct reports will look to the offsite as an opportunity to have more face time and impress the leader. Invariably there will be internal competition among the direct reports as to who is the best and who will be next, and so on and so forth. This would result in a bit of a rat race, as no one wants to be left behind or, worse yet, miss out.\n\nBehind the scenes, a true leader serves everyone. Therefore they do not care who gets the most exposure and attention. But is that assumption correct, in that the lack of face time will affect someone’s overall opportunity? My opinion is that it does not directly impact one’s opportunity, because each offsite is based on a specific theme. Therefore the leader will aim to get everyone involved to accomplish the overall objective.\n\nAn offsite is a way for management to focus on key topics and get things accomplished in a timely manner. The more collaboration there is the better for the team. Everyone will be given the opportunity to participate and take the lead on certain topics. Here are some suggestions on maximizing your opportunity and fostering collaboration:\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Volunteer</strong> – Volunteer on topics that you’re passionate about. This way you can contribute and be an active participant. Own it, don\'t just share a few thoughts here and there.</li>\n<li><strong>Ask Questions</strong> – At times participants don’t want to ask questions because they don’t want to be looked at as someone who is incompetent, but the truth is without questions being asked, you cannot explore other avenues or challenge recommendations. At times, a simple question of, “Why are we doing it?” can elicit other questions on the merits and value of the work we are doing.</li>\n<li><strong>Challenge The Status Quo</strong> – Challenge group thinking and ask yourself the true value of what you’re trying to accomplish. For yourself, ask the tough questions and make everyone reconsider their thoughts.</li>\n<li><strong>Encourage Others To Participate</strong> – Paraphrasing other people is a way to validate your understanding and show people you are listening. People want to work with people who listen to them.</li>\n<li><strong>Don’t Talk To Fill The Space</strong> – The last thing you need to do is talk for the sake of talking. Please don’t do that. It wastes time and people will get annoyed at you.</li>\n<li><strong>Be A Mediator</strong> – When no one wants to play ball or cooperate, be the voice of reason and mediate for both parties to come to common ground. It takes a selfless person to not think of themselves ahead of everyone else.</li>\n</ul>\nWith all the breakout activities the team will be participating in, the leader will have the chance of evaluating their people. It is through their actions that they will be evaluated. There is a saying that talk is cheap. That is true: you want to be noticed, participate, and make it happen.\n\nThe true value is showing what you know and how you work with everyone. Don’t compare yourself to your peers and focus on the value you bring to the table. In the end, your leader will recognize your contribution based on the result, not on your words.', 'Maximizing Opportunities &amp; Fostering Collaboration', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'maximizing-opportunities-and-fostering-collaboration', '', '', '2015-10-14 06:00:52', '2015-10-14 10:00:52', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27774', 0, 'post', '', 4);
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(27776, 274, '2015-10-05 13:00:10', '2015-10-05 17:00:10', 'Welcome to the October 2015 edition of the Leadership Development Carnival.\n\nWith football season well underway as well as the upcoming World Series (along with many other sports), it\'s a great month for sports analogies!\n\nRead over these outstanding leadership posts this month and I think you\'ll agree each one is a home run!\n\n<h3>Let\'s Get Started</h3>\n\n<strong>Anne Perschel</strong> of <a href=\"http://germaneconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Germane Consulting</a> submitted <a href=\"http://germaneconsulting.com/lead-with-a-smile-see-what-happens/\" target=\"_blank\">Lead with a Smile and Discover What Happens</a>. Anne shares, \"Ed, an Engineering Director, has a habit of mind that immediately sees what could go wrong in any given situation. There’s always something, and often lots of somethings, that could go wrong. But one day, Ed saw the lighter side of a situation, and...read what happened.\" Locate Anne on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/bizshrink\" target=\"_blank\">@bizshrink</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Bill Treasurer</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.giantleapconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Giant Leap Consulting</a> contributed <a href=\"http://www.giantleapconsulting.com/opening-the-thought-shifting-door/\" target=\"_blank\">Opening the Thought-Shifting Door</a>. Bill writes, \" Leaders need to know how to shift people’s thinking. Real opportunities can be found in convincing people to become imaginative by freeing them from narrow, negative, or habitual thinking. You may be surprised to hear that encouraging thought-shifting is not as difficult or complicated as it may seem.\" Follow Bill on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/btreasurer\" target=\"_blank\">@btreasurer</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Bruce Harpham</strong> of <a href=\"http://projectmanagementhacks.com/#sthash.Bb8rBrRO.dpbs\" target=\"_blank\">Project Management Hacks</a> submitted <a href=\"http://projectmanagementhacks.com/lead-virtual-teams/#sthash.wKkJuPy9.dpbs\" target=\"_blank\">How To Lead Virtual Teams</a>. Bruce summarizes, \"How do you lead a team that is distributed across the country or across the world? In this article, I share best practices for leaders leading a virtual team including recommended tools.\" Discover Bruce on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/PMPhacks\" target=\"_blank\">@PMPhacks</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Chris Edmonds</strong> of the <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Purposeful Culture Group</a> contributed <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/work-where-the-human-spirit-goes-to-die/\" target=\"_blank\">Where the Human Spirit Goes to Die</a>. Chris describes the post: \"Our workplaces - around the globe - are not inspiring, engaging, productive environments for us to work in. Chris sheds light on a study that shows what people need - and how to create it.\" Follow Chris on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/scedmonds\" target=\"_blank\">@scedmonds</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Dan McCarthy</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/p/about-dan-mccarthy.html\" target=\"_blank\">Great Leadership</a> submitted <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2015/09/10-ways-to-keep-cool-and-composed.html\" target=\"_blank\">10 Ways to Keep  Cool and Composed</a>. Dan writes, \"When a leader lets their emotions get the better of them they can quickly develop a reputation as volatile, moody, defensive, or having a lack of leadership presence. Unfortunately, all it takes is one public outburst. What can a leader do to keep cool under pressure?\" Find Dan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/greatleadership\" target=\"_blank\">@GreatLeadership</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>David Dye </strong>of <a href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Trailblaze, Inc.</a>, shared <a href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/a-secret-of-success-at-leadership-and-life/\" target=\"_blank\">A Secret of Success at Leadership and Life</a>. In this article, David shares a powerful metaphor for leadership which contrasts confusion and clarity. Discover David on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/davidmdye\" target=\"_blank\">@davidmdye</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jesse Lyn Stoner</strong> of the <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Seapoint Center</a> provided <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/millennial-employees-helicopter-manager/\" target=\"_blank\">Are Your Employees Turning You Into a Helicopter Manager?</a>. Jesse summarized: \"What happens when Millennials who are used to \'helicopter parents\' enter the workforce? You may be turning into a helicopter boss without realizing it. Here’s why, what they really need, and what you can do as a manager.\" Follow Jesse on Twitter at <a href=\"http://twitter.com/JesseLynStoner\" target=\"_blank\">@JesseLynStoner</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jill Malleck</strong> of <a href=\"http://epiphanyatwork.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Epiphany at Work</a> contributed <a href=\"http://epiphanyatwork.com/four-ways-to-be-an-active-leader/\" target=\"_blank\">Four Ways to Be an Active Leader</a>. Jill shares, \"busy leaders can find themselves only responding to this and that. True leadership means shaking it up and making new moves. Here’s 4 easy ways to do that.\" Find Jill on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/epiphanyatwork\" target=\"_blank\">@epiphanyatwork</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jim Taggart</strong> of <a href=\"http://changingwinds.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Changing Winds</a> submitted <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/2015/09/13/black-swans-the-achilles-heel-of-leadership/\" target=\"_blank\">Black Swans: The Achilles Heel of Leadership</a>. Jim says, \"Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the world were predictable–or at least somewhat predictable? It would certainly make the job of top organizational leaders and politicians in power that much easier. But that’s not how it is; it never has been in fact.\" Find Jim on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/72keys\" target=\"_blank\">@72keys</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Joel Garfinkle </strong>of the Career Advancement Blog submitted <a href=\"http://careeradvancementblog.com/work-life-balance\" target=\"_blank\">Is it a Myth? Can you Actually Achieve Work-Life Balance?</a> Joel recaps: \"Balancing work and a personal life is becoming an increasingly common problem in today’s hyper-competitive world. Here are ten strategies for creating and maintaining work-life balance.\" Discover Joel on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/JoelGarfinkle\" target=\"_blank\">@JoelGarfinkle</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>John Hunter </strong>of the <a href=\"http://management.curiouscatblog.net/\" target=\"_blank\">Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog</a> provided <a href=\"http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2015/09/08/what-to-do-to-create-a-continual-improvement-culture/\" target=\"_blank\">What to Do To Create a Continual Improvement Cultur</a>e. John explains, \"Leaders must create systems that encourage others to succeed and make the organization more effective. When leaders allow themselves to be removed from what is really going on in the organization they damage the organization. In order to build an organization that inspires people to be creative and engaged a leader needs to build a management system that makes that a reality.\" Follow John on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/curiouscat_com\" target=\"_blank\">@curiouscat_com</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jon Mertz</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Thin Difference</a> sent <a href=\"https://www.thindifference.com/2015/09/trust-the-diverse-tales-of-kickstarter-and-volkswagen/\" target=\"_blank\">The Diverse Tales of Kickstarter and Volkswagen</a>. Jon sumarizes: \"Trust is not an intangible. ​It\'​s concrete in what it can do and what it can destroy when misused.​ What leadership lessons can we learn from these two tales of trust playing out in mainstream media?​\" Discover Jon on Twitter <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThinDifference\" target=\"_blank\">@ThinDifference</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Karin Hurt</strong> of <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Let\'s Grow Leaders</a> shared <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/communication-listening/what-happens-when-we-really-listen/\" target=\"_blank\">What Happens When We Really Listen</a>. She summarizes \"Real listening transforms us. I was blessed by someone “really listening” to me recently.\" Locate Karin on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/LetsGrowLeaders\" target=\"_blank\">@LetsGrowLeaders</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong><b>Lexie Martin</b> of <a href=\"https://www.leadershipdirections.com.au/\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership Directions</a> </strong>sent <a href=\"https://www.leadershipdirections.com.au/knowledge-centre/inspire-engage-retain-gen-y-employees\" target=\"_blank\">Seven Leadership Superpowers Managers Can Use to Inspire, Engage and Retain their Gen Y Employees</a><strong>. </strong>In this in-depth guide, Lexie shares how and when managers of all ages can use support, vision, progress, balance, coaching, humility, and make real connections to reduce turnover and improve performance.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Lisa Kohn</strong> of <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/thoughtful-leaders/\" target=\"_blank\">The Thoughtful Leaders<sup>TM</sup> Blog</a> provided <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/2015/09/17/for-greater-leadership-lose-these-two-words/\" target=\"_blank\">For Greater Leadership, Lose These Two Words</a>. In this piece, Lisa shares shares a common two-word phrase that many of us overuse and that we need to stop saying. It lessens our credibility and hurts us. Follow Lisa on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtfulLdrs\" target=\"_blank\">@ThoughtfulLdrs</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Mary Jo Asmus</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.aspire-cs.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Aspire Collaborative Services, LLC</a>, contributed <a href=\"http://www.aspire-cs.com/meeting-them-where-they-are\" target=\"_blank\">Meeting them where they are</a>. This post explains: Whatever someone has done that annoys you isn’t relevant in the present moment, and it doesn’t help to judge others by their past behaviors. The secret to better work relationships is to meet others where they are. Find Mary Jo on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/mjasmus\" target=\"_blank\">@mjasmus</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Miki Saxon </strong>of RampUp Solutions, Inc, contributed <a href=\"http://mappingcompanysuccess.com/2015/09/ducks-in-a-row-the-what-and-how-of-culture/\" target=\"_blank\">Ducks in a Row: The What and How of Culture</a>. Miki continues, \"Everybody recognizes that changing culture in a large enterprise is difficult.But why is it that the most critical action required in changing culture is rarely, if ever, mentioned?\" Discover Miki on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/OptionSanity\" target=\"_blank\">@OptionSanity</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Neal Burgis, Ph.D.</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/\">Burgis Successful Solutions</a> submitted <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/2015/09/29/believe-you-are-creative/\" target=\"_blank\">Believe You are Creative?</a> Neal summarizes: \"To be a leader in a creative and innovative organization, you must learn to be creative. Here are some basics to help get you started.\" Find Neal on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Exec_Solutions\" target=\"_blank\">@exec_solutions</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Paul LaRue</strong> of  <a href=\"http://upwardsleader.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The UPWards Leader</a> contributed <a href=\"http://upwardsleader.com/2015/09/22/7-encouraging-signs-that-youre-on-target/\" target=\"_blank\">7 Encouraging Signs That You\'re On Target</a>. Paul believes, \"If you doubt that you\'re progressing towards your goals, a look at these markers will show you that you\'re on track.\" Learn more about Paul on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/paul_larue\" target=\"_blank\">@paul_larue</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Randy Conley</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.leadingwithtrust.com/\">Leading With Trust</a> submitted <a href=\"http://leadingwithtrust.com/2015/09/27/your-first-5-steps-when-leading-a-new-team/\" target=\"_blank\">Your First Five Steps When Leading a New Team</a>. Randy shares: \"You only get one chance to make a first impression when taking on a new leadership role, so it’s critically important you start on the right foot. This post provides helpful advice that will get you started on the path to success.\" Follow Randy on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/RandyConley\" target=\"_blank\">@RandyConley</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Susan Mazza </strong>of <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Random Acts Of Leadership</a> submitted <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/the-alternative-to-fixing-poor-performance/\" target=\"_blank\">The Alternative to Fixing Poor Performance</a></span>. Susan explains: \"Fixing people is exhausting, because you never will be done. But there\'s an alternative: leading people to own their results and holding them accountable for being their best.\" Find Susan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\">@susanmazza</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Tanveer Naseer </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.tanveernaseer.com/about/\" target=\"_blank\">Tanveer Naseer</a> shared <a href=\"http://www.tanveernaseer.com/putting-your-leadership-focus-where-it-needs-to-be/\" target=\"_blank\">Learning To Focus On What Matters Most</a>. He says this post is, \"a look at what leaders need to focus on in order to succeed at motivating their employees in bringing their very best to the work they do.\" Follow Tanveer on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/TanveerNaseer\" target=\"_blank\">@tanveernaseer</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Wally Bock </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.threestarleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Three Star Leadership</a> contributed <a href=\"http://www.threestarleadership.com/innovation/when-a-team-member-brings-you-an-idea\" target=\"_blank\">When a Team Member Brings You an Idea</a>. Wally writes, \"People have ideas all the time, even at work. So why don\'t they share them? How can you change that situation? \" Find Wally on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/wallybock\" target=\"_blank\">@wallybock</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<h3>Until Next Time</h3>\nThank you to everyone who submitted articles for this month\'s carnival. We are pleased to announce that <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/betharmknechtmiller\" target=\"_blank\">Beth Miller</a> of <a href=\"http://www.executive-velocity.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Executive Velocity</a> will be hosting the November Leadership Development Carnival. We will send submission details later this month.\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ldc_square.png\" alt=\"\" />\n', 'October 2015 Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'october-2015-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2015-10-05 13:00:10', '2015-10-05 17:00:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27776', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(27787, 385, '2015-10-20 06:00:08', '2015-10-20 10:00:08', 'In our leadership development training, we like to start out by asking people to list as many characteristics as possible about their former leaders that they both abhorred and adored.\n\nThis tends to start out as a fun exercise, but then it takes a more serious turn as people start to look at themselves and their own leadership skills and behaviors.\n\n<strong>Here is list of leadership traits that people adore:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Has a clear vision of how people’s work meets the leader’s expectations</li>\n	<li>Provides timely, clear, constructive feedback</li>\n	<li>Expresses appreciation and gives credit where credit is due</li>\n	<li>Actively listens and answers questions</li>\n	<li>Treats others with respect and kindness</li>\n	<li>Consistently fair in their treatment of others</li>\n	<li>Trains, develops, and grows their people</li>\n	<li>Willing to jump in and help out when things become difficult</li>\n	<li>Has an open door policy and is available</li>\n	<li>Supportive and protective of their people when things go wrong</li>\n</ul>\nObviously, this list is not comprehensive. There are many great leadership traits we could add to the list.\n\nOne of the primary skills of strong leaders is excellent communication. Look closely at the list. How many of these items are directly related to good communication? Every item on the list above is impacted by one’s ability to communicate. Indeed, the definition of “conversation” encompasses not only what we say, but also everything we do and how we treat others.\n\nIn spite of some people’s best efforts to avoid it, conversations play a large part in a leader’s success. Leaders are often promoted because they possess a high degree of skill and expertise in a given area. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they are good with people or know how to be an effective leader.\n<h3>Questions That Improve Leadership Skills &amp; Get Results</h3>\nHere are a few questions you can ask yourself that can improve your leadership skills and help you get the results you want:\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>How do you treat your people?</strong> - To help answer this question, you might ask yourself, “How do my people treat me?” For example, if you are warm and friendly, your people will probably be warm and friendly in return.\n\nOn the other hand, if you are cold and blunt or if your demeanor is unpredictable, shifting between Mother Teresa and Attila the Hun for example, your people will likely go to great lengths to avoid you. Be approachable and consistent in dealing with others and they will reciprocate.</li>\n	<li><strong>Do your people understand how what they do contributes to the success of the organization?</strong> - Don’t assume they know this even though it may be obvious to you. Recent research indicates that between 70-95% of people do not know how what they do contributes to their organization’s success.\n\nIf most individuals lack this understanding and you haven’t conveyed it to them, then you are missing the opportunity to increase their motivation and the likelihood that they will be as productive as they could be. Ask them if they know their impact on the organization’s success, listen to their response, and be prepared to fill in any holes.</li>\n	<li><strong>Do you express appreciation for a job well done to each person on your team at least once a week?</strong> - I once had a woman in class who had worked for a major telecommunications company for 19 years tell me that in all that time, no one had ever told her “thank you.” Unfortunately this example is not uncommon.\n\nPeople need to know they add value and make a difference to the organization, and they need to be acknowledged for their efforts. It takes so little effort to say, “I noticed you did ________ and the impact of that was _______. Thank you.” Leaders often don’t realize how doing this regularly can positively impact their organization, so they don’t. Good leaders do.\n\nA number of years ago, I decided I needed to express more appreciation at home. I determined that I would try to say one positive thing to each member of my family each day. That evening, my wife fixed a wonderful meal. After we finished, I told her that I greatly appreciated her efforts that evening in making sure we had such a wonderful dinner. Stunned, she looked at me and said, “Are you sick or something?”\n\nI knew right then that I was in trouble. Obviously this was something I wasn’t doing often enough. Look for opportunities to catch people doing the right thing, then tell them privately and specifically what they did well and the positive impact it made. Then thank them and walk away. You’ll make their day.</li>\n	<li><strong>Are you getting the results you want?</strong> - If you are not, take a look at yourself and review the clarity and specifics of the directions you are giving. If you are vague, then you are leaving the interpretation of your instructions up to your listener.\n\nIf you didn’t get what you wanted and you were clear, the next step is to sit down with the individual and discuss why they got the results they did and what they could do next time to improve the outcome.</li>\n</ol>\nYou can become an effective leader. As in anything else you do, awareness of what is working and what is not is the first step. Then make a plan of action to correct or improve what’s needed.\n\nAsk yourself what you adore and abhor in a leader and them ask yourself if what you are doing is worthy of adoration. Being deliberate about your leadership development will improve your results.', '4 Leadership Tips That Will Make People Adore You', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'four-leadership-tips-that-will-make-people-adore-you', '', '', '2015-10-20 06:00:08', '2015-10-20 10:00:08', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27787', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(27790, 372, '2015-10-05 06:00:30', '2015-10-05 10:00:30', 'I attended a terrific conference recently hosted by <a href=\"http://www.humansynergistics.com\" target=\"_blank\">Human Synergistics</a>.\n\nTheir one-day <a href=\"http://constructiveculture.com/1st-annual-ultimate-culture-conference/\" target=\"_blank\">#UltimateCulture Conference</a> in Chicago brought together bright minds about organizational culture, including Edgar Schein, Larry Senn, Rob Cooke, Linda Sharkey, and Jason Carthen.\n\nPresenters also included organizational leaders that lead their team cultures, including Jeanne Malnati, Dave Bonenberger, and Carol Montgomery.\n\nAs I listened and learned from great thinkers, practitioners, and organizational leaders, I was stuck by how consistent the themes were. Every presentation touched on these four key ideas:\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Culture Is About Human Behaviors, Human Experiences, & Human Relationships</strong> - Culture is more involved than employee engagement or high performance or customer service. It’s not about your company brand or your company’s killer product or service. The quality of your organization’s culture - whether yours is a small business, a department in a large company, a multi-state region, a global multi-national, or anything in between - resides entirely in the quality of relationships between people. If you want a safe, inspiring, productive culture, leaders must invest time and energy daily modeling, coaching, and aligning desired behaviors so that everyone is treated with trust, respect, and dignity in every interaction.</li>\n<li><strong>Culture Is A Reflection Of The Organization’s Leaders For Better Or Worse</strong> - Leaders frame and mold their organization’s culture with their behavior, messaging, and decisions, every day. If leaders are aggressive and explosive, those behaviors are embraced as “normal” and are modeled daily by other leaders in the organization. If leaders focus exclusively on individual performance, team members learn to deliver performance even if it means “I win, you lose” - their success erodes their team members’ success. If leaders don’t engage in proactive leadership - promoting a clear strategy, aligning players to a clear organizational purpose, demanding behaviors that model desired values, etc. - it is extremely unlikely that leaders across the organization will model proactive leadership.<.li>\n<li><strong>Culture Is About The Values You Want Organization Members To Demonstrate Daily</strong> - Nearly every presenter at the conference described the importance of clear organizational values and how critical it is for leaders to define the behaviors they want everyone to model. Leaders must lead the way by not only defining desired values and behaviors but modeling them in daily interactions. If leaders announce the desired values but do not model them, the message is clear: “Do what I do, not what I say.” If leaders don’t continually emphasize the values and behaviors - “the way we do things around here” - employees won’t remember them. In Tiny HR’s <a href=\"https://www.tinypulse.com/resources/employee-engagement-survey-2013\" target=\"_blank\">2013 Employee Engagement</a> survey, 58 percent of respondents reported that they did not know their organization’s mission, vision, and values. Employees are simply stating their truth - leaders in their organizations don’t emphasize values, which erodes the quality of human relationships.</li>\n<li><strong>Culture Is Hard To Measure</strong> - By the complex nature of culture, there is no single metric that can be measured to give leaders a <em>culture score</em>. There are, however, important areas that are measurable that do contribute to a safe, inspiring, productive culture. Employee engagement is a reliable indicator of trust and respect in daily interactions. Customer service ratings provide insight into how employees treat customers, which is a reflection of employee engagement, happiness, and skills. Productivity and profits are important outcomes that are easy to measure, and they do provide a glimpse into the organization’s cultural health. My organizational constitution approach helps leaders measure the degree to which desired values and behaviors are actually modeled. Human Synergistics’ Organizational Culture Inventory is an effective instrument that measures the styles that organization members embrace, be they constructive, aggressive, or defensive styles. I call all of these <em>symptomatic measures</em> - valuable but indirect measures of culture quality and health. They may be imperfect, but leaders must gather such data regularly - and refine their work environments to boost results, engagement, and service, together.</li>\n</ol>\n\nCulture matters. Values matter. Relationships matter. Leaders of today must create workplace cultures that deliver results in ways that honor their people and their customers, every moment.', 'Company Values? Whatever.', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'company-values-whatever', '', '', '2015-10-05 06:00:30', '2015-10-05 10:00:30', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27790', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(27794, 404, '2016-01-27 06:00:45', '2016-01-27 11:00:45', 'There has been a lot of interest in the term <em>jugaad</em> in the last couple of years. This term is almost synonymous to <em>Indian Innovation</em>.\n\nThere are also a couple of books that were released which are definitely interesting reading and hundreds of articles in business literature.\n\nAt the same time, there are is also a public sentiment about <em>jugaad</em> that it is something that is not desirable. So is there <em>good jugaad</em> and <em>bad jugaad</em>?\n\nYes, I think so. It is like good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL), terms we have gotten used to hearing from our doctors who explain them in layman’s language, but with Jugaad the audience is us Engineers. Bad cholesterol contributes to plaque formation in the arteries restricting blood circulation due to clogging. Good cholesterol scavenges bad cholesterol away from the arteries and gets it to the liver to break it down thus reducing the plaque formation. Hence the possibility of a cardiac arrest is reduced.\n\nAccording to Wiki, jugaad is a colloquial Punjabi-Dogri word that can mean an innovative fix or a simple work-around, used for solutions that bend rules, or a resource that can be used as such, or a person who can solve a complicated issue within a specific context. Let me first elaborate a bit on what is so bad about this with some examples:\n\n<ul>\n<li>When a jugaad approach is taken only to provide a quick fix to a problem purely because there is short-term pressure.</li>\n<li>When the approach is used to by-pass well documented engineering processes (bend rules) because the engineers are not willing to put extra effort to take the recommended approach because they are only keeping in mind finishing the task.</li>\n<li>When this approach is taken to cut corners in the name of simplifying or using resource constraint as a pretext and in the end delivers a product far below the desired quality output.</li>\n<li>Using a material just because it is available at hand which is not supposed to be used to solve an immediate issue.</li>\n</ul>\n\nOne of the key issues with this approach is that the solutions provided are just for that context and that instant. In those cases, the solution is neither scale-able nor sustainable. More often than not, a jugaad fix will be a temporary relief.\n\nWhat about Good Jugaad? Some examples:\n\n<ul>\n<li>Coming up with a simple and elegant solution which fits the context eliminating the bells and whistles\".</li>\n<li>Applying a solution from a different context innovatively not getting into the trap of does not apply here, because we have always done it this way.</li>\n<li>Solving a specific problem with far lesser resources through a deeper understanding of the problem and context of usage with efficient teamwork.</li>\n<li>Using an innovative way of solving problems with the same rigor and scrutiny for longer term applicability.</li>\n</ul>\n\nThere is bad and good jugaad in our workplaces and we see them every day. Bad jugaad behavior, like LDL, will constrict the long-term capability of a workplace and eventually lead to the death of the workplace due to <em>innovation arrest</em>. We as managers have to act like good cholesterol in the blood stream. We have to discourage bad jugaad behavior and replace it with good jugaad behavior so that we can build long-term sustainable innovation culture within our workplaces.', 'Good Jugaad &amp; Bad Jugaad', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'good-jugaad-and-bad-jugaad', '', '', '2016-01-27 06:00:45', '2016-01-27 11:00:45', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27794', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(27799, 405, '2015-10-28 06:00:14', '2015-10-28 10:00:14', 'One key aspect of leadership that people often skip over is motivation. Even if it is mentioned, the description lacks depth and useful tools.\n\nRather than explaining how to be continuously motivated, people just receive the sound yet vague advice: you just need motivation.\n\nFirst, let\'s break down the two main types of motivation, internal and external.\n<h3>External Motivation</h3>\nExternal motivation is most common. Many people experience this from a great speech, music lyrics, someone telling you that you aren\'t good enough, competition, and other sources. This type of motivation is experienced on a day-to-day basis with many fluctuations. Here is the issue with external motivation: it\'s external. If you remove the outside factor, then there is no motivation.\n\nIf one day someone says, \"Wow! You let yourself go,you should really work out,\" then maybe you are driven to exercise for the rest of the week. But then it stops. You find that whatever was pushing you towards your goal simply ceased to exist. All of a sudden, that couch looks a whole lot more rewarding than any gym does.\n<h3>Internal Motivation</h3>\nInternal motivation is much more difficult to explain because so few people experience it. Few people that achieve this level, but those who do become great leaders. They self-propel themselves and rein in daunting tasks that miraculously get completed. Day after day, month after month, these people don\'t stop. These practices are simply ingrained into the fiber of their being, so anything that they want to achieve is just moments away.\n\nFor example, before Elon Musk made Space X, he knew barely anything about rocket propulsion and the physics and engineering that goes into the entire process of sending something into space without it exploding. Within a year (yes, only a year), he had absorbed so much material on those subjects that he was at the level of some scientists who had done their Ph.D.\'s on the subject. That\'s about 6 years of knowledge wrapped into one.\n\nHow did he do it? Internal motivation. When his focus wavered, he got back on track. If one day he didn\'t feel like reading, he was able to motivate himself to do it.\n\nThis brings us to one of the fundamental characteristics that leaders have today: <strong>vision</strong>.\n\nVision and the awareness of long-term goals are the keys to internal motivation. We are surrounded by a world of instant gratification, which often causes us to ignore our deeper desires in life. The more you can picture, taste, feel, hear, and smell the reality that you envision for yourself and the world, the more motivated you will be to cast aside the instant gratification of today in exchange for the massive value that you will have in the future.\n<h3>A Challenge For You</h3>\nWrite down what you want your life to be like a year from now. Make sure to include every experience that year-from-now person has from the moment they open their eyes to when they close them at the end of the day.\n\nWho did that person help today? How much of a leader are they? What amazing things did they accomplish in just 24 hours? Write it all down.\n\nThen write your 90-day action plan for how you will start the journey towards that future <em>today</em>. When you feel uninspired and unmotivated, take that piece of paper out and read every word. Remind yourself of what the future has in store for you. Remember the person that you are going to become.\n\nAfter 90 days, you will have formed the habit of self-motivation. Here\'s to your internally motivated year-from-now self.', 'Leadership &amp; Motivation', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'leadership-and-motivation', '', '', '2015-10-28 06:00:14', '2015-10-28 10:00:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27799', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(27806, 392, '2015-10-15 06:00:24', '2015-10-15 10:00:24', 'After being laid off for eight months. I was so excited, both because I had a new job and because it was my first day in the medical industry after being in banking for more than fourteen years.\n\nAfter experiencing the ups and downs of the banking industry, I was finally going to be learning something new and different.\n\nAs I walked in and greeted everyone, I noticed everyone was not happy to see me. I was getting the \"why are you here?\" look.\n\nI thought, oh boy we got some tough cookies here. I asked God why I had to leave my comfortable home to come into what seemed to be a toxic environment. How was I to deal with this without letting my pre-menopausal emotional side show?\n\nI endured a very heated discussion on how things were done there and what I should and should not do. As that discussion ended, it was revealed to me that not only did they feel threatened by the arrival of new talent, they also felt overlooked and unvalued.\n\nIt was all very clear to me now, why I was placed in the Lion’s Den and what my assignment was. The first thing I had to do was assure everyone I am a team player and I am here to help you, not take over your job. Then I had to figure out a way to make everyone feel valuable.\n\nSo I begin to go to them and ask questions daily. When I did that, I noticed a spark in their eyes. This really broke the ice. One day I decided to bring in breakfast, as a way of showing gratitude for their help in completing my daily tasks.\n\nAll of a sudden everyone started bringing in breakfast. I was told that it had never been done for their team. They felt everyone else got the lunches but they hadn\'t been treated to the same privilege.\n\nAt that point, I knew we were headed in the right direction and the lines of communication has been opened.\n\nAfter 90 days of being with the company I was told by the manager that when I walked into the room, the atmosphere changed. That is what you call the \"power of influence to change the atmosphere\" leader. What if I chose to be selfness and didn’t care how everyone felt?\n\nI could have easily just had the attitude reflecting \"those people don\'t sign my paycheck.\" But I knew I needed to connect with the team in order to work with them. Being selfish was not an option.\n\nI know as leaders we often have to put a watch over our mouth and walk away to re-group. But the results are more important than that moment of frustration.\n\nPositive thinking produces positive outcomes. Change the atmosphere where you are little by little.\n\nResearch reveals that positive thinking is about much more than just being happy or displaying an upbeat attitude. The impact of positive thinking on your work can cause a company’s revenue to increase. Positive people are more creative and team players.\n\nKeeping this in mind, as you go through your day to day remember to:\n<ol>\n	<li>Do not react, but respond.</li>\n	<li>Review the whole situation.</li>\n	<li>Ask yourself these \"why am I here?\" \"How can I be used to make a difference?\"</li>\n	<li>Create an “I judge no one zone” and get to know everyone around you.</li>\n</ol>', 'Changing The Atmosphere', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'changing-the-atmosphere', '', '', '2015-10-15 06:00:24', '2015-10-15 10:00:24', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27806', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(27814, 386, '2015-10-07 06:00:07', '2015-10-07 10:00:07', 'I recently was face-to-face with my fears. My wife Karalee and I were in Santa Cruz for a conference with my long-time technology friends where we spent the weekend collaborating and discussing the future of technology and innovation.\n\nThe conference ended Sunday afternoon, after which Karalee and I had a nice drive, followed by dinner. We turned in for the night, ready for an early morning start to return to Vancouver.\n\nAll seemed copacetic until I was awakened at 4:00 am by the sound of running, shouting, and hitting all right under the window of our ocean facing hotel room. Then there was silence for a few minutes. Then I could hear a voice calling out quietly from the street below “Help me.”\n\nI lay there for quite a while, not wanting to acknowledge or do anything about what had or was happening. Maybe for twenty minutes. During that time, all sorts of stories were going through my head. I didn’t want to get involved. As a Canadian in America, what if I looked through the curtain and the hurt person had a gun? Our flight home was in a few hours, what if the police wanted to question me? How would I protect Karalee?\n\nThe truth was that fear was keeping me lying there in bed. I was also pretending to be asleep, not wanting to acknowledge to Karalee that we should do something. About the same time as I started to get out of bed, she asked me if we should do anything about the person who was still calling for help.\n\nI struggled to find my flashlight, peaked through the curtains to see a man laying on the bike path across the street. I tried calling 911 on my cell phone, which didn’t go through, then Karalee suggested that I use the hotel phone. As I lifted the receiver, two police cars showed up outside our hotel window, so I put the phone down.\n\nIn looking at this incident and examining my feelings and responses, I am reminded that we all experience fear. The fear we experience is often the biggest thing that holds us back in business and in life. Here is what I learned from this experience:\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Acknowledge You Are Fearful</strong> - It took quite a while in that Santa Cruz hotel room to admit to myself that I was afraid. When I did, I needed to acknowledge to myself how that fear was manifesting itself. Only after that internal processing was I able to move forward.</li>\n<li><strong>Others Are Fearful</strong> - I know that there were people staying in the rooms on either side of us and in the hotel next door. The police showed up just as I was picking up the hotel handset. That meant that whoever called 911 only did so a minute or two before. We were all scared together. We all put off calling the police. When leading people, when making changes in your life, or tackling a difficult challenge know that those around you are likely fearful too. Only by bringing the fear into the open do you have a chance to acknowledge it and do something to overcome the fears, real or imagined. A powerful question you can ask yourself and others is “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”</li>\n<li><strong>Have Compassion</strong> - Fear was baked into our DNA a million or more years ago. It’s why we have survived as a species. What moved me to action that morning in the Santa Cruz hotel room? Compassion for the human being I heard calling for help. When I opened my heart to another person’s suffering, I was able to overcome my own fears. Have compassion for yourself and for those you lead when fear shows up.</li>\n</ul>\n\nI hope the injured person we saw in Santa Cruz got the help he needed and is healing from whatever it was that happened to him. There will be another time when I experience fear. When it does, I hope to remember this experience so that I might respond faster. Raise your awareness of when fear is showing up for you or your team mates and have compassion as you overcome those fears to rise to your next challenge.', 'When Fear Shows Up', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'when-fear-shows-up', '', '', '2015-10-07 06:00:07', '2015-10-07 10:00:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27814', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(27817, 403, '2015-10-06 06:00:28', '2015-10-06 10:00:28', 'Building an effective team is like putting together a complex puzzle.\n\nYour method for doing that might be putting all the pieces of one color together; others may choose to put the edges together to create a framework.\nSome puzzlers choose to start in a corner and build from there, and I am sure there are many other techniques that people swear by.\n\nIt is the same for builders of teams. Some leaders focus on interpersonal relationships and skills to build trust, others on vision or chartering, and others on performance goals and workflow. Some concentrate on selection and building diverse skills, while others are participants, watching as the team dynamics unfold.\n\nIn this piece, I would like to offer you a pathway that shows how to encompass all of the strategies for building and sustaining a High Performing Team. I will split the journey into two phases: the planning and designing phase and then the building and sustaining phase.\n<h3>Step 1: Know Characteristics of a High Performing Team</h3>\nKnow the characteristics of a High Performing Team (see my previous blog on <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/8-reasons-why-teams-fail/\" target=\"_blank\">PERFORM</a>). With a nod to the Cheshire cat: \"if you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there. Knowing how your team measures up against PERFORM will help you to know what to aim for.\"\n<h3>Step 2: Charter</h3>\nA charter is a set of agreements that designs and defines your team. A complete charter includes a clear purpose, values, norms and the key initiatives with specific goals and roles people must play to reach them. It also focuses on how the team will interact. Ask yourselves the following:\n<ul>\n	<li>With whom will we communicate and how?</li>\n	<li>How will we make decisions?</li>\n	<li>What decisions are within our boundaries to make?</li>\n	<li>How will we hold each other accountable?</li>\n	<li>And finally, What resources are needed to get the job done?</li>\n</ul>\nEven if the team were to last only a couple of days, they need a mini charter comprised of a clear purpose, values, norms, roles and goals. If the team already exists, it’s always useful to review the charter and take action to keep the team on track.\n\n<em>Steps 1 and 2 are part of phase one, now let’s move into phase two, building and sustaining.</em>\n<h3>Step 3: Stages of Team Development</h3>\nIdentify the stage of development the team is in. Teams go through predictable stages as they journey from a collection of individuals to a high performing system.\n<ul>\n	<li>Stage 1 - Orientation</li>\n	<li>Stage 2 -Dissatisfaction</li>\n	<li>Stage 3 - Integration</li>\n	<li>Stage 4 - Production</li>\n</ul>\nAs teams end there is a 5th stage called Termination. Each stage has its own set of predicable needs that must be met before the team can move on. This is the heart of the team building process. Knowing these stages and their needs helps you decide what the appropriate interventions should be to help the team move swiftly on its journey to high performance.\n<h3>Step 4: Leadership Behavior</h3>\nWe use the Situational Leadership ll model in conjunction with the Team Stages of Development. These 2 models put together result in the most practical tool you can have. The tool created by the two models allows you to step back from what might seem like chaos or dysfunction in a team and not take it personally; it allows you to predict what will happen next and it provides the framework for intervening. It allows you to meet the team where it is and determine the right amount of direction and support to guide the team. The ultimate goal of the leader is getting the team to be self-managing. This is when it is most efficient and effective.\n<h3>Step 5: Strategies for Higher Performance</h3>\nWithout continued challenge, even a High Performance Team will slip back or stagnate. These challenges or stretching goals could be new projects, continued training, skill building and/or self or team development endeavors.\n<h3>Step 6: Team Dynamics (Ongoing Throughout)</h3>\nContinually develop your skill at being a participant observer. Engage in what the team is doing while watching the overt and covert dynamics that are occurring all the time. This will guide you in your interventions. Teams are fascinating; there is so much happening, even in silence. There is no need to ever be bored again in a team meeting.\n\nI do not believe the approach to team building has to be haphazard and inconsistent. There is a pathway and if followed it will increase your chances of success.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\nEDITOR\'S NOTE: Eunice, along with her co-authors Ken Blanchard and Jane Ripley, will be conducting a webinar on the power of collaboration across all levels of an organization.\n\nIt will be on <strong>October 14 at 12:00pm ET</strong>. We hope you can join them.\n\nTo register, please go here to <a href=\"https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3658937572145466625\" target=\"_blank\">reserve a space</a>.\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px;\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CBWY_webinar_header_1000x200.png\" alt=\"\" />', 'The Puzzle - Building Effective Teams', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-puzzle-building-effective-teams', '', '', '2015-10-06 06:00:28', '2015-10-06 10:00:28', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=27817', 0, 'post', '', 2);
