The simplest way to inspire others

I am noticing a trend in the workplace today that revolves around dissatisfied employees. They aren't unhappy with their jobs or the company. Instead, they are disillusioned with their boss. They tell me stories of canceled one to one meetings, performance appraisals without meaning and overall lack of attention.

 

Knowing how busy management can become, I have a simple solution for helping your staff feel engaged and appreciated. It is to simply believe in them.

That’s it! Yet as easy as it sounds, it’s often overlooked, rarely discussed, and for some difficult to implement.

Think back to the people in your life that believed in you. They were the ones who understood you could do things that you thought impossible.

Starting today you can become that same guide inspiring others to greatness by applying these 5 practices:

1. Learn what makes someone tick. Find out what they love doing and what they avoid. Understand their past to help set the path for their future.

2. Encourage them. When things are going well, compliment and praise often. When they are troubled, remind them of their greatness.

3. Remove doubt. Don’t let them own beliefs that aren’t true. When they can’t believe in themselves help to refocus direction by expressing how much you believe in them.

4. Stop and just listen. Be the one person that will stay present in the moment with them. Let them talk and talk and talk until they run out of fuel.

5. Keep them going. Be available when they need you. Check in periodically to offer words of reassurance to help stay on track.

Whether you are a manager, coach,  (even parent or friend), you can make a great a difference in the lives of others if you will just believe in them.

Hernando makes you think...

Let me introduce you to Hernando Nicholas, Sr. Customer Service, Call Center Representative at Jim Moran & Associates. He has been in customer service most of his life and was drawn to it because of his sincere intention to help others. Over the years as his desire to serve remains strong, his patience is starting to waver. Here is his story…  

“Customer service in the past is extremely different than it is today. With the popularity of mobile phones we receive more calls than ever from the unprepared customer. Callers of old phoned from their office or home where they had access to the information needed to complete the call. Today the call occurs at random times from random locations due to the freedom of their mobile device.  

Our dialogue now includes a variety of sounds which ranges from the wind tunnel effect while calling from outdoors to blue tooth calls that come with delays and echoes. Of course let’s not forget the endless calls that occur while the customer is in the store checkout line, trying on clothes, walking into a meeting, etc. Not only is the caller unprepared, they become annoyed with me because I can’t hear them or understand what they are saying.  This lack of preparation and poor use of equipment leads to frustration on both the part of the caller and the person receiving the call. 

What psychological/emotional tactics do customer service reps use to adjust our internal reaction to the unprepared, preoccupied caller?  

How can we raise consumer awareness around placing a call?” 

Hernando makes some very interesting points. Today, we are more preoccupied with who is answering the phone from where than how we conduct ourselves.  

The next time you are the caller think about Hernando’s desire to help you and how you can positively impact the transaction by being prepared and mindful of your surroundings.

IIWII – It’s not a radio station!

Instead IIWII is one of the most popular phrases being used today. It stands for: It is what it is. Think about how often you have heard it or said it in the past few weeks.  

It is used as a confirmation of facts. A statement validating a truth. An acceptance of a situation offering a sense of finality. More often than not IIWII is typically aligned with a negative account of things.

“This has been one of the worst winters."– IIWII
“My rent just went up!” – IIWII
“Traffic is backed up for miles.” - IIWII
As you are making the statement, IIWII, you obviously understand the situation you are in. You realize the predicament.

The question is: What are you going to do about it?
Can you influence the circumstances or are you paralyzed to do anything?  
Are you in a position to accept the predicament and move on – releasing the outcome without looking back?
Or, are there factors within your control that offers alternatives to outcomes?

As human beings, we have been blessed with the ability to make choices how we will react to the situations we face on a daily basis.
With that in mind, the next time you find yourself stating “IIWII” follow it with: “and here's what I'm going to do about it.”
Or...let it go.

Garbage in-Garbage out - Emptying the Head Trash in Your Mind

When computers were born there was much discussion regarding data.  The term “garbage in – garbage out” referred to the quality of the information being input.  The theory was if you entered bad information, you would yield bad results. Take that same philosophy and apply it to the things you think about every day. Are they focused on good thoughts or negative?

A good friend and colleague, Brian Norusis, introduced me to a concept he calls “Head Trash”. He and I agree that too often we allow negative thoughts or “Head Trash” to control our feelings which in turn affects our reaction to the circumstances we face daily.

The more I explored this idea the more I realized how it ties directly into our surroundings. The more Head Trash in – hearing horrific news stories, dealing with pessimistic people and reading negative press – the more our mind begins to process it as a truth. We become depressed, angry and unhappy.

Conversely neutralizing Head Trash by replacing it with uplifting articles, positive affirmations and upbeat people, the more energized we become.

Within the receptacle of your brain, you are the only one that can make a deposit. You are the only one in control of what you think about.  Disappointing circumstances may always be around the corner. It is the manner in which you process your thoughts that drives your reaction.

For once in your life be happy to take out the garbage and remove Head Trash before it starts to build up!

Give the Gift of Significance

Last week I spent time with Fred Wilson, CEO, East Florida Division of Parallon Supply Chain Solutions and his Leadership Team discussing Customer Service.  One of our conversations centered on the word “Significant” which has prompted me to share a few thoughts with you.

Merriam Webster defines Significant as: “Have meaning; being important”

As you think about the definition consider who you made feel significant in the last 24 or 48 hours.

Are you surrounded with family members arriving for the holidays that feel welcomed into your home?  Have you offered a holiday greeting to those who serve you on a regular basis, perhaps your mail person or UPS driver? Have you given a compliment to a complete stranger?

Each of us has the ability to make someone feel special. We can do it instantaneously with a text message or email. We can offer a hug instead of a handshake. We can stay present in conversation by listening with both our ears and eyes. We can simply smile at others.

Will you join me as we begin to close out 2013 in using your influence as your gift for helping others realize they are important?

What better time of the year to practice making someone feel significant?

5 Simple Strategies for Coaching for Success

Later today I will spend time with the Leaders at e-Builder, a construction program management software company based in Plantation, Florida. Ron Antevy, President and recently selected as one of South Florida Business Journal’s Ultimate CEOs for Broward County, has asked me to conduct a series of Leadership Training Workshops as part of his on-going desire to grow the company through the success of his team. 

Here are my five coaching strategies for success I will be teaching: 

1.     Establish Trust - Without trust, the coaching relationship will falter and often result in negative outcomes.  It must start with trust.

2.      Learn the Past - In order to help an employee develop for the future, you must be aware of their past.  It is vital that you have a complete understanding of their work history, successes and failures. 

3.     Define the Future - You must align the employee’s personal and professional goals with organizational goals. This will enable you to uncover gaps between the employee’s strengths and opportunities for growth.

 

4.     Create a Plan - Successful development plans follow the SMART philosophy – they are Specific, Measureable, Action driven, Realistic and within a Timeline.

5.     Offer Support - Staying in touch, measuring progress through one-on-one meetings, phone calls, texting and emails are crucial and often forgotten.

A few more Coaching for Success tips:

·         Market and promote talent

·         Reward progress, not just results

·         Find the right size challenges

·         Gradually raise the bar

·         Let them go ahead of you

Let me know what works for you when Coaching for Success so I can expand my tips!

Enjoy meeting people that are different from you!

I am getting close to the finishing touches of my new leadership book The Kaleidoscope Leader and thought you would enjoy a preview. 

As you know a Kaleidoscope is a circle of mirrors containing loose, colored objects such as bead or pebbles and bits of glass. As the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other end creates a colorful pattern, due to the  reflection off the mirrors. 

The Kaleidoscope Leader is an individual that encompasses a multitude of leadership techniques to be successful. As they look within, their methods of leading change due to the reflection they see in others.   

One of these demonstrations is the fact that they enjoy meeting people that are different from them.

One of the most beautiful things we have on earth is the fact that nothing is the same. Snowflakes, fingerprints, zebra stripe and DNA cannot be duplicated. With atoms always moving energy around nothing stays the same.  Change is constant and different is normal. If you will agree with this, consider why. Think about how boring our world would be if there were no differences, if flowers looked and smelled the same, if all dog lovers had only one puppy to choose from, and if there were only one type of fruit to eat or vegetable to cook.  But this isn’t our world. Instead we have many pets to love, fruits to grow and vegetables to eat. And, we have many people different from us to enjoy.

The Kaleidoscope Leader understands the uniqueness of the Universe and how we all connect even when we feel disconnected. They realize the advantage of surrounding themselves with like-minded and unlike-minded individuals.  They welcome thoughts different from their own, appreciate another point of view and respect people that disagree with them.  They relish in the differences considering an alternative way of thinking as exciting. They are curious as to how someone processes information different than their method.  They are genuinely interested in learning new customs and traditions.  They are not threatened by diverse thinking. They are respectful of those who dress, speak and act in ways that are dissimilar to themselves.

As they move through the process of seeking out all types of people, they maintain a clear understanding of their core beliefs.  They will consider alternative views and may even adapt one or two. But, they have the strength and will power to stay firm when their beliefs cannot be altered.  This is when they will agree to disagree. They will accept and respect those that are different and yet realize the importance of staying true to themselves.