Horizon Point Consulting

Author: Emily Collins

  • SPECIAL FEATURE: July Leadership Development Carnival

    SPECIAL FEATURE: July Leadership Development Carnival

    We are thrilled to be hosting the July Leadership Development Carnival. We participate monthly and find it is always filled with great insight for leaders to read and share.

    Communication

    Psychological Safety: Pro Tips for Leaders

    As a leader, how intentional are you about creating psychological safety for your team? Check out these tips from the experts to help you build rapport and increase communication with your team. — Jennifer Miller (@JenniferVMiller)

    The Power of &

    Conflict itself is born from a perspective that we must make either-or decisions; that we can’t have more than one option; that two different things cannot co-exist. In these situations, the result is generally less favorable than if the parties explored & solutions. Focusing on & requires a commitment to exploring mutually beneficial results, not necessarily the same results. — Priscilla Archangel (@PrisArchangel)

    When is Workplace Gossip a GOOD Thing – and when it isn’t, HOW do you Fix it?

    As someone who works in a team or leads a team, you have probably heard that gossip is always negative. It should be avoided at all costs…
    Gossip is defined by the Oxford dictionary as “Casual or unconstrained conversation about other people.”
    And Dave Ramsey, a welll-known financial expert, has been outspoken about the “No-Gossip” policy for his people at Entreleadership – for them it has been a significant part of defining their culture.
    However, there is recent research that has shown gossip can actually have positive effects on team morale, culture, and performance. — Sean Glaze (@leadyourteam)

    Two-Way Communication: 4 Tips and Examples for Getting It Right

    There are many opportunities for leaders to engage employees in meaningful two-way communication. Mastering it helps build a stronger company culture, among many other benefits. Explore these tips and methods known to be effective. — David Grossman (@ThoughtPartner)

    Tips for Overriding the Worst Communication Habit

    We often pride ourselves on knowing what people think without fully listening. Overcoming this habit is critical to good communication and creating better relationships. — Marcia Reynolds (@marciareynolds)

    Do We Ever Really Resolve Conflicts? Try Conflict Management

    Are conflicts resolved or managed? Conflict resolution means that a conflict is solved, settled, or finalized. While managing conflict means that the conflict is mediated, handled, and coped with: in short, there is an agreement to disagree yet move forward together on areas in common. Read on to learn how to manage conflicts to success. — Diana Peterson-More (@DianaPMAuthor)

    Creativity/Inspiration

    Time to SPARKLE

    Each day offers us a chance to make a difference, to shape the future, and to inspire greatness in others. Let us seize this opportunity with passion, purpose, and unwavering dedication. — Brenda Yoho (@BrendaYoho)

    Development

    Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should

    Do you do things because it’s in your best interest, because it looks good, or because it’s right? — Frank Sonnenberg (@FSonnenberg)

    Work on a nonviolent, compassionate culture

    What if your organizational culture was nonviolent and compassionate? You and your performance would thrive. And so would the company. Here’s inspiration from the research. A nonviolent, compassionate culture helps to build a better world. — Marcella Bremer (@MarcellaBremer)

    Four Things to Regularly Assess in Your Business

    One of the skills an experienced big mountain backcountry skier practices is testing the snowpack for avalanche risk. “I think it looks good,” won’t cut it. We have to pull out the shovel and test the pack to ensure we can venture down in a safe way. Otherwise, we risk life-threatening conditions and danger. “Where’d he go?”

    It’s similar when it comes to your business. You can glide along thinking “I think it looks good,” but without regular testing and evaluating of the conditions, you can end up in an avalanche of trouble.— Jon Verbeck (@jonverbeck1)

    Being Courageous

    Discover the transformative power of courageous leadership. Dive into the essence of courage, embrace vulnerability, and challenge the status quo. Discover practical strategies to inspire others and drive extraordinary results. — Bill Treasurer (@btreasurer)

    How to Get Unstuck with Your Career Pivot

    In this article, Art Petty provides advice for professionals who are feeling stuck in their current careers and are looking to make a pivot. He offers tips on how to identify your interests and skills, research new career paths, and create a plan for your transition. — Art Petty (@artpetty)

    How a Leader’s Well-Meaning Actions Thwart Career Development (Without Even Knowing It)

    Leaders often have good intentions when they try to help their employees develop their careers. However, sometimes their well-meaning actions can actually have the opposite effect. This article explores some of the ways that leaders can unwittingly thwart career development, and offers advice on how to avoid these pitfalls. – Julie Winkle Giulioni (@Julie_WG)

    Faulty Filters Lead to Empty Funnels: Fundamental Flaws in the Fight for Talent

    The truth is that some companies are laying off, some are ramping up hiring and some are doing both. Those that have downsized in the face of economic stress need to “backfill” with qualified internal candidates. Those that are financially healthy or on a growth path, will be looking to “buy” qualified talent from the outside. And recent data suggests that more and more companies are looking to “borrow” qualified talent from the growing independent consultant pool. But whether they are backfilling, buying or borrowing talent, they are all facing the same challenge — finding the most qualified candidates. And how do they do that? My client experiences suggest that they too often use what I call “faulty filters.” — Bev Kaye (@BeverlyLKaye)

    Don’t Be a Small-Minded Leader

    Leaders who are self-aware and honest about their weaknesses, challenges, and mistakes are less likely to behave in small-minded ways. That’s because they don’t waste time defending their egos and need to be right. — Ken Byler

    Job Hunters are Looking for a Values Match

    In the post-pandemic world of attracting top candidates, companies are finding that decent salaries and competitive benefits are not enough. Company values are increasingly important to job seekers. — S. Chris Edmonds (@schrisedmonds)

    Engagement

    The Power of a Customer’s Name: 5 Ways to Use It to Your Advantage

    Using a customer’s name is a simple yet powerful way to improve their experience with your business. It’s an effective way to make them feel valued and acknowledged, which can lead to increased loyalty and customer satisfaction.

    When a customer hears their name, it creates a sense of familiarity and personalization. It makes them feel like they’re more than just another faceless customer, and that you appreciate their business. By using the power of a customer’s name, you can also build rapport and establish a connection, which can lead to better communication and understanding between the customer and your team. — Steve DiGioia (@stevedigioia)

    Should I Quit This Workplace Conflict: How to Know When It’s Time to Leave

    One of the heartbreaking findings in the World Workplace Conflict and Collaboration Survey was the number of people who said if they were faced with this workplace conflict again, they would quit, or quit sooner. Here are a few powerful questions to help you decide. — Karin Hurt & David Dye (@letsgrowleaders)

    The Mental Health Connection

    Thank goodness it didn’t take long for me to shift my perspective and see the way that my Horizon Point Team members valued connection as much as I did. According to Gallup analysis, “it finds that engagement has 3.8x as much influence on employee stress as work location.” — Emily Addison (@emaaddisonhpc)

    Ethics and Policy

    The Gender Wealth Gap: The Pay Gap Reframed

    Leaders seeking greater equity in the workplace need to understand the broader implications of the pay gap for women and under-represented leaders more broadly. Unequal pay leads to more than short term disadvantage for the employee and their family, but a lifelong financial deficit, which can become a generational burden. — Dana Theus (@DanaTheus)

    Leader Evaluation

    How Do You Measure Your Worth as a Leader?

    It’s much easier to measure the effectiveness of leaders by looking at their quantifiable deliverables—monthly sales targets, net promoter scores, business objectives met, on-time deadlines, projects completed. While those are all critical, truly exceptional leaders also perform at high levels with skills that aren’t directly tied to tangible outcomes. This article covers some additional measuring sticks for evaluating your true impact and worthiness as a leader. — Sara Canaday (@saracanaday)

    Leadership

    Four Reasons Why Flexing Your Leadership Style Builds Trust

    Most managers are one-trick ponies, meaning they default to using a single leadership style in all situations. Randy Conley shares how flexing your leadership style to match the situation builds trust and positive relationships with your people. — Randy Conley (@RandyConley)

    Problem Solving

    Socratic Oath

    Critical thinking starts with questions and examining assumptions. — Wally Bock (@WallyBock)

    Productivity

    The beauty of going slow to go fast – and how to do it

    Lisa Kohn of Thoughtful Leaders Blog presents The beauty of going slow to go fast – and how to do it where she shares that while it may seem counterintuitive to slow down and take pauses when your to do list seems to have a mind of its own and overwhelm is a constant state, it’s often exactly what we need. It’s not always an easy shift. But it is possible. — Lisa Kohn (@ThoughtfulLdrs)

    Thanks for joining us for this month’s Leadership Development Carnival. We hope that you enjoyed it!

  • The Mental Health “Connection”

    The Mental Health “Connection”

    Recently, I traveled to North Carolina for our annual family vacation. On Sunday, we attended First Baptist Church of Bryson City. The guest Pastor brought the house down on that rainy day with a message on love and acceptance. He described the ways in which we used to value connection with one another through meal time and went on to emphasize how important social connection is for our mental health. If you feel connected and cared for, he argued, then love has the ability to heal. 

    That’s wonderful to hear about in Church, but how does that translate to the mental health of an organization or, more specifically, remote workers?  As a person who has experienced the struggle with mental health, I can testify that just today as I sit here from the comfort of my home writing this Blog I’ve had some anxious thoughts and feelings come up. The people that I love are gone for the day and while the silence is useful for my concentration, it can also be deafening and lonely. You see, I need that connection for inspiration and motivation.

    There are many benefits to hybrid work. Forbes said it best “Hybrid creates flexibility in our lives and workplace, which contributes to employee satisfaction and productivity. Making it easier for them to balance their work and personal lives can result in less stress and burnout. Hybrid work allows people to work in a comfortable and familiar environment, which can promote feelings of safety and well-being.”

    However, what goes up must come down, and there are pitfalls to this setup as well. When I began working from home in September, it was an adjustment. Coming from a traditional 9-5 work schedule, the idea of flexibility challenged my thinking. For a few days, I longed to catch up my with my co-workers and to hear the latest news when I walked through the door. You see, I wasn’t missing the stress or rigidity of the job, I was missing the connection with others. It is good for the body, mind and spirit.

    Thank goodness it didn’t take long for me to shift my perspective and see the way that my Horizon Point Team members valued connection as much as I did. According to Gallup analysis, “it finds that engagement has 3.8x as much influence on employee stress as work location. How people feel about their job has a lot more to do with their relationship with their team and manager than being remote or being on-site.”  

    How can your organization create space for mental health or connection in the workday or week while working remotely? Horizon Point uses various touchpoints throughout our weeks and months. Mary Ila and I meet once a week either in person, by phone or virtually to talk through what she needs me to handle. We also have a Monthly Mingle to brainstorm new ideas, discuss plans for the future and to share a meal. Quarterly Planning is a longer meeting where we, for lack of a better term, plan for the quarter. There are also One-on-Ones during the month when we meet with Mary Ila to have meaningful conversation about what’s happening and what we would like to see happening in our careers.

    What I initially thought could be a challenge has proved to be a learning opportunity. The traditional way of working doesn’t have to be my future, and I can still connect with my co-workers in various ways and environments. There are new tools that I have in my toolkit to connect with others, and when I’m feeling a little lonely, there are certainly other ways to find inspiration and engagement rather than in an office setting. 

    At Horizon Point, we value work-life integration, and it turns out that my stress level is much lower. Even on days like today when I have some anxiety, a nice walk or phone call with a co-worker or friend decreases that feeling. I am much more comfortable than I would be experiencing those feelings in an office setting. Therefore, my overall mental health is much more in balance. 

    Does your organization support your mental health? At Horizon Point, I feel connected and cared for, which translates to love and healing.

    To read more about connection and working remotely, browse through these topics at The Point Blog:

    What’s Relationshipping, and How Do I Do It?

    Building the Bridge Between Survive and Thrive in the Workplace

    4 Ways Leaders Can Keep Remote Work Pros from Becoming Cons

    Benefits of Remote Work for Employees

  • Caring About Someone You Can’t See-Empathy in Leadership

    Caring About Someone You Can’t See-Empathy in Leadership

    A couple of weeks back a friend of mine posted an article from Forbes. It was titled Empathy Is The Most Important Leadership Skill According to Research. The first thought that came to mind was am I empathetic? What is the exact definition? In my quest for knowledge on the topic, I loved what Brene Brown shares in her book Atlas of The Heart, “We need to dispel the myth that empathy is ‘walking in someone else’s shoes. ‘ Rather than walking in your shoes, I need to learn how to listen to the story you tell about what it’s like in your shoes and believe you even when it doesn’t match my experiences.”

    A beautiful example of empathy in leadership is the glue that holds Horizon Point together, Mary Ila. My son was hospitalized a few months back dealing with behavioral challenges. As a first-time parent, no one quite prepares you for checking your 5-year-old in for a psychiatric stay. Much less having to check in through your local ER and trying to entertain them for 3 days while a bed opens up (some parents wait weeks). To say I was overwhelmed was an understatement. However, when it came to my job, it was the last thing that I was concerned about. Mary Ila told me not to worry about a thing and that our team would handle it. She even scheduled time to sit with my child for a few hours on her busy Monday morning. I politely declined her first offer, and she insisted that I go take a shower or anything else that I might need to do. 

    All in all, that experience makes me want to work that much harder for a company that goes above and beyond for its employees. You see, Mary Ila put herself in my position and treated me as a human being rather than a human doing. I felt safe and cared for, and won’t forget to pass that kindness along to the next person walking through their season of suffering. 

    Great, you might say, but what does that look like in a result—driven work environment? Do I need another degree these days to be a mental health professional in order to run a business? How does that help our bottom line? Empathy leads to trust, which leads to better performance, retention, and recruitment. All that is required is the extra effort to listen and understand. 

    So, what if I’m not naturally empathetic? Can I learn it? In fact, you can. One of the best ways to learn is empathy is to have the ability to express it. Your emotional vocabulary list helps with this https://karlamclaren.com/emotional-vocabulary-page/. Want more? Try this exercise from Psychology Today to brush up on your skills:

    1. Think about your significant other or a friend, family member, or coworker.
    2. What has their mood been like recently?
    3. What’s going on in this person’s life that might be making them happy or sad, anxious, or angry?
    4. How are you contributing?
    5. What could you do or say to improve this person’s situation?

    Empathy could very well be one of the necessary ingredients missing from the secret sauce to your overall workplace well-being. 

    Read more at The Point Blog:

    https://horizonpointconsulting.com/blog3/item/show-compassion-save-your-empathy/

    https://horizonpointconsulting.com/blog3/item/leading-through-expectations-and-empathy/

    https://horizonpointconsulting.com/blog3/item/3-questions-for-balancing-empathy-and-expectations-as-a-leader/

  • Top 10 List on Space & Abundance

    Top 10 List on Space & Abundance

    My first thought of space and I think of stars and galaxies, but what does it mean as it relates to Leadership, Career, Productivity and Purpose? Space is defined as a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied. It is also defined as the distance from other people or things that a person needs to remain comfortable. Some words used to describe space are boundless, vast and infinite. What does it mean to take up space or to hold space for others? Our 2023 theme is an abundance of space. Here are our top 10 quotes related to the two.

    10. “We can’t be creative if we refuse to be confused. Change always starts with confusion; cherished interpretations must dissolve to make way for what’s new. Great ideas and inventions miraculously appear in the space of not knowing.”-Margaret J Wheatley

    9. “When we are at ease, our bodies work efficiently, our minds settle, and space opens up for us to connect to our intuition, creativity, and sense of connectedness.”-Tara Stiles

    8. “Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘you’re not alone.’”-Brene Brown

    7.  “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 freedom.”-Viktor Frankl

    6. “Hobbies make space. They remind us of something beautiful and that good can come from nothing.”-Annie Downs

    5. “Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” -Lao Tzu

    4. “Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.” -Wayne Dyer

    3. “There is no passion to be found in playing small — in settling for a life that is less than you are capable of living.”-Nelson Mandela

    2. “An abundance mentality springs from internal security, not from external rankings, comparisons, opinion, possessions, or associations.”-Stephen Covey

    1. “When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” -Tony Robbins

    To read more about our theme for 2023, read here. 

     

  • Love is an Action Word

    Love is an Action Word

    Ever heard of the saying that “love is an action word?” If that’s true, then how do you “act” like you love someone? With it being Valentine’s Day, you may be thinking of candy, cards & flowers. Imagery of red roses or big pink, heart shaped boxes may be dancing in your mind. This might be the love that you would show a partner or someone that you care deeply about. Love goes beyond our feelings, it is an expression of gratitude for that person. How does it feel to have someone show up for you in this way? Do you feel appreciated and valued? Do you prefer for someone to say that they love you, to spend time with you, to do the dishes, buy you jewelry or give you a great big hug? 

    I’m confident that most of you are familiar with The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman. If someone has asked me once they have asked me 1,000 times, have you read the book, have you taken the quiz, what is your love language? Full disclosure: I have never read the book, nor have I taken the quiz. I know it, throw stones at me, gasp! However, this leads me to my point of redemption. Did you know that there are actually Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace? I have taken the quiz and everything!

    The Languages of Appreciation are: Acts of Service, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Tangible Gifts and Appropriate Physical Touch. My primary language is Words of Affirmation followed by Quality Time. I scored lowest in Tangible Gifts. In the workplace, I need to be affirmed by my employer and to know that I am doing a good job or, conversely, ways that I can be improving. Being relatively new to my position, I like for someone to spend time walking me through a project before turning me loose. If an employer or co-workers speak to me in a way that is not my language of appreciation, then I will have a hard time hearing it.

    I love the way that the Horizon Point Team incorporates appreciation into the everyday work/life balance. Mary Ila does a phenomenal job of speaking words of appreciation and even sending a handwritten note. As a piece of our Illuminate Workshop, we encourage writing gratitude notes each week. Personally, I try to send 3 a week to show the people around me that they matter. Jillian makes time to create videos to show me how to complete projects. Lorrie and Taylor create “space” for me to walk me through work projects via Zoom calls or meeting in person. These are the ways that they show me they appreciate me, and how I feel that appreciation.

    However, there is a difference between appreciation and recognition. Appreciation is about people and recognition is about results. Appreciation is gratitude for who my co-workers are. Gratitude is a mindset or perspective. All of these things tied together create Psychological Safety in the workplace, and it brings me to Horizon Point’s theme for 2023 which is an “Abundance of Space“. Psychological Safety gives people space and frees them to be who they need to be without fear of judgement. It gives others the permission to make mistakes and learn through the process.

    On this Valentine’s Day, I began with saying that Love is an Action Word, and I believe that with my whole heart. If I love others, I appreciate them and give them space to be become who they need to be. In a successful team, appreciation is shown and there is a large degree of Psychological Safety within the organization. Does your workplace show appreciation in your designated language, and is there a safe space to learn and grow? If not, how can you incorporate that into your daily routine?

    Here at Horizon Point, we offer training on The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace and Building a Psychologically Safe Workplace. Click here to learn more: