Beyond Leadership is Horizon Point’s line of resources for managers of people. Managing ourselves is a distinct set of behaviors from managers the work of others, and we are here to help. Read stories in this category if you are ready to take the next step into people leadership (or if you’re looking for articles to send someone else…).
Her name was Ima, Ima Fish. She was a Betta that I got when my son was four months old and I decided being a stay-at-home mom wasn’t for me. So, when my old boss called me and asked me if I wanted to come back part-time, I jumped at the chance. I bought Ima to put on my desk at the office. I had that little fish on that desk for five years! And everyone in the office knew Ima. If I was out of the office, I knew someone else was taking care of it, I didn’t even have to ask. Coworkers would stop by my desk daily to see how Ima was, even before they’d check to see how I was. Ima became the office fish.
Employees spend a large portion of their time at work, away from their families. Coworkers often become a second family. So how can employers create a work space that helps to bring people together?
It starts at the top. Leadership can help create an environment that brings people together by making connections with those who work for them. Get to know your employees, what makes them tick outside of work. Do they have families? What are their hobbies? Where do they see themselves in the future? When you check in with employees, don’t jump straight into work, ask them how their weekend was, if they have plans for the holidays, just take a few minutes to chat and get to know more about them. By doing this, you not only build a better connection with your team members but you are encouraging them to do the same with each other.
A lot of work and a little play. Allow for some down time at work. You’d be surprised at how that may actually improve productivity and it will definitely boost morale. Early in my career I worked for a company that had an office breakfast EVERY Friday. And it was employee provided. There was a sign-up sheet each quarter for those who wanted to participate and a schedule was made of what Friday you had to provide breakfast. It was great, people loved to participate and every Friday the entire office of about 50 employees came through the breakroom to grab breakfast. You could bring whatever you wanted and there was always an abundance of food. Good food! We even had one employee who when it was his turn, would bring his griddle from home and make made-to-order breakfast sandwiches. And while you were waiting on your sandwich, you’d get to have the best conversations with him.
Create welcoming spaces for connection and collaboration. One of the worst feelings for me is walking into a sterile work space, devoid of color, personalization, and warmth. It’s not inviting. Create spaces where employees want to be, that inspires them. A little décor can go a long way. And it doesn’t have to be expensive. Add a few pictures, some fake or real plants, some color. Take that bright white break room and turn it into a space employees want to sit and enjoy lunch or a quick break. A little paint can go a long way to making a space more welcoming, so get rid of that bright white! And while you’re at it, take away the clutter too. It creates stress and don’t we all have enough of that these days?
What can you do to make your work space bring people together?
Ding, dong, the witch is…hovering over your shoulder micromanaging your work!? This Halloween, instead of Trick or Treat, let’s Train. We’re highlighting two applications of training as an employee engagement solution, plus 6 links to related resources on The Point Blog.
Last week, Lorrie and I spoke about our Illuminate program at the University of Alabama’s HR Management Conference. Before the session, an attendee came up to chat with us about the HR horrors she’d been dealing with at her new company. Her scariest issue: employees’ fear of big, bad HR. She said she felt like the HR monster, scaring everybody on the manufacturing floor with her big, bad, scary HR presence…until she just started talking to people. Every day, she walks the floor and speaks to each individual person with a smile and a “good morning”. She talks to people without needing anything from them. Now, the employees respect her and see her as a valued resource, not a spooky monster. This is “relationshipping”, and it’s critical for workplace wellness and employee engagement. Just like Ivey trained herself to be a relationshipper (and indirectly trained others), you can train yourself by practicing these strategies:
Today, I talked with 50 program managers about “Creating a Culture of Radical Candor”, i.e. Kim Scott’s framework of caring personally about people and being willing to challenge them directly. The spooky version: instead of tricking people into believing you care about them (manipulative insincerity) or treating people like besties (ruinous empathy), let’s train ourselves and those around us to practice radical candor, or graceful accountability as we call it at HPC.
So when Pat McAfee made his appearance on Gameday this year to replace a former Georgia football player that looked really good in a suit (more my jam), I was like what the heck?
I watched him for a minute, determined he was there to sensationalize, pull in a different type of audience, and create some new dynamic I wasn’t into. I thought I’d lost a little bit of respect for the Saturday morning football institution, even if Corso is still there picking his favorite team, glorified mascot head and all.
But my husband keeps showing me clips of McAfee’s show. (To note, tank tops aren’t my husband’s jam either. He’s even more buttoned up than I am when it comes to stuff like that.)
“You’ve got to watch this,” he’s said at least three times to me in the past two weeks. Usually when he says this, it is because he’s watched it and he knows I am going to take some organizational psychology/leadership lessons from it and run with it.
As I’ve watched, the popular host isn’t really sensationalizing anything- unless you take into account his frequent foul language- which is also, you guessed it, not my jam. He’s teaching leadership and organizational psychology 101. Lessons I try to teach myself and others each day. Like:
“Take care of your people.” Pay people what they are worth. You trying to short change everyone around you only leads to you short changing yourself.
Stand up for what you believe in and don’t back down when people criticize you for it. Ignore the outside “noise” both the good and the bad.
“Humility drives you to success.”
You have to customize your leadership to the people you are leading.
Humor helps. Deploy it often.
Surround yourself with the GOATs of the world and listen to them. Learn from them. As I’ve watched and not just listened to the show, you see how attuned McAfee is to listening to his guests. He’s not silently interrupting- trying to think about what he is going to say next while someone else is talking- and he’s not literally interrupting either. He’s sitting there with his ears and mind on and he’s soaking it all in.
If you want to listen to the episodes that my husband keeps putting in front of me, here is the two most recent examples:
My family and I had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica this summer to serve with Voz de Liberta (Voice of Liberty). They are “a non-profit NGO that is dedicated to sharing the message of hope to prisoners, former prisoners, their families and victims throughout the country by providing comprehensive assistance.” It was amazing to see the work they are doing, in particular in the APAC (faith-based) prison they run.
Through my time there, I found that the prisoners taught me a thing or two about how to do training well:
2 by 2: We sat in on a training class on the gospel of Mark. There were two instructors facilitating the class of about twelve people. When I asked the director about this, he told me that all their training classes are taught by two facilitators. When I asked why, he simply stated that it provides for diversity of thought and delivery that is beneficial for the participants and the facilitators. We may see this as inefficient in the United States, but it seemed to be a model that makes the training more effective.
At HPC, we frequently send two trainers, so that one person can learn from a more seasoned trainer or two styles or levels of expertise can be shared. Each person brings different experiences, learning styles, and personalities to the group, and with two trainers it is more likely for a diverse audience to be reached effectively with a team approach.
Everyone can and should lead. I hope you noticed in the first lesson that the classes are not taught by outside facilitators. They are taught by the inmates themselves. The team at Voz de Liberta (three full time people and more than eighty volunteers) are constantly equipping the inmates to lead. This makes their ministry not only scalable but also more effective.
The model of training in the prisons is also designed to multiply leaders/facilitators. Each training class facilitated by two people is designed to identify two more people to be trained to be trainers. The mindset here is that everyone is valuable and capable of leading with the right training and tools.
In addition, in the faith based prison, everyone takes a turn leading what they call “motivation” that occurs before lunch everyday. There are about 90 prisoners in the faith-based prison and they take turns leading the motivation that involves roll call, announcements, and prayer. We were fortunate to be there on a day when a prisoner was slowly but faithfully calling roll. The director leaned over to me and explained that he was learning to read and was currently taking first grade classes in the prison. I would guess he was about 45 years old. With a smile, he worked through all the names and then started on the announcements. It was a privilege to witness.
I think so often we separate the educated from the uneducated, the haves from the have nots, the young from the old, the prisoners from the non-prisoners, the experts from the non-experts. When we create these binary categories, we leave no room for learning and growth on either end of the spectrum. We can live on a continuum where we are constantly seeking to equip and learn from each other. I know I learned more from the man slowly calling roll in Spanish that he will ever learn from me. It’s amazing what can be done when we see people as capable first and then treat them as such.
Who, then what, then how. The training class followed a model of who (in this case Jesus and the inmate participants) in order to build self awareness. Next, it focused on now that I know who (me) I should focus on what I need to do. Then, once I understand what I need to do, I need to know how to do it and be able to practice that how over and over. This was a simple model to follow, but one that was grounded in the belief that self awareness comes first before any planning or action takes place. And that in order for the training to be effective, practice (how) has to take place in order for behaviors to change.
The experience in Costa Rica flipped the way I see many things. It did so for my husband and my children as well. I hope we will take these lessons to inform what we need to do next and then practice how over and over again.
What do you think makes training effective? How have you learned from those you least expected to teach you?
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.
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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!
