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Don’t be a Joyless Leader

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I remember a time in college when I returned home to visit my mom, and she told me about a troubling sight she had just seen. A school bus had stopped at a light beside her, and the faces of sullen and despondent teenagers filled every visible window.

Her voice was soaked in sadness as she explained, “They’re kids, on a Friday afternoon, going home for a long weekend. This is supposed to be an exciting and optimistic time in their lives. They shouldn’t look like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders.”

We lived in an affluent town, and although teen angst can run deep and shouldn’t be trivialized, I doubt few on that bus had many unmet wants.

My mom recalled the joy she had felt as a young woman, enthusiastic to learn what each tomorrow held in store for her. She hinted that bringing a surplus of exuberance into adulthood is helpful because it gets harder and harder to retain or recapture that joy after prolonged exposure to the random blows life inevitably sends your way.

When you see the sad, slack, bovine expressions of listless figures through a window, or perhaps in your bathroom mirror, you’re not looking at purposeful people motivated by an exciting and worthwhile goal. You see disillusionment, worry, and fear which are horrible expressions to have painted across anyone’s face. Discouragement and demoralization do not suddenly appear. They are signs of erosion, put there by constant exposure to negative elements which rob people of their faith and ingenuity, and insidiously stifles early talent with ridicule, disdain, or worse, indifference.

Some of the teens who carried those gloomy expressions my mom saw, may have recaptured the joy and enthusiasm she spoke of, but many, dare I guess most, have not. Today, they are your doctors, bankers, teachers, professors, police officers, city planners, elected officials, cubicle dwellers and leaders influencing others, for better or worse.

People who are disillusioned, discouraged and chronically disappointed with where they are in life make lousy leaders. They can systematically erode the optimistic possibilities held by others. Sadly, with their influence they are, through ignorance more than intent, creating a new generation of lousy leaders. That cycle must stop.

I believe happiness and purposefulness come about by the active pursuit of a worthy goal, therefore if you want to be happy you should never be without a great goal.

I believe most people know what they want to contribute to society, but lack the confidence and support to pursue their dreams.

I believe great listeners create great leaders, artists, and entrepreneurs; and when you learn to listen, particularly to yourself, epiphanies become common.

I believe accountability raises both your game and your aim. You achieve more when you are held accountable for your decisions and your actions.

I believe good leadership can eradicate despondency from the faces and hearts of the disillusioned and dissipate its corrosive effect on the world at large.

Imagine if every woman, man, and child you know had at least one great goal that they were actively working toward every day? The buzz of energy produced from such productivity, collaboration, and purposefulness would do more than illuminate cities; it would illuminate minds long shrouded in a fog of doubt. It would raise hope, lift spirits, and propel those with a success mindset ever forward. To solve what others thought unsolvable. To achieve what all but a few thought unattainable. To refuse the deferment of dreams long-held, or thoughts long held silent. To try, to fail, to try again, without stigma or scorn.

It is possible.

We may not ever live in a world without conflict, but we cannot call it living if it’s in a world without goals. The best we could do then is exist, and merely existing is not good enough for me, and I doubt it is for you.

What’s your next great goal? Will you pursue it with joy?

This article was first published on Karl Bimshas Consulting.

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Five Powerful HR Resolutions to Implement in 2017

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It’s the first month of a new year, and you know what that means—time to get moving on those resolutions and goals for the new year. Setting goals in the corporate world isn’t just an individual pursuit, however. It should involve your entire team. Get everyone together to solicit input on what you as a company or department want to achieve in 2017.

Implementing yearly goals can be a daunting task, which is why it’s a good idea to set,  and take action on, monthly and quarterly goals as well. This allows you to give your team more short-term feedback and also provides you with the opportunity to make adjustments that will keep your team on track for the improvements you hope to achieve.

Here are five powerful resolutions that will propel your HR team forward in 2017.

  1. Implement a BYOD program. BYOD means “Bring Your Own Device,” and it has become a much more prevalent practice in a variety of industries. Eighty percent of employees use personal technology for business use, so it makes sense to tap into this trend. Studies show that a BYOD program enhances employee productivity and efficiency and, ultimately, corporate profits.

The BYOD strategy gives employees the freedom to buy or lease the type and brand of device they prefer. They may feel more comfortable using their own devices, knowing they can store photos, purchase apps, and text personal messages with the understanding that the phone or tablet will stay with them when they leave the company. Though the device is personal, employees are still able to access company emails, spreadsheets, contact lists, etc., with the convenience and mobility that enhances productivity.

When employees are allowed to use their own devices for work-related matters, it saves money and reduces training time because employees purchase what they feel are best suited to them and their tech abilities. A disadvantage, however, is the lack of uniformity among employees’ devices, because not all employees will be able to afford the personal expense for the same type of device. Employers can help by subsidizing purchases to ensure a minimum level of functionality.

  1. Create and implement an employee wellness program that includes a financial wellness component. Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy peace of mind and freedom from the stressors of poor financial decisions that can otherwise hamper both your professional and personal life. Just as we can credit corporate wellness programs with an increase in productivity and employee engagement in the workplace, we have a growing awareness that we need to address financial well-being as well.

If you do not have an employee wellness program, build one from the ground up with a focus on physical fitness to start. If you already have such a wellness program but have yet to incorporate elements of financial fitness, add in a component that teaches employees better money management and spending habits.

  1. Survey employees to improve engagement. Most companies want to improve employee engagement, as it results in a more motivated and productive workforce. The first step is to survey employees, soliciting input as to what you’re doing right and wrong as a company, which is also a good way to gauge employee satisfaction. Based on survey results, set goals to fix areas in need of improvement. Survey again after six months or so to see if your changes have had a positive effect on employee engagement.
  2. Revamp hiring and onboarding processes. Getting off to a good start is critical to a new employee’s perception of your company and their likelihood to stay around for the long haul. Your first step is to ensure best hiring practices, where job duties are clearly defined and job applicants’ skills and expertise are matched well to your needs. Follow that up by emphasizing an effective onboarding process that engages new employees in order to communicate from the very start the value you place on their contributions to your organization.
  3. Get rid of annual performance reviews—for good. Many employees view performance evaluations as a yearly annoyance, and rightly so—rarely do they fairly measure performance. With constantly shifting goals and responsibilities, and increasingly overburdened managers, trying to evaluate a year’s worth of performance by rating employee efforts on a 1-to-5 scale is outdated. Instead, focus on mutual goal-setting between manager and staffers on a regular basis (say, quarterly), and ditch the cumbersome paperwork.

Real progress can happen for your organization when you engage your team in planning and setting goals for the new year. Talk with your team and resolve to take your business to the next level in 2017.

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#WorkTrends Preview: Career Jumping – Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

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The TalentCulture #WorkTrends Show is all new on Wednesday, March 2, 2016, from 1-2 pm ET (10-11 am PT).

#WorkTrends welcomes Mike Lewis, author of “When to Jump” to discuss both sides of jumping, whether it’s time to leave a job to pursue dreams or if you need to retain top talent.

We will discuss:

  • How to retain top talent from “jumping”
  • A discussion on why top talent (particularly millennials) jump today more than ever before
  • An evaluation of current trends in corporate environments to best retain the talent
  • How to explore internal jumps

Come learn about the changing perceptions of career pathing and how to encourage jumps that satisfy employees while preventing talent attrition. And you may just leave the show thinking, “It’s my time to jump!”

#WorkTrends Event: “Career Jumping” Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

#WorkTrends Logo Design

Tune in to our LIVE online podcast Wednesday, March 2 — 1 pm ET / 10 am PT

Join TalentCulture #WorkTrends Founder and Host Meghan M. Biro as she talks about whether it’s time to leave a job to pursue dreams with Mike Lewis.

#WorkTrends on Twitter — Wednesday, March 2 — 1:30 pm ET / 10:30 am PT

Immediately following the radio show, the team will move to the #WorkTrends Twitter stream to continue the discussion with the entire TalentCulture community. We invite everyone with a Twitter account to participate as we gather for a dynamic live chat, focused on these related questions:

Q1: What traits are common with people ready to jump? #WorkTrends  (Tweet this question)

Q2: What can leadership do to retain top talent from jumping? #WorkTrends (Tweet this question)

Q3. What advantages and disadvantages does jumping cause? #WorkTrends  (Tweet this question)

Until then, we’ll keep the discussion going on the #WorkTrends Twitter feed, our TalentCulture World of Work Community LinkedIn group, and in our TalentCulture G+ community. Feel free to drop by anytime and share your questions, ideas and opinions. See you there!

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4 Essential Qualities Of Leadership

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Leadership is a personal quality and behavior, not a role or title. And it’s an increasingly important capability as enterprise diversity and distances between people increase. Distance and diversity are compounded by a massive gap between people, their work, goals and feedback. While it’s always been important for senior managers and executives to lead, it’s never been more important for front-line managers to do so.

Why is leadership at every level so important? Just 7% of people understand the goals of their organization and what they need to do to achieve them. Ironically, 76% of people say they use daily to-do lists. As many as 30% of U.S. workers work from home and many more work across different locations. It’s now both more important and more difficult to make the mission clear and relevant, engage people in goal achievement, drive accountability and give regular feedback to physically distributed team members.

While goals may be set top down, they are achieved — or fail — on the front line. If you are a first-, second- or third-line manager, you play a crucial part in translating abstract company vision into personally compelling mission for your direct reports. Elevating your leadership skills elevates your team’s results and your career. Cultivate these four qualities to expand your leadership impact and effectiveness, whether you have a team of seven or 700:

1. Clarity and vision
Leaders understand the problem or opportunity in front of them at its most essential level. Rather than the symptoms or byproducts of it, they understand the heart of it. They can articulate a clear, compelling vision for the solution to the problem or path forward to opportunity. Curiosity and deep interest in the intricacies of customer needs and markets build greater capacity in this leadership quality.

2. Ability to engage people realization and achievement 
Leaders engage others to solve the problem or realize the opportunity identified. It’s not only motivating or inspiring people to achieve; leaders can break that achievement down into actions, then coach and hold people accountable on the path to goal. It’s where the proverbial rubber meets the road — realizing the vision through effort, tenacity and execution. Build leadership credibility and influence by demonstrating a high level of effort and execution every day.

Elon Musk quote

3. Heightened awareness of change in the environment
Leaders are highly aware of the continuous change around them. They are adept at monitoring it, and quickly refactoring their problem/solution or opportunity statements to reflect the ever-changing environment. They know that anticipating where the puck will be and their response speed will improve their industry position (and their career trajectory). Build strength in this area by consciously — even voraciously — broadening and sharpening your listening skills.

4. Ability to influence and bring about change
When they combine clear vision, an ability to articulate a plan to execute and acute listening, leaders are more effective at driving the change they want to realize. More importantly, leaders combine greater understanding of change with genuine intent to provide real solutions and value. This amplifies their impact and influence — not because they talk a lot, but because they provide valued insights, assistance and answers. To amplify this quality, put your internal or external customer squarely at the center of your actions and conversation; the shift from self to others will vastly improve your results.

According to Deloitte, CEOs want more people to demonstrate leadership skills — it’s their most pressing talent concern: only 14% believe there are enough leaders in their management pipeline. Unfortunately, only 5% of these executives report having robust management and leadership development programs in place to help potential leaders build skills and rise through the organization!

While some managers feel overworked or stretched too thin, for motivated managers it’s a perfect time to build leadership competencies and skills. The need and the rewards are there! Many people now use a Line Manager App to increase their capacity to lead and improve their management efficiency. They spend less time on management fundamentals and step up to become the leader they want to be.

Leadership isn’t a job, it’s the way you do a job. Lead the way!

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Don’t Work Harder — Work With A Better Plan

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Santa Clauses throughout the country are returning to their natural habitat — shopping malls — and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to buckle down and make one final push to reach and exceed your annual goals.

Often, the knee-jerk solution this time of year is to work harder. Start spending more time in the office, and especially more time at your desk cranking out work. Unfortunately, while this might initially increase your output, it isn’t always sustainable.

Instead, as the old adage goes, “Don’t work harder. Work smarter.” But what does working smarter really mean?

Know How Long Your Work Takes

Before you can really get smart about your work and managing your time, you need to know how long it takes to do your tasks. It’s a basic but useful exercise. Knowing exactly how long your work typically takes will add certainty to your day and give you confidence to set realistic daily goals.

Of course, with experience doing your particular type of job, you’re likely to establish rough estimates for the time needed to complete your tasks. However, breaks and email and phone call interruptions can happen at any time, and your gut feeling may not actually be that accurate.

For that reason, consider using a timer and keeping a record of your tasks for a couple of weeks. Start the clock when you start a task, stop it whenever you get distracted, and write down how long it took when the task is done. With these useful data points, you’ll find it much easier to keep your day organized and to set reasonable expectations.

Set Smaller Goals

An important part of growing professionally is setting ambitious but attainable long-term goals. The difficulty with long-term goals, though, is that you can get lost or sidetracked along the way.

To avoid losing sight of your targets, research suggests that you should set a few smaller goals on a daily or weekly basis related to each long-term goal. Since these distant goals can sometimes feel insurmountable, the smaller goals keep you on track and headed in the right direction. Further, keeping track of your goals over time will help you recalibrate them when needed.

With that in mind, consider getting into the habit of setting daily or weekly goals on a regular basis. Either at the end of the day or on your way to work in the morning, focus on the two or three things that you want to achieve or tasks that you want to complete. Write them down and keep them visible. This will help you from getting distracted and you’ll enjoy the motivation from checking things off your list and getting one step closer to what you want to achieve.

Take Breaks

Getting more organized and focused on your annual goals will give you a solid roadmap to success, but you’ll also need to protect yourself against burnout that can derail you along the way. The harder you work, the more you risk mental and physical exhaustion, which not only threatens your motivation, but also your health.

As with any long-distance endeavor, the best approach is to choose and stick to a pace that you can maintain through to the finish line. In the workplace, that means taking frequent and regular breaks. Whether you’re just going for a walk, grabbing lunch with a colleague away from your desks, or playing a quick game of ping pong, taking a break will help you recharge and boost your productivity overall.

The trick, though, is to build these breaks into your schedule as much as possible. If you’re just relying on taking breaks when the opportunity presents itself, you may find yourself deprioritizing them. Set a goal to take a few breaks a day, and set reminders for yourself in your calendar. It may seem counter-intuitive, but staying committed to occasionally stepping away from your desk will help you work smarter in the long run.

Using these tips will put you on the right path to working with an organized and sustainable plan to achieve your annual goals. What are your tricks for working smarter?

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Keep The Pursuit Of Your Goals From Going Off-Track

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“When I thought I couldn’t go on, I forced myself to keep going. My success is based on persistence, not luck.” — Estee Lauder

Do you know what you want out of your life? Can you see your future clearly in your mind’s eye, and do you know down to the very core of your being that you’re working toward your life’s purpose? If so, congratulations! If you’re not quite there yet, take a few moments and imagine what your life would be life if you were living on purpose. How wide is the gap between what you want to be doing and what you’re currently engaged in?

Sometimes we get “stuck” in a situation that is clearly not where we want to be. Maybe it’s because of financial considerations, family expectations, or self-imposed limitations. If you dread going to work every day, it may be time to reconsider the track you’re on and look for ways you can progress toward what you want out of life.

It’s easy to advance toward your goals when things are going well, when you’re “in the flow.” You feel great, you’re on a “high,” and things couldn’t be better. Because of your positive momentum, when challenges first happen, you turn on your inner turbo-boosters and plow forward.

However, when it seems nothing is going right, challenges are abounding, and you’re not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, you may start questioning your sanity, your motivations, and whether you should be continuing down this crazy path.

Here are some tips to keep you on track so you can reach the pinnacle of your personal and professional pursuits, whatever they are:

1. Acknowledge yourself for each and every little victory. So often we are looking for what is going wrong, what has gone wrong or what could go wrong that we don’t see how many things are going well. At the end of each day, write down your list of “wins” and take a moment to celebrate your accomplishments.

2. Learn from your lessons. It’s been said that a lesson is repeated until the lesson is learned. When something goes wrong, take a moment and assess exactly what happened. Then try something different; even a slight shift can make a big impact. This may take you out of your comfort zone, but doing things in a different way will lead to different — and probably better — results.

3. Be grateful. Get into the practice of looking for people, events and circumstances for which you can be thankful. You don’t have to wait until something really “big” happens. When you wake up in the morning, before you get out of bed, think of three things that you appreciate about your life. Then think of three more things that you can be grateful for in advance of them happening during the day. In this way, you’ll set a positive expectancy for your day and chances are that your day will turn out as good, or even better, than you originally imagined.

Think of your challenges as just another part of your story. Every delay, mistake, and denial is part of what it takes to make your victory stronger and more satisfying than if it happened easily and without trials and tribulations. You are on your way, and your efforts will pay off in ways you may not have imagined. Go for it!

Persistence pays. Slow and steady wins the race – it’s all just a matter of time.

Employee engagement expert and motivational speaker Lisa Ryan works with organizations to help them keep their top talent and best customers from becoming someone else’s. She is the author of six books, and is featured in two films ,including the award-winning “The Keeper of the Keys” with Jack Canfield of “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” For more information, please connect with Lisa at her website, www.grategy.com, or email her at lisa@grategy.com.

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