How to Dig Yourself Out of a Hole

Posted on by Scott

cave-555727_640According to a study released last summer, eight percent of patients treated in an emergency room wind up back in the ER within three days. Within 30 days of an ER visit, a full 20% of patients will have returned. To make matters worse, nearly 30% of those revisits resulted in the patient being admitted to the hospital. Their condition had gotten worse.

Researchers, who studied 53 million emergency room cases over a four-year period, say the most common reason for a second trip is a lack of follow-up. In some cases, patients dropped the ball with regard to their at-home care. In others, ER physicians failed to communicate properly – some primary care doctors were never notified that their patients had made an emergency visit. In others, important data, such as lab results and x-rays – information that could materially impact a patient’s treatment plan – was lost.

If there’s ever a need for a solid follow-up plan, it’s in the days following an emergency. While follow-up is obviously a critical component of on-going health-care, you’d think that following an episode involving a trip to the ER, attention to detail would spike. When things look most dire, everyone involved needs to be on high-alert.

The same can be said for the health of your business. Follow-up should be consistent and effective, especially when the team is facing an emergency situation. Sales are down, customers are irate, employees are disengaged, expenses are out of control; all should raise an alarm and command focus. Too often though, managers respond to a crisis by drafting a plan that’s quickly ignored. It’s as if simply identifying and communicating a course of action will solve the problem. But without action, plans are worthless. And without proper follow-up, action is temporary.[Tweet “Without action, plans are worthless. Without follow-up, action is temporary.”]

When you find your team in crisis mode, don’t let a lack of follow-up sabotage your recovery. Use these steps to keep everyone focused and in the game until the emergency is over.

COMMUNICATE

  • Make sure the whole team understands what is going on, why the situation is critical, and what the recovery plan is.
  • Don’t count on a single email to get your message across. Visit with each individual on the team to ensure they understand their role, especially if it differs from the norm during the recovery period.
  • Continue to share information about team and individual performance, using metrics specific to the task at hand.

ACT

  • Take obvious and deliberate steps yourself – as the leader – the show your commitment to the cause. Be an example the team cannot miss.
  • Eliminate extraneous tasks where necessary. Postpone or reprioritize to ensure focus is on the goal of recovery.
  • Hold people accountable for their specific part of the plan. Recognize effort and provide extra support where needed.

LEARN

  • Once the crisis has passed, gather the team for a discussion of the situation. Make sure everyone has an opportunity to share their perspective.
  • Identify triggers or early warning signs that were missed. Tweak your standard operating plan to incorporate early adjustments based on these signals to avoid a crisis recurrence.
  • Make note of particular skills your team needs to shore up with additional training and coaching.

Emergency situations are never fun, but they can be valuable experiences. Handled properly, a crisis can bring people together and better prepare the business for the days ahead. As the leader, make sure you follow-up appropriately to ensure a solid recovery and a stronger team.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

Have an opinion on this post? Share your thoughts on our facebook page.

How To Recover From a Setback

Posted on by Scott

captain-america-861757_640Whenever superheroes and supervillains clash, there will inevitably be a high degree of collateral damage. Vehicles, buildings, even entire cities are destroyed when good and evil collide. But after the battle is over, who picks up the pieces? Who cleans up the rubble, replaces lost inventory, and compensates the victims after the dust has settled?

According to Marvel Comics, that would be Damage Control. Housed out of New York City’s Flatiron building, Damage Control was initially funded by a couple of billionaires before going public. This pseudo construction company exists to quickly get things back to normal (or as close to it as possible) following the epic showdowns that happen with regularity in a world inhabited by super-humans. Since its introduction in 1989, Damage Control has quietly come to the rescue in a number of movies, comics, and television series.

If only real-world businesses had Damage Control as back-up.

Who cleans up the mess when things go bad for your business? When good intentions have unintended consequences, who bails you out? When your best laid plans don’t pan out and you find yourself behind the growth curve, who rights the ship and gets it back on course?

As leaders, we can’t be content with developing an initial strategy and pressing the start button. Once the ship has set sail, we’re on it too. The captain has to be ready to step in when things go south in order to overcome setbacks. It’s up to us to provide the damage control. That’s because leaders – good leaders – are there for the good as well as the bad. Leaders are always leading.[Tweet “Leaders are there for the good as well as the bad. Leaders are always leading.”]

Consider the following steps to help your team get back on track following a setback.

  1. Keep your eye on the horizon. Last week I wrote about anticipating setbacks. Good leaders keep their eyes trained forward so they can see both opportunities and problems before it’s too late to act on them. When your focus shifts elsewhere for too long, say to celebrate past accomplishments or worry about some minute detail, issues can creep up on you. Pay attention to trends so you can anticipate what lies ahead.
  2. Act quickly to adjust course. Once an issue has been identified, you have to move swiftly in order to mitigate the damage. Some managers take their time analyzing the data before choosing a course of action. Some decide to wait, ignoring the problem in the hopes it will go away on its own. Neither is a good response. Waiting only allows the problem to grow and delays your ability to regain forward momentum. Develop a strategy and act on it.
  3. Use the experience to get better. Is there a way to prevent the same issue from popping up next year? Are there steps that could be taken sooner to speed up the recovery process in the future? Are there tweaks to the existing plan that need to be made that will help the business grow more efficiently? Once the problem is addressed, take a little time to incorporate what you’ve learned from the experience. That way the business will be stronger for having encountered this rough patch.

Hopefully you’ll never have to clean up after a super throw-down disrupts your business plan. Odds are, though, not everything will always go as planned. Instead of calling for Damage Control, commit to your own damage control strategy. That’s one way to make sure you and your team are the real heroes.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

Have an opinion on this post? Share your thoughts on our facebook page.

Anticipation vs. Expectation

Posted on by Scott

psychics-1026092_640It was mid-October when I received the call. On the other end of the line was a manager whose tone told me he was not happy. “Something is wrong with my scorecard,” he said. “You need to get it fixed right away.”

Like many organizations, our company utilized a monthly performance scorecard to track a variety of sales and service metrics at a variety of levels. My team assisted managers with developing strategies for growing their business. We provided training, created job aids, and reported on the progress made toward goals. The scorecard document was our baby.

I opened the file in question and listened as the irate manager pointed out the cause of his frustration. All year long, his scorecard had reflected stellar performance. Sure, they were down a little month over month, but still well above goal. Things had been going so well that he’d stopped worrying about even looking at the report. Why waste the time when you’re ahead? But that morning, a member of his staff had taken a look at the document and noticed that the team’s performance had suddenly dropped. In fact, they were suddenly below goal and in danger of missing out on year-end performance bonuses. Since every month up to this point had been above goal, something had to be wrong with the report.

As you can see from this sample graph, the team in question had indeed been above goal for each month through August. What they didn’t account for, however, was the downward trend in performance. Focused exclusively on the current month’s production, they’d failed to anticipate the disaster looming in the fall. This was no reporting error, it was an error in judgment.

Top performers aren’t content with being ahead of goal. They are fueled by a need to stay there. This drives them to look ahead. They scan the horizon for future opportunities and potential setbacks. They definitely celebrate specific achievements, but they know they can’t assume today’s win guarantees tomorrow’s victory. Had this manager been paying attention, he would have noticed the slow decline in sales volume and been able to anticipate the eventual drop below goal. More importantly, he would have been able to do something about it.

Anticipating setbacks isn’t the same as expecting them. Victors anticipate bums in the road and create a plan to overcome them. Victims expect obstacles and adopt them as excuses. The difference is a simple matter of perspective and mindset.[Tweet “Anticipating setbacks isn’t the same as expecting them.”]

Once this manager understood what was happening with his scorecard, we turned our energy toward developing a plan to overcome the setback. We identified some underlying causes for the decline in sales and wrote up a strategy for his team to implement over the remaining two and a half months. Armed with the right information, and a game plan, he was ready to execute.

So, how does your performance look at this point in the year? We’re half-way through 2016 – are you on track, or do you need to play catch-up?

Don’t let the dog days of summer find you napping. Even if last month’s numbers were stellar, take a look ahead. See if there’s something lying just around the corner that maybe you haven’t been anticipating. Take advantage of this opportunity to shore up your plans for the next six months, and commit to finishing strong. Anticipate the worst, expect the best.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

Have an opinion on this post? Share your thoughts on our facebook page.

Learn to Be Flexible

Posted on by Scott

ropes-993425_640Twelve seconds. That’s how long it took for Julia Gunthel to set a new world record. It happened in Cologne, Germany on November 23, 2007. In only twelve seconds, Gunthel popped three balloons with her back. While I have trouble bending forward to touch my toes, she can do it bending backward.

That’s because Gunthel is extremely flexible. Doctors say she has the ligaments of an infant, allowing her to twist and contort herself into all manner of strange positions. She discovered her amazing ability when she was four years old and now performs all around the world – wrapping her legs around her head and folding herself into boxes the size of a carry-on suitcase.[Tweet “You don’t have to be a professional contortionist to be flexible.”]

Of course you don’t have to be a professional contortionist to be flexible. Given the ever-changing nature of today’s workplace, flexibility is a skill we should all be developing. Those who learn to bend without breaking will always have the advantage over more rigid competitors. Here are three ways being flexible provides a leg-up.

Flexibility allows you to adjust quickly in the face of new information. Inflexible people and organizations have a difficult time adjusting to an ever-changing world. They create policies, procedures, and plans based on a particular set of circumstances and find themselves at a loss when those circumstances change. Those who are flexible understand from the outset that today’s plan might not work tomorrow. Because they haven’t adopted too many sacred cows, they can more easily tweak plans as needed to stay ahead.

Flexibility allows you to recover faster from unforeseen setbacks. Everyone gets blindsided occasionally. Just today, I found myself called in to an unanticipated meeting that threw off the schedule I’d laid out. When this happens, inflexible people find themselves under the gun – behind schedule, scrambling to make up time, and stressed. Those who are flexible know not to paint themselves into corners. They leave enough wiggle room to shift priorities around in a way that ensures setbacks don’t derail their entire plan.

Flexibility allows you to take advantage of short-term opportunities. When someone knocks on the door of opportunity, you want to answer it. This is really hard for some people to do because they’re hands are already tied. They’ve created such a rigid system around them that they can’t move on a new opportunity for fear of dropping something from their already crowded plate. Flexible people know some great could lie around the next corner, and they want to be ready for it.

So, how do you become more flexible? It all starts with your mindset. Consider these mental approaches to change. In general where do you fall on this continuum? Challenge yourself to adopt a more willing attitude toward change with the ultimate goal being to reach level five.

Level I – I am resistant to change. I hate it. Change is typically bad, so I fight it.

Level II – I tolerate change. I don’t like it. There’s no need for it. If it has to happen, get it over with.

Level III – I embrace change. I am ok with it. Change is typically good, so bring it on. I’ll go along.

Level IV – I assist change. I like it. Change is needed. I want to play a part in making change go smoothly.

Level V – I lead change. I love it. If it’s not broken, let’s break it and make it better. Follow me.

Julia Gunthel has inspired a wave of potential performers. Thanks to her example, others are flexing their muscles and trying out new, often uncomfortable, positions so that they too can enjoy her level of success. Add a spirit of flexibility to your workplace toolkit and see who you can inspire.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

Have an opinion on this post? Share your thoughts on our facebook page.

The Best Time Management Tool You’re Not Using

Posted on by Scott

tool-384740_640In 2004, researchers flying over a Scottish field made a startling discovery. The team, working for the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), were photographing the landscape in order to update their catalog of various archeological sites. As they passed through an area known as Warren Field, they spied some unusual markings in the crops below, variations in the terrain that would not have been noticeable at ground level.

When a team later arrived to investigate, they discovered evidence of an ancient calendar carved into the ground. Twelve pits, arranged in an arc, appear to have been created in order to track the movement of the moon as it tracks across the sky over the course of the year. These pits vary in size and shape, mimicking the moon’s appearance, and were created 10,000 years ago – well before the earliest known formal calendars were created in Mesopotamia.

Today, calendars are a staple of human existence. They’re everywhere – on our walls, desks, refrigerators, computers, and even the cell phones constantly at our side. We’ve perfected timekeeping to the point where clocks automatically update and maintain incredible levels of accuracy. But for all of the advances we’ve made in tracking the passage of time, we’re not very good at using it.

It’s rare that I talk to someone who says they have plenty of time on their hands. Most people spend the majority of their day jumping from task to task without ever feeling like they make headway. They’re stressed and worn out from constantly trying to dig themselves out of a hole – a time hole. And a lot of that stems from the way they use (or fail to use) their calendar.

Most people only turn to the calendar when it’s time to schedule events that involve other people or a serious deviation from their normal schedule. Events include meetings, conference calls, work trips away from the office, and vacation. Items that don’t involve others, and therefore don’t have specific time parameters around them, wind up on a to-do list. This list represents all the things we need to get done and serves as a constant reminder that we can’t relax. As long as items remain on the to-do list, we have pressing work to do and, as the list grows, so does the stress.[Tweet “It’s time to rethink our approach to the calendar.”]

It’s time to rethink our approach to the calendar. By unlocking its potential, we can regain a sense of control over the day and relegate the to-list to its proper, less prominent, role in our lives. Follow these steps to transform your workday.

  1. Divide your to-do list into two columns. In the first column, write down those items that would take more than 10-15 minutes of your time to complete. I find these tasks either require a larger amount of brain power to work through, or involve monotonous, repetitive steps. Either way, they often stay on the list for a long time. I just keep putting them off due to the amount of time/effort necessary to complete them. In the second column, list those tasks that are super short, less than 10 minutes to knock out. These might include phone calls to return, documents to sign, etc. These are the legitimately quick and easy items. There probably aren’t many of these on your list because we instinctively turn to them as a way to cross something off and gain a sense of accomplishment.
  2. Transfer the tasks from the first list to your calendar. Taking each item in turn, identify a specific block of time to work on it and schedule an appointment with yourself. Think about how long the task will require to complete and take into account your natural energy pattern for the week. For example, avoid scheduling brain-intensive tasks for right after lunch. Rather, slot some of the “boring but necessary” items here and use higher energy blocks of time for the mental heavy lifting. Mark each of these off of the to-do list so that you’re left with only the second column – a list of items that can be knocked out quickly as time permits.
  3. Schedule periodic blocks of open time. Don’t fill your entire day with back-to-back appointments. That’s a sure-fire way to invite burnout and sabotage the entire process. You need regular breaks in activity to allow your brain time to shift gears in preparation for the next appointment. Use these breaks to stretch your legs, knock out one or two of your revised to-do list items, or engage in some water-cooler talk.

An approach like this does take discipline, but then all things that matter do. You have to actually honor the appointments you’ve scheduled and spend the designated time working on the assignments you’ve made. Going forward, you’ll have to discipline yourself to scheduling important tasks on the calendar. Only the quick and easy stuff makes it to the traditional to-do list.

We only have so much time. Man has yet to find a way to generate more of it. That means we have to be good stewards of the time we have. You can either choose to take control of your day, or let the day control you. How valuable is your time?

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

Have an opinion on this post? Share your thoughts on our facebook page.

How Well Do You Juggle?

Posted on by Scott

circus-1415339_640At some point in high school, I decided to learn how to juggle. I don’t recall the catalyst for this impulse, but I grabbed three tennis balls from the garage and a short how-to book from the library. I spent weeks practicing, standing over my bed so the errant balls wouldn’t fly all over the room. I started by tossing a single ball into the air over and over. I had to learn how to toss it to the same spot in the air (same height and distance from my body) consistently before adding in the second ball. I can still remember the rush I felt the first time I successfully completed a three ball cascade sequence.

Juggling has been around a long time. A wall painting found in an Egyptian tomb suggests the ancient Egyptians placed a great deal of significance on the act. Warriors from China once practiced juggling as a way to showcase their agility and intimidate enemies. By the 20th century, juggling had come a form of entertainment, though the spinning chainsaws and flaming hoops used by some performers still add a sense of danger.

While physical juggling may not be as impressive as it used to be, mental juggling is still seen as a valuable trait. People who can multitask are thought to have above-average intelligence due to their ability to manage several important tasks at once. We even use juggling terminology to reference the many projects we often have in play at any given time. “Keeping multiple balls in the air” at the same time makes us feel powerful and more competent.

But recent studies suggest that multitasking actually has a negative effect on productivity. Earl Miller, a neuroscientist from MIT, says that multi-tasking is simply switching from task to another very rapidly. When we interrupt one task to complete another, such as checking an email or sending a text message, our brains release dopamine. This makes us feel good and we associate it with completing the small task. The more we interrupt significant tasks to knock out smaller ones, the more dopamine we release and the better we feel.[Tweet “Multitasking can drop your IQ by 10 points or more.”]

Miller says this cycle is actually very damaging. Multitasking reduces our efficiency by making it harder for us to organize our thoughts. One study at the University of London indicates that our IQ actually drops by 10 points or more while multitasking. It also boosts the production of the stress hormone cortisol, making us feel tense and worn out by the end of the day.

Perhaps it’s time to give ourselves a break and let go of multitasking. By allowing our brains to concentrate on a single meaningful task when necessary, we can lower stress, improve IQ, and produce better work. It makes sense to me. Here are three steps for breaking the mental juggling act:

  1. Track your energy level throughout the day. Determine the time blocks that suit certain types of work best. There are times when your brain is better prepared for individual creative tasks such as writing, and other times when you’re better able to work as part of a team. During some parts of the day, you can be a significant contributor to strategic discussions, while others are best used for completing less intensive tasks. Knowing how your energy ebbs and flows throughout the day allows you to anticipate the kind of work you are best able to perform.
  2. Schedule tasks to take advantage of your natural energy cycle. Armed with an understanding of your own daily rhythm, take control of your work by scheduling tasks when you are best prepared to tackle them. If the creative juices are flowing early in the morning, use that time to write, dream, and plan. If energy drops in the late afternoon, anticipate focusing on low-energy tasks during that time.
  3. Minimize distractions. Make a conscious effort to avoid multitasking. Turn off email notifications and cell phone alerts during those times when you need to concentrate. Use your calendar to block off time periods you need to protect so others can’t steal that productivity.

I have to admit, I am really bad about multitasking. Just writing this article took longer than expected because of my tendency to check email, respond to texts, and chase other, random thoughts that pop into my head. I’m going to make a concerted effort to improve my concentration on single tasks. I may even take up juggling again. That’s a great way to train the brain. If you choose to join me, this weekend might be a good time to start. Saturday is World Juggling Day.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

Got an opinion on this post? Share your thoughts on our facebook page.

Get Your Priorities Straight

Posted on by Scott

road-sign-663368_640“Too much to do and not enough time to do it in.”

That’s how most people typically describe their work day to me. They’re buried under a mountain of work and don’t have a second to breathe. They keep their nose to the grindstone, but no matter how hard they work, the mountain only seems to grow.

When I hear things like this, one of two thoughts pops into my head. Either this person is lying, or they don’t know how to prioritize. A lot of people aren’t nearly as busy as they say. They talk a big game, but their desks are empty, their inbox is cleaned out, and there’s nary a customer in the vicinity. They feel like being busy is a sign of productivity, so they put on an air of exasperation, but they really don’t have that much going on.

The other group is legitimately busy. These are usually the go-to people in the organization. They have their own projects to knock out and are also highly sought out by others as partners. The problem here is they don’t know how to prioritize their work in a way that ensures projects are tackled in a way that ensures a quality result delivered on-time. They always seem frazzled, pressed for time, behind schedule. They wind up pulling long hours to get things accomplished “just in time.”

Truth be told, I’ve been in both positions. More often than not, I’m in the latter group, though. My job has me working with a variety of people on all manner of initiatives. At times, work is steady and manageable. At others, I seem to be in a mad scramble for days on end. I’ve found the key to managing an uncertain workload is knowing how to prioritize appropriately.[Tweet “The key to managing an uncertain workload is knowing how to prioritize appropriately.”]

When it comes to prioritizing, there are two characteristics of each project you have to take into account. The first is importance. How critical is it that this task get accomplished? How heavily does it factor into achieving your goals? How significant are the repercussions if it falls through the cracks? Is this a must-do or a nice-to-do activity?

The second characteristic to consider is urgency. How quickly does the work need to be finished? Is the timeline fixed or adjustable? What happens if it’s not completed immediately? Is this a do-now or a do-soon activity?

The combination of importance and urgency should be what dictates the priority given to any particular project. Visualize a grid and plot your projects based on these two factors, then prioritize your do-to list in the proper order.

Priority Matrix

#1. HI-HU Tasks. These items are both highly important and highly urgent.

#2. HI-LU Tasks. These items are highly important, but not necessarily time sensitive.

#3. LI-HU Tasks. These items are hyper-critical, but have a short timeframe attached to them.

#4. LI-LU Tasks. These items should receive the lowest priority, if they even belong on your list at all.

This idea may seem like a no-brainer. However, many people have a problem prioritizing their workload appropriately due to misperceptions of a task’s relative importance and/or urgency. Taking a couple of minutes to objectively plot out the various items on your to-do list runs counter to the way we normally think. Our tendency is to place more emphasis on tasks that are perceived as urgent – we may even create a false sense of urgency in order to justify working on less important tasks.

Also, there’s a tendency to focus on completing a large volume of work. Most people get a sense of accomplishment from checking off a large number of tasks from their to-do list. Some of us even write down things we’ve already done just so we can cross it off. But this focus on the easy, short-term bits eats up time we should be spending on more important (albeit, more complicated) projects. In fact, completing a lot of Low Importance/High Urgency tasks can lead me to feel like I’ve earned a break – time to waste on Low Importance/Low Urgency items.

Want to take control of your day? Try rethinking how you prioritize your to-do list. Take a couple of minutes to objectively plot the importance and urgency of your work load and see if a new approach is in order.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

Got a great organization tip? Share your thoughts on our facebook page.

Why You Should Stack Your Mulch

Posted on by Scott

mulch-e1464739373618A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip to the local home improvement store to buy some mulch. I was finishing up a backyard landscaping project and needed quite bit. Fortunately, it was on sale for about half the normal price, so I bought 20 bags. Back at the house, I asked my son to help me unload it from the truck and stack it behind the fence where it would be ready for the weekend. Here’s a picture of the results. My 10 bags are on the right, his are on the left. This one exercise speaks volumes about how the two of us approach organization and time management.

I’ve always resented super-organized people. You know the ones I’m talking about – they have a place for everything and everything in its place. Their desk is always clean and their staplers never go empty. They make the rest of us feel like slobs, always trying to play catch-up. Organization has never come naturally for me. I have to work at it, and my progress usually takes the form of short bursts of focused cleaning and organization followed by a slow descent back into chaos.

Despite my struggle with staying organized, I am a huge believer in its power. Organization is an investment that pays BIG dividends. In fact, there are three benefits to being organized that I feel are especially significant.[Tweet “Organization is an investment that pays BIG dividends.”]

  1. Being organized improves my efficiency. I don’t know about you, but it seems like some days I spend most of my time looking for things. At the office, I’m looking for files or emails I know I have saved. At home, I’m looking for the screwdriver or remote control that I just saw yesterday. And the more time I spend looking for things, the less time I have to actually get work done. Having well thought out homes for things that are important – and using them consistently – saves me time. It allows me to get more work done in less time. Since time is such a precious commodity (we can’t make more of it), it makes sense to spend it wisely. Disorganization is a waste of time.
  2. Being organized improves my creativity. There are those who say a messy desk is a sign of a creative mind. That may be true for some people, but not for me. When things around me are disorganized, so are my thoughts. I have a hard time focusing on new ideas when the environment around me is chaotic. If I can’t see what I have to work with, it becomes harder to create. If I can’t easily lay my hands on the tools I need, it becomes harder to turn my ideas into a tangible product. When the creative muse speaks to me, I have to be ready to write – not searching for a pencil. Disorganization is a waste of mental effort.
  3. Being organized improves my mood. I’m not a big fan of chaos. It makes me anxious. It makes me antsy. I like peace. That’s not to say that I can’t handle it. We all have to manage through situations that test us. I just prefer not to add to it. When the parts of my life that I can control are under control, I’m better prepared to take on the rest. Being organized helps me center myself and focus on the challenge at hand. Disorganization is a waste of emotional energy.

If organization is one of your super powers, I admire you. I see your effortless, orderly existence and fight to emulate it. You have been blessed with a gift. For those who share my ongoing pursuit of all things organized, know you are not alone. You have a kindred spirit who also digs through stacks of paper searching for that important note scribbled on the back of a restaurant receipt. Your fight does not go unnoticed. Together, we can tame the chaos. The benefits are worth the struggle.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

How do you stay organized? Share your thoughts on our facebook page.

The Keys to Employee Engagement

Posted on by Scott

key-96233_640It’s been widely shown that a strong correlation exists between employee engagement and performance. Engaged employees work harder, producing higher volume and better quality than their disengaged counterparts. Furthermore, organizations with high levels of employee engagement realize higher profitability (through increased revenue and decreased cost) as well as positive growth in both customer satisfaction and retention. Simply put, a motivated workforce is a significant competitive advantage.

While I’m often asked by managers to help them figure out ways to motivate their team, I rarely feel as if they appreciate my answer. That’s because motivation is a loaded word. It’s an external action intended to cause an internal reaction. Managers often look for some kind of silver bullet – some nifty little checklist they can complete that will magically result in engaged employees. But motivation simply doesn’t work that way.

What motivates any given individual at any particular moment in time is difficult to pinpoint from the outside. The factors driving someone to engage and perform at a high level are as unique to them as fingerprints. Sometimes even they cannot verbalize what they’re feeling at any given moment and why their level of engagement fluctuates. People want to feel motivated, but for some reason they often don’t. Since they can’t read minds, managers are left to guess at which motivational tactics work best, hence the frequency of questions hitting my inbox.[Tweet “The factors driving someone to engage & perform at a high level are as unique to them as fingerprints.”]

When it comes to motivating others, the best don’t rely on shotgun approaches or expensive tangible rewards. Top managers work create an environment in which a person’s natural desire to engage can flourish. According to David MacLeod and Nita Clarke, we do this by focusing our efforts in a few specific areas. In 2008, they embarked on a study of organizations that had seen dramatic improvements in employee engagement. After hundreds of interviews, they discovered a common theme they call the Four Enablers of Engagement.

STRATEGIC NARRATIVE
“Visible, empowering leadership providing a strong strategic narrative about the organization, where it’s come from and where it’s going.”

We all love a good story. We want to work for an organization that has a compelling story to tell and, beyond that, want to be part of the story going forward. Organizations that have a great story to tell and invite employees to become part of it enable engagement.

ENGAGING MANAGERS
Leaders “who focus their people and give them scope, treat their people as individuals, and coach and stretch their people.”

We desire leadership. We seek structure, advice, support, and guidance from someone we trust. Managers who abandon their teams to figure things out on their own, or govern from afar using policies, excuses, and intimidation will struggle with engagement and turnover. Those who take an interest in the well-being of the team and get personally involved enable engagement.

EMPLOYEE VOICE
Employees are heard “throughout the organization, for reinforcing and challenging views, between functions and externally. Employees are not seen as the problem, rather as central to the solution, to be involved, listened to, and invited to contribute their experience, expertise, and ideas.”

We need to have a voice. Everyone seeks to exert some level of influence over the work they do; it’s what makes us human. Without some degree of influence and a sense of contribution, we fail to realize our full potential and feel less than we are destined to be. When the individual and collective minds of employees are tapped into, engagement is enabled.

INTEGRITY
“The values on the wall are reflected in day to day behaviors. There is no ‘say-do’ gap. Promises made are promises kept, or there is an explanation as to why not.”

We were meant to be part of something bigger than ourselves. It’s important to feel that we share the same values as those around us and at the helm of the ship. When employees connect with the belief system of the organization (as evidenced by the actions of those in charge), they align themselves with the strategic plan and engagement is enabled.

It’s important to note that these enablers do not inherently suggest specific action steps for leaders to take. Tactics for pursuing strategic narrative, engaging mangers, employee voice, and integrity must be customized depending on the unique circumstances of the organization. There is no silver bullet. There is no magic pill. The pursuit of motivation is hard work. But there’s no doubt that, for those who see employee engagement as key competitive differentiator, the rewards are great.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

What drives you to engage?? Share your thoughts on our facebook page.

Get Fired Up!

Posted on by Scott

match-268526_640Sometimes, you just run out of steam.

One day, you’re on fire; ready to tackle the world. These are the days when you get so much work done, and make so much forward progress, it feels like nothing can get in your way. The wins start stacking up. Your confidence swells. You end the day looking forward to tomorrow and the great things you’ll accomplish. It’s even hard to sleep because your mind is racing with ideas, answers, and possibilities.

But when morning comes, it feels like the tank is empty. All that energy and excitement is gone. In fact, you’re starting to wonder what made you think you could have an impact at all. Engaged? Nope. Motivated? Not a chance. It’s all you can do to get out of bed and put one foot in front of the other. Forget “seizing the day” or “taking the bull by the horns.” Maybe, if you’re lucky, you can make it to lunch without anyone asking too much of you. Maybe, if you go through the motions today, tomorrow will be better.

We all have those days when our confidence takes a hit. It certainly happens to me. Despite my best intentions, I just can’t muster enough willpower to ignite the spark that usually drives me to do my best work. Sometimes, it’s a bit of bad news that brings me down. Something doesn’t go my way and the setback seems particularly harsh – a key resource lets me down or a pet project falls flat.

Sometimes I just feel tired. The energy I’ve expended in recent days, either at work or even on projects outside the office, takes its toll and I need to recuperate. Sometimes a new project seems a little too big to tackle and I feel drained just thinking about it. I don’t feel confident in what I’m doing and my motivation takes a hit.

You’ve been there, haven’t you? No one can maintain a high level of motivation all the time. Everyone feels the drain. The key is to recognize what’s happening. Temporary drops in engagement are normal, possibly even healthy. But long-term disengagement is dangerous. I don’t like feeling that way. I like feeling energized by my work and look for ways to rekindle my motivation.

Back in January, I wrote about some things I do to stay motivated – activities that help boost my mood. Today, I want to share three mental exercises that I think are key to building confidence and, by extension, engagement. How we think determines how we act. How we act determines our impact.[Tweet “How we think determines how we act. How we act determines our impact.”]

Exercise #1 – WAKE UP!
The first step to rebuilding your confidence and motivation is to shake yourself out of the mental stupor that’s clouding your judgement. So what if something didn’t go your way? Who cares about that person who shot you down? Stop letting circumstances and people outside of your control dictate how you feel. Take ownership of your mental state and snap out of it.

Remember, you were born to do great things! You have talents and skills that no one else can provide! You have value that people desperately need. The longer you let self-doubt and hesitation keep you from reaching your potential, the longer you starve the world of your gifts. Now is the time to wake up!

Exercise #2 – GET UP!
You won’t accomplish anything just sitting there. Stop stewing in self-pity and malaise and start moving. The only way to realize your true potential is to act. That means it is time to attack your future head-on. Seize control of your emotions by engaging in activity that moves you forward.

Go for an easy win. Reach for the low hanging fruit. Take the first, tiny step forward. Get a small accomplishment under your belt and see how great it feels. Now use that feeling to propel forward into the next, more significant step. Build up some momentum and let inertia work for you. Now is the time to get up!

Exercise #3 – LOOK UP!
Once you’re on the move, keep your focus onward and upward. Let nothing pull your attention away from the goal. All it takes is one distraction to stall your efforts. That’s what caused you to lose confidence to begin with, right?

So don’t look back. This is not the time for “what if’s” and “if only’s.” If you start looking back at what could have been, you’ll feel the urge to wallow in the past. Don’t look around at what others are doing. It’s too easy to see someone doing something different or better. Self-doubt lives in our peripheral vision. So keep your eyes front and your feet moving. Now is the time to look up!

I’m constantly amazed at how quickly I can become my own worst enemy. One minute things are going great. The next, I’ve let my focus drift. I’ve stopped moving. I’ve fallen asleep. Thankfully, my mind is equally capable of reversing the downward spiral. Once I take control of my emotions by waking up, getting up, and looking up, I feel the fire within ignite. Once that fire gets burning, there’s nothing that can stop me.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

How do you overcome a lack of confidence? Share your thoughts on our facebook page.