Leaders developing leaders.

Leadership

EQ – THE Performance Predictor

Research shows convincingly that EQ is more important than IQ in almost every role and many times more important in leadership roles.
– Dr. Stephen R. Covey

Some consider Emotional Intelligence (EQ) to be THE single biggest predictor of performance excellence in the workplace. By developing our EQ, (and yes, it can be developed), we position ourselves to more successfully cope with organizational demands and pressures.

Psychologist Steven Stein and psychiatrist Howard Book state that strong leaders have both a high IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and a developed EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient). Intelligence will only go so far; leaders must also be aware of how they present themselves, how they respond to others, and how others perceive them.

Our IQ is considered to be non-dynamic and is an indicator of how we perform intellectual tasks. Our EQ on the other hand can increase through self development and consists of 4 areas: Self awareness, self management, social awareness, and relationship management.

Self Awareness is critical when engaging in communication
Self Management is key for managing emotions in difficult situations
Social Awareness leverages awareness of others to perform at your peak
Relationship Management manages relationships to increase job performance and integrates EQ professionally and personally

Self-awareness and self-management are about you – do you know your strengths and weaknesses; are you a continual learner?

Social Awareness and Relationship Management are about how you interact with others. Are you in tune with their styles? Do you bring out the best in others?

Emotional intelligence is the genuine ability to feel emotions, understand what you’re feeling and why, understand how others are feeling, and respond appropriately. Having a high EQ builds relationships and fosters communication even in the most difficult of times.

Do you know your EQ?
More importantly, what are you doing to develop your EQ?

As more and more artificial intelligence is entering into the world, more and more emotional intelligence must enter into leadership.-― Amit Ray

Clarity of VMGM

Keeping people fired up starts with having a really clear vision for what the company is aiming to do. –Nick Woodman

We’ve shared that CLARITY starts with YOU.  Now we’ll add to that – in order for there to be organizational success, a clear vision must exist.

Many of you are familiar with PeopleTek’s VMGM=B equation. For those that are not, it means that our vision, mission, goals and measures are to be 100% supported by our behaviors.

We define Vision as:
A dream or aspiration that provides direction and guides us to a place far away. It may be unattainable, but we are able to focus our attention and make strides for ideally getting there.

The idea is for the vision to be clearly defined, easily understood, with supporting actions made a priority. And, the entire organization (all levels; all positions) must be engaged.

That’s where things sometimes get derailed – how can each person and every role support it? That’s where leadership comes in.

As leaders:

  • We need to simplify the vision and make the connections for our staff/teams
  • We need to regularly restate the vision and associated goals and behaviors that will make the vision come alive
  • We need to explain the “why” and obtain buy-in for the “how”
  • We can also ask our team members their thoughts about making the vision feel real and meaningful to them
  • We need to reward the behaviors that support our vision
  • We need to track and share any team successes and accomplishments that support the vision (and celebrate them!)Clarity is required for us to have a work culture that includes innovation, decision making, collaboration, and ultimately success.How would you rate CLARITY in your work culture? What would you like to see change?

When there’s a clear vision, and you’ve got the creative teams working toward that goal, each on their own, it can then come together quite elegantly at the endpoint.—Greg Rucka

Clarity and Engagement

We need to draw out and leverage the unique talents within our organization so we can make a difference and improve levels of engagement (studies report that 73% of staff is not engaged)

Making a difference starts with CLARITY and it starts with YOU.

C  Communication
L   Listening
A  Authenticity
R  Results
I   Integrity
T  Trust
Y  YOU

Since YOU are in control of ensuring CLARITY exists, we’ll go in reverse order:

Y – How would YOU define your leadership skills? Would they be aligned with the perceptions and feedback others provide?

T – Are you able to build (and maintain) TRUSTing relationships with colleagues, direct reports, and partners?

I – Integrity is said to be the most-mentioned corporate value; do you live those values?

R – Are your desired results directly linked to your vision, mission, goals, and behaviors?

A – Is your delivery authentic?  Are your behaviors aligned with your expectations? Would others say you’re the “real deal”?

L – Do you truly listen (not just hear) what others say? Are you open to changing your mind, approach, and strategies if new information or opinions are shared with you?

C – Do you consistently communicate and do you confirm your message is understood?

Thomas Leonard sums it up nicely: Clarity affords focus (and focus increases engagement which brings results!)

If you want to help somebody, make sure you’re coming from a place of clarity and complete non-judgment; that way, you can begin to understand their journey, too.—Mary Lambert

 

Take a step towards clarity today by joining our next Leadership Journey. It is the perfect opportunity to become your best self. Clarity makes a huge difference in your leadership, so taking the time to invest in yourself is an important decision.

Contact us today if you are ready to gain clarity and improve your leadership.

Clear As Mud

Without focusing and getting to clarity, you cannot lead. You cannot motivate. You cannot plan. You cannot communicate.– Bobb Biehl

Would you say you have clarity in your life, both personally and professionally, or would you lean more towards the “clear as mud” descriptor?

Where are you in your career and where would you like to be? What about outside of work?  Are you fulfilling your dreams?

Paul Cummings suggests thinking in terms of a camera:

  • Most cameras today automatically know how to focus on an image.
  • Years back that was not the case. You had to take the time (and make an effort) to focus your camera on the image you wanted to capture.
  • You had to slowly twist and adjust the lens until the image looked clear and in focus.

He then goes on to share how our minds work:

  • Minds don’t come with an “auto-focus” button
  • Mental clarity is not simple
  • It takes time and effort to find it
  • As leaders, we must take the time we need to find our own clarity, especially if we want to lead others. (Remember FLY? First Lead Yourself, then Lead Others)
  • Mental clarity means that you have total sharpness and clearness of mind about where you are and where you’re headed
  • You have a clear perception and understanding of who you are and what you want to get out of life
  • If you want to lead others well, you must be clear about the things that you are wanting to accomplish (Goals? Expectations?)
  • Team members are looking to their leader for confidence, total clarity and certainty
  • When it exists, you will be a trusted leader, and your team will want to follow you

Some define CLARITY as knowing exactly what you want to achieve, and FOCUS as knowing which daily actions to take to get there.

Are you “Clear as Mud or Auto-Focused”?

Too often we don’t know what we want and we lack clarity and commitment to stick with our plans long enough to achieve success.

What’s My Message?

The art of communication is the language of leadership.
–James Humes

We think we’re good communicators, we think our message is understood; we’re often wrong.

Levels of understanding differ and it’s up to us as leaders to assess each situation. We need to adapt to differing styles and we need to remember that communication is not a one way exchange. Most importantly, we need to remember to communicate with others in THEIR language.

Things to consider in communication:

  • What level of detail is desired?
  • Should the “bottom line” message come first with supporting details to follow?
  • Avoid getting too “wordy”
  • Ensure your message is organized and your grammar correct; plan, prepare, practice!
  • Don’t race through your message; be aware of the speed in which you’re speaking
  • If it’s a complex message, break it down into smaller bullet points or sub messages
  • Allow time for your message to be processed
  • If there will be impacts, share what they will be
  • Are there any takeaways or expectations? Request they be repeated backEveryone has a story about communication gone wrong – the delivery was well intended but somehow the message was garbled. (This happens both professionally and personally). If you are the sender, ask the receiver to share what they heard, and ask for their perceptions. If you’re the receiver, and especially when the message seems off, ask for clarity.  Perceptions left un-discussed can haunt us.

Do you ensure your messages are accurately interpreted?

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.
Tony Robbins

 

 

Communication is so valuable to your team. If you would like to learn more about effective communication, contact PeopleTek today. We are happy to help you become the best possible leader.

Be Purposeful With Behaviors

Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.
–Plato

The last piece of our VMGM (Vision, Mission, Goals, Measures) discussion is related to BEHAVIORS. We must be purposeful with our behaviors, and bottom line, all of our behaviors must support the achievement of our VMG.

This obviously requires that we are intimately aware of our VMG, that we are not only very clear on our role, but that we have a deeper understanding of HOW our role impacts successfully living and achieving our Vision, Mission, and Goals.

As Plato says our BEHAVIOR flows from our desire, emotion, and knowledge.

We also have to ensure our key processes and strategies are linked with our vision, mission and goals. This includes:

  • Hiring
  • Training and development
  • Performance Appraisals
  • Rewards and Recognition
  • Communication plans (the mode, the frequency, the level of content)
  • Change (anything new?)
  • Conflict (managing differences and expectations)

Do you want your behaviors to be modeled by others? Be honest! Ideally we’ll see positive behaviors in others, and if we’re truly effective leaders, some of those behaviors we observe may have been influenced by our own actions and behaviors.

You know the old clichés:
Walk the talk. Practice what you preach. Lead by example. Actions speak louder than words. Don’t ask others to do something you’re not willing to do. Be continual learners. Practice and apply new learnings. Be open to feedback. Listen twice as much as you talk.

Bottom line: be aware that we as leaders are indeed observed so model the behaviors that will help us, our colleagues, and our direct reports achieve the vision, mission, and goals for our organization.

Behavior is what a man does, not what he thinks, feels, or believes.
—Emily Dickinson

Goals and Measures – Keys To Success

People with goals succeed because they know where they are going.
–Earl Nightingale

We’ve discussed how VISION statements are dreams or aspirations that provide direction and also how MISSION statements provide us with clarity and personalize our VISION statements. The next key elements for success include GOALS and MEASURES.

GOALS add even more clarity to our vision and mission statements and ACTION is required.    Think in terms of what, when, and how the actions will be executed, by whom, and in what time frame. (Dates must be identified, even if they are only target dates).

GOALS keep us moving forward. They help us focus and track progress towards what we’d like to achieve. No one knows why a written goal is more effective than one that’s known and understood but not committed to paper. Some psychologists theorize that writing triggers important processes in the subconscious, which in turn inspires action towards achieving those written goals. So, don’t keep your goals in your head, document and share them!

It’s okay to start small. Consider one to three goals you wish to accomplish this year. Make sure they are clear; if the goals require others to be involved ensure that the “supporting” cast knows their roles, and that time frames, tasks, and ownership are assigned. (ex. Who’s going to what by when with weekly check-ins).

Note: Understand that goals can be changed or dropped – the idea is to keep on target with your desired results. Sometimes goals must change when dependencies or personal or organizational strategies and priorities change. That happens. Communicate the “what and why”, and document and share the new goals.

Don’t neglect to include measures that track your progress. Have milestones been met? Why or why not? Celebrate your successes and assess any misses (what kept you off track? What’s needed to gain momentum and move forward?)

What would it take for you to get excited and motivated to realize your goals? Determine what you want to achieve, make a plan, commit to it, and go for it!

Sticking to good habits can be hard work, and mistakes are part of the process.   Don’t declare failure simply because you messed up or because you’re having trouble reaching your goals. Instead, use your mistakes as opportunities to grow stronger and become better.—Amy Morin

Vision versus Mission

Outstanding people have one thing in common: An absolute sense of mission.
–Zig Ziglar

Last week we talked about VISION statements and shared that they are a dream or aspiration that provide us with direction. This week we’ll take it a bit deeper and talk about MISSION. Mission statements bring clarity to our vision; it represents what we must do to support realizing our vision, and it personalizes it for us.

Below are a few comparison examples of vision and mission statements:

ZAPPOS
VISION: Our purpose is to live and deliver WOW!
MISSION: As we continue to grow, we strive to ensure that our culture remains alive and well through our 10 Core Values:

Deliver WOW Through Service
Embrace and Drive Change
Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
Pursue Growth and Learning
Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
Do More With Less
Be Passionate and Determined
Be Humble

AMAZON
VISION: To be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.
MISSION: Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking.

MICROSOFT
VISION: To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
MISSION: Empower people through great software anytime, anyplace, and on any device, and to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.

TARGET
VISION: Make Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and exceptional guest experiences by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less. Brand Promise.
MISSION: We fulfill the needs and fuel the potential of our guests. That means making Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels … Besides getting paid, the “company mission” is the most important thing for a Target employee.

Note: Target also stated that comparably data clearly shows that a focused mission statement and cohesive core company values are vital to maintaining employee alignment.

PEOPLETEK
VISION: Creating Worldwide, Individual, Team and Organizational Excellence
MISSION: Connecting leaders, teams and organizations to the coaching development and tools they need to be successful

As you read through them, did you think the MISSION statements added clarity each VISION? Does your workplace have both VISION and MISSION statements? Do you know how to support them?  Stay tuned!

Stay focused on the mission.
— Naveen Jain

Having A Known Vision

VISION = A dream or aspiration that provides direction and guides us to a place far away. It may be unattainable, but we can focus our attention and make strides for ideally getting there.

Having written VISION, MISSION, GOALS, and MEASURES is old “news”, but they are essential elements for achieving the results we (and our organization) desire. Not everyone has a vision statement and struggle creating one, so we wanted to share a few:

ZAPPOS: Our purpose is to live and deliver WOW!

AMAZON: To be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.

FORD: People working together as a lean, global enterprise to make people’s lives better through automotive and mobility leadership.

MICROSOFT: Empower people through great software anytime, anyplace, and on any device, and to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.

DISNEY: To make people happy.

CVS: We will be the easiest pharmacy retailer for customers to use.

TARGET: Make Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and exceptional guest experiences by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less. Brand Promise.

And ours:
PEOPLETEK: Creating Worldwide, Individual, Team and Organizational Excellence.

As you can see, some visions are very simple and to the point, and others add a bit more detail. There is no right or wrong vision statement as long as it’s a dream or aspiration that provides direction.

Do you have and support a vision statement? Is it understood and shared across the organization?

Good leaders have vision and inspire others to help them turn vision into reality. Great leaders create more leaders, not followers. Great leaders have vision, share vision, and inspire others to create their own.– Roy T. Bennett, author The Light in the Heart

Listen for Energizers

One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.
—Bryant H. McGill

When you saw “Listen For Energizers” what came to mind? That it was a weird subject? Energizers are a part of magic dust and should be both listened for, and shared.

When you’re having one on one feedback or update sessions, do you listen (and watch) for excitement? Enthusiasm? Joy? Do you watch for levels of engagement? Does the person lean in?

This is all part of someone’s magic dust and as leaders it’s something we need to pay attention to. Not only is this respectful, it provides us with an understanding of how others feel, and shows that we’re interested in the person.

We don’t always have a lot of latitude when assigning work, projects, or tasks, but whenever possible, it behooves us to consider the requirements and match them with not only the skill-set, but with each person’s magic dust. Note: Often skills that are well done are linked with magic dust, but not always.

As leaders it’s important to pay attention to the type of work that others thrive on, and it’s equally beneficial for us to share our own interests with those we report to. We’re not saying you’ll only be given work that you enjoy doing (wishful thinking!), but if we’re candid about what kind of work we find most enjoyable, maybe we’ll be lucky enough to get more of those assignments.

Capitalizing on personal strengths will help with achieving results, as well as increasing satisfaction levels within the work culture.

Do you listen for energizers?

Listening is a master skill for personal and professional greatness.
—Robin S Sharma