Leaders developing leaders.

Motivation

The Mentor/Mentee Partnership

Mentors guide, motivate, inspire and support – enabling the mentee to achieve their life’s goals and aspirations.—Mentor City

How do you define the role of mentor? We define it as “someone who imparts wisdom and shares knowledge with a less experienced person” and perhaps someone with “less exposure” than that of the mentor.

Part of the mentor’s role is to provide:
-Meaningful and frequent feedback
-Explore strengths and needs and create and update a development plan
-Networking opportunities are identified and leveraged
-Trusting relationships are built and nurtured
-Ongoing open lines of communication
-Realistic expectations for attaining goals and results

Mentoring may be formal or informal, but the expectations and roles should be defined and agreed to at the inception of the relationship.

1. What’s the purpose of the mentorship?
2. What type of expertise/guidance is the mentee seeking?

Note: In general, mentors/mentees do not have a reporting relationship allowing for candid discussions.

Here are some tips for the mentee:

Be receptive to coaching and suggestions made by your mentor

Focus on expectations; it’s up to you to share your desired goals (short and long term), what you view as your “dream job”, and your vision for your career path.   

Stay current on required work skills. What talent would look good on your resume? Would any certifications or other position you to stand out from the competition?

Discuss your successes and accomplishments as well as your barriers and problem areas

Solicit feedback; what could you do better?  What’s working well and what is not?

Are you willing to share your wisdom and experiences with others to help them grow?  If yes, become a mentor!

A mentor can be a role model, coach, sounding board, voice of reason, emotional support, counselor, and a trusted resource.—Mentor City

Innovate – Make It Real

Innovative leaders are creative visionaries who have big ideas and, most importantly, can motivate people around them to turn those ideas into reality.
–Jeffrey Baumgartner

Would you be surprised to learn that the ability to produce innovative ideas is a shared issue for companies of all sizes?

Global staffing firm Robert Half Management Resources polled over 2,000 CFO’s from small to large companies, and asked how good their company was at innovation. Their findings were that only 30% of companies with 20 to 49 employees rated themselves as “very innovative” with ratings a bit higher (38%) for companies with 1000+ employees.

The survey also found that “too much bureaucracy”, daily tasks, and time required for problem resolution accounted for the low scores.

So how can scores increase?  Robert Half’s senior executive director, Paul McDonald feels that we as leaders are the greatest barrier.  We don’t always listen, we don’t always promote the ideas, and we don’t make coming up with new ideas a priority.

He recommends that:

  • Time be set aside to brainstorm with your team
  • Host internal events where employees can present creative business solutions to company leadership
  • Remove unnecessary red tape; simplify project requests and approval processes
  • Create a collaborative culture where employees can freely offer suggestions.
  • Make innovation an ongoing focus and support your employees ideas
  • Hire additional staff if heavy workloads are getting in the way of innovation

He also says DON’T:

  • Put creative thinking sessions on the back burner due to daily tasks
  • Restrict idea sharing for meetings
  • Be “absent”; listen to ideas
  • Stretch your team so thin their only focus – and measure of accomplishment – comes from crossing items off their to-do lists
  • Place unrealistic expectations on staff; expect results to take weeks or monthsDo you create opportunities for team innovation? Do you help ideas become reality?

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.
—Steve Jobs

Inspire vs Motivate

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.—John Quincy Adams

Do you view the words “inspire” and “motivate” to mean the same thing? Marissa Levin, Founder and CEO, Successful Culture feels they are very different and provides the following differentiators:

  • “Inspire” translates to “in spirit.” Inspiration comes from within.
  • The root word of “Motivate” is “motive,” which is an external force that causes us to take action
  • Motivation pushes you to accomplish a task, or work through a difficult event, even when you would rather be doing anything else. We are motivated by a result.
  • Inspiration pulls you towards something that stirs your heart, mind, or spirit. We are inspired by a person, an event, or a circumstance.

How do you feel about these definitions? We think it makes sense that if your heart, mind, or spirit are “stirred”, a person will indeed be inspired and more engaged, and per a study by Bain Research, they will also be twice as productive. This links to our “Magic Dust”™ theory; when a person is in the position to do what they enjoy, and feel they add value, they thrive and results grow.

So as a leader, how can we increase inspiration levels? Surveys state:

  • Set stretch goals with your team
  • Commit to developing direct reports
  • Engage in collaborative behavior
  • Build emotional connections with team members and others you interact with
  • Establish, share, and continually talk about how your vision (or your organization’s vision) can be supported
  • Communicate clearly and often
  • Explain and manage change

It’s up to us as leaders to model these behaviors and recognize others when they display them. How are you helping others dream more, learn more, do more, and become more?

Leaders can be found at all levels of the company and it is through their efficacy, influence and ability to inspire that our company is reinventing itself.–IBM

Transformational Leaders

All good businesses are personal. The best businesses are very personal.
–Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks

Lately we’ve had a theme around relationships. That’s because without relationship building, we as leaders would not obtain desired results, we wouldn’t have effective and productive teams, and the morale, commitment, and dedication of the team members would be diminished.

Dr. Greg Halpern says: Transformational leadership is about implementing new ideas, continual change to maintain relevance, staying flexible and adaptable, and continually improving relationships with those around them.

He also feels that transformational leaders build relationships by applying or possessing the following behaviors and traits:

  • Charisma
  • Inspirational motivation
  • Intellectual stimulation
  • Individual consideration
  • High morals
  • Trustworthiness
  • Creates an actionable vision
  • Treats everyone as individuals
  • Coaches, mentors, and provides growth opportunities
  • Creates a culture of self-fulfillment and self-worth
  • Provides constant and candid communication

Dr. Terry Jackson adds to this list in his 7 Principles For Developing Quality Relationships where he defines what in his opinion constitutes quality relationships:

  1. Acceptance
  2. Respect
  3. Understanding
  4. Transparency
  5. Non-judgment
  6. Empowerment
  7. Trust

This is quite a list and one that even a seasoned leader will need to review in depth to assess up-skill needs.

We suggest you rate each one on a scale of 1 – 5 to help narrow down areas for development.  You can even ask your peers and direct reports to rate you and compare how aligned you are.

The results may prove interesting!

Manipulative Leaders-Create Distrust and selfishness
Transactional Leaders-Create Mediocrity and complacency
Motivational Leaders-Create Positivity and Action
Influential Leaders-Create Growth and Empowerment
Servant-Leaders-Create Authenticity and Explosive Growth
Transformational Leaders-Create Change and Leave Legacies
― Farshad Asl

 

Employee Loyalty?

Employees who have been pushed to the point where they no longer care, will not go the extra mile.—Brigette Hyacinth

Did you know that Gallup research found that 70% of an employee’s motivation is influenced by their boss?

We’ve shared stories before about why boss/employee relationships are critical, but the 70% statistic for motivating staff was higher than we expected. We’ve also shared tips for improving relationships and for creating loyalty in the workplace, but author Brigette Hyacinth provides even more:
1.  Connect with staff – Make your presence felt. Get to know your employees.

2. Show employees that you genuinely care. Show empathy when they have problems. Advocate for your team. Stand up for them when things go wrong.

3. Practice Open and Honest two-way Communication. Keep employees informed. Listen. Have an atmosphere where employees’ ideas and suggestions are valued and acted on.

4. Be fair and neutral. Treat everyone fairly. Lead by example. Be known as a person of integrity.

5. Empower Employees. Provide them with the proper tools, give them room to get the job done. Don’t micromanage!

6. Reward and Recognition – Offer incentives. Show employees how much you value and appreciate them. Reward staff for good work, be generous with “Thank Yous.”

7. Recommend employees for training and new opportunities. Acknowledge and encourage strengths, recognize different skills, and provide training and development opportunities.

How often have you heard “employees are your most valuable asset”? It’s said often because it’s true, however if the employee feels that this is a hollow statement, loyalty and commitment will be lacking.

Hyacinth concludes by saying “you can’t buy loyalty, but you can certainly foster and nurture it”.

No argument from us!

Employee loyalty begins with employer loyalty. Your employees should know that if they do the job they were hired to do with a reasonable amount of competence and efficiency, you will support them.–Harvey Mackay

Team Magic

If you had to pick one word to describe the culture of your team what would it be?

  • Collaborative?
  • Energized?
  • Motivated?
  • Committed?

Last week we talked about the “Magic Dust” of individuals; what about the “Magic Dust” of teams?

Team members have a need to truly know one another.  What do they like?  What do they find annoying?  What assignments come easy to each person? What assignments are dreaded?

Successful teams are familiar with Patrick Lencioni’s required behaviors (TRUST, COMMITMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY, attention to RESULTS, and healthy CONFLICT), but the culture of truly knowing and caring about one another is also essential.

Take the time to discover “Team Magic“. You’ll find that when personal and professional connections are made, more is accomplished and the work culture is more enjoyable.

When’s the last time you:

  • Conducted a team assessment?
  • Held a team building event?
  • Solicited team feedback?

Maybe it’s time to take your team on a Custom Team Journey so you can discover and leverage Team Magic!

Mindset Re-Swizzle

Rule your mind or it will rule you.–Horace

How’s your personal and professional mindset? As 2017 is coming to a close, are you still energized and motivated? Would a “re-swizzled” mindset help? SUCCESS magazine (January 2018) provides content on the following:

STAY STRONG
Mentally and physically; incorporate exercise in both.

SELF-CARE
Every day build in time for self-reflection or meditation.

CHANGE LANGUAGE
Replace your negative thoughts and words with “I can/I will” verbiage.

GET INTENTIONAL
What’s your purpose and intent? Do your behaviors support them?

FUEL CREATIVITY
Pause and reflect on new perspectives and alternative views.

DEAL WITH IT
We all have to manage the unexpected; don’t let them derail you.

LEARN MORE
Commit to continual self-development; add reading to your goals.

BE COURAGEOUS
Being a leader requires courage!

OWN UP TO IT
Be accountable; hold others accountable; document improvement possibilities.

AIM HIGH
Set stretch goals and establish steps to help stay on track on reflect progress.

How can you re-swizzle your mindset to benefit your life and career?

THIS WEEK’S QWIKTIP!

Read about
BEING ADAPTIVE AND AGILE

Master Motivator

Leadership is lonely. No matter how big your team, sometimes it’s just you–which means you sometimes need to look inside yourself for motivation and inspiration.-Jeff Haden

Having the ability to share your passion, aspire for more, instill the desire to achieve organizational and personal goals, to act conscientiously and ethically, and enjoy what you’re doing are all components of being a “master motivator”.

Mark Hansen and Joe Batten, authors of The Master Motivator – Secrets Of Inspiring Leadership’, provide tips for self-motivation as well as tips for motivating staff and colleagues.

It starts with us as individuals and as leaders. How can we motivate others if we are not authentic and believe in what we’re trying to accomplish?

Motives That Lead and Values That Feed

  • Motivators enjoy life
  • Motivators reach out – they do not retreat inward
  • Motivators cultivate a “lust for learning”
  • Motivators expect the best – always
  • Motivators are goal oriented
  • Motivators help others feel significant
  • Motivators lead by example
  • Motivators provide purpose and direction
  • Motivators are go-givers, not go-getters
  • Motivators respect themselves and others
  • Motivators ask, listen and hear
  • Motivators pursue total fitness
  • Motivators radiate warmth and caring

Rate yourself from 1 – 5 for each component. (5 being best). What are your strengths? Which can you further develop?  You can even take it to the next level and ask your staff or colleagues to rate you.

QWIKTIP – read about ACTIONS and BELIEFS

Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.  John C. Maxwell

Do You Delegate?

The first rule of management is delegation. Don’t try and do everything yourself because you can’t.–Anthea Turner

Is delegating work part of your role as a leader?  We hope so. Effective leaders are effective delegators. Why?

**Delegation frees time and provides an opportunity to  develop others**

As leaders, we frequently spend too much time doing tasks; we are working in the business instead of on the business.   As leaders we need to step back from the tactical work and spend more time on strategic thinking and innovation, and more time coaching and developing others.

There are numerous reasons for not effectively delegating.

The most common are not trusting that the job will get done to our satisfaction, discomfort with assigning a boring task, or feeling guilty that the workload will be too great.

Here are some tips to help:

Plan your delegations – Assess the strengths of your delegate, match the assignment accordingly.

Provide clear, documented instructions and due dates.This prevents misunderstandings and if the task is new to your delegate, they can refer back to your instructions.

The best delegators provide the “what and when”, and leave the “how” to the individual which is more empowering and motivating.

Assess how long the task would take you and build in extra time for your delegate; obtain buy-in that the deliverable date is realistic.

Ensure your delegate has the appropriate resources they need to be successful. Inform staff, co-workers, business partners, etc of your delegated role.

Follow-up and monitor the progress; you may be needed to add clarity to the task or be nothing more than a sounding board.

Acknowledge the contributions of your delegate and provide constructive feedback for areas of growth.

Effective delegation increases morale, builds your talent pool, and strengthens trust within your organization.

Are you an effective delegator?

QWIKTIPS –

Click to read about CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE

If you delegate authority, you will build leaders.–Craig Groeschel

Inspire and Empower

A sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or organization can have.  – Pat Summit

How do you inspire and empower your team or organization? What are you doing to get them on-board to grow results and make them feel they are valued contributors?

The late Pat Summit was a highly successful female basketball coach and a motivational speaker. She shared that successful coaches and leaders require 2 major skills:

  • The ability to convey practical information in a clear and concise way that enables others to learn quickly
  • The knack of motivating your team to put in the necessary effort to achieve successShe also shared the following tips:

For successful motivation, you need to transmit your passion, enthusiasm, and attitude.  “It’s the ability to see in other people more than they see in themselves, and to bring it out of them.”

Learn about the backgrounds and families of your team members. Discover what precisely makes them tick.  This will help you understand what motivates them, and fosters an openness that may pinpoint reasons for under performance.

Be approachable and demonstrate empathy.  This is needed in order for your team to better listen, learn and develop. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”.

Transfer responsibility.  Personal responsibility and accountability increase enthusiasm, drive, and lead to more effective performance.  Act as a guide and mentor your team but remember you can’t do the job for them.

Surround yourself with bright, talented people with creative minds that will challenge you.   Listen closely to their ideas and methods; they’re likely to provide options you have not explored yourself.

Evaluate yourself before you evaluate others.  It’s possible you as a leader failed; be honest about what you could have done better.

Which of the tips do you practice consistently?  Do any of your behaviors need to change so you can better inspire and empower others?

QWIKTIPS –

VALUING YOUR STAFF – click to read more!

To succeed, you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you. –Tony Dorsett