Melissa Hunt

Melissa Hunt,  Municipal Services Manager at Vierbicher AssociatesListen as Melissa shares her lessons learned around:Communication, how to find your voiceDecision MakingGrowth MindsetLeadership in lifeIn Business 2022 40 Under 40:   https://www.ibmadison.com/40under40class2022/ LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/huntmelissam/The Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA) recognized Melissa Hunt as one of two 2022 Andy Lisak Young Professional Award winners at the 2022 Governor’s Conference on Economic Development held Feb. 9-11 in Madison, WI.

Melissa Hunt,  Municipal Services Manager at Vierbicher Associates Listen as Melissa shares her lessons learned around: <ul><li>Communication, how to find your voice</li><li>Decision Making</li><li>Growth Mindset</li><li>Leadership in life</li></ul>In Business 2022 40 Under 40: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/huntmelissam/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">  https://www.ibmadison.com/40under40class2022/</a> LinkedIn:  <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/huntmelissam/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/huntmelissam/</a> The Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA) recognized Melissa Hunt as one of two 2022 <a href="https://weda.org/melissa-hunt-receives-weda-andy-lisak-young-professional-award/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andy Lisak Young Professional Award</a> winners at the 2022 Governor’s Conference on Economic Development held Feb. 9-11 in Madison, WI.

Leadership Lessons: An Interview with Melissa Hunt, CEcD, EDFP

Assertive communication means finding our own voice and speaking from our individual perspective. Which surprisingly is very difficult for many of us. We’re not used to speaking this way, expressing our own point of view with clarity and respect. Because of course, the times when it’s most critical is when we’re in a difficult situation, so our defenses may be up, our stress heightened, and our body is ready to fight, take flight or simply freeze.We can thank Psychologist Thomas Gordon, who in the 60’s coined the term “I-message.”And this is probably one of the most significant communication lessons we can learn in order to find our voice. Because it means we are taking complete ownership of our messages, to ourselves and to others. It’s about framing our language in a way that is clear, direct and respectful. ·        I think…I feel…I need…I want…I expect…Framing our messages in this manner helps to establish a level of clarity with the other individual and can lessen (important to say “can” because we don’t have control over other people’s choices) their defensiveness that can arise from being too aggressive, too passive, or somewhere in between.Example:  no response to our email communicationsAggressive: “You never respond to my messages.”Passive Aggressive: “Thanks for getting back to me 2 months later.”Passive: “No one ever responds to messages around here.”Assertive:  “I feel frustrated when I don’t receive a response to the emails I send you because I need the information to submit proposals to our clients. This makes me look unresponsive and our company appear unreliable. Can we discuss how we can communicate on a more timely basis?”And what are the elements in asserting ourselves?Actually speaking with our voice, using "I"Labelling our feelings (versus our thoughts)Being specific and focused on factsDescribing how it affects usDeveloping an “ask”And yes, that is a formula. And you know what? A formula can be helpful. Does it sound like you? Perhaps not, because anything new feels weird and unlike us. This is a learned behavior and like the first time you got up to walk, well, you probably landed on the floor. But with a child determination, you got back up again. You tried again. Boundaries can be in response to an immediate situation, in which you feel hurt, threatened or insulted (example, someone belittling you in a meeting) or in which a pattern has emerged (your boss over delegates to you versus others on the team).1.     I feel2.     When you3.     Because4.     Are you/can you/will you (or depending on the situation, I need you to/want you to/expect you to)Next steps:Take one week to observe your thoughtsDiscover what bothers you, what makes you upset, angry or resentfulFeel the emotion, then identify the disconnect between what you want/expect/need/feel and what you want to honor yourself or your rights and valuesWrite it downPractice using the formula, even if it’s only writing it down; get comfortable using the words, owning the words And this is how we find our voice.

Assertive communication means finding our own voice and speaking from our individual perspective. Which surprisingly is very difficult for many of us. We’re not used to speaking this way, expressing our own point of view with clarity and respect. Because of course, the times when it’s most critical is when we’re in a difficult situation, so our defenses may be up, our stress heightened, and our body is ready to fight, take flight or simply freeze.We can thank Psychologist Thomas Gordon, who in the 60’s coined the term “I-message.”And this is probably one of the most significant communication lessons we can learn in order to find our voice. Because it means we are taking complete ownership of our messages, to ourselves and to others. It’s about framing our language in a way that is clear, direct and respectful. ·        I think…I feel…I need…I want…I expect…Framing our messages in this manner helps to establish a level of clarity with the other individual and can lessen (important to say “can” because we don’t have control over other people’s choices) their defensiveness that can arise from being too aggressive, too passive, or somewhere in between.Example:  no response to our email communicationsAggressive: “You never respond to my messages.”Passive Aggressive: “Thanks for getting back to me 2 months later.”Passive: “No one ever responds to messages around here.”Assertive:  “I feel frustrated when I don’t receive a response to the emails I send you because I need the information to submit proposals to our clients. This makes me look unresponsive and our company appear unreliable. Can we discuss how we can communicate on a more timely basis?”And what are the elements in asserting ourselves?<ul><li>Actually speaking with our voice, using "I"</li><li>Labelling our feelings (versus our thoughts)</li><li>Being specific and focused on facts</li><li>Describing how it affects us</li><li>Developing an “ask”</li></ul>And yes, that is a formula. And you know what? A formula can be helpful. Does it sound like you? Perhaps not, because anything new feels weird and unlike us. This is a learned behavior and like the first time you got up to walk, well, you probably landed on the floor. But with a child determination, you got back up again. You tried again. Boundaries can be in response to an immediate situation, in which you feel hurt, threatened or insulted (example, someone belittling you in a meeting) or in which a pattern has emerged (your boss over delegates to you versus others on the team).1.     I feel 2.     When you 3.     Because 4.     Are you/can you/will you (or depending on the situation, I need you to/want you to/expect you to)Next steps:<ul><li>Take one week to observe your thoughts</li><li>Discover what bothers you, what makes you upset, angry or resentful</li><li>Feel the emotion, then identify the disconnect between what you want/expect/need/feel and what you want to honor yourself or your rights and values</li><li>Write it down</li><li>Practice using the formula, even if it’s only writing it down; get comfortable using the words, owning the words</li></ul> And this is how we find our voice.

Finding your voice.

Today let’s explore this concept of boundaries.Because it is about your state of well-being, confidence, health and happiness. And it’s about being in integrity with yourself. Honoring the things you believe in and care about….including yourself.First, it’s important to know that a boundary is not about keeping someone out, rather keeping yourself emotionally and practically safe. And this is so important, as it applies to work and your personal life.I’ve learned a lot from PositivePsychology.com, I’ve used their materials and subscribe to their toolkit. Here’s how they define boundaries:Your boundaries represent the limits of how you will allow others to treat you and speak to you.Setting your boundaries means assertively protecting your rights to your bodily, emotional, mental, or spiritual health, your ideas, your needs, etc.It involves the ability to stand up for your rights in a direct way without being aggressive (e.g., belittling, ridiculing, forceful, etc.) or passive (e.g., minimizing what you need to say, apologizing for your needs, etc.).You might be asking, how do I do that and what are the considerations? Because it starts with knowing your rights. And knowing your values.And particularly and importantly at work, it’s about your priorities, capacity and capabilities.Here are 4 stages to consider:1.      Know the value and purposeTo honor yourself and secure your rights; to keep integrity with your authentic self; to become more aligned with what you care about for yourself and others2.     Understand your rights, values, needs/wantsa.     This is an area of work for most of us, know your rights (The Power of Assertive Language episode 11)b.     Do a values inventory (Knowing your values, episode 8)c.     In the moment, be aware of someone “crossing a line” that ties to something you needed or wanted, that creates a negative feeling3.     Be aware of the signs, triggers (these are the disconnects)a.     This is what happens in the momentb.    When we have to make a choice: say something that we may perceive as a risk (hurt feelings, someone taking offense, repercussions, shock and outrage, anger back) and do it anyway4.     Honor thema.     Means we say the words in our heads and from our heart;  we stand up for ourselves in a way that is not disrespectful to others, rather clear about what we feel, want and needc.     This is also about what you’d like from them; though they have the right to change or notThat is the most challenging element of a boundary is actually standing up for yourself and honoring it. Saying the words not just in your head, but out loud. And doing it in a way that is clear, yet respectful. That focuses on your needs, your feelings and what you want.Boundaries are about being proactive in areas of your life that you care most about. And then noticing those moments when something causes you angst. It could be one incident (in the case of a political, racial or personal comment) or it could be a longer standing situation—when the pattern is becoming more clear, and you are becoming increasingly frustrated, angry and resentful.How to say the words?  We’ll dedicate next week’s episode to doing just that. How to get more comfortable articulating when a boundary has been crossed. 

Today let’s explore this concept of boundaries.Because it is about your state of well-being, confidence, health and happiness. And it’s about being in integrity with yourself. Honoring the things you believe in and care about….including yourself.First, it’s important to know that a boundary is not about keeping someone out, rather keeping yourself emotionally and practically safe. And this is so important, as it applies to work and your personal life.I’ve learned a lot from <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PositivePsychology.com</a>, I’ve used their materials and subscribe to their toolkit. Here’s how they define boundaries:<ul><li>Your boundaries represent the limits of how you will allow others to treat you and speak to you.</li><li>Setting your boundaries means assertively protecting your rights to your bodily, emotional, mental, or spiritual health, your ideas, your needs, etc.</li><li>It involves the ability to stand up for your rights in a direct way without being aggressive (e.g., belittling, ridiculing, forceful, etc.) or passive (e.g., minimizing what you need to say, apologizing for your needs, etc.).</li></ul>You might be asking, how do I do that and what are the considerations? Because it starts with knowing your rights. And knowing your values.And particularly and importantly at work, it’s about your priorities, capacity and capabilities. Here are 4 stages to consider:1.      Know the value and purpose To honor yourself and secure your rights; to keep integrity with your authentic self; to become more aligned with what you care about for yourself and others2.     Understand your rights, values, needs/wants a.     This is an area of work for most of us, know your rights (<a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/podcasts/intentional-leaders-podcast-with-cyndi-wentland/episodes/2147582986" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Power of Assertive Language episode 11</a>) b.     Do a values inventory (<a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/podcasts/intentional-leaders-podcast-with-cyndi-wentland/episodes/2147582989" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Knowing your values, episode 8</a>) c.     In the moment, be aware of someone “crossing a line” that ties to something you needed or wanted, that creates a negative feeling3.     Be aware of the signs, triggers (these are the disconnects) a.     This is what happens in the moment b.    When we have to make a choice: say something that we may perceive as a risk (hurt feelings, someone taking offense, repercussions, shock and outrage, anger back) and do it anyway4.     Honor them a.     Means we say the words in our heads and from our heart;  we stand up for ourselves in a way that is not disrespectful to others, rather clear about what we feel, want and need c.     This is also about what you’d like from them; though they have the right to change or notThat is the most challenging element of a boundary is actually standing up for yourself and honoring it. Saying the words not just in your head, but out loud. And doing it in a way that is clear, yet respectful. That focuses on your needs, your feelings and what you want.Boundaries are about being proactive in areas of your life that you care most about. And then noticing those moments when something causes you angst. It could be one incident (in the case of a political, racial or personal comment) or it could be a longer standing situation—when the pattern is becoming more clear, and you are becoming increasingly frustrated, angry and resentful.How to say the words?  We’ll dedicate next week’s episode to doing just that. How to get more comfortable articulating when a boundary has been crossed.

Do you stand up for yourself? Let’s talk about boundaries.

We get promoted to a manager for two reasons. One is we were an outstanding individual contributor, and someone (or us!) thinks we’d be a great manager, or we’ve been at an organization for a long time, have a depth of experience and get promoted.Either way, we move into management. And once we were a peer, now we’re a boss.When I think of lessons learned, and the pitfalls that can befall a new manager, consider how to EMBRACE your role with focus and clarity.·       Empathy: Whether we realize it or not, our relationships shift emotionally when you move to a supervisory role. By definition, there is now a power imbalance, with you having more power, your co-worker having less. No longer are you commiserating about the company or your manager or others. You have a duty to achieve the goals. For your former friends, this will be a little awkward and intimidating. Understand that. You can be transparent about this change, and talk to your team about it. This shows both courage and builds trust.·       Mutual purpose: A team becomes knitted together when they have a united mission, a common goal. Help create this sense of purpose, and collective team spirit to help those on the team, especially with who you formerly may not have been as close to. Your role is to ensure everyone feels a part of the team, that there isn’t an in and out group. ·       Boundaries: Understand what you can and cannot share with your employees. You will now have access to both more and different information on the organization, some being more sensitive and confidential. Treat information with care. That we need to protect what someone has shared; that we don’t share inappropriately. This goes for individuals and also our relationship with our organization. ·       Responsibilities: Yours and there’s must be clear. Make sure you know your 3 most significant goals for you and for your team. Know what is expected of you from your manager and organization. Responsibilities gives you focus and direction. It is the platform in which you will coach others to succeed. ·       Accountability: You are responsible for getting work done through others. Set clear expectations, provide autonomy with support, and then foster accountability for results. And the first time someone let’s you down, or doesn’t’ follow through, or complete an assignment, or demonstrates poor quality (or behaviors) it’s on you to provide guidance and feedback. And this will likely be awkward. For you, for them. This is something you must tackle, and it can be done in a way that is respectful and supportive. ·       Communication: Communication, being clear and candid, will be a significant help as a new leader. This means being clear on roles, goals, expectations, progress and results. It means cascading important information to everyone on the team, asking questions to clarify understanding. You are part of the communication system, and how you operate affects the engagement and motivation of your team. Create two way channels so your team can ask questions about organizational strategies, plans, goals, and imperatives.·       Evaluate/Expand: Evaluate your network. As a new leader, this is a time to not only strengthen the bonds with your team, but with your professional network as well. That means inside and outside the organization. Don’t go it alone, find new outlets for your professional and personal well-being. Don’t use hope as a strategy. Be intentional in your new role. Create credibility and a positive experience for those around  you, those you are now responsible to lead. It’s a huge commitment, and a rewarding one as well.

We get promoted to a manager for two reasons. One is we were an outstanding individual contributor, and someone (or us!) thinks we’d be a great manager, or we’ve been at an organization for a long time, have a depth of experience and get promoted.Either way, we move into management. And once we were a peer, now we’re a boss.When I think of lessons learned, and the pitfalls that can befall a new manager, consider how to EMBRACE your role with focus and clarity.·       Empathy: Whether we realize it or not, our relationships shift emotionally when you move to a supervisory role. By definition, there is now a power imbalance, with you having more power, your co-worker having less. No longer are you commiserating about the company or your manager or others. You have a duty to achieve the goals. For your former friends, this will be a little awkward and intimidating. Understand that. You can be transparent about this change, and talk to your team about it. This shows both courage and builds trust.·       Mutual purpose: A team becomes knitted together when they have a united mission, a common goal. Help create this sense of purpose, and collective team spirit to help those on the team, especially with who you formerly may not have been as close to. Your role is to ensure everyone feels a part of the team, that there isn’t an in and out group. ·       Boundaries: Understand what you can and cannot share with your employees. You will now have access to both more and different information on the organization, some being more sensitive and confidential. Treat information with care. That we need to protect what someone has shared; that we don’t share inappropriately. This goes for individuals and also our relationship with our organization. ·       Responsibilities: Yours and there’s must be clear. Make sure you know your 3 most significant goals for you and for your team. Know what is expected of you from your manager and organization. Responsibilities gives you focus and direction. It is the platform in which you will coach others to succeed. ·       Accountability: You are responsible for getting work done through others. Set clear expectations, provide autonomy with support, and then foster accountability for results. And the first time someone let’s you down, or doesn’t’ follow through, or complete an assignment, or demonstrates poor quality (or behaviors) it’s on you to provide guidance and feedback. And this will likely be awkward. For you, for them. This is something you must tackle, and it can be done in a way that is respectful and supportive. ·       Communication: Communication, being clear and candid, will be a significant help as a new leader. This means being clear on roles, goals, expectations, progress and results. It means cascading important information to everyone on the team, asking questions to clarify understanding. You are part of the communication system, and how you operate affects the engagement and motivation of your team. Create two way channels so your team can ask questions about organizational strategies, plans, goals, and imperatives.·       Evaluate/Expand: Evaluate your network. As a new leader, this is a time to not only strengthen the bonds with your team, but with your professional network as well. That means inside and outside the organization. Don’t go it alone, find new outlets for your professional and personal well-being. Don’t use hope as a strategy. Be intentional in your new role. Create credibility and a positive experience for those around  you, those you are now responsible to lead. It’s a huge commitment, and a rewarding one as well.

Moving from peer to boss. How to EMBRACE your new role.

Ryan Festerling

Meet Ryan Festerling, President of QPS Employment Group.Hear his lessons and leadership insights.  He went from being a VP in a very large organization (Kohls) to being the President of a (relatively smaller) one, QPS Employment Group:What were you most excited about, and what were you most anxious about?What was the biggest surprise you’ve encountered as a leader? What’s something you can’t go a day without doing? What is the most important personality trait required to be successful at your job?What have you learned about people and organizations in your new role (i.e., best practices or pitfalls to avoid)?      https://www.intentionaleaders.com/

Meet <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanfesterling/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ryan Festerling</a>, President of QPS Employment Group. Hear his lessons and leadership insights.  He went from being a VP in a very large organization (Kohls) to being the President of a (relatively smaller) one, QPS Employment Group:<ul><li>What were you most excited about, and what were you most anxious about?</li><li>What was the biggest surprise you’ve encountered as a leader?</li><li> What’s something you can’t go a day without doing?</li><li> What is the most important personality trait required to be successful at your job?</li><li>What have you learned about people and organizations in your new role (i.e., best practices or pitfalls to avoid)?      </li></ul><a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.intentionaleaders.com/</a>

Leadership Lessons: An Interview with Ryan Festerling, Pres QPS Employment Group

In the last episode, I explored Tuckman’s team development model. A way to consider how effectively a team is functioning and it’s stage of development (with the aspiration of becoming high performing).In working with leaders over the years, and in diving into hundreds of teams—the storming stage is looked on with such despair. Really? we have to do that? Go through that? (And I know there also sometimes saying, yo lookie here missie, we are so much better than that!). Storming doesn’t have to feel jarring to be storming. We can be polite and professional and still walk out of the room talking about one another. When there are perspectives not being shared, or disagreements not being addressed openly, we are storming.  Haven’t you ever been in a group that had artificial harmony? We all pretend and play nice?The team leader as a facilitator helps to promote healthy conflict, or as Google’s Project Aristotle calls it, Candor and Conflict. Essential behaviors from their research on what makes teams effective.Because most of us think it’s the people. Or their experience, or knowledge. Gosh, if I could only get so and so and so and so on the team, it would be awesome. Or those that have the deep knowledge, the expertise. The challenge is if they have the knowledge and don’t have the complementary collaborative and conflict skills to add the value they can. And that is so frustrating as someone who has spent a lot of time on team development.And the very best news is that is all teachable and coachable. And when you can  create that environment, one of psychological safety in addition to the communication skills required, storming can feel less treacherous, less lightening and corresponding damage.Here are tips to help your team through storming:·       Educate them on the stages of team development. When a team has knowledge that what they are going through is both to be expected and normal, it creates a safer platform for self awareness and change.·       Establish team behaviors for disagreements, problem solving and decision making that promote healthy conflict resolution. These should be not only norms, but clear expectations.·       Consider using a conflict style assessment or tool to enhance both understanding and behavior change. I’ve used both the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Inventory and the DiSC Conflict assessment. They are both very valuable tools to deepen awareness and understanding, also to promote skills development in this area. Contact me if you are interested in learning more about either of these awesome tools.·       Ensure the team has a focus on ideas not people. Debate ideas without making it personal.·       Model candor, transparency and healthy conflict. As a leader, this is a must.

In the last episode, I explored Tuckman’s team development model. A way to consider how effectively a team is functioning and it’s stage of development (with the aspiration of becoming high performing).In working with leaders over the years, and in diving into hundreds of teams—the storming stage is looked on with such despair. Really? we have to do that? Go through that? (And I know there also sometimes saying, yo lookie here missie, we are so much better than that!). Storming doesn’t have to feel jarring to be storming. We can be polite and professional and still walk out of the room talking about one another. When there are perspectives not being shared, or disagreements not being addressed openly, we are storming.  Haven’t you ever been in a group that had artificial harmony? We all pretend and play nice?The team leader as a facilitator helps to promote healthy conflict, or as Google’s Project Aristotle calls it, Candor and Conflict. Essential behaviors from their research on what makes teams effective.Because most of us think it’s the people. Or their experience, or knowledge. Gosh, if I could only get so and so and so and so on the team, it would be awesome. Or those that have the deep knowledge, the expertise. The challenge is if they have the knowledge and don’t have the complementary collaborative and conflict skills to add the value they can. And that is so frustrating as someone who has spent a lot of time on team development.And the very best news is that is all teachable and coachable. And when you can  create that environment, one of psychological safety in addition to the communication skills required, storming can feel less treacherous, less lightening and corresponding damage.Here are tips to help your team through storming:·       Educate them on the stages of team development. When a team has knowledge that what they are going through is both to be expected and normal, it creates a safer platform for self awareness and change.·       Establish team behaviors for disagreements, problem solving and decision making that promote healthy conflict resolution. These should be not only norms, but clear expectations.·       Consider using a conflict style assessment or tool to enhance both understanding and behavior change. I’ve used both the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Inventory and the DiSC Conflict assessment. They are both very valuable tools to deepen awareness and understanding, also to promote skills development in this area. <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/site/contact" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Contact me</a> if you are interested in learning more about either of these awesome tools.·       Ensure the team has a focus on ideas not people. Debate ideas without making it personal.·       Model candor, transparency and healthy conflict. As a leader, this is a must.

What to do when your team is storming.

Bruce Tuckman's Model:Most of us realize that a common goal is foundation to differentiating a group and a team. Not all groups are teams, and that is okay.  1.      Form: the group is immature; shared goal, collective purpose, clear roles and responsibilities2.      Storm: the group is fractioned; disagreement, tension, possible cliques form when individuals disagree about priorities, roles or tasks and yet don’t know how to successfully resolve the conflict3.      Norm: the group is gelling; cooperation increases as roles and leadership is understood and accepted, as things stabilize and trust is established (we also know how to resolve conflicts individually and collectively)4.     Perform: openness, flexibility, attention to both the goals and the dynamics, shared leadership, collective problem solving; shared decision making; focus on the collective goalsThe real value of knowing this model, is knowing as a leader you can accelerate the development of your team. I know, on purpose. While it’s very common just to make assumptions about our team being high performance, this model helps us to really investigate, number one is that true….and number two how do we ensure it’s true.The fun part of this is actually exploring the model and the stages with your team. Whether a department or project team, you can gain insights into how others perceive the team. The individual members may have very different experiences and insights that a leader may not know, because they’re of course tucked safely in the individual members brain. Using an assessment to analyze team behaviors is a great starting point. It will spur on the discussion. As the team leader, your role evolves with each of the stages. They need different types of leadership in each of the 4.  Consider yourself first more of a director, then a coach, a facilitator and then as the group strengthens and evolves, a delegator. This approach parallels the Situational Leadership model created by Hersey and Blanchard (episode 22). It means that the level of management required evolves and shifts over time, as standard practices and processes are in place that the team can utilize. It also means that the team continues to operate at a deeper level, collectively to achieve goals and assess the team dynamics. Key learning seeds:·       There are 4 stages of team development: form, storm, norm and perform·       Every team will go thru them, they are predictable·       When a member comes or goes you go back to forming·       You can accelerate the performance of a team·       As a team leader, your role will shift·       It’s okay, they still need you!Want more energy and tools for your leadership toolbox? Check out our monthly training  series!

Bruce Tuckman's Model:Most of us realize that a common goal is foundation to differentiating a group and a team. Not all groups are teams, and that is okay.  1.      Form: the group is immature; shared goal, collective purpose, clear roles and responsibilities2.      Storm: the group is fractioned; disagreement, tension, possible cliques form when individuals disagree about priorities, roles or tasks and yet don’t know how to successfully resolve the conflict3.      Norm: the group is gelling; cooperation increases as roles and leadership is understood and accepted, as things stabilize and trust is established (we also know how to resolve conflicts individually and collectively)4.     Perform: openness, flexibility, attention to both the goals and the dynamics, shared leadership, collective problem solving; shared decision making; focus on the collective goalsThe real value of knowing this model, is knowing as a leader you can accelerate the development of your team. I know, on purpose. While it’s very common just to make assumptions about our team being high performance, this model helps us to really investigate, number one is that true….and number two how do we ensure it’s true.The fun part of this is actually exploring the model and the stages with your team. Whether a department or project team, you can gain insights into how others perceive the team. The individual members may have very different experiences and insights that a leader may not know, because they’re of course tucked safely in the individual members brain. Using an assessment to analyze team behaviors is a great starting point. It will spur on the discussion. As the team leader, your role evolves with each of the stages. They need different types of leadership in each of the 4.  Consider yourself first more of a director, then a coach, a facilitator and then as the group strengthens and evolves, a delegator. This approach parallels the Situational Leadership model created by Hersey and Blanchard (<a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/podcasts/intentional-leaders-podcast-with-cyndi-wentland/episodes/2147582975" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">episode 22</a>). It means that the level of management required evolves and shifts over time, as standard practices and processes are in place that the team can utilize. It also means that the team continues to operate at a deeper level, collectively to achieve goals and assess the team dynamics. Key learning seeds:·       There are 4 stages of team development: form, storm, norm and perform·       Every team will go thru them, they are predictable·       When a member comes or goes you go back to forming·       You can accelerate the performance of a team·       As a team leader, your role will shift·       It’s okay, they still need you! Want more energy and tools for your leadership toolbox? Check out our <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/public-training" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">monthly training  series</a>!

Is your team...a team?

&lt;truncato_root&gt;I sometimes wonder if a day goes by that we don’t encounter someone who is hurting (and in this context, I’ll talk about emotional hurt).  And we’ll never really know because our encounters are so varied, work and life and the public which we will never know the depth or breathe of hurt we’re stumbling upon.But in this episode, I want to explore when we do know. When we see the signs, the cues, the facial expressions—which are often fleeting. And the reaction and actions we take to connect.Because human connection is something we all want, and we all need. If you’re looking to make a difference in your company, in your circle, in the universe, you want to honor this connection.And one of the most important ways we connect with others, establishing trust, rapport, understanding is through listening. Not just to the words, but what we see.I received a Christmas gift from a beautiful friend, it’s Brene Brown’s book, Atlas of the Heart.  If you’re interested in strengthening your emotional intelligence for work or life, this is an encyclopedia of insight. A few of us have started a book club to deepen our knowledge of her work. For months we’ve been sharing insights, reactions, and the stories of our lives. How these emotions have affected us not just in the workplace, which they definitely do, but also as human beings. Its been so splendidly illuminating and also vulnerable.Into the language of our emotions, she dives. And she dives deep. Giving words to the sensations that we experience yet have a hard time describing. And back to this week’s topic, our last book club. It was in Chapter 7. She described the differences between compassion, pity, sympathy, empathy. Finally, a way that compared and contrasted these emotions, so they made sense. And also, which bring us closer together, and those that don’t.What I found very fascinating, because I teach empathy in many of my classes, was what she wrote about empathy misses. Eight of them. When I saw this list I was full of awe. She had captured this comprehensive list, the areas that I hear---the pitfalls we’ve probably all fallen into. Unwittingly, and then also we affect the connection. The disconnect.Brene defines it this way, Empathy, the most powerful tool of compassion, is an emotional skill set that allows us to understand what someone is experiencing and to reflect back that understanding.Because when you listen to others, when you listen to yourself—see how many of these you can spot.Sympathy versus empathyJudgmentDisappointmentDischarging discomfort, with blameSpeaking truth to powerComparing/CompetingMinimize/AvoidAdvice giving/Problem solvingIf you find yourself falling into these common traps, scurry out as soon as you can. Empathize with focus and purpose. Identify the emotion. Label it to the best of your knowledge. Then add the “why.” Be there for those that are hurting. Be present with their pain. When you do this, you deepen trust and your connections to others. And isn’t that what we all want? Because while we don't know so many times when others around us are in pain, there are times that we do know. Let's not miss those opportunities to connect.Check us out! https://www.intentionaleaders.com/

&lt;truncato_root&gt;I sometimes wonder if a day goes by that we don’t encounter someone who is hurting (and in this context, I’ll talk about emotional hurt).  And we’ll never really know because our encounters are so varied, work and life and the public which we will never know the depth or breathe of hurt we’re stumbling upon.But in this episode, I want to explore when we do know. When we see the signs, the cues, the facial expressions—which are often fleeting. And the reaction and actions we take to connect.Because human connection is something we all want, and we all need. If you’re looking to make a difference in your company, in your circle, in the universe, you want to honor this connection.And one of the most important ways we connect with others, establishing trust, rapport, understanding is through listening. Not just to the words, but what we see.I received a Christmas gift from a beautiful friend, it’s Brene Brown’s book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=atlas+of+the+heart+brene+brown&amp;crid=3RGLP4D1254LA&amp;sprefix=atlas%2Caps%2C104&amp;ref=nb_sb_ss_retrain-deeppltr_1_5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Atlas of the Heart</a>.  If you’re interested in strengthening your emotional intelligence for work or life, this is an encyclopedia of insight. A few of us have started a book club to deepen our knowledge of her work. For months we’ve been sharing insights, reactions, and the stories of our lives. How these emotions have affected us not just in the workplace, which they definitely do, but also as human beings. Its been so splendidly illuminating and also vulnerable.Into the language of our emotions, she dives. And she dives deep. Giving words to the sensations that we experience yet have a hard time describing. And back to this week’s topic, our last book club. It was in Chapter 7. She described the differences between compassion, pity, sympathy, empathy. Finally, a way that compared and contrasted these emotions, so they made sense. And also, which bring us closer together, and those that don’t.What I found very fascinating, because I teach empathy in many of my classes, was what she wrote about empathy misses. Eight of them. When I saw this list I was full of awe. She had captured this comprehensive list, the areas that I hear---the pitfalls we’ve probably all fallen into. Unwittingly, and then also we affect the connection. The disconnect.Brene defines it this way, Empathy, the most powerful tool of compassion, is an emotional skill set that allows us to understand what someone is experiencing and to reflect back that understanding.Because when you listen to others, when you listen to yourself—see how many of these you can spot.<ol><li>Sympathy versus empathy</li><li>Judgment</li><li>Disappointment</li><li>Discharging discomfort, with blame</li><li>Speaking truth to power</li><li>Comparing/Competing</li><li>Minimize/Avoid</li><li>Advice giving/Problem solving</li></ol>If you find yourself falling into these common traps, scurry out as soon as you can. Empathize with focus and purpose. Identify the emotion. Label it to the best of your knowledge. Then add the “why.” Be there for those that are hurting. Be present with their pain. When you do this, you deepen trust and your connections to others. And isn’t that what we all want? Because while we don't know so many times when others around us are in pain, there are times that we do know. Let's not miss those opportunities to connect. Check us out! <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.intentionaleaders.com/</a>

What do you do when someone is hurting?

Lessons Learned by Shenita Brokenburr, Ph.D.https://www.linkedin.com/in/shenita-brokenburr-phd/Bridge Braintrust is a human resources advisory, coaching and consulting firm that helps individuals and organizations move from now-to-next--- whatever that next is!As thought-partners, consultants, and strategists with subject matter expertise across the employee life cycle, we work alongside Chief HR Officers (CHROs) and other executives to help solve administrative, structural and operational problems in higher education HR and other sectors.For more information: http://www.bridgebraintrust.comhttps://www.intentionaleaders.com/

Lessons Learned by Shenita Brokenburr, Ph.D. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shenita-brokenburr-phd/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/shenita-brokenburr-phd/</a> Bridge Braintrust is a human resources advisory, coaching and consulting firm that helps individuals and organizations move from now-to-next--- whatever that next is!As thought-partners, consultants, and strategists with subject matter expertise across the employee life cycle, we work alongside Chief HR Officers (CHROs) and other executives to help solve administrative, structural and operational problems in higher education HR and other sectors. For more information: <a href="http://www.bridgebraintrust.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.bridgebraintrust.com</a> <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.intentionaleaders.com/</a>

Leadership Lessons: An Interview with Dr. Shenita Brokenburr

If you are a leader, you have power. If you are an aspiring leader, or informal leader, you will need it. Power is about influence. It is about achieving results.Expert power is a lifelong commitment to knowledge or subject matter expertise. Gaining power thru knowledge is not as easy as it once was…years ago a person could focus on one deep area of knowledge and be influential. Today it’s also about serial learning. It’s not just about being deep in one area. (Example of an "M" versus a "T".)Beyond the knowledge of your expertise, there is the building of your brand. Because if you aren’t in a position to leverage your knowledge, where is the return on your investment?And my disclaimer in the use of this power is it can be used for good or evil. I’ve seen people, teams and organizations held hostage by the abuse of expert power. Meaning that an individual created damaging consequences because of their action or inaction…whether this was the hoarding of knowledge or a refusal to mentor, either way the power wasn’t used effectively. Here are 5 ways to use expert power constructively:1. Establish your unique combination of knowledge and skills. Consider what makes you valuable to your role, team and organization. Who are the experts in your field? What is their combination of genius? Write down 10 areas of strength, and then consider the combination of factors that allow you to contribute to your team or organization in a way that is powerful and impactful.  2. Never stop learning, focus on continuous knowledge. Always find something to learn.  Then own your growth. Do your research, don’t just ask, tell them the value that will be gained based on the learning experience. Help others to understand how the learning will be relevant and applicable. Help them to see the contributions you will make based on the investment. This is your job.3. Be an excellent trouble shooter. Use your knowledge and expertise to solve problems. Be at the ready when called on to use your unique set of skills, to leverage your knowledge. Make sure you know the problem clearly before weighing in on a solution. Meaning, understand the gap between what is and what your stakeholder needs, then provide sound, logical and meaningful input towards a solution. Which ties to #4.4. Be aware of your biases, be transparent with your opinions and assumptions.  Example: leadership classes, biases about learning design, facilitation and content.  I have to check my experience at the door. I need to open myself up to exploring new options, alternative practices, and many opinions about leadership or management that may not align with mine. It’s important that I revisit my beliefs and knowledge. To discover openly and honestly what I have yet to learn. And I will always find something. 5. Actively mentor and coach, while staying humble and kind. Is it a little scary to share your expertise, putting you in the position of irrelevance? Absolutely not. Because this is about your collective brand, something that you bring to the table beyond the knowledge, the way you share it, encourage others to learn and grow. It’s about having the patience to mentor, which not everyone has. It’s about coaching with kindness and humility building the confidence and competence of those around you. Leadership is about results. And to get results you have to influence others. Using expert power is a fantastic platform for leadership when executed thoughtfully and intentionally.  Keep these 5 tips in mind to be the one that everyone not only turns to, but actually wants to seek out for guidance, wisdom and support.Discover leadership development here!

If you are a leader, you have power. If you are an aspiring leader, or informal leader, you will need it. Power is about influence. It is about achieving results.Expert power is a lifelong commitment to knowledge or subject matter expertise. Gaining power thru knowledge is not as easy as it once was…years ago a person could focus on one deep area of knowledge and be influential. Today it’s also about serial learning. It’s not just about being deep in one area. (Example of an "M" versus a "T".)Beyond the knowledge of your expertise, there is the building of your brand. Because if you aren’t in a position to leverage your knowledge, where is the return on your investment?And my disclaimer in the use of this power is it can be used for good or evil. I’ve seen people, teams and organizations held hostage by the abuse of expert power. Meaning that an individual created damaging consequences because of their action or inaction…whether this was the hoarding of knowledge or a refusal to mentor, either way the power wasn’t used effectively. Here are 5 ways to use expert power constructively:1. Establish your unique combination of knowledge and skills. Consider what makes you valuable to your role, team and organization. Who are the experts in your field? What is their combination of genius? Write down 10 areas of strength, and then consider the combination of factors that allow you to contribute to your team or organization in a way that is powerful and impactful.  2. Never stop learning, focus on continuous knowledge. Always find something to learn.  Then own your growth. Do your research, don’t just ask, tell them the value that will be gained based on the learning experience. Help others to understand how the learning will be relevant and applicable. Help them to see the contributions you will make based on the investment. This is your job.3. Be an excellent trouble shooter. Use your knowledge and expertise to solve problems. Be at the ready when called on to use your unique set of skills, to leverage your knowledge. Make sure you know the problem clearly before weighing in on a solution. Meaning, understand the gap between what is and what your stakeholder needs, then provide sound, logical and meaningful input towards a solution. Which ties to #4.4. Be aware of your biases, be transparent with your opinions and assumptions.  Example: leadership classes, biases about learning design, facilitation and content.  I have to check my experience at the door. I need to open myself up to exploring new options, alternative practices, and many opinions about leadership or management that may not align with mine. It’s important that I revisit my beliefs and knowledge. To discover openly and honestly what I have yet to learn. And I will always find something. 5. Actively mentor and coach, while staying humble and kind. Is it a little scary to share your expertise, putting you in the position of irrelevance? Absolutely not. Because this is about your collective brand, something that you bring to the table beyond the knowledge, the way you share it, encourage others to learn and grow. It’s about having the patience to mentor, which not everyone has. It’s about coaching with kindness and humility building the confidence and competence of those around you. Leadership is about results. And to get results you have to influence others. Using expert power is a fantastic platform for leadership when executed thoughtfully and intentionally.  Keep these 5 tips in mind to be the one that everyone not only turns to, but actually wants to seek out for guidance, wisdom and support. Discover<a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/public-training" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> leadership development</a> here!

Knowledge is Power

Welcome to the Intentional Leaders Podcast with Cyndi Wentland. Where we’re all about creating confident, successful, and focused leaders who manage with purpose and impact.  I’m Cyndi Wentland, the founder of Intentionaleaders.  And I’m passionate about learning, teaching, and coaching on all things leadership related.  My purpose is to equip leaders like you with the tools, resources, and support to accomplish your goals.  To learn when you want, how you want. So, if you’re an aspiring leader, first-time manager, experienced executive, or you just want to make a bigger impact in your role as an individual contributor—this podcast is for you. Because each week we’ll focus on relevant, applicable, and easy to implement skills and practices—to create focus and a deliberate path to employee engagement and business results. I know that leadership has its challenges but learning to lead shouldn’t be one of them.

If you are a leader, you have power. If you are an aspiring leader, or informal leader, you will need it.Power is about influence. It is about achieving results.Sometimes it difficult to consider power without thinking of politics. Here are some thoughts from Art Petty:Unavoidable Facts of Organizational LifeEverywhere humans gather, a political environment emerges.In every political environment, some individuals develop more influence than others.Those who have the most influence decide what gets done and who does what.Influence doesn’t accrue accidentally—it takes deliberate effort to cultivate the right relationships.Back in 1959, two social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven studied and identified 5 bases of power. This was followed by Raven's subsequent addition in 1965 of a sixth separate and distinct base of power: informational power. And I’m going to add one more, because in the era of social media, I think there is power in the connections we have with one and other.French and Raven defined social influence as "a change in the belief, attitude, or behavior of a person (the target of influence) which results from the action of another person (an influencing agent)", and they defined social power as the potential for such influence, that is, the ability of the agent to bring about such a change using available resources. This means getting s#@&amp;* done.Here are the types of Positional/Formal power:1. Legitimate2. Reward 3. CoercivePersonal/Informal power:4.  Expert5. Referent6. Informational7. ConnectionUnderstand what you have, and what you want more of. Cultivate your power bases. Power can be used positively or negatively. Negative Examples:Legitimate power = relying on status to get compliance; do it because I said so, implied threatReward = get when you give, or I withhold until you doCoercive = embarrassing others in a meeting, yelling publiclyExpert = withholding information to retain status or security in the role; not changing as work standards change, becoming biases in knowledge from past experiencesReferent = using charm and likability to get what is needed in a way that manipulates others OR excludes othersInformational = sharing confidential information to “build trust” with someone else; withholding information that can be shared but is notConnection power = being a name dropper, using a connection with someone who has power to manipulate or pressure someone elsePart of understanding these power bases is knowing what your superpowers are. You always have power, it’s a matter of knowing what it is, how to strengthen it and how to get more of it. To the extent you want to lead, you will need to focus on power. As I said power is influence. If you’re early on in your career, and an aspiring manager or leader—lean into your interpersonal skills. Referent power, or likability can go a long way to building rapport, trust and credibility. In fact, Susan Fiske, Amy Cuddy and Peter Glick did research on how we form impressions and the two areas that were identified (across 37 countries) were warmth and competence. So the combination of referent and expert power can be very impactful. And because so many of us listening to this podcast are working managers, meaning you have subject matter expertise and you are leading people, next episode we’ll talk about best practices for honing and thoughtfully applying expert power.To strengthen your leadership practices, check out our new monthly workshop series!

If you are a leader, you have power. If you are an aspiring leader, or informal leader, you will need it.Power is about influence. It is about achieving results.Sometimes it difficult to consider power without thinking of politics. Here are some thoughts from Art Petty:Unavoidable Facts of Organizational Life<ol><li>Everywhere humans gather, a political environment emerges.</li><li>In every political environment, some individuals develop more influence than others.</li><li>Those who have the most influence decide what gets done and who does what.</li><li>Influence doesn’t accrue accidentally—it takes deliberate effort to cultivate the right relationships.</li></ol>Back in 1959, two social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven studied and identified 5 bases of power. This was followed by Raven's subsequent addition in 1965 of a sixth separate and distinct base of power: informational power. And I’m going to add one more, because in the era of social media, I think there is power in the connections we have with one and other.French and Raven defined social influence as "a change in the belief, attitude, or behavior of a person (the target of influence) which results from the action of another person (an influencing agent)", and they defined social power as the potential for such influence, that is, the ability of the agent to bring about such a change using available resources. This means getting s#@&amp;* done.Here are the types of Positional/Formal power: 1. Legitimate 2. Reward  3. CoercivePersonal/Informal power: 4.  Expert 5. Referent 6. Informational 7. ConnectionUnderstand what you have, and what you want more of. Cultivate your power bases. Power can be used positively or negatively. Negative Examples:<ul><li>Legitimate power = relying on status to get compliance; do it because I said so, implied threat</li><li>Reward = get when you give, or I withhold until you do</li><li>Coercive = embarrassing others in a meeting, yelling publicly</li><li>Expert = withholding information to retain status or security in the role; not changing as work standards change, becoming biases in knowledge from past experiences</li><li>Referent = using charm and likability to get what is needed in a way that manipulates others OR excludes others</li><li>Informational = sharing confidential information to “build trust” with someone else; withholding information that can be shared but is not</li><li>Connection power = being a name dropper, using a connection with someone who has power to manipulate or pressure someone else</li></ul>Part of understanding these power bases is knowing what your superpowers are. You always have power, it’s a matter of knowing what it is, how to strengthen it and how to get more of it. To the extent you want to lead, you will need to focus on power. As I said power is influence. If you’re early on in your career, and an aspiring manager or leader—lean into your interpersonal skills. Referent power, or likability can go a long way to building rapport, trust and credibility. In fact, Susan Fiske, Amy Cuddy and Peter Glick did research on how we form impressions and the two areas that were identified (across 37 countries) were warmth and competence. So the combination of referent and expert power can be very impactful. And because so many of us listening to this podcast are working managers, meaning you have subject matter expertise and you are leading people, next episode we’ll talk about best practices for honing and thoughtfully applying expert power. To strengthen your leadership practices, check out our <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/public-training" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">new monthly workshop series</a>!

Understand Your Superpowers

LinkedIn reported that 79% of employees have been micromanaged at least once in their career. Micromanaging is controlling every part, however small, of (an enterprise or activity).It typically indicates lack of trust, freedom—the opposite of empowerment. It is a double whammy in being a demotivator and also “threat” to our need for autonomy.  And results in:anxiety &amp; stresslack of learning/developmentpoor role model = control as a management stylemiss out on becoming a good problem solverdecreases performance and productivitydisengagement7 kinds of micromanagement (by John Spacey):Supervision: your goals and resultsWorking style: my way is the best wayInternal control: operating procedures, strict beyond the quality aspect—won’t explore the reasoning, the why, the purpose or the valueJob depth: authority and freedom as a valued contributorDefense of status quo: we’ve always done it that way; closed mindedness; lack of flexibility; negatively reinforces creativity, innovationPerfectionism: is a lie; unattainable for us as leaders and for our teams. are you holding out for perfection? asking others to be perfect?Criticism: focus on what you need to improve, finding the flaws first, noticing them first  How to talk about it?  #1 is to be assertive and use assertive language. Have a conversation about your feelings, needs and wants--also discovering their needs (and fears).Examples:·      Goals/results:  I’ve noticed that you set a date for a project deadline, and then follow up regularly with me, checking in on the status. Help me understand what you need or what I could be providing to you to reassure you I’m on track.·       Style: I would like to have more autonomy in my role. How can we achieve that?·       Job depth: It’s important to me to continue to grow and contribute more in my role. How can you help me to develop in my current role, and set me up for future roles?·       Controls/Status quo:  I recognize the importance of clear processes and procedures; I also want to share my thoughts or ideas about improvements and innovation. How can I best bring up these ideas I have and share them with you?The challenge is,  to flourish we need trust, freedom, growth. If you are in the situation and have tried to facilitate change with professionalism, respect and grace—it may be time to escalate the situation, or it may be time for a job change. And, if you see yourself in some way in this podcast episode, take this awareness seriously. Ask for help (mentor, coach, boss) in learning new approaches to exploring the beliefs that are creating these patterns, and actively shifting these behaviors. After all, do you really want to be the person that employees identify in a class that micromanaged them? Lead with focus and clarity: Check out our new monthly workshops!

LinkedIn reported that 79% of employees have been micromanaged at least once in their career. Micromanaging is controlling every part, however small, of (an enterprise or activity). It typically indicates lack of trust, freedom—the opposite of empowerment. It is a double whammy in being a demotivator and also “threat” to our need for autonomy.  And results in:<ul><li>anxiety &amp; stress</li><li>lack of learning/development</li><li>poor role model = control as a management style</li><li>miss out on becoming a good problem solver</li><li>decreases performance and productivity</li><li>disengagement</li></ul>7 kinds of micromanagement (by John Spacey):<ol><li>Supervision: your goals and results</li><li>Working style: my way is the best way</li><li>Internal control: operating procedures, strict beyond the quality aspect—won’t explore the reasoning, the why, the purpose or the value</li><li>Job depth: authority and freedom as a valued contributor</li><li>Defense of status quo: we’ve always done it that way; closed mindedness; lack of flexibility; negatively reinforces creativity, innovation</li><li>Perfectionism: is a lie; unattainable for us as leaders and for our teams. are you holding out for perfection? asking others to be perfect?</li><li>Criticism: focus on what you need to improve, finding the flaws first, noticing them first </li></ol> How to talk about it?  #1 is to be assertive and use assertive language. Have a conversation about your feelings, needs and wants--also discovering their needs (and fears).Examples:·      Goals/results:  I’ve noticed that you set a date for a project deadline, and then follow up regularly with me, checking in on the status. Help me understand what you need or what I could be providing to you to reassure you I’m on track.·       Style: I would like to have more autonomy in my role. How can we achieve that?·       Job depth: It’s important to me to continue to grow and contribute more in my role. How can you help me to develop in my current role, and set me up for future roles?·       Controls/Status quo:  I recognize the importance of clear processes and procedures; I also want to share my thoughts or ideas about improvements and innovation. How can I best bring up these ideas I have and share them with you?The challenge is,  to flourish we need trust, freedom, growth. If you are in the situation and have tried to facilitate change with professionalism, respect and grace—it may be time to escalate the situation, or it may be time for a job change. And, if you see yourself in some way in this podcast episode, take this awareness seriously. Ask for help (mentor, coach, boss) in learning new approaches to exploring the beliefs that are creating these patterns, and actively shifting these behaviors. After all, do you really want to be the person that employees identify in a class that micromanaged them? Lead with focus and clarity: Check out our <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/public-training" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">new monthly workshops</a>!

Who me?! A micromanager? No way.

It’s said that feedback is a gift, right? That we should receive it as such, as a kindness and opportunity to learn. It’s helpful to know how to react, and that your reactions do matter. Not just for the person that is gifting you the feedback, for you as well.I saw a list awhile back of all the ways we deflect. There were 13 ways, Can you imagine? I can because I just got some feedback last week. And maybe a lot of these did go thru my head. Typical reactions:Flight: Victim: not my fault, minimize, deny, avoidFight: go aggressive: blame, attack, counterAwkward: joke, exaggerate, invalidateBack to my example of feedback I received last week. Someone came to me after the session and was not appreciative of an example I used. The perception was that I was making fun of a new idea. The long and short of it was I was simultaneously trying to understand the feedback and see her point of view, while being so surprised at the perception. I actually thought the idea was incredibly innovative and creative, so creating the perception of the opposite was hard to wrap my head around.How we handle the feedback says a lot about our confidence and esteem. We need to be open to the perspectives of others to learn and grow. We need to consider our blind spots and areas that we aren’t even cognizant of, to strengthen these. Because I believe the best leaders are also the lifelong learners. They open themselves up to self-examination, and self-awareness only takes us so far. We need feedback to change and evolve. Ironically the more experience we have, or the more power we have in our leadership role—the less likely we are to be provided with the honest, transparent, and candid feedback. Because the risk to those around us is sometimes perceived as too great.So when we do, focus on it gracefully and gratefully. Which means we have to acknowledge our body and brain’s protective mechanisms, which will surely jump in.1.      Breathe (aka take a Pause)Breathing brings oxygen to your brain. It allows you time to bring your thoughts and emotions to the surface.Breathing and pausing allows you to respond rather than react. This is a choice that must be made deliberately.2.     Notice Your ThoughtsBe an observer of your thoughts and reactions when others provide feedback. Negative emotions are caused by your thoughts.Be open about your fears (if possible) and/or understand yourself what you are making the feedback “mean” about you.3.     Seek to UnderstandRemain calm.Try to separate the content from the messenger and/or the way the message was delivered. Find the nugget of truth or learning.Avoid reacting defensively and/or attempting to rationalize your actions.Ask questions to understand.Press for details or examples (in a non-defensive manner).Make amends if appropriate. 4.     Express GratitudeFeedback is a gift and those that can give and receive it have the strongest and most trusting relationships with others.  Be graceful and grateful for the opportunity to learn.  At the end of the day, I am appreciative of the perspectives of others. I want to learn a different point of view. I am a lifelong learner, not only about learning leadership lessons to share with others, but to those that I receive about myself. My own behaviors and actions. And when my message is not aligned with my intentions.I learned a lot from the experience last week, that this is a lifelong practice. Getting comfortable with spontaneous feedback received in the moment, so much more challenging than teaching it.  https://www.intentionaleaders.com/

It’s said that feedback is a gift, right? That we should receive it as such, as a kindness and opportunity to learn. It’s helpful to know how to react, and that your reactions do matter. Not just for the person that is gifting you the feedback, for you as well.I saw a list awhile back of all the ways we deflect. There were 13 ways, Can you imagine? I can because I just got some feedback last week. And maybe a lot of these did go thru my head.  Typical reactions:<ul><li>Flight: Victim: not my fault, minimize, deny, avoid</li><li>Fight: go aggressive: blame, attack, counter</li><li>Awkward: joke, exaggerate, invalidate</li></ul>Back to my example of feedback I received last week. Someone came to me after the session and was not appreciative of an example I used. The perception was that I was making fun of a new idea. The long and short of it was I was simultaneously trying to understand the feedback and see her point of view, while being so surprised at the perception. I actually thought the idea was incredibly innovative and creative, so creating the perception of the opposite was hard to wrap my head around.How we handle the feedback says a lot about our confidence and esteem. We need to be open to the perspectives of others to learn and grow. We need to consider our blind spots and areas that we aren’t even cognizant of, to strengthen these. Because I believe the best leaders are also the lifelong learners. They open themselves up to self-examination, and self-awareness only takes us so far. We need feedback to change and evolve. Ironically the more experience we have, or the more power we have in our leadership role—the less likely we are to be provided with the honest, transparent, and candid feedback. Because the risk to those around us is sometimes perceived as too great.So when we do, focus on it gracefully and gratefully. Which means we have to acknowledge our body and brain’s protective mechanisms, which will surely jump in.1.      Breathe (aka take a Pause)<ul><li>Breathing brings oxygen to your brain. It allows you time to bring your thoughts and emotions to the surface.</li><li>Breathing and pausing allows you to respond rather than react. This is a choice that must be made deliberately.</li></ul>2.     Notice Your Thoughts<ul><li>Be an observer of your thoughts and reactions when others provide feedback. </li><li>Negative emotions are caused by your thoughts.</li><li>Be open about your fears (if possible) and/or understand yourself what you are making the feedback “mean” about you.</li></ul>3.     Seek to Understand<ul><li>Remain calm.</li><li>Try to separate the content from the messenger and/or the way the message was delivered. Find the nugget of truth or learning.</li><li>Avoid reacting defensively and/or attempting to rationalize your actions.</li><li>Ask questions to understand.</li><li>Press for details or examples (in a non-defensive manner).</li><li>Make amends if appropriate. </li></ul>4.     Express Gratitude<ul><li>Feedback is a gift and those that can give and receive it have the strongest and most trusting relationships with others.  Be graceful and grateful for the opportunity to learn.  </li></ul>At the end of the day, I am appreciative of the perspectives of others. I want to learn a different point of view. I am a lifelong learner, not only about learning leadership lessons to share with others, but to those that I receive about myself. My own behaviors and actions. And when my message is not aligned with my intentions.I learned a lot from the experience last week, that this is a lifelong practice. Getting comfortable with spontaneous feedback received in the moment, so much more challenging than teaching it.  <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.intentionaleaders.com/</a>

Feedback is a gift, right?

Chad Melnick, SVP Marketing Strategy and PromotionsVisionary senior executive with expertise in driving strategy and innovation across marketing, branding, merchandising, and digital transformation for a multibillion-dollar retailer.Podcast Interview Questions:You’ve been in a large successful retail organization for several decades…to what do you attribute your longevity in this highly competitive space?What is the most important personality trait required to be successful as a leader in the retail marketplace?What is one thing that you’ll never do again?What is your greatest professional achievement?What would you tell your 18 year old self if you could talk to them today?Find out more about Chad here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-melnick/https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader

Chad Melnick, SVP Marketing Strategy and Promotions Visionary senior executive with expertise in driving strategy and innovation across marketing, branding, merchandising, and digital transformation for a multibillion-dollar retailer. Podcast Interview Questions:<ul><li>You’ve been in a large successful retail organization for several decades…to what do you attribute your longevity in this highly competitive space?</li><li>What is the most important personality trait required to be successful as a leader in the retail marketplace?</li><li>What is one thing that you’ll never do again?</li><li>What is your greatest professional achievement?</li><li>What would you tell your 18 year old self if you could talk to them today?</li></ul>Find out more about Chad here: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-melnick/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-melnick/</a> <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader</a>

Leadership Lessons: An Interview with Chad Melnick, SVP Kohls

I vividly remember one of the first I’ll call it self help books I read, Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and then his subsequent work, First Things First.This was all pretty groundbreaking for me, taught to work hard, then work hard, and well, keep going and well, you know the rest.“Anything less than a conscious commitment to the important is an unconscious commitment to the unimportant.” Whoa. Well this weekend I was dusting off some materials on time management, so the words and principles of Covey were front and center. And it was interesting to think that the concept of time management, the inherent practices and challenges have always been less about managing your time it’s always been about managing yourself.And this is the biggest challenge to us each day. Not only as leaders, or employees working hard to make a difference, but also as human beings. How are we spending our time and are we spending time in a way aligned with our goals, priorities, purpose and values.The Eisenhower Matrix is a graphical tool used to prioritize tasks by ranking them on two key attributes: Importance and Urgency. The Eisenhower Matrix was derived from a quote attributed to former U.S. leader Dwight D. Eisenhower.“I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” Over 3 decades later in his best-selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey repackaged Eisenhower’s insights into a simple tool to prioritize tasks, now known as the Eisenhower Matrix. This framework for prioritization helps you combat the urgency addition while making progress on important goals. The addiction to urgency: creates predictable reliable sensationsbecomes our focus, and absorbs our attentionprovides an artificial sense of self-worth, power, control, security, intimacy and accomplishmentexacerbates the problems and feelings it is sought to remedyworsens functioning, creates loss of relationships Now that you know…what can you do? 1.     Track your time. For a day, for a week. Look for patterns. Assess your level of self-awareness and your subsequent ability to choose on purpose. This is critical to making changes, you need to be aware of what your current practices and challenges are to make even incremental changes. 2.     Spend some quality time considering what belongs in Q2 for you. What goals do you have (personal or professional), or development do you need to be more effective? If you want to be more proactive and who doesn’t, think about what you would do with time to spend in Q2. 3.     If you’re coaching others and they are coming to you with problems and no solutions, spend time coaching them out of Q3. Meaning they are relying on your, they’re dependent on you to do the work or fix the problem or provide direction (and maybe they need to be more autonomous?). Again, keeping track of these requests you receive in Q3 will help you to be a more targeted and effective coach.4.     Be mindful of Q4. There are times when doing mindless things is great. We need to decompress. Certain activities give us diminishing returns when used excessively.  This is about immediate gratification, which can leave us feeling guilty and unfulfilled.https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader

I vividly remember one of the first I’ll call it self help books I read, Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and then his subsequent work, First Things First.This was all pretty groundbreaking for me, taught to work hard, then work hard, and well, keep going and well, you know the rest.“Anything less than a conscious commitment to the important is an unconscious commitment to the unimportant.” Whoa. Well this weekend I was dusting off some materials on time management, so the words and principles of Covey were front and center. And it was interesting to think that the concept of time management, the inherent practices and challenges have always been less about managing your time it’s always been about managing yourself.And this is the biggest challenge to us each day. Not only as leaders, or employees working hard to make a difference, but also as human beings. How are we spending our time and are we spending time in a way aligned with our goals, priorities, purpose and values.The Eisenhower Matrix is a graphical tool used to prioritize tasks by ranking them on two key attributes: Importance and Urgency. The Eisenhower Matrix was derived from a quote attributed to former U.S. leader Dwight D. Eisenhower.“I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” Over 3 decades later in his best-selling book <a href="https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</a>, Stephen Covey repackaged Eisenhower’s insights into a simple tool to prioritize tasks, now known as the Eisenhower Matrix. This framework for prioritization helps you combat the urgency addition while making progress on important goals. The addiction to urgency: <ul><li>creates predictable reliable sensations</li><li>becomes our focus, and absorbs our attention</li><li>provides an artificial sense of self-worth, power, control, security, intimacy and accomplishment</li><li>exacerbates the problems and feelings it is sought to remedy</li><li>worsens functioning, creates loss of relationships</li></ul> Now that you know…what can you do? 1.     Track your time. For a day, for a week. Look for patterns. Assess your level of self-awareness and your subsequent ability to choose on purpose. This is critical to making changes, you need to be aware of what your current practices and challenges are to make even incremental changes. 2.     Spend some quality time considering what belongs in Q2 for you. What goals do you have (personal or professional), or development do you need to be more effective? If you want to be more proactive and who doesn’t, think about what you would do with time to spend in Q2. 3.     If you’re coaching others and they are coming to you with problems and no solutions, spend time coaching them out of Q3. Meaning they are relying on your, they’re dependent on you to do the work or fix the problem or provide direction (and maybe they need to be more autonomous?). Again, keeping track of these requests you receive in Q3 will help you to be a more targeted and effective coach.4.     Be mindful of Q4. There are times when doing mindless things is great. We need to decompress. Certain activities give us diminishing returns when used excessively.  This is about immediate gratification, which can leave us feeling guilty and unfulfilled. <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader</a>

Are you addicted to urgency?

Last week after a training session, I had an interesting conversation with a couple of participants. The class was about negotiating work assignments, difficult for most of us—saying no or even entering into a conversation about our capacity or capabilities is difficult. For many of us, we just suck it up and say yes. And then try our hardest to make it work, compromising ourselves, our stress, our families….and over time, our health and wellbeing. One young professional said, I didn’t know that saying no was even an option, I was never taught how.NOTE: I was not advocating for going around saying NO to everything, rather being cognizant of your own capabilities, capacity and needs so that you can say yes without compromising quality or yourself; then negotiating on assignments from a place of partnership and collaboration.But this conversation was not specifically about negotiating a work assignment. It was about being assertive. The rights that you have. Understanding them, being clear on them. Honoring them, communicating them. And ultimately being clear on the boundaries around you to protect your values. The example was about standing up for something. In this case, the “someone’s” who were left off an email that was an acknowledgement of efforts on a project. Some of the people who worked on the project were excluded from the communication (the women versus the men).And an individual noticed this and brought it up. Now I may not have all the details completely, but what struck me was at the core of the example. Notice it? Bring it up? I was impressed because at that point in my career (aka early on) would I be the one to bring it up? Notice it, probably yes. Do something with it? and I kept thinking…. What are you willing to stand up for? Because each day we could notice situations like this one. And while there are big bold moves we can make in life to advocate for those who are wronged, those who are being harmed in a big way or on a large scale...we have to recognize that standing up for something or someone can also be an everyday act. Smaller scale, but in the moment we see something and recognize we have a choice to make. What you’re willing to stand up for involves many layers. It starts with your values. What do you care about? Integrity? Equality? Diversity? Accountability? What are the core beliefs that you want to advocate for? Your values provide clarity, focus and purpose.Then there is the noticing. The young man who notices that the women were excluded on an email communication. Not everyone even notices this detail. Or if it’s noticed, that it’s problematic. And then it is about taking action. And I don’t mean we run around see a potential “wrong” and assume bad intentions. Because the mindset of “catching” someone is different from noticing and inquiring. Giving someone a chance to respond, to clarify, or maybe to come to the realization that they harmed someone else through their words or actions. This is a purposeful strategy, designed to educate, create change. And live the values you care most about.I believe that leadership is not about tiles, or roles or positions. It’s about being clear on your vision and values and purpose. It’s about knowing who you are and how you want to contribute to the success of the world.  And the scope and scale of that world gets to be defined by you. Big or small, wide or narrow, the scale is less relevant than the deliberate choice and the courage to act.Ask yourself….are you willing to engage and advocate for something or someone you believe it? Are you willing to ask the tough questions, in a respectful way? Willing to look awkward? Willing to feel uncomfortable? Willing to be wrong in your conclusions, despite being right in your intentions?https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confiden

Last week after a training session, I had an interesting conversation with a couple of participants. The class was about negotiating work assignments, difficult for most of us—saying no or even entering into a conversation about our capacity or capabilities is difficult. For many of us, we just suck it up and say yes. And then try our hardest to make it work, compromising ourselves, our stress, our families….and over time, our health and wellbeing. One young professional said, I didn’t know that saying no was even an option, I was never taught how.NOTE: I was not advocating for going around saying NO to everything, rather being cognizant of your own capabilities, capacity and needs so that you can say yes without compromising quality or yourself; then negotiating on assignments from a place of partnership and collaboration.But this conversation was not specifically about negotiating a work assignment. It was about being assertive. The rights that you have. Understanding them, being clear on them. Honoring them, communicating them. And ultimately being clear on the boundaries around you to protect your values. The example was about standing up for something. In this case, the “someone’s” who were left off an email that was an acknowledgement of efforts on a project. Some of the people who worked on the project were excluded from the communication (the women versus the men).And an individual noticed this and brought it up. Now I may not have all the details completely, but what struck me was at the core of the example. Notice it? Bring it up? I was impressed because at that point in my career (aka early on) would I be the one to bring it up? Notice it, probably yes. Do something with it? and I kept thinking…. What are you willing to stand up for? Because each day we could notice situations like this one. And while there are big bold moves we can make in life to advocate for those who are wronged, those who are being harmed in a big way or on a large scale...we have to recognize that standing up for something or someone can also be an everyday act. Smaller scale, but in the moment we see something and recognize we have a choice to make. What you’re willing to stand up for involves many layers. It starts with your values. What do you care about? Integrity? Equality? Diversity? Accountability? What are the core beliefs that you want to advocate for? Your values provide clarity, focus and purpose.Then there is the noticing. The young man who notices that the women were excluded on an email communication. Not everyone even notices this detail. Or if it’s noticed, that it’s problematic. And then it is about taking action. And I don’t mean we run around see a potential “wrong” and assume bad intentions. Because the mindset of “catching” someone is different from noticing and inquiring. Giving someone a chance to respond, to clarify, or maybe to come to the realization that they harmed someone else through their words or actions. This is a purposeful strategy, designed to educate, create change. And live the values you care most about.I believe that leadership is not about tiles, or roles or positions. It’s about being clear on your vision and values and purpose. It’s about knowing who you are and how you want to contribute to the success of the world.  And the scope and scale of that world gets to be defined by you. Big or small, wide or narrow, the scale is less relevant than the deliberate choice and the courage to act.Ask yourself….are you willing to engage and advocate for something or someone you believe it? Are you willing to ask the tough questions, in a respectful way? Willing to look awkward? Willing to feel uncomfortable? Willing to be wrong in your conclusions, despite being right in your intentions? <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confiden</a>

What are you willing to stand up for?

I know this sounds weird, but I love teaching classes on conflict. Because it’s so freakin’ stressful and most of us don’t like dealing with it. So, we avoid it. (See EP 54 Conflict Sucks ). And there are some darn good reasons, sadly we don’t think of the long term damage that lingering conflict does to trust and rapport. And our stress levels.In this episode think about a recent conflict that you’ve had, or perhaps one that you had to coach an employee on. Which is also an important perspective, because research suggests that when we are good role models for conflict, our employees become more effective at it as well. The dark side is that most employees don’t think their managers are good at it. Yikes. This is an important area to master.Do you have the example in mind? I am going to share 6 common types of conflict. I am not sure of the original source for these types and their explanation. I’m confident that that you’ll see how they align in your scenario, they make so much sense.And the important part of knowing the type? You’ll be better equipped to navigate the conflict. I won’t say it will be easy, but it will be easier if you know foundationally where the conflict is coming from. The first type of conflict is interpersonal. The second is a difference in goals. Number three is about limited resources. This is about scarcity. Whenever we don’t have enough money, time or resources. The fourth is about values. Number five is about performance problems.And the last, number six, is about power struggles. A power struggle is any use of power in a way that is not constructive. Now that I’ve described the six, which were incorporated in your example? There absolutely can be more than one, and yes, all six can sometimes be involved. If this happens, we have to determine which is at the core, or which is most actionable in terms of starting the conversation to navigate the conflict.It’s important to know this, and be clear on what the conflict is, and also what it isn’t. Because this makes our strategy to resolve the conflict more deliberate. Like when your mom told you to avoid the values discussions. This is an excellent conflict choice when the value doesn’t affect our work or the quality of the outcomes we need to produce together. When it’s a matter of limited resources, compromise can be an excellent strategy. Compromise is something that most of us are used to doing, it’s a form of bargaining, we look at the facts and data and make choices, with both parties bending a little to get to an acceptable solution.And sometimes, it’s okay to accommodate to someone else. Let them have their way, so to speak, especially when it causes no particular harm to you (remember Jo, messy and disorganized and still gets it done, you can choose to let this go—it’s just Jo).Next time you or those around you are in a conflict, remember the six types:interpersonalgoalslimited resourcesvaluesPoor performancePower strugglesIdentify which are occurring and use this as a foundation for the discussion and the strategy you use to resolve the conflict. NOTE: For more insight on how you handle conflicts, consider the Everything DiSC Conflict assessment for you or your team. This tool helps individuals curb destructive behaviors so that conflict can become more productive, ultimately improving workplace results and relationships. https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader

I know this sounds weird, but I love teaching classes on conflict. Because it’s so freakin’ stressful and most of us don’t like dealing with it. So, we avoid it. (See <a href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/954769/9863834-conflict-sucks-until-you-consider-the-alternative.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EP 54 Conflict Sucks</a> ). And there are some darn good reasons, sadly we don’t think of the long term damage that lingering conflict does to trust and rapport. And our stress levels.In this episode think about a recent conflict that you’ve had, or perhaps one that you had to coach an employee on. Which is also an important perspective, because research suggests that when we are good role models for conflict, our employees become more effective at it as well. The dark side is that most employees don’t think their managers are good at it. Yikes. This is an important area to master.Do you have the example in mind? I am going to share 6 common types of conflict. I am not sure of the original source for these types and their explanation. I’m confident that that you’ll see how they align in your scenario, they make so much sense.And the important part of knowing the type? You’ll be better equipped to navigate the conflict. I won’t say it will be easy, but it will be easier if you know foundationally where the conflict is coming from. The first type of conflict is interpersonal. The second is a difference in goals. Number three is about limited resources. This is about scarcity. Whenever we don’t have enough money, time or resources. The fourth is about values. Number five is about performance problems.And the last, number six, is about power struggles. A power struggle is any use of power in a way that is not constructive. Now that I’ve described the six, which were incorporated in your example? There absolutely can be more than one, and yes, all six can sometimes be involved. If this happens, we have to determine which is at the core, or which is most actionable in terms of starting the conversation to navigate the conflict.It’s important to know this, and be clear on what the conflict is, and also what it isn’t. Because this makes our strategy to resolve the conflict more deliberate. Like when your mom told you to avoid the values discussions. This is an excellent conflict choice when the value doesn’t affect our work or the quality of the outcomes we need to produce together. When it’s a matter of limited resources, compromise can be an excellent strategy. Compromise is something that most of us are used to doing, it’s a form of bargaining, we look at the facts and data and make choices, with both parties bending a little to get to an acceptable solution.And sometimes, it’s okay to accommodate to someone else. Let them have their way, so to speak, especially when it causes no particular harm to you (remember Jo, messy and disorganized and still gets it done, you can choose to let this go—it’s just Jo).Next time you or those around you are in a conflict, remember the six types:<ol><li>interpersonal</li><li>goals</li><li>limited resources</li><li>values</li><li>Poor performance</li><li>Power struggles</li></ol>Identify which are occurring and use this as a foundation for the discussion and the strategy you use to resolve the conflict. NOTE: For more insight on how you handle conflicts, consider the <a href="https://intentionaleaders.com/contact/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Everything DiSC Conflict assessment</a> for you or your team. This tool helps individuals curb destructive behaviors so that conflict can become more productive, ultimately improving workplace results and relationships.  <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader</a>

Diagnosing Conflicts: What is really going on?

How often do you have the same old meeting, the same old discussion? You know the one, negative Nelly is well, as brooding as always, because we’re still virtual half of our attendees are multitasking, you are pulling every trick out of the book to engage people in the discussion…because you want their insights….and you need their input.It's time. Time for a new strategy, and one that is so easy to implement. You will love it. It’s called the 6Thinking Hats.Developed by Dr. Edward de Bono in the early 80’s, a Maltese physician, psychologist and philosopher.  This technique encourages critical thinking, and also results in engagement and collaboration.Here’s how it works. Each of 6 hats represent a different lens in which a participant(s) approaches the problem, discussion or decision.White Hat: Is about information and data. This perspective is neutral and objective.Answer who, what, when and where?What do we know?What are the facts?What is the evidence?What information is needed?Green Hat: Is all about creative thinking. The focus is on ideas, alternatives and possibilities. What if we…?How can we make this work?What alternatives have we not explored?Red Hat: The purpose of the red hat is to focus on feelings and instincts/intuition.  The expression of feelings doesn’t require explanation or rationalization. What are your feelings about this?What bothers you? What does your gut tell you?What biases are present?Yellow Hat: This hat is focused on the benefits and values, why the idea/solution will work. While it is focused on the positive, there are also reasons given (versus just a sunny disposition or generalized positivity).How will this be beneficial?What value will this provide to others?What would be the most positive outcome?Black Hat: The black hat is about caution and risk. It’s about identifying difficulties, dangers and weaknesses in the plans and/or decisions. While it is about spotting risk, it’s also about applying logic (versus red hat).Why won’t this work?What are the negative consequences?What will be most difficult?What are the risks?Blue Hat: This hat is about managing the collective thinking; organization and planning.  It is focused on thinking about the quality of thinking and the information, actions and/or decisions made. It is also about planning for actions.What is the main idea being discussed?What is the sequence of events and/or actions?What is the conclusion?What is our action plan?I’m asked should the hats be assigned based on participants natural strengths? Know your group and your purpose. If you’re in a hurry, assign to what people are naturally good at. When you are trying to broaden thinking and skills, provide an opportunity outside of an individual’s’ natural comfort zone. For me, that might be the black hat. I don’t like to focus on the negative elements of a solution and/or decision, but often miss out on identifying and preventing risks and consequences that could occur. I can strengthen this mental muscle on purpose and it would broaden my perspective.This technique offers so many benefits:  improving the completeness of the thinking of the group by providing a comprehensive structure, it inspires creativity, and encourages engagement and inclusivity.  And by using this technique you will also strengthen communication skills—as it drives listening, Last but not least…it can be fun.  https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader

How often do you have the same old meeting, the same old discussion? You know the one, negative Nelly is well, as brooding as always, because we’re still virtual half of our attendees are multitasking, you are pulling every trick out of the book to engage people in the discussion…because you want their insights….and you need their input.It's time. Time for a new strategy, and one that is so easy to implement. You will love it. It’s called the 6Thinking Hats.Developed by Dr. Edward de Bono in the early 80’s, a Maltese physician, psychologist and philosopher.  This technique encourages critical thinking, and also results in engagement and collaboration.Here’s how it works. Each of 6 hats represent a different lens in which a participant(s) approaches the problem, discussion or decision.White Hat: Is about information and data. This perspective is neutral and objective.<ul><li>Answer who, what, when and where?</li><li>What do we know?</li><li>What are the facts?</li><li>What is the evidence?</li><li>What information is needed?</li></ul>Green Hat: Is all about creative thinking. The focus is on ideas, alternatives and possibilities. <ul><li>What if we…?</li><li>How can we make this work?</li><li>What alternatives have we not explored?</li></ul>Red Hat: The purpose of the red hat is to focus on feelings and instincts/intuition.  The expression of feelings doesn’t require explanation or rationalization. <ul><li>What are your feelings about this?</li><li>What bothers you?</li><li> What does your gut tell you?</li><li>What biases are present?</li></ul>Yellow Hat: This hat is focused on the benefits and values, why the idea/solution will work. While it is focused on the positive, there are also reasons given (versus just a sunny disposition or generalized positivity).<ul><li>How will this be beneficial?</li><li>What value will this provide to others?</li><li>What would be the most positive outcome?</li></ul>Black Hat: The black hat is about caution and risk. It’s about identifying difficulties, dangers and weaknesses in the plans and/or decisions. While it is about spotting risk, it’s also about applying logic (versus red hat).<ul><li>Why won’t this work?</li><li>What are the negative consequences?</li><li>What will be most difficult?</li><li>What are the risks?</li></ul>Blue Hat: This hat is about managing the collective thinking; organization and planning.  It is focused on thinking about the quality of thinking and the information, actions and/or decisions made. It is also about planning for actions.<ul><li>What is the main idea being discussed?</li><li>What is the sequence of events and/or actions?</li><li>What is the conclusion?</li><li>What is our action plan?</li></ul>I’m asked should the hats be assigned based on participants natural strengths? Know your group and your purpose. If you’re in a hurry, assign to what people are naturally good at. When you are trying to broaden thinking and skills, provide an opportunity outside of an individual’s’ natural comfort zone. For me, that might be the black hat. I don’t like to focus on the negative elements of a solution and/or decision, but often miss out on identifying and preventing risks and consequences that could occur. I can strengthen this mental muscle on purpose and it would broaden my perspective.This technique offers so many benefits:  improving the completeness of the thinking of the group by providing a comprehensive structure, it inspires creativity, and encourages engagement and inclusivity.  And by using this technique you will also strengthen communication skills—as it drives listening, Last but not least…it can be fun.  <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader</a>

Strengthen Critical Thinking & Collaboration with the 6 Thinking Hats

I'm excited to launch my inaugural Leadership Lessons episode, featuring Andy Platz, CEO and President of Mead &amp; Hunt.Mead &amp; Hunt is a national, full-service architectural and engineering firm that has been serving markets for well over a century.  Today, the firm provides services nationwide and employs 900 people providing:  architectural, engineering, construction, environmental, planning, sustainability and technology services. Learn Andy's insights from his 37 years of experience, as he answers the following questions:What is a quality you admire in others? What do you think it takes to be a great leader? What’s the biggest challenge you’re currently facing in your career and how are you overcoming it?What about your life would you like to be remembered for?Discover more about Andy here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyplatz/And if you want to show up every day with the focus, clarity and confidence Andy projects? Check out The Confident Leader course today.

I'm excited to launch my inaugural Leadership Lessons episode, featuring Andy Platz, CEO and President of Mead &amp; Hunt. Mead &amp; Hunt is a national, full-service architectural and engineering firm that has been serving markets for well over a century.  Today, the firm provides services nationwide and employs 900 people providing:  architectural, engineering, construction, environmental, planning, sustainability and technology services.  Learn Andy's insights from his 37 years of experience, as he answers the following questions:<ul><li>What is a quality you admire in others? </li><li>What do you think it takes to be a great leader? </li><li>What’s the biggest challenge you’re currently facing in your career and how are you overcoming it?</li><li>What about your life would you like to be remembered for?</li></ul>Discover more about Andy here: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyplatz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyplatz/</a> And if you want to show up every day with the focus, clarity and confidence Andy projects? Check out <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/confident-leader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Confident Leader</a> course today.

Leadership Lessons: An Interview with Andy Platz, Pres/CEO Mead&Hunt

Moving from contributing to getting work done through others is a painful experience for many of us. In my work with managers over the years, here are 3 manager pitfalls that I frequently see:Power confusionIneffective communication: expectations and feedbackDoing not delegating#1: There are various kinds of power: legitimate, meaning you have the title and role of manager, lead worker, supervisor, director or the like. Reinforcement (Reward) and coercive typically are associate with legitimate power because we have responsibility to hold others accountable (+ and -).Then there is expert power, you have strong technical or subject matter knowledge. And referent power, meaning you are likable, warm, and others want to follow you because of your interpersonal effectiveness. When push comes to shove, and the work needs to get done, I observe that first time managers tend to resort to legitimate power quickly (a “do what I tell you to do” without questions or engagement). What I also see is the overuse of reinforcement power to reward employees. Or the other side of the continuum is overextending on the referent power, like we’re all buddies, friends, and people like me so they’ll do what they should do, right? How do we appropriately balance power dynamics?Power dynamics tends to be affected and managed by working on Pitfall #2, which is about expectations. Creating clarity in roles/responsibilities. And not only goals, your expectations as well. And while you are using legitimate power (appropriately) to assign tasks and responsibilities, use referent power to explain the purpose and the why of the work. Take the time to explain the value of what each person is doing and what they are contributing to in a meaningful way. This will engage employees in their work far beyond what a doughnut, gift card or pat on the back ALONE will do.I would bet that there is something that every manager is withholding an expectation and feedback from an employee. Something that they want to say, need to say and just cannot say. Get the thoughts on expectations out of your head and into the minds and practices of employees. And then focus on Pitfall #3, doing not delegating.What problems does not delegating cause for managers?not focusing on the right tasks (tactical, operational versus operating at a higher level)doing things they already know how to do stress/anxietycapacity issuesnot developing teamresentment of teamaccountability issues with teamLet go of the fears and excuses to provide employees with responsibility, growth, opportunities, and the engagement to contribute at a higher level.  To explore this, including an action planner, check out Delegation: Lean into your fears.Avoid these pitfalls:1.     Increase self-awareness: managing is hard, most are not trained to do it, and these pitfalls are very common. 2.     Have clarity in your habits, practices and skills: Start by working first on clear responsibilities, including goals and expectations. This is the starting point of effective performance and team cohesiveness.  3.     Focus on and overcome the obstacles that limit our ability to change. This is primarily our own brain, our bad habits, and the time/investment it takes for growth. Summary: Start with pitfall #2, enhance with an understanding of pitfall #1, and complement your own growth and those around you by avoiding pitfall #3.Choose confidence, choose success.

Moving from contributing to getting work done through others is a painful experience for many of us. In my work with managers over the years, here are 3 manager pitfalls that I frequently see:<ol><li>Power confusion</li><li>Ineffective communication: expectations and feedback</li><li>Doing not delegating</li></ol>#1: There are various kinds of power: legitimate, meaning you have the title and role of manager, lead worker, supervisor, director or the like. Reinforcement (Reward) and coercive typically are associate with legitimate power because we have responsibility to hold others accountable (+ and -).Then there is expert power, you have strong technical or subject matter knowledge. And referent power, meaning you are likable, warm, and others want to follow you because of your interpersonal effectiveness. When push comes to shove, and the work needs to get done, I observe that first time managers tend to resort to legitimate power quickly (a “do what I tell you to do” without questions or engagement). What I also see is the overuse of reinforcement power to reward employees. Or the other side of the continuum is overextending on the referent power, like we’re all buddies, friends, and people like me so they’ll do what they should do, right? How do we appropriately balance power dynamics?Power dynamics tends to be affected and managed by working on Pitfall #2, which is about expectations. Creating clarity in roles/responsibilities. And not only goals, your expectations as well. And while you are using legitimate power (appropriately) to assign tasks and responsibilities, use referent power to explain the purpose and the why of the work. Take the time to explain the value of what each person is doing and what they are contributing to in a meaningful way. This will engage employees in their work far beyond what a doughnut, gift card or pat on the back ALONE will do.I would bet that there is something that every manager is withholding an expectation and feedback from an employee. Something that they want to say, need to say and just cannot say. Get the thoughts on expectations out of your head and into the minds and practices of employees. And then focus on Pitfall #3, doing not delegating.What problems does not delegating cause for managers?<ul><li>not focusing on the right tasks (tactical, operational versus operating at a higher level)</li><li>doing things they already know how to do </li><li>stress/anxiety</li><li>capacity issues</li><li>not developing team</li><li>resentment of team</li><li>accountability issues with team</li></ul>Let go of the fears and excuses to provide employees with responsibility, growth, opportunities, and the engagement to contribute at a higher level.  To explore this, including an action planner, check out <a href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/954769/8314515-delegation-lean-into-your-fears.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Delegation: Lean into your fears</a>.Avoid these pitfalls:1.     Increase self-awareness: managing is hard, most are not trained to do it, and these pitfalls are very common.  2.     Have clarity in your habits, practices and skills: Start by working first on clear responsibilities, including goals and expectations. This is the starting point of effective performance and team cohesiveness.   3.     Focus on and overcome the obstacles that limit our ability to change. This is primarily our own brain, our bad habits, and the time/investment it takes for growth. Summary: Start with pitfall #2, enhance with an understanding of pitfall #1, and complement your own growth and those around you by avoiding pitfall #3.Choose <a href="https://www.intentionaleaders.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">confidence,</a> choose success.

Beware! 3 Manager Pitfalls

Intentional Leaders Podcast with Cyndi Wentland

The best podcast episodes of anyone with an interesting story. With famous guests like Obama, LeBron James, Drake, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, to anyone who has a unique and interesting story to tell. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes: Personal Stories & Great Interviews

The best podcast episodes of the most interesting stories and things. From skyping someone while they're in space, to tracking down and meeting a telephone scammer in person, to the story of a Galapagos. These episodes will keep you and all your friends entertained and captivated for hours. Learn something new in every episode! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!