 Look! Did you see that opportunity?!
Did it come around the corner too fast? Or did it look way too big or scary?! Great experiences may even be right in front of us, but we feel unready! A good reminder is sometimes needed for us to say 'Yes' to these opportunities of growth, of learning, and to not missing out on great experiences! Some say; 'Have a little faith', 'Take a chance!', or 'Go for it' Sometimes our mind , our hesitant thoughts get in the way, our beliefs about our selves and our capabilities don't allow us to expand and move forward. Its a good thing their are some energetic individuals to remind us our "window of opportunity'. Brian Biro is one of those energetic beings, whose positive thoughts he mentions in his new book; 'There are no overachievers, Seizing your window of opportunity to do more than you thought possible'. I'm sharing a tid bit; Remember what you focus on is what you are creating. What would happen if you said 'Yes' more often? The future can be different than the past Get energized, get moving, do something, create more energy What is your purpose? What do you have a passion for, or to do? Positive thoughts, encouragement, understanding go a long way Build others up, listen up, lighten up Be grateful for the present moment Life is experiential, we are all learning by doing. Continually! Don't miss out on those opportunities coming at you! Thank you, Brian Biro, for your generosity!
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Want to keep your ‘millennial’ leaders on your team?? Then invest in them or they may move along…
According to levelupleadership.com; Statistics now show that 84% of business’s expect to encounter a leadership shortfall in next 5 years. Only 5% of companies have fully implemented leadership development at each level. Millennials are now a larger generation than baby boomers who happen to be retiring about 10,000 of them each day as of 2015. Then next info is from infoprolearning.com & Brandon hall ; They said by 2020 48% of workforce will be millennials . But only 19% of organizations say they are very effective at developing leaders. And its noted that more money is spent on leadership development than any other area of corporate learning..yet 71% of companies don’t feel their leaders are able to lead their orginization into the future. Wow. How are you growing your younger or newer leaders? How interactive do you allow them to be? Many companies bring in speakers, have classes, workshops, etc.. And mostly sit and listen and take notes, But they don’t really get a chance to apply the things being taught or discussed. What about you? Do you have speakers, seminars and such on leadership? Does your group hear the same basic information ..over and over? Do you or the rest of your team really take time to apply that information? A survey from Interact gave some interesting info; They learned that 69% of managers are uncomfortable communicating w/employees in general.. and also found that 37% said they're uncomfortable giving direct feedback /criticism about performance if the employees may respond negatively. Zenger/Folkman (on hbr.org) said 72% of people said their performance would improve if their managers would provide corrective feedback. “people want corrective feedback if its provided in a constructive a manner. And most believe it helps their performance more that positive feedback! Its noted that millennials, 91 % of them plan to stay in current job less than 3 yrs. So how can we help this? Communicating to your team & Leadership shortfall ? How can I help you and your team practicaly apply ways to communicate and lead better? And provide feedback as a leader in a corrective and safe way? This can be done in a more creative way, fun way! There are many pieces to the puzzle, and I can help with a few! I want to help your team interact in a fun & purposeful way by using team building challenges & problem solving activities so that they can communicate better, build trust, lead in a positive way, feel valued with their contribution and help serve your customers/clients on a higher level! Now what is a good leader or manager without a team? And what is a good team without a leader or manager?  Do your team goals change year to year? Every business, company or group has goals & objectives. Some goals may have been set years ago or slowly evolve into new goals. Your group's main goals may go right along with the values of your companies service or product. But...
How engaging is this to your own team? Here are some questions to ask:
If an individual feels like they have an opportunity to share an idea or goal to work toward, they are more likey to take action on this goal. On the other hand, if employees or team members feel left out of this step then there may be less motivation to be as productive as they could be. Engage your team by asking them to bring at least one goal or idea to improve their companies product or service or even work environment for the new year! And one important aspect you should not forget is to follow up on these goals. Have a time to assess what has been communicated. Partner up as need be to accomplish these goals or objectives. Therefore, this accountability and support are likely to help accomplish your teams objectives. If there is no plan to follow through then you can lose that interest and support from employees and their feelings of being valued goes downhill. Along with productivity. (Think how this can work for your own family also) - its noted that companies with highly engaged employees beat average revenue growth in thir sector by 1 percent while companies with low engagement were behind their sector's revenue growth by an average of 2 percent. (Source: Working Today: Understanding what drives employee engagement. The 2003 Towers Perrin Talent Report) Tips To Being Approachable  Are you an intimidating or an approachable leader? Do you feel like your team or employees can express their ideas, thoughts, and concerns easily to you? Maybe the other question is do you want them to? Either way, people want to communicate and feel heard whether they work directly or indirectly with one another or with you.
Here are some quick tips & reminders on how to be approachable: 1- Offer staff & employees a specific or directed way to voice their ideas & thoughts. Use a simple survey at beginning or end of a staff meeting. Decide if you want to discuss concerns now as a group or later individually. Or pass around survey in the office to be collected and followed up on. –And acknowledge it. Evan if it’s a group email. 2- Have a designated time each day when staff knows you are available. Be open to talk for given amount of time… set a limit to be respectful of each other’s time & responsibility, depending on importance of issue. 3- Set aside certain day of the week (or month) to meet with team members. Depending on how formal or informal you choose it to be, you may want keep this consistent. Also, ask individuals to bring in ideas on how to improve the concern or problem, if it is an issue to be dealt with. And of course, using good ol’ manners always helps. Smile. Thank your team for the opportunity to communicate with them and come up with ideas and solutions that can be beneficial. 3 Ways To Keep Synergy, Creativity, And Collaboration Alive In Your Business
Synergy, Creativity, Collaboration! These action, movement words seem to be running through the goals and objectives of many companies and small businesses. Innovation and creativeness is thriving and expanding everywhere one seems to look. Is it technology that helps us or is it the minds of individuals truly tapping into their expansive thoughts and ingenuity? Of course, It seems that both may be at work. Our amazing minds and thoughts in the first place helped us come up with all the technology that is abounding. So how do your team members minds operate? How do they expand their creative ideas? How can your team collaborate best? Some of us need time alone as we create & manipulate our ideas. But after a while we reach out to friends, family, or coworkers. We bounce our ideas off of others, we get their input, & we communicate & brainstorm. Well, does your team need a boost of fun energy and innovation? It may be time to get out of the office and get active, fun, problem solving activities and challenges that are not the norm. Set the phones down, step away from the devices, the electronic ones at least for a moment. And try 3 Ways to keep synergy, creativity, collobaration alive: 1) Use some hands on materials, in a different environment, have a challenge to achieve with your group! Make up some teams & use rope, scissors wood, bouncy balls, etc., and a couple of buckets; transport an item(s) from one boundary to another without dropping items. 2) Put together the tallest freestanding object made out of a dozen random items, either from the office or from home. And have it stand for at least 10-15 seconds (or longer). Fun to see how you all think & create together! 3) Have everyone get a partner. Secretly have one set of partners come up with several ideas of how they can serve the other two people who are partners. Implement those ideas within the week. How can you help them have a good day? Lighten workload? Leave positive notes or snack/drink, Etc. Do you notice the energy level when working together? How did the team collaborate with each other? Did everyone get a chance to lead or communicate their ideas? These are just a few challenges to be creative in a unique way. That’s just a start. P.S. It’s fun to have prizes, too! Ever wonder what it’s like helping a young teenager gain some Aha! moments & insights out in a hot desert of southwestern United States? I was a wilderness staff in Southern Utah many years ago. This was one of the best jobs I had after I finished a 2yr Assoc. degree; to work outdoors for a week, be out in nature dealing with only what matters most, and helping youth. This was my Best Catalyst! A perfect stepping stone & inspiration to knowing what kind of career I wanted; to experience helping youth/students learn their strengths, their weakness, and their abilities and the their potential! So as we (staff) guided the students thru the desert, we were given a bag of random supplies and took time to do activities with them. It was so eye opening to myself as I helped facilitate these activities. I remember a very meaningful game; ‘Ringing Bells’. 1 student or staff held a bell and rang it consistently, staying in the same spot. Meanwhile, 3 others would each ring a bell randomly and wander around. We instructed the students, who were blindfolded, to listen, find, & search for someone or something they can depend on. So they wandered, paused, & some weren’t sure which way to go. But eventually most of them found the consistent & dependable ring. Then we had good discussions. Who was always there? Who never wavered in their integrity or their standards or character? Where was there always a safe environment to go to? … It wasn’t always the loudest person, or closest in proximity, nor was it always the most interesting/intriguing person around... in life... The students had a moment to reflect who in life was or had been the most steady or consistent person to depend on. Good discussion and conversations about this helped the students realize who in life they could always depend on! I had the opportunity to experience the high ropes & low ropes course right along with the students after a short stint in the desert. It’s interesting to think of the contrast with various activities we did; how easy it is to “Flip the bird” by throwing a rubber chicken to your teammates in a silly game vs. standing on the ‘Pamper Pole’ 30 ft. off the ground, telling your fears and feelings about the struggles in your family or negative environment that influenced your recent decisions. Getting to the truth, the reality of what is behind your thoughts, your actions and your behavior; the real reason why the students are where they are right then was so powerful. It was so meaningful & eye opening. I loved it! This is what I wanted to do. I wanted to facilitate these activities with youth, or adults; to allow them to experience vulnerability & trust, better communication, & problem solving, & thinking outside the box, and especially recognizing their self-worth. It’s so awesome when a student stretches them self beyond their limits & accomplishes more than what they believed, and they finally realize their capabilities…aahh…the choir sings!! |
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