Respect for your Environment

Recently I took a short road trip out of the city to my home town to visit my parents.  The day was incredible with lots of sunshine after a soaking rain.  The landscape was lush and I found myself taking in the beauty of the earth.  Gratitude filled my heart and my mind and left me with a feeling of great contentment.

At one point during my drive I came across a group of Boy Scouts who were walking the ditches and picking up trash that had been thrown out of cars. I felt a great deal of pride in those boys and respect for what they were doing.  Having been a leader in our local Scouts organization when my boys were younger, I know that this activity was a demonstration of a core value in the scouting organization – good citizenship.

Our organizational development work at Madd-Steiny helps companies find ways to bring their core values to life in their work cultures.  And, I think that just about every organization we have met has respect listed as one of their core values.

The value of respect, demonstrated, goes beyond an individual’s behavior during interpersonal interactions.  It also extends into caring for the work environment.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard about conflict in work groups due to food left in the refrigerator, or dishes left in the sink or a mess left in the conference room after a meeting.

Establishing norms or expectations for behavior in your organization is one powerful way to bring your values to life and nurture a respectful work culture.

Here are a few behavioral expectations that we have seen practiced in organizations that demonstrate a respect for the work environment.

1.    Always leave your meeting space looking better than you found it.
2.    When you see litter in and/or around the building pick it up.
3.    Keep your workspace organized and free from clutter.
4.    Be accountable to pick up after yourself in shared space.

With Respect,

Georgine

F.E.A.R. The Acronym

I’m leading a workshop on change for a client in a couple of weeks and fear is always on the agenda whenever we talk about change.  Fear of the unknown associated with change generally has a significant influence on people, and I’m no exception.  If I allow myself to, I can imagine all sorts of lousy things happening.  So can lots of other people.  And, thus . . . the acronym: False Evidence Appearing Real.  One of Mark Twain’s famous quotations goes like this:  “I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”

When faced with change, there are certainly a lot of unknowns.  We don’t know what’s coming.  Nonetheless, we sometimes make stuff up about change and it’s usually stuff that brings forth fear.  The acronym reminds us that often what we make up is an illusion.  It just appears true because we’re really good at painting portraits of calamity.  We need to stop because what we make up might eventually become our reality.

As leaders, we have an extra responsibility of helping our teams eliminate false evidence from their point of view.  We must ask ourselves how we behave in the face of change.  If we make stuff up and act as though it’s real, that gives our teams a first-class ticket to the do the same.  Choose instead to make stuff up that paints a positive picture of the future.  Help others prepare for change by staying grounded in reality and dealing with what’s important moment by moment.  Here are some other things you can do to help your teams fight F.E.A.R.

• Establish and reinforce a clear vision.  What’s the outcome or the end game?  When everyone has a shared focus on a positive outcome, it’s easier to focus on possibilities rather than calamities.
• Talk about loss.  Any change involves some letting go.  So, allow it to be a natural part of the process.  Sometimes what we make up is that what we have to let go of is far superior to what’s coming, and that’s often not the case.
• Talk about potential.  Help people see the possibilities as they emerge and become clear.  Highlight them and link them to the overall vision of success.
• Nip F.E.A.R. in the bud.  When you hear false evidence being widely reported, call the team together and clear things up.  Make sure any “buzz” about what’s coming is constructive and truthful.
• Reinforce strengths.  Remind your team members that they are capable and competent and that you have faith in their ability to persevere and succeed through change.  Sometimes, people’s fear is nothing more than a worry about failure.  Clear that up right away.

Fearlessly,

Lynae

Curveballs

Recently, my yoga instructor opened class with this philosophical ditty:  “When life throws you a curveball, try to find the wisdom and grace to look upward and say: ‘Nice pitch!’” Well, he got me with that one . . . I’ve shared it with friends, clients and colleagues repeatedly.  Since then, I’ve been pre-occupied with thinking about how I react when life throws me curveballs.  Usually, I get frustrated.  Then, I get irritated.  Suddenly, it looks as though there are more curveballs being thrown my way.  Because─now I’m looking through a lens that filters everything so I see problems or challenges where I might not have otherwise.  When a curveball heads my way, sometimes I throw my bat instead of simply accepting that, for the moment, I’ve been bested.

The wisdom and grace to say “nice pitch” would allow me to accept that I missed a pitch!  So what?  That doesn’t make me ineffective or incapable or incompetent.  It makes me human.  Joe DiMaggio had a lifetime batting average of .398, and he’s considered one of the greatest ball players in history.  That’s a swell average!  And, it means he missed some pitches too.  While sports analogies aren’t exactly my forte, this one helps me point out that being great doesn’t mean being perfect.  It means accepting that sometimes you swing and miss.  Wisdom and grace allows us all to accept our humanity─our strengths, our weaknesses, and our potential.

As leaders, we have to keep in mind how our responses to curveballs provide a model for how our teams deal with their own misses.  Here are some questions for reflection:

• Does your team see you throw the bat? Or, do they see you smile, step back, take a breath, and try again?
• How do you expect your team to deal with curveballs?
• Do you create an environment where it’s okay to swing and miss once in a while?
• How do you help your team learn to watch for curveballs so they are ready to respond appropriately?
• When someone “hits one out of the park” do you take a close look and find out why so you can ensure it happens again and again?

Batter up!

Lynae

Reigniting Employee Passion

Today, I read an article from the Ken Blanchard Companies about how it’s important that leaders don’t take their employees for granted.  In the article, Blanchard points out that the recent downturn in the economy and challenges in the workplace may have lead to a bit of apathy in leadership.  He says: “I think that there have been some organizations who felt that the recent lack of options for employees let them get away with less than great practices with their people. And so I think that people are at a pretty low level of trust and excitement with many of the organizations they are working for.”

This perspective got me thinking . . . is there ever a “best” or “better” time to build spirit and motivation among your team?  Well, I think Ken Blanchard makes a great point.  And, I also think anytime is a good time to cultivate trust, build excitement around organizational goals, and ignite employee passions.  At Madd-Steiny Productions, we work with companies during both times of abundance and times of challenge.  Regardless of the circumstances, we encourage leaders to focus on making sure employees are engaged and have the tools they need to succeed, no matter what the job is or what the times are like.

So, whether there are rough waters ahead, or smooth sailing . . . what are you going to do today to ignite the passions of your employees?  Here are some ideas:

• Walk around today and look for people “doing something right” and thank them for it on the spot.
• Meet with everyone on your team and ask if the job allows them to exercise their strengths regularly.  If not, try to add a project or shift some responsibilities to allow them more time doing what makes them feel strong.  (This will pay dividends in spades!
• Get the team together for an informal celebration.  At the end of the day sometime soon, invite everyone to an impromptu meeting in the conference room.  When they arrive, have some nibbles and sodas for them.  Let them know the occasion is just to say thanks for their hard work.
• Re-calibrate goals and objectives.  Is everyone still focused on what matters most?  If not, get everyone moving in the direction the organization needs and where they can bring their best to the job.
• Ask your team for ideas on what you can do to communicate more clearly, reinforce priorities, and clear the way for them to do their job.  They’ll appreciate you for it.

With passion,

Lynae

What does it feel like to work in a respectful workplace?

I’m blessed to work with a partner who respects me, and who I respect.  As a result, our workplace is filled with grace and ease.  We have fun.  And, even when we don’t agree on something or find ourselves in a challenging circumstance, we’re able to approach the situation with kindness toward one another.  Okay, so from time to time I know I can be a little stubborn about things . . . and still, Georgine doesn’t respond with sharpness or impatience.  She hears me out.  And, I try to do the same for her.  I hope I’m successful most of the time.

So, when thinking about what it feels like to work in respectful workplace, it was easy for me to come up with some descriptors: fun, light-hearted, productive, responsive, creative, effective, inspiring, and safe.

I can’t imagine what it would feel like to work in a disrespectful workplace, and I don’t really want to find out.  All I know is that we have a respectful workplace because we choose it.  And, I have responsibilities in that department.  I can’t expect Georgine to do all the respect work.  Respect is a two-way street. Like our video says:  “Want more respect?  Do more respect.” So here are some of the most important things I have to do:

• Listen.  And, that doesn’t mean just keep my ears open.  It means I have to keep my mind and heart open to discover the meaning behind the words.
• Accept.  I have to take it as it comes.  Not everything gets to be on my terms.
• Collaborate.  I’m in a partnership.  It’s not all about me.
• Celebrate.  It’s important to acknowledge our successes and share what’s right in our world.

When I do these things, and more, I feel the respect we have for each other in my bones.  And, I love that feeling.