Happy Memorial Day...

"As we set today aside to honor and thank our veterans, let us be mindful that we should do this every day of the year and not just one" Beth Pennington

Get connected...

Life is full of choices… and each one matters.  Today, it seems that one of the biggest choices people have to make is whether to go back to work after so many months of being off work during this pandemic. It’s clear that employers need workers. But their furloughed or laid off employees seem reluctant because of fear and anxiety about their safety, because of uncertainty about how to balance what’s happening in their private lives with their need to work, and because of generous unemployment benefits that have been a disincentive to going back to work. While the choice to go back to work seems like it should be an easy one to make, business leaders need to help by communicating how safe the workplace is, how much they need and want each employee to come back, how they understand how difficult this might be, and what they are doing to help people again feel connected to and in love with their work. Companies and their leaders never had to go to such lengths to get employees to come to work, but that doesn’t mean they can’t. And people have never been so reluctant to go back to work, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be better coaxed to do so. Ready, willing, and able employees need to be welcomed by grateful, helpful, and caring managers today.

 

Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm (1940 – 2012): American musician and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the vocalists for The Band

Clear up uncertainties...

“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” Billie Jean King

 

Most things in life depend on skill and tenacity. In sports, the ebb and flow of momentum needs to be monitored and appropriately reacted to if you want to win. And the same is true in business: things don’t always go as planned, and how you react to that usually determines whether you succeed or fail. Like when the best laid plans are interrupted or suffer some unexpected circumstance: that’s when leaders need to step in and guide employees with clear communications and direction. That’s when leaders need to assess the situation, adapt appropriately, and clearly explain what’s next. Changing circumstances often affect strategic plans and regular work projects – don’t let those throw you off your game: keep your eyes and options open and keep at it until you get it right. Leaders need to be focused and flexible, open to changing goals and tactics, and skilled at managing and communicating change. But in the heat of those kinds of battles, many freeze up and lose the chance to pivot appropriately. If or when that happens to you, take a deep breath, talk and listen to those on your team, consider all options, and then clearly communicate the new plans to everyone. Don’t leave your employees in the dark. Give them what they need to keep playing today. 

 

Billie Jean King (born 1943): American former World No. 1 professional tennis player, regarded by many in the sport as one of the greatest women's tennis players of all time

What's in your culture...

I talk a lot to my clients about corporate culture – while it’s often difficult to describe, the benefits of a strong culture can easily be seen. Like greater alignment with the company’s mission, vision, and values; high employee motivation and loyalty; increased team cohesiveness; consistency across the organization of employees’ behaviors and attitudes; and high employee and customer satisfaction. Sometimes the culture is reflective of an entrepreneurial owner whose ideas and style influence the organization; other times it’s the result of a focused approach to employee recruitment, training, communication, and recognition. The first is almost like a culture based on the cult of a charismatic owner – Walt Disney, Sam Walton, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk come to mind. The second is the result of a result-focused strategy – GE, IBM, and United Technologies worked hard to instill ideas, values, and beliefs in their companies in the 60s and 70s and became models for others. Today, the strongest brands – Apple, Amazon, Google, Berkshire Hathaway, and Tesla (among others) command the loyalty of employees and customers (not to mention shareholders). What it boils down to is that employee satisfaction drives customer satisfaction which drives profitability. Bottom line: treat your employees right and they’ll do the same with your customers. Take a hard look at your goals and your company’s culture today.

 

Sam Walton (1918 – 1992): American businessman and entrepreneur best known for founding Walmart and Sam's Club

Awareness matters...

When Covid-19 started, my partner and I began taping podcasts about the new and unique issues that managers were having to deal with. More and more they were about the emotional well-being of employees who were being furloughed, or working from home, or being recalled to work. These issues were the kind that managers rarely had to deal with before, and when they did it was mostly to refer employees with them to the company’s employee assistance program. The more we talked about these issues, the more people wanted to learn, and we started framing these presentations in the context of Emotional Intelligence. While this topic is often connected to the use of empathy as a leadership tool, it goes much farther than that: being able to recognize the range of emotions exhibited by employees helps leaders focus on how to respond.  The seeds we planted in those early podcasts led us to a group of scientists and business consultants in Europe and we decided to conduct a symposium on why Emotional Intelligence is one of the most important tools for managers to use in this post-pandemic period. As employee needs change, leaders in businesses big and small must learn more and adapt their styles and focus: what you do today has a great impact on employees now and well into the future. Growing your leadership awareness is one of the most important things you can do today.

 

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 – 1894): Scottish novelist, essayist, poet, and travel writer, most noted for writing Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Be a team player...

I was one of the first people hired for the resort openings I worked on. It was always exciting to set up the office and put together and launch the project plan. And that’s when I realized that it was far easier to start something than it was to finish it. Because then I had to start putting together a team that had all the skills and the appropriate attitudes to work together effectively and making sure they all were brought into and bought into my plan. When you go from a sole contributor to a team leader in that kind of situation one often assumes that everyone else really understands what you’re thinking and have been planning when in fact they don’t. I’ve learned the hard way that it takes many meetings and much discussion to get everyone on the same page and working and thinking like a team. And just like with any team sport, it takes lots of mapping and diagraming and practice to get everyone going in the same direction. As the leader, it’s best to see yourself as a team member as well as the team leader – forcing you to see things from their perspective and proving that you’re willing to put in the same hard work expected of them. That’s what it takes to coalesce into a team. Whatever your role, be a team player today.

 

Amelia Mary Earhart (1897 – 1939): American aviation pioneer and author.

Thank your lucky stars...

Yesterday I finished up my first post-pandemic business trip and flew back home. During this first time away in more than 15 months, I thought a lot about the intersections of good fortune, anxiety, and trying to return to normal, about life as it used to be and what it might be in the future, and about how we each approach these transitions. While the vaccine gave me a sense of security, the realization that this pandemic was a close brush with potential disaster makes me appreciate my good health and fortune.  Whatever time any of us have here on Earth, this years’ experience should make us treasure that time even more. Treasure our health and happiness. Treasure the things we’re able to do. Treasure our loved ones. And treasure each sunrise and sunset. Next time you see a friend or loved one for the first time since the lockdown, or do something you had previously enjoyed doing, or take a baby step back towards your new normal, count your blessings and be thankful that you can. One of the things I learned from new friends this past week is that life presents us with challenges and opportunities, and that we should be thankful for our ability to paddle away from the first and towards the second. Be mindful of that today.

 

Beatrice Arthur (1922 – 2009): American actress, comedian, and activist