Monday, December 30, 2013

Inspired Resolutions


One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!



MORAL :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt.  Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells if we never give up! Shake it off and take a step up.


Haven't committed to any resolutions yet?  Try these on for size:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less from people and more from yourself.



www.yourenhance.com

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Party's Not Over - Twelve Days of Christmas starts now.

My birthday is between Christmas and new years.  So my season of celebrating always continues after Christmas.   But for each of us there are reasons  to keep the party going after December 25th.  First consider this; even if you're not a person of faith, every time you say or write a calendar date, you are referring to Christ.  It has been 2013 years since he walked the earth, that's why this year is 2013!  

The carol, twelve days of Christmas, refers to the 12 days from Christmas to January 6, which is the Epiphany.  It's the day the 3 wise men reached Baby Jesus in Bethlehem.  It is believed that in times of religious persecution in England during the 17th century, Christians would share and teach the gospel by reciting this carol or poem which was later set to music. 

1. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus.
2. The two turtledoves are the Old and New Testaments.
3. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.
4. The four calling birds are the four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
5. The five gold rings recall the first five books of the Old Testament, Mosaic Law.
6. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.
7. The seven swans a-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit as described in the book of Isaiah chapter 11, verse 1 & 2.
8. The eight maids a-milking represent the eight Beatitudes.
9. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
10. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
11. Eleven pipers piping represent the eleven faithful Apostles.
12. Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed.

There's is a story behind every story.  There's always more to learn.  In 2014, I wish you a world of discovery wonder and delight!

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Remembering Mandela: His Lessons For Business Leaders

Today, on his 94 birthday we remember and commemorate Nelson Mandela's accomplishments and contributions.  The hallmark of his leadership style was trust. The greatest leaders in the world gravitated toward Mr. Mandela because they could trust him to consistently live up to his life's mission of peace and freedom.

1. Lacking Courage
Leaders that don’t stand up for what they believe in are difficult to respect and trust. Too many leaders today face the dilemma of assimilating our being their authentic selves.   Employees want leaders who are willing to stand up for them, promote them and show confidence in them. 
When leaders lack the courage to enable their full potential and that of others, it becomes a challenge to trust their judgment, decisions, awareness and capabilities.

2.  Having a Hidden Agendas
Leaders today are often viewed as devious and manipulating. Employees want to follow leaders who live by a set of value and continually strive to reach team and organization goals.   To avoid the impression of shadiness, leaders must state their motives plainly, explain rationale behind decisions, and clarify purpose.

3. Being Self-Centered
Employee catch on to leaders self-serving intentions. When a leader is only looking out for him- or herself employee expect the worst of them.  Employees then start to look out for themselves.  That  means they might resist cross training and mentoring, and refrain from sharing ideas and solutions.
Great leaders are great coaches and are always looking to help their employees grow and prosper.  

4. Damaging a Reputation
5. Showing Inconsistent Performance
People are more inclined to trust those who are consistent.  A leaders credibility is not only built on their character but their track record of results as well.  Employees gain trust in a leader as they see consistent performance.  Leaders who are consistent with their behavior and performance are those who can be trusted. This is why leaders need to refresh their leadership style, skills, and competencies regularly. 

6.  Avoiding Hands-On Work
Delegation is fine when don't appropriately and with a purpose.  Leaders should not dump unwanted task on others just to avoid work.  Employees expect leaders to be willing to get their hands dirty.  Leaders should be engaged in the work and daily operations.   When everyone has to work late, the leader is not exception.  When others take a pay cut, the leader is the first to be affected.

7. Lacking Purpose
Leaders must understand that they goal is to help others succeed.   I heard a comedian say that he used to think it was his job to make people laugh then he realized it's his job to give people an opportunity to laugh.  It took a while for me to understand this, but essentially he was saying his role is not to force anything or anyone.  Leader should be a conduit; a catalyst; and at the core -  a servant. 

Mandela once said it's not the fact that you lived that matters, it the difference you made while you lived that does. 
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”  -- Nelson Mandela



 

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Build Your Verbal Defenses

Things can go horribly right or horribly wrong when we communication.   If you are a student of the bible, you've noticed dozens of scriptures advising us to control/bridle/silence our tongues. 
If you're a student of life, I'll bet you've noticed similar messages in the media, old adages, and from advisers, spouses and friends.  

Here are three hurdles that prevent productive communication:
  1. Facial expressions
  2. Body language
  3. Reactionary verbiage
Human Nature can be harmful.  Sure, it's natural to defend oneself when one feels offended.  It's natural to attack when one feels attacked.  But all these are reactionary.  What is more effective is a chosen response, rather than a hasty reaction.

When we don’t clear these hurdles, This creates emotional violence, which can be just as destructive as physical violence.

A victim mindset also creates conflict, or escalation of issues– when someone acts as if they don’t have dignity or deserve respect they end up being treated that way -- they are first a victim and THEN victimized.  The kid on the playground who sulks, looks at his feet, avoids others, and never socializes, becomes a target.  He gets teased, threatened, controlled, and abused.  Of course bullying is always wrong and never justified.  However, this kid is suggesting with his body language that he is a victim.  He is then treated like one.  


Here are some questions to ponder by yourself or to generate discussions with your team or staff. 

  •   What are 3 words to describe you.  We are talking about your brand.  When you walk into a room, what should people instantly presume or deduce about you.

  • What is professionalism – define it?


  • How do you communicate in rough times?  It’s easy to communicate in a non-offensive,  gentle manner during good times.  Most people think they are better at this than they actually are.  After your next challenging conversation, confrontation, or argument, jot down some notes about what was said.  Did you use natural reactions based on human nature or well-crafted responses focusing on productivity?  


Efficiency is for things, effectiveness is for people.  Don’t be efficient with people.  Don’t focus on being organized and brief and controlling.

Let us know if we can help you create training programs or coaching sessions around this or other leadership/team building topics. 

www.yourenhance.com

Thursday, September 5, 2013

News: Saying No. Motivating Teams. And For Pete's Sake.


September /October 2013 issue
Enhancing your Workplace. 
 
Dear friends,

We're pleased to offer you information relevant to your organization's human resources, employee development, leadership growth, and performance improvement.
 

How to Say No
 
" No!  Can't Do It!  I'm not doing that!"

These are words you might want to say but would never utter in your workplace.  After all, we are expected to be team players.   That means chipping in and going beyond the call of duty AND beyond the job description.  However when you have 80 hours of work on your plate and 40 hours to get it done, it's time to devise a different strategy which could make you more productive, less stressed, and more in control.

Let's not call it saying no.  
Let's call it offering an alternate version of yes. 
Here's how it's done. 
  
First, express your understanding of and empathy for the other person's situation.  You are tell them that you know their issue is important and you want to help.
 
Next, state your situation.  Explain what you have on your plate, what your working on, and/or your deadlines.  This helps you justify why you can't drop everything to address their issue.  You have priorities and a schedule to keep!
  
Then, suggest a different way to handle it; or a different time when you're available to assist.  You could even refer the person to another individual who is better equipped to help.  
 
 
Motivating Teams

Motivating Teams is not always easy, but it is possible to create synergy among staffers.  It starts with indivual motivating.  Team member need to have basic needs covered in order to feel energized and motivated to do their best work. 

1.  Clear Expectations

Expectations need to be communicated and reinforced.  Your team needs to know goals and objectives you have in mind for them and how they are expected to achieve them.  Expectations should include boundaries, milestones, and resources.  Spell out avaiable budget, anticipated results, and deadlines.  If you're dealing with more seasoned pros, you can jointly determine these factors or you can have the staff member develop goals on his/own and report them to you.  Either way, they need to be clear and communicated; not assumed.  By setting clear expectations you are setting your team up for success.
 
2.  Harmonious Work Envrionment 

This may sound warm and fuzzy but it's actually an important factor in making sure your team is functioning well together.  Make sure the team has all the resources they need to do the job.  Those resources could include people, tools, supplies, authority, and information.  Also, set standards for team work.  Reward team collaborate and create opportunities for it as well.  Also, setting a team charter which specifies how  the team is expected to work together and treat each other. 

 
3.  Value 

Your team are the eyes, ears, hands, and hearts of the organization.  They do the work, that make your business profitable.  They need to feel appreciated and be tangibly/visibly recognized for their efforts. 


Additionally, team members have unique attributes and talents.  You need not only to recognize those but tap into them.  Your organization will benefit from leveraging  the strengths of its contributors. 
Featured Article 
FOR PETE'S SAKE
Co-workers were shipwrecked on an island.  

Worried Wilma said: "We'll never survive here. We're all going to die."

Unfocused Ursula chimed: "Look at those beautiful flowers, I'm going to take a closer look."

Lazy Larry remarked: "You guys gather wood; I'm going to rest."

Grudge-holding Glen growled: "I won't help because I'm still angry with Ursula about something she said last week."

And then there wasPete. After hearing this ongoing conversation,Pete became frustrated and disheartened. He said "I would rather take my chances with the sharks than stay here with you people! I'm going back in the water!" 
 

The moral of the story: 
If you're not helping the situation, you are probably hurting it. So, keep your negativity to yourself, FOR PETE'S SAKE.










Gray



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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Workplace Trust Explored with the Army Guys



The many challenges associated with the changing nature of work and the workplace environment are very real for every organization.
Rapid change requires a skilled, knowledgeable workforce with employees who are adaptive, flexible and focused on the future. But high-performing organizations share several characteristics when it comes to how they think about and approach employee
training and development. Specifically, here are six key areas of
commonality:

1. Shared Service Model
A shared services model draws upon training resources from the central human resources or training department, as well as individual business units.  Competency models play a key role in defining desired skills and abilities for which individual business units may require employee
training and development. These models allow the business unit to determine which critical skills are needed to meet business goals, and then the central learning and development or HR department can provide potential solutions or vendors with whom the business
unit may engage.

2. Leverage Online Systems
Leveraging online systems can enable the deployment of common training needs to a wider audience. This is particularly true for Best Practices in Employee Development.
High-performing organizations share several characteristics when it comes to how they think about and approach employee training and development.
Having the flexibility to engage in training via an intranet or Internet connection helps reduce overall costs, improves access to learning resources, and improve consistency of
messaging. Online training can also improve the results and efficiency of face-to-face training because participants are better prepared with a baseline of knowledge.

3. Formalized Leadership Development Program
High-performing organizations typically have a formal leadership
development program in place to prepare the next generation of leaders. The identification and development of competent supervisors and managers is crucial to the achievement
of many business goals. Having a common executive-level management training program helps to ensure that all business units are following common strategic objectives and leads to the sharing of best practices. Identification of high-potential employees is typically accomplished through a nomination process, a 360-degree process or other purposeful method to ensure that the best and brightest are identified and given an opportunity to participate.

4. Augment & Adjust
No business is static. It must respond to market forces, adjust and change—or be left dead in the water. Training and development programs must be augmented, adjusted and changed. If your company has a successful track record with leadership and
management training, great. But keep your eyes toward the horizon
and be mindful that the agile business will grow and face new
challenges better than the monolith. Maintain ties with your training providers and ask questions: What are other high-performing companies doing? What’s new in
leadership and management training? Perhaps there is something new or different out there that is right for your latest challenges.

5. Comprehensive Career Development
High-performing organizations typically provide comprehensive career development services to employees, integrating the process into the overall performance management system. Work with employees to develop individual career development plans that provide opportunities for professional advancement. A clear plan for employees’ long-term development helps to ensure that personnel remain at your company rather than look for other job opportunities.
Some organizations offer a career center for employees, using a Web-based portal or intranet to post internal positions, maintain a library of resources and job descriptions for current roles within the organization. Some go as far as defining career paths within the
organization. If an individual is seeking to transition to a new role within the company, she can clearly see which competencies are needed and strive toward attaining the skills for that desired position/path.

6. Manage Knowledge…and Keep It!
High-performing organizations create a culture that facilitates the retention and sharing of organizational knowledge. It can start with something as simple as a company wiki where people go to find and share knowledge, or as comprehensive as team members addressing
specific company issues throughout their training experience and then presenting their solutions to top management. An added bonus: ROI can be assessed by the success of these projects. Harnessing and sharing the knowledge of workers is also critical to
the long-term success of operations. Knowledge management encompasses two areas: i) the sharing of knowledge within the organization to identify best practices and find synergies among operating departments and business units, and ii) the retention of
organizational knowledge, which is increasingly important in the face of impending retirements.
Here again we find the Internet playing a large role in providing a place for “Communities of Practice” to emerge and grow. These communities are not bound by location and time differences, as people can post whenever they want and get answers later.
Knowledge sharing can also be done using more formal tools and social networks. Different groups or departments can share what they learned in training that may have applications elsewhere in the company, thereby encouraging cross-departmental dialogue and
solution creation.

Achieving & Maintaining High Performance
High-performing organizations share several characteristics when it
comes to how they think about and approach employee training
and development. Becoming (or continuing to function as) a highperforming
organization requires that the leaders of several
groups—including HR, training and business units—work together
with a common understanding about business goals, how to
achieve them, and the importance of everyone involved in
employee development.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Building and Nurturing Your Professional Relationships


Build and Nurture Relationships. 

It happens to everyone. You try to give constructive feedback, but your comments are misconstrued and now someone is unhappy. Delivering a difficult message in a nonthreatening way, that leaves the other person feeling energized, doesn't always come naturally. But when a trusting relationship is in place and people feel safe, they are more open to feedback, take personal responsibility, and are better at reflecting on the message and self-correcting. While we all seem to be doing still more with less, it can be easy to forget that building relationships is key to accomplishing anything.

Sometimes the Basics Are the 

Hardest Part to Master.



Building and nurturing relationships takes time. It takes awareness of behaviors that influence trust and interactions based on mutuality and personal power. Giving feedback, listening, navigating challenging conversations, and building trust are skills that can be learned and are key to developing people and relationships. 



Let us enhance your team's performance 
www.yourenhance.com

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Quotes to Inspire: Spring Is a Time of Renewal and Rejuvenation. Spring into Action!

1. "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." 
Angela's Addition:  We all have something meaningful and powerful to contribute. Start today!

2. "Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself." 
George Bernard Shaw
Angela's Addition:  I should be a better version of myself every day.

3.  "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." 
Walt Disney
Angela's Addition: Walk the Walk, rather than Talk the Talk.




4. "Don't worry about being worried. You're heading out on an adventure and you can always change your mind along the way and try something else." 
Tracy Kidder
Angela's Addition:  It's normal to worry, just don't give up!

5. "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."
Henry Ford
Angela's Addition:  Amen to that, Mr. Ford.

6. "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
Leo Tolstoy
Angela's Addition:  It starts with the man in the mirror.  That were you have the most influence.

7. "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive."
Howard Thurman
Angela's Addition:  Live your Passion

8. "The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life." 
Steve Jobs
Angela's Addition:  When you start anew, you have the world's permission to make mistakes.

9. "There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth... not going all the way, and not starting." 
Buddha
Angela's Addition:  Failure is not final.  

10. "Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Angela's Addition:  Get Busy Trying or Get Busy Dying.


Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Oops! He's in the Room - meeting management and productivity


Share this video with your team during your next team meeting.  Use it as a springboard for discussing improving communication, clarifying expectations and/or conducting more effective meetings.

Here are some potential discussion questions:

  • If our boss called a meeting asked us to think of ways to improve the bottom line, what would you suggest?
  • Do you think the team is clear on what they are expect to do to "improve the bottom line" or even what the 'bottom line' means?
    • what does 'bottom line' mean? (typically, the answer is reduce costs and/or increase profit.)
  • How can we make sure expectations and goals are communicated in clearly.
  • How can we motivate employees to give there best effort?
  • How can we make meetings more effective, fun, or engaging?
    • Possible answers:  1.  different presenters  2.  start on time   3.  provide agenda in advance.   4.  shorter, less frequent meetings  5.  change locations   6.  use ice breakers or activities.  
Encourage everyone to identify simple ways to reduce costs of improve efficiency - everything from money spend on janitorial services or wasted copy paper. 

Ask for feedback about processes or procedures that take too long and get bottle-necked.  

Discuss pros and cons of any suggestions you receive.  

Clearly communicate your decisions, changes and strategies so that everyone understand why the decision was made and how it will impact them. 

Commit to implement the idea that could have the greatest impact short or long term.