Leadership 3.0 | Zealeap

When It Gets Emotional: Slow Down!

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Tim Porthouse

Everyone one in that room wanted to leave. Jack had just lost it. A near melt-down as he vented his frustration about Cornell’s IT team who, as he saw it, weren’t doing their job.

Jack was bright red. His colleagues squirmed uncomfortably in their seats. The IT Manager, Cornell was just about to yell back in defense. And Jack’s boss Sandra? She changed the subject.

Everyone was embarrassed, nothing got resolved.

Emotions at work are awkward. Many leaders just don’t know how to handle them, especially the outbursts.

Yet we are emotional beings. Try as we might, we can’t turn off our emotions when we walk into work.

So what’s a leader to do?

Slow down!

Most leaders react to strong emotions by trying to move on quickly. They panic. They worry that things will get ugly.

What if Sandra had tried this:

“Jack I can see your frustration. Does anyone else feel this way?”

This validates Jack and takes the pressure off him in that moment. Then Sandra could have facilitated a discussion:

“Hmm, that does sound like an issue. Anyone got any ideas on how we can handle that?”

“Anyone else feel differently?”

“Is there something else going on that’s causing this?”

Most leaders fall into a trap: If an employee is upset the leader feels that he or she has to step in and solve the problem.

Push Through The Uncomfortable

Instead Zealeap Culture Club members say: “push through the uncomfortable!” Slow down and deal with the emotion right there. Don’t feel that it’s all on your shoulders to deal with the problem.

Chances are that if someone on the team is frustrated, others are too. Your job as a leader is not to hide from emotions, but instead to help them surface in a healthy way.

So next time your team gets emotional: Slow Down!

Thanks for reading, and thank you to our amazing colleagues at Culture Club for these ideas.

Tim

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Posted in Leadership 3.0 | Tagged Communication, Culture Club, Emotions, Leadership, Management, Teamwork | 2 Comments

5 Steps To Help Your Team Find Balance

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Tim Porthouse

One thing we learned at our Zealeap Culture Club last week: Most of us are pretty crummy at finding our own “work/ life balance” yet we all want it (see the Blog Post here.)

So rather than try to persuade you of all the benefits of an engaged, passionate team – I’ll ask you this instead:

Why do we manage our employees as if they are out to screw us?

I say this because:

We measure them by the hours spent at their desk not by what they get done.
We expect them to work over the weekend but frown on it when they go for a lunchtime workout.
They work late every night yet get only 2 weeks of vacation.

Perhaps we’ve created the conditions under which our employees are tempted to “screw us”?

That is: We don’t trust them – therefore – they take advantage of us (just to get even)?

Time to break the cycle, build trust and get more from your team.

The Zealeap Culture Club came up with 5 steps to help your team balance their work and personal lives:

1) Have a Conversation.

Ask each team member: “What does ‘balance’ mean to you?”
Ask what makes them happy?
Ask how you could support them in getting more balance?

2) Challenge the Rules!

Why do we have “work hours” anyway? OK sometimes we need coverage, so let your team help solve that together (there’s a “night owl” for every “early bird”!)
Why do we fill out “time reports”?
Why do we have to take “sick time” to go to the Doctor, yet we work late at night?

3) Be More Flexible – Get More Flexibility.

You want your employees to be flexible, shouldn’t they expect the same in return?
Try trusting your team a little bit more. Stop making snarky comments when people “flex”.
Risk being burned every-now-and-then to make sure that the 90% that can be trusted feel that way.

4) Judge based on Results.

Throw away the clock and start measuring based on whether or not your people get results.
This means more work for you: you have to define what you expect, and make sure it gets done. You have to help.
But heck – that’s what managers are supposed to do!

5) Be Fair and Consistent.

Don’t give folks in Management positions more flexibility – boy does that create resentment!
And don’t just flex for the parents. Single people have lives too!

Ultimately I don’t even think we are talking about “balance”. I think we are talking about Trust.

So when are you going to start trusting your people? And earning theirs?

So how do you help your employees find balance? Please share your ideas in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,

Tim

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Posted in Leadership 3.0 | Tagged Balance, Leadership, Management, Results, ROWE | Leave a comment

4 Steps To Finding Your Personal Balance Point

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Tim Porthouse

For most of us “Work/ Life Balance” is more elusive than Bigfoot!

There’s always something that gets in the way: the horrible new boss, the kids’ sporting events, the report due on Tuesday and skipping Yoga class.

Our amazing folks at Zealeap Culture Club set out to get us back in balance…

Why No Balance?

For sure our Employers are part of the problem:

“We need to do more with Less!” has become the mantra of the last 10 years.
Most are horrible at measuring how well we do at work, so they turn to the easy one: the number of hours we spend on the job.
Let’s face it, some leaders just don’t care about you and your “balance”.

But we’re a big part of the problem too.

Hands up if you’ve ever had a conversation about balancing your life with your Boss?

Or with your life-partner?

Thought not.

We have to accept that we have a lot of control over the balance that’s in our lives.

Time For Some Introspection

Our Culture Club members recommend asking yourself:

“What’s really important in my life?”
“What is my definition of success right now?”
“How do I define ‘happiness’?”
“How do I spend my time each week? Does it reflect what’s important?”
“When I get out of balance, what can I do to ‘course-correct’?”
“What safeguards can I put in place to make sure I don’t get dangerously out of balance?”

“Switch To Manual”

Many of us people live our lives on autopilot, we don’t design balance into our lives. We need to stop being accidental, and start being intentional:

Draw it! Yes, scribble a picture of what’s important to you. Family, work, hobbies, friends, financial, success…make it visual. Pin it up at your desk as a reminder of the things you want to balance.
Accept that balance is dynamic. We almost never actually in balance – we’re constantly adjusting to competing priorities. The trend is more important than exactly where we are right now.
Talk it through. Sit down with your family and your boss. Discuss the competing priorities in your life, and discuss the answers to the “introspection questions” above. Talk about solutions that allow you to be successful at work AND in your life. Talk about when it’s OK to be out of balance (crunch time) and when you need to recharge.
“Put the Big Rocks in First”. Follow Stephen Covey’s advice (watch the video here) and make sure you are planning ahead for the most important things in your life. You’re your calendar and schedule the workout, husband time, the project at work, the kid-time, and the “me” time. Then let the other less-important stuff fill up around those “Big Rocks.”

Simple stuff really, but most of us fail on all four counts don’t we?

Being out of balance for a while is OK – necessary in fact. But being out of balance for long-periods is dangerous: for your success, your health and your relationships.

Here’s wishing you balance…whatever that means for you!

So when do you feel out of balance? And how do you achieve Balance in your life? Please share in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading,

Tim

[Next week: Balance Part 2 – Employer Perspective]

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Posted in Leadership 3.0 | Tagged Balance, Expectations, Leadership, Management, Results | 4 Comments

Small Daily Triumphs

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Tim Porthouse

So what really motivates us at work?

I think Dan Pink has it right (see Dan Pink’s work here) Our “drive” comes from a feeling of autonomy, mastering our profession over time, and a sense of purpose.

But on a daily basis our research shows there’s something more important than these more lofty goals.

It surprised us at first, yet you know it yourself.

Think about your most frustrating days at work. What happens?

“I have so much to do, but I’m in meetings all day.” [Marketing director]

“I don’t like the slow days, I want to be busy.” [Medical professional]

“I hate it when I come home feeling like I got nothing done.” [HR manager]

On days like these our clients tell us they feel guilty, frustrated and demotivated.

Most people just want to go home feeling a small sense of accomplishment that day. Making progress. Checking something off the list. Being needed.

So how do we help our people get this feeling of accomplishment.

Sweat the Small Stuff. Every now-and-then ask your people about their top priorities that day. Encourage them to tackle those first, to block time to get them done. Make sure you have intermediate milestones, especially on longer projects.
Ask “How Can I Help?” Spend some time helping your team tackle some of their daily frustrations. Can you resolve a conflict? Change a process that’s frustrating them? Be a sounding board for their problems? A small investment from you can make a big difference for your employee.
Praise the Daily Accomplishments. Do some of your check-in’s at the end of the workday. Ask about the incremental progress. Acknowledge some of the smaller things that get done. Make sure they know that even the small progress is critical for you.

Yes, big hairy achievements are thrilling. Making a difference in the world is a powerful motivator.

But don’t forget that your people want to go home with a small daily triumph.

So help them get one. And don’t forget to do the same yourself!

Thanks for reading,

Tim

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Posted in Leadership 3.0 | Tagged Appreciation, Coaching, Leadership, Management, Performance Feedback, Results | Leave a comment

How To Keep Great People As The Economy Stumbles

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Tim Porthouse

This week the amazing folks of the Zealeap “Culture Club” tackled a culture challenge that many businesses face today: How do you keep your best people when the economy finally rebound?

A lot of leaders feel that the recession has created a “Buyer’s Market.” They reason that employees have fewer options and are “just lucky to have a job.”

They are right.

However when they cop this attitude, they miss two big whopping problems:

The majority of employees are not engaged and not giving their best. Business performance suffers.
The best people always have options and are in demand, especially as the economy inevitably rebounds.

To make it worse, our studies find employees reporting much more intense pressure from their managers along with more aggressive and disrespectful leadership.

Leaders have a BIG looming problem: Burnout and dissatisfaction will cause people to leave when the market does improve. And their best people will leave first.

So how do you create a culture that keeps your best people as the economy bumps around and eventually recovers?

Our Culture Club team brainstormed three main recommendations for leaders:

1. Think Big

Work hard to keep your team inspired. Talk about the mission – the Why? of your organization. Keep the focus on your core values and be walking role models of the passion you want your organization to feel.

2. Think Small

It’s never more important to connect 1-on-1 with your team members; listen, show them you care. Be candid about where the organization is and the challenges you all face. Appreciate them individually and help them grow.

3. Relentlessly Find The Best Performers

You have to have an outstanding process to find the best people in your organization. Everyone needs to know results you expect them to get, and the top performers need to know that you appreciate them. Root-out poor performers and don’t tolerate poor behavior (especially from managers) – no matter how bad the economy.

***

It’s hard to communicate the passion felt by our Culture Club members! They feel a real disconnect between senior leaders and their employees right now. And yet they desperately want to be inspired, they want to give their best.

Are you tapping into this passion? Or are you taking your employees for granted?

Thanks for reading,

Tim

P.S. If you’re not part of “Culture Club”, you’re missing an amazing opportunity to grow your leadership skills and to connect with people who share your passion – Click here to get involved.

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Posted in Leadership 3.0 | Tagged Culture, Culture Club, Leadership, Management, Passion | Leave a comment

When It Gets Emotional: Slow Down!

5 Steps To Help Your Team Find Balance

4 Steps To Finding Your Personal Balance Point

Small Daily Triumphs

How To Keep Great People As The Economy Stumbles

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