• newsletter
  • toolbox
  • bluemegaphone

July 21, 2009

The Secret Sauce For Successful Implementation

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — Admin @ 8:02 am

We are pleased to have a guest Blog by Miki Saxon, RampUp Solutions while Holly is off on vacation!

How many times during your career have you attended training, or read a book, that offered tools and taught techniques that fired you up only to find yourself unable to implement them?

A frustrating experience and even more so when others seem to apply them effortlessly. That’s especially true when those who do succeed are less experienced or skilled than you.

What’s going on? Most likely the difficulty lies in your MAP (mindset, attitude, philosophyTM) and it is your MAP that needs to change.

People can’t implement any method unless their MAP is synergistic with it.
Unfortunately, most management and leadership training assumes that participants have a certain kind of MAP or they wouldn’t be there.

But that’s not true-MAP is as individualistic as snowflakes-no two are identical.

MAP (mindset, attitude, philosophyTM) is the basis for everything you do-it’s the why of life.

Everything you do and say is a mindset, grounded in your attitude towards others, which, in turn, is based on your personal philosophy.

MAP is learned, not innate, and it changes, either passively, through the influence of those around you, or actively, in ways that you consciously choose.

That’s why learning better management, leadership, parenting, etc., is a far cry from actually accomplishing it. The difference is similar to the difference between stain and paint.

  • Paint learning means coating what you already think with new ideas or approaches. The problems arise when the underlying attitudes and thoughts, i.e., MAP, are inconsistent with the new ideas-the greater the discrepancies between the two the more difficult it is to successfully implement them.
  • Stain learning means that the new ideas sink in and actually become part of your MAP. That also means being willing to modify or change your MAP when the value of the new ideas is greater than the cost of change.

The greatest thing about MAP is that it’s completely within your control.

Changing it requires a strong desire, the right catalyst-awareness-and a journey through each of the four levels of competence:

  1. unconscious incompetence,
  2. conscious incompetence,
  3. conscious competence, and
  4. unconscious competence. (Most people believe they never reach this level since, by definition, when they do reach it they aren’t aware of it.)

Although there are as many types of MAP as there are people, I’m often asked what comprises “good” MAP. Keeping in mind that my answer is totally subjective, I think good MAP is (in no particular order) positive, open, flexible, honest, secure, interested, enthusiastic, patient, sincere, encouraging, caring and loves creativity (its own or others).

Once your MAP is on board and you start implementing, be careful not to confuse process with bureaucracy.

  • Process is like MAP, it gets you where you want to go, whereas bureaucracy stifles whatever it touches;
  • Process, like MAP, is ever-growing/ever-changing, while bureaucracy is carved in stone.

Finally, remember that in the high stakes employee productivity, motivation and retention game MAP is worth more than money.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the author: Miki Saxon is founder of RampUp Solutions, Inc.

Miki has been coaching startup executives on their cultures and communication skills for 10 years using a system she developed called MAP (mindset, attitude, philosophyTM) that’s predicated on the belief that every outcome starts with a thought, so “To change what they do, change how you thinkTM“

In 2003, she shifted from consulting to a virtual coaching model to accommodate both her clients’ preferences and a move to southern Washington State.

RampUp Solutions is also developing Option SanityTM, the first program to provide an automated, CEO-defined approach (based on the founder’s philosophy) to awarding stock options for any company instituting a stock plan. Beta testing is set for mid-Q3, with full release in Q4. Interested parties should contact miki@RampUpSolutions.com or call 866.265.7267

Miki writes two blogs, MAPping Company Success and Leadership Turn.

May 27, 2009

How to Inform, Inspire and Engage Employees in Today’s World

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Admin @ 8:41 am

Have you ever noticed that no matter how much some things change, others remain the same? The modern workplace has changed almost beyond recognition, yet, many companies still manage their employees as if we were in the 80′s.

Twenty-five years ago, managers basically gave employees tasks to complete, providing only as much detail as needed to get the job done. Workers were almost never asked for their ideas, input or critical thinking.

Today, effective leadership involves a lot more than just telling people what to do. To achieve success you must inform, inspire and engage employees so they will choose to go where you are attempting to lead them.

Inform
Informing is the first step in aligning employees and getting buy-in. It starts with sharing the why, what and how of your strategic plan. Then discuss and get clear on individual roles in meeting the goals necessary to achieve the plan.

To feel informed, today’s employees need clarity on:

  • The mission statement (why you exist)
  • Guiding principles (how you will behave)
  • Value propositions (what you offer to key stakeholders)
  • Destination points (where you are going in one to three years)
  • Strategies (key areas of focus for the entire organization)

Although the need to communicate has not changed over the years, the tools we use to communicate have. Thanks to the Internet and other new technologies, today’s leaders can (and should) communicate in many different ways.

The old standbys — memos, meetings and newsletters — still have their place, only in most cases these have gone digital. In addition to these tools, today’s leaders and managers use e-mail, intranets and online newsletters to communicate quickly and effectively with employees. They also use blogs, webinars and video clips to educate and update employees about company goals and objectives.

Companies with geographically dispersed workforces use conference calls and video teleconferencing to simulate face-to-face interactions. And the more tech-savvy companies, especially those with younger workforces, are even using instant messaging and Twitter to stay connected. Whatever technologies you employ, the key is to communicate often in many different ways to ensure that all employees are focused and aligned.

Inspire
Today’s employees want to believe that their work is making a difference in the world. To inspire others:

  • Share a compelling vision of what tomorrow looks like. How will that vision make the world a better place and improve their lives?
  • Constantly discuss the aspirational components of your model. Why should employees aspire to achieve the goals your organization has set?
  • Share why you believe the destination is compelling. What is it about where the company is going that inspires you?
  • Communicate with enthusiasm and passion. Become a cheerleader for the organizational goals.
  • Ask employees what the vision means to them. Share their responses via e-mail, intranet and in company meetings.
  • Share positive customer feedback. Give people reasons to feel good about what the company does.
  • Celebrate achievement of milestones. We all want to be part of a winning team, so recognize the progress and success along the way to your goals.

The ultimate goal is to get employees talking about what the vision, mission and goals mean to them individually. The more they focus on these areas, the more likely you are to get buy-in and alignment.

Engage
Engaged employees bring more than just their bodies to work. They bring their hearts and souls as well as their best thinking. To keep employees engaged:

  • Visit with them throughout the year to check on their progress. Make sure all individual goals remain aligned with company goals.
  • Share stories of how teams are aligned and achieving goals. Highlight team accomplishments and link them to the strategy they support.
  • Create an employee pledge wall or flip chart where people can affirm their commitment by listing one thing they will do differently to support the goals.
  • To measure employee understanding, commitment, inspiration and engagement, take quick surveys following team or company meetings.
  • Solicit questions via email or intranet and address them in open forums. Publicly thank employees for raising the issues.

Remember that as a leader or manager, your behavior speaks much louder than your words. What are you doing (and not just saying) that communicates the importance of the company’s goals? Conversely, what are you doing that might send a conflicting message? The more your behavior is in alignment with what you are saying, the more you will inform, inspire and engage your employees.

April 16, 2009

Having a Heart Attack and Not Slowing Down

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — Admin @ 8:52 am

It was tough making a choice about my blog topic this week. Do I write about what we are seeing in leadership in the world today or what we are not seeing; do I provide more tips on thriving in a tough economy; do I offer guidance or a checklist on engaging your employees and yourself to win…? or do I write about what my week was really all about?

On March 10th at approximately 7:30am I had a massive heart attack. Now to set the stage, I am a 46 year old female in pretty good shape. I eat right, work out and generally take care of myself (although some would say I work too much and too hard). I don’t have a lot of stress in my life other than the normal stuff most of us are dealing with on a daily basis. I am a Type I diabetic (which means I am insulin dependent) and have been for 30+ years. Heart attacks are always a concern for long term diabetics but you still don’t believe it will ever happen to you.

The ‘massive’ heart attack happened when I was walking up the stairs at a client site Tuesday morning. I got out of breath and felt a sharp but quick pain in my chest. As soon as I walked into the conference room I sat down for a few minutes and the pain as well as the shortness of breath went away. I just thought I was really out of shape since my travel has taken me away from consistent exercise for six months or so. I proceeded to deliver a three hour presentation and then have lunch with the group of executives. I felt fine and had plenty of energy.

I left the meeting, drove 30 minutes to a hotel, checked in, participated in conference calls and worked on client projects until dinner. I had a lovely dinner, a good glass of wine and went to bed early (about 9:30pm). I was tired but I had gotten up at 5am to drive to my earlier client site so it did not seem unusual to me.

At 11pm I sat straight up in bed and was hit with excruciating upper back pain. The muscles between my shoulder blades ached with a deep, dull feeling. I had been having the back pain on and off for three months but thought I had just injured some muscles working out. No sharp pains anywhere so I took ibuprofen and went back to sleep…until 1am when I awoke in almost unbearable discomfort again. Now I knew I could not just keep taking 2 ibuprofen every 2 hours, but I did take one more, pace around the room a lot because it hurt much worse to lie down and finally ended up sitting in a chair and falling asleep until 2am…when I was wide awake again with massive, but dull upper back pain and then… the vomiting started. I literally crawled into the hotel bathroom and stayed there for an hour or so…this lovely cycle continued until about 7am. At that point I called my client for the day and mentioned I would not make it. I showered, washed and dried my hair, ate a bowl of oatmeal and packed up. I departed the hotel at 9am and drove about 1 ½ hours back to San Diego straight to urgent care.

You may be wondering, “Why in the heck didn’t she call 911 during the night?” Well, back pain is generally not a life threatening condition. I was out of town and certainly did not want to get stuck in a hospital away from home. I stay in darn good health so could not imagine this was anything more than strained muscles that were just getting worse.

Upon arrival in San Diego, urgent care admitted me immediately, did an EKG and the doctor called 911 to transport me to the hospital. Within about three minutes of the doctor calling 911, my small room at urgent care was filled with nine or ten young, buff firemen ready to whisk me away. For a moment I thought I had died and actually gone to fireman calendar heaven. Ah, but my dream was short lived as I was whisked into the ER at the hospital, given nitroglycerine, hooked up to every machine available all while all my blood was sucked from me. I hung out in ER in between having dye shot in my veins, medications administered, more blood sucked out, etc. for about eight hours and then I was transported to the Cath Lab where three shiny new stents were inserted into my heart.

Then off to recovery and a flirtation with the ICU since my heart would not stabilize. Six long days later I was released with enough medication to kill a horse or to keep me around a few more years! The sharp pain with shortness of breath was my ‘biggie’. The three months of nagging upper back pain, multiple small heart attacks.

It has been a roller coaster ride filled with emotional and physical ups and downs. One thing so many people have said is “slow down.” But you know, this whole experience does not make me want to slow down. It does make me want to get more focused on what I contribute to who and when so I can do my darnedest to make it happen with whatever time I have left. It makes me want to suck everything I can out of what this world has to offer so I can give as much back as possible. It makes me want to make sure I am living in a way that my children will remember and be proud of. It makes me want to love my friends and family even more so there are no questions when I am gone.

I don’t think I’ll be slowing down, but I will treasure the moments more along the way and I will stay even more focused on doing what I love to do – supporting others in their success – because that is what keeps my spirits high and able to ride whatever roller coaster comes my way!

So, if you had a ‘biggie’, what would you do differently the next day? Anything?
What is it you keep putting off? What are you waiting for?
If you were gone tomorrow, what would you most regret? Can you do something about it now?

…and most importantly, what are you so passionate about that even a massive heart attack is not going to keep you away and what are you doing to make sure your life is filled with that passion?

Thank you for the cards, flowers, twitters, notes and other ways you have reached out over the past week or so. I deeply appreciate the incredible people I am fortunate to know and although I probably won’t stop running most of the time, I might just power walk every now and then so I can continue to support you and your success in whatever small ways I can for a little longer! Thanks for letting me!

March 9, 2009

Trust

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Admin @ 9:24 am

What creates it & how do you maintain it today?

Trust is the state of readiness for unguarded interaction with someone or something. Trust is built and maintained by many small actions over time. Trust is telling the truth, even when it is difficult, and being honest, authentic, and reliable in your dealings with customers and employees. Trust exists on many levels in an organization: with the direct manager, with the leadership, with the team and with the company.

Individuals must have a capacity for trust based on his/her experiences (with the current manager and company as well as with previous employers). The experiences we each have develop or diminish the capacity and willingness to risk trusting others. In the current business environment, there is a continuing decline of trust in companies and leadership overall. Employees watch the news, hear stories and wonder constantly if “it” (being laid off, denied a promotion or raise, having their project stopped, shutting down the company, etc.) is going to happen to them.

Individuals must perceive and believe in the ability of others they work with to perform competently at whatever is needed. During tough times, this belief in others tends to erode especially when communications are lacking concerning how changes impact the organization and success. Couple that with the increasing amount of communication about all the problems in the economy and you quickly have a lopsided equation with the negative far outweighing the positive. Employees are deeply concerned about who is going to be the next company or ‘leader’ exposed in some sort of scandal or unethical behavior.

Lastly, but incredibly important to trust, is a belief that the actions, words, direction, mission, and/or decisions are motivated by mutually-serving rather than self-serving motives. Employees have to know you care about them and are considering their best interests as well as the company’s. During tough times, there is an even greater likelihood that employees will fill in the blanks with negative intentions if they are not getting constant communication about what is going on, how the company will still win and what is in it for them to stay, work hard and remain productive. In almost every breakroom around the country today, employees are wondering how some leaders and senior managers are asking for and getting multi-million dollar bonuses as they are laying off employees and their businesses are failing by every measure. What kind of beliefs does an individual have to justify that sort of behavior and why would you expect that they will ever consider your interests?

There are critical leadership & management behaviors to build and grow trust in today’s environment:

Read the whole post here

August 7, 2008

Traveling Along The Road To Effective Management: Thoughts on Airlines & Leadership

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — Admin @ 1:59 pm

What a whirlwind! Talk about heavy travel… over the last 11 days I have been in 10 different airports, flown 4 different airlines and have had a whole slew of experiences with various types of management and leadership styles! It’s no secret that the slumping economy and rising cost of fuel have affected the airline industry. However, I can’t help but to wonder what the senior leadership of those struggling airlines would think if they could view their companies thru the eyes of a road warrior like me or perhaps even a casual traveler like many of you. Would airline executives be comfortable with the way their vision of customer service, quality and operational excellence is actually coming to life and being applied in the trenches? Countless delays, cancellations, cutbacks and curt staff members certainly is not the way to achieve any desirable management or leadership vision.

I often read the airline provided in-flight magazines when I fly and coincidently, the first few pages of all of them usually have articles on customer service, on how valuable their customers are or about all the changes being made to constantly improve. However, as a traveler, I have not seen these changes come to life. Do they bother to communicate these changes or promises to their employees? If so, in what manner, how and when? And do they make it clear to employees what excellence looks like when the airline employees are living those promises? My gut on this is ‘no’ just based on my travel experiences in the past 12 months alone. One thing I do know is traveling. I average no less than 3 days a week of travel – all over the world and I can count on one hand the number of great airline experiences I have had in the past year. Now that’s really saying something.

Without a clear and constant focus on informing, inspiring and engaging the employees of the airline organizations, how do leaders expect service levels and customer satisfaction or loyalty to increase? It is no secret that ongoing communication and engagement with employees has never been a strength of corporate America, but today- more than ever- it is a necessity.

As a consumer, I have too many options and too many forums to vent my frustration with anything less! And with the supersonic pace we are traveling today, you cannot assume mentioning expectations once is going to garner the desired result. Leaders today have to be even more vigilant about keeping what is important to their brand and what is valued by their customers front and center for themselves and their entire organizations…there can be no other way.

© 2010, The Human Factor, Inc.