Day 1 | Working From Home ... 5 Kids are present ...

How to work from home when everyone is home.

It’s day one. Monday. Working from home. I was all set to be productive. It’s 1:13 p.m. and my bride is potty training our 2.58 year old baby girl. Ezra did the 3 pages of homework and 20 minutes of reading assigned. Elliott is studiously working. Titus has wrapped up for the day and is installing new door knobs and locks on the house. Elizabeth, my niece, is now Spider-man and she has finished her school work as well. I’m trying to work. There are only five kids running around the house. No big deal.

There’s a book on my “soon to read” shelf: it’s called, “Deep Work.” It’s all about focusing. I might pick it up tonight since I can’t watch Duke and Arkansas make a run for the playoffs.

So the question is not only, “How do we collaborate well with our team from a distance?” but the question is also, “How do I focus?”

For today, let’s talk about how to focus.

Work From Home Tip 1: Interruptions are everywhere, embrace them and calm down.

Remember when you were interrupted at the office last week and you responded in a polite, fun, and curious way? We recommend a similar response at home. For some reason at home, we pretend we can’t be bothered because our work is super important. Here’s my thought: If we respond in a relationally healthy way, we won’t have as much conflict at home, therefore; easier to focus.

Work From Home Tip 2: Manage your priorities effectively with your team.

Know what has to get knocked out and don’t let the less urgent, less important tasks get in the way of the most important. Plan out your top priorities for the week. Be sure to set meetings or request what you need from others in a timely manner so you’re not inadvertently creating stress for them . Remember, they have 23 kids running around the house as well, with a significant other trying to work from home too. :)

Our Insight team is leveraging Microsoft Teams to collaborate and keep up with who is doing what. Thanks to Angela Lowther, COO of Hatcher Agency for showing us the ropes! Leverage the tools you have or take the time to learn some new online collaboration tools. Slowing down to figure out new work from home norms will help you work at a better and more effective pace sooner than later.

Work From Home Tip 3: Set schedules and fix them again.

Set schedules, see if they work. Set schedules again, see if they work. Do it again. Make sure the schedules work for you, your team, your spouse, and your kids. We have to be realistic that we aren’t typically going to have 4 consecutive hours of quiet. Set realistic expectations for schedules. When our current state of the union has reverted back to some kind of normalcy, I know that I want my team to be able to say, “My boss was considerate of the adjustment needed in this environment. He/She was effective while also valuing my contributions when my personal and professional lives were colliding”. We can imagine what the opposite reflection could look like. For example, right now my wife and sister-in-law are swapping potty training secrets…

Focus! Focus! Focus! Okay I’m back.

1. Embrace the interruptions and enjoy this season as much as you can.

2. Mange your priorities and communicate well with your team.

3. Set schedules and establish new norms.

Share your work from home tips with the community and let’s all help one another out!

For more work from home tips check out a great post from another leader who navigating the shifts and changes: https://www.mindgenius.com/homeworking-homeschooling-in-covid-19-by-brad-egeland/

Are My Great Ideas Getting In The Way of Success?

Are they? Let’s find out.

• Do you come up with ideas quickly and then take quick action?

• Do you ask your team to take action on your ideas?

• Do you look at current project’s status, profitability, and team capacity before asking the team to go down another road, or add to their plate? 

• Do you celebrate the success of the new projects getting completed or start new ones before old ones are complete?

You might see where this is going… This is a common theme that we often hear about and it’s typically communicated from two different perspectives.

Perspective 1 (The Leader With Awesome Ideas): I have an awesome team who adapts to change quickly and is willing to do what it takes. They are agile and keep working on new projects so we can be an innovative organization.

Perspective 2 (The Team Working With The Leader With Awesome Ideas): My CEO is good, that’s how we got here, but with with the growing organization I’m not sure who is going to last longer… them or me. They continually have new ideas that they get my team working on without taking into consideration the other projects and priorities of the team. We aren’t able to complete any meaningful work and move a project forward because we are constantly shifting gears based on the “latest idea.”

You might notice the perspectives are quite different… Here’s the deal. You need to realize your team is getting drained. They listen to you, respect your brilliance, and want to see everything succeed, but those LinkedIn recruitment messages are getting more enticing after each of these interactions with you.

Here’s a way to do a quick gut check:

• Write down how many projects your teams are working on. I mean actually working on. You know - hours in the day are going towards project completion. We all know there is a difference between actual work and keeping the project on the task list to make sure they cover their butts during the next leadership meeting.

• How many ideas are your team members working on and how many of them have a real completion date and profitability plan?

• How often do ask your leaders (or their teams) to start something without first discussing or taking into consideration what other priorities they actively have from you or other parts of the organization?

Are your answers what you expected? Would your leaders come up with the same lists?

Let’s be honest. That might sting a little. It’s okay to have a gut check every now and then.

You are doing your best and working hard to be a great leader. You are connecting with team members, trying to stay innovative and bearing a large weight from the pressure you feel every day. You are doing what you are doing to make everything work.

With that…

• Sometimes we move so quickly that we don’t take into account how our quick action impacts the workload of people we have the opportunity to work with.

• Sometimes we move so quickly that we don’t take into account how our quick action impacts the motivation of the people we have the opportunity to work with.

• Sometimes we move so quickly that we don’t take into account how our quick action impacts the overall retention of the people we have the opportunity to work with.

• Sometimes we move so quickly that we don’t take into account how our quick action impacts the personal lives of the people we have the opportunity to work with.

Sometimes we get so excited about the idea that we overlook the six months of work we are asking our teams to knock out, only to change direction again or hit pause before completion. It’s important to consider the unintended frustration that the team may be experiencing.

I get it - it’s tough - and I can relate. When I know where we should shift I get excited. I get pumped and I want my team to be pumped up too! Sometimes I’m so pumped I don’t realize they aren’t… and they aren’t telling me. (That’s a post for another day)

So… if you are sensing that maybe you are a leader with great ideas moving too quickly or pulling your team instead of leading them, what can you do?

Here are some thoughts:

1) Take 15 minutes to circulate your new idea with your team leads to get their perspective. Try to lead in this area without pulling them or pushing them. If getting buy-in takes two, 15-minute meetings, I promise a team with buy-in is more creative, productive, and efficient than a team feeling forced.

2) Kick off a “Skunkworks” team for new ideas. Make it a part of your succession planning program to give up-and-coming leaders opportunities to work on impactful projects that offer growth for them both personally and professionally.

3) Layer your new ideas into an existing project/workload plan to help manage the capacity of the team. Sometimes this can highlight a lack of resources or perhaps offer an opportunity for you to re-prioritize initiatives. Leverage the Insight Planning Tool to help every leader and team understand where to focus, how their contributions will add value, how to keep the project profitable and how the project delivers on your organization’s vision. Message us for more info.

How have you been able to stay innovative and nimble while also keeping your team focused and motivated and your organization profitable?

Frequently Asked Questions

WHO DOES INSIGHT LEADERSHIP WORK WITH?

We have been in the people and organizational development business for quite a while. Our approach works with small, mid-size, and fortune 500 leaders, teams and organizations. We have worked with healthcare organizations, architecture firms, banking, law firms, publishing groups, engineers, tech gurus, service industry pros, retail, and CPG companies to name a few.

DO YOU ONLY DO EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT OR CAN YOU WORK WITH MANAGERS?

We tailor our sessions to meet the needs of the audience. We serve leaders at all levels in organizations of various sizes. Our 201 Performance Management Product is a great tool for managers as well as the SDI 2.0 Inventory to help managers learn to leverage their strengths to become more effective people leaders.

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT TO FOCUS ON?

Well … it depends. Many clients take advantage of our Cultural Health Assessment to help guide the creation of a strategic talent development plan. We then focus on what the data and interviews reveal to develop a targeted approach.

DO WE NEED TO PURCHASE THE SDI 2.0 FOR EVERY SESSION?

Yes and No. We can deliver great content to your team without the SDI 2.0. However, the Strength Deployment Inventory helps you and your team gain a strong common language, self-awareness and an understanding of your team that truly makes a big difference in the post-training results.

WHAT MAKES THE SDI 2.0 Assessment MORE EFFECTIVE THAN OTHERS?

We have used DiSC, Myers Briggs, Strengths Finders, Birkman, Colors, Hogan, and now the Enneagram. We keep leveraging the SDI 2.0 because we have found it to be a validated tool that truly helps leaders, teams, and organizations improve quickly. The SDI 2.0 measures how you lead when things are going well and how you lead in conflict. Then it layers on our strengths and overdone strengths in a way that the other tools don’t. The SDI helps leaders sell, lead through change, manage, drive a healthy culture, and improve relationships at work and at home. That’s why we choose to continue using it! Many leaders say, “all assessments are basically the same”. We used to say the same thing. Anytime our clients use the SDI 2.0 or they immediately see the difference.

WHAT MAKES YOUR TRAINING DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS?

Laura and I have been developing leaders for over 30 years. We bring our expertise to each session. We walk you through a process to accomplish your goals. We don’t walk you through a canned program and pretend to solve all of your problems. We typically co-facilitate to make sure we can help you navigate anything you need in the moment while providing you a fun, engaging and interactive experience.

4 Tips For Leading Under Pressure

Leading Under Pressure 
One of my greatest fears is operating an Instapot. I love the tool, the quick results, etc ... , but when Meg (my wife) asks me to check the Instapot, I start looking for the vacuum or anything else to avoid having to use that intimidating device. There is a ridiculous amount of pressure and if the pressure isn't managed properly it can make a very dangerous mess. 

When we are leading under pressure if we don't navigate it well (and properly) we can make a dangerous mess. Our decisions as leaders impact the lives of the people we are fortunate enough to support. Sometimes the weight becomes painful. I love the quote from Max Depree - "Leaders don't inflict pain, they bear the pain." I'll tell you what - bearing pain can be intense and if we aren't careful we will inflict more pain than we were bearing. 

So how do we lead under pressure and not run for the vacuum? During the past few months here's what I'm learning. 

1) Never lead alone. Lean on the leaders in and/or out of your organization. Here's what that means. Before sending pivotal communication to your leaders and/or your organization, let your coach or trusted advisors review it. Yes - it's on you, but no, you don't have to go it alone. Sometimes you receive affirmation that helps you sleep and sometimes you receive coaching that helps you sleep. Either way, it's good. 
2) Slow down and you will go faster. If you make the right decision in the right way, you will head down the right path. Don't make every decision you think of. Don't send every response that pops into your mind right away. Don't get caught sprinting at the beginning of the half-marathon, you won't make it. Remember the big picture and slow down so you can go faster longer.
3) Commit. You've gotten feedback from trusted advisors and have thought through the decisions that needed to be made.  Now it's time to commit.  Commit to hitting start on that Instapot.  The pressure may build during the execution, however you've taken the right steps to ensure the end product is what will drive you forward to success.  When the pressure is on you, you can't just wait and see. 
4) Trust your people. Communicate openly and honestly with your team about the decision and direction you're taking.  If you have been leading well, everyone you need is in your corner. You are not alone. Let them share in the process as much as possible across all levels. When you need them the most they will show up for you. 


Let me give you an example of how this might translate into a real work scenario. You have a leader with a lot of great ideas and she's a great person. One that you would definitely enjoy a glass of wine and Instapot meal with. She trusts her team can do anything and that they are flexible and understand her intentions. Because of this, she shares her ideas freely and expects the team to jump in and deliver without a lot of clear direction. When the team has questions, the answers are sparse, if available at all. The team tries their best and when they come across obstacles that prevent forward movement, the leader throws out another idea. You can imagine the personal and professional conflict this might create for the group. Being a good person is a great start, getting the team involved is important for ultimate buy-in.  However, in this common scenario, the important aspects of slowing down to go faster and committing were absent. 

Here’s the deal. We will all screw up. We won’t get it right all the time. However, if we try to follow these four steps while leading under pressure we will get it right more often than not. You’ve got this. If you get stuck or need some help, just give us a call.

What has helped you lead well under pressure?

January 2020 Joke Answer

Yep - You are intrigued!

We aren’t going to waste your time. Here’s the answer.

Joke Answer:

A laughing stock! (Now that’s humerus)

Get it … That’s three for one!

Have an incredible day.

Rest and Reset

We all want to rest, but many times we forget how. Taking a day off doesn’t change our heart rate. Delegating a task doesn’t always decrease our anxiety. How can we find rest, real rest and actually reset?

At Insight Leadership Group we talk about “Finding the Eddy”. An eddy is a section of the river where the current shifts, forming a small pool of water in which you can “rest”. While on the river you can either find the eddy or start slamming into the rocks when you are tired. It’s the same at work. We can let the hustle and grind lead to exhaustion and frustration or pull into eddy to reset. We reset by remembering who we are, where we are going, how we are going to get there, and who we are going with.

This Insight Guide is not meant to be completed in a day. It’s a process and it should challenge you. Work the process and share it with your close friends or coach and get back on track to being the leader you want to be.

As always - if you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Leadership, Communication and Team Building Training

Sometimes the first question we receive from potential clients is: “What kind of leadership training do you offer?”. Leadership, Management, Communication, Emotional Intelligence …? The answer is yes, yes, yes …

The follow-up question is usually, “What would you recommend?”. I feel like a bad salesman with my response because I don’t always have a good answer. You see, we can’t recommend something to you without knowing what you need, but I do know that we can help you with your needs!

The third question is typical, “Do you have any assessments you use for training?”. We use the SDI 2.0 for executive coaching and to make each session and program customized to all participants. We do facilitate training without the SDI 2.0, however, the SDI 2.0 does bring an incredible layer of personalization and depth for long term development to each session.

With that extra-long introduction, below is a list of leadership, communication, and team-building sessions we have offered over the past few years. It is not all-inclusive by any means, and we regularly create custom programs as requested.

Leadership Training

• Lead With Emotional Intelligence

• Effective Networking For People Who Hate Networking

• The Art of Challenging Conversations

• The Art and Science of Navigating Conflict

• The Art of Relational & Results-Focused Leadership

• Insight Team Building

• Customer Service 2.0

• 201 Performance Management

• Nailed It! Presentation Training

• Leading and Navigating Change

• Navigating Organizational Conflict

• Leading With Your Strengths

Experiential Add-On Options

• Rock Climbing

• Axe Throwing

• Escape Room

• Build-A-Bike

• Top Golf

Leadership programs

• Arkansas Business Executive Leadership Academy

  • Build Your Foundation

  • Build Your Culture

  • Build Your Endurance

  • Build Your Pipeline

  • Build Your Future

• Rest.Hustle.Grind.

  • The Rest | Vision, Strategy, Values

  • The Hustle | Communication and Execution

  • The Grind | Ownership and Agility

• 201 Performance Management Certification

  • 201 Performance Management 2.0

  • 201 Performance Coaching

  • 201 Performance Next Level Coaching

Give us a call to talk through which sessions and programs would meet your specific needs!

Assessments

• Strength Deployment Inventory 2.0

• Core Strengths Inventory

• Cultural Health Assessment 

The Conundrum of Leading With Humility

Have you ever walked into a restaurant and seen a couple that causes you to do a double take? You ask yourself, “How did he ever get the chance to marry her?” You aren't being mean; it just doesn't make sense. It goes against everything you learned and experienced in school. Yet, there they are, in a healthy relationship.

That is how many view humility and leadership. The thought of humility blended with corporate success doesn't make any sense. How can you succeed if you put others first? How can you win if you look out for the interests of others? How can you dominate the market if you care about something other than the bottom line?

The answer rests in understanding humility. As C.S. Lewis writes, “Humility isn't about thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”

A common view is that the opposite of humility is pride. Many argue that pride is a symptom of insecurity. When we lead through insecurity, we are actually puffing ourselves up and losing our humility. Our leadership becomes filled with trying to obtain or maintain power and control. Obviously we want to be authentic leaders, but we can’t be authentic without humility. And part of that means being secure in ourselves – so much so that we give more to others.

When you lead with humility, some might look at you and wonder how you will continue to be influential with great results. Some might look at you and wonder why you don’t tear people down in public, they might wonder why you don’t speak first in the meeting, they might look at you and wonder why you have so many coffee meetings. But you just have selfless ambition and value others. Nothing gets in the way of your results, but you don’t devalue people in your pursuit of the result.

Here is what this looks like in the office:

• When you see someone struggling, help them instead of watching them drown.

• If your idea is not the best idea, use your influence to promote the best idea.

• If your idea is the best idea, work to see things from the team’s perspective as well.

• Give credit to others instead of yourself.

• Value everyone, not just the people who can promote you.

What have you done to be an authentic leader? Share your thoughts!

Performance Management | The 201° Story

It was the summer of 2019. Our family was officially growing from 3 boys to 3 boys and little girl. So our house size needed to grow as well. We found the perfect house in the woods. Sure … it had what Meg needed inside, but it also has what I need outside. A massive, custom-built, Texas-style smoker.

Okay. Here’s how I fed my family and friends all summer. Here’s when it clicked.

Great management is like smoking a pork shoulder. Don’t roll your eyes - get ready to go eat and become a better manager. Management is not just telling people what to do and making sure it’s done. Management should truly be helping your people achieve their fullest potential and then celebrating when it happens! That doesn’t happen organically, naturally or easily. It takes a process. (just like it takes a process to get to 201°!)

Step 1 | Preparation

The Food: Preparation is key. The right cut of meat, the right spices, the right temp on the fire. If you don’t prepare, there’s a good chance you won’t enjoy the end result.

The Backyard Smoker

The Manager: Onboarding the team member properly makes a drastic impact on the success of that team member. Build a relationship with them, find their strengths, discover their communication style and bring clarity to how they can succeed. We leverage the SDI 2.0 to help shorten the learning curve in new relationships and enhance those that already exist.

Step 2 | Maintain Consistency

The Food: The pork shoulder is on the grate. It’s cooking. There are three responsibilities I have during this step of the process.

a) Monitor the smoker temperature

b) Monitor the meat temperature

c) Continue to add the proper amount of logs to the fire to maintain the temperature

The goal is consistency. It takes effort, checking, knowing the right size of the log to put in the fire box. The meat can keep improving with consistency.

The Manager: Maintaining a consistently healthy work environment is key to developing a direct report to reach their potential. Our check-in process helps the team member take ownership of their development and gives you the opportunity to provide steady feedback so they can keep improving. The goal is growth and moving towards 201°. If you don’t keep the fire going or if you let it go for too long the temp can drop. That’s when you need to lean in even more to get back on track.

Step 3 | The Wrap

Time To Wrap!

The Food: The pork is edible at 145°, but it would be horrible. It’s like giving a direct report a task and they complete it, but they do such a bad job that you will never ask them to do it again. Well - that could be on you for asking them too soon. (maybe). Back to the food. When the pork shoulder reaches 180° you pull it out and wrap it in foil. The foil increases the temp faster and gets it to 201° in half the time. If you wrap too soon the pork can cook but will lose out on the flavor and burnt ends. You have to do the wrap at the right time, which is clear to you since you are checking it on a regular basis to maintain consistency.

The Manager: When the team member is ready for next-level coaching you need to provide it. You have been maintaining consistency and development for them, but you and I both know that some comments they need to hear they won’t hear until they are ready. We don’t want to break them, we want to develop them. Picture a team member at 180° and you are almost to 201°. It’s time to have a conversation about their growth, development and how they can hit the next level. Then you maintain consistency at a faster pace to help them get there.

Step 4 | The Celebration and Rest

The Food: When the temperature gauge on the meat hits 201° it’s a party for all. Hard work is going to pay off soon. You pull the pork shoulder off gently because it’s falling apart already. After you pull it off the smoker it’s time to let it rest for an hour. It’s still cooking. It’s 201° degrees! Let it rest for an hour and finish prepping the rest of the meal. If you don’t let it rest you will not experience the full potential of what you spent so much time working on.

The Manager: When the team member pushes through a challenging project with success and hits 201° you celebrate! When we Hustle and Grind we need to remember to Rest! If we don’t give them a moment to rest we will miss out on the team member truly hitting their full potential.

Well … that’s the 201° Performance Management Story. It’s time for you to experience your own 201° stories. Give us a shout to bring 201° to you soon.

4 Reasons You Need A Presentation Coach

4 Reasons you need a presentation coach

• Could Christian Pulisic have scored a hat trick in the premier league without coaching?

• Could the Pioneer Woman have been able to make southern food great without coaching?

• Could Steph Curry have defied the odds without coaching?

Anyone who has done something great has had someone in their corner helping them and guiding them along the way. If you are preparing for a career impacting presentation or speech, you might need a coach in our corner.

Here are four ways to know you need to call us:

1) You started preparing for your speech with a PowerPoint.

Listen - how many influential presentations have you heard with a death by PowerPoint presentation? We want people to remember you and your message - not your slides.

2) You can’t share a story without ummmsss and ahhhs ..

You can be great, but if you have a great amount of filler words and noises you won’t be great today. Just like you are distracted by filler noise - so will be your audience. Let us help you nail your presentation so your audience will know your message versus your filler word of choice. ummk.

3) You can’t open up and grab your audience.

You’ve seen it happen a million times. The speaker starts talking and you start checking email. You don’t want to be the speaker that gives everyone a chance to catch up on work they are “missing”. You want to be the speaker that causes people to remember your message and forget about their calendars.

4) You have friends that say you are great.

You are awesome. We know that. However, if you have friends who are not telling you how to improve your speaking, they can’t be trusted to guide you towards delivering an influential presentation.

Do they check your:

• Content for flow, timing, and impact?

• Body language?

• Hand motions?

• Pacing?

• Storytelling?

• Vocal variety?

• Transitions?

Listen - we all have great friends, but if I’m going into a career impacting presentation, I want my friends in my corner and a coach who is guiding me towards the win.

Give us a call if you are ready to advance your ability to deliver a presentation to your fullest potential!

Filters

Filters

Sometimes people just don’t believe it. It’s because they see from their filter. Years ago I realized the impact that 23 flavors (Dr. Pepper) had on waistline and I had to make a change. However, bad coffee was not the answer. Then one day I tasted the glory of great coffee and my whole perspective shifted. Now - during a training, I try to let people know about great coffee (French Press) as well as how to be great leaders. Pam put out a challenge to me. She said - “next session make us French Press coffee”. Challenge accepted. The picture above is Laura doing her first ever press. Then … it happened … they realized what they hadn’t ever before. They realized French Press is the greatest way to brew coffee.

Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know. I think it’s important to remember that we don’t know what we don’t know.

Obviously, it’s easy to see that a French Press, Keurig, drip, and pour over are all different ways to brew coffee. Different filters give you different ways to taste the same type of coffee.

Well .. I have my own filter for communicating and making decisions. Just like you have yours. The SDI 2.0 helps us see everyone’s filter in a data-driven way. We map out the filters of everyone you work with and put that information at the tip of your fingers. This is a game changer for anyone wanting to improve their communication and leadership. Great leaders can see from the filters of everyone they work with and then tailor their communication so others can understand them.

Who knows … when you learn to see from someone else’s perspective and filter you might realize they were right. It’s hard to admit, but if Pam and Laura can admit it - so can you!

Learn to see from someone’s filter today.

Go enjoy a great French Press coffee today.

Remember What's Important

Remember what’s important

Last night I was watching Secretariat with my 13-year-old son. He's captivated by pretty much any movie that has to do with anything sports-related.

About half-way through the movie, everything seems to be falling apart. Red, the horse, is not eating or running. The owner leveraged everything she had on the horse winning the triple crown. In those moments it seemed like everything was falling apart after everything had been going so well.

As I was watching that section of the movie, I felt like those 4 minutes summed up my day. It was the kind of day when nothing was going right. Proposals weren't signed, friends were getting divorced, and the list goes on.

All of a sudden, what they thought was a life-changing issue was not a big deal.

It seems that way in life. We put so much stock into what happens today that we can forget what can happen tomorrow. A few years ago if I had a day that didn't go as planned, I would have stayed up all night working because of my short-sighted view of the big picture. I would have justified skipping:

• story time with my four kids (3 boys and 1 little girl)

• watching a movie with my son

• sipping wine with my wife

Let's be honest, a few years ago that happened often!

My business is much healthier now than when I started, but my ability to remember what's important and not let bad moments ruin my day and shift my focus has improved as well.

I hope to dominate life at work. But if some days I miss out on dominating life at work - that's no excuse for missing out on loving life at home.

Let's remember that there is more to life than what happens today. While what happens today is essential it shouldn't ruin our ability to engage with who and what is most important. We can always rest, wake up tomorrow and get back after it.

How do you keep yourself from forgetting what's important in life when life doesn't go your way?

Why SDI 2.0?

Three Reasons To Bring SDI 2.0 To Your Team

There are a four things that we often hear when working with new teams and clients.

1) We have a great people.

2) Our great people don’t know how to communicate.

3) I (managers) am nervous to bring direct feedback to the great people because of a fear of conflict.

4) Drama drains the team and damages the ability to get great work done.

All of these statements point towards why we leverage the SDI 2.0 instead of other tools.

Here’s the deal, there are plenty of tools on the market and some of them are pretty good. Here are three core reasons we use this one.

1) Stickiness | The concepts and language around when things are going well, when we are in conflict, strengths and overdone strengths are simple and easy to bring into every day work life. If a tool can’t be integrated into your work, it probably isn’t the right tool to invest in.

2) Awareness | Myers Briggs, Birkman, DiSC, Enneogram can all help us become more self-aware of our norms (some better than others), however the SDI 2.0 hits the nail on the head to help us find our voice when we are at our best and navigate conflict to get back to our best when things aren’t going our way.

3) Scalable | My wife will tell you … I don’t like to spend money, but when I do buy something I want to buy something that will last. This assessment will last and can continue to scale throughout your organization. It’s not a one and done tool for a fun training, it’s a tool that drives healthy relational results in your organization and helps each leader take the next step with their development.

Here’s the fourth personal reason. For years I worked with other tools and always felt like they were okay, but not great. This was first tool that helped me realize what I did to make a mess. The first tool that nailed my conflict sequence on the head and caused me to apologize to my wife and realize how to be a better husband. The first tool that caused to me realize why I could get the right results and tick so many people off in the process. The first tool to help me see how I could continue to get great results, but with healthy relationships. I wanted to help people, but it wasn’t always evident. Now … it’s evident more often than it was before.

We hope this helps you think through which tool to use. We loved bringing it to the Walton Arts Center Team in 2019!

Build-A-Bike

Build-A-Bike Leadership Training

We were at the Gaylord Golf Club in Nashville, Tennessee on a beautiful summer day. I’ve been plenty of places for training and keynotes, but today was a different kind of day.

I’ll never forget the moment at the top of the stairs. The management trainees were just informed that the bikes they built during the training were going to be delivered to inner city kids who have never had a bike and most of them didn’t know how to ride a bike.

Immediately the tears started streaming and then laughter, disbelief and joy. The Cintas Team Members took the kids into the parking lot, gave them a helmet and taught them how to ride. About 15 minutes into riding around a parking lot (dodging the latest Mercedes Benz now dangerously parked) a kid turned and asked, how much longer he was going to be able to ride. He couldn’t believe the bike was his.

Then my wife rolled in with Chick-Fil-A for the kids and the plush golf club let us all eat with the kids in the club house, overlooking a golf course most will never see again.

It was a good day. A powerful day. A day of effective training.