Purpose and Resignations

Life on Mission | Life on Purpose
 
What is fueling the “great resignation”?
 
Yes – people want a healthier culture to work in.
Yes – people want more flexibility with their schedules
Yes – people want to make sure ​the money is there.
 
It is those things. However, I believe it’s also something much deeper. I believe that, for so long, our identities have been caught up in what we do and where we do it. Think back to every networking event and gala, “I’m [insert name], I’m the [insert fancy title], at [insert org name]."  We went to work, went home, ate dinner, went to work one email, rinse repeat.

Yes, there’s a little sarcasm dripping in there, but if we are honest with ourselves not too much.
 
We can justify anything. We can justify working long hours to get ahead and to be successful. Then we wonder why the fabric of our society has been pulling apart, as work family has replaced actual family.
 
Then COVID came and interrupted everything. Everyone realized that there’s another way to live and many are pursuing it.
 
I think what they are actually pursuing is identity. They are pursuing purpose. They are pursuing a clear and compelling vision.
 
There’s an interesting verse in the book of Proverbs from the Bible. It says, “Where there is no vision the people perish” The Hebrew word “perish” used means, there is no restraint, no direction, no parameters. Meaning people "perish" because they have no clear direction and no boundaries set to get there.
 
Vision provides destination; mission provides guardrails; values provide fuel; and strategy provides a roadmap.
 
I believe the great resignation is happening because people have been living their lives, following a roadmap with no compelling destination. Suddenly, retirement at 65 isn’t exciting enough. They want to live with purpose today.
 
So, what do we do with this realization?

• As Leaders/People/Humans: Find your purpose. Find your vision. Find what pumps you up, what brings fulfillment, and what you're passionate about. Then find ways to integrate that at work and home. Clarify your values and be proud of your journey and destination.

• As Organizational Leaders: Help your leaders and employees see how they can leverage their strengths, so they are energized at work. Help leaders see how their personal vision can align with the organizational vision. If your organizational vision lacks clarity and your employees lack purpose, give us a call.

 
Our hope at Insight Leadership Group is that you are a healthy, transformational leader who loves life at work and loves life at home. We want you to be extremely successful at work and dominate the market! We want you to be equally successful at home - leaving a legacy worth remembering.
 
We don’t want to ask questions and make statements without offering a viable solution. Download the Insight Action Guide right here. This unique tool is used with every executive coaching client to help them clarify their purpose. Inevitably when the leaders find their identify and rest – everything else seems to work out.
 
If you are a senior level leader looking for more. Check out our Courage and Conviction Leadership Series. We provide small group executive leadership experiences to help leaders rest and take the next step.
 
Free Download: Insight Action Guide
Management: 201° Performance Management Coaching
Management/Leadership Development: Courageous Leaders Cohort
Executive/Leadership Development: Arkansas Business Executive Leadership Academy
Executive/Senior Leader Development: Courage and Conviction Leadership Experiences

Everything is for sale?

We’ve all had one of those friends or neighbors. You know the ones who are willing to sell anything they own at a moments notice for the right price. We hear, “everything is always for sale” at least once every time we are with them.
 
On the surface I can roll with it. Things are just things, and we should not be too tied to them. On the other hand – if everything is for sale … is there anything not for sale? Meaning – will money and profit guide our decision making every time – or do we have some priorities that aren’t for sale? Like – dinner with our families, dates with our spouse, attending our kids games, breaking a promise to a team member? 
 
It was Christmas Eve, and I received a message the airline that we had the chance to change our flights for up to $750 per ticket! I got excited about this opportunity for a moment, but then realized changing Meg’s birthday trip for $1,400 might not be the best way to say Happy Birthday! We opted out of changing flights and stayed the course to Daphne Island.
 
We were sitting in the airport on the way home trying to fly out early after a debacle with customer service. We were on the flight … we were off the flight … we needed two people to not show up for the flight so we could get on the flight. Read that a few times. Then the message came through the PA system at our terminal, "We will offer $700 for anyone who is willing to change flights." 

A couple sitting across from us starting to talk through it. The husband said, maybe I can just meet you in NYC and hopefully get there in time to watch the ball drop. The wife had a look of surprise and disbelief. Was $700 worth changing their vacation and missing their NYC experience?
 
The question started to swirl – is everything for sale? If everything is for sale do we have any convictions about what is not for sale?
 
It’s amazing how our drive to pad our accounts, to rise through the ranks, to earn the bonus, to get a step ahead can cause to us to put what’s important on the back burner. It’s so easy to replace what is actually important with the urgency of what seems important.
 
As we watched the couple discuss the options, we saw the demeanor start to shift as they actually processed changing their plans for a flight credit. The wife said, “you can do it, you should do it …” Everyone sitting around them heard the statements the same way every husband over 35 years old hears, “I don’t care where we go to eat”. The couple boarded the plane together.
 
At Insight Leadership Group we are focused on helping leaders love life at work and love life at home. We’ve seen that leaders who don’t have clear priorities, leaders who don’t have clear boundaries, leaders who don’t have clear values – are leaders who struggle to love life at work and love life at home. Not because they are ineffective, not because they are bad people, not because they don’t care, but because they always have to stop and think: Is the price right for my convictions to shift?
 
Leaders who know what’s not for sale. Leaders who have clear boundaries, who have clear values, who know their mission … they don’t debate if it’s worth it. They already know the answer and lead forward with courage and conviction.
 
Here a few resources we have to help leaders love life at work and love life at home. Take the next step as a leader or help the leaders you serve continue to develop.

 
Free Download: Insight Action Guide
Management: 201° Performance Management
Management/Leadership Development: Courageous Leaders Cohort
Executive/Leadership Development: Arkansas Business Executive Leadership Academy
Executive/Senior Leader Development: Courage and Conviction Leadership Experiences

Flying Through the Fog

Meg and I were flying back from a get-a-way trip after Christmas and storms were brewing everywhere. As we were approached Charlotte, we could barely see the wing of the airplane. We were in a thick fog with zero visibility. And yet … our flight wasn’t delayed.
 
When I’m driving through the fog I have to slow way down because I can’t see where I’m going. There’s the fear that I’m about hit something right in front of me.

I’ve been hiking through the fog in the Smokey Mountains, and it is obvious why they have that name. When hiking along a ridge with steep drops to the right or left in the thick fog – it's imperative to make sure every step is the right step.
 
Yet – there we were – flying right along, right on time into Charlotte.
 
We’ve all been there. Going through the day as if we are in the middle of the fog. Due to external factors, we become hesitant to take a step because we can’t see where we are going.  The fog can be debilitating at times and cause us to miss opportunities that are right in front of us. We start to stress, get anxious, get frustrated because instead of continuing to cruise towards our destination we start over analyzing each step like it could be our last.
 
What’s difference between flying through the fog and driving through the fog?

• When flying, we have our destination coordinates, route planned, and air traffic controllers helping us navigate. The pilot is not on their own – so you trust the plan and carry on.

• When driving – we are limited to what we can see and are forced to adjust accordingly. We are forced to slow down or move forward recklessly.

Is it possible to fly through the fog at work rather than drive through the fog?
 
Hang with me a moment.

• How many times do we focus so much on ourselves that we forget to collaborate? You are in the middle of a change initiative, but you haven’t collaborated with the people who are impacted by the change.

• You are in the middle of adjusting roles and salaries for the organization, but you have not collaborated with the leaders of those teams to hear their perspectives.

• You are in the middle of a huge sales promotion, but you have not collaborated with operations to make sure the teams are ready to deliver.

• You are in the middle of … you get the picture.

 
How many times are we forced to slow down or move forward recklessly? Instead of realizing that impacted parties can act as the air traffic controller, collaborating to gain more vision, we treat them as a barrier keeping us from our destination.
 
The people you have opportunity to serve as a leader can help you fly through the fog without losing momentum. You just have to take the opportunity to strategically collaborate with them.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

My usual mantra to shopping is to “get in and get out.” However, this trip was a vacation. I looked up at the display and saw it. My first thought was, “sounds terrible.” My second thought was, “Meg’s favorite pie is Strawberry Rhubarb, so she would probably appreciate the jam.” Points scored! Meg was pumped for her new favorite jam. Our vacation was off to a great start.
 
A few days later, we were on the trip home, and the jam was in my laptop bag. The friendly security guard searched my bag and pulled out the jam. This wasn’t the first time he’d pulled jam from a laptop bag.
 
That’s when we had to make a choice. Check the bag or ditch the jam. The real question became, “is the new favorite jam worth $35?” (the cost for purchase and checked bag). Is the new favorite jam worth risking our luggage arriving at the location and worth waiting on our luggage when we arrive at our destination?
 
Meg assessed what’s essential in travel and life quickly. She ditched the jam I thoughtfully purchased for her. I was emotionally prepared to spend $35 but thankful we didn’t.
 
There are times in life when our favorite things aren’t the most important. We have to let go of our favorite things to focus on the most important. 
 
There are times when leading what you deemed most important becomes secondary to what is essential.
 
For example, it was important for every employee to be at the office three years ago. Today it’s crucial for every employee to be accomplishing their responsibilities at home or work.
 
What was important (employees to work on time) became less critical than employee safety.
 
What’s most important never changed—employee health, employee engagement, employee productivity, employee retention, etc.
 
How you lead now has changed and will continue to adjust to accomplish what’s most important. It’s not letting go of your values; it’s making sure you value what’s most important. It’s making sure that what’s not essential doesn’t hold you back.  
 
So, the question becomes: What’s your Strawberry Rhubarb Jam? What do you need to leave behind so you don’t waste resources and lose efficiencies in your business?
 
If the answer is easy, but the change is hard – give us a call.

Depression

I'm tired today ... 
I think I'll sleep just a little longer today ... 
Let's just stay home today ... 
Let's push that date back ... 

As I type and retype this note to you I question myself. It is okay to be this vulnerable? I'm a husband of almost 20 years, father of 4, split wood to use the smoker wearing flannel, and still chase a ball around the pitch in umbros. (meaning I feel tough) Life is good. But, for some reason I had found myself tired, sleeping more, lacking motivation, and a little down. I've coached and counseled plenty of leaders going struggling with some sort of depression, but I had a hard time owning it myself. This past two years we have navigated plenty of transitions like you have and I think it all caught up with me.  Simultaneously Insight has had an incredible year that shattered our previous record and 2022 is looking good. Last summer my wife called me out. She said you are in Stage 2 green. She caught me. I was analyzing everything and cutting myself out of community. Not intentionally - I was just trying to make everything work. However, my approach to make everything work was making everything difficult.

So, I had to find the eddy. I had to reset vision, my personal "why" and rest. Not the sleeping kind of rest, but finding green space to think, read, pray, exercise, and not be in the constant rush. I'm happy to dive into the weeds on this if the conversation will benefit you. Here's are a few tips that helped me reset and turn the corner.

Personal Life
1) Pray the Lords Prayer every morning
2) Meditate on Psalm 23
3) Exercising with my boys (reminder that they follow our example)
4) Clarify my personal mission
5) Consistent time to hang out with good friends (healthy community) 
6) Spend time outside smoking meat for family and friend dinners

Professional Life
1) Hire and rely on a great team (train, delegate and empower) 
2) Manage my calendar. Meaning - limit back to back zoom meetings and end the day at 4:30 if possible to leave time to prep for the next day.
3) Leave the laptop in the office 
4) Focus on helping leaders love life at work and love life at home in a very intentional way
5) Pursue goals and celebrate the wins
6) Build authentic relationships with clients

We are launching a new program to help leaders find the eddy. To help leaders rest while clarifying vision. It’s called Distilled. Check it out here.

Hitchhiking

Kyle and I were at the top of the mountain during spring break. We were feeling good about our ski level and wanted to take the fastest route to other side of the mountain. As we peered through the forest we thought we saw the ski run of our dreams. The only thing keeping us from our dreams was an orange boundary line. We figured the boundary was only there for people who weren't as good as us. At first, we were having fun ... then we were hiking/skiing/holding on the tops of trees to not sink ... It was too late to go back up. The ski run we thought we saw didn't exist. We finally found the courage and clearing to ski through the backcountry and the faint sound of cars started to fill the air. We ended up on the highway 5 miles from Winter Park hitchhiking to get back.

Have you ever crossed a boundary in order to get somewhere faster?

I found that every boundary I cross I found myself farther from my purpose not closer.

I think boundaries help us get down the mountain they don't keep us from enjoying it. Boundaries help us accomplish our purpose they don't keep us from it. When we cross the boundary line to get there faster we get farther from our purpose.

We've found that if we don't have boundaries we never accomplish our purpose. There is always something that can distract us. All of a sudden life is as confusing as asking a family of 6 where they want to eat.

Purpose has led us to launch our new executive development program. We are passionate about helping leaders love life at work and love life at home. We are on mission to help you cultivate engaging and healthy cultures that have positive ripple effects into the lives of families, organizations and the community. That purpose helped us realize we didn't want to be in the executive roundtable game. Sitting around the conference table wasn't transformational enough. How we can get real, get some rest and develop? Knowing our purpose helped us put boundaries up. We said no to something that was good and began working to pursue something that is meaningful and impactful.

If you are struggling to know how to answer that "purpose" question then I encourage you to join us at Distilled, March 2-4 in Louisville, KY. The first of four executive leadership experiences. During distilled you can craft your personal and organizational vision and find time to rest.

Vision and purpose provides us the clarity we need to know how to say, "yes", "maybe", or "no" on a daily basis. Vision helps us to establish proper boundaries. It helps us to know where to focus, what to do and how to avoid distractions that drain us, our families and our organizations. Why hitchhike when you ski?

Brisket and Leadership

We were loaded in the van ready for our first Life @ Home Experience. We are pumped. Meg (my wife), Peter and Tiffany were ready to rock n roll. Reece had smoked a world class brisket for dinner the first night, but couldn't make it down. He declared this brisket the best he had ever made. Bold statement without trying it yet! He had wrapped the brisket in foil, towels and then placed it on a cooler. We pulled into the IHOP on Weddington and he loaded the cooler into the van at Tiffany now had a footrest. The van smelled incredible. 90 minutes later we had a flat tire. We arrived to the venue an hour or so late greeted by hungry participants. The brisket had rested about 7 hours before we cut into it. Let's just say everyone was satisfied and wanted more. The brisket was incredible.

What made this brisket better than it's 59 predecessors? REST.

We theoretically know that rest is important, but for some reason do our best to ignore it?

I wonder what our leadership would be like if we took time to rest? As good as you are, could you reach your potential if you found rest?

This Christmas season build in times to rest. Time to be bored and do nothing. Don't fill the space binge watching. Let your mind rest. Then experience creativity, wild ideas, and vision. You know ... the things that helped you get to where you are.

It started with rest.

P.S. - maybe smoke a brisket or pork shoulder this Christmas instead of turkey.

Join us for Distilled: An immersive executive experience

Burnt Burger Balls and Developing Strengths

Determined to Learn

My dad was traveling for work and I was determined to eat good grilled food. I was around 16 yrs old and fired up the grill after preparing the burgers. My mom, aunt, cousins and sister were all home.

Alexa and Siri weren’t around to help me. The Encyclopedia Brittanica was in the box. I could have asked Jeeves, but hindsight is 2020.

After working the grill like a "master" the burgers became large burnt burger balls on the grill! No matter how hard I pushed, I couldn't flatten them. They looked done ... I mean they were burnt! Crip on the outside!

I brought them up on the platter and everyone graciously put a burnt burger ball on their bun. We all added cheese and plenty of condiment to cover the taste of whatever we were about to bite into.

Then came the first bite ... They were still raw in the middle!

I think we went for take out that night. My first time grilling was an utter failure!

The burnt burger balls didn't hit the spot. Sometimes our first attempt causes us to revert back to what we did before. It shouldn't though. Keep pushing, keep developing and accomplish your goals.

Don’t Quit Trying When It Doesn’t Work Out

Sometimes when we try something new for the first time it doesn’t work out as planned. It doesn't mean you shouldn't try it again.

Not to brag (maybe a little). My family and friends consider me somewhat of a grill master. It just took lots of practice to get it right.

Sometimes when we try something new for the first time it doesn’t work out as planned. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try again.

How are you developing yourself?

What skill set are you trying to develop?

Every time we prepare for a new role or take on a new role we have to develop. What got us there won’t keep us there. You are working with new leaders, new team members, new clients and you need to develop new strengths to be successful. You have them in you - you just need to practice.

My Story

We use the SDI 2.0 Inventory at Insight Leadership Group. This is a picture of the third view the tool gives me. My top strengths are persuasive, self-confident, quick to act, perseverance, and forceful. - Very results focused strengths. When I work with leaders driven with a desire to help people before the result, my natural leadership style can run them the wrong way. My heart for people isn’t always seen in how they perceive me. I had to learn to bring up new strengths to connect with leaders wired up differently than me. It’s not enough to simply trust, I need to communicate trust. It’s not enough to be option oriented, I needed to communicate that I was option oriented. I had to deploy new strengths to rally the team together. My first attempts were a bit awkward and clunky - now it comes naturally.

It’s like working the grill for the first time.

Just because it didn’t work out the first time, doesn’t mean it should be the last time.

If you don’t have have 10 years to figure it out give us call. We help you get there after a few weeks. Register for the Courageous Leaders Cohort to take the next step today.

Lead With Conviction and Courage ...

Conviction and Courage Have Consequences

We talk to our kids about courage often. We talk to them about doing the right thing even when it’s hard. We talk to them about standing up for others.

Our son Titus was in Kindergarten and rode the bus home from school. A boy a year or two older than Titus was constantly bullying the girl across the street on their bus rides homes. They told him to stop and over and over again the boy would get worse and worse. Finally my little man had enough of his friend getting bullied. Titus reared back and punched the kid in the back of the head. We received a call from the school later …

I’m not a fan of physical violence, I am a fan of kids not letting other kids get bullied. I am a fan of my son acting with courage and conviction to help someone in need. Consequences happen when you do the right thing, sometimes in your favor, sometimes not … but we still need to lead with conviction and courage.

We don’t always lead with conviction and courage do we? We know the consequences don’t always line up for our favor. We can put our reputations, our jobs, our career path in jeopardy when we do what’s right. At least thats the narrative we tell ourselves in those times.

During chaos, under pressure - we can lose our conviction and courage in an effort to make something work, but what I hope we realize is that when we lose our conviction and courage - we lose ourselves. We lose our identity, we lose our purpose and passion.

When we lack conviction and courage

The stories play out often. Under pressure the lines of right and wrong get more and more blurred. We justify the grey areas because we are “working hard” and “trying our best”. We justify the blurred lines because, “it’s just this one time” and “it’s the only way it will work”. That mindset overtime leads to something worse every time.

We’ve heard the stories:

The Wells Far Fiasco

Remember Wells Fargo in 2014? Think fake accounts, incentive payouts, a culture rich with ethics violations. Watch the video to refresh your memory. Read more here.

Where was conviction at Wells Fargo?

A Financial Investment Firm and Church Leader

A well known Investment Firm made a huge mistake and worked hard to cover it up. The managing director was a leader in his local church. A church member trusted him with his retirement account and it didn’t go well. An employee in the firm traded without consent and lost 50k of the church members investment. Self-preservation mode kicked in for the managing director. His license, his job, his credibility was on the line. Conviction and courage were nowhere to be found and the church member was left with a choice to sue and ruin the managing directors job or move on with a major loss. The church member felt convicted to move on, but always wished that managing director (church leader guy) would have done the right thing.

A Director and His Team

The project was off track and not going to plan. The pressure was mounting for the Director to get it back on track. Every check-in the team was getting blamed. One team leader, one employee at a time becoming the scapegoat for the Directors incompetency. The VP of the department was a frat brother with the Director. He knew the employees were losing opportunities due to the Directors poor leadership, but stayed quiet. The VP watched good people lose promotions and bonuses that impacted their families and future while his frat brother continued to drive the ship into the ditch.

We’ve all seen it, experienced it, and let’s be real - we’ve lacked it.

We can do better.

During chaos, during pressure - we can lose our conviction in an effort to make something right, but what I hope we realize is that when we lose our conviction, we lose ourselves. We lose our identity, we lose our purpose and passion.

We can do better. We need to do better. We have to do better.

Our spouses, our kids, our friends, our communities, our teams, our organizations depend on it.

In a society with more and more “conviction” on social media you would think we would see more conviction in our relationships. Just speaking our minds with a thumbs up or sharing a post … isn’t the definition of courage and conviction. It doesn’t build community or relationships. It leaves everything a bit short.

It’s like wearing Toms shoes and writing on your resume that you help an organization provide shoes to kids in third world countries. I’m not saying don’t post on social media and I’m not saying don’t buy Toms shoes, I’m just saying we do can do better. We can lead with conviction and courage.

Be Committed To Your Convictions

What do you believe? What do you stand for? What do you sacrifice for? What are your convictions? It’s one thing to say you value something and it’s another for your values to be seen by your actions. Need help finding what you value who you aspire to be? Work through the Insight Action Guide.

• Do you value having a healthy culture in your organization? What steps are you taking to intentionally create it.

• Do you value healthy team relationships? Would your team affirm that?

• Do you value your family? How much time do you spend focused on them?

• Do you value your spouse? Do they know?

I’m not trying to make you feel bad about anything, but if you do, I’m hoping you make a shift. The shift to align your values with your actions. The shift to lead with conviction and courage, not just work for the result.

We need to be committed to our convictions and that’s how we are going to lead with courage.

Lead with Conviction and Courage

We’ve all seen it. We remember vividly when we saw a leader lead with conviction and courage.

It was almost Christmas and the CEO was ready to make me the scapegoat. The project had been on plan according to our Fortune 100 client. They had reviewed all the content and our CEO had given approvals at all the checkpoints. Then when it was game time we learned our CEO read it for the first time and decided it was good enough. This was after two months of preparation and approvals. You can imagine my frustration and lack of empathy for our CEO as I showed him the emails with his approvals and kudos for doing a good job. The “proof” and happy client wasn’t making a big difference. My job was now on the line and I was ready to walk back out on my won. My boss stepped in on my behalf. He acted with conviction and courage when he could have let me become a scapegoat.

When have you seen it? (drop a line in the comments)

When have you done it? When you have led with conviction and courage?

Lets do this

When you lead well, you love the feeling of knowing you did what was right. You are energized and you came alive. We need for of that from you. The world needs that from you.

Can you imagine a world of leaders who lead with integrity and do the right thing? Can you imagine a world where ethics violations weren’t the norm? Can you imagine a world where team members are treated with respect and dignity through all circumstances?

Our hope is for you to be a leader worth following so you are a leader leaving a legacy worth remembering.

1) Remind yourself of your convictions

2) Be determined to lead from your convictions

3) Have the courage lead with conviction

We tell our kids that having courage doesn’t mean you aren’t scared. It means we don’t let fear keep us from doing what is right.

When you are under pressure and feeling out of control - that’s when conviction and courage should take a precedence over self-preservation. That’s when we should rise up, be leaders worth following, dig deep, and say, “I’m going to be proud of who I am” and lead forward.

If you want to work on being a courageous leader join our courageous leadership cohort kicking off February 4. Bring your team along with you.

2021 Planning Guide!

Leaders!

Here is your Insight Action Guide for 2021!

We are here to coach. If you get stuck, need help processing, need help gaining clarity - reach out and set up a coaching session ASAP. Don’t postpone gaining clarify and direction for the new year. Don’t let what you have no control over keep slamming into the rocks along the river - lead with intentionality and purpose. Be proactive instead of reactive and let’s have a great new year!

Urgent Vs Important | Lessons From a Funeral

We sat in a hotel lobby in rural Illinois with a poorly taxidermy mounted cross eyed coyote looking at everyone in the foyer. The family is pouring in from all over the country during COVID 19, masked up, ready to bury our grandfather. He had passed on Friday morning and we were all gathering on Saturday and Sunday.

As we pour into the only hotel in Princeton, Illinois, it’s clear how tired we all are. We dropped our work, changed our plans and either drove or flew too many hours to count.

It makes me wonder. How come we can we all drop our “work” in a moment to gather for a funeral, but we can’t drop our work in a moment to kick the ball in the yard with our kids, or take our spouse on a date, or mountain bike with a friend. (wondering for myself) When I’m stressed and overwhelmed, I drop the important and focus on the work.

I seem to make time for the urgently important, but not the important.

Why does it take so much to bring family together? How come we can’t make time for the important? Why does the urgent take precedence?

Maybe this week … begin focusing on the important … so we don’t get to the urgent and realize we’ve lost out all along.

We let the urgent take precedence in our families too often. What about at work?

How many of us focus on the fires instead of consistency? How many of us focus on the "crisis" instead of the plan? Then we wonder why the plans don't move forward as we planned? 

We are all trying to do our best, focus on what's important, but sometimes we let the urgent become the priority instead of letting what's most important remain the priority. 

I think it's important to remember that not everything is a crisis. Not everything is urgent. If we stick to the plan, maybe we have less urgency to worry about.

The Story That Almost Lost Me My Job

In 2006, I worked for Automatic Data Processing a Fortune 500 company that offers payroll and tax filing services. I sold payroll to businesses with 50 or less employees across the state of Kansas. My boss Todd Johnson reminded me of an older version of Mr. Clean without the earring.  We were out working one day when he asked me to pull into a Java Express.  As I drank a double shot of espresso, he asked me one of most difficult questions that I have ever been asked in a job.  “Is this what you really want to do for the rest of your life?”  I asked, “What do you mean, like this exact job, or working for ADP?”  He smiled and then said, “This is why you are a great salesperson”.  He asked the same question but in a more assuming way, “Working at a payroll company isn’t what you really want to do for the rest of your life is it?”

I was coming up on my 1-year anniversary with the company and had received a 12% raise in the first 3 months.  I had stock options, a 401k, and enjoyed selling to small business owners.  My wife was in Physician Assistant school, so I was the only person earning an income for the family. It felt like he was asking me to put all of that on the line when answering his question. 

I put my mini cup that had one shot of espresso left on the dashboard of the car, and then I asked him, “Can I be honest?”  He smiled, “If you can’t be honest then I am not doing my job right”

 I am not sure that many leaders feel the same way that Todd Johnson does.  I don’t know if leaders want honesty, I think they want their employees to tow the company line.  Do they really care if I love my job, love my life after work, or have other aspirations?  Do they think of me as an audience that needs to be engaged and captivated to perform at a higher level? Maybe they just expect me to perform at a high level because they pay me a salary and give me something to show off on my LinkedIn profile.  Leadership begins with connection and continues with honesty.

I took a deep breath and thought here goes nothing. “Honestly, I know I am good at sales and it pays the bills. I think no matter what I do I will always be selling, but if I could choose what I wanted to do, it would be to create something of my own.”  He said, “Alright tell me more.”  Some context for the reader, I have always dreamed of owning a sports complex and had some funding even lined up to potentially start building. I said, “Well, I would like to own a sports complex.”  As soon as it came out of my mouth, I was worried he would fire me and say enjoy raking the dirt on the baseball fields.  Instead something impactful happened that day that I will never forget.  Todd said, “Each & every day you are out here pounding the streets, knocking on doors, and getting hung up on, remember that you are doing this job for Watson Sports Complex!”

The next month I was rookie of the month and 278% of quota.  I shouldn’t tell you this part, but when they made the decision to shut down our satellite office, Todd Johnson asked me to come to Kansas City for a meeting.  I didn’t know it was going to be a lunch meeting with a job offer I couldn’t accept. He offered a job 2.5 hours away from my wife who was in Physician Assistant school. Obviously, that wouldn’t work out. He said go find another job or start breaking ground on Watson Sports Complex.

Finding a relatable perspective with your team members will be the most impactful thing that you do in 2021.  They have dreams and goals that might not be moving up the corporate ladder, but why is that a reason to not motivate them to give 110% while working for you and your team?

Many times, we find ourselves standing in a large open room with many people talking amongst themselves.  We notice that there are 1000s maybe 10,000 doors that surround the room.  How will we choose which door to step through?   We will choose the door that engages us, resonates with us, and gives us the courage to take the first step.

Are you opening the door for your team members to take the next best step in their careers or are you forcing them through the door?

Todd Johnson told me a narrative that drove me to work harder.  If you are not telling stories, finding relatable perspectives, and motivating your people according to their narrative then you are losing your audience.

Build Your Culture | 3 Culture Killers

Bean bag chairs.

Kegs.

Snacks.

Slides.

Rewards programs.

Ping-Pong.

These were the answers to fixing culture not too long ago. However, these awesome additions to the environment couldn’t rid the team of the three main culture killers. No amount of ping-pong and microbrews can help everyone love life at work and love life at home. Why? Because the 3 Culture Killers overpower the fun additions.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining about a good microbrew in the fridge at work, but let’s not kid ourselves. Those things don’t fix culture. Those things don’t fix “who” I’m about to share with you.

1) Vipers | Cultural Vipers are high performers who are individual performers. They suck the life out of everyone on the team, but keep hitting their numbers. Leaders are afraid to let Vipers work for someone else because of the numbers they hit. However, when you remove a viper from the team - your team usually flourishes. Their productivity is not worth the poison they inflict on everyone else whose on the team.

2) Sloths | Cultural Sloths are leaders who are slow to address challenges and issues that drain the team. When conflict arrives - sloths move too slow to resolve it and the issues get worse. A Cultural Sloth is a positional leader who does not address values, behaviors, attitudes and results that detract from the desired future state; thereby creating a new set of shadow values that slowly deteriorate an organization. (Shadow values are

3) Leech | A Cultural Leech is the person who always has a reason why something shouldn't be added or changed. They work in the margins to gain influence while disrupting productivity and momentum. They work under the radar until it’s too late to see what they’ve been doing all along.

Culture is created by the norms you allow in your organization. What is the acceptable way to make decisions? What is an acceptable way to communicate with the team? Are negative attitudes and backstabbing acceptable for high performers? Is collaboration OR individual performance celebrated?

Here’s a definition of culture: Culture is made up of the beliefs, values, attitudes, philosophies, artifacts and behaviors of an organization.

If you like your current culture - you are most likely doing something very intentional. If you don’t like your culture, you are most likely unintentionally creating something you don’t like.

There are two steps necessary to begin intentionally fixing your culture.

1) Write your desired culture down. Don’t worry about a perfect statement. Write a culture manifesto and keep reading it for a couple of weeks before moving forward with it.

2) Assess your current culture to know what and how to intentionally pivot towards your desired culture.

If you are ready to improve your culture and make your organization the best place to work give us a call. We can walk you through our Cultural Health Assessment to help you and your organization take a data-driven approach to improving the culture of your organization.

Employee Engagement: Is Isolation Plaguing Your Organization?

We have these conversations with top leaders across the country often…

• Our team is overwhelmed. Mental health challenges are constant.

• Our team feels isolated and unsupported now more now than ever.

• Our team has less work to do and is less productive. 

• Our team doesn't feel connected to what's happening in the rest of the organization.

Can you relate?

Leaders - these challenges keep creeping up and you keep working diligently to address them. It's been incredible to see and hear how you continue to try and support your team while growing the business and taking care of your clients, patients, vendors, and/or customers.

While we are all working hard to solve the isolation problem I think we have only been scratching at the surface and we can’t afford to allow this problem to keep permeating through our organizations.

Scratching the surface doesn’t solve the problem. It's like when companies tried to fix company culture with bean bag chairs, ping-pong tables, and kegs of beer. Yes - most people appreciated two out of three of those. However, all people appreciate feeling valued, heard, empowered and supported. How are you doing that for your team?

Scratching the surface doesn’t solve the problem. It's like the couple who is in constant marriage trouble. To try and solve the problem, they escape reality and go on a great vacation or buy the car they always wanted. It's great for a few weeks, but then reality sets in. The actual problems weren't solved and the dysfunction continues. (If this is you, sign up for the Life At Home Event!) 

Scratching the surface doesn’t solve the problem. Weekly toasts and virtual coffee breaks are valuable and helpful. However, they do not solve the isolation problem plaguing your organization.

People want to feel valued, heard, empowered and supported. People make it hard though. When we don't feel those things, we often make it difficult for others to provide them. We put our walls up… we make excuses… we get "busy". In the meantime, attitudes diminish along with the quality of our work and a culture of ownership, accountability, and excellence.

So what options do we have? Here are a few ideas on how to begin to solve the Isolation problem.

Clear Communication (Two-Way)
No one ever loved playing walkie-talkies with a kid who held the button down the whole time. If we can't dialogue, it's not engaging.

Here's what I'm saying: Communicate as much as you can to your organization as a fast as you can. Then, host a virtual coffee break to dialogue what you communicated. Facilitate conversation (real conversation) about the direction of the company, the values being lived out, the vision for the next year, etc... As well as the fear, questions, and doubts team members might have. Make sure to ask for feedback from your team. They may have great ideas or advice on how to bridge any communication gaps.

Clear Expectations 
Take a minute to review and possibly reset job descriptions and roles with your team members. As teams grow and projects shift, it's amazing to see how many great team members take on more than they should. At first it was helpful, but then it becomes detrimental to them and the team. With clear expectations, you can more effectively and authentically support your team.

Clear Check-In Process
Remember: People want to feel valued, heard, empowered and supported. Providing clear and consistent check-ins creates a systemized process for you to lead and your teams to know you are supporting them. This is a priority. How do you solve the isolation problem plaguing your organization? Stop allowing isolation to occur in your organization. Be courageous and lead forward. Do not let fear, insecurity and uncomfortability (new word) win out over good leadership.

201° Performance Management Training
One of the most helpful tools we have been providing our clients has been the 201° Performance Management Training. The system provides the backdrop needed for leaders to move forward and employees to lead up while feeling supported. We see trust returning, productivity increasing and isolation diminishing. 

I'm not saying the solution is simple. Mental health, emotional health, physical health - all of these things take time to overcome. However, time itself does not solve the problem. It's like physical health. If you never eat healthy or exercise, you won't get healthy. It's the consistency over time that makes all the difference.

It's the consistency of your leadership, the health of your leadership over time that can make significant impacts on your team and organization.

Reach out if you are ready to solve the isolation problem and improve the accountability and ownership challenges that so many are facing right now. We will walk you through it, so you can lead forward.