How To Make Yourself Heard

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Sandy

It’s always a challenge to make your ideas, suggestions and opinions known. For various reasons, too many people are very uncomfortable with speaking their minds. Some have to do with the current socio-political climate that currently grips our world, but some simply have to do with human nature.

While we won’t solve all the socio-political problems of the world in this post, I’d like to share a couple of highly underused and underrated tips that will help solve a lot of the human nature-related challenges that accompany speaking one’s mind, especially in the workplace. (And they might even help if you decide to engage in a political discussion as well!)

The biggest problem is that just blurting out your idea is often too intimidating to consider, and is also counter-productive for several reasons:

Embarrassed to speak up

We don’t know if it’s been tried before and don’t want to sound stupid…

We don’t know if our idea will be welcome…

We aren’t sure how the other person will react…

If you have an idea, suggestion or observation, here are two tips to help you feel more comfortable speaking up:

Preface Your Statements

All this means is that you shouldn’t just blurt out your suggestion upon encountering someone in the hallway, a meeting, over the phone or in a virtual environment.

Basically, start “calling out the elephant in the room” (or in your brain, where your fear lives).

For example, if you are afraid that the idea has been suggested before (perhaps you’ve been out of the loop or are new to the organization), you can simply state it, “I’m not sure if this has been suggested before, but I had an idea that we could [OFFER YOUR IDEA HERE].”

Do you see how this takes away any embarrassment before you speak because you’re saying that you don’t know if it’s been tried before – and acknowledging that it may have been.

If you’re afraid of sounding stupid, you could just say, “This might be a crazy idea, but it may be worth considering.”

Ask Permission

You never know whose idea the one you’re criticizing (even constructively) was. There may be some pride of ownership of the process you’re trying to improve, or the marketing materials you’re attempting to revamp. So, it may be best to use the following “template” for offering constructive feedback:

·  Acknowledge what’s good about the current item in question.

·  Tell the person that you have an idea that may help solve a challenge or improve it.

·  Ask permission to share your idea.

A sample exchange could go like this:

“I’ve just gotten off the phone with a customer and it was very easy to get into the CRM when I got them on the line. I did have one challenge when I tried to view their entire order from 6 weeks ago; several other people have mentioned having similar challenges looking at older orders and I had an idea that might help in the future. May I share my idea?” (Or, “where can I share my idea?”)

Prefacing your statements and asking permission to offer comments accomplishes several goals:

  1. By acknowledging an unknown or potential negative up front, it takes all the air out of any negative comment that could come your way. If they still make a negative or disrespectful comment, that’s on them, and everyone who hears it will recognize it.
  2. You’ve given them an opportunity to tell you if something has been tried in the past, which opens up a conversation about what worked and what didn’t.
  3. Asking permission shuts down a potential conflict if the person doesn’t want to hear your (or any) suggestions.
  4. It allows you to “save face” if you’re repeating a suggestion that has already been tried.
  5. It also allows them to save face if they are the one who originally put the item in question in place because you’re not tearing down everything about the process.

This process helps people speak up, but this challenge is only one side of the coin.

In my work with an international client whose managers were surveyed in preparation for my upcoming training for their administrative professionals, a very interesting topic came up when they were asked, “What do you want Sandy to cover in her training?“

One of their top answers? “We want our staff members to speak up more courageously.”

WOW! It wasn’t to get more technology training, or to do more work. It was to share what they know and the ideas they have to help make the entire organization better.

This sentiment does not apply exclusively to administrative staff. When I mention this to clients requesting customer service and leadership training, and ask if it is something that would be important to them, their eyes light up!

This means that, on the one hand, leaders want their people to speak up and on the other hand, team members do want to share their ideas. They also want their leaders to value their ideas and input.

So, another reason why valuable sharing isn’t happening as often as it should is something leaders need to address, especially at a time when we all need to a do a lot more with a lot less.

Every leader needs their team members to pay attention and speak up when they see something that should be stopped, started or continued. In fact, many have shared with me that they are nervous about the fact that they have long-term employees who are approaching retirement and have extensive institutional knowledge that could help everyone be better… but they just won’t share it. They are afraid that all that knowledge will simply “walk out the door” and be lost forever when those associates retire.

The fact is that those who work for you (especially those who are new to the organization) may not feel comfortable offering information without someone requesting it.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way for leaders to overcome this challenge.

Just Start Asking! Let your associates know that their input is welcome! After you ask for their ideas and opinions, follow up.

Seriously consider the ideas they share. Don’t just ask for their suggestions and let them go down a “black hole” where they are never thought of again.

Let them know the status of their ideas. If you’re going to use a suggestion, let them know how, when and where. If you’re not going to use it, let them know why not. The answer to every suggestion doesn’t have to be to implement it. It just must be acknowledged and thoughtfully considered.

Thank/reward them for offering every suggestion (whether or not you use it). A simple verbal or written thank you may be enough. If their suggestion makes a big positive impact, you might consider a bonus, gift card, award or other tangible thank you.

Some organizations have quarterly drawings where those who offer suggestions get one “ticket” for each one given. The more ideas, the more tickets. Each quarter, a drawing is held for gift cards and other valuable rewards.

Idea growing (small plant)

The biggest positive impact that derives from using a process is that the process itself makes it easier to speak up in the first place, and then to focus on the intent and outcome of the discussion (solving a problem), rather than the emotions of the conversation.

It also allows the conversation to take place, rather than allowing challenges and fears to fester in the background, with no one coming forward to solve them.

And that’s a win-win-win for the leaders, team members and the entire organization.

Posted in Setting the Stage | Tagged | Leave a comment

Now This is Innovative Leadership that Attracts, Engages and Retains Employees!

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Sandy

An Insightful Interview with Stuart Downs, DNP, RN, CENP, CPHQ, NEA-BC, FAONL, FACHE

Stuart Downs, Nursing Administrator at Northside Hospital Gwinnett in Lawrenceville, GA is not your typical nurse leader. After reconstructive foot surgery forced him to pivot from his nursing career as a critical care nurse, he decided to become a nurse leader, where he could further assist those who care for patients.

What sets Stuart apart are several traits and innovative programs that allow him to engage, retain and re-engage his nurses at a time when vacancies in Critical Care are rampant.

Stuart has ZERO vacancies in this crucial area. Why?

It’s mainly due to Stuart’s authenticity combined with a program he lovingly calls “Great Nurses for a Great Community,” which encompasses the following leadership programs and traits.

Recruitment at Resignation

The reality is that Travel Nursing usually pays more than full-time employment. And while it doesn’t always offer the stability and benefits of being a full-time staff member, Stuart understands that sometimes nurses just need to make extra money – at least for a short time.

When a nurse tells Stuart (or a member of his team) they’re leaving for a travel position, he understands that life happens, and doesn’t make them feel embarrassed or guilty about it. He realizes that when the immediate financial need is alleviated and that nurse is ready for full-time employment again, his best chance of re-recruiting them and filling critical vacancies in his own organization is to refuse to burn that bridge.

He truly understands and lovingly reminds them that no one will love them, invest in them or care for them more than he will, so if and when the time comes for them to get back into a full-time position, he will welcome them with open arms.

So far, he has re-recruited almost 50 nurses back to his hospital over the last several months!

How do you react when someone tells you they have to leave? Do you try to “guilt” them into staying or resentfully kick them out the door? Or do you let them know they will always have a “home” with you?

Consistent Culture of Caring & a “You Stayed” Campaign

Stuart’s focus is on people and he walks his talk while they are employed with him, so they know his re-recruitment promises are not simply lip service. His “You Stayed” Campaign encompasses several programs to reward people for remaining loyal, including:

Reducing burnout from multiple extra shifts and getting more volunteers to work them: Nurses are already working extra shifts; Stuart feels that it’s time to put more money in their pockets, rather than always in the pockets of contract nurses.

In this program, nurses sign a contract stating that they will only be asked to work one extra shift per week for the next 12 weeks, but will earn a significant bonus for doing so. As a result of this program, nurses volunteered for well over 1,500 extra shifts in a 12-week period, resulting in a significant savings over hiring high-dollar contract nurses for all these shifts.

Real-Time Rounding: This is a program of shared leadership that gives nurses a voice. When they were asked about the cart full of sweets provided on rounds, nurses asked for healthier snacks. This was changed to a massive fruit cart and the nurses love it!

50 Ways to WOW, creating WOW leadership and customer service

Written appreciation: During the holidays, Stuart writes a letter to the family members of each person working for him, thanking them for sharing their loved one(s) during the holidays and letting them know of their profound impact on patients who need hospitalization during these times. Both nurses and their families love these extra notes of appreciation from Stuart.

Do you “walk your talk” by consistently focusing on your people? Or do you re-focus on recognition and rewards only when someone threatens to leave?

All of these programs represent a culture of caring that also helps Stuart with the last piece of the puzzle:

Campaign for Recognizing Contract Nurses.

Let’s face it: due in part to the recent “Great Resignation,” having a pool of contract nurses is critical to the success of most hospitals. Stuart lets his contract nurses know that he realizes the hospital couldn’t have made it without them, so in addition to appreciating his permanent staff, he has implemented a recognition program for Travel Nurses. So many contract nurses love the culture at Stuart’s organization that he has added over 30 permanent staff members from these nurses alone!

Do you have a program to reward all of the people who contribute to your success? It’s essential to reward full-time employees but don’t forget about the part-time and contract workers who also contribute.

These innovative programs have helped Stuart’s organization achieve enviable results in leadership, employee engagement, hiring and retention. But the most wonderful thing about Stuart is that he is so enthusiastic and committed to showing his people how much he values them that it just oozes out of him… and it shows in his results.

With all the hype around the difficulty finding people who actually want to work (don’t believe ALL the hype!), remember that recent research shows that, as a whole, our younger generations are a bit leery of self-employment, with its high health insurance costs and lack of financial stability and predictability.

Many prefer to build their careers at larger organizations, but they need to know that the organization they decide to work for truly cares about them and their lives.

We can all take a lesson from Stuart and get excited about finding innovative ways to solve our hiring, engagement and retention issues, rather than simply wringing our hands about the “Great Resignation” and the lack of people who want to work.

They’re out there. All we have to do is show that we care about them as people.

Posted in Leadership/Employee Engagement, Rule #3: A WOWplace is Human... Not Humanoid! | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How To Improve Your Creativity in the Workplace

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Sandy

This week we have a wonderful guest post by Gloria Martinez of Womenled.org – Enjoy!

Plug in to some mental exercises to help you stay focused and on task!

Sometimes at work there are so many distractions that deter you from actually… working. You may be pulled in so many directions that it seems impossible for you to have a clear mind. By midday you may begin to feel like your creativity is completely zapped and you have nothing left to give.

Fortunately, there are a few ways you can eliminate distractions and keep your mind focused and on task. Mental exercises free your mind of clutter, which will allow you to think freely and creatively all the time! In order to excel at work, having a sharp mind is a necessity.

Below are a few mental exercises and tips you can start implementing right away!

Guided Meditation

A guided meditation is a process where you meditate in response to the guidance provided by a skilled teacher through a sound recording or video. Guided meditations utilize the power of your imagination and visualization to effect positive personal changes such as improved clarity and personal empowerment. Listening to a guided meditation is an excellent way to reset your mind while at work while giving your creativity a boost.

Another reason guided meditation is so amazing is that it requires little effort on your end because you can do it right at your desk! A quick online search will lead you to a sea of options. Meditations can range from as little as 5 minutes, to a full hour. Choose whichever fits into your schedule, and the voice of a mind-body expert that gives you the mental break you need. 

Read

When you are at work, you are pounded by the pressures to perform and give your attention to every little detail. Reading through reports and emails does not help with decreasing your stress levels nor do they spark your creativity. However, getting lost in a book does just that! As you read through a novel or a short-story, your focus drifts into the psyche of a character, which opens your mind and helps you think less rigidly.

Looking at life through the lens of someone else allows you the freedom of thinking of solutions you otherwise may have been oblivious to. As you unlock your imagination, you will create a breeding ground for creativity! Keep a paper book handy in your desk drawer and read a chapter or two when you have breaks to give your mind a boost.

Address your sleep

A lack of sleep can be a major hindrance to creativity. If you’re spending too much time scrolling on your phone, dealing with an abundance of noise or staying up too late, it’s wise to change up your bedtime routine. For starters, give yourself a screen curfew that applies to all devices. The blue light from your phone or TV negatively affects your melatonin production, making it difficult for your body to recognize it’s time for sleep.

If noise is keeping you awake, find ways to drown it out with a white noise app or ear plugs. If it’s external noise you can’t control due to your neighborhood or apartment building, it may be time to move to a house in a quieter part of town. You may even be able to find a place with more amenities or cheaper rent. Check out local listings in areas that aren’t busy. And give yourself room to consider extra square footage. A new place could be the perfect antidote to those noisy nights.

Consider your work methods

If you tend to take on more responsibility than you should, and if you avoid delegating, you’re setting yourself up for copious amounts of unnecessary stress. Managers indeed have larger burdens, but your staff is hired to do a job, and as such, they need to be given more responsibility so they can contribute and grow with your company.

Gauge your methods as a boss, and determine if you could use a bit of a makeover. You may be easy to work with, but a good boss goes beyond that. A boss who cultivates leadership and who inspires and empowers their staff creates a win-win situation. You can delegate work to others, and they have a feeling of ownership and confidence in the work they’re doing. Plus, you’ll have more time to be creative and less stress, while ensuring you have a happier team.

Honor your needs

It’s no secret that what you put into your body has a direct effect on your ability to smoothly perform your daily tasks. Stresses at work can lead to harmful binge eating, chain smoking, and more than a few drinks off the clock. While you are indulging in these activities you may feel a sense of relief, however, in the long run, you are damaging your mind and body. It is nearly impossible to think clearly and creatively at work after a night of drinking. The guilt you feel after eating an unhealthy meal or taking a smoke break can cloud your mind and distract you from working efficiently. Outlets such as reading and meditating are great ways to eliminate stress without harming your body.

When you implement positive behaviors, you are expressing self love, which is beneficial in all aspects of your life –not just work. Practice self love daily by ditching harmful behaviors and adding new, positive actions such as striking up a conversation with your coworker or packing a healthy lunch.

In order for your creativity to thrive at work, you must be mentally fit. Exercising your mind is just as important as exercising your body. While you cannot physically see your mind, you need to work it as if it is a muscle for it to stay strong and sharp.

Start using these tips today to keep your creativity flowing with ease!

Posted in Rule #4: A WOWplace is Innovative, Creative & Fun! | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Gratitude is Not Just For the Good Times…

Posted on July 29, 2021 by Sandy

One of my best friends helped me view gratitude in a whole new light.

Remembering her story continues to help me be more grateful and less stressed, even with things in my life that could be considered “bad” or “annoying.”

I won’t type the whole story out here, but instead will let you listen in as I describe her story and mine.

I hope our stories inspire you, as well!

If you have a story of gratitude to share, please comment below. I’d love to hear your stories and have them inspire me and my readers!

Posted in Setting the Stage | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Lack Self-Confidence? Here are some tips to help.

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Sandy

The more people I speak to lately, the more it becomes obvious that self-confidence is taking a hit. A lack of self-confidence affects every part of our lives – from work to dating to pursuing our passions to getting the nerve to speak up about anything.

In the workplace, this challenge can have big consequences for your satisfaction, fulfillment and advancement in your career, as well as your financial status.

So, I’d like to offer a few tips to help you think of your worth and self-worth in a new way.

First, remember that there are two sides to the Worth “coin.”

Worth: the value that someone puts on something external to them (a product, a job/position – even a person). In the business world, leaders put a value on the salary they believe a position is worth. If a candidate has the skills, experience, traits and attitudes that will enable them to succeed, they are paid what the leader believes they are worth, within the guidelines set for that position.

Self-Worth: what an individual believes they themselves are worth. It does not come from any external source or judge of what someone is worth. It comes from within; from a belief in what they can do and who they are.

We are the judges of our own self-worth. Furthermore, we don’t have to buy into someone else’s (sometimes incorrect) assessment of our worth!

We may have to live within the confines of external judgments at times, as we prove ourselves in a new position or work our way up the career ladder. But that doesn’t change what we’re REALLY worth inside… it only affects how quickly we get recognized, compensated and rewarded for our worth. The more self-confident and convinced of our own worth we remain, the more quickly that will happen, as we confidently demonstrate our worth and our belief in ourselves.

Which brings me to my second point:

Just because someone else doesn’t seem to appreciate you and your worth, that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

In the latest version of the movie, A Star Is Born, Lady Gaga plays the character of an incredible singer named Ally who hasn’t yet been discovered by those who could launch her to stardom. When Jackson Maine (played by Bradley Cooper) arrives at the cabaret where she is singing, he recognizes her talent and asks her why she hasn’t been discovered yet. Ally replies that when she goes to auditions, there are all these men who tell her that she sounds really great but she doesn’t look so good. Her nose is too big, she’s not pretty enough.

Did you know that this portion of the film mimics Lady Gaga’s real-life story? She was told that she would never make it big as a pop singer because she wasn’t glamorous enough! In fact, a profile in New York magazine stated that, “She was young, skinny, and blonde, but she had a prominent Italian nose, the kind of nose that rarely survives on a starlet.”

The article went on to show how Lady Gaga broke that stereotype and proved that just because that kind of feature rarely survives on a starlet doesn’t mean it never can. Thankfully for Gaga, she believed in herself enough to persist – and we know her today as the infamous singer who wears meat costumes, bubble dresses, hair bows and more!

Third, get rid of any expectations of perfection – of yourself or anyone else – and any guilt over not being perfect.

This applies to our looks, our experience, our education – everything!

One gentleman with whom I worked years ago had serious doubts regarding how far he would ever go because he didn’t have a college education. But he pursued his dream of career advancement, worked hard and ended up rising through the ranks of a large corporation to become the President and CEO of one of its subsidiaries.

This was an important lesson in not only refusing to doubt himself just because of one factor that he thought was lacking, but also in not comparing himself to others. He thought that because many other people in the company had college degrees, he would be automatically passed over in favor of them. Fortunately for him, another executive mentored him and helped him understand that the degree wasn’t everything. His skills, attitude, personality and experience far outweighed his lack of a formal college degree.

The bigger lesson for all of us? When we compare ourselves to others, we will always come up short. Remember, no one is perfect! And no one factor alone determines how far we can go… except our lack of self-confidence, which can single-handedly destroy our chances of accomplishing any goal we set out to do.

This unrealistic expectation of perfection also applies to mistakes that we make. I don’t care who we are, we all make mistakes. No one is exempt.

In our personal lives, this strive for perfection can ruin our chances of finding and keeping love and of having great relationships with our parents, siblings, children and friends. If we can’t forgive our family members and friends for not being perfect, we’ll never be able to see them as the loving (but flawed) human beings we all are. Most humans are really nice people… but they’re not perfect.

How many times do we hear of people who haven’t spoken to a family member or friend for years because of one thing they did wrong?

(Sometimes it’s one thing that one party thinks the other did wrong… which is often not true but they don’t talk to discover that it’s not true.)

But, this situation aside, in both our personal and professional lives one of the biggest factors in overcoming our mistakes and continuing our forward and upward progress is our inability to admit and/or forgive ourselves for them.

Some people are so embarrassed by making a mistake that they have difficulty admitting it. If they don’t admit it, it’s often discovered later, causing even more embarrassment than if they had admitted it from the beginning and taken steps to correct it.

Even if they do admit it, the fact that they have to admit it to someone is accompanied by so much embarrassment, and often guilt, at having made it in the first place that they make the other person believe it is worse than it really is. Or they force the other person to focus so much on making them feel better that no one can quickly move on to addressing and resolving any issues that the mistake caused.

Not only does this ding your self-confidence, but it also hurts your credibility as others begin to wonder if you can handle the strain of new responsibilities and challenges. This will hold you back from receiving important opportunities, such as project work, leadership duties, training opportunities (and more!) that could facilitate quicker advancement.

So, give yourself a fighting chance to achieve your personal and professional goals and feel great about what you have accomplished by using the following method to keep your guilt and mistakes at ARM‘s length (where they belong once they’re resolved):

Admit your mistakes – quickly, matter-of-factly and without guilt; don’t be embarrassed by them… they’re a common human trait!

Resolve them as quickly as possible – help everyone focus on the resolution, rather than the mistake.

Move on by learning from them, forgiving yourself and refusing to dwell on them!

Finally, rather than focusing on where you can be better, focus on what you do well.

We can all be better at whatever we do – why? Yes, because no one is perfect… yet! But whenever I am preparing for a speaking engagement, rather than focusing on the fact that I can always be a better speaker, I focus on what I do well. I connect well with my audiences; they love my sense of humor; I can really engage them, both in person and virtually; and most important, I know I’m helping them build a better life or career – or even just view something in a different light.

If I compared myself to other speakers every time I got up to speak, and focused on the things they do that I don’t, I’d never set foot on a stage or a Zoom call again!

So, whenever you’re trying to achieve your goals – and you’re preparing for an important meeting, or trying to get the courage to have a conversation with someone new… or whatever you’re trying to do – focus on all the wonderful things you do well! Think about your accomplishments, focus on your positive impact on others, reflect on the benefits you’ve brought to any situation. Stop focusing on what you lack – and focus on what you do well.

If you do practice this every day in your life, not only will you feel better about yourself, but you will be amazed at how far you can go!

I look forward to your comments below.

Posted in Setting the Stage | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How to Say “No” Without Feeling Guilty

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Sandy

Although this video is published on my WOW Assistants Playlist on YouTube, it is applicable to people in many other professions, as well. That’s why I’m posting it here – I hope you enjoy it! For your convenience, the major points are listed below.

(In the video, I share a story of how I almost said “yes” to the wrong opportunity out of desperation!)

There are so many people who feel guilty saying “no” to requests made of them, but it’s not reasonable for anyone to expect us to say “yes” 100% of the time. So, here are some reasons when and why you should reconsider that “yes” – followed by some tips to help you diplomatically say “no”.

Reasons to say “no:”

  1. It doesn’t suit your personality
  2. You’re not comfortable doing it: I don’t mean that you should never stretch yourself or leave your comfort zone, but don’t say “yes” unless you can get comfortable or practice in another situation first.
  3. It doesn’t fit your values. No judgment involved in the person requesting you to say “yes”
  4. There’s no time to cram it into your busy schedule and do the job well: Know yourself… do you throw yourself into tasks “full throttle?” If you don’t have time to do this, something will suffer, even if it’s just your sanity!
  5. Just to stroke your ego: You’re so honored or flattered that someone wants you to do it, but it doesn’t fit any of the other criteria for you to say “yes.”
  6. You’re being pressured from outside to do something: If it’s not right for you, don’t let others pressure you into it.
  7. Your gut is telling you that it’s not the right thing to do: Your gut is rarely wrong! We can all think of times when we had a gut feeling about something and followed it, and were really glad we did. Then there are other times, we probably ignored that gut feeling and regretted it later.

Suggestions for how to say “no” diplomatically:

“I appreciate the offer/request, but I know myself. I never jump into anything without giving my all… and I just don’t have the time/bandwidth/ability to do the job well for you at this time. So, I’ll have to decline. But please keep me in mind for future opportunities to serve.”

This honors the request (and the requestor), lets them know you appreciate it, and also tells the truth about why you have to say “no” at this time.

For a business opportunity: “Thank you, but this is not part of my business model/business plan at this time.”

For a business or non-business opportunity: “Thank you, but this doesn’t feel like the right opportunity for me at this time.”

For a career-related request: “Thank you, but this doesn’t fit my career goals at this time.”

You could offer an alternative or compromise: “I can’t take on that role at this time, but may I help in another capacity?”

This helps you say “no” to a huge project, but still offer at least some help to the requestor. It doesn’t have to be “all or nothing!”

In summary:

  1. Be diplomatic
  2. Tell the truth
  3. Show gratitude
  4. Offer other help, if you can
  5. Be kind
Posted in Setting the Stage | Tagged | Leave a comment

Happy Holidays from Sandy Geroux & WOWplace Int’l!

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Sandy

Whichever holiday(s) you celebrate…

Thank you for being part of our “family.”

We pray for you to be blessed with the love of your family and friends, whether you’re sharing time with them virtually or in person.

We wish for your career or business to soar to new heights of fulfillment and prosperity.

May your days to be peaceful and relaxing enough to refresh your spirit and renew your energy in preparation for the start of a new year.

And finally, we hope 2021 will exceed your wildest expectations and dreams!

Posted in Holiday Greetings | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Right Person, Right Position… Is That It?

Posted on October 25, 2020 by Sandy

I recently visited an office supply store to purchase an item I found online that was listed as “In Stock” at my local store. Referring to the printout I had created of the item description from the website, I tried but couldn’t find it in the appropriate section.

So, I approached a young lady who was re-stocking items on a nearby shelf and asked for help finding the item. She looked the paper, pointed and said, “Binding Supplies.”

“I’ve just come from there and can’t find it. Can you help me?”

Glaring at me, she snatched the paper from my hand and walked away without saying a word. I followed her to another aisle, where she handed a manager the paper and said, “Can you help her?” before walking away.

Dumbfounded, I told the manager that I couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t help me herself, and he replied, “Well, she’s very shy. She’s only 16 and we usually use her as a cashier, not on the sales floor, because that way she doesn’t have to talk to people.”

WHAT??

First of all, she was out on the sales floor, where she obviously didn’t ever belong since she couldn’t interact with customers at even a basic level.

And second, they usually use her as a cashier so she doesn’t have to TALK to people?

Why would you not want your Cashier to talk to people? The Cashier position is probably one of the most important customer-facing positions in the entire store. In fact, their interaction with your Cashier is often the very last thing your customer experiences before walking out the door. A bad experience could make that visit their last visit because they may not want to walk back in the door again.

If yours is a location with a drive-thru window, the Cashier may be the first, last person (sometimes the only person) with whom your customers interact.

I realize managers face many problems finding, hiring and retaining exceptional people, especially for entry-level positions nowadays. But this cannot serve as an excuse to allow discourteous behavior toward customers or, for that matter, co-workers.

Which begs the question: If she can’t talk to customers, how is dealing with co-workers?

I would encourage any leader to think twice about putting this person anywhere in their organization. If their social skills are so awkward that they can’t talk to people, does their behavior fit with the culture of the organization?

The first question being asked shouldn’t be where can we not put this person, or where else can we put them because they can’t function in certain positions. It should be, “Does this person demonstrate the values and work ethic we desire here? Do they represent our values?”

Skills and knowledge are trainable; even maturity can be achieved with time and training. Values and work ethic cannot. Someone who cannot even muster a smile and a, “Let me find someone who can help you,” doesn’t seem to have the right attitude or work ethic regarding how they are willing to treat other human beings.

So, the better questions to ask are:

  • Is this person a “right fit” for our culture and values?
  • Is she able to demonstrate minimum behavioral standards that reinforce our culture?
  • Is she coachable? Will coaching bring her along quickly enough to prevent overload and burnout of other members of the team who may have to work with her and pick up the slack until she is ready to face them and your customers?
  • If the person is already employed there, how does the rest of the team feel about working with her?
  • Do they at least enjoy working with her? If not, what is her presence doing to the morale of other team members?
  • Are they resentful of her ability to pick and choose what she can/will do? Are they beginning to disengage or demonstrate undesirable behavior in response?

Only when these types of questions are answered properly, should you ask, “In what position would they (and we) be most successful?”

Remember: inviting someone into your culture is like inviting them into your family. If they don’t fit, the detrimental effects to the rest of the family could be far-reaching. And it could be very painful for everyone involved until you finally get a “divorce.” It could ruin your holidays, prevent other family members from sticking around or engaging and cause irreparable harm in the meantime.

So, be sure you both value the same things before saying, “I do.”

I’ll see you next time at the WOWplace!

Posted in Leadership/Employee Engagement | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Leadership Traits Necessary to Recognize and Nurture Talent

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Sandy

In my last post, I outlined Three Phrases That Should Make Every Leader Sit Up and Take Notice.

As a reminder, these phrases were:

“I have an idea [to change or improve something specific] and here are the benefits of doing so.”
“How can I help/serve you better?”
“I don’t think that’s the right way to go; I’d like to challenge you on that.”

All of these phrases require several leadership traits to be present in any leader who wants to prevent them from remaining completely off their radar, causing them to miss golden opportunities to recognize and nurture budding leadership talent in their team members and retain them for the long run.

Growth Mindset

If any leader is too happy maintaining the status quo, these phrases will not only be meaningless to them, but annoying as well. The leader who does not wish to grow (personally, professionally or as an organization) doesn’t want to be forced to learn new information, procedures or methods of operation, and slams down any suggestion to do so.

Their motto is often, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” However, too often, not only is something “broke” and no one realizes it – but sometimes people do realize it, but they’ve stopped bringing it to anyone’s attention because their suggestions fall on deaf ears.

Case in point: I called a company’s customer service department once and had a horrendous time getting through their automated phone system. When I finally reached someone, of course the teacher in me came out and I made a suggestion that they may want to simplify this very frustrating process.

He replied, “I’ll tell them, but they won’t listen. They never do!”

OUCH! Wouldn’t you just love to have that team member working for you? NOT!

This system WAS “broke” but leadership didn’t know it (or didn’t care) because no one is bringing anything to their attention any more. There shame of it is that there are so many easy ways to incent and reward team members for going the extra mile, such as:

  • Creating a suggestion box or website that is monitored and answered by someone who lets each suggester know they were heard, informs them of their suggestion’s status and even rewards them for making suggestions! Some companies give bonuses for implemented ideas; others give tickets for each submission, holding quarterly raffles and awarding prizes. The more ideas you submit, the more tickets (and entries into each raffle) you receive.
  • Add goals to each team member’s performance evaluation to reward them for bringing forward ideas for improvements and implementing positive changes. Bonuses could be earned for over-achieving on any particular goal.
  • Leaders can also add these types of goals to their performance evaluations, earning higher bonuses for encouraging, receiving, reacting to, and acting upon great suggestions from their team members.
  • Team rewards could also be offered for positive results.

The upshot is that when a leader doesn’t possess a Growth mindset, everyone except that leader often recognizes it and stops trying to make anything better. What you’re left with is an employee roster of automatons who sleepwalk through their days, ignoring customer requests and turning a blind eye to things that go wrong, rather than stepping up with ideas for improvement.

Caring Attitude

Leaders must genuinely care about the success of their people, not just the success of the organization. When someone cares enough to offer help in an area that the leader could be missing, if that leader doesn’t show enough care about that team member to listen and genuinely consider their request, it shows not only a lack of concern for the other person but a lack of self-awareness.

That team member may see an opportunity to free up the leader’s time for more valuable tasks than what they are currently spending time (or too much time) doing. One example I hear often is that many leaders try to book their own travel arrangements, believing it will take too much time to train their assistant or cause them to lose control. If they’re going to have to review the options anyway, why not do the original research and make the decision in the process? Two birds with one stone…

I have been there and done that! I came from an administrative background and had become quite proficient at researching and making travel arrangements. When I first started my speaking and consulting business 20 years ago, it was all right to do this for myself. But as I began to travel more and take on more work, it became impossible to do it all myself!

Yet, I still resisted because I thought, especially with my background, that I could do it more quickly and easily myself. But when I hired the right assistant, Patti, that changed everything! One day, out of desperation, I typed a quick email outlining three upcoming trips and asked her to do the research for me and email me with the best options. When I looked at the situation in the clear light of day, I realized that yes, it had taken me about 10-15 minutes to look up the details of the trips and put them into an email for her. But that was nothing compared to the hour (at least!) it would have taken me to research all the travel details I needed for just those three trips.

Bam! “I could have had a V-8!” (Thank you, Patti!)

This situation literally proves the saying, “Just because I can doesn’t mean I should.”

Leaders (like me) who fall into this trap believe, “If I want something done right, I have to do it myself!” While this may be true for some tasks, there are many that we don’t have to do ourselves – and if we calculate the hourly rate involved in doing it ourselves versus those who should be doing it, we realize the ridiculous amount of money and productivity we’re wasting doing things that should be left to others.

Allowing Patti to use her expertise and ability to serve at a higher level, instead of slamming her into one small box and telling her to stay there, has created an incredible partnership between us. I don’t know what I would do without this strategic partner whom I know will always have my back.

What can you and the right partners do together?

High Self-Esteem

Leaders must possess enough self-esteem and self-confidence to resist feeling “threatened” by others who disagree with their opinions. This applies even, or especially, when the leader has strong convictions, as the tendency when “threatened” regarding a belief we hold dear is to get defensive – and often to attack. I’m sure we’ve all witnessed disagreements and debates that devolve into disrespectful behavior on both sides. Sometimes we have to just respectfully agree to disagree and leave it at that.

But leaders should be open to hearing opposing viewpoints for several reasons:

  1. It helps them see if they are missing a critical perspective on the issue.
  2. It offers respect to others.
  3. It may serve to allow them to think through and strengthen their own opinion.

People who are confident in their own abilities and knowledge are able to resist the feeling that their intelligence is somehow diminished by the presence of other intelligent people around them. Thus, they are able to resist the impulse to “one-up” someone else with their knowledge because they are able to allow another to bask in the warmth of the accolades of others without having to prove that they are just as knowledgeable (or more knowledgeable) on any given topic.

They also know that surrounding themselves with other intelligent people is an intelligent move on their part. Besides, the intelligence of their companions has a good chance of “rubbing off” on them! So, surround yourself with intelligent people and let them shine!

Sense of Humor

The ability to laugh at life in general, and ourselves/our mistakes specifically, is a wonderful gift.

A perfect example of the power of humor was during the 1984 Presidential race between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale. When the issue of Reagan’s significantly older age arose, he humorously said, “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” Even his opponent had to laugh at that! View the clip here.

What Reagan did was to defuse the tense situation brought up by the question of his age, making himself extremely likeable in the process. What he also did was dispel the notion that he was no longer quick on his feet or able to think fast. Mondale even laughingly said later that he knew he’d lost the election right there!

Just remember that anything we can do to become more self-aware, make our people feel more at ease to serve at a higher level and laugh, even in difficult situations, is a step in the right direction toward earning their respect and getting them to engage.

Leaders: Follow this link for tips to improve Employee Morale & Job Satisfaction.

Sandy Geroux, M.S. is on a mission to help you turn your workplace into a WOWplace through engaged and inspired leadership which leads to exceptional customer experiences and loyalty and a lasting culture of WOW. In her latest book, “Turn Your Workplace Into a WOWplace!: 5 Rules for Going From OW to WOW,” she presents a successful structure for creating cultural consistency in the face of human inconsistency. She is also the author of many articles and publishes a blog at www.wowplace.com. Tens of thousands of people worldwide have learned from her ideas through training programs. For more information, visit www.thewowplace.com.

If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss upcoming posts!

Posted in Leadership/Employee Engagement, Rule #2: A WOWplace is Respectful, Rule #5: A WOWplace is Rewarding | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Three Phrases That Should Make Every Leader Sit Up and Take Notice

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Sandy
Video of blog post by Sandy Geroux, M.S.

Click on the image above to watch a video of this post; otherwise, it is also below for your convenience in reading it.

In any organization, formal opportunities exist for requesting and accepting specific ideas, suggestions and feedback. Most leaders are comfortable accepting and acting upon information offered in these circumstances.

However, through 20+ years of training and coaching others, I have identified several key phrases, often unsolicited and offered spontaneously, that should cause every leader to listen carefully to what follows and consider not only what is being said but the potential of the person saying it.

“I have an idea to change or improve something specific and here are the benefits of doing so.”

I’m not referring to the simple phrase, “I have an idea” or even “I have an idea to change or improve something,” although anyone who puts forth a suggestion should at least be heard and given a chance to elaborate on the reasoning behind it. It also does not refer to someone who is simply interested in complaining about a situation rather than improving it.

But when someone delivers that complete phrase, “I have an idea to change or improve something specific and here are the benefits of doing so”, it indicates not only a proactive mindset and a desire for improvement, but the critical thinking necessary to both make a suggestion and ensure it has merit.

In fact, the cognitive reasoning and personal values demonstrated in this simple phrase indicate:

  • A genuine desire to create positive results
  • The courage to put forth new ideas
  • The forethought to think through a suggestion to ensure that it will provide specific benefits
  • The ability to proactively communicate effectively and influence others
  • The work ethic to go above and beyond to help the organization (or team) succeed

So, pay attention when someone mentions an idea accompanied by its anticipated benefits.

“How can I help/serve you better?”

This question will only come from someone with leadership potential.

In fact, the entire concept of the WOWplace is to create a place where people love to go because they make a difference rather simply a paycheck.

The person who asks the question, “How can I help/serve you better” is not interested in the paycheck alone as their reward for doing a job, and doing it well. They are not looking to do the absolute minimum in order to keep their jobs, or “marking time” from the minute they arrive to the minute they leave. Even better, they do not they need to have their hands held through most (or all) of their tasks. They’re self-sufficient, ambitious, intelligent and have a true desire to serve. That’s a WOW team member!

Recognize the leadership potential in this proactive and service-centered question and reward their desire to serve at a higher level by having an honest discussion about what else they can do in their current position, as well as where it could lead in the future.

Don’t just brush these team members off with a flip, “Oh, you’re doing fine. I can’t think of anything else you could do.” This only demotivates them and teaches them not to even bother in the future. Anyone who is satisfied with just “doing fine” is an OK person to have in your organization. But someone who wants to go beyond just “fine” is someone you don’t want to lose to another organization… or to a competitor. These team members will not stay if “fine” is all that’s expected of them. They will become bored, disengaged and likely leave as soon as an opportunity comes along that will challenge them to do more and be all they can be.

Why would any leader want to demotivate these team members, while retaining those who are simply happy to do the bare minimum? I understand that you can’t have all overachievers in your organization… but no exceptional leader wants an entire team of average or barely average performers.

Where will your future leaders come from? How will you get more from them when you actually need them to do more? And how will you remain productive if all of your superstars look elsewhere for personal fulfillment in their jobs?

So, instead of just telling them they’re doing “fine,” ask if they have suggestions regarding what more they could do. If they truly are proactive superstars, they will come to you with observations and ideas of what they can do to serve at that higher level.

Keep this in mind: If you “be there” for your superstar performers when they need you to help them grow, they will be there for you when you need them to perform at even higher levels.

“I don’t think that’s the right way to go; I’d like to challenge you on that.”

I know it’s much easier to have everyone agree with us all the time, but that’s not really the highest and best use of the talented people we hire, is it?

Apple’s founder Steve Jobs very aptly said, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”

This includes challenging us on current processes, policies, procedures, products… everything! We can’t personally have every good idea – or the best idea – on every subject! We need outside perspectives. Often, that’s why we hire people – to help us grow, perform new tasks, develop new products, keep up with current challenges. If all we ever do is hire them and then refuse to take (or even listen to) their good advice, we not only waste our time and money hiring and training them for a position where they can’t possibly succeed, causing us to fail at our objectives in the process, but we’ll lose them as they realize they’re fighting a losing battle to actually accomplish what you hired them to do.

I know of a company that was growing so fast that the CEO hired a VP of HR to help them through this growth. But every time the VP made a new suggestion, the CEO slammed her down and told her, “That’s not the way we do things here.” He completely forgot that the things that got them where they were, were not going to get them any further. He had blinders on, refused to listen to a new way that would see them into the future… and lost his new VP within just a few months.

So, when someone you respect enough to have hired (and want to retain) them asks you if they can challenge you, allow them to do so. It doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically agree with everything they have to say, but it will allow you to have a productive discussion about the best way to proceed. And in the process, you gain a lot of respect from your team because you showed enough respect for them FIRST to ask and then listen to their replies.

Could you use more people in your organization who demonstrate these types of abilities and values? Most organization I know of could. And yet, too often these people are pushed aside and ignored because it’s easier to keep things “status quo” than it is to actually go through the process of changing something, even for the better.

Even worse, they are sometimes labeled “troublemakers” or “interlopers” who are either “stepping on toes in other departments” or looking to snatch someone else’s job right out from under them!

But recognizing and properly addressing these phrases has many benefits, including:

  • The ability to tap into the hidden and underutilized talents of your team members
  • Rewarding them in non-monetary ways that help both the organization and the individual grow
  • Putting high performers on a leadership track that will fill your critical leadership pipeline
  • Retaining team members longer because they feel valued, respected and listened to
  • Improving outdated or under-performing policies and processes
  • Increasing productivity, which can reduce costs and increase profits
  • Serving customers at such a higher level that you create raving FANS rather than raving LUNATICS
  • … and so many more benefits we can’t list them all here

If you’re at all concerned about the strategic objectives of your organization, then take care of your people. When you listen to them, recognize the full capabilities of your team and reward their efforts, they will prove to you that you’re not alone… and they will help you achieve your objectives.

In the next post, we will address the factors that must be present in any leader in order for them to recognize, capitalize on and reward the types of comments mentioned here.

See you on the next post! We love to hear from our readers, so please share your comments below!

Posted in Communication, Leadership/Employee Engagement, Rule #2: A WOWplace is Respectful, Rule #5: A WOWplace is Rewarding | Leave a comment