I hear many people (including myself) talk about how they want to make a difference, and I believe most of us are genuine when we make this statement; however, wanting to make a difference and making a difference are completely "different" things.
Over the past few years I have been captivated by our need for development of renewable energy. It was only recently I realized the parallel between renewable energy through natural resources to affect our environment and renewable energy through investing in people to affect our work environment.
We are excited to have a new blog contributor on our team, Adrian Felts! To learn more about Adrian, click here! Adrian's insights on the ROI of giving back to our community is an imporant way to develop that imporat leadership competency in your organization and for yourself. So without further ado... enjoy!
When is the last time you were able tell senior management in your organization the expected financial return on investment (ROI, because there's always an acronym) for time spent volunteering? For workers who find personal value in giving back, this can be very frustrating. For managers who have financial targets to hit, this too is frustrating. You want your employees to give back because you understand the value is creates for them in their lives and careers, and doggonit, it's good for the community! But ultimately, time not spent on billable projects is revenue lost, regardless of whether it's volunteer time or time paid for by the company. So, I have a few thoughts on how to go about doing this so it's a win - win for all involved.
MSBCoach is committed to partnering with leaders and teams to identify their True North. One's true north includes living into your values, identifying what it means to you to be your authentic self, and practicing emotional intelligence. Leadership, executive, and team coaching are effective ways to help leaders and their teams put these principles into practice. We also offer engaging workshops in being an authentic leader, emotional intelligence, identifying your values, and many others. You can check out our coaching processes and our list of workshops here.
Organizations today recognize that sustained innovation is essential in order to compete and survive in the global marketplace. However, “innovation” is not just about coming up with radical ideas, nor is it simply about cool products (iPads and iPhones, for instance) or “creative” gurus (such as Steve Jobs and Richard Branson). While these might represent the most visible and tangible evidence that innovation exists, there is far more to the story.
Author and creativity expert Bryan W. Mattimore, in his book Idea Stormers: How to Lead and Inspire Creative Breakthroughs (Jossey-Bass, 2012), says that “Ideation – the term for the collection of group creativity techniques formerly known as brainstorming – is fun but can be hard work. Innovation – getting an idea or product to market successfully – is much harder work still.”
Sustained innovation is more about a supportive and aligned culture than a singular product or individual.
Sustained innovation is more about a supportive and aligned culture than a singular product or individual....
What do we gain from being connected and engaged with other people? Marianne Williamson wrote, “People crave comfort, people crave connection, people crave community.” So, what does it take to build and maintain a sense of community in the workplace? As a leader, what role do you play? Why is it essential for a good leader to understand the importance of community focus? How does a strong sense of community support employee engagement and retention?
MSBCoach is committed to partnering with leaders and teams to identify their True North. One's true north includes living into your values, identifying what it means to you to be your authentic self, and practicing emotional intelligence. Leadership, executive, and team coaching are effective ways to help leaders and their teams put these principles into practice. We also offer engaging workshops in being an authentic leader, emotional intelligence, identifying your values, and many others. You can check out our coaching processes and our list of workshops here.
Do you remember those things you mother always said to you? Do you also remember when you realized those things she said were meaningful to life? One of the things my mother used to always say was, "Always leave a place better than you found it". She was referring to cleanliness. She taught me when I stayed at someone's house, before leaving I should put clean sheets on the bed, empty the trash and make sure the rooms I used (including the bathroom) looked better than when I arrived. I value this lesson and still live into it.
A few years ago, I was working with a leader who was a department head as well as a member of the organization’s executive team. This leader had a healthy department with positive attitudes, good communication and strong relationships; however, several of the other departments within this organization were not so fortunate. There were many challenges going on in other departments from high turnover, continued gossip, poor communication and lack of trust, just to name a few.
When the conversation would turn to the challenges other departments within the organization were having, this leader would often say, “I am taking the high road and choose to stay out of the drama”. At first blush this seemed very noble; however, the challenge was that the “drama”, so to speak, was real and the other teams were quickly becoming dysfunctional.
It’s no secret that MSBC is on a mission to create engaged workforces. And we know you are just as concerned about the lack of truly engaged employees and leaders that are working together to grow the businesses or move forward the missions of your organizations as we are.
No matter what your mission is, it is critical that your employees understand how they contribute to the overall goals as well as vision. Most leaders (and team members) want to feel part of something bigger than yourself and that your contribution is valuable. The best way for everyone to understand the vision is through strategic planning.
Goal setting can be an exciting time! You are energized and ready to conquer! Your goals are set and you will continually strategize, plan and monitor them.... as you should. You are also open and willing to do whatever it takes... and there is often “one more thing” that has the potential to get the result/s you are seeking. And you’ll often do it without a second thought.
But let’s be honest... all those “one more things” can often be detrimental to the very goal you are after. Soon you will be doing so many “one more things” that you could lose sight of your original goal, strategy, or plan. I would like for you to consider a new proposal for your goal setting..... DO LESS! Consider the five strategies listed below to DO LESS so that you can actually achieve more:
Ground Level
Base Camp
Alpine
Summit Approach
Summit