Your Morning Commute

How do you influence? How do you sell vs. tell? Is your style one of influence or authority? This week focus on creating buy-in through your communication style intentionally. Even those with hard wiring of a teller can pivot intentionally into people focus vs. task focus when they are self-aware.  

The virtual worker is here to stay and by the masses...soooooo how are you on-boarding them to immediately integrate them into your team, your workplace culture? Take 3 minutes and 30 seconds to get inspired and re-imagine with me.

Are you intentionally leveling up your skills and those of your team members to ensure you are posed for the future?  Did you know when you do this effectively it increases employee engagement, reduces turnover, and promotes your internal workforce planning and mobility? Listen in for 3 activities you can begin today.

Today's tip to create buy-in and faster change is found on where you focus your energy in the can vs the can't.  Focus on ideas to create the new desired goal vs. the limitations around what won't work.  I admit it sounds simple but most don't take this approach. Listen in to the quick - get you started, 160th episode of #YourMorningCommute for more.

In stressful times, it’s easy to get derailed by matters that might be viewed as trivial under ordinary circumstances. A colleague shows up late to a Zoom call, the client changes her mind mid-stream, the boss unleashes an unnecessary rant. These infractions can dampen our work productivity on a normal day, but their impact can be even more toxic in times of uncertainty and change. Take charge, re...

A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.' ― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones Today on the 158th episode of #YourMorningCommute, I challenge you on how you are bringing or using your Whetstone and encouraging your team to do the same. Your brain needs food - how are you feeding it, sharpening it and then using it as a tool to close the gaps on your goals? Str...

A lack of trust in the workplace is the virus that can create a diseased workplace culture. It often begins with leadership and spreads throughout the team, leading to a cycle of unhealthy responses that affect engagement and productivity. There are 3 directions of trust: The team must trust the leader The leader must trust the team The team must trust one another https://www.forbes.com/sites/forb...

Whether your leadership style is hands on or hands off you must always Inspect what you Expect. I am sure you have heard that phrase before - but are you living it? Are you certain you are clear on expectations before you go 'hands off'.  I hear you, delegation and accountability isn't always the easiest thing in the world, but it is easier when you start on the same page and then Inspect Wha...

It is time to put your listening ears on. Listening is hard and we all have to strive to do a better job. As an executive coach or when I am completing a culture inquiry, I always find it fascinating how the same stories/incidents are recounted so differently when talking to members on the team. Right from the beginning our filters, how we are listening during the live incident begin to shape our...

Culture can be (should be) the engine of your organizations success. Leadership must align and drive that culture. But what happens when leadership turns over on average every 18 months, 40% of the time.  Yikes -  leadership turnover weakens stability and overall strength of your culture. Where will you make an impact today for yourself and your team? 5 Broad areas of leading stem from:...

Building a strong workplace culture rooted in trust and community is more important than ever. The effort is well worth it—and it pays dividends, such as less burnout, higher productivity, lower workplace stress, fewer sick days and higher levels of engagement.

Research is showing the words Toxic Culture are being googled by the masses again. I would add, still vs again. Many leaders are still struggling with the leaks that cause long term floods - dam breaks in their workplace culture. Some seem to be at a loss. About 3 years ago I did a video on the top 5 Signals Your Workplace Culture is Toxic. (they are all still true today) One of the signals I disc...

Are you on the right track? Well, don't just sit there. Is the some of all the little things you are doing this week - getting you and your team closure to your objectives? It's Wednesday - let's still get at it.

Capturing the Values of Values can be the best thing you ever did to protect your workplace culture. It has to be more than words on a wall, or handbook, or website. Defining the values (unpacking them), building upon them and then marketing the heck out of them internally and externally - all of your solutions to your 'problems' reside right there.  If you don't believe me - give me a chance...

Employees want good pay. They want to have some say in how they perform their jobs. They want to be treated fairly. And they want management to be consistent in word and deed. But if you really want a motivated, committed workforce, you’d better answer the five questions that every employee wants to know. 1. Where are we going 2. What does it look like when we get there 3. What difference are we m...

It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives, it is not the strongest that survives, but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. ​ create a plan and communicate effectively empower the team and the talent you/they have from within be transparent ​ ​

Having honest DEI discussions is only the first step in a larger movement. Once you’ve solicited feedback, there’s a much tougher step ahead: taking action. Only by taking action can the letters D, E, and I become part of your company’s reality. It’ll take effort throughout the organization—from the very top, down to the individual level. But change must happen. And change can happen, so long as y...

There are TWO PANDEMICS we are fighting, it's time to move forward and start taking action. If you’re like a lot of organizations, you’ve been having pivotal conversations about your culture. You’re self-assessing, asking tough questions like: Are we inclusive? Does our business support and promote a diverse range of perspectives? Are we part of the problem, or the solution? If your business is ma...

Has your daily decision making increased over the past days? Have you changed how you are involving others on your team to make those decisions? When you make decisions, do you ever ask if it is in alignment to your values and or relevant to your mission, vision, and culture statements? Have you ever tracked how many decisions you make in a day and then ask yourself if YOU had to be the one to mak...

How are your morning calls or huddles going? By now you should be in a flow - however you might be missing some key elements that can and will help you and your team level up. On today's #YourMorningCommute we break down those 4 elements, that are sure to keep you on track.

When you look at your calendar, do you have pineapples or bananas listed in your blocks? What are you delegating, pineapples or bananas? When you have 15 to 30 minutes to work on 'something' - is it a pineapple or banana? Listen to today's #YourMorningCommute to be more intentional with your time management, delegation, ease of completion, and follow-up.

We are great about scheduling meetings....I say that with a smile on my face...but what about protecting your calendar for NO-Meeting blocks too.  Enjoy today's time management hack on this 142nd episode of #YourMorningCommute Workplace Culture is your solution!

There so many things that make us uncomfortable and often we don't even realize... what we decide to do...is instead avoid them. Today I challenge you to get #deliberate and #intentional with these 6 pivots that can and will greatly impact your workplace culture in a positive way, if you choose to accept the mission. Listen in for all 6. I would also be remise if any time I thought through or thin...

Crisis, begets opportunity — making the current crisis' an extraordinary cauldron in which to develop new skills. For better or for worse, the practice of core leadership skills that we all know are important (and may ordinarily struggle to implement) is no longer theoretical, having suddenly become a daily exercise. How are you showing up to prioritize, innovate, humanize, and empathize with your...

Don’t let anyone fool you—company culture can be tough to define with a remote workforce and civil unrest. It takes a concerted effort, and even if you have flexible, experienced people, you still straddle a fine line. 4 Key elements always remain that will aid in remaining focused, staying resilient and highly empathetic to your team. Clarifying communication channels and necessary pivots Collect...