Building Trust

Trust is an important foundation in every relationship. In a team environment trust builds communication, respect, and teamwork. Building trust once it is lost takes time, intention, and effort from both sides. It is critical to remember trust is not one sided, but a mutual endeavor.

What puts cracks in the foundation?

While a relationship built on a sturdy foundation of trust can grow into a skyscraper, trust is a delicate thing. Cracks can spider through the foundation easily over time and turn into serious problems when left unattended. There are obvious culprits such as dishonesty, lack of integrity, and unresolved conflict. There are also less obvious enemies of trust and unity that can sneak in and do damage over time.
Inconsistency overtime can deteriorate trust. This can be completely overlooked by leadership because it is most often unintentional and at the root of it is lack of communication. Our team should be able to predict our answers and our behavior most of the time. If we react to a situation in a way that they did not expect we need to be clear about why. Predictability gives our team security.
Favoritism and exclusion can also weaken the foundation of trust. Showing one person or one group favoritism lowers your teams trust in your ability to be objective. The same is true when you exclude one person or group from benefits or the opportunity to participate in gatherings.
Rigid thinking can also wear away at trust. If your team sees you as close-minded, they will lose trust in your ability to listen. They will become unwilling to communicate ideas. Without realizing it, your rigid attitude can suffocate the relationship and cause the team to become disengaged.
Gossip can work its way into the foundation of trust and turn everything you have built into a house of cards. It is impossible to trust someone who gossips with you, because there is always potential they will gossip about you. Gossip can disguise itself as harmless "venting" or appealing to someone to offer advice in a difficult situation. The truth is, if you are not talking to someone that can fix the issue, you are gossiping. In a team environment this means you only take negatives to leaders (managers, supervisors, team leads, etc). This was one of the most valuable lessons we learned from Dave Ramsey's group in Entreleadership.
There are many other things that can cause faults to grow in your foundation: public reprimands, perceived sanctioned incompetence, and more. Leaders should identify these faults and seek to repair them quickly.

How do we build trust?

As we mentioned before, trust is a mutual endeavor. It takes both sides to build trust. It is a decision not to trust as much as it is a decision to forgive and show grace. Communication is a key ingredient in a foundation of trust. Positive, healthy communication over time creates a solid foundation of trust for your team to grow on.
Communicate the goals and visions of the team consistently. If you want your team to trust that you are leading them in the right direction, they need to understand what destination you are leading them toward. They need to share your vision.
Let your team get to know you and see you for the good person you are every day. When you put up walls between you and your team it is difficult for them to trust you, because you are not trusting them. If they see you as honest, with deep integrity, fair, and consistent they will follow you with full trust and loyalty. This means following through with consequences both positive and negative.
Work as a team. When your team knows you will work hard for them, they will work hard for you and each other A team that is cross trained and willing to cover for each other builds trust naturally.
A leader should also strive to refresh their team by being a source of renewal. Your team will should feel they can go to you when they have doubts, concerns, or even when they have made a mistake. If you work hard to build them up you will find trust comes easy.
Finally, remember LaDusta's motto "A good person does what's right no matter what anyone else is doing!" A team that lives by this motto trusts each other's intentions because they know even if someone made a mistake, they were trying to do what was right. Your team should know you will always be there for them, because you trust them.

Scriptures

Psalms 84:12        Proverbs 11:13      Proverbs 21:21

Coaching Like a Leader!

An important part of leading is knowing how to mentor your team and coach them through situations. A leader should spend time coaching the team as a group and as individuals in order to keep the team constantly growing and improving in their performance and ability to develop as leaders. 

                  “Coaching focuses on helping another person learn in ways that let him or her keep growing afterward.                It is based on asking rather than telling, on provoking thought rather than giving directions and on                      holding a person accountable for his or her goals.” ~ Candice Frankovelgia

The ability to effectively coach your team starts with a strong foundation. Coaching is more than just drawing a few X's and O's on a dry erase board and giving out attaboy's. (I highly discourage the later as funny as it may have been on that episode of "Friends", attaboy's don't go over well in the office.) Coaching is also not limited to managers and supervisors. A strong team will naturally start to coach each other to success..

Building a strong foundation means you have already developed mutual respect. You have already been consistent, reliable, and professional. Through intentional attention you have developed a strong relationship with the team. Both good and poor performance have been addressed consistently and equally. Coaching also requires knowing each team member's personality, history, and performance level. You would not coach a team captain the same way you would coach the H2O delivery coordinator. 

Instead of X's and O's, use the "B's". When coaching a team member on performance improvement you should be:

*Kind      *Professional     *Calm     *Encouraging     *Respectful     *Predictable     *Honest     *Consistent

*Intentional                          *Clear     *Timely

We should also be stern when it is appropriate. We spend a lot of time being positive and encouraging. It is important however to be stern when necessary to express the importance of the situation. Otherwise you are doing your team a disservice by not communicating clearly. The change in tone can help clear up the communication and set the expectations. Being stern should still follow the other "B's" and does not have to come across in a demeaning way. Coaching a team member is meant to build them up, not tear them down. We should never coach in front of others when it can cause harm or embarrass someone. 

Be Specific

One of the most important "B's" is be specific! Explain clearly what goal the team member needs to reach. Make it measurable and give them a deadline. Define what the next step is if they do not meet the expectations set and if they do meet or exceed them. The foundation for this communication should have been set from day one in the KRA (Key Results Areas) or by sitting down and discussing the job description with the team member. 

Coaching should not stop when they have meet a goal. It should be a continuous process to help them achieve new goals and reach higher performance. When you stop setting new goals and stop looking for new ways to improve and perform at the next level you will find your team will become disengaged because you are disengaged. Leaders continuously look for opportunities to grow and improve for themselves and for their team. Only a disengaged leader would stop that process, and would in turn not be performing as a leader.

Don't forget the follow through!

All of the great coaches will tell you that teaching technique is important, but will mean nothing without good follow through. In sports terms this means the difference between a good player and a pro. Pros always follow through. In business terms the same applies but the follow through is as much the coaches responsibility as it is the team members. Let your team member know how they are doing throughout the process. Give them course correction when they need it. When a team member does not met the expectations that were set by the deadline you have to follow through with consequences. Lack of consistency in that aspect sends a confusing message to the team member and the team as a whole. You have to set your team up to succeed by showing them what success looks like and following through! 

Scriptures:

2 Timothy 3:16        Proverbs 15:32             Proverbs 8:33                

Get Engaged!

After weeks and weeks of talking about leadership we have to remind ourselves to not just talk about it, but to jump in and apply this to what we do every day. We have to be intentional about getting engaged! Leadership is not just a concept, it is actively engaging in moving things in the company. It is solution-seeking, communication driven, focused-attention on fire!
It can be difficult as a leader to be engaged when we allow ourselves to get caught in crisis mode, always putting out fires, and reacting to our day instead of interacting with it. We should be intentional and strategic with our time. This takes practicing all of the skills we have discussed up to this point including:

Communicate

We must continue to communicate the vision through our actions and words to the team, to our patients, and to our referrals. We can say it all day, but if we are not living it those words are empty.

Know your team

We have to be intentional about spending time with our team. We should know details about our team member's lives like: Spouses' names, Kids' names, pets' names, and the big events going on in their personal lives. We should get to know who they are and who they want to be so we can help mentor them and encourage them as they grow into that person. If we are their peer or their manager, we should be intentional about being their biggest cheerleader and the one that helps them course correct when they need it.
Imagine how well a team would work together if they were all so engaged that they knew each other's hopes and goals and were encouraging each other daily! It is exciting to imagine the possibilities with such a strong team working together to accomplish their goals!

Did I mention Communicate?!!
Successful leaders know that communication is vital to every business. Utilize your weekly reports to communicate what is going on in your world. This report should express your highs, lows, and what you are looking forward to each week. This should not replace communication with your manager about problems that are interfering with your ability to work. Those problems should be communicated immediately and in person.
You should be having at least one meeting a week with your manager and team to discuss what is going on , what needs to be done, and progress on important goals. This communication is important and should not be seen as inconvenient. Businesses find themselves in trouble when they do not set weekly meetings and commit to them. Even if there is nothing new to discuss, it is an opportunity to sit or stand as a group and acknowledge that all is good. Lack of communication creates division and is a quick way to see your team become disengaged.

Solution-seek

There is a danger zone for a team where people fall into the habit of just doing the work at their j-o-b. It is in this ugly place that team members become workers or employees, and everyone focuses on problems and issues. EEeeek! Leaders make leaders, so as we improve our habits of solution-seeking, so will our team. This starts with actively seeking better ways to do things and not just accepting "the way it has always been done."
It also means asking "why do we do it?" Sometimes we keep doing things that we no longer have to do just because we forgot why we did it and kept doing it because we always did it. The best leaders are always asking "why?" and "how can we do it better?".
Most importantly, do not be afraid to think outside the box...or even better lose the box all together! Be willing to reinvent things and explore different possibilities outside your comfort zone.

Oh, yea! Communicate!

Look for opportunities to praise your team and team members. Discuss areas you need to course correct and get them back on track. Be intentional about stopping gossip! Gossip blooms in teams that are disengaged. Engaged teams do not have time for gossip and are so focused on improving things that gossip is an obstacle they will not tolerate.

Do not be afraid to get excited, talk about what you learn, talk about new ideas, and put them all into action!  Being engaged  is like being a lit match. Your excitement becomes a light. Use that light to spread the fire and get your team engaged!

Scriptures:

Exodus 18:21               Galatians 6:9                  Ecclesiastes 3:1              2 Timothy 2:2

Intentions Matter

Leaders work hard at being intentional and not reactive. They decide what reaction they will give and what reaction they want to get in almost every interaction. It can sound manipulative when you think about it in those terms. However, behind being intentional is something much deeper: Intentions. Why you do something matters as much as how you do it.
Mahatma Gandhi said, "Before the throne of the Almighty, man will be judged not by his acts but by his intentions. For God alone reads our hearts". It may be true that only God can read our hearts, but often our actions give away our intentions when our words try to hide them or vice versa.
It is important to be honest with yourself about why you are doing something. Sometimes we can fool ourselves into believing we are doing something with good intentions when we know we have other underlying motives. Whatever your motives, own them. If you are not sure if your motives are good or bad, remove the emotion from the situation and ask if you would give someone you care about advice to follow the path you are following. If not, you should probably reconsider your path.
Leaders should be honest and transparent about their motives whenever possible. However, it is wise to consider the timing and benefit of sharing information with your team. Know your team's personalities and ability to handle different information. If you cannot share your intentions up front be sure to consider how they might be perceived.
Our intentions can have a mirror effect where our intentions are reflected in the results of our actions. We reap what we sow. It can also create a fun house mirror effect in the way we see others. We can have distorted views of others because we judge them by our intentions instead of seeing them for their intentions. In other words we think the worst of people because we know our intentions in similar past situations were not the best.
"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become"~ Buddha
Another point to consider: We quickly find ourselves surrounded by others with the same intentions. Scott brought up a quote in this lesson "Your vibe attracts your tribe". Look at your friends and those closest to you and consider how they reflect you. You may find a different reflection of your intentions in the people you surround yourself with everyday.
Challenge yourself to be intentional and know your intentions and you will find yourself becoming a better leader.

Scriptures:

Ephesians 1:9                        Hebrews 4:12                        Genesis 6:5

The Match Game: Walking & Talking Your Story

As a company it is very important to communicate the company's story over and over to your team. On a personal level when we think of the people we are close to and have history with, there are always stories along the way that we talk about and tell again and again. That shared history creates a bond. The same is true with companies and their teams. That bond can be created even with new team members by letting them know that history and feel apart of it They carry the story and retell it.
What about our story? As individuals we have a story in our head that we want others to see and tell about us. It is important that we are intentional about how we present ourselves through our actions and our words. That does not mean we are fake or put on a show. It means that we are genuine and true to who we say we want to be in this life.
Here is the time you take a moment to ask yourself:
*What is your story?
*How do you introduce yourself?
*What are your priorities and passions?
*What are your values?
*What is your personal mission statement in life?
*What are your personal goals?
*How do others perceive you?

These things come together to tell our story, but they do not define the essence of who we are spiritually. Who we are cannot so easily be summed up! However, as leaders we have to understand that others' perceptions of us can be important. Perception can also be changed with time and intention.

How do you want the world to see you?

Ask yourself how you are wanting to be seen by others. Most of us have an idea of how we want others to see us, but we have not taken the time to really define that for ourselves. Everything we do as a leader should be intentional and with thought. When we go through life on autopilot we are reacting to life instead of living it.
You have to know who you want to be before you can live it. Do you want to be the strong silent type or the vibrant outgoing one? Do want to be known for your strong ethical beliefs or for your tender heart and consideration? You decide! But remember it cannot be an act. You have to make the changes inside and out if you want to be seen like that, you have to live like that.

Does your walk match your talk?

This becomes a simple math equation once you have determined what your story will be moving forward.
     

My Walk+My Talk=My Story

Look at your social media posts. Pay attention to how you interact with co-workers, strangers, friends, and family. Ask someone you trust to be honest to act as a mirror and tell you how others see you now. Really open yourself up to hearing the truth and find out if your words and actions reflect the person you say you want to be in life. It is easy to say who you are, but your actions should support what you say. 

What are your contradictions?

Where do you see your words or actions falling short of who you want to be as a person? An example of this is when people say they are on a diet and want to eat healthy but they are hitting the Halloween Candy when the kids go to bed (I am guilty here). 

We see contradictions in others all the time. How often do we see groups of people commit violence while demanding peace? On a personal level these contradictions tend to be much smaller. Looking at Facebook posts you can find contradictions easily. One I see a lot is when someone is claiming to be devoted to a religion while they post hateful comments criticizing or making fun of other people. Or when someone claims they hate drama but they are posting some new crisis or overly personal commentary hourly. Recognizing those kinds of contradictions are easy from the outside, but we often miss them in ourselves.

We all fall short at times. By taking a hard look at yourself you can find where you are falling short and you can work to be better. This is a common practice for great leaders. Leaders are always looking for opportunities to reflect and grow. It can be difficult to admit or even see how we are falling short. It can also take time. The point is that we reflect intentionally so we can grow exponentially. 

Be Intentional

*Be honest

*Be consistent

*Be predictable

*Be ready to course correct as needed

On a final note, leaders should get to know their team's story. Find out who the people on your team want to be and help them work towards that. Encourage them and help them reflect and course correct when they get off track. Inspire them when possible! Most of all, work towards becoming someone they admire and want to be themselves. Live intentionally!

Scripture

Matthew 5:16               /          1 Timothy 4:12

2 Timothy 2:15             /           Romans 12:2

Perfecting Powerful Presence & Presentation

It is important for leaders to understand how presence and presentation can impact every interaction. Here we will briefly address both:

Presence

The definition of presence used here is "the bearing, carriage, or air of a person: A noteworthy quality of poise and effectiveness: The fact or condition of being present.

There are countless benefits for all of us in being fully present in the moment. Allowing ourselves to be distracted by thoughts of yesterday, or worries about tomorrow, steals the only time we actually have...this moment. Time is something created to help us better manage the moments we have. It allows us to schedule meetings, appointments, and create a universally recognized framework in order to coordinate our days with others. However, time itself is relative and fleeting. We cannot act in any time but the present moment. It is the only time that we are able to influence directly. We cannot change the past, and we can only plan for the future but too many variables separate us from now and what will come. Only the present moment is ours.

Great leaders are able to keep themselves present in the moment. They recognize the power of being completely in the moment. When you are completely present you are able to be intentional instead of reactive. This is the difference between leaders and everyone else. 

*Know what outcome you hope to accomplish before any interaction with others.

*Be conscious of your mood and how your body language, speech, and tone will be received. These things can determine the outcome of your interactions with others. 

*Be aware of the other people or person's state of being and be intentional in your reaction to them. Knowing someone is upset, in a good mood, distracted, etc can help you determine if there is a possibility of miscommunication and work to remove that.

*Intentionally use a different tone or approach with someone to let them know there is something more important or different about this situation. Speaking in a more somber tone allows other people to understand the conversation is serious. Speaking in an excited tone lets them know something is different.

*When you find yourself distracted, stop and redirect your thoughts to what matters now. In the book "Essentialism" by Greg McKeown he discusses a story about a coach that uses the word win in a unique way to inspire his team to stay in the moment. He taught his team to always ask "What's Important Now?" In that way his team was able to play to their best ability instead of just being reactive.

Presentation

Prestation sets the mood, tone, and delivery of the conversation. It is important to be intentional when presenting an issue or concern, a change, or just general information to your team. Politicians are probably one of the easiest examples of presentation going well or poorly. Two politicians can present the same issue in different ways to evoke different reactions. They take the facts and add wording that creates emotion and gets reactions. 

Leaders can use this skill to inspire and engage their team. A few things to remember:

*Timing is important, but do not lose the opportunity to present something important because you were waiting on "perfect" timing.

*Always bring possible solutions when presenting a problem. Do not present a problem as someone else's to fix. Take ownership of the issue and work together to resolve it.

*If possible, resolve the issue then present how you resolved it.

*Beware "hot" words. Avoid words that create negative feelings and can put a negative spin or a feeling of blame on a situation. 

*Leave out personal commentary. Stick to the facts.

*Be sure you present matters in the appropriate setting. Do not discuss sensitive issues in front of others.

*If there is an emotional situation: 

a. Wait until you have given yourself time to process your emotions if possible. 

b. Allow others time to process emotions. 

c. If you cannot allow time for emotions to be processed, acknowledge that there are emotions involved. This does not discredit your stance. Screaming you are not upset, when clearly you are will, however, discredit you. 

*Use body language and tone of voice to clue others into what you are thinking. Smiling can ease concerns if the topic is serious, but you want them to know everything is okay.

*Present the whole picture, not just the angle that suits your agenda. Be transparent and honest about the pros and cons if you want to build trust with your team.

*Allow your team to see your emotion when you want them to see you are part of the team and their victories and failures matter to you.

*Always be intentional.

Scriptures

James 1:19-20        Isaiah 26:3         Philippians 4:11    Psalm 78:72     2 Timothy 2:15

Avoiding the Wonderland Effect: Better Time Management for Leaders

We have all had those moments we feel like the white rabbit with a pocket watch frantically scurrying around stressed we are late, late for an important date. Most of us have been like the girl that chased the rabbit down a hole and came out the other side disoriented and wondering where the time went (and may be thinking "why are my clothes so tight?" or that might just me be.) Time is a difficult thing to tame and it can get away from the best of us. Learning to avoid the Wonderland Effect and budget your time can reduce your stress and increase productivity. Like a financial budget or a diet, it requires discipline. For those of you that were not scared away by that statement; please read on to learn time management tips and tricks to help you make it to that very important date.

Dave Ramsey says, "You will either tell your day what to do or you will wonder where it went." In other words, you need to budget your time and stick to your budget. Of course this sounds easier said than done. Most of us feel like our time is as elusive as the Cheshire Cat and laughing at us as it slips away. This feeling is a result of not prioritizing our day and being intentional with our time.

Prioritize your day
*Use the first 15-20 minutes of your day planning your tasks for the day and getting organized. This is the time to create a to do list and prioritize what needs to be done. In Entreleadership they suggest using a system to prioritize your to-do list so you are always doing the most urgent and important things first, while leaving the non-urgent and non-important things to be delegated or discarded.
*Proportion can get a bit tricky so remember the 80/20 rule: Twenty-percent of your thoughts produces 80% of your results.
*Set time limits for your tasks. Giving yourself a timeframe helps keep you on track and keeps you from jumping down rabbit holes that cause time loss.
*Have some tea! Plan mini-breaks to allow you to recharge and refocus. Research supports taking small breaks in work makes us more productive overall.
*Small stuff can get big! Use down time to accomplish smaller tasks instead of putting them aside and letting them become a big problem. (i.e. work through your emails while you are on hold.)
*When you get distracted, go back to your to-do list.
*Do not over commit. Be realistic about the time you have and only commit to the things you can do, and should do. You do not always have to say yes!

Be Intentional
*Keep a clock visible and get in the habit of checking it to be sure you are not getting off the path you want to be on.
*Work smarter, not harder! Know your strengths and vulnerabilities. Develop habits that turn your vulnerabilities into strengths. (For example if you keep forgetting your lunch put your keys on your lunch in the fridge. This will help you remember to grab your food when you grab your keys.)
*Turn important routine tasks into habits by doing them at the same time or in the same order each day.
*Admit when you are procrastinating and try to identify the reason you are procrastinating so you can stop it.
*Use organization that fits your workflow. Set up your desk and your desktop on your computer to match your workflow for easier use.
*Use Technology to keep you on task. Outlook, smartphones, calendar reminders, and any number of apps are great for keeping a busy person on task and on time.
*Keep work conversations on topic. Use the standup technique to stop conversations that are distracting or have gotten off topic.
*Reduce distractions and identify time drains. People and tasks can be chronic time drains by staying too long to discuss things in great detail. Be quick to move them on their way or schedule a time each week that they can visit so you are not neglecting that team member or the work you need to get done.
*DO NOT WASTE TIME COMPLAINING ABOUT WHAT YOU CANNOT DO! So many people waste more time complaining about all the things they have to do or cannot do than the time it would take to just do it.
*Off with the little complainer's head! Do not let the little complainer turn you into a Mad Hatter, wasting time in confusion, frustration, and fruitless tasks.

***Be completely in the moment and give this moment your full attention. You can accomplish so much more when you do not let yesterday or tomorrow steal your time and attention. Find joy and purpose in what you do and you will be more productive through passion.

Scriptures
Colossians 4:5        1 Corinthians 14:40     Proverbs 16:9         Ecclesiastes 3:1