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  • Boundary management in the hybrid workplace

    Boundary management in the hybrid workplace

    · Leadership On The Run

    If you are like me, one simple way to separate work and home is to get dressed, walk out the front door and work from somewhere else – in an office, a coffee shop, library, a park - anywhere really, as long as it isn’t at home. This is my way of setting boundaries.

    Studies by Ashforth, et al (2000) and the University of Zurich (Wepfer et al, 2018) have illustrated the importance of boundary management and wellbeing recovery strategies to achieve better general wellbeing and productivity in life.

    These studies show the importance of setting both:

    physical andpsychological boundaries

    for effectively achieving a level of work and life wellbeing.

    Physical space

    Separate work-space Number of people in home (less = easier to set boundaries)

    Psychological space

    Say no

    Time space

    Scheduled work hours – willpower/discipline to stick with themSet guidelines e.g. no work on Saturday (no matter what). Lunch times, break times (With activities other than work) Diarise pleasure activities – gaming, walking, reading, brain puzzles, cooking, eating, learning, shopping, swimming, golf, exercise.

    All these suggestions are great practical tips
..and they all mirror the neuro science evidence based knowledge relating to boundary management & maximising the brains level of attention
which is

    Physical space – Separate areas for work in the home environment.Mind space – your ability to concentrate, self-regulate, control impulses and be mindful.Time space – time limits and time structure between work, family, and personal wellbeing.

    We have 5 more tips that will help you focus, concentrate effectively and maintain high levels of attention.

    The Neuro science based knowledge

    5 tips for maintaining high levels of attention:

    Work on one task at a time

    Establish work routines where you only focus attention on one task, goal at a time. We can all multi-task a little, however, it means we may recall less and burn up energy faster.

    Reduce distractions - close all ‘pop-ups’ and ‘alerts on your computer or smart phone unless they are to alert you to stop and change activity.

    Take micro-breaksAfter each meeting or intense work activity have a micro-break. Take 5- or 10-minute breaks during your workday – do some exercise, mindfulness or open a window and observe what’s going on outside, any activity that switches your thinking and focus away from the work you were doing.Aim to finish meetings early.

    If you have one-hour meetings in your schedule – aim to finish the meeting in 45 minutes. Each time you do this, take a 15-minute micro-break.

    Take time to reflect

    Our brain needs time to process the events of the day. Create a time in the middle or end of your workday to reflect, make notes, record actions, check and reset your schedule and check your emotions and energy levels.

    Set goals

    Have daily goals to complete. Have a goal for each meeting you attend. Set both wellbeing goals and work goals each day for yourself.

  • Virtual presentations

    Virtual presentations

    · Leadership On The Run

    This episode provides tips for presenting virtually. It is presented in three segments:

    Organising your virtual presentationConducting your best virtual presentationEngaging the audience throughout the virtual presentation

    Unlike face to face presentations where you have direct feedback from audience reaction, a large visual area to move in and inclusion in the energy within the room, virtual presentations require heightened use of tone & sound, minimal visual body cues and increased use of targeted images...and a dose of technology knowhow.

    Organising:

    Choose roles - Roles – speaker, producer, moderator, timekeeper.

    Speaker sequence

    Create opening/closing statements

    Anticipate FAQ’s (prepare your responses)

    Rehearse online (check tone/slide sequence/image quality/sound/pace)

    Rehearse online (check tone/slide sequence/image quality/sound/pace)

    Conducting:

    Secure internet connection (prepare for worst and copy slides to one other computer (producer)

    Positioning & background

    Lighting

    Know technology – spotlighting, share screen, troubleshoot with audience, breakout, chat, reactions

    Look into computer camera

    Be yourself -relaxed (turn your view of yourself off to stop looking at yourself and playing with your glasses/hair/clothing).

    Engaging the audience

    Every 8-10 mins is the rule of thumb

    Engage at the very beginning – find out something about the audience by asking :what they know about the topic, how they feel about the topic or how high their energy levels are (Slido poll, ask for comments,)

    Use your voice (not body) to project energy

    Use images (sight major sense)

    Use some of the 161 interactive tools available (Break out rooms, chat, annotate, polls/Slido QR codes, short videos (Less than 2.5 mins)Use presentation producer for – chat, break out rooms, time. Presentation speaker/s for – slides and presenting. Presentation moderator for Q&A - directs questions to specific team member/s, time-keeper.

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  • Leading in a hybrid work environment

    Leading in a hybrid work environment

    · Leadership On The Run

    Leading in a hybrid work environment

    Over the course of the past 18 months organisational leaders have been implementing changes to the way we work.

    Firstly, they adapted to the working from home situation by providing employees with access to equipment, data, files, security, images, information, and documents. They also created systems guidelines and protocols for communications and IT security.

    Secondly, leaders were active in providing well-being activities to maintain employee mental health. They offered virtual team events, apps and online training webinars and sessions.

    Currently, in our business of developing future leaders and coaching executives, we are noticing a rise in requests for how to sustain team engagement, development, and productivity in the hybrid work environment.

    Australian research has shown 78% of workers say they are more productive or just as productive when they work from home.

    Recruitment agencies have reported that organisations that advertise flexible workdays are attracting the most talent in today’s recruitment market.

    A Price Waterhouse Coopers employee engagement survey determined most workers did not want to return to the office 5 days a week – employees are seeking a 3:2 or 4:1 model, this is what we call the hybrid work environment.

    What does this hybrid workplace model mean for the leadership role?

    A leader’s role is still to create shared meaning around organisational purpose and to be able to express it clearly and concisely. Without meaning (purpose) employees will flounder – not flourish.

    They still need to create and maintain psychological safety for the team and part of that is implementing routine and consistency.

    There are currently 161 collaboration software tools on the market. Find ones that work for your organisation and embrace them.

    Here are some points of focus a leader of a hybrid work environment will need to consider.

    Increasing virtual touch points that create and reinforce meaning and employee engagement.Revise work into projects with SMART goals. Use measures that include quality, team involvement, deadlines, and development opportunities.Increase engagement for motivation and wellbeing.Increase relationship communications.Do more personal scheduling (planning).

    Examples of what successful leaders are doing.

    Create rules of engagement with the team – e.g., communications to be fair, honest, open, virtual meetings attendees must turn video function to ON, etc

    Hold 8-minute meetings – this leader and their team hold an 8 o’clock meeting (for 8 minutes every workday morning. The meeting is where tasks are delegated, questions are answered, and progress status is reported.

    45 minute weekly virtual meeting – all team members attend (video must be ON), 30 seconds allocated to all for the giving of ‘High 5’ to another team member. (Someone is given time keeping duties to keep this on track. The whole meeting s dedicated to team member wellbeing – no WIP talks.

    On a scale of 1-10 rate – how you are feeling today (this week) or status of project (1 is going no where and 10 is completed), access to resources, timeliness of communication responses, how you feel about being a member of this team, how your communications with your buddy are going etc.

    Meetings are designated for specific purposes e.g., virtual meetings cover routine catch ups and f2f is for creative work.

    A leader freed up their time on Zoom by allocating buddies within the team so they could check in n each other daily.

    One leader opens zoom for 2 hours in the middle of the day for any of their team to ‘drop in’ (it’s the virtual equivalent of the open-door policy in the office.

    One organisation gave leaders access to an app for recording coaching and development meetings.

    What skills do I need as a leader in a hybrid workplace?

    Mostly communication skills are required (your technical skills specific to your job are of course still relevant).

    Relationship building & maintenanceCoachingFacilitatingSetting goalsInfluencingDigitalPlanning/scheduling

    The first 3 are particularly relevant at present. If you have the skills to build and maintain relationships (think rapport, trust, feedback, empathy) coach others and facilitate an engaging meeting you have the means to express purpose and meaning, engage individuals and groups around a common goal, monitor and measure progress and quality and sustain a productive team environment.

  • Networking

    Networking

    · Leadership On The Run

    Despite figures suggesting CEO’s who have diverse networks create higher firm value up to $81 million for a medium sized firm on the stock exchange (Harvard Business Review, April 2018), a study of MBA students (2007) at a specially organise networking event found that 95% of attendees wanted to meet new contacts, yet they spent 50% of their time with people they already knew.

    This holds true for young leaders ‘Leadership on the Run’ have personally spoken to about their experiences in networking during 2020. Many of the graduates we spoke to said they ‘hated’ going to network meeting/events because of the pressures to: ‘get new contacts’ ‘speak to people face to face’ and ‘socialise with people they do not know’.

    In this episode of Leadership on the Run our hosts, Jeanine Browne and Paul Saunders, Directors at LN Consulting Australia Pty Ltd are joined by Susan Franzen and Herb Dyer, Co-Founders and Directors at Pattern Shifts a performance Improvement Firm in based in the USA.

    They are discussing a networking framework – learners | seekers | conduits which Jeanine adapted from a colleague’s categorisation of networking styles they have encountered.

    What is your networking style?

    Learners – want to know how to do something and ask questions to uncover the ‘how to’ knowledge in the room.

    Seekers – want to know where to find something and ask questions specific to that task e.g. has anyone found a good conferencing centre with Wi-Fi included?

    Conduits – have something to help others and are happy to share they knowledge, contacts, skills, or products.

    How do I to build a network?

    You can use a network for different purposes – not just getting clients or getting a new job recommendation. Networking can be for operational, personal, or strategic purposes i.e. getting work done efficiently, enhancing personal and professional development, and figuring out priorities and challenges, respectively.

    Herb and Susan recommend when building your network to focus on gathering a diverse bunch of people, maintaining genuine respect for others, and fostering trust within your network.

    Herb adds, a personal relaxed approach and patience are also required. Building a network takes time. You want to avoid becoming intimidating and keep initial conversations of a general nature -social chat about topical issues before moving into a more intimate level of conversation about the individuals likes/dislikes in their work life.

    Taking this gradual (patient) approach will lead to a more relaxing & positive interaction and lays the foundation for more meaningful conversations in the future.

    Only after exhausting the individual conversation is it appropriate to move onto the more strategic questions e.g. what impact has Ai (insert any industry trend) had on you/your role/your business?” However, this is unlikely to come up in a first encounter or during a 1-hour networking event.

    Virtual networking

    These days much time is spent communicating virtually. Thankfully, the same rules apply for building networks in the virtual world as those in the physical space – respect, diversity, being curious and interacting with a mindset for genuine connection, learning & discovery.

    Susan has a seemingly foolproof way of building her network in this arena. Susan uses LinkedIn to connect with people she sees are working in industries or roles that fascinate her. She messages them, stating her interest, in the format of several questions, and invites them to connect with her via phone to discuss these areas of interest.

    Preparation steps

    Prior to any networking occasion there are a few steps you can take to prepare to enhance the opportunities.

    Remember you are building a relationship – not conducting a transaction.Set yourself an achievable goal – make 1 solid contact.Determine if you will be seeking, learning or a conduit.Prepare a couple of questions so you do not have to ad-lib when faced with an opportunity to interact.Determine an action strategy – I’ll look for people standing by themselves and approach them or I’ll invite 3 people to the event and invite others into our conversation/make their night special or I’ll seek out the speaker and introduce myself to them.Develop a curious, growth mindset.Relax – everyone is nervous at these events
 people will be pleased you have chosen to listen to their story.

    Power questions to ask to nail your next networking event?

    Paul highlights the mindset you take into networking impacts your outcome. He and Susan both favour mindsets of curiosity and learning. Asking questions of the individual, get them to talk about what interests them.

    “How did get to be where you are?”“What are you working on at present that is (insert an adjective e.g. exciting you/challenging you)?”“What do you enjoy about being in your role?”

    All the best with your networking.

    Herb Dyer is a renowned speaker in the states and Susan Franzen actively organises and collaborates with a network of professional associates making them eminently qualified to share their experiences and tips about networking in this podcast.

  • Sources of workplace conflict

    Sources of workplace conflict

    · Leadership On The Run

    The Circle of Conflict was originally theorized to support mediations. This makes it a flexible tool to utilize in conflict resolution. The circle, divided into five components, illustrates the potential sources of conflict in negotiations. Understanding the impact of imbalances within the circle forces all parties to first identify and diagnose the source(s) of conflict, and then parley for resolution. Listed below are the characteristics of each component within Moore’s circle of conflict.

    Interest Conflicts

    In any negotiation, people will voice what they want; or what we call their ‘position’. Interests are their motivations, or the why. They are what drives one’s position and they will often be challenged. Understanding party interests and proposing solutions to their issues and fears will play a vital role in conflict resolution.

    Structural Conflicts

    Perceived power inequality, competition over limited resources, and divergent interests amongst groups are the fundamental factors that contribute to structural conflicts. External factors make one or all parties perceive the other to be in a stronger, more privileged position. For example, meetings between an employer and their workers union see each other as having the upper hand in negotiations when in reality, both need each other to survive.

    Intervention Strategies:
    Refine and/or change roles,
    Eliminate and replace destructive patterns of behavior,
    Redistribute ownership and control of goods,
    Introduce a fair decision-making process,
    Transition from position based to interest based negotiation (focus more on the problem, not the person),
    Change the way how parties influence each other (less extortion, more permission)
    Redefine external pressures.

    Data Conflicts

    This conflict is based on the possession of information, or lack thereof. Inaccurate information and the different interpretations of data are grounds for conflict. Examples of data conflict are legal disputes arising from ambiguous interpretation of the law, conflicts based on contradictory research results, or on false information, such as hearsay. Interventions are necessary to avoid a conflict evolving into a destructive one.

    Intervention Strategies:
    Unify data,
    Select relevant information to the specific conflict,
    Consent on one data collection process,
    Form a common criteria for the evaluation of the data,
    Seek expert opinions in the case of stagnation.

    Relationship Conflicts

    Parties with previous negative experiences with each other are most prone to relationship conflicts. Fueled by emotion, stereotyping the opposing side, personal animosities, and poor communication contribute to these conflicts. Relationship conflicts do not give much leeway for parties to consent; interventions are needed.

    Intervention Strategies:
    Create procedures for when parties become too emotionally invested,
    Encourage parties to verbalize their emotions (rather than acting out),
    Change how parties perceive each other,
    Build a positive image,
    Eliminate repetitive negative behavior by changing the structure,
    Inspire a positive approach to the problem.

    Value Conflict

    Much like interest conflicts, value conflicts arise because parties have different values and principles. Unlike interests however, values are nonnegotiable and unwavering because they are the foundation of personal identity. Individuals, let alone parties, will swiftly defend their values when challenged. Value conflicts do not give parties an opportunity to come to an agreement making interventions, necessary.

    Intervention Strategies:
    Avoid defining the issue by value,
    Allow the parties to agree and disagree,
    Create a sphere of influence in which one kind of value dominates,
    Seek a superior goal for both parties

  • Leading Organisational Change

    Leading Organisational Change

    · Leadership On The Run

    In this episode, Jeanine and Paul unravel the model, tasks and competencies change leaders require to lead an organisational change. Research from: Anderson & Ackerman Anderson (2009) is featured along with the well known models and frameworks from: Bridges, Kotter, Lewis, Lewin & Demming.

    There are three types of change occurring in organizations, each requiring different change strategies.

    DevelopmentalTransitionalTransformational

    Developmental change requires an improvement of the status quo. E.g. get better at customer service but still providing the same product.

    Transitional change requires a change of goal. E.g. customers no longer want your current product, so you need a different one.

    The models of Kurt Lewin, William Bridges, John Kotter and Demmings’ continuous improvement model provide suitable frameworks for managing these types of changes. i.e. developmental & transitional change.

    The third - transformational change, is more prevalent in organisations these days and requires more than change management, it requires change leadership.

    The major difference is the status of the end goal at the beginning of the change i.e. The end goal in transformational change is unknown at the start.

    The conditions and situation of the change are also more VUCA (US Army Education Centre, 2018) (Bennis & Nanus, 1987) i.e. volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.

    In transformational change, (Anderson & Ackerman Anderson, 2020), the change leader is required to:

    Build an integrated strategy including:Content (business strategy)People (overcoming resistance and building growth mindsets)ProcessTransform mindsetsDesign, implement & course correct the process change

    The 4 competencies required of transformational change leaders (Anderson, 2020) are:

    Facilitation (of groups – all levels of stakeholders)Designing (structures, scenarios & processes)Role modelling (walk the talk and show others how to act in the new world being created)Learning (expanding your mind to be open to new/different ideas & to let go of the old).

    According to Human Capital Management, 2018, during the transformational change process these critical competencies will shine at different stages and can broadly be categorised as:

    The Broadcaster – facilitator and communications expertThe Architect- designer of scenarios, structures, and processesThe Coach – overcoming resistance and developing growth mindsets.

    NB For change leaders: Employing your own leadership coach is beneficial as they can help you reflect, acknowledge, accept, innovate, practise and mould successful behaviours, develop skills and ways of thinking to lead transformational change.

    References:

    Anderson, D. Ackerman Anderson, L. (2009). Awake at the wheel: moving beyond change management to conscious change leadership. Available: https://beingfirst.com/resources/beyond-change-management-ebook/ Last accessed 22 June 2020.

    Anderson, D. Ackerman Anderson, L. (2001). Beyond Change Management: Advanced Strategies for Today’s Transformational Leaders

    Anderson, D. Ackerman Anderson, L. (2001). The Change Leader’s Roadmap: How to Navigate Your Organization’s Transformation.

    Bennis, W. Nanus, B (1985). Leaders: Strategies for taking charge

    Bridges, W. (1991). Managing transitions: making the most of change. Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesley

    Demming, W.E. Managing Change in Organizations: A Practice Guide ... [online] Available: https://deming.org/management-system/pdsacycle. Last accessed 1 February 2017.

    Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1996.

    Parker, C. Lewis, R. (1981). Beyond the Peter Principle, Managing Successful Transitions. Available: http://www.ralphlewis.co.uk/Change_files/Beyond%20the%20Peter%20Principle.pdf. Last accessed August 2020.

    U.S. Army Heritage and Education Centre (February 16, 2018). "Who first originated the term VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity)?". USAHEC Ask Us a Question. The United States Army War College. Retrieved July 10, 2018.

  • Making personal changes

    Making personal changes

    · Leadership On The Run

    According to medical and mental health experts, people really do have the ability to change.

    Three types of changes:

    A change of process -e.g. 2 stage authentications on phone apps, covid-19 restrictionsA change of mind – e.g. different location, different relationship, different careerA change of circumstances – e.g. home ownership, adopt a puppy, promotion to leader, reduced salary, reduced headcount, isolation from peers, marriage, loss of family member.

    A popular framework used by psychologists to explain how humans experience change is the Kubler-Ross 5 stages of grief.

    E.g. Facebook announces they are going to make location marking on images mandatory...we could experience the following:

    Stage 1: Denial. “They won’t do that, it’s fake news.”

    Stage 2: Anger. “How dare they, that’s an invasion of privacy.”

    Stage 3: Bargaining. “Check the fine print for opt out/out in options.”

    Stage 4. Depression. “I’m over Facebook, I hate it.”

    Stage 5. Acceptance. “I’ve opted out so I’m OK with it all really.”

    The feelings experienced in each of the Kubler-Ross stages may be fleeting or drawn out
there is no hard and fast rule here – just an acknowledgment that they do exist. The Kubler-Ross model has traditionally been associated with unplanned changes.

    Ralph Lewis and Chris Parker, in their article ‘Beyond the Peter Principle – managing successful transitions’ describe a 7-stage evolutionary process that can help explain what happens to us during planned or unplanned changes, negative or positive changes.

    Using the example of the feelings experienced when a person gets promoted into a leadership role above their peers, Lewis and Parkers’ research concluded the following 7 stages:

    Immobilisation – pleased yet shocked that they got the job. A sense of overwhelm.Denial of change – minimising or trivialising the size of the change or the effort put in to obtain the changeIncompetence – flat performance, frustration, difficulty in copingAcceptance of reality – letting go of the past (skills) and accepting the situationTesting – trying new approaches, mostly new ways of communicating, reshaping self-imageSearch from meaning, internalisation – a reflective period with an attempt to understand all that has happened. Accepting your new self-imageIntegration – incorporating new meanings into new and enhance behaviours. Consolidating your new self-image.

    Individuals can move more easily through a change if they are:

    Self-aware – which phase of the change process am I inAccepting of the change and the change process.

    Employing a coach is beneficial as they can help you reflect, acknowledge, accept, innovate, practise and mould successful behaviours and ways of thinking.

    What happens if I find myself in an untenable situation
how do I make the change?

    Four options model (with examples of someone who isn’t satisfied with the role they find themselves in following after an organisational restructure).

    Leave the organisation.Change the situation. Take on extra responsibilities (of interest to you).Put up with the situation. Stay in the job and continue to feel dissatisfied.Change yourself or how you feel about the temporary situation. Acknowledge this is a temporary role and you will do as good a job as you can whilst looking for the next step in your career -this may help dispel feelings of dissatisfaction.

    NB. Changing yourself is different from merely putting up with the situation since your thoughts, feelings and behaviour are different in the two cases.

    References:

    Bridges, W. (1991). Managing transitions: making the most of change. Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesley

    Hyde, Peter. (2014). Personal transitions. Available: http://peterhyde.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2013/09/Personal-transitions.pdf. Last accessed February 2016.

    Kubler-Ross, E. (1969). On death and dying. New York: Macmillan.

    Parker, Chris Lewis, Ralph. (1981). Beyond the Peter Principle, Managing Successful Transitions. Available: http://www.ralphlewis.co.uk/Change_files/Beyond%20the%20Peter%20Principle.pdf. Last accessed August 2020.

  • STOP worrying about work

    STOP worrying about work

    · Leadership On The Run

    STOP worrying -

    Today just for fun, we are running along St Kilda Rd in Melbourne, Australia.

    In this episode Jeanine Browne Director LN Consulting Australia and Paul Saunders, Senior Psychologist provide answers for that universal question
.how do I stop worrying about work?

    Listen as they explain the neurological mechanisms involved in worrying and how to change the worry pathways in your brain so you can become worry free.

    They draw inspiration from articles by Psychologists (Trevnor,2003) ( Ottaviani 2013) and (Joormann 2006) HR practitioners, Psychology magazine journalists and provide work examples from their own experiences working with corporations, government bodies and private businesses.

    This episode commences with Jeanine relaying inspiration she received from an article on her LinkedIn feed.

    In that LinkedIn article titled “An open letter to HR Managers” (17/7/2020) it was recognised that HR Managers often carry the weight of an organisations worries. The author of that article was empathising with people in these type of roles as the world piles on even more pressure with covid-19 restrictions.

    It seems HR managers stay awake at night stressing over the accuracy of figures in reports or whether or not organisational processes are compliant. They allegedly experience feelings of anxiety and guilt over their lack of parenting quality and quantity and feel pressured over hiring decisions. HR managers, it reported, were feeling doubtful about their influencing abilities, unsure about where to access expert resources or how to finalise budget conversations on time and whether the senior leadership team would complete the transformation projects as required.

    These HR manager thoughts, it inferred, were on a continuous loop in their brains, repeating like a hamster on a wheel, or embedding them in a ‘Groundhog Day’ experience.

    “It strikes me that many people experience these types of ponderings about their work, family or life in general” is Jeanine’s response.

    Self-reflection, worrying, thinking, and pondering all suggest a purposeful inward focus aimed at cognitive problem solving. (Treynor W, Gonzalez R, Nolen-Hoeksema S. 2003).

    Worry, anxious thoughts or preoccupation with anticipated events e.g. Presentations/public speaking, writing a report, interviews, influencing ‘old way thinkers’, completing a training program or meeting a deadline all fall within the range of ‘normal’. (Ottaviani C, Couyoumdjian A. 2013).

    Who is susceptible?

    People who problem solve as a large part of their job description e.g. engineers, managers, diagnostic technicians, consultants, builders, repairers, parents, HS&E workers, scientists, project managers etc – are all susceptible to worrying as this is the first part of the process of finding solutions by focusing and concentrating on the problem.

    Over time, problem solvers may become wired to focus only on problems and find it increasingly more difficult to stop their focus when they are not on the job. This is evident especially when: a solution cannot be found, or they will not accept a solution cannot be found or a solution remains unclear.

    If you find yourself in this situation you may find these two actions helpful:

    Write the problem down on a piece of paper. This gets it out of your brain and helps stop the continuous problem-solving loop as the brain has taken an action (the writing) and can focus on something else again.Distract/redirect attention to other content e.g. count tiles, describe the view or recite lyrics etc.Yelling STOP
telling yourself to STOP
being aware of the self-talk that is encouraging the worrying is the first step to stopping it. Snapping yourself with a rubber band as a physical deterrent or to trigger a shock may also work.

    When pondering moves towards brooding or obsessing the actions listed above will just not work.

    What can you do if you have already moved into brooding or ruminating?

    There is a DARK SIDE to pondering:

    Psychologically speaking: Obsessive thoughts are a neurological dysfunction, of unknown causes, forcing your thoughts into a repetitive loop. (Cognitive Health Magazine, 2020).

    If the pondering becomes incessant you move to the dark side of worrying, it’s called rumination.

    Rumination is characterised in terms of persistent and recurring self-reflective thoughts about an issue that takes attention away from relevant or current tasks.

    Rumination is usually focused on past events that have had unsatisfactory results or unachieved standards. (Treynor W, Gonzalez R, Nolen-Hoeksema S. 2003).

    Rumination can be divided into two major subcategories, namely, reflective pondering and brooding.

    Reflective pondering, self-reflection, suggests a purposeful inward focus aimed at cognitive problem solving.

    Brooding, rumination, on the other hand involves a comparison of one’s current situation with some unachieved standard. Often, rumination is associated with a decreased controllability of thoughts, a sense of being overwhelmed and a feeling of helplessness.

    Such maladaptive rumination has been found to be associated with the generation of excessive and elaborate negative thoughts, information, and actions. (Treynor W, Gonzalez R, Nolen-Hoeksema S.2003).

    When your ponderings have turned into ruminations, they may become a risk factor to your health and wellbeing. (Ottaviani C, Couyoumdjian A. 2013) and (Joormann J. 2006).

    Some common topics people develop preoccupation with: mistakes made, losses experienced, slights taken, actions taken/not taken and/or opportunities lost.

    The feelings associated with ruminations are almost always negative and include guilt, regret, anger, and envy.

    Internal self-talk can be harsh and when in a ruminating loop our Inner critic often piles on with some harsh judgements, criticism, grudges, and connecting our belief system to our worries e.g. “everything would have been “better” if you had only “x”.

    What can you do?

    Mindfulness can be delivered via different models: psychological cognitive therapy, yoga, breathing techniques, meditation etc. The objective is to help ruminators gain insights into how their own brain functions and allows individuals to focus on their present state. All these techniques, when practised routinely help individuals suppress the impulse of obsessively focusing on past events.Question and/or change our beliefs – make new ones. Having a professional, Psychologist, assist you work through this process is advised as changing or questioning your belief systems and values may bring up past issues associated with negative feelings.Clarify our assumptions & change our feelings about the ‘worry’. Once you are aware of how a situation makes you feel you can choose to adopt a different feeling to the situation at will. If your situation is dangerous to your physical/mental health than having a professional, Psychologist, assist you work through this process is recommended. Practice acceptance by acknowledging the things you can control and those you cannot.Practise self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is described by psychologist Albert Bandura as “a personal judgement of how well one can execute courses of action required to deal with prospective situations”. Being confident, comfortable, and realistic about what you can control or influence and what you cannot is key to stopping the continuous worry loop of ruminations.

    References:

    Joormann J. Differential effects of rumination and dysphoria on the inhibition of irrelevant emotional material: Evidence from a negative priming task. Cognitive Therapy and Research. 2006;30(2):149–160.

    Ottaviani C, Couyoumdjian A. Pros and cons of a wandering mind: A prospective study. Frontiers in Psychology. 2013;4(AUG):1–9.

    Treynor W, Gonzalez R, Nolen-Hoeksema S. Rumination Reconsidered: A Psychometric Analysis. Cognitive Therapy and Research. 2003;27(3):247–259.

    APS Psychology Journal - InPsych August 2019

  • Influencing

    Influencing

    · Leadership On The Run

    Leaders have a need to influence people at work when they:

    Join a project.Put forward ideas for a solution to a problem.Share knowledge.Are being interviewed for a position.Are guiding others through a change process.Making group decisions on the best way forward.

    Paul and Jeanine discuss the work of Terry Bacon, (Elements of Influence, 2011) and how his three categories of influencing people: rational, social and emotional can be most effectively used in the workplace.

    Within his ‘rational’ category, Bacon includes the sub categories of legitimating, stating and explaining. (Yukl and Tracey, Consequences of Influence Tactics Used with Subordinates, Peers, and the Boss. Journal of Applied Psychology, 1992, Vol 77, No 4, 525-535)

    RATIONAL (Legitimating, Stating, Explaining)

    Logic: Using logic to explain what you believe or what you want. The number one influence power tool throughout the world. The most frequently used and effective influence technique in nearly every culture, but it does not work with everyone and in some circumstances will not work at all.

    Legitimating: Appealing to authority. On average, the least-effective influence technique in the world, but it will work with some people most of the time and most people some of the time and can result in quick compliance.

    Engaging: Negotiating or trading for cooperation. Most effective when it is implicit rather than explicit. Used less often globally than any other influence technique, but it is sometimes the only way to gain agreement or cooperation.

    Stating: Asserting what you believe or want. One of the influence power tools. Most effective when you are self-confident and state ideas with a compelling tone of voice. Can cause resistance, however, if overused or used heavy-handedly.

    SOCIAL (Socialising, Alliance building, Consulting)

    Socialising: Getting to know the other person, being open and friendly, finding common ground. Includes complimenting people and making them feel good about themselves. One of the influence power tools. Second in frequency and effectiveness globally. A critical technique in many cultures and situations.

    Alliance building: Finding supporters or building alliances to help influence someone else; using peer or group pressure to gain cooperation or agreement. Not used often and not always effective but in the right circumstances may be the only way to gain consent.

    Consulting: Engaging or stimulating people by asking questions; involving them in the problem or solution. One of the influence power tools. Fourth globally in frequency and effectiveness. Works well with smart, self-confident people who have a strong need to contribute ideas.

    EMOTIONAL (Appealing to values, appealing to relationship, Role modelling)

    Appealing to values: This is where my request would be tied to your values, ideals and aspirations, or where it builds your confidence that you can make a contribution. Making an inspirational appeal helps create meaning and purpose for those you lead. Rather than trying to build behavioural compliance, inspirational appeal acts on someone’s attitudes, and that means it works while you’re not there - the person is self-motivated to take action.

    Appealing to relationship: Gaining agreement or cooperation with people you already know well. Based on the length and strength of your existing relationships. One of the influence power tools. Third highest in effectiveness globally.

    Modelling: Behaving in ways you want others to behave; being a role model; teaching, coaching, counseling, and mentoring. Fifth globally in effectiveness. Can influence people without you being aware that you are influencing. Parents, leaders, managers, and public figures influence others through modeling all the time - positively or negatively - whether they choose to or not.

    Research by Yukl and Tracey (1992) found that inspirational appeal was a particularly positive influencing tactic. But effective influencing isn’t just about a compelling speech. Yukl and Tracey found rational persuasion was also very effective as an influencing tactic. As the name suggests, rational persuasion uses logical arguments and facts to persuade others. It provides the evidence many people need to be comfortable with a particular approach.

    They also found that consultation was an effective tactic when influencing others. Consultation involves others in the initial decision making and implementation. By gathering and responding to ideas, people have far more of a vested interest in the change and implementation.

    Again, the three most effective influencing tactics all involved the internalisation of favourable attitudes. Whether it’s inspirational appeal, rational persuasion or consultation, something is passed from the leader to the other person which means they want to make a change, rather than the leader having to stand around all day telling people what to do.

    So some questions for you:

    Of the three most effective influencing tactics, which do you tend to default to?

    Is it inspirational appeal, rational persuasion or consultation?

    In my experience, many people default to rational persuasion - a reliance on the facts and data to persuade others - and that’s fine. But it’s worth practicing the other approaches to increase your influence. Perhaps you might include a story, or some additional data, or involve others more in idea generation - these can all help to increase your influence. You can also combine these three approaches.

    Avoiding the dark side

    There are also four negative influence techniques: avoiding, manipulating, intimidating, and threatening. These are negative because they take away the other person's legitimate right to say no. They force them to comply with something contrary to their wishes or best interests, they mislead them, or they force them to act when they would otherwise choose not to.

    Avoiding: Forcing others to act, sometimes against their best interests, by avoiding responsibility or conflict or behaving passive-aggressively. The most common dark side technique. In some cultures, trying to preserve harmony can look like avoiding.

    Manipulating: Influencing through lies, deceit, hoaxes, swindles, and cons or disguising one's real intentions or intentionally withholding information others need to make the right decision.

    Intimidating: Imposing oneself on others; forcing people to comply by being loud, overbearing, abrasive, arrogant, aloof, or insensitive. The preferred technique of bullies.

    Threatening: Harming others or threatening to harm them if they do not comply; making examples of some people so others know that the threats are real. The preferred technique of dictators and despots.

  • Positive leadership in a crisis

    Positive leadership in a crisis

    · Leadership On The Run

    The crisis management framework and practical leadership steps we discuss in this episode, ‘positive leadership in a crisis,’ are our own. They have been developed from business experience, team leadership and several evidence-based models of: crisis management, organisational psychology and positive psychology research.

    The crisis management framework has two planning topics and 3 management areas:

    Continuity planningContingency planningRisk managementResilience managementCommunication management.

    Two planning topics

    To provide positive leadership in a crisis there are two main topics you need to address, plan & action immediately: continuity for the business and contingency plans.

    1. Business continuity planning

    Brainstorming a list of ways to ensure business continuity is quick, simple and easy to organise at short notice. You may choose to involve your team. If your team are not involved in the brainstorm, advice when it is occurring, ask for any ideas they would like you to put forward and report back to them as soon as the list is produced.

    The continuity list is divided into keep doing, start doing and stop doing so everyone knows what to do and what not to do during the crisis. E.g. start working from home, stop Friday lunch BBQ or keep taking client phone calls.

    2. Contingency planning

    Drawn from the brainstorm list above, the list of contingency actions lets the team members know what actions are being considered, if what they are currently doing doesn’t work.

    Having the contingency items visually displayed allows team members to become familiar with possible future actions and makes actioning the contingency plans (if needed) much quicker and less hassle as team members have already prepared for the possibility of actioning them. A great way I have seen this is in crisis planning rooms where there are dynamic data screens showing the objective, decisions and actions and the statistics and data. These types of visual tools also help people stay rational when planning and deciding.

    The research suggests you make a list of pros and cons to help with your decision making and some also suggest you add consequences and place risk weightings on them.

    In a crisis there is an 80% rule, you will only ever have 80% of the information you need.

    During a crisis things change quickly and leaders need to accept they will be making daily decisions and changing the decisions often - as new or more reliable information becomes available.

    3 areas to manage

    1. Risk

    Focusing on solutions is a key feature of positive leadership, however, a defense strategy is as equally as important as focusing on solutions and opportunities during a crisis.

    List and assign people to manage the risks.

    2. Resilience

    Leaders are tasked with producing results and ensuring their teams, the people in them, are coping.

    During a crisis this remains true. To ensure your people are remaining calm and not being overwhelmed by the crisis is to create an environment where positive practical thinking is encouraged. Leaders need to role model rational conversation, logical, innovative and creative thinking and demonstrate how to positively respond to ‘fear mongering and ‘fake news’.

    Positive steps a leader can take to create an environment conducive to psychological safety and business survival during a crisis include:

    Have or create a culture of open mindedness and focus (reward) the team energies on what they can do and minimise talk on what they cannot control.Ramp up frequency of communications. There is a plethora of technology available and in use for teams to use in communications. Mix it up, use different mediums and tailor messages for individuals, small teams, divisions and the whole company. It is your job to help people critically assess information and move through the crisis within a net of psychological safety.Listen for and to their concerns. Observe signs of distress/anxiety and address these privately.Address individual concerns by setting up daily and weekly team meetings with updates, facts and actions to do, role model by showing how you plan, stay focused and be open. E.g. scheduling regular crisis status meetings.Maintain a focus on purposeful projects - resourcing, monitoring and completing them. I.e. don’t lose sight of your team objectives and goals. The crisis is temporary – your team is not.Proactively inject ‘fun’ and also monitor/create team member recharge time and downtime. E.g: competitions, funny quote of the day, Dad jokes, wooden leader videos, buddy challenges, sharing stories of ‘what I did last night/weekend/on day off’.Keep the focus on the teams ‘purposeful work’ assignments (especially if they change to remote working during a crisis):Revisit how you do things – prepare for better times e.g. clean equipment, make repairs, reskilling/upskilling, improve efficiencies, take opportunities, do the things that you’ve been too busy to do.

    3. Communications

    Use technology for visuals and team communication applications.Address the whole team on the crisis, the impact on the business, current thoughts from the leadership team and the plan moving forward.Give factual, concise yet thorough information.Dispel false information with list of FAQ’s and myth busting points, this will help stop the spread of fake news. Speak calmly, factually and advise the big picture plan.Provide ways and means for people to ask questions, have their concerns addressed and get the current ‘state of impact’ and business direction.Schedule some meetings specifically for crisis discussion AND continue to hold your regular team meetings – no crisis discussion at these regular meetings, this will keep the team focused on the purposeful projects and help clam anxieties.Consider buddies so social contact is required during any periods of forced isolation – encourage team members to contact each other. Make it a positive experience for them, give it a name. Maybe call it “You’ve got a friend in me.” If teams are working remotely or from home – ensure they are checking in with each other – run the ‘I’m Ok campaign’ across your business.Leaders to check in regularly with your team members/direct reports (via facetime, skype, zoom) make it visual.Follow up any points – this is not minutes of a meeting – with email or internal social media.Send video messages to the team to acknowledge your appreciation of their efforts, results, ideas, cooperative and collaborative behaviours. Ask them if they believe any of these behaviours could be useful for the team to adopt on a more permanent basis moving forward.

    For leaders to step up to the mike and lead people through a crisis they will also need to keep an open and flexible mind, be optimistic and rational and maintain their own sense of confidence and calm.

    The best leaders among us develop their people to take responsibility and make solutions happen

pre, during and post crisis.

  • DiSC...why can't they understand me?

    DiSC...why can't they understand me?

    · Leadership On The Run

    In January 2020 Sam Parker “Inspire your people,” encouraged leaders to take a weekend challenge to ‘listen more and speak less’. The rules were:

    No talking over people.No finishing their sentences.No cutting someone off mid-sentence with “Sorry to interrupt
”More listening.More taking a breath before you talk & after the other person has finished speaking.

    On completing the exercise people reported they discovered more than you have before e.g. what was important to others, what type of words people used most and the variety of ways people used to influence others or make their point of view known.

    Inspired by that listening exercise and a 'leadership on the run' podcast listeners request, episode 16 unpacks the DiSC framework and talks you through the behaviours to watch for and the responses you can use to make it easier for you to communicate with a greater variety of people within your workplace.

    The DiSC framework (registered trademark of Willey Inc) provides the basis for this conversation.

    DiSC is a framework that categorises sets of behavioural preferences into 4 domains. Understanding these domains and their specific communication needs will provide you with the knowledge to adapt. mould and change your own communications to ensure each of your team members is easily able to comprehend your message.

    Dominance, influence, steadiness and conscientiousness are the four categories.

    1. Dominance –people who display dominance in their communications prioritise and value: results, action and challenge. Communicate with these people by providing solutions, being direct, giving them just the facts. Speak quickly – don’t repeat yourself and keep the discussion in the big picture scenario
.no minor details. They hate to lose and hate feeling vulnerable.

    2. Influence – people who display influence in their communications prioritise and value: action, enthusiasm and collaboration.

    To communicate with these people be enthusiastic, display loads of positivity and energy. Ask them for their ideas and let them express their views and solutions – do not interrupt them. They like big picture scenarios and social or collaborative approaches to solution finding e.g. brainstorming in a meeting. They hate being ignored, disapproved of or losing influence.

    3. Steadiness – people who display steadiness in their communications prioritise and value: collaboration, giving support, stability and loyalty. To communicate with these people be polite, calm and deliberate. Never be confrontational. Be sure to let them know your expectations, of them, prior to participation in any project. Let them know the group decision then ask how they could help out. Be personable, they hate conflict and would be horrified if they offended anyone. They are not so fast to come on board when there is a change.

    4. Conscientiousness – people who display conscientiousness in their communications prioritise and value: accuracy, quality and correctness. They want to show their expertise and to produce quality work. To communicate with them verbalise all the facts and details, or show patience, persistence and diplomacy as they verbalise all these details for you. Minimise small talk. These people find it difficult to make quick decisions, delegate or compromise for the good of the team. They would prefer not to join in the workplace social events.

    There are other frameworks that you can use to improve communications with people within your team e.g. MBTI, HBDI, OPQ.

    If you wish to learn more contact us at www.LNC.com.au

  • "Do or do not. There is no try." Yoda. Bouncing back from a workplace set back

    · Leadership On The Run

    "Do or do not. There is no try." Yoda. The greatest teacher, failure is." Yoda. "Named must be your fear before banish it you can." Yoda.

    In this episode Jeanine and Paul unpack a framework for getting back in the saddle - bouncing back - after a setback in the workplace. Here are the 6 steps:

    1. Acknowledge how you feel.

    2. Focus on finding a solution

    3. Consciously be positive (thoughts and self talk).

    4. Use your support network

    5. Be open/flexible - i.e.wedded to one solution.

    6. Write down what you have learnt from the experience.

    The framework used is closely aligned to a mental habits framework for lifelong learning (Leading Change.John P Kotter, 1988).

    Jeanine also mentions Sam Parkers' 'Crossing the Line' concept during the discussions when talking about how to best use your support networks (Step 4).

  • Leading and managing remote & flexible teams

    Leading and managing remote & flexible teams

    · Leadership On The Run

    "I'd like to be able to lead my remote and flexible team members without them accusing me of checking up on them or not trusting them."

    Today Paul and Jeanine discuss how to keep remote and flexible team members connected, involved and motivated.

    Organisational Psychologists (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2008) published the Self determination theory as a model for individual motivation. Their model has been shared on LinkedIn, 2019, by Ask the Team, NZ , to create a model they refer to as "Leadership by involvement." It is this model we will use as our framework for helping you to lead and manage remote and flexible staff.

    The leadership by involvement model has three elements:

    Control/measures – divide tasks into projects. Measure on productivity e.g. was the project completed on budget? Did the team engage and work well together? Is the report of a high quality?Competency – The leader trains staff to do their job well in the present and also trains for future challenges. E.g micro skill training such as problem solving, critical thinking, innovative and creative thinking, agile designs, negotiating, interpersonal communication skills.Connectedness – Use technologies with sharing platforms. Ensure everyone knows how their contributions impact the overall organisational goals.

    Control/Measure - Staff are allowed to control how they get things done. The leader measures productivity. To do this, tasks need to be given in project format and measurements agreed with staff. In 2009, Jane Parry, PhD researcher from Solent University in UK , published a paper that mapped the new ways of working where productivity was not measured by turning up to be present 9 to 5pm. The paper recommended leaders divide tasks into projects and measure/monitor productivity on: was the project completed on budget? did the team work well together? is the report of a high quality? The paper went on to reveal that line managers lack of training in how to manage remote staff lead to the detriment of flexible working arrangements.

    Competency - It is the leaders job to train staff to do their job well in the present and develop them for the future. This requires training them for more than the technical skills needed on the job today. Staff need training in how to deal effectively with challenges, issues and situations that are as yet do not exist.

    Staff training would therefore consist of problem solving ways - creative thinking, innovative thinking, agile design, critical thinking and a suite of interpersonal communication skills. Armed with these micro skills staff will be able to cope with whatever challenges come their way.

    Connectedness - When staff feel connected or they belong, their motivation is greater. We are blessed today with a plethora of technology in the form of sharing platforms. Provide your staff with these tools and use them regularly to inform, share insights on each others projects and celebrate wins. NB: Leaders still need to have one on one conversations with individuals to consolidate and monitor needs and support required.

    Another motivational building aspect in the connectedness element is ensuring staff understand how they contribute to the organisation.

    Traditionally your boss may have asked why you were not so enthusiastic about your work by checking whether you liked your job or not. In the leadership by involvement model a leader would ask "Do you think your skills, talent and capabilities are being fully utilised? Do you understand how your role impacts and contributes to the overall organisational goals"?

    When you ask these type of questions it is unlikely people will accuse you of not caring, being a remote leader or untrusting.

  • Coaching others

    Coaching others

    · Leadership On The Run

    Galileo has been called the "father of observational astronomy", the "father of modern physics", the "father of the scientific method", and the "father of modern science". Another quote of his is: All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.
    The GROW model by John Whitemore is a simple framework for guiding coaching conversations and facilitating your coachee to discover their own truth. GROW assumes you will facilitate the coachee thinking (as you are not an expert in their field) - which may or may not be appropriate for your workplace leadership situation.
    G – Goal
    R – Reality (current)
    O – Options & obstacles
    W – Way forward & Will to complete
    Another useful model is the PERMA model. PERMA was developed by positive psychology founder Martin Seligman. PERMA is an acronym that reminds coaches to cover the five elements of a sustained, authentic and happy live when discussing issues and solutions with coachee. PERMA.stands for: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Achievement.

    Dr Suzi Green CEO, The Positivity Institute, joins us on this podcast and sheds light on phrases like 'optimal functioning', 'PERMA Powered Coaching' and 'Appreciative Enquiry Coaching'.
    Dr Green also shares with us her tips for leaders to make their coaching most effective. Some she mentions are: using visuals, sharing the coaching model being used, having a growth mindset and coaching from a strengths base, as opposed to a deficit viewpoint. A resource she mentions is a book Positive Psychology Coaching in Practice - she co-authored a chapter on PERMA Powered Coaching in this resource. For all this and other practical steps to coaching others listen up to episode 9 of Leadership on the Run.

  • Bring back the good times - creating happy workplaces

    Bring back the good times - creating happy workplaces

    · Leadership On The Run

    All roads lead to Rome...well Byron Bay, Australia as we bring back the good times to create happy workplaces. In this episode of leadership on the run, Jeanine and Paul are relaxing beach-side, surrounded by nature discussing sure fire ways to increase well being and happiness in your places of work. Research over the past five years indicates that social engagement is the key to leaders improving workplace happiness.

  • Building teams

    Building teams

    · Leadership On The Run

    The forming–storming–norming–performing model of group development was first proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965, who said that these phases are all necessary and inevitable in order for the team to grow, face up to challenges, tackle problems, find solutions, plan work, and deliver results.
    It is an effective guide for leaders wishing to develop a team, improve team performance or understand their role in team achievements. By providing experiences that allow the team members to move through the stages of development a leader can be assured they will produce a unified team.
    The underlying themes of trust and respect permeate this model and all models of team building. Without these two foundational pieces a group will not become a highly effective team.
    Building trust is a leaders primary objective when developing high performing teams. In a recent Harvard Business Review article, The Neuroscience of Trust, scientist, author and speaker, Paul J Zak found that people employed at high trust companies reported 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives and 40% less burnout.
    Leaders can develop trust by respectfully being interested in their teams long term goals, prioritising face to face communications and providing direct and regular feedback.
    Learn more in episode 10 of Leadership on the run.

  • Managing your time

    Managing your time

    · Leadership On The Run

    When are you most ‘full of beans’- in the morning, afternoon or evening? By diarising your day by segments that reflect your level of energy throughout the day you can schedule and do your most important work when your energy is at its highest. In this context, important relates to achievement of your goals. But how do you know which of your goals is most important?

    The Urgent v Important Matrix
    This a simple, practical and effective tool for prioritizing your to-do list based on the level of urgency and importance of each task. It's sometimes referred to as the 'Eisenhower Matrix' or 'Eisenhower Decision Matrix' and is one of the easiest time management strategies to implement.

    Don’t take the monkey (the monkey being the problem). When team members come to you with problems ask them “What is your recommendation?” This way they learn to come to you with solutions. It also gives you an opportunity to agree or disagree or coach them by building onto their solution.
    What it looks like it practice
    The situation
 Taking back the monkey That’s not my monkey!
    A staff member stops you in the hall and says, “We have a problem. I can’t get the number we need for the budget in time to submit the grant proposal.” You say, “I’ll go talk to Gary right now about getting the numbers faster.” You say, “That is a problem. Why don’t you get on my calendar for later today and bring some potential solutions to the meeting?”
    Your fundraising director reports that donations aren’t hitting her projections for the quarter. You say, “Let’s add in an extra fundraising mailing and talk to Jen about sending extra email alerts.” You say, “At our next check-in, let’s talk about what options you’re considering to get donations back up.”
    You receive a draft of a briefing paper that emphasizes the wrong points. You rewrite the briefing paper so that it’s ready to go out. You talk with the staff member about the elements that need changing and ask her to do the rewrite.
    Your staff member tells you the consultant she’s working with won’t make the edits to the documents you’ve discussed. You call the consultant and work with her to get the edits you need. You ask, “How do you plan to handle it? I’m happy to help if you’d like – just tell me what you’d like me to do.”
    Your deputy asks you to send an email to a funder, asking her to host an event, since you know the funder better. You add it to your to-do list and eventually send the email. You ask your deputy to draft the email for you.
    For a more complete explanation of how to ensure that staff members don’t “pass the buck” back to their managers, see “Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey?” by William Oncken, Jr., and Donald Wass in Harvard Business Review, November-December 1999.

    Eat the frog. Brain Tracy wrote a book “Eat the Frog
21 ways to stop procrastinating and get more done in less time”. Mark Twain actually is the origin of the quote “Eat the frog”, he called the toughest task the frog because it was ugly and bumpy. Personally, I like frogs so I like to say ‘Eat the Toad’ as toads really are ugly and bumpy. The idea is to identify the task that is your Toad and do that task first, because if you do that nothing could possibly be worse.
    Learn more during episode 8 of Leadership on the Run.

  • Redirecting Office Gossip

    Redirecting Office Gossip

    · Leadership On The Run

    People who gossip are often engaging, gifted story tellers but in their wake lies a sea of resentment, turmoil and drama.
    Rising above the drama and setting a positive example for others is easy when you follow the 5 step E.D.I.T. and walk approach to rising above office gossip. Discover how each step allows you to remain detached from the drama, reset a positive tone and manage the narrative even when the gossip is about you.

  • Conducting Effective Meetings

    Conducting Effective Meetings

    · Leadership On The Run

    If ‘meetings are a waste of time’ is part of your company vernacular then it is time to take action and find a better, more effective way to conduct meetings. If you are not making decisions in your meetings then you are wasting time bringing people together – a simple email conveying the information could have been more efficient for those involved. Here are some essential steps you can take to set yourself up to run an effective meeting: Send an agenda, vet attendees, start on time, make a decision, record decisions and actions to be taken and who has to take the action.

  • Getting Your Ideas Accepted - writing a business case

    Getting Your Ideas Accepted - writing a business case

    · Leadership On The Run

    Just because you have an idea or solution doesn’t mean it is right for the business or the timing is great. You need to write a business case when resources or expenditure have to be justified. Approval is usually sought from the project sponsor and other interested parties. For instance, the finance function may authorise funds and the IT department provide resources.
    Writing a business case with solutions that are accepted requires you to clarify your own position on the solution/s, guide decision makers towards a ‘right fit’ solution and provide context, anticipated impact and identify the resources required for implementation. The SWOT business case template facilitates articulation, presentation and acceptance of ideas. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. When we look at our business or business idea through the SWOT lens we are forced to gather and consider the facts as well as the impact of future trends. When we are trying to influence others towards accepting our ideas the SWOT information shows we have considered all angles and gives them confidence to accept our viewpoint/business case.
    If we are verbally influencing others to accept our ideas there are two frameworks worth understanding: David Rock’s SCARF and Stephen Covey’s Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence. SCARF represents the 5 domains of human social experience. We each have a preference whether that be Status Certainty Autonomy Relatedness or Fairness. To more easily or effectively influence someone need to present our ideas within the context of their preferred social experience.

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