Happy December! I am still amazed that the year has flown by so quickly. It seems like just yesterday I was writing the first Challenge of 2011 and now here we are at our 12th month. Being that we are into the Holiday Season, I have giving on my mind. So this month’s Leadership Challenge is built around these two quotes:

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~Winston Churchill~

“The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.” ~Gandhi~

My first question to ponder is: As a Rockin’ Leader, are you encouraging your team members to give back to their communities in some form and fashion? There are so many worthwhile groups and causes that need donations and assistance to help those who are less fortunate and in need. A few that pop into my mind are: The Salvation Army, The United Way, The Women’s Shelter, Star of Hope, Big Brother & Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, The Humane Society, the SPCA (animals can be in need, too), Meals on Wheels, Toys for Tots, Kids’ Meals, The Houston Food Bank and The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to name just a few.

We are our communities and should continually, throughout the year, participate and support organizations that are helping those who need assistance. Many employees want to give back and feel a sense of pride when their organization values philanthropic/charitable activities that make a difference in the community. Does your organization or department have a group or groups you support with financial gifts or the precious gift of time and service? I encourage you to set the example and to enable your team members to give back.

My second question to ponder in the spirit of giving is: As a Rockin’ Leader, are you serving your team members and giving them what that they need? The most successful leaders devote themselves to serving the needs of organization members, focus on meeting the needs of those they lead, develop employees to bring out the best in them, coach others and encourage their self expression, facilitate personal growth in all who work with them and actively listen to build a sense of community and joint ownership. If we think about finding the Rockin’ Leader in us by losing ourselves in the service of others (our team members), these activities definitely enable us to apply Gandhi’s quote to our professional lives.

Since we are into November and Thanksgiving is just around the corner, our Leadership Challenge for this month is going to focus on things that employees are thankful for and how we rate as Rockin’ Leaders in providing those things. From the conversations I have had with employees throughout my career, I have heard the following 10 things mentioned (in no particular order) over and over again when employees are talking about great leaders and managers.

1. Effective Communicator (open communication – up, down and across the lines)
2. Information Sharing (we all know knowledge is power, but Information Sharing is using that power for the greater good)
3. Allowing Mistakes (without being persecuted or belittled)
4. Encourage Professional Development and Learning Environments (people like to grow and learn new things)
5. Acknowledgment of Input and Ideas (giving credit where credit is due)
6. Recognition of Jobs Well Done (kudos, handshakes and pats on the back go a long way)
7. Consistent and Equitable Treatment of Team Members (favoritism is noticed and resented)
8. Work & Personal Life Balance (encouraging life outside the office and the use of vacation time)
9. Create Enjoyable Work Environments (we spend 75% of our lives at work, and people want to enjoy being there)
10. Empowerment & Accountability (not micro-managing and the blame game)

So, now the question for us as Rockin’ Leaders is “How good am I at providing the things for which my employees are thankful?” It is time we do a self-assessment to make sure we are doing the things we need to do so that our employees want to come in and give at least 100% every time they walk through the doors. The above 10 items are a good start, but you should also ask your employees what they are most thankful for when it comes to you being their leader so you “manage to each person”. When we do our jobs well as Rockin’ Leaders, we create environments where employees are extremely thankful they are on our team and have us as their leader. Remember, the better we SERVE our team members, the better they serve us in return.

Wellness & Healthy Living Encouragement: This is somewhat of a repeat from this time last year… Portion control is the name of the game for weight maintenance and control, especially during the holidays. I am sure there is still some Halloween candy sitting around and there will be all kinds of goodies being baked and cooked over the next couple months. Remember, it is not the one bite-sized Snicker that you eat that will add pounds; it is the bag of bite-sized Snickers that you consume that will pack on the pounds. It is not the one thin slice of pie that will add pounds; it is eating multiple pieces of pie that will cause issue. We can enjoy the goodies that accompany the holidays, but we have to do it in moderation. We have to also remember to exercise a little more. (Note: lifting the utensil does not count as an arm curl.) Park at the end of the parking lot to add a few extra steps and take the stairs instead of the elevator when you can to help burn off those small extra treats you allow yourself. We do not have to deny ourselves completely, we have to limit and control our portions. You can do it!

“Encouraged people achieve the best; dominated people achieve second best; neglected people achieve the least.” ~Anonymous~

We, as outstanding leaders and managers, must remember to take the time to encourage those around us. To make it easier for all the Rockin’ Leader readers to get moving in the right direction, I’ve compiled a short list of ideas and activities. Here they are:

Praise something a coworker has done well, remembering to identify specific actions and behaviors displayed.

Say “thank you” for a job well done, hard work and notable contributions.

Know what is important to your employees and ask them about it to show you are interested in them as a person. Genuine interest causes people to feel valued and cared about.

Share information with your employees, company information, training, articles that will be of interest to them, etc. People like being in the “know.”

Treat employees or teams to a treat every now and then by taking them to or brining in breakfast or lunch.

Create a fun team tradition to celebrate “wins.”

Provide your team members opportunities to develop and grow. People want training and cross-training and they want to participate in groups where their talents are noticed. Allow for attendance at professional associations and civic and philanthropic events that your company supports.

All of these ideas and activities are very easy to do and are inexpensive, yet very powerful tools to encourage your team members. I have seen it in action, our people feed off the signals given from us – their leaders. We set the tone and we must remember the impact of our behaviors, so remember: even when we think no one is paying attention, they are. On your mark, get set… go and encourage your peeps!

Total Development Update: I had a Challenge recipient ask me what is going on at TDP and he suggested I give an update periodically so folks know how things are going. As many of you know, I have a passion for the Organizational Development piece of HR. I have been getting to facilitate (on average) 12 hours of sessions a month this year, which has been wonderful. I feel I am helping to make a difference with managers and employees in many organizations. I am still doing generalist activities as well, which is good because that gives me fresh examples and stories for the sessions I facilitate. I want to say “Thank You” to those that have engaged me for assistance or referred me to someone when they heard HR help was needed. Referrals are my only source of active marketing outside my networking activities. I’d also like to thank all of you who have been so supportive and encouraging as I’ve asked questions and sought advice while growing Total Development. All-in-all, life is good. My boss appreciates me and my love of HR. My clients are great and I’ve enjoyed getting to work with and help them and their teams. Last, but not least, my support team (you) are the best!

Happy August! Hopefully everyone is having a good summer and staying cool.  As most of you have now gathered from the Challenges I send out, I truly believe we get from life what we focus on and spend our energy on, both at work or in our personal lives.  This month’s Challenge is inspired by two quotes I happened upon.  With that, I give you:

“Affirm the positive, visualize the positive and expect the positive, and your life will change accordingly.” ~  Remez Sasson ~

“Where the loser saw barriers, the winner saw hurdles.” ~ Robert Brault ~

After reading these quotes, it hit me that many times in a day I visit with folks and hear a great deal of negativity.  I am continually reminding myself to stay in a positive zone and not fall prey to the negative pull that fills so many folks in our world.  To help with this I fill my time with positive sources of information and I limit the amount of news I watch because it spews negativity left and right.  My favorite part of the news that I do watch is the “Making a Difference” segment (which is way too short) with Brian Williams on NBC’s 5:30 Nightly News.  They show a one to two minute clip about someone doing something positive for society and making a positive difference.  This short segment gives me a bit of hope, often inspires me and shows me that there are others out there that care about people and our world. We need more of this!

As great leaders we must be positive and share that with our teams.  Our team members look to us to set the tone. If we are negative, our folks will be negative and that will not ultimately lead to the success we all want to achieve.    If we are upbeat and think the best of people and situations, that will permeate the work environment creating better energy and folks will be more inclined to contribute.  Positive behaviors and thoughts create more engaged employees, a higher morale, retention of your better team members and increased productivity.  There are reasons for this…

It is part of human nature that most of us want to ultimately be “happy”.  For each of us that means something different, but I am pretty sure that for 99.9% of the folks out there “happy” does not include being around or working with a group of people that always view the cup as half empty and the day as “one of the worst days ever.”  We choose how we are going to respond or if we are going to react (note: there is a difference) to each situation.  If we look back throughout history, the most successful folks were the ones who looked for the upside and did not live in the whoa-is-me world.

So… our challenge for this month is to focus on the positive and find ways of generating more positive energy in our day-to-day activities.  A way to start is to greet people with the following: “Hi there. So, tell me something good” instead of the traditional: “Hi there. How are you?”  If we start encouraging folks to think positively and about the good things that are happening, people will feel more energized and focus on positive actions.  I will say it again: it is our choice as to how we view everything that occurs.  Our brains are very powerful tools, so let’s use them for the greater good.

June’s Leadership Challenge moves us to the letter “V” in the SERVE model presented by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller in “The Secret.” Quick recap: See the Future, Engage and Develop Others, and Reinvent Continually are the topics we have covered so far. “V” represents Value Results and Relationships. Highly skilled leaders know that Valuing results is very important, but equally important is the relationship piece of the puzzle. Some less experienced leaders tend to choose between the two and usually choose the results piece, which ends up not serving them well in the long run.

When it is all said and done, a leader has to look at if they are getting results and if they have a team to lead. If we don’t have teams to lead, it is very difficult to have long-term success. I love this quote from the book: “If we can take care of our customers and create a motivating work environment for our people, profits and financial strength are the applause we get for a job well done. You see, success is both results and relationships. It’s a proven formula.”

As high caliber leaders we can do certain things to show we value results. We should set high expectations and clear goals for our team members. We should hold everyone accountable and provide assistance as needed to solve problems that negatively impact the performance of the team members. We should also celebrate the “wins” we have and give credit where credit is due.

Equally as important are the things we should do to build and maintain the relationships of our team members. We should actively listen to folks when they come to talk with us; make time for our team members; care about them as people (not just workers); and accentuate the positive by “catching them doing something right” when we can.

All this being said, we should also remember that each person must be managed as an individual and remember that what works with one person is not the exact same prescription of management for another. Each of the items listed above and “should do’s” must be applied to each team member individually so it means something to them. This is how we as great leaders get the results we need, while also maintaining and continuing to build the relationships that are so vital to our ultimate long-term success. Value Results & Relationships and put the formula to work for yourself, you Rockin’ Leader.

Happy May!!! I hope everyone had a great April and got to spend some time focusing on Engaging and Developing others.  It feels like just yesterday I was sending that Challenge out.  Now we are already into a new month.  At least this first week of May has brought a bit of glorious weather to Houston and I am very thankful we got a little “spring time” even if it was late in showing up this year.

As we continue our Leadership Challenge Journey and discover what great leaders know and do via “The Secret” by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller, we are to the letter “R” in our SERVE model.  “R” stands for Reinvent Continuously.  Many catchy buzz words and phrases have been created over time to share some of this concept.  I have to say, Blanchard and Miller really do a great job of breaking down the activities of truly great leaders into 3 areas that make up Reinvent Continuously.

Rockin’ Leaders should Reinvent Continuously on a personal level, a systems and processes level and a structural level.  When we Reinvent on a personal level we are continuing to enhance our knowledge and skills.  It only makes sense that the best leaders are learners.  Learning can come in many forms such as reading, listening to tapes and spending time with mentors and others who help us expand our knowledge base.  If we as leaders are not continually learning, how can we expect our employees to learn and grow?  Also, we all know that many of the answers and solutions used in the past do not work today.  With this being the case, we must learn new ideas so we can provide solid responses to the challenges our organizations face in today’s markets.  Additionally, each one of us has the responsibility to maximize our talents.  This is done through learning and growing.

When we Reinvent on a systems and processes level, we are continually asking questions like: How can our team do the work more efficiently?  How can we do the work more accurately?  How can we do the work and save more money? How do we do our work better?  Great leaders are the champions behind these thoughts and questions and make sure that the folks doing the work are constantly thinking about these type questions and the answers to them as they do their jobs.  Great leaders then listen when team members come up with suggestions on Reinventing and help implement solutions so that improvements are made as quickly as possible.

The third part of Reinvent Continuously is focused around structural reinvention.  Great leaders clearly understand that an organization’s structure should be fluid and flexible not stagnate and permanent.  (Note: “organization” can refer to the overall company or a particular department.)  Great leaders see that the ever-changing demands of the business drive the structure they lead, not vice-versa.  The best leaders don’t change the organization’s structure just for something to do, but instead they understand structure must be adapted to stay ahead of the competition.

The Reinvent Continuously concept is worth the effort for us Rockin’ Leaders.  It fosters learning, flexibility, efficiency, empowerment and many more core beliefs that truly great leaders value and promote.  Now… It’s your turn.  Let the Reinventing Continuously begin!

I was having a networking dinner with a few friends and one of the ladies was talking about a person on her team that had done such a great job this last year.  She was preparing her annual evaluation and did not want to turn it in because she just knew that the person would get “taken” from her and promoted.  I laughed and congratulated my friend telling her she should be happy and not sad.  She had done a great job as a manager.

Luckily the other person at the table is in Organizational Development and agreed that “losing” an employee to another department via promotion should not be a reason for not giving a good evaluation or even for sadness on the current manager’s part.  Of course our friend knew she would turn in the stellar evaluation giving the employee the credit she deserved and then “let her go” if she was asked to do so, as the employee was too valuable to the company to risk losing if kept in a position not fully utilizing her skills and abilities.

She is not the first manager I have talked with that did not want to “give up” a great employee to promotion and bigger and better things.  I can bet a few readers out there have felt this way at some point in their management career. But remember, Rockin’ Leader, part of your role is to develop your folks and prepare them for the next step in their careers.  After you have helped prepare a hi-po (high-potential employee) for their next role and given them the blessing to fly out of the nest, you are graced with the opportunity of assisting yet another eager employee with the desire to learn, grown and develop into “more”.  It’s the Circle of Life in management (some of you are hearing the music play and song sung).

So… our February Challenge is to keep on developing our folks so they are sought out by other departments and managers.  Then, when the time is right, congratulate them on all their hard work and let them go to the next assignment with a huge sense of satisfaction that you did your job well.  Remember: your team members are a direct reflection of your influence, guidance and mentoring.  When you “raise ‘em right” and allow them to move on, part of you moves on as well and is shared with other parts of the organization.  Your impact is boundless via great team members that learn from you and get promoted into new challenges.  For that I commend you with: Great Job!!!

“Celebrate what you want to see more of.”  ~ Thomas J. Peters

All too often we work, work, work and complete a job or task and then jump to the next without celebrating the fact that we had an accomplishment with what we just finished.  When we take the time to celebrate with even just a small moment of reflection or the “happy dance” if you think you can pull it off, employees, team members, friends, loved ones, etc. all see we noticed their hard work and contribution to the success reached.

It seems that parents (and other family members and loved ones) have the principle behind the quote down pat when it comes to children.  When children start walking or talking, we cheer and clap when they take steps or form new words. We don’t yell when they fall or stumble as that would make them want to stay stationary and undeveloped.  After they make it so far or say certain words we celebrate that success and it makes them want to do it again and even better.  We know how to celebrate those wins, and need to remember and apply that concept in other areas.

Celebrating can be kept simple.  Fireworks, balloons and confetti are not required.  Just recognizing the success with a brief team meeting or quick office pop-in conversation can do wonders for encouraging folks. As a leader, we need to figure out what type of celebration works best for our teams and individuals.  Not everyone likes public recognition and a simple, personal conversation is the celebration they need.  Other folks like being in the spot-light and celebrating their accomplishment in front of others makes it more “real” for them.  Remember, we must manage each person as an individual and their recognition/celebration should be done so it is seen as an encouragement for their particular style.

When people see that we appreciate their efforts and contribution they want to keep up their efforts. If we as leaders do not show them that we recognize their hard work, their motivation will dwindle.  As with all our other topics, this applies to both work and personal situations.  So, remember when you are at home or at a volunteer meeting or where ever you are leading a team, celebrate the wins and the behaviors that led to them and you will see more of it.  Learn to happy dance and teach your team.

What do you do to celebrate the wins that happen at home and at work?