Strong teams often have team members with strong personalities. Learn how to build your team’s conflict resolution skills.
More often than not, high-performing teams operate in high-pressure environments. And many times on a high-performing team, you have some strong personalities at play. When you combine pressure and strong personalities there are plenty of opportunities for conflict between the members of your team. Your job as a leader is not to mediate those conflicts and be a referee. Instead, you need to teach the members of your team how to resolve those conflicts with one another. It’s going to help them build relationships and interpersonal skills. It also keeps you from having to dedicate a significant amount of time and energy every time somebody has a conflict with another member of the team. Read more
Breakthrough leadership is about seizing the WOO – Window of Opportunity. Leaders can only seize the WOO to build their team by being fully present.
Today’s guest post is by Brian Biro, author of Lessons from the Legends: New Applications from the Timeless Wisdom of John Wooden and Pat Summitt.
Is it possible that your life, relationships, health, and business can flourish as never before, despite even the most difficult circumstances? Is it possible for you to build supportive, high-performance teams, even with those people you’re pretty certain God put on the planet to “bug” you? Is it actually possible for you to have more fun, greater sense of purpose, and genuine peace of mind in a world accelerating so quickly that there is more computer technology in your children’s Christmas toys than in the Apollo that went to the moon in 1969? And is it even remotely possible that your family can actually flourish and connect, despite the seemingly endless distractions and disconnections of reality TV, social media, Madison Avenue, cell phones, and AI?
The answer to these critical questions is WOO YES!!! Stop reading right now and yell out the word WOO. Isn’t that a FUN word? Now, if anyone asks you what you’ve been reading and thinking about, put a big grin on your face, look them right in the eye, and say… The WOO!
WOO stands for WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY, and I want you to know that we all share the most important, magical, and magnificent of all WOOs right now. Do you know what it is? It is EVERY PRECIOUS MOMENT! Every precious moment is a WOO. What do I mean?
You never know if the next person you meet today may become your lifetime friend, just as you didn’t know it when you met your lifetime friends. You never know if the next time you talk with your child, spouse, friend, or teammate, if something you say in that conversation may be the one crucial thing they could not see without your eyes, and a life that was on its way down rises again. You never know if the next idea that pops into your head may have the same impact on your own life.
I had a high school counselor named Mr. Anderson who pulled me into his office in the ninth grade, sat me down, and with an intensity that surprised me because he was usually so light-hearted said, “Brian, a student like you only comes along about once every ten or fifteen years.”
Now, at that time, it was pretty likely he meant it BAD more than he meant it good! You see, at that time all I really wanted was for everyone to like me. And so, I was playing the clown, not applying myself anywhere near my potential. But Mr. Anderson saw through all of that. What he was really saying to me in that WOO was, “Brian, don’t waste the gifts you’ve been given. Live FULLY. Put your heart into all that you do. When each day is done, know you’ve given all you had. That’s what really matters.”
And, you know, I GOT it. I would not be writing this article right now had Mr. Anderson not seized that WOO so long ago. I never would have elevated my academics and earned my way into Stanford University, never would have had my life move in the wonderful directions it’s flowed, and, most of all, never would have stepped onto the path that brought me to my wife and children. The question is not, “Is there a WOO?”
THERE IS!
The real questions we should be asking are, “How many of those WOOs have we MISSED?” And, why do we miss them?
There is only one way you can seize the WOO, and that is to be fully present.
When you get right down to it, our job as leaders is to seize those WOOs to help others know they are important. When people feel important and significant, they rise. When people feel taken for granted and unimportant, they fall. But, how do communicate to others unfakably and unshakably that they matter, that they ARE important. It all comes down to being fully present.
When you are fully present for others, 100% of your mind, body, and spirit are with the people you are with, where they are NOW. The result of this simple action has more impact than you can even imagine.
Many years ago, when I needed it most, my two daughters, Kelsey and Jenna, taught me a crucial lesson about the unmatched importance of being present.
At the time, I was so caught up in my work that I found myself incessantly on the phone or computer trying to iron out an endless barrage of challenges. One evening, when I could have been seizing one of life’s most precious and important WOOs by putting my precious daughters to bed and sending them off to their dreams with love and attention, I was instead once again sitting in my office and just about to get on that darn phone. But at that very moment I felt my daughters behind me. I didn’t see them or hear them. I simply felt their energy, and when I turned to look, there they were.
They gazed up at me and said, “Daddy, before we go to sleep, we wanted to ask you something.”
“Sure girls! You can ask anything.”
And in one question, one WOO, they changed my life.
“Daddy, we just wanted to know, do you love your phone more than you love us?”
These words shot through me, shaking me to my very soul. By seizing that WOO, my girls helped me see that only in our moments of being fully present can we live our priorities and help others build confidence, faith, and self-esteem. It is the only way we communicate to them that they are important.
I tucked my girls in that night and never missed another night except when I was on the road. They taught me that you can never seize the WOO unless you are fully present.
Live and lead with joy. Carpe WOO!
Brian Biro is known as America’s Breakthrough Speaker. The author of 16 books including his new Lessons from the Legends, Brian has delivered nearly 1,900 presentations on leadership and team-building around the world.
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Our reader poll today asks: How do you deal with employees who are ungrateful for the opportunities they’re given?
I don’t say anything and hope they figure it out. 13.88%
I go out of my way to highlight the opportunities they’ve been afforded. 37.80%
I offer a gentle prod that they’re coming across as ungrateful. 19.62%
I share direct feedback that they’re behaving ungratefully and need to change. 12.44%
I stop providing them opportunities since they’re not grateful for them. 16.26%
Be grateful or hear about it (and maybe lose opportunities). Leaders should create opportunities for team members to grow and develop. If you’re one of those team members who has been afforded those opportunities, be sure to express your gratitude to your leaders. They’re taking a risk and putting effort into you to create those opportunities for you. The least you could do is express some gratitude for those chances to grow, excel, and advance. Clearly there’s a large group of leaders who are willing to provide feedback if you’re being ungrateful and a large portion of them will be unwilling to provide future opportunities. A simple “thank you” can go a long way in helping you advance your career.
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Giving your team the authority to make important decisions improves trust, satisfaction, and accountability.
Members of high performing teams are going to be the most satisfied when they feel like they can have an impact on the outcome of their work. And to get to that point you need to understand the difference between accountability and responsibility and then how authority interplays with both of them. Read more
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Dr. Sam Adeyemi offers insight to business executives and C-suite professionals on the next generation of leadership development planning.
Today’s guest post is by Dr. Sam Adeyemi, author of Dear Leader: Your Flagship Guide to Successful Leadership.
How would you describe the up-and-coming leaders within your organization? Dynamic? Global? Inspiring? Unique? Now, here’s the big question: Do you think the same could be said about your organization’s leadership development?
By 2030, Gen Z will account for almost 30% of the workforce, and post-COVID globalization has erased many of the more conventional boundaries of an organization’s hiring criteria. It’s no wonder that most modern workplaces now draw on vast pools of professional talent, and their next wave of leaders will rise up from all corners of the world with a dizzying array of interests and motivations. As such, the most successful organizations will be those who can offer customized leadership development plans, or step-by-step strategies for achieving both short-term and long-term goals.
These plans are not one-size-fits-all, and executing them ineffectively can actually create a more counterproductive environment for the aspiring leader. So how do you create leadership development plans that both elevate your executives and produce tangible results? Start with three simple guidelines.
3 Tips for Next-Gen Leadership Planning
1. Acknowledge What’s Bad, but Promote What’s Good
When we are looking to support the next cohort of successful leaders, it is tempting to focus on what needs to be fixed — what isn’t being done well and needs to be done better. Unfortunately, this overly critical stance not only creates a sense of negativity from the very beginning, but it can also breed insecurity in the aspiring leader and serve to erode their confidence going forward. This is why the most helpful leadership development plans focus on a person’s talents and strengths, choosing to quickly neutralize individual weaknesses and redirect all developmental energy to the leader’s strongest gifts and most inspiring attributes.
You might be tempted to call this sort of thinking overly optimistic, or perhaps too fixated on the silver lining of what could be a cloudy situation. But did you know that not a single cloud in the sky actually has a silver lining? The silver lining our eyes see when looking toward the sky actually comes from the sun, who sits just above the clouds shining a bright light that frames every outline in positivity. The clouds are the same hardworking wonders of nature they always were, simply framed in a different light — by a more uplifting leader and a more positive development plan.
Over 85% of executives believe fear prevents progress and innovation at their organization. So why allow it to infect your planning process?
2. Ask a Lot, but Also Listen
There was once a farmer who lost all his crops to disease at the start of the planting season. To try and recover some of his income for the year, the farmer used the last of his money to buy a few sheep from his neighbor — and so, he became a shepherd. Unfortunately, these sheep proved much louder than the farmer anticipated — bleating at high volume into all hours of the night. After offering better food and better bedding to no avail, the farmer-turned-shepherd was at his wit’s end. In his desperation, he strapped a giant fake ear to his wooden cart and rolled it out into the field. The sheep immediately gathered around the ear and bleated their BAHs until they had nothing left to say. That night, everyone slept soundly.
When it comes to their own professional development, every aspiring leader has a lot to say, whether about their unique interests or underlying motivations. That said, those conversations can be virtually meaningless when one-sided — if the mentor isn’t practicing deep listening and using these moments of honesty to make meaningful discoveries about the individual. Leadership development plans are driven by these types of discoveries, but they are ultimately a collective effort, including the individual’s managers, immediate supervisor, and fellow team members. This is why it is important to ASK, but it is even more important to LISTEN.
3. Plan for Forever, but Lead in the Moment
The intention behind every leadership development plan should be to uplift the leader in question. Though these plans do indirectly support the organization in that they afford one of its leaders greater success, that organizational support should never be the focus. If you help an employee plan a career strategy that results in enormous success, then that plan was inspiring and well-constructed. If that employee then chooses to leave your organization, this does not diminish the success or importance of the planning process. In fact, when professionals are able to leave an organization and continue to prosper, it is often a sign of confident career planning at the source.
There’s simply no getting around the new reality taking shape in almost every industry: occupational mobility is at an all-time high. In 2022, it’s estimated that over 49% of working professionals switched jobs or made a larger career transition. Permanence is a thing of the past, and if you’re building all your leadership development processes around the presumption that no one is leaving, then you’re already a few steps behind. Leadership planning can be a powerful tool for your organization, but it’s important to remember these plans are primarily a tool to serve the individual and humankind at large. In this way, everyone wins.
Ready to Evolve Your Leadership Planning?
Your aspiring leaders are some of the greatest assets to your organization. Consequently, your plans for nurturing those leaders should be actively and routinely evaluated for their efficacy. Are they focusing on the strengths and positives of the professional in question? Do they begin with two-sided conversations and deep, active listening? Are you planning for forever, yet ready for change? The next generation of leaders is already working at your organization, which means it’s time to evolve your career planning processes and elevate your executives to their greatest potential.
Atlanta-based Dr. Sam Adeyemi (SAY: Ah Day yeh me) is CEO of Sam Adeyemi, GLC, Inc. and founder and executive director of Daystar Leadership Academy (DLA). More than 45,000 alumni have graduated from DLA programs, and more than 3 million CEOs and high performing individuals follow him on top social media sites. Dr. Sam’s new book is “Dear Leader: Your Flagship Guide to Successful Leadership.” He holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Virginia’s Regent University, and is a member of the International Leadership Association. He and his wife, Nike (say Nee keh) have three children. Learn more at SamAdeyemi.com.
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Our reader poll today asks: Is your organization in the process of expanding or contracting?
We’re growing and investing a lot behind that growth 39.03%
We’re staying pretty stable and making some targeted investments 40.65%
We’re cutting expenses and fighting to hold our market position 20.32%
Beware of cutting too much. While 20% of you are in cut and hold mode, you need to recognize 40% of the market is investing to grow. While you need to be mindful of expenses and not overextend yourself, recognize you’re taking a breather in the middle of the race and your competitors are trying to sprint ahead. Once you finish your pause, you might find yourself even further behind in the race and struggling to stay competitive. You can’t cut your way to long-term profitability so make sure you’re continuing to invest in growth areas while paring expenses in less strategically-important areas. And for those investing in growth, make sure you have a clear investment premise with performance milestones. Investing irresponsibly can cause you to trip and fall which gives the competition a moment to sprint ahead.
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To build and foster a high performing team, sometimes you have to step back and let your people do their thing.
For you to get the most out of the members of your high performing team, you need to empower them. Remember, on a high performing team, those team members are typically very self-motivated, and they like being self-directed. You need to understand how letting go of your agenda, creating space for them to flourish, and then accepting that there are different ways of doing things is going to bring out the best in your people. Read more
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Using AI job coaches, job seekers can better prepare for product management careers by simulating case interviews with real-time, personalized feedback.
If you’re on the lookout for a product management (PM) job, you’re not alone. In fact, this career ranks as the fourth most popular career in the US.
To stand a chance in this competitive field, you need access to relevant data. At one time, acquiring that information meant days of grueling research, but today, AI job coaches employ vast stores of data to streamline your PM job search process.
Data-driven tools and AI job coaches increase success for PM job seekers
To excel in product management, you must stay current on industry trends and market dynamics. Not long ago, identifying in-demand skills for product management roles required searching through thousands of job descriptions, analyzing common requirements, and conducting a gap analysis to evaluate your skills against desired skill sets.
Today, AI job coaches gather and analyze a vast amount of job postings from various sources, including company websites, job boards, and professional networks. Through natural language processing and machine learning algorithms, they extract valuable information such as required skills, qualifications, and industry trends.
By utilizing this data, your AI job coach helps you identify the preferences of PM recruiters and enables you to tailor your resumes and cover letters accordingly.
AI job coaches use data to match you with the best PM jobs
To find your ideal product management job, you will need insights into hundreds of companies’ values, mission statements, cultures, and product portfolios. You must also evaluate their market positioning, competitive advantages, and growth trajectories. This data is the only way to assess alignment between your skills, experience, and company goals.
Using a combination of candidate profiles and job posting data, AI job coaches provide personalized PM job recommendations based on your qualifications, experience, and career goals. These recommendations help you understand which job opportunities best fit your skill set and aspirations. Furthermore, AI job coaches suggest future skills to develop, identify knowledge gaps, and suggest relevant training or certifications that will enhance your marketability in the competitive product management sector.
The personalized PM job recommendations you receive from your AI job coach eliminate hours of extensive research and days of filtering through job postings, letting you focus on crafting targeted applications and preparing for interviews.
How AI job coaches prepare you for PM job interviews
In the product management field, job seekers will typically be expected to participate in a case interview. A standard PM case interview involves solving a real-life business problem while being observed by an interviewer who assesses your problem-solving abilities, analytical skills, and critical thinking.
To succeed in a product management case interview, you will need to identify the underlying issue, clarify the business objectives, and understand the potential impacts. The process involves asking relevant questions to determine a solution and then developing a structured framework that captures the key issues, possible solutions, and their impacts. Throughout the interview, you must demonstrate creativity by staying open-minded and thinking outside the box.
Product management interviews involve challenging scenarios and complex problem-solving exercises. AI job coaches create simulations that replicate these situations using natural language processing and machine learning algorithms, allowing you to practice your decision-making skills and demonstrate your ability to think critically under pressure.
AI coaches will interact with you through chat or speech, creating an immersive interview experience by asking relevant questions, evaluating your responses, and providing instant feedback based on real-time analysis. By encountering a range of scenarios, you become better equipped to handle the curveballs during actual interviews.
Participating in realistic case interviews allows you to practice your on-the-spot responses and refine your analytical thinking skills in a safe, pressure-free environment. By repeatedly practicing the interview process, you become more confident, articulate, and comfortable expressing your ideas.
During each simulated interview, your AI coach evaluates your performance and provides detailed feedback. This feedback helps you identify strengths to highlight and weaknesses to work on, allowing you to focus your efforts on specific areas, such as communication skills, problem-solving abilities, or industry knowledge.
AI job coaches adapt to your needs and provide a customized experience. As a product management job seeker, you can tailor your interview simulations to focus on specific aspects of the role or address your unique areas of concern. This flexibility ensures you receive targeted training to enhance your skills and prepare effectively. Product management case interviews can be challenging, but an advanced AI job coach helps you prepare for the format and increases your chances of success.
AI job coaches are transforming how individuals navigate the job market, offering data-driven insights to job seekers. In the field of product management, these AI coaches utilize extensive sets of data to provide personalized recommendations, salary insights, and knowledge about market trends. By leveraging AI and data analytics, aspiring product managers can make informed decisions, optimize their job search, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving industry.
— Salil Sethi is the founder of ProsperCircle.com, a user-friendly platform designed to make Product Management job search less soul-crushing. Salil is also an advisor at MIT’s premier startup accelerator, Delta Ventures, where he advises startups on product development and early-stage go-to-market strategy. His professional journey includes key positions at McKinsey & Company and engagements with Fortune 500 companies and startups. Specializing in product development, startup growth, and data analytics, Salil holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Georgia Tech. At ProsperCircle, he combines his tech expertise with a dedication to improving career development and job market access.
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Once you’ve established your commit goals, you should also set stretch goals. Learn how to use the one-third, two-third method to set a stretch goal.
In addition to setting a commit goal, you should also set a stretch. A stretch goal is what’s going to push people to achieve more. It still needs to be achievable when you go back and look at SMART goals, but it won’t have a guarantee of success. More often than not, you’ll fall short of your hitting your stretch goal. If you’re always hitting your stretch, you’re not stretching far enough.
So why should you set stretch goals? Well, if you only set a commit goal, the team might coast once you reach it. They’re going to say, “Well, we hit our goal. We don’t have to push ourselves so hard. Let’s just relax and get to the end of the year.”
A stretch goal gets them to continue performing. Once they hit the commit, there’s still something more that they can go out and achieve. A stretch goal can motivate and excite people. When they hit it, it creates a sense of shared achievement that’s going to build morale and team identity. Stretch goals force people to think differently.
Many times, a commit goal is based upon what people know they can do. They don’t challenge constraints or look for new ways of doing things. A commit goal is about getting things done and doing it the way we’ve always done it. A stretch goal gets them to challenge assumptions. They’ll look at the business differently. They’re going to be willing to make large changes and they’re going to take risks to achieve that stretch. A stretch goal helps them build new skills from trying new things.
So by combining a commit goal that they can achieve and they can deliver to the organization, and a stretch goal that pushes them to improve their performance, you’re getting the best of both worlds.
The one-third, two-third method for stretch goals
I often get asked, “How can I set a good stretch goal?” I like to tell people to use the 1/3, 2/3 rule. For the gap between your commit and your stretch, your team should have a good sense for how they might close 2/3 of that gap, and no idea for where the other 1/3 will come from.
Why 1/3, 2/3? Well, if it’s more than 1/3 that they don’t know where it’s going to come from, they’re going to give up and just say, “This is too hard. I don’t have any ideas.” If it’s less than 1/3, it may be too easy and they might coast. To create this list and understand what this 1/3, 2/3 is, gather a list from your team for ideas beyond the commit and add them up.
Let’s walk through an example. Let’s say we set a commit goal of X, and now we’re trying to figure out what the stretch is. I tell the team, “I need all your best ideas for how we’re going to drive revenue beyond that commit event.” The team goes off, they come back with their ideas, and they come up with $2 million worth of ideas. Now these will be hard, but they have a reasonable idea of how they can capture $2 million. That two million is my 2/3. What I need to do next is add another third beyond that. When you look at the math, you just divide that two million in half and add it. So I would add another $1 million, and then I’d have a total stretch goal of three million. Now let’s look at that 1/3, 2/3. 2/3 of that $2 million, they have ideas. 1/3 of it, $1 million, they don’t know where it’s going to come from. They’re going to have to innovate to find that incremental $1 million.
When you set your stretch goals, following this 1/3, 2/3 rule will help you identify ideas and make that stretch feel like it’s something they can get, but it will still push them beyond the ideas they’ve already got, and hopefully drive incremental innovation.
Want to learn more about setting team and employee goals? How about taking an entire course on it? Go directly to the course and start learning how to create a culture of strategy execution. The entire course is available at LinkedIn Learning. Enjoy!
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Here’s a rundown of the businesses that flourished (and failed) in 2023 and how companies should plan to face crises in 2024.
Today’s guest post is by Thomas Mustac, Publicist — Otter PR
The way a company handles a crisis can be a defining moment for the organization, either endearing them to their market or destroying the company altogether. In a business landscape where every move or decision is immediately broadcast through the grapevine of social media, companies that are not adequately prepared for a crisis could be left decimated in its wake.
The year 2023 saw some headline-making crises handled very well by the businesses involved — and some that brought the businesses to their knees. Here’s a rundown of the businesses that flourished (and failed) and how companies should plan to face crises as we enter the new year.
The best crisis responses
The companies that provided the best responses to a crisis were those that were prepared and aware of what was going on outside of their organizations.
Amid a burgeoning recession, Google gave voice to Black-owned businesses with its wildly popular Black-owned Friday initiative. By creating a video with Keke Palmer and highly publicizing its desire to see people “search and shop” Black-owned businesses, Google turned recession lemons into lemonade for many minority small-business owners.
Another brand that faced a crisis in 2023 but came out relatively unscathed was Chick-fil-A. Known for its more Christian-aligned, conservative values, fans of the brand accused them of “going woke” when they announced they were dedicated to having a “culture of belonging.” Chik-fil-A was the subject of a handful of scathing social media callouts but remains as popular as ever largely due to its history of credibility and strong brand identity. Though being called “woke” may not seem like a crisis, one only needs to recall the similar trouble that brands such as Bud Light faced in this politically contentious current social climate.
How companies approach the crisis can make all the difference in the court of public opinion. Companies that adeptly navigate crises showcase a blend of resilience, adaptability, and strategic acumen.
The worst crisis responses
Where there are winners, there are losers as well. Quite a few companies ran afoul of one crisis or another in 2023, dropping the ball in terms of response and redemption.
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank was probably one of the most memorable business crises of the last year. It was the second biggest bank failure in US history, and how it was handled from a public relations perspective contributed to a panic response. Due to rising interest rates, US bonds held by SVB lost some of their value, but the bonds were still worth billions.
However, SVB — perhaps trying to get ahead of a possible crisis — released a statement that talked only about losses and neglected to explain that they were still cash-positive. The negative statement caused a run on withdrawals, knee-capping the bank past the point of recovery.
Another failed response came from the head of Disney. Amid the SAG-AFTRA/WGA strike that took over much of the year — grinding TV shows and movie production to a halt — CEO Bob Iger stated that the demands of the strikers were “not realistic” and that they were “adding to the disruption” of an already difficult moment in time post-Covid. The response from SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher was swift and biting, calling Iger “tone deaf” and “repugnant.”
Iger’s comments came at a time when Disney was already faltering with the public, who had grown tired of rising park prices, movies that were failing to meet expectations, and a drawn-out public feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Though Iger later walked back his comments regarding the strike, much of it was too little, too late for the many who supported the actors and writers.
Handling a crisis
Regardless of the size or scope of the crisis, the best response by a business should include some essential components.
Preparation and planning
Crises will eventually happen, and businesses must anticipate potential crises and establish contingency plans to minimize their impact.
Prompt response
Often, fallout from a crisis comes because the response from the business is not swift enough. Companies need to take immediate action to prevent a crisis from escalating. Designating a crisis management team or a point of contact can facilitate this swift decision-making.
Transparency
Businesses should focus on maintaining timely and accurate communication. Stakeholders should remain informed about the crisis and the response, and it is vital that the business manages uncertainty and focuses on fostering trust.
Adaptability and flexibility
A crisis situation can shift on a dime. Businesses should remain open to changing their approach or response based on an evolving situation.
Learning and improvement
After a crisis has died down or been resolved, businesses should analyze the crisis and the response, identifying weaknesses and strengths, enabling them to better prepare for the next crisis.
How not to handle a crisis
Some of the worst crisis responses in 2023 fell victim to many of the ineffective crisis-management approaches:
Ignoring or denying the issue
Disregarding or downplaying a crisis will not make it go away and will likely make it worse.
Poor communication
A lack of open dialogue or transparency can cause confusion and panic.
Delayed response
Procrastination or indecisiveness can make a crisis worse.
Blaming others
Focusing on assigning blame for resolving the issue can create conflicts and impede problem-solving efforts.
Failure to learn
If a business doesn’t learn from the mistakes it made amid a crisis, it is doomed to repeat them.
No one likes to withstand a crisis, but with proper planning and thoughtful management, a crisis needn’t destroy one’s business. By being prepared and keeping the lines of communication open, crises can even be an opportunity for learning and growth.
Thomas Mustac is Otter PR’s medical and health industry PR specialist. He previously held positions at the Dr. Oz Show and New York Medical College. He has his Master’s Degree from Iona University and received an Advanced Certification in Nonprofit Public Relations. He has a diverse background in healthcare, pharmaceutical, telehealth, tech, cosmetics, sports, and interior design public relations.
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Our reader poll today asks: How aware are you of your team’s level of burnout?
I’m extremely aware of when they’re getting burned out 15.55%
I’m very aware of them getting burned out 39.19%
I’m generally aware but sometimes miss the signs 29.73%
I’m not as aware as I need to be 11.48%
I’m not aware at all of how burned out they are 4.05%
Pay attention to the burn. If your team is burned out, it can destroy productivity, morale, and ultimately lead to attrition when they leave to find less stressful jobs. It doesn’t take much to check in on their well-being. Pay attention to what they’re saying and not saying. If all they talk about is deadlines, projects, and pressures but you never hear about relationships, colleagues, friends, and family, they might be overly-consumed by their work. Watch their hours. Evaluate their physical presence and energy. It’s not hard to pick up on burnout… when you actually look for it. Help them prioritize and get low-value work off their plates. They may have a hard time saying “no” to work but you’re in a position to help them do that. Investing a little time and effort into taking care of their stress levels is good for them, good for you, and good for the organization.
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Learn what a commit goal is and what you should consider when creating one.
When you set goals, I encourage you to set two kinds of goals. The first is a commit goal and the second is a stretch goal.
A commit goal is something you’re committing to do for the organization. If you miss it, you can get fired. There should be extreme consequences for missing a commit goal. To build your commit goal, work from the bottom up. Work directly with your team and have them make commitments to you as far as what they’re going to deliver for their goals. You’ll then need to reconcile the team’s commits and make sure they all add up to your commit to your organization.
At one point I had three different teams and we were tasked with a major cost reduction project. My boss came to me and asked me how much cost reduction would I commit to removing from the system. I went to my teams and I asked them how much cost they could take out, and I asked them for their goals. They gave me commit goals of one and a half million, two million, and three million dollars, for a total of six point five million dollars that they would commit to.
When I went to my boss, I hedged on that number a little bit and I told him I could commit to six million dollars. Now, he knew better and he knew I was hedging a little and he pushed me on it. He eventually got me to a point where we negotiated and I committed to six point two five million. Over the plan period, we exceeded that goal and we hit seven million dollars of cost reduction. Obviously there were no negative consequences for the team, but the result of having that commit was the entire team was focused on delivering six point two five. We tracked it over the course of the year. It was something that was at the top of our priority list because we knew we had to deliver it to the organization. Our commit was fed into the budgeting process at the beginning of the year and by doing so we ended up with a very accurate budget that people could plan for.
When you’re creating your commit goal, sit down with the team and make sure they understand what they’re committing to is going to have implications. The organization will plan based on that number and if they miss that number, there will be consequences for them and for you. Having that clear commit will drive the focus you need in terms of achieving a goal and making sure that the rest of the organization can plan for what you’re going to deliver.
Want to learn more about setting team and employee goals? How about taking an entire course on it? Go directly to the course and start learning how to create a culture of strategy execution. The entire course is available at LinkedIn Learning. Enjoy!
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