Poll – thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

What’s your favorite part of your job as a leader?

September 21, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: What’s your favorite part of your job as a leader?

Driving the financial and operational impact of my company 10.05%
Setting the strategy and direction for the team 25.84%
Developing and promoting my people 47.85%
Having a “seat at the table” for important decisions 13.39%
Something else 2.87%

A leader’s job is building more leaders. Admiral Grace Murray Hopper said “you manage things and you lead people.” A leader’s job is building that next generation of leaders and 48% of you find that the most rewarding part of your job. Your second favorite choice was setting strategy and direction (26%). It’s hard to lead people unless they know where you’re taking them! If these two main activities aren’t enjoyable for you, consider finding ways to challenge yourself into getting more comfortable with them. As you advance as a leader, leading through others becomes more critical and you’ll find yourself stepping away from driving operational and financial performance (that’s your team’s job) and spending more time on development and direction setting. The more comfortable you are with developing others and setting direction, the faster you’ll build that next generation of leaders and take your organization to the next level.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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What’s your view of how veterans are treated in your organization?

September 7, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: What’s your view of how veterans are treated in your organization?

They’re highly respected and we see them as a diverse population that needs help 21.78%
They’re respected and we know they’ve faced some challenges but are basically equal to everyone else 45.97%
They’re not seen or treated any differently than any other employee 29.84%
They’re looked down upon and we make it tough for them to advance 2.41%

Veteran talent and challenges. The vast majority of you report the veterans in your organization are respected and treated fairly. For the 22% of you reporting they’re seen as a diverse population that needs some help, your conclusions are well grounded. There’s a comprehensive report authored by LinkedIn that highlights the talents veterans bring to their organizations and also the challenges they have to overcome in their careers. They’re routinely undercompensated and face larger advancement challenges than their civilian peers. It’s worth taking a moment to understand this untapped population and see where you can make your organizations more veteran-friendly. You might be surprised by some of the disparities that exist. For the 78% of you who report not treating veterans differently, you might be surprised by the challenges they face. Tapping into this population and helping them catch up to their peers could have a significant positive impact in your company.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

How good are you at fulfilling commitments you set for responding to people’s requests?

August 31, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: How good are you at fulfilling commitments you set for responding to people’s requests?

I’m great: when I tell someone I’ll get back to them by a certain date, I never fail to do so 30.77%
I’m good: every once in a while I fail to meet a self-imposed deadline 57.90%
I’m okay: I generally meet self-imposed deadlines but miss a bunch of them too 8.51%
I’m not good: I often fail to meet response deadlines I set 2.02%
I’m bad at it: It’s rare that I meet a response deadline I set for myself and them 0.80%

Commitments matter. 89% of you report meeting self-imposed commitments for responding to people’s requests. Obviously this is great news especially because people on the receiving end of these commitments are planning their work according to what you tell them. It all comes down to communication. People understand if something comes up and a commitment needs to change, too. What’s important is letting them know as soon as possible when you know the commitment will shift so they can change their plans accordingly. For those who are challenged with fulfilling commitments, ask yourself if it’s because the deadlines you set are too aggressive or if it’s because you don’t hold yourself accountable. If it’s the deadline setting, start padding your commitments by 25% and see if that makes things more manageable. If it’s an accountability issue, impose consequences on yourself and focus on the negative impact your missed commitment might have on the other person. When we see how our actions affect others, we’re more likely to live up to those commitments.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

When is the last time you went out of your way to thank a team member for their contributions?

August 24, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: When is the last time you went out of your way to thank a team member for their contributions?

Within the last couple of days: 79.55%
Within the last month: 17.73%
Sometime this quarter: 0.91%
Sometime this year: 1.36%
I don’t go out of my way to thank them: 0.45%

The High ROI of a “Thank You” – Taking time to say “thank you” so someone on your team or in your organization is a simple investment to make and the vast majority of you have done so recently (97% have done so within the last month with 80% of those doing it in the last few days). It’s the right thing to do, it’s appreciated, and it makes people feel seen and valued. If it’s not part of your regular habits, start by adding a reminder to your calendar to drop someone a note. Saying “thank you” in person or on the phone is best because it personalizes it and shows them you’re making a point of seeing them. While emails can suffice for expressing gratitude, a handwritten note can be seen as exponentially more valuable. If you’re in the minority that doesn’t thank people for their contributions very often, give it a try and see how rewarding it can be for both of you. That might create a positive reinforcement loop that gets you saying thank you more frequently.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

What is your opinion of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts at your company?

August 17, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: What is your opinion of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts at your company?

They’re great! Everyone needs to feel respected, fairly treated and included 41.78%
They’re okay. I get the principle but sometimes it doesn’t work as intended 34.23%
They’re a distraction. We have more important issues to deal with 8.00%
They detract from our work environment and aren’t helpful 8.88%
They’re really bad and don’t have a place in our work environment 7.11%

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter. 75% of you feel DEI efforts are important in the workplace. Getting the most out of people requires understanding and accepting them for who they are. DEI efforts are often a way to build awareness of the importance of these dynamics. For those who feel negatively toward these types of efforts, ask yourself if it’s a question of how these efforts are being executed at your company or if it’s because of personal views you have toward the importance of DEI in the workplace. If it’s how the efforts are being carried out, get involved. Offer your thoughts on how these programs could be more effective. If it’s because you don’t see the value in diversity, equity, and inclusion, I encourage you to spend some time with your colleagues who feel otherwise and understand why they see it as being so important. The better we understand one another’s perspectives, the more effectively we’ll all work as teams.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Which of the following best describes your organization’s approach to promoting people?

August 10, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: Which of the following best describes your organization’s approach to promoting people?

Promote them when they demonstrate 70-80% of the ability required at the next level 39.85%
Promote them when they demonstrate 100% of what’s required at the next level 10.16%
Promote them once they’ve been serving as an “interim” at the next level for a while 13.29%
Promise promotion but don’t be clear on what it takes to achieve it 23.43%
Promise promotion, set clear standards, and then move the standards when they get close 4.68%
We never promote anyone 8.59%

Take the risk or lose them. While a sizeable portion (40%) of you report your organization promotes someone when they’re almost ready for the role, 24% are more conservative and wait for the person to be in an interim role at the next level or fully-functioning at the next level. While this mitigates some risk, it also reduces motivation and increases frustration. You’re basically telling the person “we don’t believe you can get to that level of performance so you have to prove to us that you can before we take the risk and promote you.” Not a very motivating message or vote of confidence in their ability to grow. For those who promise promotion but aren’t clear or who change the standards before the promotion is due, you’re going to lose those people eventually. People have career goals and don’t take kindly to being toyed with. Move the standard too often or never articulate what it takes to get promoted and you might find your people moving on and getting promoted somewhere else. The cost to replace someone is drastically higher than promoting from within. Take the risk and develop them. After all – that’s what being a leader is all about.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

How clearly is your organization’s culture articulated and disseminated through the company?

August 3, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: How clearly is your organization’s culture articulated and disseminated through the company?

Very: we have clear statements of our culture and everyone knows and understands it 38.59%
Somewhat: people generally know what our culture is but there is some lack of clarity 34.65%
Not very: we have conflicting views of culture and no one can really articulate it 20.47%
Not at all: what’s culture? 6.29%

Culture drives execution. Culture is the sum of your daily actions. If your desired culture isn’t clearly defined and disseminated, you’re leaving it up to people’s discretion and judgment as to how they should act. Absent guidance, they’ll do the best they can but their choices might not be consistent with the culture you’re trying to build. Invest the time in defining that culture. Be clear about what behaviors are or are not acceptable. Help people understand what the aspiration is for how your organization will function. Be sure you’re routinely disseminating and reinforcing that culture. Sharing it once isn’t enough. Those cultural messages need to be projected as often as possible. Remember – you have new hires all the time and people get busy which makes it easy to forget a “culture meeting” you had a month ago. Celebrate when people take actions exemplifying your culture – share those stories so people feel rewarded and others can see what “good” looks like. It will take a while at first to start shifting the culture but eventually the flywheel starts spinning because people see others around them behaving in a culturally-consistent way.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

How effectively does your leadership team function?

July 27, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: How effectively does your leadership team function?

Extremely — they are a high-performing team 14.60%
Very — they generally work well together 35.77%
Somewhat — they function but have their issues 30.66%
Not very — they struggle to work well together 12.41%
Not at all — they’re a dysfunctional team 6.56%

Functional versus dysfunctional leadership teams. It’s about 50/50 that leadership teams are functioning well or poorly. Usually their level of performance directly affects the performance of their broader teams. The real question is why are some teams high-functioning and others aren’t. This is usually a matter of trust. That trust is based on how well the team members know one another, can predict each other’s behaviors, and have team/individual goals that are aligned with organizational goals. How well do your leadership team members really know one another? This is more than happy hour superficial knowledge. It’s about understanding each other’s values, goals, and perspectives. Having a deeper understanding of the individual makes their behaviors more understandable and predictable. That predictability is the basis of trust. If you don’t have this depth of understanding on your leadership team, start building it. Spend time in candid conversations on values, goals, and beliefs. The sooner you improve trust on the team, the sooner you’ll see improved performance.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Which do you find more challenging: speaking in front of a large group or having a difficult one-on-one conversation?

July 20, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: Which do you find more challenging: speaking in front of a large group or having a difficult one-on-one conversation?

Speaking in front of a large group 40.00%
Having a difficult one-on-one conversation 60.00%

Having uncomfortable conversations. A significant percentage of you report that the challenging one-on-one conversation is more difficult than speaking in front of a large group. This is most likely because there’s less of an emotional connection with the large group and in the one-on-one discussion, it may feel like you’re hurting someone you care about. To make those one-on-one conversations easier, focus on the facts. Make it about the behaviors, not about the person. Be clear on observable behaviors that are undesirable. Imagine you had a recording of the behavior and you were explaining the video recap of it. Once you’ve established those facts, offer your suggestions on how you want the behavior to change. Emphasize that this isn’t about them as a person. Instead it’s about changing actions to get a better result. Hopefully that approach will make those challenging conversations easier to have.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

How well-compensated do your team members feel?

July 13, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: How well-compensated do your team members feel?

They feel like they’re very well-compensated 6.96%
They feel like they’re fairly compensated 46.96%
They feel like they’re not competitively compensated 33.91%
They feel like they’re poorly compensated 12.17%

Are they going to leave you? 46% of you report that your people don’t feel fairly compensated. While some companies are economically challenged and can’t afford higher compensation, others have to be careful with the message they send about record profits or strong economic performance with wages that aren’t catching up. In a tight labor market, you’ll find yourself without the staff you need. Employees will grow resentful especially as inflation erodes their purchasing power while they see their executives rake in massive amounts of compensation based on their employees’ efforts. The next time you’re hesitant to give someone a raise because you feel it’s “too expensive,” ask yourself how much it would cost to lose that person and try to replace them. The math clearly tells you to focus on retaining them even if it costs you a little bit of money.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

What are the biggest challenges your team faces when it comes to managing their time?

July 6, 2023/1 Comment/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: What are the biggest challenges your team faces when it comes to managing their time?

Too many meetings 23.69%
Too much email 11.85%
Lack of clear priorities 18.42%
Too much work to do 26.31%
Failure to delegate effectively 6.14%
Inability to say “no” 7.45%
Something else 6.14%

It’s your job to prioritize. As the leader of your team, some of your team’s time management challenges are controlled by you. 18% lack clear priorities. Setting priorities is your job. Too much work to do is because you don’t have enough resources, and it’s your job to try to secure them, and/or you’re not telling them to hold off on performing low-priority work. Prioritization means saying “no” or at least “not yet” to tasks you don’t have the resources for. Too many meetings can be improved too. Look at your own standing meetings. Are you managing by exception? Do you need to meet as frequently or for as long of a duration as you have them set up? Are your team members going to meetings for low-priority work but they don’t feel like they can say “no” to attending? See if you can cut some time from the calendar by removing or reducing recurring meetings. Tell people holding other meetings that your team members can only attend when they have critical input – stand up for their time. Many of your team’s time management challenges can be abated with some focused effort on your part.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

How do you feel about your team members or colleagues having “side gigs”?

June 29, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: How do you feel about your team members or colleagues having “side gigs”?

I’m totally fine with it as long as it doesn’t impact their day to day work performance 72.19%
I don’t like it but I’ll tolerate it as long as it doesn’t impact performance 21.80%
I’m strongly against it — all their focus should be on their primary job 6.01%

Focus on core job performance. The vast majority (72%) of leaders don’t have a problem with team members having a side gig with the stipulation that it doesn’t impact performance of their primary job. Seems like a reasonable ask on their part. But recognize that 27% of leaders don’t like team members having side gigs. Most (22%) will tolerate it but have concerns about performance and a small percentage are strongly against it. Recognize that if you work for one of these individuals and want to have a side gig, explicit permission and clear boundaries are strongly recommended (e.g., no side-gig calls during normal working hours, etc.). If you have team members who pursue side gigs, be clear with them about boundaries and expectations. Monitor performance and if it starts to slip or boundaries get crossed, intervene and have that conversation early. It’s an ugly situation if you let issues fester and eventually that person finds that their side gig becomes their primary gig either because you have to end their employment or you frustrate them so much that they decide to leave.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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