Poll – Page 3 – thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

How easily distracted are you and your team from pursuing key priorities?

May 11, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: How easily distracted are you and your team from pursuing key priorities?

Not at all — we consistently stay focused on top priorities and never get distracted 12.85%
Somewhat — we generally stay focused and on task but get distracted occasionally 60.55%
Very — distractions tend to be more frequent and hinder focusing on priorities 21.10%
Exceedingly — we truly struggle to focus on what’s important 5.5%

Focus, focus, focus. Look at how many unfinished projects are sitting on your desk and in front of your team members. Distraction and diffusion of effort is an execution killer. Sure, priorities change and that’s fine. Just maintain a focused priority list and drive execution on the items at the top of the list. Don’t start anything new until you’ve completed something else and resources are freed up. The constant stop/start/stop/start dynamic drains energy and causes inefficiency. It’s fine to put new ideas on the list and prioritize them as “not yet” then communicate and reinforce priorities to your team. This improved focus will actually accelerate completion of top projects which then enables you to pursue the next ideas on the list. And if something truly is a distraction and isn’t aligned with core goals and priorities, the best thing you can do is quickly say “no” and move on to your real priorities.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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How deliberate are you about applying change management practices when your team faces a large change?

May 4, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: How deliberate are you about applying change management practices when your team faces a large change?

Very: I put a lot of effort into managing the change and dealing with change issues 46.47%
Somewhat: I apply change management practices for big and important changes 46.46%
Not very: I infrequently apply change management practices in the face of change 5.05%
Not at all: I’m not sure what good change management practices even look like 2.02%

Change doesn’t happen on its own. 93% of you report being reasonably rigorous in your change management efforts. Bravo! Underestimating how challenging a change will be can doom your decisions to failure. Since so many of you report doing a good job in your change management efforts, take those skills to the next level. Start teaching your team members how to properly manage change. Don’t let it be a process they learn by osmosis. Help them see how you think about change. Show them the tools you use to manage change. Include them in change planning. Delegate parts of the change management to them so they can learn to be change leaders in the future. A leader’s job is to create the next generation of leaders. Here’s a great opportunity for you to build your team members’ skills.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Which of these approaches best describes how you develop your people?

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

Our reader poll today asks: Which of these approaches best describes how you develop your people?

I’m a coach: I guide them to coming up with their own answers 37.44%
I’m a mentor: I share my experiences so they can learn from them 37.44%
I’m a trainer: I walk them through skills step by step to help them grow 14.78%
I’m a manager: I tell them the task and standards and correct as needed 7.39%
I don’t use any of these approaches 2.95%

Coaches and Mentors First. The majority (75%) of you report taking a coaching or mentoring approach to developing your people. Coaching focuses on asking the right questions to help them find their own answers. Mentoring is more about sharing your experiences so the person can learn from them. What’s most important here is recognizing which of those approaches you’re taking and if you’re using them in the right situation. Being deliberate with your choice of approach can get better results. If you’re coaching but the person is really struggling to figure out a good solution, switching to a mentoring approach can be helpful to guide them to possible answers. If you’re mentoring and they’re not identifying with your situation, a coaching approach can help them generate a solution that better fits them. Be flexible in your approaches and intentional about which one you use given the situation.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

When you see someone about to make a mistake but it’s not in your area of responsibility, what do you do?

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

Our reader poll today asks: When you see someone about to make a mistake but it’s not in your area of responsibility, what do you do?

Offer unsolicited advice and tell them immediately about their upcoming error 33.90%
Ask if you can provide guidance and not say anything if they say “no” 53.13%
Stand by quietly and let them learn from their mistakes 12.97%

Is your assistance welcome? It’s easy to want to jump in and help someone when you think they’re about to make a mistake. Many of you (34%) report doing that without asking if you can offer a perspective before sharing your thoughts. Other than a safety issue or other case of possible harm, pause for a moment and see if the person is open to your assistance. Sometimes your help isn’t welcome. Sometimes you don’t have context on why they’re doing something a certain way. Sometimes it’s a matter of preference for how they’re going to do something. If it’s not in your area of responsibility, it’s worth a quick “I think something is about to go wrong. Would you mind if I offered some thoughts?” before sharing your perspective. The vast majority of the time, your input will be welcome. You’ll also be showing respect to that person and avoid possibly branding yourself as a know-it-all or someone who butts in. For those who don’t say anything and let people learn from mistakes, consider how you’d feel if someone let you walk into a mistake without trying to warn you. Do you really want to be on the end of the “why didn’t you tell me before I made the mistake?” conversation after things go sideways?

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

How comfortable are you making decisions in highly ambiguous situations?

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

Our reader poll today asks: How comfortable are you making decisions in highly ambiguous situations?

Extremely: I don’t mind ambiguity at all and it doesn’t slow me down 11.69%
Very: I can deal with most ambiguity and make relatively quick decisions 50.94%
Somewhat: I don’t like ambiguity and it can slow my decisions down 26.17%
Not very: I dislike ambiguity and often wait to make decisions 9.34%
Not at all: I wait for ambiguity to be resolved before making decisions 1.86%

Some comfort with ambiguity. 63% of you report being fairly comfortable with making decisions in ambiguous situations. Well done. There’s no shortage of uncertainty out in the world and “letting everything settle” simply exposes you to new sources of ambiguity. For those not as comfortable with the unknown, one thing that can get you unstuck is recognizing that many decisions are reversible if you get new information. Additionally, know that there is a cost to waiting to make a decision – missed opportunities, frustrated employees and customers, and loss of competitive advantage. Do your best to identify what you don’t know, assess the impact of each unknown variable on the outcome, identify the biggest risks, then make a decision with a plan to monitor those large risks. When you disaggregate the unknown, it makes it a lot easier to make a call and move forward.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

How easily do you get thrown “off center” by events around you?

April 6, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: How easily do you get thrown “off center” by events around you?

Not at all. I’m pretty unflappable 28.58%
Somewhat. Major disruptions can knock me off center 60.72%
Very. It doesn’t take much to knock me off center 9.37%
Extremely. The littlest things can send me for a loop 1.33%

Staying grounded. Disruptive events happen every day. What matters as a leader is how you react to them. If you let yourself get thrown off, your team notices and they get even more concerned. They think “if my leader is freaking out, I should really be freaking out!” When disruption arrives, the most important thing is perspective. Get out of the short loop created by your amygdala – this is your body’s fight or flight response. Breathe. Pause. Step back and assess the situation. Perspective helps you approach the issue rationally rather than emotionally. You’ll often find your initial emotional reaction was actually an overreaction and the issue isn’t as big as you originally thought. Pausing and breathing is the key to handling those issues gracefully and in a way that keeps your team grounded.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

What would your team members say is your greatest strength?

March 23, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: What would your team members say is your greatest strength?

Your inspirational leadership 9.73%
Your ability to develop their skills 9.73%
Your strategic vision and ability to innovate 12.98%
Your decisiveness 9.19%
Your caring, empathy and compassion 43.25%
Your ability to influence others 9.72%
Something else 5.40%

Caring counts. While many of these leadership traits had some decent representation, far and away was the importance of caring, empathy, and compassion. People want to work for people who care about them. They’re willing to forgive mistakes when it comes to decisions, strategy, and influence if they know you genuinely care about them. When was the last time you sat down with your team members and expressed genuine concern for them? How often do you take time to listen to them and empathize with the challenges they face? A caring leader is one they’re willing to confide in and work hard for. Make the investment in demonstrating you truly care about them.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

How effective is your manager at creating a meeting environment where everyone is comfortable participating?

March 16, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: How effective is your manager at creating a meeting environment where everyone is comfortable participating?

They’re great at it. They create space for everyone to participate comfortably 27.52%
They’re good at it. They create some space but tend to drive the discussion 24.84%
They’re OK at it. They drive most of the discussion and get some input 18.12%
They’re not good at it. They drive the discussion and don’t solicit much input 16.77%
They’re bad at it. They dominate the discussion and no one feels comfortable joining in 12.75%

Create the space. 48% of you report that your manager doesn’t do a great job of creating space for discussion. They just drive the conversation to get to their own chosen endpoint. That likely feels frustrating and unfulfilling for their team members. Now the real question – how would your team members answer this question about you? Seeing how easy it is for your managers to miss the mark on this one, it’s not a stretch to think that you might demonstrate some of the same behaviors. Be honest with yourself. Keep track of how much you talk during a meeting and how much others participate. Look at the balance of what you say. Do you make more statements or ask more questions? That’s a good indicator of how inviting your environment is. Get input from others. You hired them because they’re smart. They stay because they feel like they contribute and have an impact. Create that space for them to do so.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

In team meetings, how good are you at creating an environment where everyone is comfortable participating?

March 9, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: In team meetings, how good are you at creating an environment where everyone is comfortable participating?

I’m great at it. Everyone offers their thoughts and I just guide the discussion: 17.95%
I’m good at it. Most people offer thoughts and I drive some of the discussion: 58.98%
I’m OK at it. I drive a lot of the discussion and offer some time for input: 17.44%
I’m not good at it. I have to actively remind myself to create space and not dominate the discussion: 5.12%
I’m poor at it. I dominate the discussion and no one feels comfortable joining in: 0.51%

Know your role. Most of you self-report that you’re pretty good at creating an environment where people feel comfortable participating in your meetings. Recognize that you might feel this way but they might not. A key to running collaborative meetings is clearly defining your role in leading it. If you want to create that collaborative environment, designate yourself as a facilitator. Challenge yourself to only ask questions or hold yourself to asking at least one question before you offer your own thoughts or opinions on a topic. Try defining meeting success as the participants generating and owning the outcome rather than trying to steer participants toward what you believe the outcome should be. This means releasing your own agenda, setting aside your ideas, and being open to different ways of doing things. This will be uncomfortable for many of you but the benefits are a more engaged team that’s more committed to executing the outcome they defined.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

When you have to deliver a tough message, what best describes your approach?

March 2, 2023/1 Comment/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: When you have to deliver a tough message, what best describes your approach?

I deliver it directly and without apology or cushioning: 32.15%
I strike a balance between tough news and positive news: 62.15%
I soft-pedal the message and risk it not being received: 4.28%
I avoid delivering the message and hope they’ll figure it out on their own: 1.42%

Beware the “But” Sandwich. 62% of you report delivering tough news but trying to balance it with positive news. Another 6% soft-pedal the feedback message or don’t deliver it at all. That’s not fair to the person who needs to get the message. For the 6%, you’ve deprived them of an opportunity to improve. They are likely unaware of the issue (which is why it’s happening) and would probably like to rectify it if they know about it. For those who are balancing a tough message with a positive one, it probably sounds like “You’re great, but… here’s some tough news… but, here’s why you’re great.” The risk is they hear everything before the first but and everything after the second but and the part in the middle that’s the tough message gets minimized or missed. While this approach might make you feel better and make it easier to deliver the tough message, you’re risking them not getting the message and the behavior recurring. Step up. Deliver the tough message and instead of soft-pedaling, talk about how you’ll help them correct the behavior and improve their performance.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

How willing are you to change your decisions when presented information that could be counter to the original decision you made?

February 23, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: How willing are you to change your decisions when presented information that could be counter to the original decision you made?

Very willing: new information means new decisions even after I’ve made them: 59.24%
Somewhat willing: I have strong beliefs and it takes concrete new information to get me to change: 35.54%
Not very willing: I have a hard time changing direction even in the face of new information: 3.48%
Not at all willing: I want to see my decisions through and not be seen as being “wrong”: 1.74%

New information, new decision. Decision making flexibility can be challenging. We make a decision and share it with our teams. We own that decision. It’s hard to say “I was wrong” and change course when new information is presented because no one wants to be seen as “wrong,” especially in front of their team. Here’s a different way to think about it. Instead of saying “I was wrong” or “I made a bad decision,” say “I made the best decision I could with the information that was available at that time. Since then, I’ve received new information that requires me to make a different and better decision.” It’s possible to be right and be right again. This is a mindset you can adopt that will make it easier for the 40% of you who say you have some challenges changing your decisions.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

What kind of challenge do you find the most interesting or exciting?

February 16, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: What kind of challenge do you find the most interesting or exciting?

Taking something that’s been successful and building on that success 9.10%
Taking something that’s failing and turning it around 49.67%
Building something new that no one has ever built before 41.23%

Give me a challenge! 90% of respondents want to take on big challenges – either fixing something that’s broken or building something entirely new. Obviously these approaches carry significant risk with them, but the rewards and satisfaction that come with success are clearly attractive. Be sure to go into these situations fully aware that your chances of failure are high. You might not achieve the impact you want to have. Manage expectations with your stakeholders accordingly. There’s no upside to an aggressive forecast of success. You’ll simply be putting undue pressure upon yourself and set people up for disappointment if you don’t achieve your lofty expectations. These situations are ones where you’re best off underpromising and overdelivering.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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