Poll – Page 45 – thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

How well do you know your team members as individuals?

May 14, 2015/0 Comments/in Communications, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How well do you know your team members as individuals?

– Very well — I know a great deal about them: 42.9%
– Well — I know a few things about them: 47.58%
– Not well — I don’t know very much about them: 8.01%
– Not at all — I know pretty much nothing about them: 1.5%

The more you know. It’s a simple premise – the better you know your people, the better you’re able to lead them. While it’s great to know superficial things about them, knowing and understanding their motivations, feelings, aspirations, and histories can go a long way. At the heart of knowing them better is listening with both ears and letting go of your agenda. If you’re only hearing but not listening, you’re likely to miss a great opportunity to lead them more effectively.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

How much control do you have over the work you do?

May 7, 2015/0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our poll today asks: How much control do you have over the work you do?

– Total — I decide everything I do or don’t do: 6.61%
– Significant — I control most of what I work on : 65.23%
– Some — Most of my work is dictated to me: 22.99%
– None — I have no control over the work I do: 5.17%

Control is a matter of perspective. While most respondents feel they control most of what they work on, there’s still a substantial number of you who feel your work is dictated to you. And for those who feel they control most of what you work on, that still means there’s work you feel you don’t control. But control is a matter of perspective. With a simple, small shift in your thinking you can go from being a victim of your work who is out of control to being in complete control over all of it. You just have to look at your work as a choice rather than as an obligation. Try changing your view to that perspective and see what happens.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

How frequently do you worry about getting fired?

April 30, 2015/1 Comment/in Career, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How frequently do you worry about getting fired ?

– Never — I’m irreplaceable: 20.49%
– Sometimes — when projects go wrong or bad things happen: 55.74%
– Often — I am frequently on edge: 17.49%
– All the time — I live in perpetual fear of getting fired: 6.28%

Fear of Firings. Clearly the vast majority of you are in fear of losing your jobs on a regular basis which is disappointing. You should never have to question where you stand with respect to job security (this means also knowing if you are in danger of losing it). If you are wondering if you’re at risk, there are some pretty easy ways to know if you’re about to be fired. One implication for you leaders – I’ll bet your team members feel the same way as these poll results reflect. When people are worried, they’re distracted and morale/performance suffers. If you can give them a little security with some simple conversations, you would be well advised to do so.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

Do your team members bring you problems or solutions?

April 23, 2015/1 Comment/in Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: Are your team members more likely to bring you problems or bring you solutions?

– All they do is come to me with problems: 11.03%
– They mostly bring problems with an occasional solution: 66.91%
– They bring more solutions than problems: 20.07%
– They always bring me solutions: 1.99%

Teach them to be problem solvers. If your team members only bring you problems and rarely offer solutions, you may be the problem. You’re an enabler if the behavior continues. A big part of your role is teaching your team how to solve problems on their own. If you build their capabilities to do so, you’ll free up your time and energy to focus only on the most pressing problems and you’ll be improving the skills of the organization at the same time. Stop solving their problems for them and instead offer guidance on how they can become more self-sufficient.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

Do your team members focus on the positive or the negative?

April 16, 2015/1 Comment/in Balanced Lifestyle, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: Do your team members focus more on what worries or what excites them about their work?

– They constantly focus on their worries: 67.56%
– They spend their time focused on what they’re excited about: 23.06%
– I have no idea what they focus on: 9.38%

Too much negativity. While our worries and troubles seem to be our daily chores, as leaders we need to get our teams focused in the right direction. Help them see what’s good about their work. Create new opportunities for them that they’ll find interesting and exciting. Help them see how they have a positive effect on the bottom line. Spending too much time on the negative and not on the positive can have terrible results. And if you’re in the group of folks who are clueless, stop reading email newsletters and go talk to your people. It’s what you get paid to do.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

How do you view HR’s role as an employee advocate?

April 9, 2015/0 Comments/in Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our poll today asks: How do you view HR’s role as an employee advocate?

– They’re not strong enough advocates for our employees: 65.32%
– They’re good at balancing employee needs versus business needs: 25.9%
– They advocate for employees at the expense of the business: 8.78%

Employees need a champion. A leader is an employee’s first line of advocacy. Sometimes leadership fails and employees need additional resources and assistance. The vast majority of you don’t see HR advocating strongly enough for your associates. If you’re not happy with the level of support your HR business partners provide, have an explicit conversation with them around service level expectations, boundaries, and your view of their responsibilities. HR just might be treading lightly because they’re not wanting to overstep their bounds and upset leaders of the troops.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

How do you feel about your current level of responsibilities?

April 2, 2015/0 Comments/in Career, Poll, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How do you feel about your current level of responsibilities?

– I don’t have enough — they need to give me more: 32.27%
– I’m comfortable with my current responsibilities: 40.6%
– I have too much on my plate, and they need to lighten my load: 27.13%

Overworked or Underworked. It seems to be an even split between those of you who feel overworked versus those who feel underworked. The critical piece of either side of that equation is communicating with your manager. If you want additional responsibilities, make a clear case for what you’d like to take on and why it makes sense for you to own it. But beware – when you take on those additional projects, you might find yourself in the overworked camp. If you’re overworked, first prioritize your own projects and eliminate time sinks and low value projects. If that doesn’t lighten your load enough, speak with your manager about additional resources or reprioritizing what’s on your plate.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

How financially educated are the members of your team?

March 26, 2015/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our poll today asks: How financially educated are the members of your team?

– They understand our business’ economics very well: 15.67%
– They generally understand our business’ economics: 52.61%
– They’re somewhat unclear on our business’ economics: 19.4%
– They’re clueless about our business’ economics: 12.31%

Show them how they matter. It’s hard to be engaged and fulfilled if you don’t understand how your work has an impact on the broader organization. Helping your people understand the basic economics of your business is the first step in helping them see the impact their work has. Once they understand your economics, then they’re better able to align their activities with driving the financial results that are important to you. Invest the time in educating them on the dollars and cents – the return on that education can be tremendous.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

How well do you take care of your physical well-being?

March 19, 2015/0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How well do you take care of your own physical well-being?

– Very well — I’m a picture of fitness and healthy living: 9.15%
– Well — I invest time and energy in it but could do more: 51.3%
– Not well — my habits aren’t nearly what they should be: 31.52%
– Poorly — I do a miserable job of caring for my well-being: 8.03%

You can’t lead if you’re dead. Would you ever run your business without knowing your key metrics? Or without maintaining your equipment? Of course not. And I’m sure you invest ample time and energy into those activities and ensure appropriate time is carved out for them. You need to treat your body as well as you treat your business. You can take some pretty easy steps every day to do just that – carving out time, knowing your metrics, etc. If you’re not taking care of yourself, you’re not taking care of your team.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

How aware are you of negative perceptions of your actions?

March 12, 2015/0 Comments/in Career, Communications, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How aware are you of the negative perceptions others might have of your actions?

– Very aware — I always know how my actions can be seen negatively: 29.66%
– Aware — I know the perceptions of major actions but miss seeing others: 56.51%
– Not very aware — I know about negative perceptions after they’re pointed out: 11.62%
– Oblivious — I rarely see the negative perceptions others can have of my actions: 2.2%

Look through a new lens. Perceptions are tricky. We think we know how others see us but the lens we look through is often rose colored. If you want to mitigate negative perceptions, you first have to see what they might be. The fastest way to do that is simply ask “what’s the worst way my words or actions could be perceived right now?” Once you know that worst case, you can better see how others might see you and take appropriate steps to ensure you’re seen in the light you want to be seen in. And if you’re really interested in changing perceptions about yourself, you have to invest the time and energy in changing the way you’re seen.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox! Read more

Are you better at leading or managing?

March 5, 2015/1 Comment/in Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: Are you better at being a leader or being a manager?

– I’m better at being a leader: 44.68%
– I’m better at being a manager: 21.26%
– I lead and manage equally well: 27.74%
– I don’t see a difference between leadership and management: 6.31%

Leading or Managing. As Admiral Grace Murray Hopper said “You manage things and you lead people.” The clear majority of respondents have a bias toward the people side of things. If you are in this group, just ensure there’s someone on your team who has an eye on the management pieces too. It’s very easy to ignore the inanimate and focus on the human interactions. Lean too far in that direction though and you put your organization at risk. If you lean too far in either direction, there are risks involved. Be sure you understand and mitigate them as much as possible.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

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How often do you delay big decisions out of fear?

February 26, 2015/0 Comments/in Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How often do you delay big decisions out of fear of being wrong?

– Never — I always make decisions promptly: 28.72%
– Sometimes — I’m occasionally afraid to make the call: 62.05%
– Often — big decisions are hard for me to make: 7.86%
– Always — I get stuck between fear and making the call: 1.37%

Overcoming your fears. Fear and decision making go hand in hand. We could be wrong. We could look silly. We could get fired. That said, the mantle of leadership requires us to take those chances. You can get over these fears pretty easily. Simply adopt an approach of understanding the true risks and know where your uncertainty resides. Once you’ve done that, the big decision will seem much smaller. A final point that can help you overcome these fears is that most decisions can be undone. Sure, it requires swallowing your pride but wouldn’t you prefer to make the right call rather than continue being wrong?

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

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