Poll – Page 49 – thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

How much time do you dedicate to innovation and new ideas?

June 12, 2014/0 Comments/in Innovation, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How much time per month do you dedicate to innovation and generating new ideas?

– A significant amount (3-5 days/month): 20%
– A moderate amount (1-2 days/month): 20%
– A small amount (2-4 hours/month): 36%
– Almost none: 24%

Some of you are spending substantial time on innovation. Whether that’s new products, processes, services or operational efficiencies, your task is to ensure you don’t end up with a bloated idea pipeline with little prioritization or execution. Be rigorous in chasing the biggest ideas and focusing on those to the exclusion of the others. For those of you not dedicating enough time to innovation, you can’t compete forever that way. It’s not much to carve out 5-10% of your time every month to look at your organization through new lenses and come up with ideas for improvement. Get your heads out of the status reports, dashboards and daily operations and spend a little time thinking about the future — your competitors are.

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

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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What matters more – performance or attitude?

June 5, 2014/5 Comments/in Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: Whom would you rather lead as a member of your team?

– High performer with an attitude problem: 44%
– Mediocre performer with an average attitude: 23%
– Low performer with a great attitude: 33%

Performance over attitude. It seems many of you are satisfied to deal with attitude problems as long as the work gets done. It’s easy to rationalize, “He has a bad attitude, but he does such great work that I can’t do without him.” I encourage you to think more broadly of the impact a bad attitude has on your team. Your team members who might not be high performers see the high performers get away with having an attitude problem. It damages morale, and that attitude might even rub off on average or low performers. Address the attitude issue head-on. Explain to high performers that their attitude is hurting the team and its performance. If they’re true high performers, they’ll want to achieve in all areas, including having a positive attitude.

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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Will you drop everything at work to attend to family matters?

May 29, 2014/1 Comment/in Balanced Lifestyle, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How likely are you to drop everything at work to attend to family matters?

– Sometimes I choose work, and others I’ll choose family: 51%
– I’ll choose family at the drop of a hat: 38%
– Work is a top priority, and it has to be a true crisis to pull me away: 11%

Most of you place work first or at least require it to be a dire situation before dropping work to attend to family. This one is a tough one because not attending to work can ultimately affect your family as well — if you don’t have a job, it’s tough to take care of the family. This is a constant source of angst and tension. The best advice I can give is to be transparent and honest with all parties involved. If you need to attend to family, be clear with your boss and other work stakeholders about the reason you’re unavailable, how long you’ll be out and who will handle your work in the interim. When you choose work, let your family know what you’re working on, the reason it’s important and how you thought through the decision. Hopefully, transparency can reduce some of the friction inherent in these difficult choices.

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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Which of the following excites you the most about being a leader?

May 22, 2014/1 Comment/in Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: Which of the following excites you the most about being a leader?

– Having an ability to positively influence and grow our business: 40%
– Developing the next generation of leaders: 29%
– Learning and growing personally and professionally: 23%
– Getting to call the shots and make decisions: 4%
– Greater compensation: 4%

It’s all about growth. Whether you’re interested in expanding the business, developing your people, or improving yourself, leadership is the place to do it. Sure, there are a few folks who are in it to be the boss, call the shots and make some cash but the tremendous majority of you want to make things bigger and better than when you found them. I challenge you to find growth opportunities in all three of these arenas.

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 predictable is your boss’ leadership style?

May 15, 2014/1 Comment/in Communications, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How predictable is your boss’s leadership style?

– I always know what to expect from my boss and how he or she leads: 22%
– He or she is predictable most of the time but occasionally surprises me: 53%
– My boss is mostly unpredictable, and I have to react to shifting styles: 16%
– My boss is completely unpredictable, and their style is not clear: 9%

There’s a lot of uncertainty about how our bosses act. Only about a quarter of you can count on your boss to be totally predictable. Many of you are surprised, with varying frequency, with a quarter of you declaring your boss is mostly or completely unpredictable. Those lines of communication and consistency need to improve. The next time your boss surprises you, take it upon yourself to ask him or her the rationale behind the decision. The more views you can get into your boss’ thought process, the more predictable he or she will become for you. You might also consider sitting down with your boss and asking for expectations and how he or she likes to work. That kind of clarification will help you better understand what to expect from your boss.

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 predictable is your leadership style?

May 8, 2014/1 Comment/in Communications, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How predictable is your leadership style?

– My team always knows what to expect from me and how I lead: 29%
– Most of the time I’m predictable, but I occasionally surprise people: 68%
– I’m mostly unpredictable, and my team reacts to my shifts in style: 1%
– I’m completely unpredictable, and my style is not clear to most others: 2%

People don’t like surprises at work. Being predictable in how you lead enables your team to focus on their work rather than wondering how you’ll react to things they do. A consistent and predictable leadership style helps your team make decisions in your absence. It also builds trust between you and your team members. If they know what they’re going to get in any given interaction, they’re more likely to trust you than if you surprise them with an unexpected reaction (even if that surprise happens only occasionally). Spend some time defining your leadership style and explaining it to your team. It’s a good place to start building trust.

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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Where do you most frequently turn for leadership inspiration?

May 1, 2014/0 Comments/in Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: Where do you most frequently turn for leadership inspiration?

– Books about leadership: 38%
– Business leaders/executives from other companies: 27%
– Leaders in my organization: 19%
– Public figures (sports, politics, academia): 8%
– My team: 8%

More than two-thirds of you are looking outside your company for leadership inspiration. Authors or prominent executives can help you find inspiration and teach leadership techniques. You must realize your team might look outside for inspiration as well. Think about what you can do as its leader to serve as inspiration within your organization.

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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Does your organization have a formal mission statement?

April 24, 2014/0 Comments/in Communications, Poll, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: Does your organization have a formal mission statement?

– Yes, and I’m proud of it: 56%
– Yes, but it’s pretty blah: 29%
– No, but I wish we did: 8%
– No, and I don’t really want one: 6%

Mission matters: People want to be part of something bigger than themselves. Clearly, many of you are — or if you don’t have a mission statement, you wish you did. For those of you belonging to blah organizations, try leading a mission statement shake-up. Find other like-minded folks who want to revitalize the organization’s mission and set about to taking a crack at defining one that’s less blah. Things won’t change unless someone takes on the mantle of leadership. Why shouldn’t that someone be you?

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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What is your organization’s approach to metrics?

April 17, 2014/1 Comment/in Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: What is your organization’s approach to metrics?

– We measure everything and anything, but we lack focus: 28%
– We measure a handful of key metrics to achieve some degree of focus: 48%
– We measure one or two key metrics rigorously and in a focused way: 10%
– We don’t measure anything rigorously — it’s all ad hoc or not measured: 14%

The old adage “you can’t manage what you can’t measure” cuts both ways. It seems 60% of you have a good balance between rigorous management and focus. You’re achieving this by measuring the most important metrics and not worrying about the rest. For those who don’t measure at all, pick two to four key metrics and track them consistently. You might learn something from the results. For those of you in analysis paralysis, take a long, hard look at that plethora of metrics and ask yourself which ones really matter. Keep measuring those and ditch the rest. Spend your new-found free time managing the business instead of measuring it.

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 rigid is your organization’s decision-making hierarchy?

April 10, 2014/2 Comments/in Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How rigid is your organization’s decision-making hierarchy?

– Most power is consolidated at the top but some occurs at lower levels: 44%
– Power is distributed evenly according to capability and responsibility: 30%
– We have true command-and-control — all decisions come from the top: 24%
– Our hierarchy is very flat and decision-making power is broadly distributed: 3%

Consolidating decision-making power at the top cuts both ways. It can reduce risk for your organization by vesting that power with more senior and experienced people. It can also frustrate junior members of the team and slow down your decision-making process because everyone has to wait for a few people to make decisions. To achieve a better balance, evaluate decisions based on their size and risk. Push that decision-making authority as low in the organization as you can without increasing risk too much. You’ll be nimbler with less frustration and not as much risk as you might initially think.

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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What is your organization’s appetite for risk-taking?

April 3, 2014/0 Comments/in Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: What is your organization’s appetite for risk-taking?

– We allow some controlled risk-taking but make few big bets: 52.31%
– We restrict risk-taking to infrequent or low-risk situations: 23.66%
– We encourage people to take large risks if rewards are appropriate: 12.38%
– We are completely risk-averse: 11.65%

Slow, but steady: It seems there’s a mindset of slow and steady wins the race (or at least guarantees you’ll finish it). Very few folks are making big bets and taking large risks. Perhaps, in an environment of increased regulatory scrutiny and in a shaky economic environment, the appetite for risk is much lower. That said, there seems to be a reasonable amount of controlled risk-taking. Risk truly boils down to uncertainty. The less certainty you have of the outcome, the higher the risk. Do everything you can to reduce uncertainty — test, research, break big decisions into smaller ones, etc. — and hopefully, you can take more risks without taking bigger risks. In the end, those who take the biggest risks will be the game-changers and the flame-outs. Living between those extremes, you likely won’t set the world on fire, but you won’t burst into flames either.

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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Are you concerned your top talent will look for better jobs?

March 27, 2014/1 Comment/in Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: As the economy shows signs of improvement, how concerned are you that your top talent will look for new and better jobs?

– Very concerned, 36.01%
– Somewhat concerned, 39.79%
– Not concerned, 24.20%

Hindsight is 20/20: Sure, economically, things have been tough for a while. Many firms hunkered down and chose not to invest in people during the cycle (training, raises, promotions, bonuses, etc.). Now it’s time to pay up. If you signaled to your teams that you didn’t value them during tough times, they’re much more likely to seek greener pastures when things improve. For now, identify those top performers, demonstrate they mean a lot to the company, and do what you can (training, raises or giving them more important responsibilities) to let them know they have a bright future with your organization. Hopefully you’ll be able to mitigate some of the flight risk you face.

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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