Tag Archives: E Pluribus Partners

Posted on

To Connect, Affirm Your Colleagues

Good-Job-Cookie

#57 Affirm Your Colleagues

When you become aware of something a colleague did well, encourage him/her by saying so in person or sending a note or email. A handwritten note can be especially meaningful given the rarity of receiving such notes in the age of instant communication.

Remember that some people like being recognized publicly while others prefer private praise. Try to match your method of encouragement with your colleague’s preferred style whenever possible.

This is the fifty-seventh post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

Posted on

To Connect, Learn Team Strengths and Vulnerabilities

Wooden mannequins pushing puzzle pieces into the right place

#56 Know Your Team’s Strengths and Vulnerabilities

Have your direct reports take tests that identify their individual temperaments and strengths (e.g. Myers Briggs Personality Type, Gallup StrengthsFinder, VIA Inventory of Strengths, etc.).

In E Pluribus Partners/Connection Culture Group’s work with teams, we often have team members take several tests and share the results with their teammates. We assess the team to determine its collective strengths and vulnerabilities in light of the work they are responsible for completing. You should do the same.

For the greatest impact, hire an outside facilitator to lead this assessment.

This is the fifty-sixth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

Posted on

How to Keep Remote Employees Enthused, Energized and Engaged

Laptop screen showing remote team members on a video call

By Michael Lee Stallard and Colton Perry. As seen on SmartBlog on Leadership and Fox Business. 

A 49-year-old father of two hits his alarm clock at 6:30 a.m., starts a pot of coffee and prepares for his daily commute. For the past three years, Bill Lewis has worked for a large company based in the heart of New York City; even though his home in Texas is nearly 2,000 miles from the office, Bill’s daily commute only takes him a few steps. Along with a rapidly growing percent of America’s workforce, Bill Lewis is a telecommuter, a remote employee. He completes his daily assignments from his front porch, sends e-mails from a coffee shop down the street, and holds conference calls in his living room.

In the past 10 years, this type of work environment has become one of the fastest growing trends in the corporate world. According to the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey, it is estimated that telecommuting rose 79% between 2005 and 2012, and with the constant evolution of communication technology, this trend shows no signs of stopping. More and more companies are turning to remote employment as a means to lower costs and lock in skilled workers. It seems like a winning recipe, except for one large downside; technology can never fully replace the intangible benefits of human connection.

Posted on

Help Your Direct Reports Create Personal Development Plans

Coworkers who are friends at work talking

#55 Create Personal Development Plans

People are more engaged when they are striving and progressing toward goals.

Work with your direct reports to create personal development plans. Help them discover wise goals to advance their careers. Put disciplines in place to help them achieve these goals. Doing so will boost their effectiveness and their connection to you.

This is the fifty-fifth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

Posted on

Connect Through Team Activities

Volunteers at Soup Kitchen

#54 Take Time for Team Activities

Consider activities that you can do together as a team. Pixar Animation has Pixar University to help create connection among employees.  Each employee has the option to attend up to four hours of classes each week. The university offers more than 90 classes from filmmaking to drawing. The motto on Pixar University’s crest is a Latin phrase meaning “alone no longer.”

Zappos gives its managers a budget for team-building activities. Team activities done away from work help people to truly focus on one another rather than be distracted by being in the workplace. Doing something fun together helps people to like one another and leads to more cooperation.

Posted on

Is It Ever Wise to Swear at Work?

Swearing-at-Work_stockimages_freedigitalphotos-dot-net

By Michael Lee Stallard and Katie Russell

You discover a careless error your administrative assistant made in printing a proposal you need to present to a potential new client in a few hours. Should you swear to express your frustration?

How about when you are speaking to the people you lead who are clearly not giving their best efforts?

How about if you are a woman in a male-dominated culture and you want to fit in?  Would cursing be wise in that situation?

A recent Quartz.com article argues that in circumstances like these, swearing is ok. We disagree. Let’s look at the rationale presented. 

Posted on

How Leaders Can Guard Against Unethical Behavior

When leaders behave in ways that violate ethical norms and harm customers, it has a devastating effect on connection and employee engagement. A quick glance at business news headlines shows the extent to which unethical behavior has become a problem today. Many of these unethical practices seem to defy common sense, such as the restaurant owner in China who made headlines for lacing food with opium in an effort to get customers to return.

The best leaders, whom we at E Pluribus describe as servant leaders, maintain a mindset that they serve employees who in turn serve customers.  This mindset inspires them to excellent performance and helps protect them from drifting towards unethical behavior.

If leaders don’t maintain this mindset, they are likely to start serving themselves, which makes them vulnerable to drifting into unethical territory to beat competitors and maximize personal wealth, power and status. Ironically, this mindset only diminishes personal wealth, power and status because unethical behavior sabotages sustainable superior performance once a business’ reputation is tarnished.

How do you protect yourself from the temptation of unethical behavior? Leave a comment to let me know your thoughts.

Posted on

Establish a Team Vision Through Continuous Improvement Meetings

Two employees brainstorming ideas

#52 Hold “Continuous Improvement” Meetings

Periodically pull your team together for a session to identify innovative ways to improve.  The meeting could be focused on ways to increase revenue, reduce costs, improve quality and/or improve efficiency.  List the ideas, prioritize them, select a manageable set to focus on, assign responsibilities and track their completion.  Make this information available to the entire group.  Holding these meetings 3-4 times a year gets people thinking proactively about how to improve and gives them an opportunity to make a difference.

This is the fifty-second post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

Posted on

Connect Others Through “Flash Mentoring”

Employee connection with leader

 

#51 Employ “Flash Mentoring”

One way to match mentors and mentees is to ask them to commit to meet just once to see if both parties “click” (or “connect,” if you will) and if the mentor believes he/she has the knowledge/expertise and sufficient time available to meet the mentee’s needs and expectations. If both parties agree to continue, they should agree to a set number of additional meetings rather than leave the term open-ended. Unless both mentor and mentee agree to a set number of additional meetings, there is no commitment to meet again. “Flash mentoring” was a term coined by K. Scott Derrick in his work with 13L, a group of federal employees who share a passion for leadership excellence.

This is the fifty-first post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

Posted on

How to Save “The Shack”

radioshack2

RadioShack is on the ropes. What can be done to save it?

Over my career I’ve seen this scenario several times.  Xerox comes to mind.  In 2000, when Anne Mulcahy became Xerox’s CEO, the company was nearly bankrupt.  Her leadership helped save it.  In 2012, I spoke with Ms. Mulcahy in a series of interviews about how she led Xerox’s turnaround.  She described three behaviors that were similar to how A.G. Lafley led the turnaround of Procter and Gamble, how Howard Schultz and Howard Behar led the turnaround of Starbucks and, more recently, how Alan Mulally led the turnaround of Ford.

Our firm’s research over the past decade found these three behaviors in leaders who achieved long-term superior performance. The behaviors brought about an extraordinary degree of connection, community and unity so that people pull together rather than retreat to protect self-interest. Stated another way, these leadership behaviors create a team that pulls together and protects the culture from spiraling down into a dog-eat-dog environment.