He Was So Proud of What He Had Done (WT466)

He Was So Proud of What He Had Done (WT466)

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by Shirley Dalton | 31 May, 2019 | Blog, Leadership

WT 466 He was so proud of what he had done

This week we were late travelling to our intended destination so we ended up staying at a different location. Originally booking in for one night, we’ve ended up staying 5 nights. It’s so peaceful and beautiful.

We were talking to the caretaker/manager who shared that the owners of the caravan park call in each week to collect the money and how he wanted to show them some of the improvements he had initiated.

“Come down the back and see what I’ve done,” he suggested to the owner.

The owner looked at his watch and grimaced.

“No. I can’t. I have some other places to be, so I’ll have to get going.”

The caretaker shared with us, “I was so proud of what I had done and he didn’t even bother to have a look.”

After he left, Ross and I discussed the ramifications of such poor leadership.

When you have someone who is showing initiative and is proud of what they’ve done, take the time to be interested and have a look. They are looking for your approval and your praise and appreciation.

Not giving them the recognition is one of the quickest ways to lower engagement, productivity and work satisfaction.

I felt really sad for the caretaker and annoyed at the owner.

I wonder how long it will be before the park starts to look shabby and goes downhill because the manager has lost motivation.

Like training your pets, you reward the behaviours you want to see.

When someone is proud of what they have done, be sure to notice and acknowledge it.

What sort of leader are you? Do you notice and acknowledge and encourage?

Do You Want Me to Do Nothing and Just Look at the Sky? (WT461)

Do You Want Me to Do Nothing and Just Look at the Sky? (WT461)

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by Shirley Dalton | 26 Apr, 2019 | Blog, Leadership

WT 461 Do you want me to do nothing and just look at the sky

The past month has been really interesting for Ross and I as we navigate our way through transitioning to living together in the space of a motorhome.

Both of us are leaders and both want to be the boss. Of course there can only be one boss. Fortunately though we can be boss of different areas and so we have come to realise that just like when we were first living together 30 years ago, we have had to clarify our roles and responsibilities.

Similarly, we met another couple on the road who arrived in Australia from South Africa and within a few days were on the road with their caravan.

The wife explained that “he wanted to do everything” and finally, in exasperation she said, “Do you want me to do nothing and just look at the sky?”

She went on to say how she had had to learn how to do things because she hadn’t had to do them in South Africa.

Having clear roles and responsibilities makes life easier for everyone, not just at home. 

Think about your work situation as well.  How much better do you feel and how much better do you perform when you know exactly what you have to do and the standard to which it needs to be done.

If you’re a leader, it’s important that your team knows what they are responsible for.

If you’re a leader, it’s important that you know the limit of your boundaries.

So far for us, it has worked out that Ross takes care of connecting the water and electricity, etc. on the outside and I take care of the inside when we arrive and depart.

We’re still figuring out the rest and are comfortable in the knowledge that “The Team Development Wheel” requires that we go through the argy bargy quadrant of fighting before we get to performing. We are also thankful that on most occasions, I say most, we know how to fight fair.

How about you?

What Language Are You Speaking? (WT460)

What Language Are You Speaking? (WT460)

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by Shirley Dalton | 19 Apr, 2019 | Blog, Leadership

WT 460 What language are you speaking

A few months ago, I was introduced to a new profiling tool and I have to say I am extremely impressed with it.

It’s called the Reach Quotient and similar to D.I.S.C. and other profiling tools it measures our basic trait or personality, however it goes further than the others in that we can also measure the degree to which you are speaking another’s language, i.e. we can measure the size of your REACH. 

This is exceptional because it shows exactly where you are and the impact you have on the four styles as well as identifies areas for improvement.

The higher the “REACH”, the better the leader and communicator. The better the leader, the more respect the team has, the greater retention, higher productivity and sales.

You can do the quiz, which has been scientifically validated over the past 9 years with over 55,000 people or you can simply answer two questions to get a feel for where you sit.

Here are the questions:

  1. When it comes to day to day operations, where are you most emotionally engaged – people or tasks? 
  1. When it comes to setting and achieving goals, are you more methodical and a thinker, planning and preparing or do you go with your gut instinct or intuition and jump in and start doing. 

Interested to know what you are? 

If you’re more of a thinker and people focussed, you sit in the “Counsellor” quadrant. 

If you’re a thinker and task oriented, you sit in the “Advisor/Administrative” quadrant.  

If you prefer to jump in and take action and are focussed on people, you’re a “Coach”. 

If you are into action and tasks, you are a “Driver”. 

None is better than the other. In fact, in teams you want to have a representative from each quadrant to ensure you make good decisions and look after both people and the tasks. 

Each of the styles has a preference for how they communicate, delegate, focus, make decisions, learn, plan and handle conflict. In essence, each has its own language. 

What language are you speaking?

If your REACH score is high, you can easily connect with people in the other quadrants. You speak their language and show them you understand them. If it’s lower, you’ll most likely experience difficulty communicating with the other styles.

As an example, one of my clients is a very successful sales person. He has learned how to speak the different languages of the various styles and as such his REACH is very impressive. He is able to act like a chameleon, (in a good way) which helps him connect and help his clients solve their problems. 

Because this is new and I am keen to share it, I can offer you a very special opportunity to learn your language and understand your REACH. 

Normally $200 for the profile and REACH quotient, for a limited time, you and your colleagues, family, friends, workers can find out for just $55 (until 30 April 2019). 

To take advantage of the offer, click on the link https://la114.infusionsoft.com/app/manageCart/addProduct?productId=115 

and I will organise for you to take the profile, and you’ll be able to download your profile as soon as you complete the online questionnaire. 

What language are you speaking? Would you like to be fluent in all four?

Persevere – It Will Get Better (WT459)

Persevere – It Will Get Better (WT459)

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by Shirley Dalton | 12 Apr, 2019 | Blog, Leadership

WT 459 Persevere - It will get better

It’s been just over a month since Ross and I started our journey in Contessa, (our motorhome).

We’ve been happily married for nearly 30 years and yet one month in Contessa nearly brought it all undone.

Living in such close quarters has required HUGE adjustments on both our parts.

As an only child and an introvert (i.e. I regenerate through solitude), I have struggled to find some time and space for myself.

Without periods of solitude I tend to get narky and cranky and passive aggressive.

Of course Ross reacts rather than responds and the whole situation just disintegrates.

I was doing my best to explain the situation to a colleague and I imagine that what we are going through is what many first time parents go through; waiting so long for the birth then realising how much work it is and not necessarily as much fun as expected, and hoping it will get better. As parents the realisation occurs that “This is it”. There is no going back.

Thankfully Ross and I remind ourselves of our commitment. We promised each other at least 50 years of happy healthy married life together. This keeps us going when times are tough.

In our leadership experience this past week, participants also learned the value of perseverance. Playing a game, one team were on the brink of giving up and changing things around. They persevered and came good at the end. It was a very valuable lesson for all of us.

This week, as I share our challenges with you and make the commitment to make it work, believing strongly that “It will get better” and therefore it will, I encourage you to notice any situations or relationships where your commitment might be needed to make it work.

Even though you may be thinking of giving up, ask yourself if you can stick it out for a little longer and make the commitment (if appropriate) to make it work.

Perseverance is a great quality to cultivate and certainly one I am improving on a daily basis.

Remember, persevere and it will get better.

So Much to Learn (WT455)

So Much to Learn (WT455)

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by Shirley Dalton | 15 Mar, 2019 | Blog, Leadership

WT 455 So much to learn

Do you remember a time when you were first learning something new?

Do you recall how frustrated you felt when you didn’t know something? 

Do you remember feeling useless, incompetent and stupid when you made mistakes? 

Well that’s exactly how Ross and I have felt this past week, as we learned to how live in an RV. 

We left a hose fitting on a tap in a caravan park which meant we couldn’t hook up to water in the next one. 

The water tap blew off a few times sending water everywhere. 

We didn’t realise we had to turn our water pump off when we were hooked up to water and so used our 100 litres in a day and a half. 

So many lessons, so much to learn; like the difference between grey and black water and where it can and can’t be dumped. 

On so many occasions both Ross and I started to beat up on ourselves for not knowing stuff and then we remember The 4 Stages or Steps to Learning: 

  1. Unconsciously Incompetent – You don’t know what you don’t know 
  1. Consciously Incompetent – Now I know I don’t know 
  1. Consciously Competent – Practising and thinking about what I am doing 
  1. Unconsciously Competent – I don’t have to think about it; it’s now become a habit or I do it unconsciously. 

We moved very quickly from Stage 1 to Stage 2. We now know how much we don’t know. Fortunately there are many experienced people who are happy to teach and share what they know and we are keen students. 

It has been a great reminder to be patient when learning something new. 

We will master this. 

This part of the learning process and it’s an adventure and like any journey, it’s not reaching the destination, but the journey to get there that we remember and recount. 

How about you? 

Can you relate to this at work or personally, or perhaps you’re training your team and you are all feeling frustrated. 

It’s all part of the journey and the process. 

Persevere and you will surely get there. 

There is always so much to learn.

Give Them a Project (WT452)

Give Them a Project (WT452)

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by Shirley Dalton | 22 Feb, 2019 | Blog, Leadership

WT 452 Give them a project

Many workplaces use the word “team” to describe their employees or various divisions within their companies and yet what they really have is a group of individuals.

A team works together to achieve a common goal. Individuals within a group work towards achieving their own results.

This week in our leadership experience, the participants experienced what it is like to become a team.

At the end of each session, participants are given homework to do; some complete the homework and some do not. Those who don’t complete the homework cause the group to “fail”.

In the initial stages, participants are concerned with their own success until they understand that their contribution or lack thereof affects everyone.

The way to move a group of individuals to become a team is to give them a project.

Years ago, a psychology experiment was conducted in America where school buddies were separated and placed into different groups at a summer camp. The groups were then manipulated and influenced to the point where the original school buddies no longer liked each other. The camp leaders and psychologists could not let the children return home with a dislike for their friends so they came up with a project which required ALL of the groups to participate to solve the problem.

As the groups worked with each other to solve the problem and complete the project, the relationships began to mend and the entire group became a team.

In our leadership experience, one person stepped up and took the lead, which the others were happy to follow. (As a sidebar, they learned that their people are looking for leadership and are happy to be led.)

There was a flurry of emails, phone calls and text messages as group members worked together to pass the assignment.

If you’re finding that your “team” is really operating as a group of individuals, reflect on the instructions you are giving, as well as the tasks.  Are the tasks set up for individual performance or is there a common goal the “team” are working towards?

If you want your people to work as a team, give them a common project or goal to achieve.

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