You’ve Got the Power!

Choices

If you’ve been reading my newsletters for any amount of time, you may notice a recurring theme. I have written about several different topics. Something that comes up in a lot of them is the importance of choosing your mindset. In order to make positive changes in just about any aspect of your life, your business, or your career; it starts with the right mindset. Here are some examples: 

  • Building a Positive Culture = first you must decide that this is important to your business, READ MORE
  • Staff Leadership = this requires a leader who thinks about and genuinely cares about their staff, READ THIS or THIS
  • Effective Communication = starts with making it a priority for everyone in your company, READ
  • Problem Solving, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Self-Care, the list goes on and on!! 

Today I want to talk about the power you have to create a mindset that will take you where you want to go. 

So often in life things get busy and we just move along from one day to the next, handling all the things. It’s so easy to do! An article from Forbes on Brand Success states that we are exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 ad messages every day. In addition, experts estimate that we have between 35 and 55 thoughts per minute. So every second or two we have a new thought rushing through our mind. Think about that for a second! 

With all these messages coming at us and all these thoughts we’re experiencing, it’s hard to be focused and intentional. It’s much easier to go with the flow and simply react to what is happening around us.

Intentionality

Intentionality is defined as the act of being deliberate or purposeful. A good way to understand intentionality is to consider what the opposite looks like. Perhaps you have experienced a leader, coach or teacher who goes about their role in a way that seems almost accidental or unconscious.

  • The leader runs the department or business, but they don’t think much about how they do it or why. They just think about the bottom line or the outcomes. 
  • The coach leads the practices, but doesn’t make adjustments based on the strengths of the individuals or the characteristics of the team. 
  • A teacher might be teaching the same curriculum they have taught for 20-years, not considering the need to change as society evolves or as the needs of their students change. 

The unintentional leader (or coach or teacher) leads from a point of status. Things are done a certain way because they are the boss, and so apparently they know best. In my observations, this is an example of ego getting in the way. Decisions are being made based on the leader’s ego rather than what’s best for the organization, the business, or the people involved. 

The intentional leader has a markedly different mindset. They make decisions based on what is best for the company or organization, even if it’s not necessarily what is immediately best for them personally. When making decisions the intentional leader considers the impact that it will have on the clients and staff. Additionally, this leader is keenly aware of what is going on in the community, the country or the world, and how those factors impact their decisions and the perception of those decisions. 

Selflessness

As stated above, an intentional leader considers how their actions affect others. But really, it’s more than that. It’s making the decision to be considerate of others; that the leader isn’t better or superior just because of their position. This comes from a leader’s mindset. 

A selfless leader sees everyone on their team as having the ability to contribute to the success of the business. They seek input from those at all levels of the organization. They see the power in the team as whole, rather than the power created by their leadership. 

Selfless leaders realize that by helping staff succeed they are supporting the company, and in turn probably reaching their own goals. To help staff succeed the selfless leader:

  • Supports each individual in the way they need to be supported. 
  • Creates an environment where staff enjoy their jobs and respect the company.
  • Learns about the goals of their team members and helps support achieving them.

Mindfulness

Intentionality and Selflessness are two key components to being a great leader. The question is, if those are not things that come naturally, how do you get to that point? That’s where mindfulness comes in. 

Here is a definition of mindfulness that I like. It comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn: “The awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding experience moment-by-moment.” This is a great definition when it’s all together, but it’s also interesting to look at it in chunks. Breaking it down helps us understand the value of mindfulness for leaders.

  • awareness emerges – The leader doesn’t have all the answers. (No one does.) 
  • through paying attention on purpose – By taking the time to thoughtfully observe, we learn.
  • in the present moment – The leader is fully engaged in the current situation, not what’s coming next or whatever happened before. 
  • non-judgmentally – There are no preconceived notions clouding our thoughts, we take things at face value.

With all of the messages and thoughts we have going through our brains all day, it’s not easy to remain aware, present and non-judgmental. We have to work at it. Just like you practice cooking or yoga or Portuguese, mindfulness takes practice. 

The good news is that you can practice anytime and anywhere. Here are 5 super simple activities for practicing mindfulness. 

  • 4-7-8 breathing: Breathe in for a count of 4. Hold for a count of 7. Exhale for a count of 8. Repeat 5 times. 
  • Mantra Meditation: Find a quiet place. Choose a word or phrase you would like to focus on (such as “peace” or “I am present”). Close your eyes. Take deep breaths and repeat your word or phrase (out loud or in your mind) with each breath. If your mind wanders, notice it and draw your thoughts back to your word or phrase. Practice for a minute or two.
  • Mindful Eating: While eating, pay particular attention to all of your senses. How does the food look? How does it smell? How does your body/mouth react to the smell? How does it feel when you put it in your mouth? How does it change as you chew it? Chew twice as long as you normally would. How does that experience feel? Practice this for the first few bites of your meal or snack. 
  • Nature Walk: You don’t have to be in the woods to observe nature all around you. Even in a city there is weather and wind, clouds, birds, bugs, smells and more. Take a few minutes each day to observe nature. This can happen while you walk from your car into your office building or by taking a fresh air break. Simply take the time to notice the natural world. 
  • Body Scan: Start at your toes. Wiggle them. Spread them wide. Flex and release. Move to your whole foot. Do the same. Work your way up your body. Moving, rotating, flexing and releasing each body part or muscle group. Finish with a few deep breaths. This can be done at your desk or anywhere.

Practicing mindfulness helps train our brain to stay present when we might otherwise want to be reactionary. It allows us to be intentional in our thoughts. Through mindfulness we decide how we feel about things and how we react. 

The kind of leader you are should be a conscious decision, not something left to happenstance. What kind of leader do you want to be? 

Want to explore mindful leadership? Email me at kim@athena-coco.com to schedule a free 30-minute discovery call to find out how you can Calm the Chaos by choosing your mindset! 

Kim is a mom, wife, lover of being active and the outdoors,
and helper of nonprofits, small businesses and leaders.
kim@athena-coco.com

Starting a Workplace Wellness Program

National Employee Wellness Month

June is National Employee Wellness Month. Why should you care? Workplace Wellness improves on-the-job time utilization, decision making and productivity. It improves employee morale. Reduces turnover. Improves disease management and prevention, and creates a healthier workforce in general, both of which contribute to lower health care costs.

So, in other words – supporting the well-being of your employees is not just a nice thing to do. It’s great for business in so many ways! Imagine the difference in the service provided between a staff who feels good, versus one that is struggling with their health.

Usually employers think first or only of physical activity when they consider an employee wellness initiative. Sometimes they throw in nutrition too. I’ve seen Employee Wellness Day celebrated by having a walk and replacing the usual cookies in the break room with fruit cups. While these are nice gestures, they do nothing to support behavior change or impact the health of their employees. 

There are 8 dimensions that make up our well-being. They include:

  • Physical
  • Emotional
  • Financial
  • Social 
  • Occupational
  • Purpose
  • Intellectual
  • Environmental

This, combined with the fact that a one day event cannot effect change, is why I’m happy that National Employee Wellness has shifted from one day to a whole month. Companies who care about their employees take it to the next level by giving workplace wellness attention throughout the whole year. 

Creating a Workplace Wellness Program 

With eight dimensions to choose from, there are literally thousands of things you can do to support the well-being of your team members. Most people want to jump to the fun part – the programming. Providing meaningful programming that meets the needs of your staff is obviously super important. However, in order to be successful it’s smart to take these steps first:

  1. Make it a Priority. Before anything else happens, the leader or leaders need to decide that employee wellness is important. This isn’t just a matter of “getting buy-in”. It’s really caring about the well-being of your entire team. If it connects in some way to your company values, even better! Without this foundation, any program implemented will become a flavor-of-the-month and will go away as soon as the next trend pops up. 
  2. Establish a United Front. If one or two leaders are the passion behind this initiative, then the next step is to get the entire leadership team on board. There are tons of statistics out there on why employee wellness makes great business sense. In addition, done well, this is one of the best ways to show your employees that you genuinely care about them as human beings. So whether you appeal to their business sense or their compassion, make the case and move forward as a united front. 
  3. Talk Before Action. Once you’ve made the decision to create a workplace wellness initiative, start talking about it with your teams. Don’t come out of the gate with a big launch before you have engaged your people. Talk about your ideas and gather input. Consider forming an input team to learn about the challenges staff are facing and the kinds of programs they would like to see. This can be a great way to engage employees who are looking for a challenge and want to be more involved. 
  4. Try different stuff. See what works. Doing some pilots to find out what kind of a response you would get might make sense for your company. Experiment with different formats, times, delivery methods, and levels of engagement. Continue to gather input to determine where to start with programming. 

After you have built a solid foundation, you can begin thinking about the fun stuff – programming and launch events. As stated above, there are thousands of things you can do to promote wellness at work. A simple google search will give you more ideas than you know what to do with. Below I have listed some of the categories that programming can fall into. You may want to go down one path to start out with, or choose to implement ideas from several categories. 

Programming Categories:

  • Policies and Practices – As you get started, a review of your policies is a good place to begin. You may find that you have policies in place that make unhealthy choices the easy option. Some simple changes can have a big impact. Think about some of your commonly accepted practices. Are there opportunities to shake things up? Consider changing short meetings to “walk & talk” meetings. Or changing doughnut Friday to a once a month event rather than a weekly one.
  • Awareness/Education – This can be anything from posters showing the benefits of taking the stairs to classes on financial management. Most doctors, chiropractors, eye doctors, and other clinicians love to educate. If you give them a platform, they will come out and speak. Often they will provide snacks, lunch or prizes. 
  • Classes – These can be on-going or single events. Draw from the talents and passions of your people. Have someone who teaches yoga? See if he would do 20-minute mini-classes for the staff. Know of someone who loves vision boards? Find out if she wants to lead a session for employees. 
  • Challenges – Everyone loves a challenge. These are usually on the honor system, but you can get as complex as you would like. Challenges can be around whatever you (and your employees) see as important. Tracking steps, glasses of water, gratitude, saving, and book reading are just a few ideas. 
  • Incentives – Providing a prize can be a good way to build excitement. Drawings for wearable trackers or gym membership can tie back to your overall program goals. Cash incentives are obviously very motivating, as are reductions in health insurance premiums for those meeting certain goals. 

Last, but not least, you may want to plan a launch. One day events can be good for kicking off an initiative, making your commitment clear, and rallying support and excitement. You just need to be sure that the event is not your whole program.

Again, there are tons of ideas on how best to launch your initiative. The best option for your company is one that will be relevant to your people and get them excited about the investment you are committing to. Ensure that the focus is on helping people make positive and healthy changes that will produce long lasting results. 

Don’t despair if you didn’t start an employee wellness initiative at the beginning of June! Your staff won’t care that you missed the first week or two (or the whole month all together). What they will care about is your commitment to supporting them on their healthy living journey. 

Need help putting the pieces in place to support the well-being of your staff. Email me at kim@athena-coco.com to schedule a free 30-minute discovery call to discuss how I can help you create a culture that will grow your business and increase your impact! 

Workplace Wellness

Kim is a mom, wife, lover of being active and the outdoors,
and helper of nonprofits and small businesses.
kim@athena-coco.com 

Wanna Grow Your Business? Grow Your Staff

Staff Success

Unless your business is completely run by robots or other automatons, you likely rely heavily on staff. Employees are probably the ones creating your product, communicating with your customers, delivering your services, and managing your processes. Your staff are your direct connection between you and your customers. They are responsible for executing your vision for how your business serves your customers or your community. 

In many businesses staff salaries are by far the largest line item in the budget. Yet, oftentimes things like equipment, inventory, and facilities end up getting much more attention and financial resources than the staff. Think of the time, energy and money that goes into maintaining a company vehicle. This important resource likely receives regular oil changes, preventative maintenance, and routine TLC cleaning. Imagine if the same amount of planning, time, energy and financial investment went into our people! 

When a company hits a wall in terms of growth, or a nonprofit organization becomes stagnant in the impact they are providing, it almost always comes down to culture. A stagnant business can be traced back to a dysfunctional, negative, toxic culture. Changes to other facets of the business may deliver short-term improvements. However, in order to make real progress for lasting growth and impact, the culture must be fixed. 

Healthy cultures boil down to two things: 

    1. How a company treats their people 
    2. A commitment to clear and honest communication

A business that masters these two components is well on their way to success. Obviously, attention needs to be given to financial management, quality processes, strategic planning and more. But without a healthy culture, those other things will only take you so far. 

Benefits of Nurturing Your Staff

There are hundreds of benefits a company can reap from lifting-up, valuing and honoring their employees. This article will not list hundreds of benefits. Rather, it will focus on a few key benefits that will help your business grow or your agency impact to expand. 

  • Staff who feel valued become loyal team members. Nothing beats a loyal staff member! Loyal employees do more for the PR and brand of your company than any marketing campaign ever will. When someone loves their job, they tell everyone. They attract customers, potential employees, and prospective donors for nonprofit organizations. That kind of messaging is genuine and captivating. Thus appealing to people who otherwise may have never given your business a second thought. 
  • Another benefit of loyal team members is that they work harder, are solution oriented, and care about the quality of work they do for you. These folk have a vested interest in the success of the business. They embrace the direction you are taking your company or the impact your agency is striving for in your community. Loyal employees do their best and work with the company’s interest top of mind. 
  • Supporting your staff looks good on you. Companies that invest in their employees, foster their growth, and help them pursue their career goals are companies that people want to work for. Recruiting, hiring, and training staff can be extremely expensive. Imagine if prospective employees came to you because they want to be part of how you grow your staff! Additionally, the level to which you respect your staff comes right back around. Want to be respected at work, be the leader in demonstrating what that looks like. 
  • Valuing your staff creates a positive culture. As stated above, how a company treats their staff is foundational to creating a healthy culture. And nothing fosters growth and increased impact like a healthy and positive culture. If growth and increased impact isn’t motivational enough, great cultures are fun to be part of and to lead. Since most people spend at least half of their waking hours at work, a positive company culture will improve the collective and individual mental health of the entire staff team. 

As there are hundreds of benefits to nurturing your staff, there are just as many ways to lift-up your staff. The best way to do this is to use your unique personality and leadership skills to genuinely value your staff. Still not sure how to get started? Here are some tips to get the ball rolling. 

Getting Started

  1. Listen. Take the time to listen to your staff. Fully listen. Approach conversions with a listening mind-set. There is no greater gift you can give someone than to listen to them with an intent to understand. You can read more about this topic here and here and here. 
  2. Build real relationships. Just like “Employees don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses”, staff also stay with bosses they like, enjoy being around, and respect. Listening is a great way to start down this path. Couple it with asking really good questions and you’ve got this one made! 
  3. Give them what they need. There are the basics. Workstation. Computer. Stapler. These are the obvious things – you give them whatever equipment they need to do their job. Beyond that – training and a safe environment to learn is also expected. What about those employees who need a lot of positive reinforcement? Or the ones who need to chat with you for a few minutes each day? And what about those who need to check-in regularly to make sure they are on track? Do you give them what they need? Giving employees these things (essentially your time and acknowledgement) may be challenging when you’re busy. However, when you think about the value of a loyal employee, it seems less like an interruption to your day and more like a crucial part of leading people.  
  4. The Golden Rule. It turns out that your company’s human resources are made up of HUMANS! Who would have thought? And do you know what humans like to be treated like? You guessed it – humans. This one is very simple. When interacting with an employee, think about how you would like to be treated in that interaction. This usually includes values like respect, dignity, caring, trusting, and maybe fun. If team member interactions can be tied back to company values, it’s even better. 

Before closing this article, I want to be clear that I am not suggesting tolerating staff who are not a fit for your company, your culture, or the jobs you have available. I believe wholeheartedly in hiring slowly (to ensure a good fit) and firing quickly. Rip that band-aid off if that’s the right decision. Your job as the leader is to make sure you have provided everything staff need in order to be successful. If you are confident you have fulfilled your end of the bargain and it’s still not working out, decide and take action quickly. 

Need help elevating your organization’s culture? Email me at kim@athena-coco.com to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to discuss how I can help you create a culture that will grow your business and increase your impact! 

Kim is a mom, wife, lover of being active and the outdoors,
and helper of small businesses and nonprofits.
kim@athena-coco.com 

 

Developing Great Supervisors

Boss vs. Leader

Last week’s article was focused on the basic skills that quality supervisors need. I shared three foundational attributes that any supervisor needs in order to get started with the business of leading staff. Those were: 

  1. Provide training on the what, how, and why of their role
  2. Listening – really listening to staff
  3. Treat employees like human beings

None of those sound too radical, right? And they aren’t. These seem like common sense for anyone who supervises people. However, failing to equip staff with these basic tools can mean the difference between an enjoyable work environment and a toxic one. 

The thing is, while these are basic, common sense skills; there’s a lot going on that can make them difficult to deliver. New supervisors come into the game with a lot of preconceived notions. Their approach may be based on their previous experiences with leaders, or their ideas of what a boss is supposed to do. Often feel the need to “prove” themselves, and come on too strong. Some feel the need to “show them who’s boss”. Or maybe they subscribe to the sink-or-swim mentality. 

The root of challenges for new supervisors comes from one of two things. Either they lack the confidence to lead people as human beings. Or they don’t understand the company culture and how they are expected to interact with people. Fortunately, both of these are easy to rectify! By communicating your vision and culture, new supervisors will understand how to align their actions with the organizational expectations. And by training them on the skills listed above, new supervisors will be off to a solid start on becoming a team leader. 

Next Level Supervisors

So those are the basics every supervisor needs to be “good”. What about when you want to take your leaders to their next level and create truly great supervisors? I think this quote from Deryl McKissack really defines what it takes to be a great supervisor:

“Great leadership is humble.
Being humble does not mean you are weak.
It means you are so confident that you don’t mind hearing the truth about yourself,
so that you can change.”

Being a great supervisor is as much about being confident in yourself as it is about how you lead your staff. Great supervisors have the confidence to give their staff autonomy, to shine a spotlight on their staff, and to help their team members to advance. Additionally, they take the time to understand what each of their direct reports needs to feel supported and be successful. Let’s dig in. 

  • Give Staff Autonomy

No one likes to be micromanaged. Why? Because it makes them feel like they are not trusted. Part one of giving staff autonomy means building a trusting relationship with them. Supervisors need to genuinely trust their staff to do the job the way they have been trained to do it. This comes from investing time in getting to know them as a person (as stated above). The second piece of this involves just getting out of their way and letting them succeed. 

Giving autonomy does not mean leaving them on their own and never checking back. It means checking frequently when a staff member is learning something new, and giving them more space as they show their competency. Of course, a third piece of building trust as a supervisor is being available to support them if problems arise. 

  • Shine a Spotlight on Staff

This does not mean making a big deal out of everything an employee does. Or generically thanking everyone for all that they do. That will come across as fake, and frankly, insulting to the team members. Shining a spotlight is about giving credit where credit is due. Genuinely. Great supervisors notice contributions that help advance the organization and efforts that are above and beyond. This is especially true when the staff person makes the supervisor look good. It’s crucial to let others know who is helping the team advance. 

Sharing the spotlight (or not) has a lot to do with the supervisor’s level of confidence. The leader sometimes believes that when others look good, it must mean they look bad. When a new supervisor falls into this category, it’s key to work with them so they understand the culture and to foster their confidence in their skills. 

  • Help Team Members Advance

I have heard supervisors say that they don’t want to share how great an employee is because they don’t want to lose them. The truth is, with an attitude like that, they will lose them sooner or later anyway. If a supervisor isn’t actively helping their staff advance (if the staff has that goal), the organization will eventually lose out as the employee looks for a company that values them and wants to help them succeed. Not to mention the fact that it makes the supervisor look great when they are consistently producing high performing associates. 

  • DON’T Treat Everyone the Same

This one might seem counter-intuitive, or contradictory to what you’ve been taught. To be clear, I’m not suggesting supervisors should treat some staff well and others poorly, or play favorites. I’m saying that the leadership a supervisor gives a staff person should be based on the person’s needs. 

Some staff need a lot of praise. Others need to vent once in a while. Still others like to be pointed in the right direction and set free. Successful leaders pay attention to these needs of their team members and adjust their interactions accordingly. A supervisor with three direct reports may have three different structures for leading each of them. For example:

    • Staff 1 might need a lot of positive reinforcement in order to feel successful. With this person the supervisor may meet with them on a weekly basis so they can share what they are working on and give them the validation they need. 
    • Staff 2 on the other hand may be a self-starter with lots of drive. In this case the leader may have monthly meetings to make sure they are on track, then they might stop by the staff’s workstation on a more informal basis, to ensure they are moving in the right direction. 
    • Lastly, Staff 3 could be an introvert who just wants to do their job and doesn’t want a lot of attention focused on them. For this staff the best solution might be taking a short walk together every other week. This way the staff feels supported and has adequate time with the supervisor to check-in and ask questions. At the same time, this keeps it informal and from being all about the staff. 

This one ties closely to the point from last week’s article about treating staff as human beings. Unless a leader gets to know their staff and their needs, it’s going to be difficult to personalize the leadership each person needs. But by doing so, it will save time and support each individual in the manner that serves them best. 

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that everyone is cut out to be a supervisor. Some people never master the skills, or they find that they just don’t like it. And that’s fine. By working with them and providing them with the right skills, you will discover who is going to excel and who needs to find a different fit. It can be frustrating to invest time in someone only to find out they are not going to succeed as a supervisor. However, it’s so much better to work with them and help them find their natural fit, than to lose a potential leader because you didn’t give them the necessary tools to succeed.

Need help cultivating good supervisors in your business or organization? Email me at kim@athena-coco.com to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to discuss getting started. Calm the Chaos with quality supervisors, so you can find time to focus on what’s important to YOU! 

Kim is a mom, wife, lover of being active and the outdoors,
and helper of small businesses and nonprofits.
kim@athena-coco.com 

 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion: Three Simple Steps to Get Started

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

There are many voices out there on this topic. Many are going to be more qualified than me to speak in-depth on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In this article I will be sharing my perspective along with some thoughts on how to start these conversations in your workplace, or even in your family or friend group.

I had the honor of serving my community through the YMCA for several decades. The work I lead and was involved with was important and impactful. One initiative from the YMCA of the USA that I have been very impressed with, and have carried with me throughout the years, involves their work on Dimensions of Diversity. This work has resonated with me because it goes far beyond gender, skin color, and age. Those are big and often obvious categories, which over-generalize who people really are. Generalizations are necessary for studying trends, creating non-discrimination policy, and supporting marginalized groups; however they create problems when we use them to lump all people together. 

While working with a client recently, she shared her story of being a young black woman who excelled in the violin. For a long time she felt like an outcast. “Black people don’t play in the orchestra” was something she heard and felt on a regular basis. In discussing her experience she used this phrase:

Black is Not a Monolith 

Having only heard the word “Monolith” recently in relation to the one discovered in Utah last summer, I did a bit of research. Apparently it’s a phrase that’s been around for a while, and has resurfaced with the release of Lena Waithe’s Queen & Slim. While I have not seen this movie, it sounds like the phrase is used to express the fact that all black people are not necessarily from the ghetto. Essentially, black people come from all kinds of communities and backgrounds. When you think about it, that doesn’t seem like something that needs to be stated. However, it’s human nature to try to categorize and simplify things we don’t understand. 

 In talking further with this client, she shared with me that she was from a small town. She told me her town “only had four high schools.” This is when the complexities of diversity really struck me. My town had exactly one high school. In fact it had exactly one school of any kind, Kindergarten through 12th grade. In the years since I graduated they have added a preschool. Still one school. As a member of the tiny little Generation X, my graduating class had 26 people in it. 

This started me thinking about other personal experiences where the diversity in our backgrounds was very striking. When I worked in Chicago one of my staff, a woman in her 40s, had never had a drivers license. Or a car. She taught me how to use the bus and the L – explaining routes, lines and transfers – from memory. Growing up on a farm I wouldn’t have been able to participate in afterschool activities, have a social life, or a job without a license and a car. It was unimaginable to never have a car or a license. Growing up the way she did, she couldn’t believe I’d never used public transportation. 

These experiences and reflections keep bringing me back to the Y-USAs Dimensions of Diversity. Looking at one dimension of a person and defining them by it is part of our society’s problem with embracing diversity. It leads to limiting beliefs and stereotypes. All black people are fill in the blank. LGBTQ+ people never fill in the blank. People living in poverty are all fill in the blank. Women just aren’t meant to fill in the blank. None of us should be defined by one aspect of our identity. Least of all marginalized groups. 

Today, many companies and organizations are in the position of knowing they need to “do better” with diversity, equity, and inclusion; but they might not know where to start. This is understandable; it’s a huge, complex and often controversial topic. I’d like to offer you three simple steps to get you started. These can be implemented with no cost, no additional staff or resources, and very little change to your operations.

  • Mindset – leadership commitment

First and foremost, the leadership of the business or organization needs to be genuinely committed to shifting the culture. The top leader especially, but also the leadership team needs to believe in the importance of celebrating diversity, valuing equity, and driving inclusion.

In order to ensure that you are ready for this, it will likely require some challenging conversations as a team. The discussion must go beyond: “Is everyone good with this?” Each and every leader needs to be committed to driving change, supporting difficult conversations and situations, and being an agency-champion for this transformation. If every single person isn’t 100% on board, the leader has a decision to make. Does she/he postpone this initiative until the timing is better or do they make the changes needed to create the leadership team that will move the company needle on DEI. 

  • Commitment to understanding

As you begin your initiative around Diversity, Inclusion and Equity, one of the first tenements to establish is the commitment to understanding where people are coming from. Impressing upon staff the importance of listening and being open to understanding the journey their co-workers are traveling is key to building your foundation.

It doesn’t matter what other people think about Meghan Markles’ skin color. If she identifies as black, that’s a dimension of who she is. Self-identification is up to the individual and it doesn’t matter if other people agree with it or not. Supporting DEI means accepting others as they identify, and striving to understand.

The leadership sets this expectation and supports staff as they work to learn and grow. They also watch for those team members who are resistant to this change and take action with anyone who is not a match for the culture they are trying to create.

  • A little bit of time in each and every staff meeting

The first two steps are really about mindset, setting the tone, and creating a culture. This one provides action items you can take and use right away.

The most valuable communication tool that leaders possess is the staff meeting. If your staff meetings are not important, engaging, effective, and driving communication and culture, consider reading this. Incorporating mini-activities into your team meeting (and every other staff meeting in your company) can start the exploration of diversity, equity, and inclusion with the broad base of your business.

Hopefully your staff meeting includes some sort of a transition or opening. This aspect of your meeting is meant to help team members shift from whatever-they-were-doing-before-the-meeting to full-on-meeting-mode. Good things to include in this phase of the meeting are things like:

  • An opening thought
  • Check-in
  • Company headlines
  • Celebrations

In order to get everyone thinking about the diversity of their team, consider adding a “backstory question.” This tool can be fun, but at the same time it helps everyone to start to understand more about their teammates. If time is tight this activity can take as little as 2-minutes by doing it “whip style.” Or if you want, you can add a reflection component to dig deeper.

Here’s an example:

  1. Have everyone go around and share what their first job was and something they learned from that job that they still utilize today. If you have 10 people in the meeting, this will probably take 5-minutes at the most.
  2. Those wanting to dig deeper can pair people up (preferably connecting those with the most differing first jobs, like walking beans with interning at a magazine).
  3. Have one person spend 2-minutes asking the other person questions about their first job.
  4. After their time is up they switch roles.
  5. You can close with a group reflection on what they learned about other people that may have surprised them.
  6. Doing the full activity will take a maximum of 15-minutes.

Here’s a list of ideas of backstory questions you can use to get started:

  • What was your first job? What did you learn that you still use today?
  • How did you get to school when you were little? How was that the same or different from other kids at your school?
  • What’s the first team you remember being part of? How did that experience shape you?
  • How many kids were in your family? Where are you in the birth order? What does that say about you? 
  • What was your favorite subject in school? How have you carried that with you? 
  • Share about the kind of home you grew up in? 
  • How did you decide what you wanted to do for a living? 

As time goes on your questions can progress towards being more probing. Another idea is to have volunteers come up with questions for the next meeting or create a sub-group of volunteers to work on questions and activities.

As you and your team become more comfortable exploring diversity there are many more activities you can incorporate and initiatives you can drive. Sometimes getting started is the hardest part. Hopefully these simple steps can spark the beginning of your journey. 

Need help creating a plan that is right for you and your team? Want an outside resource to facilitate crucial conversations around DEI? Email me at kim@athena-coco.com to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to discuss ideas that will help you get started. Calm the Chaos and create a great culture so you can find time to focus on what’s important to YOU! 

 

Kim is a mom, wife, lover of being active and the outdoors,
and helper of small businesses and nonprofits.
kim@athena-coco.com

Employee Turnover – What’s the Real Problem?

Here’s the thing. No one who loves their job ever says; “It’s great, my boss humiliates me every time I make even the smallest mistake!” And no one who enjoys where they work ever says: “Upper management only thinks of themselves, I love it and think you will too!” People who love their jobs have bosses who are good human beings.

“Want to be a good leader, be a good human”

I read this somewhere recently, and I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s so true! Think about it. Any leader that you have had, who you have truly respected and wanted to do a good job for – I bet they worked intentionally at being a good human. The opposite is likely also true. Leaders who you didn’t enjoy working for or with, probably didn’t spend much time considering how their behaviors impacted others.

I’m talking about the leadership version of the Carrot and the Stick metaphor. Do you get your staff and volunteers to do the work that needs to be done by using a Stick or a Carrot?

The Stick 

Using a Stick means tactics like threatening, ridiculing, embarrassing, manipulating or intimidating people. The phrase “Do it this way because I said so” might be common from leaders who employ the Stick methods. It’s anything where the person in charge says or does something that makes a team member feel bad about themselves. Sometimes it’s intentional and the leader thinks that’s the best way to lead. Other times it’s simply that the leader doesn’t consider the impact of their words or actions. Stick leadership doesn’t always come out sounding harsh. It can be sugar coated, or made to sound like the leader is “only joking”. (Hint: they aren’t joking.)

The Carrot

The tricky thing with the Carrot is that it absolutely, 100% has to be sincere and genuine. Otherwise it’s just another form of the Stick. I certainly don’t want to insult anyone by explaining what it means to be a good human. However, often times in business it can be easy to slip into the belief that humanity and business need to be kept separate. Therefore, I’m going to  focus on several traits of being a good human and how they relate to the working world.

  • Be Considerate

A considerate person thinks about others and how their actions and decisions impact those around them. A considerate leader talks to the people impacted by their decisions. They consider all sides of an issue and the pros and cons. Ultimately, a leader needs to make decisions based on what is best for the company or organization. However, the considerate leader also knows that if a decision is bad for the employees, it’s likely also bad for the long term success of the company.

  • See the Value in Others

Good leaders and good humans look for the positive qualities and value of other people. Rather than watch for employees to do something wrong, they lift up the positive qualities and skills of their team members. This isn’t to say that you ignore poor work or inappropriate behavior. If your people have been adequately trained and fully understand the values and culture of the organization, you can rightly expect them to do the job and produce the expected outcomes. Along the way they may do things differently than you would. Look for the positive in the differences.

  • Listen

In order to be considerate, you have to be a good listener. Many leaders are under the false impression that their job is to talk all the time. Worse yet is when they think they should be talking about themselves all the time. Initially, when getting to know their team, the leader may have to show vulnerability by sharing about themselves. If the intent is to get others to share about themselves, it’s a good tactic. The leader needs to know when they’ve shared enough about themself to set the stage, then they need to shift to listening mode. Along with listening, leaders need to practice asking really great probing questions and reflecting what they’re hearing. I talk a lot about the topic of being a listening leader here, here, here and here.

  • Be Honest and Open

As a leader there are definitely things that you need to keep confidential. Information about other employees, certain business deals, sensitive decisions, etc. However, many leaders make the mistake of keeping everything from their team. Good leaders share the good and the bad aspects of the business. Good leaders explain the thoughts behind their decisions. Good leaders are open about the things they are dealing with. Staff and volunteers like to be informed. It helps them make better decisions and feel more ownership. It also builds trust.

  • Build Relationships 

Good leaders build genuine relationships with their team members. They care about staff and volunteers as people. When leadership has put in the time and energy to develop quality relationships, the level of trust and commitment to work increases. The difficult thing here is that it can make it harder on the leader when they need to deliver negative information. No one wants to share something that will be difficult for the people they care about. While it’s hard on the leader, it’s better for the employee. They know that the leader is delivering the message from a place of caring and love.

  • Communicate

The number one issue I see in any of the businesses I work with involves communication. I’ve shared before in this article about how the most important things a leader can communicate are: the vision (or mission), the company values, and connecting the dots between each person’s role and that vision (or mission). Because it’s your vision, you should be repeating it every chance you have with your team. You cannot expect everyone to just “get it” because you explained it once. It may take them several times of hearing it before it clicks for them. This takes patience. You may feel like you’re repeating yourself. Go ahead and make that effort. It will pay off significantly.

  • Show Respect

All of these behaviors can really be summed up in the word respect. People – staff and volunteers included – want to feel respected. They want to know that the people they work for and with care about them as human beings. They want to be heard. They likely work for you because they want to be part of something bigger than themselves and want to understand their part in the success of the business or organization.

Another quote that I read recently goes like this:

Never push a loyal person to the point where they no longer care.

When does this happen? When the loyal person gives, not only their time and talent to an institution, but also their passion and energy; yet they don’t feel like it matters. When they are not treated with respect. When their frustrations fall on deaf ears.

 It is a privilege to lead people. When turnover is a problem, it’s likely a leadership problem. Companies spend a lot of time trying to determine salary ranges and benefit packages. They work for hours on employee handbooks and policies. Treating staff and volunteers with respect and kindness costs nothing, it can be implemented immediately, and it yields amazing dividends. Be the Carrot.

It’s easy to have blind spots regarding relationships with team members. Email me at kim@athena-coco.com to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to discuss ways to improve employee retention. Calm the Chaos by improving staff retention so you can find time to focus on what’s important to YOU.

All Strategies are Not Created Equal

Last week I wrote about Rethinking Strategy and the concept of Real-Time Strategic Planning, based on a book called The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution by David La Piana. While this book is focused on the nonprofit sector, I believe the concepts have wonderful application for both for-profit and not-for-profit businesses. Another concept in the book that I found really compelling is around the Strategy Pyramid. This article will dig into this concept and how it may be a useful way for you to think about strategy in your business.

Traditionally thinking around strategic planning conjures up memories of massive information gathering, multi-day farming sessions, and binders filled with fancy reports. Real-Time Strategic Planning is much more nimble and relevant to today’s fast paced business environment. It is built on the foundation of a strong vision or mission and gives a business the ability to quickly adapt as new challenges or opportunities arise.

Another common trait of traditional strategic planning is that oftentimes the strategies are not strategies at all. Through the traditional planning process many things come up that would be good for the business to focus on. These could be goals, programs, operational processes, technology, or something else all together. While important, these things are not necessary “strategy level” items. At least not Organizational Strategies.

This brings us to La Piana’s Strategy Pyramid. The Strategy Pyramid is made of three levels of strategies:

  • Operational Strategy (bottom)

  • Programmatic Strategy (middle)

  • Organizational Strategy (top)

In this pyramid, the base is made up of Operational Strategies, Programmatic Strategies are in the middle and Organizational Strategies are the top.

Operational Strategies

All strong organizations are built upon a strong base of administrative processes and management systems. In order to run effective programming and have a positive impact on the community a nonprofit must rest upon the solid base of strong operations. To deliver quality products and grow sales a for profit business must have the same solid foundation. Strong operations ensure the “trains run on time” (quote from my friend Cameron Nicholson).

Operational Strategies are the initiatives designed to improve efficiencies, execution, or responsiveness. These could include any number of things. Some examples include:

  • New software will help you manage your campaign more efficiently

  • A Diversity and Inclusion training to grow your staff team

  • Preventative maintenance plans to protect your assets

  • Initiatives to improve communications with staff or customers

Generally speaking, operational strategies are those things impacting the infrastructure of the business, such as human resources, finance, technology or communications.

Programmatic Strategies 

In the nonprofit world, programs are where the “rubber hits the road.” They are how an organization delivers their mission to the world and provides the impact they intend for their community. In the for profit universe, this layer of strategies is likely the products or services the business sells. In both instances, when a customer or community member thinks of the business, it’s the programs or products that they usually think of first.

Programmatic Strategies are the decisions around what activities/products will be delivered and how they will be delivered. Here are a few of the decisions that could lead to Programmatic Strategies:

  • Delivering programs in-person on on-line

  • Providing carry-out or delivery

  • Narrowly focusing your products or offering a broad range

  • One product/program, a few, or many

Programs (or products/services) sits on top of the operations; they are supported by that solid base.

Organizational Strategies

On the top of the pyramid are the Organizational Strategies. These strategies honor and are developed in order to fulfill the organization’s mission or the company’s vision. They take into account trends happening in the market, challenges coming from competitors, opportunities from partnerships, and their unique deliverables. Organizational Strategies are the big picture actions or activities the business will take to move towards achieving its mission or vision. Organizational Strategies include things like:

  • Expanding to new service areas

  • Establishing an intentional brand or culture

  • Shifting funding sources

  • Expanding to online retail

Even though the Organizational Strategies are on the top of the pyramid, this is actually where we start when formulating strategy for a business.

Start Building at the Top

With almost any construction project you start at the base and build up. This process of strategy formation does just the opposite, It starts with clarifying mission and/or vision and builds down through the layers. The mission/vision is the heart of the business, its purpose for being, and the very core of all decision making. It’s a solid practice to regularly visit the mission/vision to keep everyone focused on why the business exists. Your organizational strategies are the ways in which you will work towards your mission/vision. To quote La Piana: “Organizational Strategy is about who and what the nonprofit is in the larger world. It’s about organizational identity, direction, brand, and market position.” Same goes with for profit companies.

Once Organizational Strategies have been established, it gives clarity to the kinds of programs, products or services that should be delivered and how they will reach the participants and customers. Programmatic Strategies can be developed which support and align with the Organizational Strategies. After these top two layers are in place, Operational Strategies can be created in order to best serve the strategies that rest upon this base layer. By building each layer based on the strategies above it, each segment is connected and creates a coordinated set of actions. Programmatic and Operational Strategies can also be thought of as large or involved goals which will help you work towards your Organizational Strategies.

Examples

To help give some clarity, here are a couple of examples of how strategies may look in a for profit company and a nonprofit agency.

  • For profit clothing retailer:

    • Organizational Strategy: In addition to our thriving catalog and website sales we will add pop-up stores in order to see if physical locations will appeal to our customers.

    • Programmatic (Product) Strategy: This summer we will have pop-up stores at festivals in the three states where our sales are highest. We will provide our top selling summer items in a variety of sizes and limited colors.

    • Operational Strategies: In order to support our summer pop-up stores we will need to research and invest in a mobile pay system and mobile store hardware (racks, displays, tent, and changing booth). A dedicated staff will research and secure venues as well as create a schedule and communication system.

  • Nonprofit environmental agency:

    • Organizational Strategy: Our mission is to create a sustainable planet with future generations in mind. To this end we will focus on improving air quality in the metropolitan community we serve.

    • Programmatic Strategy: Our signature program will be a tree planting initiative which will engage volunteers and school or camp youth groups in planting trees. The program will involve education and follow-up care to ensure long-term impact.

    • Operational Strategies: Funding will be central to supporting the tree planting project. Development will focus on grant writing and corporate sponsorships. Additionally, a dedicated staff will be responsible for identifying locations, recruiting volunteers, securing youth groups and coordinating events.

These examples are greatly simplified, but they clearly illustrate the importance of each strategy building upon the one before it. Thinking of strategies as a coordinated set of actions not only reduces waste, it helps propel you towards your vision/mission.

If you would like to explore Real-Time Strategic Planning for your business or organization, email me at kim@athena-coco.com to schedule a free 30-minute consultation. Calm the Chaos by streamlining your strategy development, and find time to focus on what’s important to YOU.

Rethinking Strategic Planning

Any business or nonprofit with a strategic plan developed prior to February 2020 now likely realizes the limitations that come with a traditional 3 to 5 year plan. I doubt there were many strategies in place to help your business deal with a global pandemic. And yet, that is exactly what hit us and continues to challenge many businesses and organizations.

Thinking strategically about where you want to take your business is a key component in making sure you get there. After all, having a great vision for the future of your business is only half the battle. You also need plans and steps to get you there; as well as, communication with and buy-in from your team. If you are still in the process of crafting your vision you might want to go back and read this and maybe this to work on that piece of your business leadership. Once you are crystal clear on your vision, you need to mobilize every member of your team towards reaching that vision. That’s where strategy comes in.

Strategy is defined as:

A plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim.

This is a pretty simple definition for something that is so important to the success of your business. This article is going to share some of my ideas on how best to create strategy for your business, along with some of my key take-aways from a book called “The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution” by David La Piana. While the book is focused on strategic planning for the nonprofit sector, the points I will share are applicable for both for profit and nonprofit businesses.

Traditional Strategic Planning

The first point I want to share is around the timing of strategic planning. Traditionally, every 3 to 5 years organizations spend exorbitant amounts of time and energy on creating a beautiful strategic plan. It would involve input from stakeholders and volunteers, customers and staff. Every word would be crafted to be just right. In larger organizations they would often hire a graphic designer add in images and charts and graphs to make it really beautiful for sharing and showing off. There are several problems with this traditional method of strategic planning.

  1. First and foremost is that society and business move too quickly these days for a plan to be relevant for more than a year or so. Businesses need to be much more responsive to the ever changing world.

  2. Building on the first point, your business is likely also changing quickly. As you continue to work towards your vision you will need to continuously recalibrate to ensure you’re still on target.

  3. When a business commits significant time and resources to a strategic planning process, they are often burnt out on the whole thing and they don’t want to even think about strategy for a while. Big mistake since your strategies should be driving your goals, actions and decision making.

  4. Those shiny impressive documents often end up in a drawer or on a shelf, never to be looked at again, until the calendar says it’s time for another planning process. A plan that is not actively referenced and measured is of little value.

Real-Time Strategic Planning

The concept that is laid out in David La Piana’s book provides a method of creating strategy that is much more responsive and relevant than the traditional process. With the need to adapt quickly to new information and dynamics, any business can benefit from implementing the Real-Time Strategic Planning Cycle. Three key components that really differentiate this process from the traditional include:

  • Strategy Screens

  • Big Questions

  • Ongoing Implementation

Strategy Screens

In a traditional planning process the business usually takes time to clarify their mission and/or vision, who they are as a company, and their organizational identity. That part is similar in the Real-Time process. The next step is what really looks different as the business uses that information to create “Strategy Screens”. These are criteria the organization will use to analyze potential strategies they might implement when faced with challenges and opportunities. The Strategy Screens helps the company determine if the potential strategy is consistent with their organizational identity.

Every company’s Strategy Screens will be unique to their organization and will likely evolve over time and as needs change. Screens are written in the form of a statement that each potential strategy is compared against. For example, La Piana’s suggests that most companies will have something similar to these two screens:

  • The strategy is consistent with our mission/purpose.

  • The strategy builds on our current competitive advantage(s).

Each business will have between 5 and 8 screens. Other topics that are important to compare the potential strategies to are things like breaking-even or surplusing, sustainability, human capacity, consistency with brand, and honoring key relationships. By developing Strategy Screens thoughtfully and intentionally AND before a crisis or opportunity presents itself, will simplify your decision making. This process helps you focus on what is important as an organization and avoid being reactionary or losing sight of who you are when the pressure is on.

Big Questions

When a challenge or opportunity presents itself, rather than jump to the potential strategies, the Real-Time process involves determining the “Big Question”. The Big Question frames the challenge/opportunity and can drive the potential strategies. For example, when the pandemic hit, restaurants struggled significantly. Options for the Big Questions for businesses that particular industry may have been things like:

  • How will we stay in business?

  • How can we change our business to meet new needs?

  • How will the restaurant industry survive?

  • What can we do to support our community in new ways?

This is a short-list, I’m sure there are many more that came up. Notice that the questions will drive different strategies. It’s good to ask the question in several different ways to determine what will be best for your business. In the end you may decide that you need to combine several of the questions in order to develop the right potential strategies.

After determining your Big Question for a given issue and coming up with all the potential strategies, you go back and measure them against your Strategy Screens. Make a simple graph with the different strategies along the top and the screens along the left side. Test each strategy against each screen to see how they measure up. This tool should make it easy to see which strategies measure up best with the screens you have committed to.

Ongoing Implementation

In order to make strategic planning valuable, it needs to produce results, right? Strategies in and of themselves do not lead to action. Once you use the Strategy Screens and Big Questions to determine the strategy or strategies you will implement moving forward, you need to develop goals, action steps and accountability. In the restaurant example, if you decide your strategy is going to involve shifting your servers to meal deliverers, that alone will not get you there. You need to break it down.

I think this is where the Real-Time process really shines and produces results you just don’t see from the traditional process. By looking so far down the road, even when the traditional system sets clear goals, actions and accountability, they are usually so far reaching that the company loses sight of them and they become irrelevant before they are completed. Real-Time strategies are addressing immediate challenges or opportunities; therefore, the goals and actions that are developed in this process are crucial to moving the organization forward. Simple tracking tools that are reviewed weekly will keep everyone on track and accountable.

This is a very simplified explanation of what I believe to be key differentiators between these two strategic planning processes. It’s not meant to cover everything, rather to help you understand the value of looking at strategy creation in a new and innovative way. I utilize many of these concepts when working with businesses to help them become thoughtfully responsive, while forging ahead.

If you would like to explore Real-Time Strategic Planning for your business or organization, email me at kim@athena-coco.com to schedule a free 30-minute consultation. Calm the Chaos by streamlining your strategy development, and find time to focus on what’s important to YOU.

Solve Problems, Don’t Just Talk About Them

Raise your hand if you find yourself talking about the same problems over and over, but never coming to solutions. Whoa, that’s a lot of hands! This is a very common challenge for business leaders, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Let me share a fairly simple process for solving problems, so you can move on and focus on what’s important to you.

Make Time to Focus

The first step is creating a system for addressing issues. I recommend spending the majority (about ⅔) of your weekly leadership team meeting focused on solving problems. After all, as the leadership team, isn’t this the most valuable way you can spend your time together? By solving problems so the business can operate more smoothly or you can remove barriers to efficiency, productivity, and work satisfaction. Plan your regular meetings so that everything else gets addressed efficiently and you can get to the work of solving problems.

List Them Out

Create a list of all the issues that need to be addressed. This list can be collected throughout the week and added to at the weekly team meeting. It may be a long list at first, but don’t let that scare you. Include everything, so that you don’t lose a key issue. If possible, it’s good to have all of the issues listed out on a flip chart or dry erase board so everyone can see them all. If that’s not an option, a printed list for each team member will work.

Prioritize

Looking at your list of issues, determine – as a group – which three are the most important ones and should be addressed first. Rank them 1, 2, and 3 in order of priority. Do not spend a lot of time on this task, keep it to about a minute. Team meetings that are 90-minutes long will give you 60-minutes to work on your issues. Starting with three will give you about 20-minutes per topic. If you are able to solve these first three issues in your allotted time, determine which one should be addressed next and start on it. Proceed this way until your time has expired.

Process

Once you have the issues you will be addressing, there are three steps to efficiently solving them:

  1. Present & Analyze – The person who proposed the issue in the first place will present it.. They will concisely share what they see as the problem. Then the group analyzes and drills down to get to the root of the problem.

    • For example: the issue may be initially presented as something like: “Sales are down 25% on blue widgets.” While this is true, and certainly an issue, drilling down may reveal a different issue. Just looking at the issue as presented, it likely seems like a problem with the blue widget sales team. However, a drill-down may reveal that production is down, so the inventory of blue widgets might not be meeting demand. Or maybe there have been quality problems with the blue widgets, scaring away potential sales. Or maybe there’s an industry-wide backlash on blue widgets. Whatever it is, the group needs to agree to the real problem surrounding the issue. Again, this should be a fairly quick part of the process.

  2. Discuss – Once the real issue is decided on, the group has a discussion. Solutions are presented. Pros and cons are debated. The meeting moderator needs to make sure all voices are heard (not just the loudest ones). Each person states their case only once.

  3. Decide – When all the stars align beautifully, a solution presents itself during the discussion and everyone is happy. In the real world, that usually doesn’t happen. In the real world, someone usually has to make the decision. The decision maker is often the top leader on the team; however, sometimes it’s another leader who will ultimately have the responsibility of rolling out the decision. Whoever it is, the decision maker takes all of the input they have gathered during the discussion, they evaluate all sides of the issue, and they make a decision. Boom – problem solved.

Next Steps

Once the decision is made, you need to think through next steps.

  • Does the decision need to be communicated out to others in the company?

  • Are there action steps to roll out the decision?

  • Is there a plan that needs to be created?

  • Who will be accountable for the next steps?

As part of the problem solving, determine what comes next and the system for following up.

To-Do List

Another component of a great team meeting is a To-Do list. This is a good place to capture the action steps and ensure there is follow-through on the decisions made. Gather all of the action steps from all the decisions made. List them in the To-Do section for the following week’s agenda. At next week’s meeting you quickly go down the list reviewing each action item. If an item has been completed you cross it off. If it’s not completed you quickly determine if it is an issue or not. If it is an issue, guess where it goes? That’s right – you add it to the Issues List.

Initially you may have so many issues that it seems overwhelming to tackle them three at a time. As you’re getting started, you may want to set aside half a day to power through your list of issues. Stick to the process above and shoot for about 20-minutes per issue. Finally getting decisions made will feel great. It will help you move things forward. And solving problems will benefit everyone in the company.

This proven process will help you solve your issues quickly. Happy problem solving!

An outside facilitator can help your team learn this process and become a problem-solving machine! Email me at kim@athena-coco.com to schedule a free 30-minute consultation. Calm the Chaos and find time to focus on what’s important to YOU.

Self-Care – Yes, Business Leaders Need It!

leaders know quote

Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s probably not actually Valentine’s Day when you’re reading this, but that’s when I’m writing. And that’s also why I wanted to spend a little time talking about self-care (aka: self-love) for business leaders. You might be thinking: “I don’t have time for that!” If so, I’m hoping I can change your mind with this article.

I found two great definitions of Self-Care, and this seems like a great place to start.

Definition #1:

The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.

This one is a pretty broad definition and can include things you’re (hopefully) going to do regularly, like sleeping and brushing your teeth. It also encompasses regular check-ups, exercise, wearing your seat belt, healthy eating, and much, much more. These are all important habits, and I hope you have established great routines for them. Plus flossing, also very important. However, while there’s some crossover, these aren’t the practices this article is about. Which brings us to the second definition.

Definition #2:

The practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.

Now we’re talking! The key word here is stress. If there’s anyone who has their fair share of stress, it’s business-owners and business-leaders, amirite? You have an entire business or nonprofit relying on you to make the right decisions, create a great culture, deliver the best services or products, and support your staff. That’s a lot on your shoulders! And those are the reasons that self-care is so important for leaders.

In working with leaders for quite some time now, I know that there are many who hear the words self-care and think one of three things:

  1. It’s for the weak. Tough leaders don’t need that new-agey crap.

  2. I’m too important for that kind of indulgence.

  3. It would be great, but who has the time!

If you fell into one of these categories when you first started reading, consider this. You know when you fly (or used to fly, pre-pandemic) and the flight attendant tells you to put your own mask on first, before helping others? As I’m sure you know, the reason for this is because you cannot help anyone else if you’re incapacitated. The same thing goes for leading your business. You’re going to be no good to the company, clients/customers, or staff if you’re too stressed out or exhausted to lead effectively.

The arguments listed above are rooted in the assumptions that leaders shouldn’t be vulnerable, important people don’t need to manage their stress, and leaders can’t take time for themselves. The reality is that self-care is an investment in your personal productivity and effectiveness. It can improve decision making and mental clarity. It most definitely improves mood, which can benefit relationships both inside and outside your company. With self-care you’re able to focus better, have more energy, be more productive, and find more creative solutions. These are just a few of the many benefits that come from “taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress”.

The self-care industry has boomed from $10 million in 2014 to over $450 million in 2020. There are millions of products and services out there and everyone thinks their solution is the best. All of that can make self-care seem confusing and overwhelming. I am not here to promote any product or service. In fact, I believe the best options are free and simple. I also believe that self-care is as individual as fingerprints. You need to find what is right for you. My recommendation is to start out with things that are free or super low cost, then add or change as you find what works best for you.

Start Here

As a business leader, you certainly don’t want to add something to your day that is going to make life more stressful. While a day at the spa would be fabulous, it’s probably not realistic (at least not on a regular basis). So here are some ideas of things to start with, that won’t break the time-bank.

Breath Exercises

You’re going to breathe anyway, right? Take one-minute, two or three times a day to focus on breathing. There are several different techniques you can use. If this is something that appeals to you, a quick google search will give you lots of options. Here’s one you can try right now:

  • Sit in a relaxed position and close or downcast your eyes.

  • Take a deep (belly) breath in for a count of four.

  • Hold for a count of four.

  • Let out for a count of four.

  • Hold for a count of four.

  • Repeat for four breath cycles.

Breath is life. Focusing on your breath can lower your pulse, lower your stress, help you relax, and refocus your attention.

Journal

Journaling can seem intimidating. What will you write? Why will it matter? What’s the point? If this is something you would like to try, but don’t know how, here’s an easy way to get started. Just finish these three statement every day:

  • I will let go of . . .

  • I am grateful for . . .

  • I will focus on . . .

This is a really great way to start the day. If possible, do it first thing in the morning. Consider making it the first thing you see when you open your computer.

Connect

Set a goal to have one 5-minute, non-work conversation with a different team member every day. Human interaction does wonders for reducing stress. Mercy Medical Center says that social interactions are good for brain health. It can improve mood, lower the risk for dementia, and promotes a sense of safety, belonging and security. And the really great thing is that by incorporating this practice, you’re not the only one to experience these benefits.

Get Out!

Go outside and mindfully take in what you see. Check out the breeze. Listen for sounds. Observe the colors and movements around you. Again, as little as 5-minutes can reap so many benefits. Exposure to nature is known to reduce anger, fear, and stress; as well as reducing blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension. This is so easy to incorporate into your day. Park at the far end of your parking lot and spend the walk being mindful of your surroundings. Walk for lunch or just take a walk around the building. This has the added benefit of physical activity, a little vitamin D, and setting a great example for your team!

Mindfulness

This goes right along with the previous practice, but can be done while doing literally anything. Practicing mindfulness for as little as two-minutes a day has been proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and mental reactivity. This can be done while you brush your teeth (one of the self-care activities from the top of the article). While brushing, think about the tiny circles you make with the brush. Think about how the floor feels under your feet. Think about your posture. Think about how you’re feeling. Notice everything about the process. Then guess what? When you’re done you have at least one-minute of mindfulness practice under your belt for the day! Spend a full minute focusing on what you’re eating at lunch. Examine the taste, texture, temperature, and how the food is making you feel. Chew twice as long as you normally would. Think about that process. And when you’re done – Boom! You’ve got your two-minutes of mindfulness in for the day!

Those are just a few ideas to get you started, all of which require very little time and no cost. Here are some other suggestions if you want to dive a little deeper into practicing self-care:

  • Physical exercise – yoga, walking, biking, strength training. Whatever you pick, start small. Commit to less than you think you will do, like 5-minutes a day. When that is a regular part of your day, consider expanding.

  • Healthy eating – you are what you eat, so consider what you put in your body. Shoot to make one small change. Be it smaller portions, mindful eating, reducing processed foods, healthy snacks, etc. Change one small thing, and see how it goes for you.

  • Routines – creating a routine or ritual is great for stress reduction. Wake-up routines, bedtime routines, get-to-work routines, end-your-day routines – routines reduce stress and can provide you with more time.

  • Quality sleep – everyone knows the benefits of a good night sleep. Coincidentally, the biggest deterrent to quality sleep is stress. As adults, stress can really wreak havoc on our sleep. Many of the self-care options in this article can help you improve sleep.

Still, there are many more ways to manage stress and take care of yourself. These are some good ones to start with, but you can also do your own research. Try different things. There is no right or wrong (despite what “experts” might say) that works for everyone. Find what works for you, then tweak it as you go along. And every once in a while, feel free to treat yourself to a spa day.

Need help managing stress? Email me at kim@athena-coco.com to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see how we can help you Calm the Chaos and find time to focus on what’s important to YOU.