Monthly Archives: November 2015

Gratitude

Reflecting with Gratitude

IMG_0297“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” —Melody Beattie

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

 

This week, instead of my regular weekly article, I wanted to take a moment to remind myself, and everyone of you, to take a moment to reflect with gratitude. I’m not talking about gratitude for the wonderful opportunities I’ve been offered; the doors that have been opened for me; or amazing family, friends, and colleagues. These things are easy to be grateful for. I’m talking about reflecting with gratitude on the mistakes I’ve made, the massive failures I have experienced, the friends that turned out not to be so friendly, and the graveyard of skeletons in my closet. For every bone, every failure, and every mistake has contributed to my becoming the person I am today.

Thinking back on every wrong turn I have taken, poor choice I have made, and, what I thought at the time, were life destroying events, I am amazed that I am where I am today; stronger, wiser, and better than ever. These events did not destroy me, on the contrary, they have created a wonderful life for me and made me into a pretty darn good person, even if I do say so myself. I wouldn’t trade who I am to be anyone else in the world.

Yes, sometimes I have taken the rough road and had to learn my lessons the hard way. But, then again, what better way is there? Take a moment today to reflect with gratitude the things that had the potential to destroy you, but actually ended up making you and your life better.

 

© 2015 Elizabeth Stincelli

 

Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Liz holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.

Learn more about Liz by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.

 

Leadership

What Makes a Great Employee?

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file000920759403“Employees are a company’s greatest asset – they’re your competitive advantage. You want to attract and retain the best; provide them with encouragement, stimulus, and make them feel that they are an integral part of the company’s mission.” — Anne M. Mulcahy

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

 

What Makes them Great?

There are ‘A’ employees, ‘B’ employees, and even ‘C’ employees. Which ones do you want working for you? ‘C’ employees are a detriment to your organization. They collect a wage and benefits while providing less than average productivity and quality. ‘B’ employees perform at the bare minimum to meet productivity and quality standards. But, then there are the ‘A’ employees; these are those with a great attitude, ambition, and integrity. They are willing to go above and beyond; they thrive on collaboration and contribution. These are the attributes that make them great employees.

Attitude

When employees have a good attitude, they are engaged in their work, more likely to be motivated, remain committed to their leader, and to stay focused on achieving the goals of the organization. These are usually the employees who know they are valued. They understand that, on a grander scale, they are contributing to something meaningful, something bigger than themselves. They trust and respect their leaders and feel that they are trusted and respected in return.

Ambition

Employees with ambition know they are talented and have something of value to contribute. They love to be engaged and are always up for a challenge. These employees believe that there are great opportunities for those who work hard, develop themselves both professionally and personally, and who are dedicated to the goals of the organization. They know that their hard work is appreciated and will be rewarded. They trust their leaders not to take advantage of their ambition and motivation. They come to work to make a difference.

Integrity

Employees with integrity are loyal; they behave in the best interest of the organization. They hold themselves accountable for the responsibilities placed on them. They are dependable and trust worthy. These employees pride themselves on setting a good example for others to follow and they are consistent in their words and actions.

Collaboration and contribution

Great employees stay at their jobs because they are passionate about collaborating with others to co-create new ideas and make valuable contributions. They get satisfaction from cooperating across groups and departments. They are good communicators. They take pride in sharing their knowledge, skills, and experience with others. They see the success of one as the success of all.

Hire the Asset; Inspire the Greatness

As Anne M. Mulcahy said in the quote from the opening of this article, “Employees are a company’s greatest asset.”  It is not only the responsibility of leadership to hire the asset, but to inspire greatness in them. Great employees need to find meaning in their work. They want growth opportunities and you are the one who can offer them these opportunities. One of your most important tasks as a leader is to make sure your team is working well together and that everyone feels engaged and valued. When employees are engaged and feel valued, it has a positive impact on their attitude, ambition, integrity, and collaboration and contribution. The next thing you know, you have great employees.

 

 

© 2015 Elizabeth Stincelli

 

Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Liz holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.

Learn more about Liz by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.

 

Everyday Leaders, Informal Leadership, Leadership

Do You Recognize the Everyday Leaders in Your Organization?

file0001845637670“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.” —Warren Bennis

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

 

Who Are They?

Leadership is not about a position; it can come from anyone. It is taking place all around us on a daily basis. Being a true leader goes beyond a title or position; it grows from the respect and credibility that is earned when working with others. This respect and credibility allows everyday leaders to influence and guide those around them without possessing formal authority or power. So, how are these everyday leaders able to impact your organization?

Relationships

Research has shown that followers often have a greater influence over the process of leadership than those who hold formal leadership positions. The everyday leader gains support based on relationships without holding a formal position of authority. And, relationships are the key to holding teams together. Successful leadership is dependent on more than just the relationships and behaviors of a single, formal leader; every individual within an organization can make a meaningful contribution to leadership. By developing and maintaining trusting relationships, these leaders are able to collaborate, share knowledge, influence group thinking, and impact team effectiveness.

Respect

Everyday leaders are often seen as friendly, open, trustworthy, experienced, and always willing to help. These leaders are out on the floor, they are in touch with what is going on, they have a network of resources, and often have access to information that formal leaders miss. They have a vested interest in the success of their department, team, and organization. All of these characteristics factor into the respect that everyday leaders earn from colleagues. This respect is a great source of power for everyday leaders. These leaders influence the culture of the organization through their willingness to get involved, share knowledge and expertise, and support their team.

Support

Everyone needs to know that their contributions are adding value. Everyday leaders play the role of coach and supporter with an emphasis on helping others succeed. They create a sense of community where everyone knows their work is meaningful and appreciated. They encourage trust, collaboration, and a safe place to communicate. It is through their support of others that everyday leaders gain respect, trust, and influence.

Cooperation

Everyday leaders understand the effectiveness and importance of shared responsibility. Shared responsibility and cooperation improve the opportunity for the organization to benefit from the individual strengths of employees. When employees are given the opportunity to participate in planning and decision-making, it sends the message that they are trusted, recognized, and valued. Cooperation helps employees build on the momentum of others while working together to achieve common goals. Everyday leaders emphasize cooperation because they know what it’s like to be left on the sidelines by those in a position of authority and how difficult it is to work effectively under those conditions.

Why Do They Matter?

In every organization, there is an unacknowledged system through which work is accomplished. This system will not be found on any organizational chart. This system is guided by everyday leaders who are relied upon heavily yet are often unappreciated. These everyday leaders use influence, the building of relationships, knowledge, and expertise to advocate for the organization and enhance the contributions of employees.

Everyday leaders gain support through respect and relationship building without holding a position of authority. But, why do they matter? In a nutshell, the reason everyday leaders matter is influence. Those who can influence are those who get results. This has a big impact, whether for good or bad, on your organization. Everyday leaders have the potential to influence employees to either pursue the agenda of the organization, or their own agenda; the priorities of the organization, or conflicting priorities; the timelines of the organization, or those of their own design.

Power and influence is no longer held only by those in a position of authority, it is shared throughout the organization by employees at every level. Everyday leadership is powerful, more powerful than most formal leaders recognize. And, if you don’t recognize it, you lose the opportunity to harness its power for the good of the whole.

The culture of the organization can either hinder or promote everyday leadership. A culture that empowers everyday leaders to make a positive contribution to the organization promotes encouragement, opportunity, and the sharing of ideas and knowledge. Sharing in the leadership responsibility improves the quality of decision-making and strengthens the commitment to decisions made. Everyday leadership gives employees a voice and management an advocate.

Formal leaders should serve as facilitators; they should encourage empowerment and participation. Everyday leaders relieve formal leaders of the responsibility to control everything. This allows them to focus their energies on the important tasks of planning and coordination.

There is a limit to a formal leader’s ability to exercise influence, wield authority, and exert power. Leadership should be seen as dynamic and fluid rather than fixed. It is an emergent property where a group of individuals bring their expertise together in pursuit of a shared goal. And, it is in this environment where everyday leaders make their impact. Learn to recognize the everyday leaders in your organization; harness their power for the good of all.

 

© 2015 Elizabeth Stincelli

 

Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Liz holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.

Learn more about Liz by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.

 

 

Empowerment, Leadership, Organizational Culture

Are You the Bottleneck?

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file0001035625891“A manager is not a person who can do the work better than his men; he is a person who can get his men to do the work better than he can.” —Frederick W. Smith

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

 

Leadership is about engaging, empowering, and inspiring others. But, what happens when the leader thinks he or she knows everything, treats employees like children, thinks he or she holds all the power, or is a control freak? I’ll tell you what happens, operations start to experience a bottleneck; it slows everything down and prevents real progress. A byproduct of this bottle neck is low productivity, a poor work environment, and low employee morale. So, are you the bottleneck?

Do you think you know everything?

If you think you know everything, chances are you are the bottleneck. You can’t do everything yourself and, just because you do it, doesn’t mean it’s done better than if someone else had done it. Being a leader does not mean that you know more than anyone else or that you are always right. In order to eliminate the bottleneck you need to understand your strengths and the strengths of those you work with. Then, get off your high horse and let others do what they are good at.

Do you treat employees like children?

If you are treating others like children, you increase the chances of them behaving like children. Your employees are adults; they don’t need a babysitter. When you treat employees like children, you create a bottleneck. It’s arrogant to think that employees are incapable of understanding the big picture; to only share the information that you deem necessary for them to know is showing a lack of respect for the value they can big to the organization. To not trust them to perform their work without a babysitter shows a lack of trust. To eliminate the bottleneck, hire capable employees and then make sure they have the tools, information, environment, support, and empowerment to do their jobs.

Do you think you hold all the power?

The number one reason employees quit is because they feel the work culture is toxic. This toxicity can most often be traced to a deficiency in leadership or the abuse of power by leaders. Abuse of power can cause a leader to become a bottleneck. You must empower employees to make the decisions and take the actions necessary to do their jobs effectively without you holding your power over every move they make. Your power will never motivate your employees; they are motivated by respect, control over their own work, recognition of value, and appreciation. To eliminate the bottleneck, even with the best of intentions, remember the quote by Lord Acton, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Are you a control freak?

Overbearing, micromanaging leaders prevent employees from plugging into their own power. If you are a control freak, your rules, bureaucratic hierarchy, and the fear you instill in your employees will cause a bottleneck. When employees can’t make a decision or take an action without getting formal approval, obtaining a signature, or meeting with a committee, you’ve definitely created a bottleneck. This prevents perfectly capable employees from doing the job they were hired to do. In order to eliminate the bottleneck, overcome your own insecurity, loosen the reins, give employees the tools they need, and delegate tasks to them. And then, TRUST them to take care of things on their own.

Break Free from the Bottleneck

When you think you know everything, treat employees like children, think you hold all the power, or are a control freak; it says more about you than it does about anyone else. No organization can function effectively with a bottleneck. So, don’t blame your employees when the holdup is you! Learn to recognize YOUR behaviors that create the problem. And then, instead of being set on proving that you know more, can do more, and do it better than anyone else, act as the facilitator; provide the training and resources necessary for employees to do their job. And then, take pride in them doing it better than you.

 

 

© 2015 Elizabeth Stincelli

 

Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Liz holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.

Learn more about Liz by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.