Monthly Archives: March 2016

Leadership, Procrastination

Slaying the Procrastination Demon in Your Organization

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SDRandCo (15)“Procrastination makes easy things hard and hard things harder.” —Mason Cooley

 By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

 

What Really Lies Behind the Procrastination?

We all catch ourselves doing it: procrastinating. For some, it only rears its ugly head on occasion. For others, it is a daily struggle. Procrastination on a personal level can be difficult. But, on an organizational level procrastination can wreak havoc. As Mason Cooley explains in the above quote, procrastination makes everything more difficult than it needs to be. So, what really lies behind the procrastination in your organization?

Is it fear?

Sometimes people fear undertaking a task, making a decision, or taking an action. This fear can stem from the dread of possible failure, from the thought of reprimand, or from possible judgment from others. Therefore, people often think it’s easier to put off until tomorrow what could be done today. Ironically, that which we fear will still be waiting for us tomorrow, the next day, and the next. When we dread a task, we are usually making it out to be bigger than it really is. As a leader, you must develop trusting relationships with your employees and between team members where people feel safe to take action and make decisions. You must also build a culture where failure is viewed as a learning opportunity instead of an excuse to criticize. Do people in your organization procrastinate because of fear?

Is it distraction?

With technology so readily available; social networks; and entertainment at our fingertips, it is easy to become distracted. Busy work is another distraction that actually tricks people into thinking they are making progress. Even with the best of intentions, tasks that should be done now often get put off until later due simply to distractions. As a leader, you must help employees learn to prioritize the important tasks so that busy work does not end up at the top of the to-do list. It is also important that employees have some down-time in their schedule where they can take a break and allow themselves momentary distraction from the task at hand. Do people in your organization procrastinate because they are tied up with busy work or otherwise distracted?

Is it a lack of direction?

Sometimes people don’t take action because they are not sure where to start or in which direction they should be going. This is further complicated in organizations where employees are often dependent on leaders to provide direction. Is there a real purpose for the delay? Is a situation under reevaluation? Do decisions need to be made before action can be taken? As a leader, it is your duty to ensure that your people have a clear understanding of what they are responsible for accomplishing and what, if any, foreseeable barriers stand in their way. Are people in your organization procrastinating because they lack direction?

Is it a habit?

One of the worst things about procrastination is that it can so easily become a habit. Once procrastination has reached the level of being a habit people no longer need fear, distraction, or lack of direction to keep them from taking action. It is easy to develop the habit of procrastination if we do not intentionally develop the habit of making a plan ahead of time and then sticking to the plan, one step at a time. As a leader, it is your responsibility to help people recognize the habit of procrastination, to help them develop a plan, and then hold them accountable for sticking to the plan. Is procrastination wreaking havoc in your organization simply because it has become a habit?

Slay the Demon

So, how do you slay the procrastination demon in your organization? As a leader, you must help people overcome any fear that may be preventing them from taking action. Teach them to block tasks together, scheduling small chunks of time where they allow for brief periods of distraction before getting back on task without interruption. Clearly communicate direction to your employees, work together to develop a plan that is broken down into milestones, and then hold people accountable for sticking to the plan. Don’t allow important tasks to get buried underneath layers of busy work. Help employees to recognize when procrastination has become a habit. Set clear objectives and timelines to keep employees on task and on target. Educate employees and managers about the symptoms, causes, and consequences of persistent procrastination. Has it become a habit? Get started today and slay the demon.

 

© 2016 Elizabeth Stincelli

 

Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the Founder 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

More Important than Knowing When to Lead is Knowing When to Follow

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cityBikeRiders“Whether individuals or organizations, we follow those who lead not because we have to, but because we want to. We follow those who lead not for them, but for ourselves.” —Simon Sinek

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

 

Leadership is not a title or position; it’s power, but not power in the sense that we usually think about power. It is the power to inspire others to do more than they ever thought possible in the best interest of the greater good. On the flipside, anyone can become a follower regardless of the position that they hold. So, why would you ever want to follow if you can lead? The most effective leaders understand that they do not know everything, neither are they always the ones with the greatest influence. Being a great leader requires knowing when to lead and when to follow. Here are four questions to ask yourself to determine whether you should be leading or following.

Can you see beyond the status quo?

While followers are often content with the status quo, leaders challenge the status quo. If you have a strange attachment to doing things the way they have always been done, it might be time for you to follow. If you are not open to change, it might be time for you to follow. Do you have blinders on? Are your biases jading your decision making? Is there someone on your team who thinks outside the box, who is creative, and thinks progressively? If you can’t see beyond the status quo, it might be time for you to follow.

Are you focused?

Leaders often have so many things on their plate that it can be difficult to focus on one specific area. Is there a project that needs more attention than you are able to effectively give? Are you able to focus on developing your people? Is there a problem that needs to be resolved? Are there people on your team who can provide the needed attention to critical areas and issues? If you know you are unable to focus where needed, it might be time for you to follow.

Are you motivating others?

There are times when the formal leader lacks the vision and ability to motivate those around them. This does not make you a failure as a leader; it only leads to failure if you neglect to recognize that it might be time to follow. Are you passionate about a project? Are you motivated from within? Is there someone on your team who is really passionate about the project you are working on? Is their passion contagious and can they motivate others? You can’t fake passion and motivation. If you are unable to motive others, it might be time for you to follow.

Are you confident?

We want those we follow to have confidence in themselves so that we can feel confident in them. But, no one person can be an expert in everything or possess every possible skill. Is there someone on your team who is a subject matter expert? Do they know the industry inside and out? Do they possess skills that you don’t? As a leader, it’s okay to put your confidence and trust in someone who is more qualified for a task or assignment than you are. If you are not confident, it might be time for you to follow.

Know When it’s Time to Follow

Regardless of your position, if you cannot see beyond the status quo; if you can’t focus; if you are unable to motivate others; and if you lack confidence, it may be time for you to follow. When you have a team member who would be better at challenging the status quo, someone who can focus on a project, someone who can motivate others, or someone who has the necessary confidence and competence, it’s time for you to follow. Great leader know when to lead, but even more important, they know when to follow.

 

 

© 2016 Elizabeth Stincelli

 

Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the Founder 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, Trust

The Ultimate Determinate of Trust: Are They Friend or Foe?

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file00090469702“I can trust my friends; these people force me to examine myself and encourage me to grow.” —Cher

 By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

 

Trust is the foundation of all relationships and of good leadership. This applies to both our personal and professional lives. Whether you are a leader or a follower; a client or a supplier; a neighbor; or an acquaintance, on an unconscious level you are continually trying to determine whether another individual is a friend or a foe. When we trust, we feel that it is reasonable to expect kindness and concern from others and that they will look out for our best interest. When we distrust, we expect that they will act with cruel intentions and in their own best interest. When we trust, we feel safe. When we distrust, we feel the need to protect ourselves. So, what it the ultimate determination of trust? One simple question: are they friend or foe?

Inclusion or exclusion

It’s human nature to fear being excluded. We have succeeded as a civilization by banding together. In the times of our ancient ancestors, individuals who were shunned and left on their own would have been unable to thrive. Things have not changed as much as we sometimes think they have. We still rely on teaming together with other individuals with a common purpose. With friends, we always have a sense of inclusion and working together toward shared goals. With a foe, we often feel we are being excluded and left on our own. When we feel included, we start developing trust.

Safe or fearful

We all want to feel safe. Immediately upon meeting someone we unconsciously start to make judgments about if we feel safe, or if we feel threatened. Friends make us feel safe. We know we can be ourselves; we can share our thoughts and ideas. Foes make us feel fearful. We feel the need to protect ourselves; we keep our thoughts and ideas to ourselves out of fear of judgment and ridicule. When we feel safe, we start to trust.

Honest or deceitful

Friends are transparent. They are open and honest. You know what to expect from a friend and are never blindsided by dishonest motives. Friends share your goals and vision of success and the future. Friends handle disagreements fairly. Foes are deceitful. They twist the facts to meet the needs of their own agenda; an agenda that is self-serving. They are manipulative and resort to trickery and bullying when conflict arises. When others are honest, we feel we can trust them.

Authentic or fake

Friends are authentic. The friend you got yesterday is the same friend you get today and, the same friend you will get tomorrow. Friends respect you, they are always there for you, they are good listeners, and genuinely care about your well-being. You can count on friends to do what they say they are going to do. With a foe, you never know what to expect; they are fake and disrespectful. You can’t count on them, they listen only to respond, and they are only concerned with how they can benefit from the situation. When people are authentic, we feel good about trusting them.

Friend or Foe?

Are we included or excluded? Do we feel safe or fearful? Are they honest or deceitful? Are they authentic or fake? Subconsciously we are always evaluating the behaviors of others to determine if they are friend or foe. If the answer is friend, we trust. If the answer is foe, we distrust. In turn, others are looking at our behavior to signal whether we are friend or foe. Learn to embrace the behaviors and develop the friendships that allow for trusting personal and professional relationships.

 

© 2016 Elizabeth Stincelli

 

Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the Founder 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.

Change, Fear, Leadership

Overcoming the Fear of Change in the Workplace

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file9861310649818“Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.” —Sydney J. Harris

 

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

 

I love the above quote from Sydney Harris; what an oxymoron, we want things to get better but we don’t want anything to change. This applies in both our personal lives and in the workplace. As leaders, our fear of change is compounded in the workplace. We have learned to control people and things the way they are but, what will happen if things change? Will we lose control? Or, might we get left behind? Does the need to change mean we were wrong in the first place? How will change impact our progress? So, how can we overcome the fear of change in the workplace?

This is the way we’ve always done it

We have to start with doing away with the mindset that “this is the way we’ve always done it, so this is the way we’re going to do it.” There is no guarantee that what has worked for us in the past will continue to work for us in the future. In fact, quite the opposite is true. If we don’t challenge the status quo we will not be prepared to meet the demands we will encounter in the future. You must develop the courage to reexamine the situation and reevaluate your thinking. Are your decisions influenced by your biases? How can you be prepared to confront the unexpected and seize new opportunities if you do not encourage and embrace the change and innovation necessary to stay ahead of the pack?

You fear the unknown

Change forces you to step out of your comfort zone; it exposes you to a new world and new experiences. We fear that change is unpredictable and the thought of the unknown can be terrifying. While facing the unknown requires taking on a certain amount of risk, it is also a great way to build confidence and open yourself up to a whole new perspective and a world of new opportunities. To overcome the fear of change in the workplace, learn to embrace the opportunities that await you on the other side of uncertainty.

You think you know everything

When you think you know everything you are going to fear change. Effective change requires the participation of employees throughout your organization. And guess what, you are going to find that some of them know things that you don’t. No one knows everything, not even you. That’s where shared responsibility and cooperation comes into play. Successful organizations capitalize on the individual strengths and knowledge of their employees. To overcome the fear of change in the workplace, learn to accept the fact that you do not, nor should you, know everything.

You don’t trust your employees

In order to overcome the fear of change in the workplace, you must hire the right people, give them the training they need, and then let them do their jobs. When you don’t trust your employees, you will fear change. You will question their ability to make the decisions and take the actions necessary to implement change effectively without disrupting business operations. Encourage an attitude of teamwork and set the example by developing trusting relationships with your employees.

You will lose control

As a leader, your biggest fear is that you will lose control. This fear is magnified whenever change is involved. This fear rolls the fear of the unknown, thinking that you know everything, and lack of trust in your employees into a demon that will kill any effort at change, innovation, and progress. If you fear the loss of control you probably have a micromanagement problem. Employees need to feel competent and in control of their own work. Micromanagement and excessive control undermines relationships, trust, engagement, performance, and loyalty. To overcome the fear of change in the workplace, focus on helping your teams work well together and make sure employees are engaged and feel valued instead of fearing that you will lose control.

Overcome the Fear of Change

Things cannot get better yet remain the same. Change is a necessity; we must change or we become obsolete. As a leader, you must learn to be comfortable questioning the status quo. Then, you must embrace the change that is required to achieve success today, tomorrow, and into the future.

 

© 2016 Elizabeth Stincelli

 

Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the Founder 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.