The past couple of months have been busy facilitating 2-day Annual Planning Sessions with client Leadership Teams. The teams review the previous year, as well as the previous quarter, to measure the progress they made achieving their 1- Year Plan and their quarterly Rocks.

I routinely ask the teams to identify what they did well, what they could have done better, and what they learned. That discussion often leads to questions about how to define success. And the answers to that question are as varied as the Core Focus™, also known as their “why”, of all the organizations with which I have the honor of working.

How do you define success? Though everyone’s definition is different, the author Carl Holmes wrote an essay that I believe is a great description of success, both personal and professional. So today, I share his words with you:

AND THEN SOME . . . these three little words are the secret to success. They are the difference between average people and top people in most companies. The top people always do what is expected . . . and then some.

They are thoughtful of others; they are considerate and kind . . . and then some.

They meet their responsibilities fairly and squarely . . . and then some.

They are good friends and helpful neighbors . . . and then some.

They can be counted on in an emergency . . . and then some.

I am thankful for people like this, for they make the world a better place.

Their spirit of service is summed up in these three little words . . . and then some.

I have heard my Leadership Teams use all these words to define what success means for them both professionally and personally . . . and then some. 

Are you and your team working on how to make your definition of success clearer? Are you striving for ways to go above and beyond for your business and for your clients? If you answered yes to either of these questions, please use the consult form below to schedule a free, 15-minute phone consultation with me. I am passionate about helping people like you analyze their organization, strategy, and leadership to garner the greatest success possible. Let’s start a conversation and get you a little closer to “and then some.” 

“Urgent things shout . . . important things whisper. Listen to the whispers.” Though I do not know whom to attribute this quote, this powerful sentiment has rung true throughout my lifetime.

It is easy to focus on the urgent in our businesses and in our personal lives. The urgent is standing right in front of us, demanding attention, poking us in the shoulder if we momentarily avert our gaze.

Addressing the urgent things in our business feels productive. There are times when you could make the case that solving the issue that shouts at you loudest is productive. But I doubt you can make that case every time something urgent pops up. More importantly, if you find yourself constantly choosing the potential for productivity as your purpose for solving an issue, some deeper issues will likely stay hidden underneath.

I can make the case that productivity isn’t about getting more done; it’s about what you get done. 

Listening to the whispers helps us become fully aware of what is happening around us – what opportunities are gently knocking on our door – what issues we can solve that would get us closer to our vision. Perhaps there is a potential target market client anxious for you to reply to their email. Or maybe you’ve hit the ceiling on a certain issue, and the solution lies in your ability to simplify. 

How can we lean into the whispers? Here are three tips for your consideration:

1. Get some perspective. Ensure your leadership team “climbs the tree” periodically. Taking the 30,000-foot view of your organization’s strategy will help you see if you are still on course or if you are overlooking opportunities. 
2. Clarify roles within the organization so decisions are made by the people closest to the issue. 
3. Confirm there is alignment throughout your organization. Alignment creates clarity so there is less room possible for confusion.

Our world today often contains so much volume. What gets drowned out is what’s truly important. My challenge to you is to shut your door, turn off your technology, and just listen… you might just hear the important things.

Interested in investing more energy in your whispers? Please use the consult form below to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with me. The most productive change starts with a simple conversation — let’s talk about how I can help you take time to slow down and listen to the whispers. Your business just may grow as a result. 

Recently I received an email from the Integrator of one of my client companies. She reached out to me to discuss an unexpected “bombshell” (her word) she received. We scheduled an online meeting, and admittedly my curiosity wondered what could possibly have occurred that merited the term “bombshell”.

The answer: a Leadership Team member announced in their weekly Level-10 Meeting™ that he had decided to leave the company—tomorrow. The individual had not raised any issues previously, had not had a discussion with the Integrator about this plan, and had not exhibited any behaviors that suggested displeasure with anyone or anything.

As a process facilitator, my inclination was to IDS™ the issue with the Integrator. It struck me that there may well have been multiple root causes to the individual’s sudden resignation.

That isn’t where we started, however. Instead, the Integrator started yelling about the person’s decision – how unfair it was to the Leadership Team, the company, the person’s department, customers, etc. I gave the Integrator the space to vent and release what I expect was a significant amount of frustration and emotional energy that she could not release in the company.

When her venting did not appear to be slowing down, I asked a question: “Do you really need to shoot the second arrow?” The question brought the yelling to a stop, and the person asked what I meant by that.

When we shoot the second arrow, we react rather than focusing on understanding what happened and determining how best to respond. So, how do you avoid shooting the second arrow?

Notice the first arrow. Recognize the anger, the emotions, and feel the sensations. It’s a normal response that makes us human. Find someone with whom you can share your emotions.

Catch your impulse to add another arrow. It is easy to yell at someone or look for someone to blame. These are reactions. We are better served when we take a deep breath and determine how best to respond to a situation.

Pat yourself on the back for not adding another arrow. Learning to respond to situations frees up more energy to address what is within your control.

Understanding situations with this perspective can help not only your business, but also yourself. As entrepreneurial leaders, we will undoubtedly be thrown into circumstances that engage our emotions. What makes us a strong leader is our response. 

Want to learn more strategies around responding instead of reacting? As a professionally trained EOS Implementer™, I can help you cultivate systems within your business to catch situations before they arise, and resolve them if or when they do. 

Please use the consult form below to schedule a free, no obligation consultation with me. Let’s start a conversation about how I can support your business—and help you keep a tight grip on that second arrow. 

One of my favorite EOS^® tools is Delegate and Elevate™.

It is a four-quadrant tool that helps you identify what you love to do and are best at—also known as your sweet spot.

In order for your organization to grow, you must let go of responsibilities. Wearing seven hats as you started your organization is a necessity; now that you have grown and have 27 employees, wearing seven hats is a hindrance.

Each quadrant provides space for you to list the things you:

1. Love to Do and are Great at
2. Like to Do and are Good at
3. Don’t like to Do and are Good at
4. Don’t like to Do and are not Good at

Quadrants #1 and #2 represent your sweet spot —that which only you can do. The goal is for you to delegate the things you are now doing that fall into quadrants #3 and #4.

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you begin identifying a task you will delegate to another person in your organization:

• Delegate to the person, team, or department that has the skillset and ability to take on the task.
• Clearly communicate the result you want. Specify what has to be true when the task is completed.
• Be sure the date by which the task needs to be completed is clear. That may be a scheduled time each month for an ongoing task or the completion date for a one-time project.
• Identify the level of decision-making authority the person, team, or department has when completing the task.
• Be available to help answer questions or help solve a problem. Don’t “rescue” the person or team; ask questions and help them determine the best answer or resolution.

When you take advantage of someone else’s capability by enlisting them to perform an activity that takes you closer to your sweet spot, you make that person valuable. You’re telling them how they can be incredibly important and useful in the organization. You also give that person a chance to multiply their abilities.

So keep track of the tasks you do during the week, and add them to the appropriate quadrant. And every quarter, move something from the Don’t Like/Good At and the Don’t Like/Not Good At quadrant off your plate. Everyone will thank you.

Most business owners understand and can be convinced of the importance Delegate and Elevate™, but getting them to actually execute is a whole other ball game. If you are not sure where to start, what you can offload, or just want to talk through improving your delegation process, contact me. As a certified EOS Implementer™, I help my clients with this challenge every day and have executed it myself in the last business I owned. Let’s set up a time to talk about delegation and get your business growing in 2021.

There are certain words about which I have an open bias—empower is one of those words.

If you do an Internet search about empowering people, you will find multiple articles, blogs, websites, etc. about how to empower someone. One result even listed 50 ways to empower people!

So here is my bias: Empowering means transferring power to another person. It suggests someone needs your ideas, your talent, and your permission to do something.

I do not believe you can give anyone power. What you can do is create an environment in which people can develop and use their power.

Instead of thinking about how you can empower someone, think about:

• As a leader, how can I make sure everyone knows what is expected of them?
• How can I get out of my employees’ way?
• What can I do to incentivize long-term thinking?
• Do I know my employees’ personal and professional goals?
• What tools and resources can I provide my employees to help them grow in their roles?
• How can I seek out dissenting viewpoints and be open to new ideas?
• How can I make it clear that what each person in our organization does matters?
• Am I willing to allow people to make mistakes and create a process whereby we all can learn from that mistake?
• What must I overcome mentally and emotionally to give up control yet retain full responsibility?

Taking care of your people does not mean protecting them from the consequences of their own behavior. That’s the path to irresponsibility.

What it does mean is giving them every available tool and advantage to achieve their aims in life, beyond the specifics of the job.

What I love about EOS is it sets leaders up to empower their team members the way I use the definition. It encourages communication, openness and honesty, delegation, and growth. It has good systems for evaluating your goals and processes so you can adjust and improve where you need to—all while giving your team members the framework and opportunity to grow and achieve their goals.

How are you empowering your employees? Do you agree with my bias on the word empower? Please schedule a time to share your thoughts with me using the consult form below. We can discuss how you are empowering your team, how you are using EOS, or you can ask any questions you have about the process. 

Now you know my take on the word “empower.” I’d love to know yours.