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.

If you have read my blog posts for any length of time, you will probably recall that I often write about Core Values. So why am I writing about Core Values again? Because I strongly believe that discovering an organization’s Core Values is one of the most important things a Leadership Team can do.

Jason Korman, CEO & Co-Founder of gapingvoid describes culture as “. . . a sophisticated management system that when properly designed and executed will be the tool that delivers consistent organizational outcomes. Many people think culture is soft, but it is the thing that will drive greatness in your business.”

I have seen his description play out in numerous organizations in my work with Leadership Teams. Here are some observations from surrounding yourself with team members who not only exemplify your Core Values, but also know what they mean:

• Core Values go a long way to building effective teams – we all know who we are, and what we stand for
• they are the handful of rules by which we expect our colleagues to behave
• they shape our actions
• they represent a story about our organization, which unites people
• leaders look for ways to practice Core Values at a higher level
• leaders look for ways to make Core Values tangible

I was working with a Leadership Team recently, and the CEO confessed he had forgotten one of their Core Values. He told a story about interviewing a part-time employee for a full-time position, and he was asking questions around their Core Values. At one point he began reciting the Core Values—and was shocked when he got stuck after sharing four of the five Core Values. As he said, “Imagine my embarrassment when our part-time employee piped in with the fifth Core Value.” We all had a good laugh, including him. What struck me, though, is that his Leadership Team colleagues celebrated the fact that a part-time employee knew their Core Values.

Remember, Core Values are a mindset, not a memo. The take-away? Organizations follow their Core Values no matter what the cost. Even if it means embarrassing the CEO!

Do you want to know more about Core Values or how to identify them for your business? If so, please use the consult form below to request a free, 15-minute phone conversation with me, and we can make sure you have yours solidified before we start the New Year. Once they are identified, taught and lived by all, they can have an amazing impact on your business! 

…won’t get you there.”

Feeling stuck in the day-to-day operations at your organization? Not sure why your organization is not moving in the direction you envisioned?

If so, I have a simple question for your consideration today: What do you anticipate will be different next quarter if you don’t do anything different today?

One of the assurances of EOS^® is that it helps Leadership Teams organize their business so they are able to build a solid, well-run organization. As a result, you create so much clarity that there is little room possible for confusion, disorder, or stagnation.

And when an organization develops clarity, each individual in the organization:

• knows they fit the organization’s Core Values
• is motivated by the organization’s Core Focus
• understands the purpose of their seat on the Accountability Chart, and their responsibilities are clear
• has a measurable that reflects their deliverables, their definition of success
• has a voice and is heard in order to spur debate, build trust, and solve issues
• is part of a system that helps them develop personally and professionally
• understands the organization’s system to balance their time and life capacity for work

I have seen leadership teams create this degree of clarity within their organizations. They eliminated their obstacles, achieved their visions, and grew to heights they could not previously imagine.

There are multiple business operating systems available. I happen to be partial to EOS^®; however, they will all help you operationalize your business. Just be sure you choose one operating system. Having more than one will not create clarity. It will lead to chaos because everyone will be speaking a different language.

If you want to know more about EOS^®, why I chose it as the business operating system for my former company, and why I’m partial to it to this day, let’s talk. Simply fill out the consult form below and we’ll schedule a convenient time to chat.

EOS^® has many of the tools you need to get unstuck and moving in the right direction. “What got you here won’t get you there,” so let’s take the necessary steps to make your business everything you always envisioned.