I have been thinking about core values recently. Why, you ask? Because I heard about an occurrence in which a team blatantly disregarded one of their values. The situation caused me to wonder under what conditions the team ignored the core value.

Core values are not a marketing slogan; they are not a list of “feel good” words written by a group of employees. A company’s core values represent who they are, and show how they treat each other, their customers, and their business partners.

So, here is a test that can help you determine if each of your core values truly defines your company’s culture:

1. If you were to start a new organization, would you build it around this core value regardless of the industry?
   
   
2. Would you want your organization to continue to stand for this core value 100 years into the future, no matter what changes occur in the outside world?
   
   
3. Would you want your organization to hold this core value, even if at some point in time it became a competitive disadvantage – even if in some instances the environment penalized the organization for living this core value?
   
   
4. Do you believe that those who do not share this core value – those who breach it consistently – simply do not belong in your organization?
   
   
5. Would you personally continue to hold this core value even if you were not rewarded for holding it?
   
   
6. Would you change jobs before giving up this core value?
   
   
7. If you awoke tomorrow with more than enough money to retire comfortably for the rest of your life, would you continue to apply this core value to your productive activities?

These are tough questions that require soul searching and deserve considerable thought.

However, your company and its core values deserve this level of scrutiny and must serve as a light to guide all of your decisions. You cannot make a “just this once” exception. Staying viable and valuable as a company requires that everyone in your organization live and breathe your core values from the moment they step on the job (and, ideally, when they are off the job, as well).

Interested in how to determine what your company stands for, and how to integrate your values into all your decisions? I can help. I have years of experience guiding organizations towards making more sustainable aligned decisions based on what they see as truly important. Contact me using the consult form below to set up an initial consultation. I can’t wait to talk!

I find that when I ask leadership teams to start to discuss why the company exists, they focus on what they do. I often hear detailed descriptions about the outstanding service they provide their customers, or the unique product they produce.

The problem is that what a company does is not why they do it.

A company exists to fulfill a purpose – it is your reason for being. There are three guiding principles to defining your company’s purpose:

1. The primary benefit must be to those you seek to serve.
2. Your purpose must include everyone in the company.
3. It must be able to withstand cultural, technological, and political changes.

Determining if your company’s purpose is a good expression of what your company does is essential. Consider the following characteristics:

1. Is your purpose inspiring to those inside the company?
2. Will your purpose be as valid 100 years from now as it is today?
3. Does your purpose help you think expansively about what you could do but aren’t doing yet?
4. Do you use your purpose to guide you towards deciding what not to do?
5. Is your purpose authentic to your company as a whole?

Companies that fail on this authenticity count are often the ones that really don’t stand for anything and never will.

Your job as a leadership team is to determine what the company’s purpose is. And every business decision must be made against your purpose to ensure you do not get distracted.

Though it is inevitable that companies and people lose focus or get a little cocky and think that since they are succeeding in one area, they can succeed everywhere, your purpose can help you recover from these minor diversions.

It’s pretty simple. If you want a team dedicated to making incredible things happen, give them a reason.

I’ve been guiding leadership teams for decades towards finding and manifesting their organization’s purpose. Interested in clarifying your goals and becoming a better leader? Fill out the consult form below, and I’ll be in contact to set up a free initial consultation. Let’s get your team on track together.

One of the most common discussions I have with leadership teams and their members focuses on communication. These discussions include topics such as how to communicate clearly so everyone understands your message, how to get people to listen, and how to wade through the distractions of social media.

It seems to me that now, more than ever, our need for better communication is vital. We move so quickly in and out of relationship dynamics it becomes difficult to stay focused long enough to even grasp the message, let alone process what it means for the organization as a whole. 

How do we get better? There isn’t enough time in the world to address that last question, so let’s focus on something each of us can do to improve how we communicate — using self-awareness to guide us. Self-awareness is the idea that if we slow down and consider the purpose behind our urges before we act, we will be able to move more authentically in our lives. There is no place that could use this consideration more than our workplace communication. 

Cultivating self-awareness doesn’t need to feel like just another task to put on your list.  Here are three simple questions you can ask ourselves before you speak:

• Does this need to be said? – think about whether or not what you are thinking is relevant to the discussion or topic at hand.
• Does this need to be said by me? – perhaps someone has already shared the observation or fact that you are thinking about.
• Does this need to be said by me right now? – consider if the team or the person with whom you are having the discussion is open to what you want to contribute. 

Asking yourself these questions before you speak will help you slow down and consider how you are communicating. Sharing these with your team will help them get the response they want in your meetings, and eliminate unnecessary chatter and unrelated conversations.

When I share these questions with the leadership teams I am honored to coach, I see light bulbs go off. Folks share the impact of using these questions to guide their discussions, and the difference from times when they spoke without stopping to think first.

Good communication doesn’t have to be complicated. In my experience, it is often the most straightforward solution that has the greatest impact on our teams. 

Interested in learning more highly manageable ways to increase your team’s drive and productivity? Let’s talk. I have years of experience navigating shifts in organizational teams and creating intentional systems that create widespread change. Fill out the contact form below with your information and need to schedule a free initial consultation! 

One of the first disciplines I outline for leadership teams when I begin working with them is a weekly leadership team meeting. Oh, I can hear what you are thinking right now! Meetings are a waste of time. We rarely accomplish anything meaningful. We’re too busy to meet weekly, on and on. I guarantee with a little guidance, you can alter your experience of meetings — for good.

Leadership team meetings are essential. To have a pulse on the health of the company, regular leadership team meetings are essential. These meetings help your leadership to maintain focus on your quarterly priorities, ensure you know who needs attention and solve obstacles to our progress.

Holding the meeting on the same day each week, starting and ending on time, and following a standardized agenda, help make all the difference.

How else can you change the structure of these meetings to support your health and happiness?

Be Prepared

Prepare for your Leadership Team Meeting in the same way you prepare for your most important prospect or client. Your colleagues and the company deserve the effort.

• Review your Scorecard numbers; progress on your Rocks; if you followed up on last week’s meeting outcomes; and if you have new obstacles for the team’s consideration.
• Review your past week’s calendar. It may trigger issues you want to discuss.
• Think through your goals for the meeting and be focused and clear about getting what you want.

When everyone prepares, your meeting will run more efficiently, leaving more time for solving issues.

Be Energized

Your Leadership Team Meeting is the most expensive meeting you have. Think about it. You have the most senior minds at the table, ready to solve issues and work on the business for 90 minutes. This is worth your energy!

• Show up as if it matters to you, and, if things are off track or not working, be brave enough to enter the danger and have the tough conversations.
• Be passionate about solving issues, especially if you disagree with another leadership team member. Your Leadership Team Meetings are only as good as your attitude, so come to the table committed to the greater good.
• Preparation and energy are linked. If you’ve prepared well, you’ll be excited and ready to tackle issues. If you haven’t prepared, you will wait for others to run the meeting. It’s your meeting. Act as if you own it. Because if you don’t, who will?

Are you ready to energize your leadership team and create meetings people want to attend? Let me support your journey! Fill out the consult form below and take the first steps towards your organization’s fullest potential.

Which are we – a team or an organization?

My friend and colleague Walt Brown makes the case in his book, The Patient Organization, that an organization is a fiction. Brown argues that organizations are only given meaning and power by people who buy into the reality they strive to reach.

So, what is buy-in and how do you access it? You will see buy-in when you and your leadership team achieve alignment – meaning you create so much clarity and consistency that there is little room possible for confusion, disorder, and infighting.

You create buy-in when everyone in the organization understands the journey and is committed to that journey. In addition, people who recognize their role in that journey will actively contribute.

Leaders create a team fueled with buy-in by leading and coaching their people, rather than “managing” people. You create an organization that is resilient, committed, and cooperative.

Which sounds like more fun?

Productivity that yields consistent outcomes by a group of people who show up every day and go through the motions?

Or, a cohesive unit working together, moving the company forward, and bringing their unique contribution to the endeavor?

Yeah, I thought you’d say that.

True teamwork requires patience, collaboration, and ingenuity. It requires taking the time to discuss issues and coming to decisions for the greater good, investing in the humanity of each team member, and creating systems that allocate space for feedback. Achieving buy-in is not some sort of magic, but a deliberate combination of a few key ingredients, consistent dedicated effort, and that sweet, sweet essential: time.

Looking to gain the support of your employees and unsure where to start? Let’s talk. Fill out the consult form below and I’ll connect you with the expertise and resources you need to accelerate your business.