Fall Mini-Series Part 6: FUN!

Why do we save the best for last? Is it to leave on a good note or is it because we have a tendency to see more negative than positives? Part 6 of my fall mini-series  is about reminding ourselves as Positude Leaders that having “FUN” is a critical part of our leadership style. It’s about activating our positive brain that releases small amounts of Dopamine AKA “happy” medicine. Just a simple smile while making eye contact when greeting your staff in the morning will do the trick.

I’m a true believer that much can be learned while having fun at a team building event or participating in cohort driven learning activity. As adult learners, we perform much better when learning in a practical scenario versus didactic or theory based learning. With this knowledge, we should generate activities that activates critical thinking during role play.

As a Positude Leader, it is your role to think “out of the box” and to develop opportunities for your staff albeit a quick “Murder Mystery” or “Paint Night” to raise funds for your favorite charity. It should be done regularly to ensure your staff has something to look forward too. Be creative, it does not take much money to have “FUN” in the workplace.

Below are just a few examples for you to consider. I encourage you to conduct a brainstorming session with your staff to generate additional “FUN” activities.

• Expose your staff to continuous learning opportunities via LunchNLearn sessions
• Encourage participation in Manager Core Competency Training
• Conduct conferences to showcase your competencies
• Create FUN activities; i.e. paint night, dance, bike tour
• Hold TEAM building events; i.e. robe game, murder mystery, bridge building
• Make it difficult to say “NO” to your staff
• Empower your staff to make decisions and learn from their failures
• Encourage your staff to be creative in having FUN WORK activities
• Be creative in finding funds

I love spending time with my staff and love it even more when I see them at play. Relationships are strengthened and their engines get recharged. Don’t under estimate the power of “Play” and “Fun” in the workplace.

-W

Retirement; time to celebrate or grief?

Retirement a sudden loss not unlike a death in the family. We are supposed to celebrate however it feels more like grieving. Conscious and subconscious, as leaders, we are always planning for succession however when the day comes we often wish we had a few more weeks. This is especially true when a pillar of excellence finally hangs up his/her hat for the last time and says their good-by’s at the end of the day.

The curtain has dropped, mic went silent and dressing room is now empty, ready for the next actor to step on the stage and fill some big shoes. It sounds so simple however it rarely is.

We can replace our retiree with a task master to ensure “things” get done each day however preserving the embedded culture that was championed by your retiree is much harder to replace and the importance should not be under estimated.

It’s no different from when the matriarch of the family dies, the dynamics in the family changes and sudden actions by subordinates to fill the gap will take place often causing a ruckus leaving others with hurt feelings. Be mindful of external influences and jockeying for position as well.

As a positude leader, it is your responsibility to stay two steps ahead by developing a sense of camaraderie and shared responsibility through the transition phase. It is time for your communication skills to be utilized and spend additional time with staff both ensuring that the daily task are performed but more importantly guide your staff through the grieving process of a sudden loss of their leader.

Don’t rush to replace with another body. Take Jim Collins words to heart, only hire the right person for the job or else go without until you find the right person.

Plan ahead, anticipate the next move and spend time developing those next in line. This will give a sense of security for all involved including the departing leader (that could be you) to ensure that systems will continue on a rock solid foundation of high performance and team work.

-W

P.S. Dear Sally….. you are a ROCK STAR and will be missed. You have done everything right and we will together continue to build on the foundation you build. Love, W

Why you want to be a Mentor!

First and foremost, each of us needs to acknowledge that we all are or have been a mentee even if it was not an official mentor/mentee relationship. Someone along the way has provided you with support, counseled you or even provided you a job opportunity that led to greener pastures.

Just a few days ago, I literally ran into David Freed former CEO at Nyack Hospital who provided me with much-needed direction and stimulation to seek opportunities beyond my comfort zone. For this, I will be forever grateful. It also allowed me to share my book “Positude Leadership 4 Strategies, 5 Skills and 100 Experiences” which was partly based on his teaching and mentorship. It was a feel good moment!

If that’s not convincing enough to be a “Mentor”, try adopting the philosophy of “Paying it Forward”. I adopted this strategy soon after Oprah Winfrey challenged all of us more than a decade ago. As a positude leader, this will be one of your cornerstone trades by quietly paying it forward albeit a cup of coffee for a stranger or dedicating a few hours per week to mentoring an aspiring young healthcare worker.

Months ago, I was contacted via LinkedIn by a complete stranger who was interested in learning the pathway to becoming an Operating Room Nurse in New York. After some awkward question about my height, we developed a strong bond and communicated via messenger on numerous occasions covering many topics.  It ultimately led to Justin flying from Dallas to NYC for a job opportunity. I primed the pump by contacting the hiring manager which was followed by a stellar interview and a job offer of his dreams.

As a mentor, this is one of those moments I will cherish forever. When we finally met in person, it felt like we had known each other for years.

My message of the day is for you to seek mentorship and/or be a mentor. It’s not only the right thing to do, it’s an opportunity for you to continue to learn, share and carry forward with a great sense of pride.

What are you waiting for…..get busy and reach out to someone today!

-W

Lead from the Front!

My mentee came to me this week a bit frustrated about the fact that he’s doing his job well, solving problems and advancing his department however feels passed over when considered for promotion.

His question to me was “What else can I do to put myself in a position for promotion?”.

Let’s be honest, there are no guarantees in life and therefore what I’m going to suggest is the right thing to do that could lead to greener pastures, at minimum, it will make you a better positude leader.

Doing an awesome job within your department is a great first step however to be noticed, one must take on and lead a project from the front. If you sit back and wait for it to come to you, it will likely not happen. Therefor it is paramount to be in tune with the organizational strategic efforts and volunteer yourself to be involved in projects that are somewhat related to your core responsibilities. Another option would be to offer something to your organization at large that is unique and crosses all departments.

Be smart and select something you feel passionate about and preferable have deep knowledge and experience with. This will make it a bit easier to gain traction and respect from your coworkers. If you don’t, you just have to work harder to gain the expertise needed to lead from the front.

What is critical to your success, is the need to view this position not as something else you have to do but rather something that you want to do and who you are as a leader.

After identifying the right project, volunteer yourself to take the lead and responsibility to form a great team and drive the process to a successful outcome. It will take extra work, dedication and positude to bring the right stakeholders to the table.

Refer to my recent blog “Key Ingredients for Performance” to ensure you are setting yourself up for success. Be consistent, be passionate, be inclusive and stay the course.

Your teammates will follow your lead and once your project is performing don’t forget to communicate this effectively throughout the organization by giving credit to your team.

You might have to repeat this a few times before your stature in the organization is raised to someone who can impact beyond that of his/her department.

Lead from the Front!

-W

Leaders should be Mentors & Mentees!

Over the past year, I have enjoyed being a mentor, coach, student, and mentee. Actually, I believe it’s a pillar of leadership excellence. Life is a journey of continuous learning, teaching and giving back by paying it forward.

That’s a mouth full, let’s break them down one-by-one.

Being asked to mentor someone is such an honor and a privilege. To be a positude leader, you have to give back by seeking out a passionate staff member who is primed for advancement but doesn’t quite possess the skills or knowledge necessary to make the leap.

Being a mentor comes with real responsibilities, it is your duty to provide contend material and develop a pathways or curriculum from which your mentee can receive guidance and have the ability to ask great questions.

Equally or at times even more importantly, a positude leader should also be a mentee. Seeking input and guidance from the next level manager will prepare you for the next level. It’s an opportunity to have a professional sounding board to ensure you are on the right path and utilize the right tools at the right time.

To be a great mentee, you have to be engaged, set expectation and drive the mentor/mentee relationship. Be open, nimble and teachable at all times. Your mentor doesn’t always have to be right, they are to provoke thought that drives change and action on part of the mentee.

Paying it forward is a positude leaders way of paying respect to those who took the time to teach you. Passionate young people who deserve to advance can and will benefit from your time and if you do things well, they too will seek someone to mentor in due time.

-W