Author Archives: Teresa Carey

Just Do What You Say You Will Do

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Following through – whether in hockey, basketball, baseball, golf or any number of other sports – results in lift, accuracy and power. It guarantees the very best attempt and outcome after contact with the puck or ball. Strong follow through demonstrates reliability.

Follow up and Follow ThroughThis concept can also translate to professional and working relationships. Is anyone else noticing that follow through and follow up are increasingly becoming amiss? What’s causing this? Are certain individuals prone to the pattern based on their situation or style?

None of us are perfect. Any one of us can occasionally drop the ball. Yet a continued pattern of a lack of follow through can send all the wrong signals, damaging our personal brand and reputation.

The most respected and effective leaders DWTSTWY –
Do What They Say They Will Do.

In a recent 10-year study by Harvard on “CEO-Sprinters”, those who get to the top faster, consistently demonstrate the behavior of reliability (Botelho, Powell and Wong, 2018).  Each day, they work hard just to keep their promises. Those who didn’t make it to the top in the study weren’t reliable with follow through.

The following examples may present just a few all too familiar scenarios:

  • A colleague reschedules meetings at the last minute, and their pattern is predictable.
  • You send an email at someone’s request or go above and beyond to provide a requested resource or answer. They don’t even respond. There’s no “Thank you!” or, even, “This stinks.”
  • You’ve given business to an organization, you send an email to several leaders for the potential of doing more business with them, and no one follows up. This one is a real head scratcher.

Do you want to be better at follow through?

Set reasonable boundaries for yourself – know what you can and can’t do. What’s realistic for your schedule? I get lots of requests for networking or informational meetings. As much as I would like to meet with everyone, it’s practically impossible if I’m going to serve my clients in the way they deserve, love on my family and leave a bit of space for myself. One give back meeting per month is all I can realistically handle. So, I tell them, “I’m not able to give you the time and full presence you deserve right now.” The answer can be “no”, or “not now.” You have a choice.

Follow upAggressively use and honor your calendar. Have you promised someone you would follow up next month? Put it on your calendar right then. We’re all wired continuously, so there are no excuses.

Recognize the impact on your brand or reputation if there’s no follow through. A ball dropped once or twice is understandable. Commitments continually broken send undeniable signals that we’re either too busy, over committed, can’t manage our schedules, or perhaps even don’t care. None of these are the trademarks we’re shooting for as leaders.

Do you see yourself in this post? Are you ready to be a more reliable leader?

  • Apologize if you’ve been the offender. Fortunately, most people have more grace than we give them credit for.
  • Commit to a process that helps you follow through. Technology and resources are rife. Use them. Ask others who are successful at follow through to learn their best kept secrets.
  • Start over. Change your story. Instead of saying, “I’m bad about following up”, tell yourself, “I honor my word.”  Reinvent how you show up as a respected leader and person.

Just DWYSYWD.

Creativity – It’s Everyone’s Business

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In a recent blog, I shared a list of competencies required for today’s leaders in growth organizations. One of the most favored – yet most often misunderstood – is creativity.

“But, I’m just not creative” emerges from the mouth of many leaders when the topic comes on the table. Many times it’s someone from finance or accounting! “You know what happened when those finance folks at certain failed organizations got too creative…,” they say.  True.

Healthy Creativity

Healthy creativity in businessHowever, healthy creativity, can unfold in many ways in any functional area. Most everyone can unleash this skill when they allow themselves the opportunity.

Recently in Harvard Business Review, Tom Perrault, the Chief People Officer of Rally Health, made a compelling case for a liberal arts degree and the potential strengths it develops – not just technical skills – because he claims the strengths developed in this degree are the ones that hold the keys to a company’s future success. And guess what skill is at the top of the list? Creativity.

Why are these “softer skills” like creativity getting more valuable? Because the ability to tell clear stories and design user friendly products and services is becoming more critical for all companies. Perrault describes the imperative of creativity this way, “When it comes to creating tech products, simplicity is hard,” writes Perrault. “Only people with specialized creative skills  –honed from years of thinking, reading, writing, and creating — have the talent of making the complex simple and the difficult accessible.”

How to Approach Creativity

When we work with leaders, we approach creativity from two vantage points:

1-    The traditional definition – What ideas can be birthed from conceptualization into reality?  To help with this process, we encourage them to consistently ask questions and complete thoughts such as:

·  “If only we had…”

·  “Work would be easier if I could…”

·  “Our clients need to solve…”

Setting aside time to come up with these answers can yield new product and service ideas that could never be incubated in the typical “stay busy”, reactive mode.  Allocating blocks on the calendar for personal think time and/or group brainstorming or mind mapping activities holds the secret to engaging in fruitful ideation.

2-    The process improvement definition – What is currently in existence that needs to be improved? In the one client’s sandbox, it’s called SMARTER. BETTER. FASTER. Some of the practices and questions that can be asked to yield the best improvements are:

·  Why did we start this practice/create this product in the first place?

·  Is it still necessary? If it is still necessary, is there a better way to reach the same result?

·  What are the consequences of continuing to do it this way?

·  What is stopping us from doing it differently?

Why is creativity misunderstood? Because most think of creativity as building from ground zero intervention. Using the broader definition and looking at it through two lenses, means that all of us can come up with ideas that could be game changers. Creativity is a learnable skill. Some of us come to the table with higher doses, yet we all have it to some degree.

Find Your Creative Place

In the coming weeks as you are focused on creating, look for your “creative place.” What and where is it?  Is it a time of the day? A certain physical place? Most meaningful alone or with others? One leader I work with has a white board in his shower that is humidity resistant. That’s his best time and place for thinking. He showers every day, so it happens. That’s getting creative – in how you work on creativity!

Allowing ourselves to be creative yields many advantages. Not only does it impact company efficiency, revenue and/or profitability, it creates more personal energy.  And we can all use a bigger dose of that.

You are creative.

All You Need Is…Love?

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In the month of February, the theme of love is rampant. On the retail front, we are surrounded by red and pink hearts, cupids with arrows and the nudge to carve out and celebrate a day just for love. This day of passion applies to many of us on the personal front as we proclaim our love for anyone close – a spouse, a significant other, as well as a family member or friend. Hallmark® has all of the bases covered.

Does love also apply professionally? How important is this emotion of love as it relates to leadership?

John Wooden, winning basketball coaching legend said, “Love is the most powerful thing there is.” In winning 10 NCAA titles, he applied what he repeatedly called the two most important elements of his success in coaching and in life: 1- love; and, 2- balance.

Is it really that simple? Over the years we’ve held several focus groups to find out what leaders really need in order to be high performing; and in particular, leaders within pre-rapid growth organizations. Here’s what we’ve learned is imperative:

Creativity and Risk-Taking – Leaders need to incubate new ideas and think in different ways to be able to avoid organizational and product maturation.  The love of, at least tolerance of risk is a key in order to execute on those new ideas.

Teamwork and Collaboration – Trust, the ability to manage conflict, commitment, and accountability are all required to drive the desired results. There’s also a recognition that no one person has to be the rock star on the team.   And, let’s get real, in order to make any of these work optimally, it helps to at least like each other.

Delegation and Developing Others – Letting go when we love certain projects or tasks is hard. We have to realize that holding on prevents us and the team member from growing to their best and brightest place.

Strategic Thinking and Agility – Nimbleness is not an option in a dynamic, rapid changing environment. The ability to think beyond day to day, get into the broader mindset and act quickly is tantamount.

Executive Presence – Showing up with the emotional intelligence to lead by example and being counted as someone worthy of following is embodied in this competency.

As we continue our work, these same areas keep surfacing. Even though the word “love” didn’t play out as a finalist, in our research the word has been used repeatedly within this realm: “I love my job.” “I love my team.” “I love knowing we did the right thing.”

John Wooden was a wise man and role model. He knew about the importance of love as a leader. He summed it up best, “Your players must know that you care for them more than just as athletes. Certainly, they understand that they are there because of their athletic ability – that’s why they’re there. That’s paying their way .… it’s up to you to make sure that they understand that you care for them as individuals.”

Just. One. Word.

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What’s the power of a single word? Just one word? If you could only pick a single word to guide your thoughts and actions for this year, what would it be?

One Word vs ResolutionsAt the beginning of each year, many feel internal and/or external pressure to make the traditional New Year’s resolutions. Those arguing resolutions are too esoteric may pen more measurable and realistic aspirations, or goals. Some opt out of the ritual altogether. Whatever camp you’re in, let me suggest changing up or even expanding upon your approach for this year.

Why Just One Word?

For the past decade, I’ve chosen one word as “the word of the year.” Since 1915, Webster has selected a word of the year. In 2014, Gordon, Britton and Page wrote a book on the concept called, THE ONE WORD THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. This was followed by Ashcraft and Olsen in 2016 with their version of the concept in the book, MY ONE WORD. In 2015, instead of selecting a word for the year, Wikipedia chose an emoticon/pictograph of the year. A sure sign of the times.

I can’t tell you how this idea started for me – only that it’s worked brilliantly in providing focus on what’s important and in guiding choices. I can argue it’s been at least game-changing and defining for me as I reflect on my list of words selected.

One Word Examples

The year I needed to make a major life decision, my word was CHOICES. For perhaps the first time ever, I realized I had a choice in that situation. It was transforming. The next year, my word was ADVENTURE. At the tender age of 47, I started swimming, biking and running, and learned about my love for triathlons. In another year, the word was ABUNDANCE. Everything I needed, and even some things I wanted, found me. In a recent year my word was GRATITUDE – for my family and husband, my health, and the gift of rising every day to live life doing what I love. A couple of years ago the word was SIMPLIFY – my kids were all out of the nest, so I decluttered and made things as simple as possible.

My One Word for  2018

One Word - meaningfulThis year my word is MEaningful. As I turn 55, I don’t want to waste any more time on situations or issues that don’t bear significance and true meaning for what’s important to ME. The freedom to decide where I do and don’t invest my time feels liberating as a new chapter will be written this year. Since time is an “appreciable asset,” it is increasingly becoming one of my most important.

What’s your word for 2018? Email it to me at [email protected] Remember, it’s Just. One. Word. And it could be your game-changer this year.

The Conundrum of Culture

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company culture word cloudAs we read most any business publication, watch TEDTALKS, or listen to podcasts, it’s crystal clear the topic of company culture has moved to front and center in the past few years.

Since 2010, culture has become the most discussed talent issue, having risen topically by 12% annually in earnings calls (Gartner, 2017). Organizations are increasingly becoming acutely aware their reputation and brand often hinge on culture. David Cummings, Co-Founder of Pardo claims, “Corporate culture is the only sustainable competitive advantage that’s completely within the control of the entrepreneur.”

In a recent client strategy meeting, the financial gaps between current and future EBITDA were exposed relative to the desired growth curve. A portion of the day was allocated to discussing potential revenue streams to bridge the gap and feed the continued growth aspirations. It was energizing and opportunistic to see several viable ideas poured out with such passion.

While companies must obviously keep their eyes on the prize of financials, we can argue that culture – while it may not ever become the leading star of the show – is going to increasingly steal a great deal of the spotlight.

Simply put, culture is about how we show up at work and how we get stuff accomplished. Or in the words of Brian Chesky, Founder of Airbnb, “Culture is simply a way of doing something with a passion.”

Company Culture Gap Analysis

So, what’s the conundrum with culture? Unlike financial gap analysis, organizations may overlook addressing cultural gap analysis. We can’t just “choose” culture. However, we can work to get team members to demonstrate the behaviors that epitomize the desired culture. In a 2017 study by Brooks and Knight, they looked behind the culture curtain of 7500 companies. Their work revealed three states of behavior tied to culture. The findings give us strong clues about the gaps between each one:

1-     What we say – Leaders communicate the importance of culture – 83% of leaders do this consistently;

2-     What we do – Leaders’ behaviors are consistent with culture – 29% landed here; and,

3-     How we operate – Culture is tied it into all processes – budgets, staffing, structure, policies – only 19% of employees drive culture to the operational level.

company cultureTo honor the integrity of culture, we must all walk the talk, as the old saying goes. It’s not only what we claim about culture, it’s about what we do at the inner-most tactical levels of the organization – whether it’s driving financials or any other metrics by which we define and measure success.

The study urges companies to remove the translation barrier for their team and themselves to ease tension. For example, if we have a different schedule for summer work hours as part of the bigger push toward work/life balance, does that mean we should leave at 3:00 to go spend time with our families, or work on the one critical project we’re trying to finish? The Gates Foundation has their teams define a framework of dos and don’ts for each core value aligned with the vision of how their team operates, allowing them to perform within any unique aspects of structure while preserving the overarching values. It also serves as a decision-making mechanism for high stakes moments of tension that may test alignment of culture.

Many organizations unquestionably have an enviable culture. However, with growth and scalability, it will become more critical for the culture to be further defined and actualized. This will mean bridging gaps between what is said and day-to-day moments of executional truth. It can be an opportunity to follow the philosophy of Nike as stated by Mark Parker, CEO, “We have a culture where are incredibly self-critical, we don’t get comfortable with our success.”

This can be the start in solving any challenge – even the conundrum of culture.

The Dance of Grace

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It’s often a rarity, yet needed abundantly.  The word isn’t uttered in the board room, yet if the principle were applied, it could transform the organization. It starts with one thought, one act, and one person. If everyone practiced it, conflict would be more tolerable, forgiveness would come sooner, and peace would rule.

Am I in “la la” land?  No, I’m confident I’m onto something that’s as old as the creation of man, but often forgotten. It’s that one act we all need to give and receive more of – grace.

What is Grace?

Depending upon whom you ask it can vary slightly. After reading the Christian, Islam and Buddhist definitions, the meaning of grace boils down to one theme – “unmerited favor.” It’s getting the break we really don’t deserve. It’s meaning it and not just a habit when we say things like, “No problem” or “No worries.”  It’s NOT a problem or a worry because we get that we are one small move away from taking a misstep ourselves at any given time. It’s a couple of tiers above empathy, an absolute pre-requisite to forgiveness and one chess move away from mercy.

The tragedy is not only do we hide and hoard it from others, we rob ourselves of it as well – which is where it needs to start. Only when we are gracious to ourselves, can we understand what it means to show grace to others.

Why Grace?

Why has this principle chased me for the past few months?  What’s shown up for me as a Mom, friend, neighbor, athlete, but especially as a business owner and coach that has pursued me relentlessly to write about this rarity in behavior?

Well, I’ve had to learn to cut myself some grace.  I’ve made a decision or two lately that I regret.  The choice? Forgive or not forgive. Before I could do that, I discovered, I had to first dish up some grace to myself before I could begin to forgive.

Business Case Studies in Grace

This personal challenge has been accentuated by some case studies in business. I have recently studied how both the imparting and the deprivation of grace have played out diametrically in a couple of organizations.

Well Done - Grace at WorkIn one firm, this act is believed in and passionately embraced and lived out by the top leader. He epitomizes grace and embraces the concept with most every action. How does it show up? By giving everyone the benefit of the doubt, by believing at his core his team wants to do their best, and that their mistakes are a blessing and necessity in improving their climb toward more personal and organizational growth. He is vulnerable and transparent, humbly admitting his own mistakes first, and confessing when he doesn’t have the answer.  He seems to be forever grateful, positive and kind. Everyone who knows him professes his essence as true, unadulterated leadership at the core.

In another organization, a top leader is typically cynical, untrusting and doesn’t believe or at least profess the belief that everyone is genuinely giving their best. So, consequently, he doesn’t give praise for success or failure. Instead of focusing on improving himself, he is more purposed at improving others. There is mistrust, doubt and constant micromanagement.  The tether from action to consequence is short and often fierce.  This organization is driven by fear, and the former driven by desire.  Big difference.

Live from Grace – in Life and at Work

Grace at workWhat have I concluded? Grace is not reserved for spiritual contextualization only. It is meant to be in the trenches with us every day – in life and at work. To truly honor ourselves and others we have to live from grace. It’s an ongoing act that needs to show up over and over again. Show me a top leader that practices grace, and I’ll show you the healthiest of organizational cultures with thriving leaders and team members, loyalty of all stakeholders as well as long term and sustainable financial results.

Where does grace start?

1-     Believe that you and everyone else is worthy of understanding and receiving it;

2-     Be certain that everyone is doing or at least wants to do their best based on the gifts and tools they have been given; and,

3-     Practice intrigue. If we operate from a position of being intrigued and simply curious about the person or his performance, we can only have a positive position and the curiosity to learn more.

“What Happens in the Canyon…”

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grand canyonMy husband tried to prepare me more than once, “You’ll leave something there, but you’ll take something far better out with you.” As we started the trek from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon at 5:30 a.m. with two of our five kids, his advice kept repeating in my head. Yes, I anticipated nature’s splendor, expected physical discomfort and was counting on reaching the opposite rim before dark. What else could possibly happen in THE canyon that would be so impactful?

Let’s get this straight – I was showing up to prove I could hike this beast of a canyon – rim to rim for 25ish miles in spite of the altitude challenges, hydration and heat issues. And, yes, I also wanted the four of us to share in this gutsy glory and grandeur together. Although there were warning signs advising of the potential dangers of taking the full hike on in one day, I was convinced that was for all of those other people.

Months later, I’m still transfixed by the experience And, as usual, my husband who was no stranger to the canyon having run rim to rim to rim a few years ago, was spot on. These take-aways are a few of the treasures that came out with me, yet could never describe what happened that will sacredly stay there.

Control what you can, understand what you can’t, and lean into the unknown.

grand canyon hikingThere was a complete surrender to the conditions that were out of our control – the heat, the terrain and the altitude. We could only control the training undertaken in our preparation and making sure we consumed sufficient water and nutrition the day of the hike. Having never trained in these exact conditions, we weren’t sure how our bodies would react. We found out quickly. The temperature variance was 50 degrees in about 4 hours and the elevation difference was about 6,000 feet for both rims. We absolutely knew we weren’t in Kansas anymore.

When in unfamiliar territory, instead of resisting or questioning, it’s much more effective to dance with the experience, learning along the way while being fully present in each moment.

Pace Yourself

Two of us paced ourselves early on, allowing an energy reserve for the hardest part of the hike during the 8-mile climb out. Those who didn’t pace themselves struggled the most with heat stroke and cramps. (We agreed the details of this part of the trek would always stay in the canyon!) There’s a reason this is touted as one of the “ten most dangerous hiking trails.”  The heat in the box can reach over 120 degrees and the unexpected dozens of switchbacks invite a treacherous fall. Heat strokes are common. Dehydration is familiar. If you stop to rest a few minutes each hour and take in nutrition, you allow your body to pace, reserving the most energy for the most challenging part of the climb out.

When we treat too many areas with the tyranny of the urgent, our energy and impact may be diminished for those things that ultimately matter. If you’re not pacing yourself, you’re negatively impacting and throwing off the rhythm of your team, increasing the potential for yourself and others to struggle on the most trying parts of the team’s shared path.

Nature is cathartic – mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Grand Canyon cliffIn the canyon I became intimately present with myself and my Creator. It was transforming to experience the diverse and breathtaking beauty, the connection with nature and to hear only the internal beat of the drummer. The many proven benefits of connecting with nature were illuminated.

Here is just a handful:

1-   “Group nature walks are linked with significantly lower depression, less perceived stress and  enhanced mental health and well-being” (The University of Michigan, with partners from De Montfort University, James Hutton Institute, and Edge Hill University in the United Kingdom.)

2-   “Those more immersed in natural settings are more generous, whereas those immersed in non-natural settings are less likely to give. In other words, autonomy and relatedness encouraged participants to (in this study) focus on their intrinsic values for relationships and community rather than on personal gain.” (Weinstein, Przybylski and Ryan: University of Rochester)

3-   “Early research found that in the act of contemplating nature, the brain is relieved of ‘excess’ circulation (or activity) and nervous system activity is reduced. … restoring harmony to the functions of the brain as a whole. This is a technical explanation of the process that occurs when people ‘clear their head’ by going for a walk in a natural setting.” (World Health Promotion)

There was no perceived stress. I was and am beyond grateful. My head is refreshingly clear.

We can’t always hike the Grand Canyon for our next life-changing adventure. We can, however, go for walks in the park or on a local trail, the glorious Overland Park Arboretum, or grab some much needed vacation time in a natural setting.

Because you never know what will happen “in the canyon” that you’ll leave behind or take away that will forever change you.

What’s Your Leadership Seasoning?

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Thanksgiving pumpkin pieI can hardly wait! As a “wanna be” chef, the thought of creating Thanksgiving dinner makes me excited beyond words. Cooking trumps many of my interests. It sets off a certain creativity within me that soothes my soul. The only recipe I’ll be following on Turkey Day is pumpkin pie – because that’s baking, not cooking.

Cooking is an art. Baking is a science. Ugh… I just felt the energy leave my body. It can simply squash the fun for me. Because I know if just one smidge of the carelessly measured baking soda is amiss on the crust, it can be all over.

In my anticipation of this culinary frenzy during the holidays, it’s occurred to me how our leadership style can be connected to the seasoning of food. There are many taste bud experiences – bitter, sweet, salty, sour, spicy and savory. For purposes of this blog, we’ll simply focus on two –Spicy and Savory.

Leadership Styles – Spicy or Savory

Most of us have encountered a variety of leadership styles. Some of us are still settling into our own. It would be remiss of me to suggest there are only two possibilities. However, this binary framework helps us see how what we cook and serve as leaders can either be tasted quickly or experienced slowly by our team members and stakeholders.

Leadership styleSPICY leaders tend to bring out or evoke instant reaction. There is usually immediacy in words and behaviors. You never have to guess where they stand.

However, it’s not necessarily a “one spice fits all” situation.  There are different concentrations – mild, medium and hot – much akin to our choices for Mexican or Thai. Spicy leader behaviors are usually intended for short-lived situations. They may be sure to push us in a certain direction to drive a result in the moment or based on the urgency of a pending deadline.

One of my most spicy leaders was Jim. I didn’t always like the level of intensity he imposed on sales situations, yet it lit up the achiever in me. The style pushed me to exceed expectations in the shortest amount of time beyond what I thought was possible. When Jim dialed up the spice and heat, we turned up the results.

Leadership styleSAVORY leaders, on the other hand, hit our palettes slowly, much like a well-seasoned stew or marinated meat with just the right ingredients and timing. They gradually have an impact on our approach to situations and even our longer-term development. Their savory style affects how we view everything from annual goals to bigger picture planning.

Because the taste of savory leaders is a slower release and lingers, we often reflect on the last pleasant interaction with them and remember the experience and subsequent lesson. They are memorable, and their approach can be endearing. My most savory leader was Larry. Thirty years later I remember what and how he taught me many of the leadership ingredients and recipes that I still rely on today. The taste of the experience in working with, being groomed by, and always encouraged by Larry will always be savored like a fine meal.

What is your leadership seasoning?

Are you more spicy or savory?  The reality is we need some of each style! We can call on both at certain points in leading because based on the person and the situation they are all necessary at different times.

Spicy leaders feed a sense of urgency, tight deadlines, and short- term results. Savory leaders feed those situations that call for the long view, that are focused on small continuing improvements and know that sometimes simmering the pot vs. cooking it up too quickly will serve a more thoughtful and strategic outcome.

What’s working or not working for you and your team?  One to three years from now, will it have been more important to be spicy or savory in a specific scenario? Do you need to change up some of your ingredients to create a different result?  As we bring this year to a close and 2018 is ushered in quickly, it’s a perfect time to reflect on how you affect the palette of your team.

Solid Decision Making – Entrepreneurial Style

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“I’m comfortable with seat of the pants decision-making.”

“It’s okay if I don’t have all of the answers when choosing an option.”

“I would prefer to move forward to seize the opportunity, knowing I can make any needed adjustments later.”

Your response to these statements tells you a lot about your approach to decision making. If you were thinking, “Yes!” “Yes!” “Yes!”, then you most likely have an appetite for the type of decision-making used in an entrepreneurial environment. If the thought of any of these makes you a bit queasy, then you might consider surrounding yourself with those who have this mindset to provide balance, or perhaps even rethink your approach to certain decisions.

Does this sound too cut and dried?  I’m not suggesting you don’t gather facts, look at financial models and perform the logical steps of due diligence. However, where the typical well-intended leader gets into trouble and stubs their toe against entrepreneurial spirit, is the practice of overanalyzing when it’s not required.

Developing the Entrepreneurial Style

Between 1999 and 2010, I worked with hundreds of corporate executives coming out of large organizations who were toying with the idea of making a break from their all too familiar corporate life to start their own ventures.

decision-making Business plan - entrepreneurial styleIn one of the workshops, they were given a list of questions developed by Entrepreneur.com akin to the three above. If they decided they were still interested in entrepreneurship after the initial tire kicking, they moved to the next phases of concept development and business planning.

It was telling to watch how they moved through this process and to observe what their approach to business planning itself revealed. Some developed a full business plan in two weeks and were ready to launch. While others just couldn’t stop gathering, consuming and evaluating research they felt would be warranted for a comfortable “GO” decision.

Guess what the longitudinal studies of this program showed about launch and staying power? Seventy-eight percent of those with a GO decision at the completion of the process were still in business and thriving five years later.

Example: Dave Girouard

The former President of Google’s Enterprise Apps division, Dave Girouard, now CEO of personal finance startup Upstart, used his decision-making savvy to grow Google’s enterprise apps division into a $1B+ global business. He says that decisions executed quickly are better than those agonized over. Girouard also claims that when tomorrow, next week or next month is the standard for how organizations handle decisions, precious time and momentum may be forfeited that could be invested on other strategic decisions.

Core Value: Entrepreneurial Spirit

decision-making entrepreneurial - business meetingIf Entrepreneurial Spirit is a core value at your organization, it must pervade all areas – not just in product ideation and execution. Entrepreneurism is a way of thinking, doing and being – especially in decision-making.

Check yourself:

1-   Are you taking too much time to make decisions that can be made from a more “seat of the pants” approach? Honor your gut. Trust yourself.

2-   Are you caught up in being too much of an information consumer instead of a decision creator? Let others tell you their opinions and rely on their expertise to tell you their thoughts on the decision, then make it. Or, even better, empower them to call the shot and move forward.   Trust others.

3-   Evaluate the price or cost of prolonged decision-making. What are you giving up in your quest for perfection? Develop a methodology that includes opportunities for adjustment, knowing that changes can be made along the way. Trust the process.

That’s solid decision making – entrepreneurial style.

Your Path to Strong Presentation Presence

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There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you had given.
–Dale Carnegie

One of the most sought-after competencies for our clients this year has been presentation presence skill development.  I’m perplexed about what may be driving this uptick. Maybe it was the pending eclipse, global warming, or some textbook public displays of bad professional presence. Or, perhaps many leaders are simply starting to recognize that what they say and how they say it really does matter. The reality is clear – presentation presence can be either a  leadership brand builder or a growth-limiter and saboteur.

Presentation Presence Makes a Difference

presentation presenceWhether it’s a formal stand up presentation to a crowd of 300, or even a team meeting or conference call with a group of 3 to 13, how we show up is a difference-maker.

One of the first hurdles the leaders I work with learn to jump over is nervousness. Do you ever find yourself with the slightest bit of jitters before a team or staff meeting where you have the spotlight, or a much bigger venue where you really feel the pressure for top shelf performance? If so, here are some best practice tips we use to move a leader into the mindset required for exceptional presentation presence and delivery.

Best Practice Tips

1-    Get over yourself – this presentation isn’t even about you. If you think it is, then your focus is misplaced. It’s about the others in the room who need and want to hear your thoughts. Be the Dr. who’s there to heal wanting minds and to provide insight to curious listeners. You’re there to serve up what they need. As soon as this lightbulb starts to flicker for you, it will start you on the path to eliminating much of your concern and worry.

2-    Lose the nervousness tied to fear, and re-channel it to desire. This will bolster your energy to deliver an engaging presentation. You need some nervousness to convert into much needed energy. As Bert Decker, world renowned presentation expert reminds us, “The secret is to get the butterflies to fly in formation.”

presentation practice3-    Show up in the room where you’ll be presenting in advance. Stand or sit in the spot where you’ll be engaging the group ahead of time. Visualize delivering your message with the group positively responding. Warm up! Go over your introduction to loosen up your voice and gestures. You wouldn’t even consider starting another physical activity without firing up your muscles. Presenting is no different. Those who warm-up before the presentation don’t have to use real presentation time to get in the groove and risk losing the audience early on. You can start with momentum in place.

4-    Humanize yourself. Be open and transparent about something you can share with the group to put their minds at ease and to establish a connection. It could be a travel faux pas you experienced getting there, a relatable analogy, or a simple slice of humor to engage with the group. The rule of thumb about staying away from politics and highly charged or sensitive issues is still a good one.

5-    Create a well thought out, organized format and PRACTICE it. Think you can wing it? How’s that worked for you in the past? If you’re lucky, it may have worked on occasion, but make no mistake, the most seasoned, well executed presentations have been well thought out, organized and rehearsed at least three times. As one of our daughters who is now 21 told her grandmother when she was only 3 and mastering rollerblading, “Grandma, you should know I’m so good because it took LOTS and LOTS of practice.”

Nervous about an upcoming presentation or not sure how to execute on your best delivery? By using these techniques, you’re on your way to becoming a leader with enviable presentation presence.