Businesses that stand the test of time will eventually face the proverbial passing of the torch. Those who have lead the organization for a long time and wish to move on to retirement or other ventures must find the proper candidate to take over their role. This transfer of leadership roles is known as succession. And while succession implies a continuation of the company, it also implies change, which can frighten staff members, especially those directly under the wing of the leader who is leaving.
Current and upcoming leaders must find ways to unite their teams in order to calm these fears and prepare for these changes. Proper succession planning shouldn’t just fill vacant roles with the right people, then, but also put everyone within the organization on the same page. Here we’ll examine a few key ways to promote team unity under new leadership.
How to Promote Team Unity as a New Leader
Reinstate Vision
Every leader, even if they’re occupying the same role at different times, has their own unique leadership style and idiosyncrasies that inform their decision-making. However, above all else, leaders should serve the needs of their organization and their people. This means, regardless of their personal traits, leaders must always keep the company’s greater vision in mind. Under the supervision of their leaders, team members must also work toward this common purpose.
In other words, the company’s vision supersedes the leader and the team, operating as a unifying force in and of itself. No matter who is currently at the helm, the ship is headed in the direction of this vision. By reinforcing and adhering to the company’s vision, new leaders can promote and maintain team unity and the overall organizational culture.
Transition Gradually
Even the most open-minded people struggle with change, especially when it’s abrupt. Among the several benefits of succession planning, the buffer it creates between the old and the new is perhaps the most important. Team members should have the opportunity to get to know their newly appointed leader over a period of time in order to get comfortable with this shift.
Fortunately, it’s likely that most staff members will already know this person, as many succession plans promote someone already within the organization. That said, the change in roles can still throw people for a loop, so the more time everyone has to get used to the new situation, the better. It benefits both the new leader and the team to have several weeks (if possible) where the current leader and upcoming leader work side by side.
Create Team Buy-In
Whenever a new idea comes about, creating team buy-in is a major step in furthering its development. The same goes for a change in leadership. While in most cases the team itself won’t have a say in succession planning issues, they should at least be allowed to offer feedback and advice to their upcoming leader. By empowering the team in this way, individuals within the team will feel more connected to one another, establishing unity and trust.
Change is difficult, but it’s necessary for a business to go on, thrive, and adapt to a dynamic world. During a shift in leadership, however, the current team might begin to fracture and waver. This is why every succession planning model should include measures for promoting team unity during this transition. For deeper insights into succession planning and how to keep your company together during a leadership transfer, download our white paper: “Preparing New Leadership: A Successful Approach to Succession Planning.”
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how it can help your business succeed and grow.
The best leaders know how important it is to recognize their team members and partners whenever someone goes above and beyond. Simply put, recognition is rewarding in and of itself. That’s why we’re honored to be recognized by HR Tech Outlook as their company of the year within their category of the Top 10 Leadership Development Training/Coaching Companies.
HR Tech Outlook is a publication focused on the technological advancements and changes occurring in the human resources industry, and in the business world more broadly. To be considered a top leadership development firm in their eyes, a company must be forward-thinking, open to change, and willing to use cutting-edge technology to achieve its goals. Here at Leadership Resources, we’re proud to fit this bill through our Accelerate Program and EOS® Implementation.
Our Accelerate Leadership Program
Leadership development is an ongoing process that can occur wherever you are, at every stage of life. In a world where more and more individuals are working remotely, traveling constantly, and bouncing between roles and careers, leadership development coaching should be more accessible and flexible for everyone’s lifestyle.
With our Accelerate Leadership Program, the resources, experts, and support necessary for developing leadership skills are available for each client as they embark on their unique development journey, regardless of their location or position. Users can go it alone or join a real-life or virtual cohort to grow together, taking courses, working with coaches, and tracking their individual and organizational progress via the Accelerate software.
This program is designed for people at all levels, whether they’re aspiring to become a leader, recently entered a leadership role, or want to expand their knowledge as an established leader.
EOS® Implementation
Another way Leadership Resources embraces modern methods is through our implementation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System®, which provides prospective and current leaders with a top leadership development consultant (EOS Implementer™). EOS Implementers™ help leaders establish a cohesive vision for their organization and improve their team culture by establishing habits and skills that can be used in a practical, day-to-day way.
Read HR Tech Outlook’s Write-Up on Our Company
For more on how Leadership Resources is blazing a trail in the leadership development industry, check out HR Tech Outlook’s article which recognizes Leadership Resources as the top leadership development firm of 2019. This article features several insights from Boyd Ober, President and CEO of Leadership Resources, regarding the importance of accountability, strategic planning, and specialized coaching for organizational success.
As technology improves and the business landscape changes, one thing will remain constant: the need for good leaders. We thank HR Tech Outlook for recognizing our efforts in establishing a model for ongoing organizational growth through modern approaches to business consulting services and leadership development. We aim to continue innovating into the future.
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how it can help your business succeed and grow.
In a constantly evolving business climate, it is more important than ever to make sure work teams are cohesive, high performing, and agile. A strong culture of strategic leadership and values based hiring processes can serve to create high functioning teams. However, sometimes even the most promising hires turn out to be the wrong fit. After efforts to coach, develop, and train an employee fail, it sometimes becomes apparent that they are negatively impacting your business’ growth, reputation, and/or team morale.
It is almost inevitable that a leader will eventually face the difficult decision to terminate an employee. Firing a staff member can lead to serious leadership stress, which can trickle down to the rest of the organization, causing disengagement, confusion, and discontent. Is it possible, then, to terminate employees without crushing morale? In short, yes, but it takes some effort.
How to Terminate an Employee and Maintain Morale
Transparency after Termination
A team member who is either underperforming or a bad fit has significant impact on the morale and energy of their coworkers. If you’re responsible for managing team dynamics, you have to bear in mind that even when a termination is necessary to improve working conditions, some employees may still panic at this revelation, thinking they could be next. It’s your job to articulate a clear leadership message before concern spreads. Your communication should reinforce critical company values, and how the team will move forward, without divulging so much information that you put the organization or yourself at risk.
Be thoughtful prior to sending any message to the rest of the team. Be as transparent as you legally and reasonably can. While you shouldn’t share health or sensitive personnel information, the more your team knows, the better they’ll understand what they’re doing right and where they can improve. Clearly lay out the reasons for the change through the lens of mission, vision, and values, and provide opportunities to discuss matters further with individual team members privately, if necessary. Don’t dwell on specific performance issues beyond this point. This is the time to clear things up, tie any loose ends, and forge a positive path forward with the current team.
Framing is Key
It isn’t just about what you tell your team, but how you tell them. Framing the situation the right way can turn a sour scenario into something beneficial for the workplace culture. The key here is to focus less on the negatives and more on the positives. Don’t ignore the truth of the termination, of course. Instead, leverage this disruption as an opportunity to bring your team back together.
For instance, if an employee was terminated due to a bad attitude or inappropriate behavior, conduct a meeting with your team to reinforce the company’s culture and values. Remind everyone what types of behavior are acceptable and encouraged, and which are discouraged, and point out recent instances where employees did an outstanding job. Bring the focus back to the collective vision, and clearly state what actions are being taken to reinforce this vision and move the company forward.
Terminating a Negative Force Can Actually Boost Morale
In addition to the above, it’s also important to remember that terminating an employee is in the organization’s and the team’s best interest. After all, the decision to remove an employee from the company comes from a careful performance management review process where it becomes clear that the employee is not a cultural match for the organization and may be harming the business in some significant way. If you have been clear in communicating your core company values, the termination should not come as a surprise to the employee, and it’s likely that the employee’s negative performance or attitude manifested in many forms, such as lowered productivity, violation of company policies, or negatively impacting morale. Purposeful action to preserve and uphold your stated values can serve to increase individual accountability and foster greater teamwork.
While this change in numbers might be abrupt for some, it should ultimately make for a better work environment. In this way, firing an employee should actually serve to boost morale rather than crush it. It might take a while for this shift to occur, of course. But with proper framing and clarity in communication, your team can see a positive change come out of this decision.
Of all the responsibilities a leader must take on, having to terminate an employee might cause the most stress. Many seasoned managers still admit to agonizing over even the most justified cases of termination. Still, it’s necessary for maintaining a positive company culture and promoting growth of the organization. Be open and honest with your team and continue focusing on the good.
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how it can help your business succeed and grow.
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The most successful organizations understand that their growth largely depends on their people and culture. Staff members must feel encouraged and empowered to go above and beyond the bare minimum that’s required of them each day.
Coaching and leadership go hand in hand. The best leaders make coaching a part of their job, helping employees grow as individuals and members of a team, while also utilizing a coach themselves. In fact, good coaching can have a tangible impact on a company’s bottom line. Here’s how.
The Benefits of Leadership Coaching on Your Bottom Line
Retaining Good People
Business leaders must focus on hiring the best, most fitting candidates for their enterprise. However, welcoming a new hire aboard doesn’t matter much if that person abandons ship. In fact, high turnover rates can wind up greatly costing a business. According to a 2012 study by the Center for American Progress, replacing a highly-trained or skilled employee can cost a company approximately twice as much of their annual salary. In other words, it’s not just about finding the right people, but retaining them.
One of the best ways to keep employees on board is by injecting a company culture with a strong emphasis on developing people, with coaching being an important part of that. Good coaches treat staff members as equals, encouraging them to take on new responsibilities that reinforce their purpose and importance in the company. As these employees learn and grow, they will provide more value and maybe even become coaches to new employees. More people will choose to stay in this mutually respectful, upwardly mobile, and positive environment.
Keeping Employees Engaged
It isn’t enough to simply keep employees around, however. Keeping them engaged is vital to improving a company’s bottom line, too. Team members who are actively invested in their work are more productive and positive, and less prone to costly accidents and mistakes than those who are mentally checked out on the job.
Coaches help keep employees engaged in several ways. First, they remind employees why their role matters. Additionally, coaches can forge a clear development path for employees to follow. If staff members want to contribute more, their coach can help them work towards achieving that. Leadership coaching in particular prepares employees to take on larger leadership roles in the company.
Improving Company Culture
Coaching and leadership development ultimately improve a company’s culture across the board, which yields net positive effects both internally and externally. Inside the organization, a positive culture spreads contagiously from employee to employee, naturally boosting productivity and engagement. From the outside, consumers and clients take notice of this atmosphere, which will gravitate them towards it. In this way, a brand’s culture and values and reputation are inextricably linked.
Great coaches work hard to maintain these values by reinforcing them in their actions, discussions, and lessons. By demonstrating what strong leadership looks like, coaches provide an example that their team can follow as they learn and grow within the company. Businesses might also invest in an employee leadership development program, where employees can learn important skills and methods from leaders and coaches.
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how it can help your business succeed and grow.
In the business world, you’ll find many passionate leaders who seem unlikely to ever leave the company. But our time here is limited, and life has a way of throwing curveballs at us whether we like them or not. It’s simply a fact that if you own a business, one day you and your fellow leaders will have to leave it, whether due to age, health concerns, or personal reasons. Of course, just because you’ll eventually exit the company doesn’t mean the enterprise should shut down too. If you want your business’ legacy to thrive, you’ll have to focus your efforts on succession planning.
What You Need to Know About Succession Planning
What is Succession Planning?
Right now, you may be asking yourself, “what is succession planning?” Simply put, succession planning is how a company secures its future by hiring, promoting, and/or training individuals to take on leadership roles as current leaders leave the enterprise. You might think of it as a ceremonial passing of the torch. As one team leaves, a new team steps in to carry on the business’ mission. Without proper succession planning, a business will struggle to continue its operation, as there will be no one available or remotely prepared to take on these vital leadership roles.
How Do Companies Develop Succession Plans?
The importance of succession planning should be abundantly clear. However, successfully crafting and implementing a succession planning strategy is a different story altogether. Every company differs in size, scope, location, and potential leadership candidates, meaning each organization must create a plan that suits its individual needs. Still, there are certain general guidelines every business should follow when forming a strategy for succession planning.
Start Early
The sooner you consider your exit strategy, the better. You won’t be shipping off tomorrow, of course, but by being ahead of the curve you can outline a plan for how to go about finding optimal replacements. This head start also allows you to start focusing on the leadership development of your current staff members. It takes time to identify the right candidates, let alone train and evaluate them thoroughly enough for the new role. By starting early, you have more time to ensure the right people are on board.
Clearly Identify Roles, Duties, and Vision
One of the major challenges in succession planning is knowing and clearly communicating what roles and duties need to be fulfilled and how they will help steer the company into the future. If you started the business, you and your partners might know these things inherently. But when it’s time to bring new blood into the fold, you need to flex your leadership communication skills to get everyone on the same page. You might start including potential candidates in more closed-door meetings to help them gain insight into the company’s operations, for instance.
Consider the Plan When Hiring
If you already have a solid team, you’ll have an easier time finding the right people to take over in your absence. However, you’ll likely have to hire some new faces every now and then. With a solid succession planning model, you can hire new recruits with this template in mind. In other words, you’ll be able to hone in on specific traits and leadership qualities present in high-quality employees. Your succession plan should inform every hiring decision you make so you don’t waste any time finding and training the best people for the role.
When your business is growing, the last thing you might think about is leaving. However, failing to consider an exit strategy is a mistake that may cost the legacy of your organization. With proper succession planning, you can develop leaders within the enterprise and ensure the continued development of your business.At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how it can help your business succeed and grow.
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Your people are your greatest assets, but they’re also human beings with various ambitions, views, and flaws. If you’re in charge of a team, you have to focus much of your energy on communication and performance management. Proper communication with each individual and the team as a whole will help keep everyone on track and mitigate any growing issues or concerns.
This is easier said than done, of course. When something goes wrong, a tough conversation may be in order. And if you’re the team leader, the impetus is on you to conduct these tough conversations with dignity while still addressing the issues at hand. Let’s explore some of the ways you can navigate these interactions while also preventing them from devolving into finger-pointing or talking around the problem.
How to Have Challenging Conversations Well
Keep it Private
When a problem arises in your company, it may affect your whole team. Or, your team might have triggered the problem in the first place. Whatever the case, resist the urge to address your team as a whole right away. It’s often better to speak with individuals one-on-one to better understand the issue before bringing it up at large. If the problem seems to stem from a single person, you’ll want to begin by speaking with that person first, of course.
Private discussions are free from distractions and eliminate the potential to lean on or blame anyone else. This gives you the opportunity to better understand where the other party is coming from. Holding conversations in private can also help the other party feel more comfortable, as they won’t feel singled out in front of the rest of the team.
Be as Clear and Honest as Possible
Good leadership communication is all about clarity. The more transparent you are, the better the conversation will go. What does this transparency look like in action? It means addressing the issue head-on, clearly explaining why it matters, and genuinely expressing your desire to make things better as a team. The more sincerity you show, the more sincerity you’ll receive. A workplace culture built on this trust is bound to be more successful.
Don’t Make it Personal
Just because you’re speaking with a staff member one-on-one doesn’t mean the conversation has to get personal. Instead, the talk should focus on the problem itself. Even if the individual contributed to the problem in question, merely placing blame is not an effective way to course-correct. You should try to uncover the full context of the issue and discuss ways to make future improvements. We all make mistakes, and sometimes underlying circumstances play a part. If you’re not willing to dig deeper into all relevant factors, the same mistakes will rear their heads again.
Let the Other Party Speak
Tough conversations cannot be one-sided. Yes, you’re the one initiating the discussion, but you must also let the other party speak and ask questions if anything is to get fixed. Be sure to ask them questions as well. If you don’t open a dialogue you won’t know how to manage your team effectively in the future. Of course, the individual might start placing blame on others, avoiding the problem, or responding emotionally. If this occurs, continue listening, but try to bring the conversation back to the issue, not the person.
Forge a Path Forward Together
The goal of any tough conversation is to amend a problem, making things better moving forward. This can only be done through team effort. Make sure that you end every difficult discussion with a purpose. Work with the individual to create strategies and solutions that will benefit them, the team, and the company. Dignity requires autonomy and self-respect, so you should empower your employees to do better in the future, helping them along the way with mindful team management.
Tough conversations are by definition never easy. They can, however, be productive and cathartic, as long as they’re conducted with dignity. With proper leadership communication training, you can get better at having these conversations. The better you get at this, the stronger your team and your business will be. Leadership Resources offers courses and resources for improving your communication and team management skills.
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how it can help your business succeed and grow.
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Most of us don’t like receiving criticism. But when we look back on our lives, we often find that our most significant moments of growth were driven by feedback and advice from others. We’ve already discussed the problems with being your own coach. Indeed, sometimes we need an external push to point us in the right direction. If you’re in charge of team management, part of your job is to evaluate its performance and dole out criticism that can help get everyone back on track.
Mastering this communication and performance management is easier said than done, however. On one hand, you don’t want to water down your comments or avoid confronting imminent issues. On the other hand, you don’t want to make your team uncomfortable by singling out members or acting rudely. There is an area between these poles that allows you to criticize your team without demeaning them. Let’s explore this area, how to find it, and how to navigate it properly.
How to Properly Criticize Your Employees
Deconstructing Constructive Criticism
Most of us have heard the term “constructive criticism” before. In fact, it’s one of those terms that loses its meaning after a while due to how frequently it’s used. Still, this is a relevant concept that’s worth truly understanding, as it defines the area between weak feedback and bullying mentioned above.
Constructive criticism isn’t necessarily easy to swallow or even “nice.” Rather, it’s honest feedback given in good faith designed to improve the organization. The feedback given must have the ultimate purpose of improving the individual, team, and/or behavior moving forward. Without this aim in mind, criticism lacks initiative, and may even be given in bad faith. This is why leadership communication is so vital when delivering feedback. If you fail to clearly communicate why a problem needs fixing and how it might be fixed, you’re likely to encounter the problem again.
The Lame Blame Game
Anyone who grew up with siblings has probably partaken in the blame game before, whether that blame was warranted or not. It’s true that we’re responsible for our own actions, and when we make mistakes it’s best to own up to them as soon as possible. However, playing the blame game is not an effective way to manage your team.
When someone makes a mistake, it affects the whole team. Even if a single person made an error, this mistake serves as a learning opportunity for everyone including that individual, of course. The key here is that the problem gets addressed, not that the individual gets singled out. If you do point the finger, plenty of new issues can arise. For one thing, the finger may get pointed back at you or other team members, quickly creating fissures in the company culture. Also, blaming an individual in front of the team can make that person feel ostracized, which may decrease their productivity and willingness to work.
Some mistakes are more serious than others, of course. If a team member does something hurtful, dangerous, disingenuous, or illegal, you will have to address this person directly. However, it’s often best to have a one-on-one conversation with said person rather than single them out in the group.
Reiterate Unity and Vision
Ultimately, the best way to criticize your team without demeaning them is to frequently remind everyone of their shared purpose. You and your team are in this together. There are bound to be mistakes along the way, and they all must be addressed. But it all must come back to the unified vision so every team member can regroup and get back out there better than before. It isn’t personal.
If you’re still new to leading a team, it’s worthwhile to invest in any available communication training for managers. These programs will help you become a better leader, listener, and bearer of constructive criticism. If you want to learn more about how to manage your team effectively, look no further than Leadership Resources.
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how it can help your business succeed and grow.
Read MoreLeadership Resources is pleased to announce Kari Foote has joined their team as a Leadership Development Specialist. Working directly with clients, Foote will develop high-performing leaders and create a culture of accountability. Through individualized coaching, facilitation of development processes, goal setting, and accountability, Foote will create customized development plans that align with the organization’s vision.
Foote has over 18 years of experience in a variety of fields in the public sector, including law enforcement and emergency management, banking and finance, and human services. The past two-and-half years, she served as the Human Resource Manager for the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County. She led strategic operations in the areas of employee relations, training and development, and talent acquisition, where she served over 3,000 employees across a variety of departments and divisions. Prior to that role, she spent over fifteen years working for the State of Nebraska in a variety of Human Resource roles, including the HR Field Operations Administrator for the Department of Health and Human Services where she supported over 5,000 employees statewide.
A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Business Administration, Foote brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Leadership Resources team. In 2014, she became a certified executive coach and a member of the International Coach Federation.
“We are excited to welcome Kari to our team. She is a great match to our core values and brings tremendous attitude and experience which will enhance the lives of our clients ,” said Boyd Ober, President and CEO of Leadership Resources and Accelerate.
Foote can be reached at (402) 423-5152. For more information about Leadership Resources and our services, visit our website at www.LRsuccess.com.
We want to invite clients, vendors and the public to join us for an open house on Thursday, October 27 th from 4 to 6 p.m. at our new Omaha office, located in Miracle Hills at 1045 N. 115th Street, Suite 350.
Join us for food, tours of the new building, a ribbon cutting with the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and a chance to meet our team.
The local demand for leadership development and strategic alignment within growing organizations has allowed us to open a second office. Our new location will house a team of Leadership Development Specialists’ and staff, while providing a space for coaching, facilitation and forums.
By strengthening our presence in Omaha, we are eager to continue building on and fostering growing relationships within the community. We have worked with hundreds of companies throughout the region and are excited to be able to provide an additional location for meetings and coaching sessions.
We believe that development in an organization is vital to a company’s growth and success. We will create customized development journeys by identifying, aligning and developing high potential leaders within your organization. Through leadership content, strategic solutions, and our proprietary software LRSuccessPath®, we have a proven process that drives organizational and personal success.
You may know Boyd Ober as CEO and President at Leadership Resources, but this year he has taken on an additional role. Boyd is the 2016 Chairman of the Lincoln chapter for Real Men Wear Pink. Real Men Wear Pink is a national breast cancer fundraising and awareness campaign.
“There are a lot of women that go through breast cancer or any other cancer and don’t have that support network,” says Ober, so he and his team wear pink everyday as sign of their commitment to raise money and awareness to fight breast cancer.
Read the full article from The Daily Nebraskan to learn more about Boyd’s personal connection to the disease and the Real Men Wear Pink Campaign.
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