What Would You Do With An Extra Day?

This year as we know is a “Leap Year”, which provides us with an extra day.  Last year I was asked to schedule an appointment on February 29^th that would last the entire day.  As of 2:42pm February 28^th, I was informed that the scheduled appointment was cancelled and would be rescheduled.   This scenario or a variation of it happens to many of us.  I realized that I have been given the gift of time.  So, how should I put this time to good use?

Well, my to-do list is long and certainly not worth carrying on about.  However, let’s take a look at how anyone of us who have said at one time or another, “if I only had more time, I would...” statements.

If I only had more time, I would:

1.       Relax, get more sleep.

2.       Work on a home/work project.

3.       Spend more time with...

4.       Study for...

5.       Call or send a card to (spouse, significant other, client, family, friend...)

6.       Play a game with...

7.       Go to child’s...

8.       Prepare for an important presentation.

9.       Talk with the team about...

10.   Take the time to create a budget to improve a financial situation.

11.   Add new contacts to my contact manager.

12.   Pay bills (Yuck).

13.   Get taxes ready (Yuck).

14.   Plan a vacation day.

15.   Plan for my future by setting new goals.

16.   Put pictures into an album.

17.   Clean and organize to be more efficient.

18.   Read a book for pleasure versus a required topic.

19.   Research a self or home improvement topic.

20.   Volunteer.

Do any of these phrases sound familiar?  I seem to remember a time or two when I have said one or more of these statements myself.  So, how have you planned for your extra day in 2012?  Since I have just received the gift of time, I have started the day with an updated blog.  I will then organize my office, prepare for a training session and advertise it, pay bills, and study for a certification.  These are items that I would not have been able to do if I was still scheduled for a day long appointment on Leap Day. 

In closing, Happy Birthday to all of you who were born on this day.  For those of you who are looking for something to do, you have been given the gift of time, make it a great day!

Business Integrity

Why is this important to you?  Well, perhaps you as a business owner are working with another business and you notice slight flaws in how they speak with others, or perhaps you see that they do not live up to your ethical standards.  What it the first thing that comes to mind?  Maybe, “how can I get out of this business deal?”  Or, “should I say something?”  No matter what, you have the right to question business integrity.

Having business integrity can affect many areas of a business; profits, customer security, employee and business continuity, and much more.  In order to maintain business integrity in your own business, train your team(s).  This type of training is best delivered in person and reinforced with appropriate behaviors from everyone.

What could your integrity training look like?

1. Review policies regularly with your team (provide examples and make it interesting).
2. Ensure your handbook is up-to-date and details appropriate behaviors.
3. Engage leaders in recognizing and rewarding appropriate behaviors.
4. Describe in detail your Guiding Principles to help team members understand what is important.
5. Live up to your Guiding Principles and use it as a way to steer appropriate behavior.
6. When someone is not living up to the principles, have the courage to talk with them, timely.
7. Encourage feedback.
8. Document each time you train, speak on behalf of your Ethics/Guiding Principles/or Business Integrity statements.
9. Remember to celebrate when business practices are done well.

Good behavior will prevail when everyone is on the same page with what is expected.

Supervisory Competencies

Understanding leadership competencies is critical in overall development. There are a variety of leadership and competency levels to take into consideration. For example; a President of an organization will need different competencies than those who are Supervisors. Even if they have a similar competency title, they may have different levels of knowledge, skills and abilities needed to fulfill the position. In this post, I will focus on supervisor competencies and five critical areas for this development.

First, one needs to evaluate what the current persons in the supervisory positions are doing today and then gather data on what is expected by others who work with supervisors. When studying these two perspectives, you may find that there are differences and they will need to be addressed during the next step.

Second, a person will gather a cross-section of leaders to decide eight or fewer competencies that are critical for the position (which competencies are critical in supporting the vision, mission, and values plus skills to meet organizational goals and position requirements) and then create definitions to support the expected behaviors and skills for each competency.

Third, update all documents that help a supervisor understand their role (i.e. performance evaluations, job descriptions, interview questions, etc).

Fourth, create a special learning and development meeting to introduce the competencies to the supervisors and ask for their input in the upcoming training that will most likely be essential to provide current direction for their position.

Fifth, determine which training is essential in the near future and create courses or hire outside professional trainers to deliver the needed training.

There are great resources for helping organizations in putting all of this together and to make it as valuable and exciting for the supervisors development. I hope this information is found useful to those who are looking for general ideas on how to get started.

Leaders Transitioning Towards Retirement

One of many challenges for a leader is passing the reigns of their position to another person. An additional challenge is when retirement as part of the equation. This may sound very easy for some leaders as they are looking forward to retiring, but when everything is said and done, the unexpected happens. You no longer have power, attention, status, and big decisions to make.

Again, some leaders may be thinking they will enjoy some quiet time with family, play golf everyday, join social groups, travel and so on. We find that far too many leaders are not prepared to make the transition from power and prestige to a full-time family person. One thing to consider, how will your spouse or significant other feel with you around everyday?

If someone is in a leadership position and is considering retiring, my recommendation is to hire a Certified Professional Coach at least one year prior to retiring to help transition duties, responsibilities, and power. Along with this process, a coach will help a leader plan for retirement and the rest of their life, perhaps in another leadership position where the community benefits.

Are there any thoughts on the topic or experience to be shared?

Leading as a volunteer

There are many traits that help us identify if someone would be a great leader. Such as, self-discipline, ability to listen, problem solving skills, vision, values, a strong work ethic, authenticity and so on. According to John C. Maxwell, known as America's expert on leadership and author of several books, has stated that one really great way to test a persons leadership skills is to "Ask them to lead a volunteer group."

Finding volunteer groups to lead is not too challenging. Finding a group to lead can be located within our community, social groups, church and industry associations. This is a great opportunity if you are looking to lead a group prior to taking a leadership position in an organization.

In addition, if you have a team of people who are preparing for a leadership position, this is a great way for them to take on the rewarding position of leading others and providing a great service to the community. If a person succeeds in leading a volunteer group, they may just thrive as a leader in the organization.

Share your thoughts if you have led a volunteer group.