Your Last 10%

A number of years ago I was with a great friend at his workplace where he was speaking with a member of his team about a difficult topic. He sensed she was trying to be diplomatic and was not being completely forthright as she answered his questions.

Then he said, "what is your last 10%?"

I'm sure I had a puzzled look on my face as I watched this exchange, as I had absolutely no idea what his question meant.

His team member paused...flashed a bit of a nervous smile...and gave a completely honest answer to his previous series of questions.

Once this impromptu meeting ended, I asked my friend about the last 10%, and why it shifted her answers to the core of the issue.

He explained that he has a rule with his team. They are required - like most teams - to be honest and thoughtful about their communication. But in case something gets too complicated, politically sensitive or just a bit awkward, they can ask for the other person to give their "last 10% of what they're thinking."

I love that.

A culture whereby even the most challenging of topics have a clear path to be discussed without fear of retribution because you are given the freedom to share that final bit of information on your mind.

How About You

What culture have you created in your workplace? The real one. Does it have clear paths for your team members to be completely honest? 

Maybe the last 10% help?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Tell Your Organization's Story

The world is filled with lots of voices. Many of those voices are determined to tell inaccurate stories about your organization. 

Maybe it's a former employee who was held accountable and has moved on, and is now looking to save face.

Maybe it's another organization trying to spread misinformation about you.

Maybe it is simply a series of events that appear to position your company in a negative light.

Stop Wishing for Good News
In an era of unlimited opportunities to share information, I'm not sure why every organization isn't aggressively telling their own story? 

Do you have fantastic people working for you? Talk about them!

Do you do good work that adds value? Share those stories!

Do you have a thought leadership message to share to inspire others? Get started!

When we wait for good stories to be told about our organizations we need to tell ourselves that old phrase..."don't hold your breath." The only people that will intentionally tell an accurate story about all of the good things you do is...YOU!

Get Started
Kicking off this strategy is not nearly as difficult as you might think. 

1. Decide to drive the message instead of being a victim.
2. Identify a team..and a leader of that team..to own the process.
3. Develop and implement your plan with clear accountabilities to sustain the effort.

Find the talented people in your company who have a passion for what you do. Identify a leader who will ensure your strategy comes to life and moves the narrative forward.

You can do it.

How About You
What fears are holding you back? Stop making excuses and write them down. 

Rip apart each one, and move forward. We are not victims as leaders, we make a huge difference in the lives of our organizations. You can too.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Violator

Who is the negative disruptive force in your organization? You know the one...they violate every value you have posted on the wall and espouse in new employee orientation. 

Can you picture them?

You're Too Slow
How long did it take for you to see their face in your mind? Three seconds? Maybe, one second?

Why are they still there? How could someone that negative, that you identified so quickly, possibly still be employed with your company?

That makes no sense to me.

You realize your employees know you haven't taken any action...so you're losing credibility while you're reading this post instead of doing your job, right?

Now
Stop reading. Earn your leadership pay. You do more than attend meetings and approve payroll. You have to get into the difficult work of confronting...yes, confronting... behaviors that do not jive with your corporate culture. 

It's not easy. In fact, it can be downright stressful. So what? Your employees, your organization, and candidly, for your own sense of self-respect, you need to get on with it.

Remove them from your organization today.

How About You
Make the decision to step up and build the team you want to have, not that you "inherited." That lame excuse works for six months, then guess what? They are your team.

What are you waiting for?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Retention Is A Leadership Problem

I've heard the excuses for years...literally. Leaders complaining about everything under the sun that is negatively impacting their departments. It is rarely their inaction or overinflated ego that is to blame; but instead, is an unfair productivity standard, a poor candidate pool, budget pressure, unreasonable physicians, and on and on...

Listen
I've also had the pleasure to work with some gifted leaders who chose to not let the excuses get in the way of their connection to their teams. They accepted the fact that leadership is hard, and took a path focused on relationships and trust, instead of blame and excuses.

Some leaders are uncomfortable in groups. (excuse)
Some leaders don't have an outgoing personality. (excuse)
Some leaders have great ideas but struggle delivering the message. (excuse)

The most effective leaders don't hide behind these issues, instead they make themselves vulnerable.

That's right. Vulnerable leaders. I know, it's a counterintuitive approach as compared to the massive ego trip many leaders embrace in an almost drunken stupor. 

Be
Instead of the stupor, I recommend focusing on these five behaviors:
- be present
- be visible
- be compassionate
- be humble
- be real

These aren't nearly as hard as you think. 

You are your biggest barrier at this point.

How About You
Who are the leaders in your organization that can name every problem across the company yet refuse to see their role in those problems? Maybe today is the day you pull them aside and have a good old fashioned blunt force trauma type conversation with them.

Let me know how it goes.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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I'm Hiring! - Employee Relations Consultant

Do you wish you had a human resources job in an organization that was constantly trying new things?

Do you wish social media was integrated in to how your HR team did their work?

Do you have employee relations experience?

Are you tired of your lame job?

If you answered yes to these questions you need to apply for the vacant Employee Relations Consultant position at All Children's Hospital. This role will report to our Director of Employment and Employee Relations, Joe Conrod. Joe is a great leader, so you'll be thanking me for the chance to work with him.

Our Hospital is growing, we're part of Johns Hopkins Medicine, we live and work in beautiful Tampa Bay, Florida, and we provide some of the most rewarding work experiences possible.

So what are you waiting for...our HR Team rocks...do you?

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