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Be Your Best During Difficult Conversations

Be Your Best During Difficult Conversations

by | Feb 18, 2021 | Leadership

Over the past week, most of the country experienced cold, winter weather. In the Pacific Northwest, we had a storm that impacted the entire region. At our home, it snowed for nearly two days straight, with a snow total of more than 12 inches. The dogs really enjoyed the snow, but most of the wildlife struggled to find food. We had hummingbird wars, and lots of wildlife visiting our bird feeders, including numerous varieties of bird, a pregnant deer with two youngsters and a few raccoons. I can say that the chickens unequivocally did not enjoy the weather. Even though these chickens are Icelandic, I’d venture to say that it has been a few generations since their ancestors visited their motherland. One of the chickens started down the ramp, slid a little and backed right back up into the coop. None of the chickens left the coop from Friday morning through Tuesday morning. 
 
As you can imagine, we were also concerned about Caramel Corn, our long-lost chicken who left us for our neighbor’s horse pasture. Caramel Corn spends her days with the horses and goats, and in the evening she usually sleeps in the trees and brush along the driveway. During the snowstorm, the horses were in the barn, the goats were in their pen, and there were no chicken tracks on our driveway or the pasture. On Monday, we went down the driveway to find that Caramel Corn had been killed by a predator (thankfully that predator was not named JacX). 
 
Caramel Corn had managed to survive on her own since July. But, unfortunately, the snow kept her from being able to fly or run to safety. The storm changed her environment and removed her natural defenses. I think there are a lot of people who have also been struggling through their own storm, otherwise known as the pandemic. They were strong and resilient, but the pandemic changed everything. 
 
As we start to see a faint light signaling the end of the pandemic, we can’t lose sight of the fact that people are struggling, and businesses are fighting to survive. The key to emerging from this pandemic as healthy individuals is for all of us to be willing to support each other, even as tensions are high. As I share with my clients, I believe all issues, outside of politics, can be resolved with direct, honest communication.
 
Engaging in these difficult conversations can be uncomfortable and, at times, scary. But the benefits of engaging far outweigh the risks. Ignoring the tension will only lead to additional stress, anger and reduced performance. 
 
Every situation is different, but here are some tips that can help you be your best during these difficult conversations:

  • Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. I’m sure this tip isn’t something you haven’t heard before, but this pandemic has made me realize that we are all dealing with different stresses in different areas of our lives. Viewing the situation from a different perspective provides insight into the motivation behind someone’s behavior, which hopefully results in compassion.
  • Listen to understand. It is so hard when tensions are rising to really listen to what the other person is saying. So, take a deep breath, close your mouth and listen. 
  • Ask questions. As I coach my clients, during difficult conversations, or when a conversation takes a turn that you aren’t expecting, the best way to recover is to ask questions. This gives the emotional side of your brain a chance to calm down and the intellectual side of the brain time to respond appropriately. 
  • Don’t ignore it. Most of us would like to avoid these conversations altogether. However, to paraphrase Mark Twain, the best time to eat a frog is in the morning because it isn’t going to taste any better if you wait. Eat the Frog. Have the conversation. 

If you still aren’t sure how to address an issue, please reach out to me, and together we can help you emerge from those necessary but difficult conversations with a deeper relationship and increased confidence for the future. 
 
I think that is what Caramel Corn would have wanted.

My Costly Mistake Of Not Keeping Score

My Costly Mistake Of Not Keeping Score

by | Jan 7, 2021 | EOS, Leadership

The week before Christmas I filled my chicken coop with hens and one rooster.  I felt pretty good about myself as I was finally on my way to achieving my goal of having free-range eggs on a daily basis. 
 
The following afternoon, I went up to visit the chickens and noticed that one hen was outside the run.  Seeing the rest of the chickens in the run, I made the assumption that our long lost “Caramel Corn” (from the previous batch of hens) had been called in by our rooster. 
 
Both my husband and I were very excited.  And so was our bird dog, JacX. 
 
JacX began chasing the chicken as we discussed how to get her into the coop.  Our attention wasn’t on the dog or the chicken, as we knew Caramel Corn could fly.  Well, apparently, she couldn’t fly as well as we thought. JacX cornered her and killed her. 
 
I was so distraught.  How could this chicken live on her own for the past five months and then get caught by JacX in just a few minutes?  I even think JacX felt bad as well.  It was a sad ending to the “A Chicken’s Way Home” movie.
 
The next morning, I got the call from my husband: Caramel Corn was up in the front field with our neighbor’s horses and goats.  Yes, Caramel Corn lives again! 
 
So, where had this other chicken come from?  I couldn’t say for sure, but I assumed it was a neighbor’s chicken.  Mostly, I was happy that Caramel Corn was going to live another day.
 
All was fine until I went up a few days later to clean the coop.  To my dismay, I realized that I was missing a hen.  I searched high and low, but she was gone.
 
And now I knew where that free-range hen came from.  I still don’t know how she got out, but she did.  So, yes, I am down one chicken.  And, again, I’m feeling really bad about my chicken mama skills.
 
Not keeping score really hurt me. If I had been keeping count, I would have known that I had lost a chicken and could have taken steps to address the problem before the instincts of our hunting dog took over.
 
Not keeping track of the leading indicators in your business can also have drastic consequences.  How many times could you have avoided a problem in your business if you had taken steps earlier? That includes things such as declines in revenue, safety issues or losing key personnel who are not feeling appreciated or fulfilled.  
 
The reality is that no matter what plan you set for your business, issues will come up.  Small issues left unattended can grow into large issues.  If you aren’t tracking your business’s key metrics, or leading indicators, you could find yourself reacting too late, after an issue has impacted business performance.  
 
However, by reviewing your leading indicators on a weekly basis, you will be able to see data and trends that let you know you need to take action.  
 
Don’t have a scorecard?  No problem: follow these three steps to develop one.Identify key metrics for each of your departmentsMonitor those metrics every week during your leadership team meetingsTake steps once you see a metric trending off trackTo make this even easier, you can request a copy of the scorecard I created that will automatically create graphs for your key metrics. 

Send Me Your Scorecard

Now is the time to get yourself and your team aligned on the key metrics that will ensure you launch 2021 on the right foot because I don’t want you to experience anything like the sad ending of “A Chicken’s Way Home.” 

P.S. Starting your year with a clear vision and plan to achieve that vision will improve your chances of achieve your goals by 300%.  A scorecard makes sure you are staying on track.

Are you ready to accelerate into 2021?

by | Dec 18, 2020 | Leadership

This is the time of the year when people start thinking about next year.  And many of us are really looking forward to putting 2020 in the rearview mirror.  I’d venture to say that those of you who did set goals had to either really scramble to achieve those goals, or shoved them aside due to the complete upheaval of our business and personal lives.
 
That being said, 2021 is a new year.  We have already lived with the pandemic and really, how much worse can 2021 be (I know, I should never ask that question)? But we should at least be in a better position to set and achieve our 2021 goals. 

Here are the benefits I’ve experienced when I’ve set intentional goals:

  1. Increased clarity
  2. Healthier relationships
  3. More contentment
  4. More focus

Last year, I wrote a blog that outlined the goal-setting process I follow when setting my annual goals.  What I like the most about this process is that it is focused on what I want more of in life.  I remember the first time I followed this process I was coming off a very intense year, and I realized I wanted more balance and more fun.  So, I set my goals with those two things in the forefront of my mind.  This whole process allowed me to take a wholistic look at my life, and as a result, I was able to achieve my goals while maintaining balance and having fun. 
 
If you need some help setting goals centered around what you want more of in life, I’d like to invite you to a free webinar on Friday, December 18th at 10 AM Pacific where I’ll walk through the process I use to set my goals.  If you can’t make it, don’t worry – I’ll have a recording of the webinar for you to review when you are ready to set your goals.  
 
As you consider 2021, I think through what you want more of.  For me, it would be more time with family, more travel and of course, a steady stream of eggs from my free-range chickens! 

P.S. A copy of this webinar can be found here.

Another Attempt at Raising Chickens

Another Attempt at Raising Chickens

by | Dec 4, 2020 | EOS, Leadership

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I received one hen and four 5-week-old chicks.  We put them in the run (which has been secured to keep the chickens from flying out), and the chicks immediately escaped the run through the chain link fence.  As we ran around the field trying to get the chicks back, I really considered giving up on this whole chicken mama thing.  But with some patience, we were able to get all the chicks and the hen back in the coop.  Then I added chicken wire to the chain link fencing.  

It has been fun to actually see chickens living in my coop.

As my husband pointed out, this (1 day) is the longest any chicken has resided in my coop or run.  Once they get settled in, we will add some more laying chickens and a rooster for safekeeping.  According to my chicken coach, the one remaining chicken who hangs out with my neighbor’s horses and goats may return once she hears the cackle of the rooster. 
 
I’ve really tried not to repeat any of the mistakes I made last time, so that I can finally enjoy having chickens and fresh eggs.  And it has been helpful to review the advice from readers of my earlier posts, read more chicken books and seek out additional knowledge.  While success with the chickens isn’t life or death for me, it is something that I would really like to accomplish.
 
Similarly, I know that many business owners would like to be successful in the ever-changing world of COVID —except in this case, it is life or death.  Businesses are struggling to keep their employees safe and protect the customers while continuing to operate and be profitable.  Many companies, especially manufacturers, have had to start and stop production when they have had COVID cases within the workforce.  One local company has had to stop shipping product for at least one day every two weeks for the past two months.  That is a lot of lost revenue and increased labor costs.  
 
In order to stay on top of all the changes, businesses need to anticipate issues and take proactive steps in order to avoid shutdowns, production delays and customer shortages.  But it is hard to be proactive when you feel you can’t do anything but react.  If the leadership team is clear on the direction of the organization and the path to get there, though, they can prioritize the issues and take steps to resolve them. 
 
If you feel that your organization has become more reactive and less proactive, you can take steps now to regain control. It may feel like you don’t have time, but if you don’t do something different, the reactive cycle will continue to repeat.    
 
The great news is that I can introduce you to some tools that can help you put yourself back in the driver’s seat.  Let’s talk today and I’ll help you regain control over your business.

The Big Chicken Experiment

The Big Chicken Experiment

by | Nov 3, 2020 | EOS, Leadership

I saw my former chicken yesterday. She was hanging out with my neighbor’s goats and horses. Seeing her made me reminisce about the times when she would come lay eggs in my beautiful chicken coop. Oh, those were the good ol’ days. 
 
So, those of you who are wondering – it’s true, I have no chickens left. Of the five I started out with, only one is still alive and she has left me for greener pastures. I haven’t found a single egg in any of my nesting boxes since late July. I have no idea what happened, but I went from getting 11 eggs in one week to getting none.

Where did I go wrong?

A question I’ve asked myself frequently over the past five months. I think what happened is that I was so caught up in building my coop that I failed to consider some important details that would have made things much easier and more fruitful. 
 
One of those important details is that chickens can fly, and if you don’t want them to leave, you have to either clip their wings or make it so they can’t fly the coop.
 
I guess you could say that my first try at being a chicken mama was a failure. 
 
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this and have decided I need a chicken coach. Think about it: athletes have coaches, business owners have coaches, why shouldn’t an aspiring chicken mama have a coach?
 
Most people are afraid to admit that they need an outside perspective in order to achieve their goals. While many will eventually reach their goals, working with a coach helps achieve those goals faster.
 
That is one of the things I enjoy about working with my clients. I help them reach their goals faster. Whether your goal is to grow your business, work less, make more money, or have more fun at work – I can help you. 
 
You can’t coach yourself from within. Or, in my case, you can’t coach yourself from inside the chicken coop. 
 
If you are trying to reach your business or personal goals, I’d love to help you reach them faster and maybe have a little fun along the way. 
 
I’m ready to achieve my chicken goals. Are you ready to achieve your goals? 
 
If so, let’s find some time to connect. 

Are Your Employees Free Range?

Are Your Employees Free Range?

by | Aug 14, 2020 | Leadership, Management

For the past few weeks, l’ve been writing about employee engagement. Although employee engagement has been on the rise for the past few years, 35% engagement isn’t a number that we should consider success. My last article described a company that judged productivity in terms of availability. While that may make sense for some companies, I’d urge you to find a more compelling measurement for yours.

Not surprisingly, this conversation brought me back to my chickens. Yes, I still have chickens — but I’m not sure how many. As you may recall, after spending the month of April building a beautiful coop for them, we inherited five chickens from a friend. On day one, I learned that chickens can fly much better than I realized. They flew the coop.

They are now free to range wherever they want and will occasionally come back to the coop for food or to lay an egg. I have learned that the Easter egg hunt was born out of the need to find where the hens had chosen to lay their eggs, outside of the established nesting box or boxes.

So, what do chickens and eggs have to do with employee engagement? Read on, my fellow readers.

The purpose of my having chickens is for eggs. Of course, it would be easier for me if I made them stay in their enclosure all day. I’d be able to harvest all my eggs and ensure the hens were safe from predators. However, the eggs wouldn’t be as healthy as when the chickens are free-range.

So there’s a trade-off. If I want them to be free-range, I have to give up control over them. I worry about their safety, and I don’t get to collect all the eggs they are laying. But they forage for berries, bugs, and who knows what else, which produces healthier eggs for me to enjoy.

Giving up control over how our employees do their work can be uncomfortable. But it also gives them the freedom to explore and grow, and they may produce a higher-quality product.

I was listening to a podcast that referenced “The Impact Filter” (Dan Sullivan, The Strategic Coach). This filter provides managers with a tool that outlines an idea, project, or goal and provides the structure to be clear on the purpose, importance, and outcomes before delegating the work to another person. If both parties are clear on those items, the manager is able to delegate the project, and the employee can find the best way to get it done. But if the manager hasn’t done the work up front, he may feel the need to micromanage, or Monday-morning quarterback, neither of which will result in an empowered employee.

So, I challenge you to be clear on what you want your employees to accomplish and let them be free to create the desired outcome. This will lead to engaged and empowered employees.

If you find yourself unsure of how to empower your employees, I can teach you a proven process that will allow you to get the most out of your business.

Is Boring Beautiful?

Is Boring Beautiful?

by | Jul 16, 2020 | Efficiency, Leadership

If you have ever been to Hawaii, you know that everyone (at least those of us on vacation) makes time to watch the sunset. As the sun begins falling, people start making their way to the beach. During our honeymoon over 15 year ago, my husband and I witnessed people blowing into conch shells in honor of the sunset.  

A few years ago, I read that the most beautiful things in life are boring. I remember being very disturbed by that comment. But, upon further reflection, I have to concede it is true. Think about what you consider beautiful in life: a sunset, the mountains, friendships, or even a healthy marriage.

Our lives have been completely transformed since Covid-19. I have spent less time traveling, less time with friends, and a whole lot more time at home. I asked my husband when the shelter-in-place started if we would still like each other when this was over. After mulling it over for a few hours, he said yes. (I’m still curious why it took him so long to answer?!)

For most of us, life (pre-Covid) was full of activities and busyness: work, sports, friends, meetings. But I wonder to what end? Were we running from something? Are we afraid of what we might find when we slow down? Think about it: how many of those activities seem to have lost their importance now that we can’t participate in them?

Whatever the answer, we have been forced to slow down and face a slower daily pace.

I believe this has allowed us to find a new rhythm to life. And without all the distractions, we can now find the beauty in it. Yes, most of us have had to face some challenges, including adjusting to work from home, home/remote learning, or even the loss of our jobs or shuttered businesses. But those things don’t stop the rhythm of life. They simply alter it.

The same can be said for our businesses. A successful business settles into a rhythm that produces a consistent outcome on a daily basis. There is nothing exciting about cars rolling off an assembly line, properties being bought or sold, or metal being poured (although I have to say that for me, watching metal being poured never gets boring). The point is that successful companies have figured out how to produce their product in a consistent way. This approach may be contrary to our society’s habits, as we tend to value the output, and not the discipline behind the output.

The same principle applies to successful people. They have figured out what needs to happen on a consistent basis in order to reach their goals. In his book The War of Art, author Steven Pressfield writes that “we have a right only to our labor, not the fruits of our labor.” We just need to show up and do the work. Since the work is different for everyone and every business, you need to identify what your work is, and then do it consistently, every day.      

If you find that your business or personnel aren’t creating the output you desire, I’d love to help you. Together we can instill a rhythm into your daily practices and put you on the path to creating something beautiful.

The Reward for Pushing Beyond Your “Perceived” Limits

The Reward for Pushing Beyond Your “Perceived” Limits

by | Jul 9, 2020 | Leadership, Management

A few weeks ago, I was lamenting that our plans to climb South Sister in July were cancelled. This is the first summer in six years that l’m not training for some adventure. I’ve completed Hood to Coast and Cycle Oregon, climbed Mt. St. Helens and trained for the Camino Frances. But, due to COVID-19, I found myself adventure-free this summer. I’m sure this fact was on my mind when I was scrolling through Facebook and saw that a good friend of mine was competing in a local “virtual” triathlon. Without hesitation, I agreed to do it with her.  Of course, the fact that I hadn’t swum in over 10 years, biked in nearly two years, or run in six months seemed to have escaped my memory. (I do think the adult libation I was enjoying at the time might have been partly responsible.)

The next morning I realized the foolishness of my idea. I did commit to my friend, but there was another reason I didn’t back out. At the recommendation of another friend and colleague, I started reading Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. While this book has amazing application to business and leadership, the chapter about checking your ego and trying something you might fail at really resonated with me. I know intellectually that in order to reach my full potential, I have to go beyond my comfort zone. But applying this truth in my life isn’t something I embrace at the frequency that I should.  

So, I dug out my running shoes, dusted off my bike, and headed down to the lake with a few butterflies in my stomach. 

It felt so great to swim in the open water. The biking was great until the rain started. But we persevered and finished with a wet 3-mile run.

In the end, I was rewarded by meeting some great people, talking shop with another business owner, and pushing my body in a way I hadn’t done in quite some time.

Trying something at which you might fail doesn’t just apply to sports.  It is also necessary to see growth in your business, your career path or your relationships with others.  In a recent engagement with a mid-market company, the CEO realized that a key employee wasn’t performing at the level required in order to ensure successful implementation of the company’s turnaround plan.  His initial response was to ignore the problem.  But, as the Board pointed out, this approach had gotten the company into the current situation.  So, now, he had to make a choice: fire her, redeploy her or invest in her development.  He chose to invest in the employee and brought me in to coach the key employee.  The end result was a more engaged employee, $125,000 in annualized profitability increase and praise from the Board.  

Another client was in the process of assuming control of the company from her father.  The transition plan had been agreed to by all parties, but when it came to implement the plan, her father refused to follow the plan.  Imagine the stress, on both sides. If this wasn’t handled appropriately, the end result could be the degradation of the father/daughter relationship and instability in the company resulting in reduced business valuation.  I coached the daughter on how to address the situation, encouraging her to find the third solution, that elusive solution that we often overlook.  As we talked, she realized that while the transition plan was solid, her tactics needed to be modified.  She changed her stance, softened her approach and her father responded.  The transition was completed, the company was strengthened and the father/daughter relationship was preserved.

If you find that you are stagnating in business or personally, it may be time to push yourself. This means searching for solutions which don’t initially seem apparent, trying ideas that may seem unreachable or being open to feedback from previously unwelcome sources.  If you aren’t sure where to start, let’s connect.  One thing I’ve learned from my years in sports and business is that accountability is the driving force behind reaching one’s full potential.  

United Together with a Flock Block

United Together with a Flock Block

by | Jun 16, 2020 | Leadership

As you probably know, I inherited five chickens last month, two hens and three chicks. It wasn’t long before they all successfully flew the coop. Since then they have been hanging out together, free-range. But about a week ago, I noticed that they weren’t all together all the time. I’d see four together, sometimes three, and occasionally the Chicken Cam would find one all alone in the run. I wondered why. 

Now, as someone with three sisters, I totally understand that there will be disagreements among women. If you add to that the stress of suddenly being free-range in a new area, perhaps a little tension has developed among “the girls?” I don’t really know if chickens have factions or cliques, but I was advised that I needed a flock block – a cube of grain and supplements that gives the chickens something else to pick at besides each other. 

It is entirely possible that there is some drama brewing in the clan. But the reality is that there is strength in numbers, and it would be in the chickens’ best interest to find a way to coexist.

And in case you’re wondering where I’m going with this: the chickens aren’t the only ones who’d benefit. 

When our “shelter in place” started in March, I found most people scared for their heath, worried about the economy, and concerned for our future. In April, I set a goal to help as many people as possible. This focus allowed me to connect with others on a deeper level, which I will say was one of the “silver linings” of this COVID experience. 

Since then, though, the death of George Floyd and the surrounding protests have highlighted a division in our country. The great news is that the ills of our society are coming to light, but truthfully, we can’t get to the other side without dialogue. In order for us to emerge as a stronger country, we need to listen and hear what everyone is saying, and together we need to work toward a solution. 

I am challenging myself to hear, to be open to better understanding what is wrong with our society, and to be part of the solution. I believe that is what humanity is all about.

At the risk of being corny, I think we can learn from the chickens who need a common “flock block” that they can pick at together.  However, we can do much better than chickens.  We can choose to come together to work towards a better society and a better world.  Collectively, we can create a better future together.