In this Is This Mic On? We tackle the question of, “How do I reinforce culture for my team?” Read on to hear what SNP had to say about values-based actions—defining, acknowleding, and recognizing.

Dear SNP, 

Our team has been navigating a lot lately, from return to work to layoffs and reorgs. We’re just now settling into our “new normal” (which seems to change every three months). Our leaders have refreshed our values to reflect all these changes. I’m inspired by them and now it’s my job as a manager to get the team on board. They say it. They get it. But they’re not exactly living it (and you can feel it in their work…). People aren’t communicating. There’s tension in the work environment. It feels like I’m the only one beating the drum of our company’s mission and values. How do I get them to do the same, to live out our values, and to build a team of culture carriers? 

Best, 

Building culture

Dear Building Culture…

Define. Acknowledge. Recognize. 

Don’t let my succinct first line belie my internal struggle. This is a tough one. The context of your question makes your question that much more challenging. So I’m going to go on a little rant about why leaders might consider before tinkering too much with their values: 

Warning: values are foundational

Changing processes, structure, initiatives is hard. Sure, yes, I don’t mean to mitigate that. Changing values? That is changing the fundamental how-to for your team. The pillars from and off of which they know how to operate. The North Star for decisions and actions. It is the values that can help a team understand why and how organization, policy, and process changes have been made. Values can be the constant in a flurry of change. 

So by changing the values, you have a new challenge. Because now not only has the organization changed, the foundation has shifted. The beliefs have changed. So every leader and manager must invest time here. Which of course, finally brings me to your actual question. 

Demonstrating the values just…is

Demonstrating the values – the new values – is an every week, every day, every moment choice. It’s not words on a page, placard, or pinned post. It’s not a recitation. It’s not a circus proclamation of “and now, esteemed colleagues, you’re about to witness a daring example of living by the core values!” it just…is. 

Helpful, right? I can hear you muttering at your screen right now: “The answer is: It just…is?” 

It’s in the words we choose, the tone we take, the choices we make. It’s in the way we communicate a heavy message, approach a hairy problem, or make hard decisions. Demonstrating the values (or not demonstrating the values) has an almost tangible quality to them. So: Define. Acknowledge. Recognize. 

Define. Acknowledge. Recognize.

Define. What does living our (new) values look like?

What are the actions? Verbs + Nouns. If a value is creativity, define what that looks, feels, smells, tastes (ew, I know, scratch that) like by defining the action. Better yet, ask your team to define the actions. Create a conversation around the values, versus a presentation about the values. So, back to my example, creativity may beget more verbs like explore, introduce, invite. Then the noun may become specific to your functional team. That’s where you make it real. Talent acquisition may refer to candidates. Engineers to code. Marketing to copy. So there is your first to-do: create a space for your team to define the values in terms of actions. 

Acknowledge. Find the examples.

Now that you have the definition, spot them in the wild and include them in your own language. Let’s say a value is determination. Did one of your partner teams launch a complex project? Speak of it in the context of the value. Did your organization just have an all-hands? Ask your team where they saw determination in play. Remember: there are opportunities every week, every day, every moment to take values-led actions. There are just as many opportunities to look out for those actions, acknowledge them, and continue to make them real for your team. 

Recognize. Applaud what good looks like.

A cousin of acknowledge (and in some internet searches that I just did, they are synonyms), recognize is for your team. Recognition is a powerful tool. It’s specific, it’s personalized, and it’s timely. While it is a cousin to acknowledge, it’s a sibling to difficult feedback, sharing the same format: state the action and then give specifics. For example, if a value is humility and a team member recently acknowledged a mistake they had made and quickly amended it…maybe that is an opportunity for recognition. Now, you get to choose public or private. Written and/or verbal. Cookies and/or balloons (kidding, sort of). Based on the person and the situation, ensure you are recognizing examples of values-based actions. Show and tell and applaud what good looks like.

So, if you are a leader reading this, consider before you change your company values. It’s not unheard of and sometimes it’s necessary, just consider first. 

Managers, make it tangible. Define. Acknowledge. Recognize. You’ll inspire new culture carriers, with every week, every day, every moment. 

Struggling with where to start on culture? SNP can help. Check out our culture assessment service to help you find your culture baseline and set direction for your high-performing team.

The post Culture Carriers & How to Make Them | Is This Mic On? appeared first on SNP Communications.

Die Hard is not just an action-packed thriller; it’s also, at least in our opinion, a quintessential Christmas movie. Beyond the gripping storyline, explosions, and a shoeless Bruce Willis, this holiday classic imparts some pretty valuable leadership lessons that resonate in the corporate world. Read on for five leadership lessons from Die Hard and a strong case for why Die Hard has earned its rightful place on the list of unconventional Christmas classics.

Lesson 1: Adaptability in the Face of Adversity

Twinkle lights and Christmas trees aren’t exactly the backdrop you’d expect for flexing your counter-terrorism chops. But, John McClane took on the challenge anyway with very few details (and resources). And that’s what leadership is about, stepping up even in the face of unforeseen challenges and having the grit and adaptability to roll with the punches.

Lesson 2: Effective Communication is Key

If you want to survive unexpected implosions, take a page from McClane’s book––communicate early and often. Right at the start of the movie, he dialed 911, getting reinforcements on the scenes as soon as possible. Then, throughout the movie, he stays in touch with Officer Alan Powell, winning him over as an ally while giving him key information on the hostages and the severity of the situation. While McClane no doubt makes the herculean lift throughout, he still has people he can lean on for help. When everyone’s on the same page, that’s when you weather the storm safely (and keep Nakatomi Plaza from blowing up).

Lesson 3: Lead by Example

Ok, so maybe McClane was a “one-man army” most of the time. Yes, get everyone on the same page, but when you’re working at a break neck pace sometimes you have to charge ahead. Lead by example. To be an effective leader, you have to show your team what matters by doing it yourself. That’s where the inspiration starts.

Lesson 4: Stay Calm Under Pressure

Christmas carols and other holiday music might be the backdrop of many of your most stressful moments (hello holidays with loved ones), and it sure was for John McClane. Despite increasing stakes and bodily injuries, McClane manages to keep his head on straight. He does that by focusing on the task at hand, knowing the why, relying on his training, and keeping his sense of humor.

Similarly, when times get tough, leaders need to take it day-by-day, focus their team on the mission or purpose, be confident in their knowledge, and of course, create moments of connection and positivity for their team.

Lesson 5: Embrace Innovation and Resourcefulness

Whether it’s using a fire hose as a makeshift rappelling device or fashioning explosives from stolen goods and Christmas wrapping paper, McClane relies on his wit and resourcefulness to overcome challenges. Leaders need to embrace this same kind of resourceful, innovative attitude to guide their team through challenging situations. Focus on what you can do with the resources at hand.

Do McClane one better––get your team involved in figuring out the solution. When one door closes, don’t get stuck in the room…find the ventilation shaft.

Beyond Leadership Lessons from Die Hard: The Christmas Movie

Ok, SNP! Enough about leadership. Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? 

…Uh duh…

Not only are there Christmas festivities and decorations but there are consistent themes of redemption and togetherness. Plus if Harry Potter can be even tangentially Christmas related so can Die Hard. No further comments.

P.S. Please use this blog post as your official permission to re-watch Die Hard as a leadership learning and development exercise.

The post Leadership Lessons from Die Hard appeared first on SNP Communications.

Dear Smart Nice Pups (or People),

Things are ruff right now. Our pack has been put on a doggy diet. The treats were gone a while ago (bonuses) and now we’re on half a scoop of kibble instead of the full scoop (budget cuts). We have to, do more with less. But, our plans haven’t changed. We still have the neighborhood cats to scare away (KPIs to hit), sticks to gather in the front yard (revenue to make), and holes to dig (challenges to solve). 

As the leader of the pack, how do I break the news to them? And more importantly, how do we make do with what we’ve got? 

Best, 

Playing Ball on a Budget

Dear Playing Ball…

We’re going to put the pet puns aside for a minute, as this is a situation that can be terrier-fying. Ok, now, seriously, we’re putting them aside…

First: communicate everything, before, after and during.

Ideally, your team has been privy to what’s been going on in the company, with your customers, and in the macroeconomic climate. And how all of those levers affect one another. Health is not a secret. Your team – the company – needs to be trusted with the right information about the business. Now, of course, common sense prevails. Some of the most successful, innovative companies in the world are famous for their enigmatic approach to product development. This is not that. Share with your company what you can. For example, revenue against goal. And be honest. Your team can sniff out (it’s hard to shake the puns) nonsense. 

If there has been transparency, honesty, there is not the same level of news to break. It’s not happy information, don’t get us wrong. Bonuses are more fun to communicate than budget cuts. But it is not so much a surprise. Your team has been a part of the context. And perhaps are even at a point where they seek leadership to make a decision that changes the course of the numbers that they do see. After all, most people understand that you have to make more money than you spend. 

Now, include them in the solution.

We’ve talked about this before. The idea that managers often feel/think that they need to have all of the answers. They need to present the problem AND present the exactly-perfect solution. That’s nuts. And quite honestly, it doesn’t honor the creativity, smarts, and innovation that lives within your team. Ask them. Encourage them to be part of the solution. In your case, some of the decision has already been made – budget cuts. How to operate within this new environment – that can be for collective intelligence. So I say again: ask them.

With change and challenge comes opportunity. A time to re-prioritize or re-think. Get everything organized onto a dashboard––what is critical, what is necessary, and what is a nice-to-have. Maybe there are nice-to-have projects that can be officially put on paws (sorry) for the time being, creating a bit more room for some of the critical and the necessary. Focus on focus. And then ask your team what they don’t want to lose. What they want to work on. Maybe some of those nice-to-have projects – new products, new processes, new content – are actually passion projects that create energy. Let your team decide to put them back on the docket, and decide how to get them done. 

Finally, mindset.

Attitude, behavior, mindset. Get yours right. If you go into every conversation with your team apologetically, with a sense of burden and weight…that creates the culture. Approach conversations with empathy. Be ready to listen. And approach this next period of time with a sense of heliotropic optimism. Not delusion, optimism. Your team wants to see that you understand the challenge presented, and will model how you choose to operate within it. 

Handle budget cuts right to stay high-performing

You’re part of a high-performing pack (the puns are clawing their way back). This is a point in time, and you’re doing more than simply making do. Trust your team and communicate, clearly lay out the decisions, listen, and then invite them to be a part of the solution. Keep your focus pawsitive and don’t go to the bark side (oh no). Success is not far-fetched here. 

We gotta go, this is getting paw-ful..

Want to dive deeper into how to approach budget cuts for your specific situation? Read more about the benefits of 1:1 coaching and reach out to us.

The post Budget Cuts & How to Handle Them | Is This Mic On? appeared first on SNP Communications.

Dear SNP, 

To be quite honest, I don’t know what’s happening. It feels like just yesterday I started my onboarding with my company. Shiny new email, complimentary company swag (I <3 my Yeti coffee mug), ready to grow my career, and then WHAM, I’m no longer the new kid and am now a senior team member? The people who showed me the ropes, who I look up to either moved on or are treating me like a peer. Sure, I’ve picked up a few things and I help out where I can, but I just don’t see myself as “senior”. What does it mean to be a senior member of my team and how do I step up? (Preferably without any dance battling) 

Best, 

Student to Senior 

Congratulations! You’re…senior! 

So after you politely say thank you, accept the applause, and take your proverbial seat at this imaginary convocation, you’re left thinking: what in the world does senior mean? 

Let’s first define it, as it’s directly related to a high-performing team. This means we’re off titles here. That’s a separate thing. Related, but separate. So the following missive is not about going from Director to Senior Director on your LinkedIn. That’s often to do with salary bands and levels and performance reviews and tenure.

Here, we’re talking about senior as a mix of opportunity, expectation, and mindset. And yep, on a high-performing, rapidly evolving team, senior may very well be implied after your first month.

You’ve spent 30 days listening, noting, and reflecting. You’ve found where the bathroom is (if you’re working from home and you just found it, well, there’s that). You’ve formatted your email signature. You’ve maybe even connected your email to your CRM account (you can show us how to do that later, we’re still figuring that one out).

Perhaps most importantly, you’ve got an understanding of your functional expectations. So now we can layer on the “other responsibilities” section of that job description all of which means: leader. 

Here are the three roles of that senior mindset and expectation that you can incorporate, adopt, and flex today…

3 Responsibilities of a Senior Team Member

1. Connect, and Create Connections.

If relatedness is a core trait of a high-performing team, the ability to foster relatedness is a trait that those team members must have. But “foster relatedness”? Who talks like that? Smartening that up to something we can take action on…it means connect and create connections.

Invest the time to get to know your colleagues. Participate. Join community events, initiatives, and conversations. Be interested in others. That Slack channel devoted to dogs? Share a picture of your dog. Be available, present, and accessible. Allow people to know you a bit more, creating a space for them to share more of themselves. 

At the same time, take the initiative to create connections. Introduce new team members to someone from another department – maybe because they live in the same region, share an alma mater, or maybe they both brew their own kombucha. Heard one thing in this afternoon’s meeting that may relate to another thing from that meeting you were in just this morning? Connect the dots and connect the people.

“Norman*, I heard your update this morning about the new e-commerce site design for the core software – connecting you to Bubba* who was just talking this morning about launching a similar site for our consulting services…thought there may be some interesting conversations/connections there.”

If it’s already known: great. If it’s a new place to uncover similarities and efficiencies that make the organization run better…well, that’s very high-performing, seniorly of you. 

*Note: Norman and Bubba are names of SNP dogs, and yes, they have been posted on the Slack channel. Because: Relatedness. 

2. Communicate.

“Internal communications” is part of all of our jobs, and a high-performing team member is also an expert communicator. Every one of us is communicating up, across, down, and around. While there are plenty of functions that can be outsourced or delegated, your voice is not one of them. So learn, practice, and become a student of communication.

Put time into clarifying and articulating your point of view. That means identifying your own blind spots or biases, and where you might need to search for more information. It very often means getting up and out of your day-to-day and considering the impact to teammates, cross-functional teams, and customers.

All of this senior-level thinking is the model you are expected to be for your newer team members, and you demonstrate that thinking by being able to communicate it clearly.

3. Clarify.

You’re now senior. We say again: congratulations! Now: ask the stupid (your words, not ours) questions. Have you heard people preface a question with “sorry for the stupid question…” or “maybe this is a stupid question…”? Yes, probably. You’ve maybe even led into a question with some semblance of that phrase. First, cut that out.

What a way to minimize your own leadership and communication even before you add content to the conversation. Second, absolutely, 100%, we-beg-of-you please ask whatever is coming after that statement. Ask the question. On behalf of yourself, your colleagues, and your team. Here are some situations where your new senior status has a no-restrictions license to drive for clarity. 

• Wrapping up a great meeting. Brainstorms! Ideas! Actions! Before everyone logs off and goes on to the next thing, ask: “Who is doing what?” (or – CAP, as we say at SNP: what is the Calendar, Action, Publish plan?)
• In a team discussion, digesting the all-hands content from last week, including EBITDA**, AOV**, and the CRM**? Maybe you know what that all means – if there are acronyms flying about, pause and clarify. For the newer team members (and maybe for some veteran team members/yourself, but we won’t tell anyone). 
• Preparing for a customer call with multiple colleagues (let’s say: an account executive, account coordinator, customer success manager, solution consultant, solution engineer, and product specialist). Clarify who-is-doing-what. Who is the OneVoice, the central lead of the conversation, opening, closing, transitioning, and facilitating questions? Who is running the slides? Who is pulling up the demo? Who is taking the notes? Who is sending out the CAP email? Winging it is not a strategy. And a senior team member will ensure that preparation and clarity happen. 

Being a senior team member is an implicit expectation, an incredible opportunity, and a leadership mindset.

So, there you have it. Seniority is an implicit expectation, an incredible opportunity, and a leadership mindset. You are a high-performing team member, now welcoming new colleagues onto your team. Now, go connect, communicate, and clarify. 

**And while we still have you: it’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA); average opportunity value (AOV), and customer relationship management (CRM…that we’re going to go connect to our email).  

The post Senior Team Member & What That Means | Is This Mic On? appeared first on SNP Communications.

In this Is This Mic On? We tackle the question of, “How do I create a culture of recognition?” Read on to hear what SNP had to say about getting into the details, knowing your team, and sharing at any level.

Dear SNP, 

We ended 2022 strong despite all odds. We had our offsites and planning meetings and committed to new actions. But it’s January now and the party’s over. It feels like there’s a lot of work ahead. I want to keep the celebration going and recognition leaves everyone feeling good, but what if there aren’t enough things to recognize? The big projects are kicking off and we’re getting into the thick of it. How do I keep a culture of recognition going all year round to help make our lofty goals stick and keep my team motivated? Also, what can I do to recognize folks without just using my words? 

Best, 

Recognition is rad 

How do you create a culture of recognition? Dear Rad…

Yes, the start of a new year means the party is over. But this is when the follow through on those commitments, both to the work and each other, matters the most. This is the time when you set the tone for the year ahead and cement the foundation for a culture of recognition. And it all begins on an individual level. As these projects lift off the ground, and successes big and small are realized, it’s easy to reflect upon them as a group or a delivery team. But go deeper. Dig into the details. What exactly did someone or some people do to reach the achievement? Citing specific examples makes the recognition more tangible to the person receiving it while showcasing their work can inspire and motivate a broader organization.

Keep It Personal

A culture of recognition is rooted in everyone’s desire to be seen (and heard). But! Not everyone wants to be recognized the same way. Know your audience. Some people want to see their name in glittering lights like on Broadway. A public shoutout, either written or in video format, in a communication channel or staff meeting is excellent. Meanwhile, there are others who would be positively mortified if the spotlight spun toward them. Sure, it feels great to be seen as the benevolent leader casting accolades upon someone for all to hear, but the person on the receiving end might much rather get a more private form of recognition. A handwritten letter, for example, could be a great way to communicate to that person that they did a job well. Don’t pass up or overthink moments to provide in-the-moment feedback as well. If there is an opportunity to shoot a quick email, take the time. Even a short, “great work!” with brief context explaining why can go a long way in boosting the mood of the person clicking through their inbox.

Know your power

As a leader, be cognizant of the power of your voice. This requires you to understand when it is needed, and when it is not. Recognition of good work should absolutely be acknowledged by those in leadership, but it can be expressed by others. In some cases, the words of affirmation may carry even more weight if you have another team member vocalize them. This inspires more peer-to-peer recognition, strengthening the culture you are responsible for leading.

Creating a culture of recognition comes from incremental but consistent changes. Click here for suggestions on how to do the work, from the book How to Do the Work by Dr. Nicole LePera

The post Celebration & How to Create a Culture of Recognition | Is This Mic On? appeared first on SNP Communications.

In this latest blog Renn Vara, SNP Co-Founder, recaps his conversation with the CTO of a Berlin based startup and what leaders are talking about in 2023 and the changes he wants to make.

Rethinking our behavior.

I’m not a fan of making resolutions. I subscribe to the idea that it’s just another promise destined to be broken. But I like how this transition, supported by a nice vacation, can force us to rethink our behavior, dreams, and commitments. 

Recently I was on a call with a founder. He’s the CTO for a Berlin-based unicorn. Unicorn in the European sense. They are on the radar with lots of public interest and strong funding but short of the billion-dollar level measured here in the States.

On our first video call of 2023 he said to me, “I know we’ve been working on this for some time, but I’ve decided to really listen to people this year.” I’m happy to hear it, but I have questions. We’ve worked together for almost five years, becoming friends through his marriage and the birth of two babies. So we can be honest with each other.

Why now? 

I jump into my questions. I ask why now, what’s changed, and how is this different from his behavior up until now. Not surprisingly, he goes directly to his relationship with his wife and first daughter. “I’ve been thinking about how I’ve been frustrated with all the challenges at work and bringing it home. That’s not fair. I don’t like that side of me.” He and his wife have just had their second baby. So I think that may be the answer to why now.

Being a coach, manager, and leader. 

He shares his thoughts about his role as the top engineer and architect for his startup. But instead of going into the tech side, which is often our direction, he talks about being a coach, manager, and leader. I’m intrigued. I ask him how he defines these roles. He’s thought about it and explains that a coach is a two-way relationship. “We both learn,” reflecting back on his commitment to listening and learning. His role as manager, he explains, involves frameworks, systems, commitments, measurements, and accountability to outcomes. And as a leader, he talks about owning the vision, challenging his team, and inspiring them with the company’s mission.

The practical steps he can take.

I’m impressed. And somewhat relieved. I spend more time than I care to admit working through these issues with him and his team because, like many visionary leaders, he’s a bit hardheaded and frankly harsh with his team. So I move our discussion to how he can do this. The practical steps he can take. How to move from one role to another while in flow with his team. We touch on the concept of situational leadership and context switching. Of course, we land back on the primary role of all leaders––communications.

We talk through active listening frameworks, giving feedback, difficult conversations, simplifying his message, and delegating with clarity and non-micro follow-up. Topics we’ve discussed many times before, but here, now, his ears and mind are wide open thanks to his wife and two daughters. And maybe thanks to 2023 and this manufactured annual ritual called the New Year. 

Life-long students of our fellow human beings.

I end with a rant about becoming a student of human behavior. I bring up Robert Greene’s book, The Laws of Human Nature, as but one example. I’ve come to believe that great leaders, managers, and coaches, too, should be life-long students of our fellow human beings. We’re complex, as has become obvious during this covid period. And as such, it requires full adoption of Aristotle’s challenge to seek understanding. Yes, we need to heal ourselves but adding the external purpose of serving others helps.

We don’t change automatically when the calendar year flips, but our mindsets and approaches can if we remain life-long students. A new beginning indeed.

–end

Want to hear more from Renn? Read his last blog on whether managers should lead.

The post A New Beginning | What Leaders Are Talking About in 2023 appeared first on SNP Communications.

2022 had many of us reaching our breaking points after years of working hard and staying the course while disruption after disruption occurred––a pandemic, a war, worsening climate change, and a looming recession. Now, the feeling that we have to change and make it stick is more urgent than ever. But after all that has happened, how can professionals set goals in 2023 and have the resilience to achieve them?

Let’s be honest, most New Year’s Resolutions end up as another marked-up page at the back of a notepad in another corner of an overflowing desk drawer (maybe your resolution is to clean out your desk drawers). Then, as the year sprints forward, we wonder why we’re stuck in the same place we were at when we started. Then comes the question, “Why did I set resolutions in the first place?”

Don’t lose hope just yet! It can be both a new year AND a new you. It just takes commitment and a little clarity.

Why is setting new year’s resolutions important for professionals?

Setting goals and intentions can feel like a heavy lift, but it helps professionals adjust their focus and decide what their main priorities for the year are. Being goal-oriented provides clarity and a sense of purpose when done right. Not to mention, it can inspire your team too. 

Having something to work toward that connects you to your values and your mission is also critical to preventing burnout; however, most resolutions fail and that has the exact opposite effect on our confidence and well-being.

Why do most new years’ resolutions fail? 4 Resolution Traps

A resolution is defined as a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner, and it’s just that––a decision. A decision is nothing without action, without commitment. That’s why New Year’s Resolutions are so hard to complete.

In fact, 80% of people fail to achieve their new year’s resolutions (Inc study), and here are a few reasons why:

• Self-doubt: The voice in your head constantly questions your ability to get things done. 

• Unclear and/or unrealistic goals: Pursuing goals that are not clear and relevant to your life and daily reality.

• Overthink: Too much thinking, not much doing, also often expressed as procrastination.

• Lack of self-accountability: Finding excuses to avoid doing the work and fulfilling responsibilities.
  

Driving change and achieving goals is all about being able to reflect on where you’ve been, where you are now, and where you want to go. It’s about setting a realistic plan of action and making progress one day at a time.

How to achieve your New Year’s Resolutions in 3 steps: 

1- REFLECT

Reflecting helps you stay focused and motivated. It helps you identify any obstacles that may stand in your way and allows you to adjust your plans accordingly.

And it starts with a clear vision. You need to be able to describe the you that you’ll be when you achieve your goal down to the shoes you’re wearing. We know that sounds silly but it works. For example, a product manager might say…

I want to become a product leader. My colleagues will respect me as a forward-thinking subject matter expert. Our customers will feel confident that myself and the team know exactly what they want and that our product will solve their pain points. I will lead with empathy and confidence by ensuring I have breaks for myself, respecting the time of others, and advocating for the customers and my colleagues to my higher-ups. I’ll listen more than I talk. I will show up to 1:1s in more casual attire to better build relationships and I’ll go to important meetings dressed in suits with some nice dress shoes to show I’m serious. 

After, you establish your clear, self vision, use these prompts to further reflect on your goals:

• What are your values? How do your goals tie to your values? 
• What does success look like to you?
• How do you want you and your work to be described? What can you do to channel some of these qualities? 

To make reflecting realistic, decide on a time frame for a check-in. How does your present live up to your future self-vision? For example…

• Monthly check-in: Focus on reflecting on what went well and what can be improved the next month
• 3 months, 6 months, 9 months: Create smaller milestones you’d like to hit to achieve your goals, use 3/6/9 months check-ins to keep yourself accountable to your big goal. Adjust tactics if necessary.

• End of year: The final push – reflect on what you need to do more and/or less to finish the year strong and achieve your goals.

Selecting your check-in time frame is part of the next step: planning.

2 – PLAN

Taking the time to develop a comprehensive plan with achievable goals and measurable outcomes is an important step to ensure that progress is made in the right direction. 

A S.M.A.R.T. action plan incorporates 5 characteristics of a goal: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. 

• Specific – What am I trying to accomplish?  
• Measurable – How will I measure progress?
• Attainable – How realistic is my goal based on my current skills and resources?
• Relevant – Is it worthwhile? Does it match the bigger picture?
• Time-Bound – When is it due? 

General goals don’t help us. If we say “I want to be more productive” this gives no direction or clear action that we can hold ourselves accountable to. 

A more actionable goal might be “I want to be more productive by improving my time management skills. To do this I’ll create a daily schedule each morning and try to stick to it for the next month, checking in each evening about what worked and what didn’t.” 

This goal is specific (improve time management skills), measurable (by creating and following a daily schedule), achievable (by setting aside time each day to work on this goal), relevant (this goal will help me be more productive in my personal and professional life), and time-bound (I will work on this goal for the next month).

Create your SMART goal plan and regularly review it, so you can ensure that you are always on track.

3 – PROGRESS

Breaking and forming habits isn’t a one-and-done. Making progress requires focus, consistency, accountability, and persistence. You aren’t going to tackle chunks of your S.M.A.R.T.  goals every day. It’s important to scale them down to milestones and then daily pieces.

For example, using our previous SMART goal of wanting to improve productivity through time management, a monthly task might be, “I will create a to-do list for each week and complete 75% of the list.” Breaking that down even further you could say, “Each day when I set up my schedule I will cross-check my meetings and time blocks with my weekly to-do list to see how my priorities align.” 

It’s important to keep sight of the vision here (productivity), the specific action (creating a schedule each day) and then figure out what you can do to make progress on your milestones (weekly to-do list) and day (cross-reference to-do list). 

How you live out your S.M.A.R.T. goals might not always be the action you described in your original goal draft because S.M.A.R.T. goals aren’t static. They grow and evolve as you progress and figure out what works, what doesn’t, and what aligns with your changing wants and needs. It’s ok to adapt. Expect change. 

When looking for ways to make progress on a day to day basis, consider these questions:

• What is one thing can you do each day to chip away at your S.M.A.R.T. goals? 
• How can your current routine support your goals? OR, what about your current routine gets in the way of your goals? 
• What tradeoffs might you have to make in order to create space for your goals? (We can’t have it all!)

To help, we’ve developed a tracker that you can use to document your yearly progress. Click here to download.

Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

We know we’ve been saying resolutions throughout this whole blog. Trust us, we’ve been rolling our eyes too. Resolutions are unreliable and destroy our self-esteem because they lack commitment. They lack discipline. And eventually, they become just another holiday cliché. So, in 2023 let’s swap resolutions for commitments. 

With the tools above, you’ll make your 2023 commitments tangible. Lead each day as if your success was inevitable, and so it shall be. 

Happy new year! 

SNP

The post 3 Ways to Achieve Your Professional Goals in 2023 appeared first on SNP Communications.

We all love independence. It’s something we strive to have, a word we hope people describe us as, and a synonym of freedom, personal choice, and power. But, being independent, comes with a lot of dependencies (our Co-Founder Renn has some thoughts on that). To be truly independent, we have to find equilibrium with our dependencies. But what does that look like in the workplace? How do we, as leaders, encourage employee independence?

Whether you’re a team lead, manager, VP, C-Level Executive, or founder – here are some ideas to create independence for your employees:  

1- Set expectations

People always say honesty is the best policy. And it is. But what is honesty without clarity?

When it comes to managing a team and encouraging employee independence, being honest AND clear about your expectations is key.

So what are expectations?

They’re strong beliefs that something will or should happen. At work they’re the assumptions we make about how someone works, how something should function, etc. For example, as a manager, you probably expect your team to hit their deadlines. If they can’t hit those deadlines, you expect them to tell you right away.

But you’ve  likely had to chase someone down to get a status update on project, right Where does that miscommunication happen? It’s in verbalizing those expectations.

So make a list of your own expectations for your team. You could list them out per group, per project, even per role. 

Here are some examples:

• Of my team –  I expect them to respond to customer emails in a 24 hour window.
  
• For ABC project – I expect each contributor to bring a progress report to each meeting
  
• From my program manager – I expect an organized project dashboard that’s updated daily and a weekly status update email to the team.

How do expectations tie into independence?

If you and your team are clear on expectations, you don’t need to worry about a task getting done or an email getting answered. Sure, there may be some growing pains where you need to course correct, remind, even give hard feedback, but the guidelines are clear. Everyone has their marching orders and knows the metric they are being measured to. 

But it’s a two-way street, they’ll also have expectations of you. Maybe it’s being accessible. Maybe it’s for mentorship. Start the conversation and gain more clarity together. 

WARNING: A side effect of mutually living up to expectations is building trust.

2- Build trust

For your team to be independent, you have to trust them, and in turn, they have to trust you.

How do we build trust in the workplace?

The book, The Trusted Advisor breaks down trust into four components: 

1. Credibility – your expertise and credentials
2. Reliability – your follow through
3. Intimacy – your ability to create a sense of safety and security
4. Self-Orientation – your focus on others versus yourself

What actions can you take to build trust?

• Credibility: Answer questions truthfully. Do your research.
• Reliability: Meet deadlines. Be proactive. 
• Intimacy: Acknowledge mistakes. Share personal and professional stories. 
• Self-Orientation: Listen more, speak less. Be curious and check your assumptions. 

These are only a few actions you can take, but you get the idea. 

Not only are these good starting points for you to build your team’s trust in you, but also to identify where your team may be losing your trust. If they’re not meeting their deadlines, maybe they’re lacking in reliability. Give them that feedback (constructively of course), so they can change and be set up for success when being independent.

Trust is a two way street though. Where are you lacking? And how can you build your team’s trust in you? They’ll feel more comfortable being independent if they know they can count on you. 

Trust also means trusting your team to do the work, so sometimes you’ll need to take a step back.

3- Stop micromanaging

People feel they’re trusted when they’re given the space to make their own decisions. Don’t be a helicopter boss, quit micromanaging. 

So what is micromanaging and how do you know if you’re doing it?

Webster defines micromanagement as, “manage[ment] or control with excessive attention to minor details.” 
If you’re not delegating work, becoming overly involved in the work of your employees, or discouraging independent decision-making you’re probably micromanaging. And thus, stifling independence. 

How do you stop micromanaging?

Well, you can start by setting expectations. Then start delegating effectively. Really be hands off. Let go of a perfectionist mindset. Accept that your way isn’t the only way. And ultimately, hire the right people. 

Your team can’t be independent if you’re always looking over their shoulder. With the right training, they should be able to work independently.

4- Create a culture

Every step builds to this one – create a culture of independence. 

Independence thrives in the expectations you set, the trust you build, and the projects you don’t micromanage. 

To take it to the next level, include independence in your values, vision, and mission. Clearly state and show how independence plays into the company’s north star. 

Use your peers for inspiration. Which companies do you feel have independent employees? What do they do? 

Once you have some ideas, it all comes down to the policies you set and how you collectively live them. Don’t waiver. 

Make it a conversation. Encourage your team to speak up and share their insights. Give recognition to those who are modeling independence. 

So encourage independence…

Because teams who are free to make their own choices and decisions perform better, are happier, more engaged, and increasingly loyal to their organizations.

There will come a point when one of your team members doesn’t just want independence but NEEDS independence – to prevent burnout, to find a creative customer solution, to raise a family, to keep a project running, or you know, to navigate a global pandemic…

Encourage independence and set yourself and your team up for success.

If you’re looking for more hands-on help with encouraging employee independence, whether as a leader or as an employee, check out SNP’s 1:1 coaching program with Me360. Being independent doesn’t mean being alone.

The post 4 Ways To Encourage Employee Independence appeared first on SNP Communications.

Dear SNP,

My two mentors at work, my manager and a senior colleague, BOTH put in their notice recently (hello darkness my old friend…). Honestly, they’re the only reason I haven’t left myself. They saw my potential, pushed me, advised me, and protected me from the bureaucratic BS. 

This is by no means my dream job, so I was ready to follow suit. But in our final 1:1, my manager told me I should stay. Said I should see this as an opportunity to establish myself as a leader within the team and develop a stronger voice. Voice? I’m a nervous wreck of a human. I can barely speak when I’m called on in a meeting. I blackout when I present. I’ve rewritten this very email five times. Hell, just recently, a cashier said, “the receipt is in the bag” and I replied, “you too”…a moment I’ve been replaying in my head for WEEKS. 

Deep down, I know she’s right. Deeper down, this scares the shit out of me. What should I do?

 – Voiceless 

Dear Voiceless,

First: you make your own career decisions.

Just as your manager makes their own, and just as your colleague made their own. While there are lots of data points that lead up to making the decision to move on (seeking a change in role, function, geography, challenge, company, industry, and sure, let’s be pragmatic and say salary), someone else’s career decision can’t predicate yours. 

You own your decisions. Just as you own your voice. If we’re all just mimicking what other people do, or repeating someone else’s ideas for fear of sharing our own…the world is going to become a very boring place. 

So yes, find your leadership voice. Your team, your manager, and your company need it. 

You have an opinion. You have a point of view. You have a suggestion that might make that one little part of that one process even better. Or you have a recommendation that might influence an entire strategic arm of the company. It’s all of those words and ideas that swim around in your head during a meeting, as you listen to an all-hands, and as you decompress from the day. 

But we all have opinions. What sets the leader apart is their ability to articulate their ideas clearly and confidently. 

So we’ve just spent 209 words underscoring the importance of being you. Now what. 

Get out of your head and into the conversation.

You’re spending so much time fast-forwarding to after you say the thing, that you’re never saying the thing. What if they disagree? What if someone objects? What if my mute button is on the whole time? The truth: all of that might happen. You can’t control others (though sure, you can likely control your mute button – so check that). You can control you.

Jot down your three key points based on what the people need in the room care about right now. Start with, “I have an opinion about…” And then say it. Don’t get cute with your wording. Just say the thing. Then, create a dialogue around it by threading in a colleague. It would sound like this: 

I have an opinion about paper receipts. The way I see it, if we all moved to digital receipts, we’d save paper, save a step at checkout, and save a potentially awkward exchange at the register. Get rid of paper receipts and let’s bring in digital. Jack, you’ve done a lot of shopping lately…what is your reaction to the suggestion that we get rid of paper receipts? 

Congratulations. You just shared your opinion, and you sparked a dialogue around it. 

Whether or not you stay at your current gig – we don’t know. We could go on an entirely different tangent on that one. But this find your voice action? You have to do that. The loudest person in the room doesn’t win. The quietest doesn’t win. The one who uses their voice with grace and class to share their ideas…wins. 

– SNP Communications

If this has left you thinking, “Voice is great, but where do I even start with leadership?” check out our article on Leadership Basics.

The post Leadership Voice & How to Find it | Is This Mic On appeared first on SNP Communications.

EQ becomes more and more important than IQ. 

And having been exposed to those ranks, both as a professional and as a coach. That insight couldn’t be more accurate. Unfortunately, EQ content is usually brushed to the side by professionals. But it’s EQ that enables you to communicate, inspire, and motivate others to action. It’s essential. 

If you want to make it to the top, here are the 6 topics every leader should be an expert in: 

1- How to deliver constructive feedback:

People often feel awkward or drag their feet when it comes time to giving feedback and recognition. It’s difficult, I get it. . But here’s the thing, have you ever been told you have spinach in your teeth? After being mortified that you’ve been walking around smiling and braying like a donkey all day – you’re thankful! Because you no longer look like an idiot. Same goes with feedback.

Learning how to deliver feedback in a constructive way is one of the most powerful things a leader can learn how to do. 

2- Influencing others (without a carrot or stick)

The best way to get a donkey moving forward is to bribe them with a carrot or whack them with a stick. It’s not a good plan to ever take that approach with your direct reports or colleagues.

You can influence best by building relationships, seeking understanding, and adapting your approach and communication style to their preferred style.

3- Time Management

When you’re younger you think that being a manager will be straightforward and you’ll just “manage.” But the reality is that most managers are also individual contributors. Which means you get to do the fun dance of balancing being responsible for everyone else’s success and work… while also delivering on your own. That’s really tough. Learning how to manage your time and properly identify priorities is huge. 

4- Delegation (don’t just throw it over the fence & walk away)

Delegating is the only way that managers can really balance their work load. Don’t just throw the work over the fence to any random direct report. Instead, get to know your team. Understand each direct report’s experience, ability, and personality. Then, leverage frameworks and delegate accordingly.  (If you want to know more about how to do this… check out SNP’s Courses For Leaders ). 

5- Leadership Brand

Having worked at Nike and receiving my MBA from the University of Oregon, I love all things brand. The stories behind any brand creation (the good ones at least) are fascinating. And yet, I never thought about my own brand. And how powerful it would be to create a clear North Star on how I would act, make decisions, and figure out my next steps. Not only professionally but also personally. Creating a brand is an incredibly powerful thing that all leaders should do and have at the ready.

6- Storytelling

Of course, with a leadership brand you can’t just walk around saying it. That would be awkward and weird. It needs to come out organically. Often that’s through stories. So, your ability to tell stories in compelling ways that inspire and motivate others is crucial. It can also connect your brand to others and compel them to find similar values, goals, and aspirations. Stories are powerful stuff. Which isn’t too surprising considering our brains are hardwired for stories – there’s a reason Disney, Marvel and every other blockbuster brand is successful. 

Now this list could go on and on but as a starter pack, it’s content that’s consistently needed and asked for by the most impressive resumes. If you want to get exposed to this content and more, check out SNP’s Courses For Leaders. Consider us your EQ sherpas on your climb to the top.

The post 6 Best Courses For Emerging Leaders appeared first on SNP Communications.