HERE ARE SOME OF OUR CURRENT THOUGHTS ON “PEOPLE” within Your Organization and how we view them THROUGH THE HARRINGTON BRANDS PROCESS. WE HOPE YOU ENJOY, LEARN AND APPLY!
The Change Formula, a tool introduced recently, emphasizes the necessity of Dissatisfaction (D) with the status quo for meaningful change to occur. Dissatisfaction stems from various sources within communities or organizations, such as performance gaps, external pressures, cultural misalignment, and leadership issues. Addressing dissatisfaction is crucial as it can lead to resistance, decreased morale, missed opportunities, and hindrance to organizational growth. Real-life examples illustrate the importance of recognizing dissatisfaction and driving change, whether it's transitioning to a team-based organization, expanding regionally for impact, or adapting to evolving EMS models.
Have you ever found yourself wanting to implement some kind of change either in your community or at your place of business and realized you didn’t have the support to make it happen? Over the course of the next 3-4 weeks, we will explore each element of the Change Formula creating a pragmatic, directly applicable model you and your team can now start to follow when implementing change.
Uncover the importance of embracing your own 'Friday You.' Delve into the significance of carving out moments of relaxation and spontaneity amidst the hustle of daily life. Join us on a journey of introspection and celebration, as we unravel the magic of Fridays and the timeless lessons they impart.
Understanding the emotional journey of change can help individuals and communities navigate transitions more effectively. By recognizing and addressing the various stages of grief, from shock and denial to acceptance and integration, we can foster resilience, promote collaboration, and ultimately thrive in times of change.
Navigating the dynamics of change with insights into different change styles—Conserver, Pragmatist, and Originator. Discover how understanding these styles can empower leaders to navigate change effectively and foster a culture of innovation and growth in their communities.
We must be change agents. If change will already happen constantly, we must work as community leaders to guide that change for the better. We will spend some time over the next few weeks diving deep into change so that we can better understand, with fanatic discipline and empirical creativity, how we can master change.
When we are called to provide hope, humanity, humility and helpfulness through LEADing. We must first Look around and pay attention finding moments and opportunities to empathize. Empathize by perspective taking, being non judgemental, recognizing emotion, communicating and practicing mindfulness. Acknowledge the truth of the current situation. Decide what actions need to be taken (if any).
As communities (both at work and in life) grapple with shifting values and ethics, steering away from a shared sense of humanity, the perilous path of individualism and vested interests looms. This phenomenon of individualism finds its roots in a focus on personal feelings and self-actualization, championed by great minds like Emerson and Thoreau. However, I would argue that in order to find ourselves, we have lost each other. The antidote to strict individualism lies in the love of humanity, a force that transcends self-interest and places communal well-being at its core.
Hope can be a faint glimmer on the distant horizon. It can keep us moving on the journey of community, belonging and love. Hope is a way of thinking - a cognitive process - or as C. R. Snyder called it a trilogy of: goals, pathways and agency.
Yes, hope is also based in emotions and can greatly inspire us to reach the highest heights, however its core is in ‘function.’ We experience hope when we can set realistic goals, when we can stay flexible and develop alternative pathways, and when we believe in ourselves or “agency.”
Community, a term encompassing our town halls, spiritual centers, workplaces, and backyards, holds diverse meanings for different people. It can signify gathering, progress, workplace teams, civic justice, or merely the coming together of a people. Amid these various perspectives, one often overlooked concept stands out as a powerful force capable of transforming communities from the inside out: hospitality.
In the intricate tapestry of human existence, one common thread binds us all – the innate need for belonging. Recent research underscores the significance of finding a sense of belonging within close social relationships and communities for overall well-being. At our core, we are social beings, interdependent on one another for survival, and the ability to belong is a powerful force shaping our lives.
Relationships matters when creating a vision for your organizations because you cannot create a vision without being innovative, creative and ready for change. Brene Brown once wrote about vulnerability saying, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” Vulnerability is the ability to handle uncertainty, to take risks and most importantly embrace emotional exposure. This makes sense. Are you more likely to risk sounding “in left field” if you trust the team you’re with and can be vulnerable around them? Would you mention the “unmentionable” at a board retreat if you trusted that the board members have your best intentions at heart? How can we ask people to tell us their best, perhaps wackiest ideas if they can’t be vulnerable around us?
When it comes to remote work or some variation of it (hybrid work), the only negotiable is the speed at which we are willing to change our workplaces, not the change itself. Hopefully these 4 elements will give you a head start in adapting your workplace. Don’t wait to go completely remote, these tools work well with traditional workplaces too!
Do you ever feel like you’re in a team or on a board where you’re mixing water and oil? Some people go hard right, while others go hard left? Even their approach to a topic or challenge is, well, different! Did you know your board or team members have four distinct personality profiles? Using the Lens of Understanding we can identify the Get It Done, Get It Right, Get Along and Get Appreciation personalities on our teams.
The Fs Exercise is a great group exercise to point out minority voice and opinion and how important it is to listen to all perspectives of the group.
As a New Year is upon us yet again, here are a few ways over the last decade and half that I have both seen and practiced becoming indispensable in career, professional life and in organizations. These are immediate, real-time, start today ways that can transform you as a leader and any organization, business or side-hustle attached to you!
The One Page Strategy (OPS) has helped many pull together strategic and yearly plans and goals all on one sheet. The idea is that by putting it on one sheet you can look at it throughout the year to make progress on those goals. Not only are all your goals and projects on one sheet, it also holds you and your team accountable as you look at it from time to time throughout the year to measure your effectiveness in achieving your goals.
One of the most common phrases you’ll hear as a leader in a chamber or association is, “you know what you should do…” or “I’ve got an idea for you…” or if your chamber or association is well-known for throwing events, “here’s an event you should do for the community…” Next time you hear that, try out two of these free templates!
The One Page Strategy (OPS) has helped me put all my strategic and yearly plans and goals all on one sheet. The idea is that by putting it on one sheet you can look at it throughout the year to make progress on those goals.
Not only are all your goals and projects on one sheet, it also holds you accountable as you look at it from time to time throughout the year to measure your effectiveness in achieving your goals.
In a Wall Street Journal Career Strategies article, Most Promotions Take Place in January, Study Finds, depending on the industry, a study finds June, July, and September are also popular months for job advancement. This is a great window of time to build on your strengths, neutralize your weaknesses, and demonstrate why your boss should take notice. Here are a couple of maverick thoughts of our own with ways to become indispensable this summer.
As leaders there's always one behavior or another we're trying to shape or change in others. What about the chronic latecomer, the constant complainer and the time management challenged? We attempt to give constructive feedback, help them set goals or focus on teamwork and continuous improvement. Sometimes it clicks; sometimes it doesn’t. Do you know how much our habits actually impact our behavior choices (which is either what you’re trying to stop in others or grow in others), or how habits can by-pass our decision-making function?
This past week, wearing my other hat as chamber director for southwestern Vermont, I had the pleasure to present at the Vermont Tourism Summit in Burlington, Vermont. My topic was on “Building Your Brand With Local Talent.” Now, because of my job and my background, the presentation was heavy on marketing tactics. However, I was able to weave in some of my other passion - motivating teams.
Right, makes sense! With all the strategy and tools to get the marketing job done, we still have the fundamental challenge of human beings leading the charge. We still need to make sure our staff, teammates or freelancers are happy. This is where I often weaved in our CAMP Method of Motivation.
Right around this time of year, I find that my immune system just gives out. I had tried my hardest, forced as much sun-soaked vitamin D in our northeast summers, popped the multitude of good-for-you vitamins, washed my hands every time I could, alas I tend to get a cold during March or April. I think this New England body just runs out of reserves.
Equally, it can seem that way at work, at the gym, working on projects. We enter the new year with such gusto, however when we get past the first quarter of the year, the tyranny of the urgent can take our eyes off of the goal. We lose focus.
Results of a study conducted by Manchester, Inc. of 100 leaders primarily from Fortune 100 companies found that among the benefits that organizations received from providing coaching to leaders were improvements in productivity (reported by 53% of leaders), quality (48%), and organizational strength (48%). Among the benefits to leaders who received coaching were improved working relationships with direct reports (reported by 77% of leaders), working relationships with immediate supervisors (71%), teamwork (67%).
Do you know how much your meetings cost? Seriously. It’s so common now to be 5 minutes late, not have a direction to meetings, scribble a half-baked agenda (if that) and rarely have action items coming out of the meetings. Sometimes we meet just to say we met!
Many of those that have gone through one of my workshops know that I despise the word manager. It’s too sterile and authoritarian. It doesn’t describe the actual purpose of the role. When you have entered the arena of manager (welcome!), you take on a new role. You are no longer suppose to make the widgets, work in the weeds, mow the lawn! Yes, you doing so well at those jobs probably got you there, but it is important to know when you receive the title of manager, supervisor or coach, you are putting down your widget making ability and picking up the skillsets of guiding a team to success!
What makes a boss a bully? I believe that bully bosses think very highly of themselves, in fact to a certain degree they believe they are the only ones with the correct answers. Interestingly, this often shows up in mid-process, not in the beginning. Some will allow people to get started on a project or task, because they don’t fully know how to do it themselves. They will often not participate in the development of ideas, but focus instead on critiquing ideas once they are generated. Others will berate staff for not having answers early enough in a project and will supply all the answers from the start.
You probably aren’t going to have to do a TED talk anytime soon in your near future. However, we all have to present, communicate and convince other people. Asking for that salary raise? Discussing the new project with your team? Needing to get buy in from stakeholders? Speaking in front of your board? This all requires crushing it during the presentation. Presentation skills, I believe, are one of the most undervalued, least taught, and difficult skill for many leaders to master. Here are 40 tips, hints and facts that I practice, use routinely and hope you find some help with: crushing your next presentation…
Sorry folks, but this will be a long post. It’s finally time to talk about Gen Z. We’ve only scratched the surface. We’ve hopefully but together a good list of trending attributes to this generation. Give it a read and let us know what you think…
We explore the dynamics of change within communities, framing stakeholders into three distinct roles: Change Champions, the Toxic Few (Resistors), and Bystanders. We use the Change Bell Curve to emphasize the importance of focusing energy on engaging Change Champions and winning over Bystanders, while not wasting efforts on the entrenched resistance of the Toxic Few. By understanding these dynamics and leveraging effective communication strategies, communities and organizations can navigate change more successfully and foster a culture of growth and adaptation.