Celebrating Everyone!

Waking up from celebrating Canada's 150th birthday reminds me that not just momentous occasions need to be celebrated, but the little ones too.

Everyone's leadership style is different, and everyone is different, so it is important to find a point where those two things mesh.  Some leaders praise small and large successes regularly, while others give only hard earned and well-deserved compliments.  In a similar manner, some people need regular praise to stay motivated, while others need only the occasional nod of approval.   It's kind of like a car.  If you try and change gears and the gears aren't going at the same speed, they groan and grind and can sometimes explode, so it's important to make sure you are on the same page.

As a leader, we need to think about more than just ourselves.  Forget your natural tendencies for celebrating success, and think about those around you.  What speed are they going at?  Do they need constant praise, or will it make them feel like you are babying them?  What does the person need?

Maybe celebrating the momentous achievements of a country is enough, but for some people, it is celebrating the little victories that really shows you've been paying attention, and really has the power to motivate.

-Alexander C. Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

Image Source: http://www.digitalistmag.com/lob/human-resources/2014/12/24/5-ways-to-celebrate-success-with-your-team-in-2015-01967947

What to Look for in a Coach

Coaching is very loosely defined in business.  What this means is that really anyone can call themselves a Coach, or maybe they'll spice it up with "Executive Coach," but that anyone could be some rando off the street, or the most experienced "Executive Coach" of them all.

How do you tell which one is the right one for you?

I've read a slough of articles on the Internet, looking for some kind of consensus on what makes a spectacular business coach, but the truth is, there doesn't seem to be consensus, because it comes down to individuals.  Individual coaches.  Individual coachees.  If we take the slough of articles, plus my own experience with teaching and being taught (I teach martial arts 1-2 times a week) I can whittle it down to these three points.

Experience/Expertise - Don't have a sculptor teach you how to be a CEO, and conversely, don't let a CEO teach you how to be a sculptor.  Recognized coaching credentials or not, make sure that their experiences are relevant to your needs, and if possible get references!  Different combinations of experience yield different results, so what you need might be very specific... just make sure that you feel that "click" when comparing their abilities and your specific challenges.

Compassion/Connection - A great coach will back you, not just during your successes, but also during your failures.  You need someone who can work with you through the tough times, and who can motivate you, instead of just listing the ways you're a failure.  That kind of support can get you back on the horse, and with close ties to your coach they can act as a confidante, and help you sort out all facets of your life, not just work.

Accountability/Responsibility - It's nice to have someone around to pat you on the back with a bunch of "attaboys," and who says "You'll get it next time!" when you didn't get it this time.  That can be nice, but you want a coach who can push your limits, and who can help you to be the best you can be.  Sure, you want them to say "You'll get it next time," but then you want them to say, "but you're responsible for your success, so let's work together so that next time you're ready.".

What other key attributes do you think are critical when selecting a coach, be it a life coach, or business coach?  Morality?  Ethics?  Light vs Dark side?

-Alexander C. Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

Image source: https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/yoda-and-darth-vader-vs-bruce-almighty.345218/

Sometimes the best way to motivate, is to not

In my experience, I have found that most people want to do a good job.  They go to work and they want to do their best.  There are some who are just floating by, but they seem to be the exception and not the norm.  In general, we have a decently motivated workforce going about their business and doing their jobs.  So, what goes wrong?

Leadership.

It's not that the workers aren't motivated, it's that they are de-motivated.  I've seen this, a lot.  There are leaders and managers out there that like to check up on their teams, to see how they are doing, even when there is no new information to give or to receive.  Sometimes that is just how people lead, and sometimes they feel like they aren't making enough of a contribution, so they go and push the team a bit, trying to "motivate" them, or get that 110%.

There's the problem.  If you don't have anything to offer, and there is nothing you need, think twice about trying to motivate your team.  Remember, in general, we have an already motivated workforce.  If they are already at 100%, pushing them to 110% is really like pushing them to 70%, and if you have nothing to offer, and don't need anything, well, not many people like to be micromanaged.

As leaders, sometimes a few well-placed words or a little information can drive a team to succeed, but our words can also do just the opposite if we aren't careful.

-Alexander C. Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

Image Souce: https://despair.com/products/leaders