The August Advantage for Year-End Success

Big sky over the flat ocean

Unlock the August advantage for year-end success during the relative pause offered by this month. Transitioning from beach to business post Labor Day may feel like a jolt, especially as the year-end’s hustle and bustle starts with September’s arrival. But though your mind may still be basking in summer’s relaxed rhythm, believe it or not, that’s the perfect state for cultivating game-changing insights! Let’s turn this laid-back mindset into a platform for innovative thinking. 

You may say you’re so not ready for that right now.  For most,  our heads are fully into summer relaxation and play mode. But that is the exact mindset for the richest, most innovative thinking to be done! To help you, I’ve made a guide of questions you can answer with coffee one morning, or ponder while biking, walking or paddling, sunning, gardening, or washing the car or dishes. You can record notes on your phone as you go, or sit down to jot down notes after reflection. Just take a look, and you’ll see what I mean. 

REFLECTIVE THINKING

Think back to January 1, when you had the entire year ahead of you. Remember the goals you laid out?  It’s essential to recognize your progress and how you’ve developed, as well as seeing what popped up that added new goals or may have taken things in an entirely different direction. 

  1. What achievements can you celebrate thus far? What were the wins, big or small, you’ve had in the last 8 months?
  2. What unforeseen events shook your world? What surprises, hurdles, or new openings altered your personal and professional path?  Did any leave an indelible mark on you? 
  3. Reflect on the episodes, exchanges, or instances that have deeply resonated with you. These can be poignant dialogues, breakthroughs, or lessons.
  4. How are you spending your time? Take stock of your current pursuits and duties. Pinpoint the assignments, ventures, or actions that have engaged most of your resources and attention recently. It’s very grounding.
  5. Where do you yearn for more clarity or knowledge? Becoming aware of this is most valuable.

FUTURE THINKING

This is where you look ahead to how you want to wisely use what will be left of the year – because by August, we are well into the 3rd quarter and Q4 can fly.

  1. What will make this year look like success to you?  What is left to do? This will function as your north star, directing your actions and choices in the future.
  2. What elements will lead to a memorable Q4? Investigate the factors that can lead you on an enriching, meaningful path in the coming months (A hint is to synchronize your pursuits with your principles and ambitions). 
  3. Who may provide the most assistance to you? Pinpoint the people in your support circles who hold the expertise, insights, or means to bolster your objectives. Nurture those impactful relationships.
  4. Flesh out #5 above, where you identified where you wanted to be clearer or gain more knowledge. What can you do in answer to those?

SUPPORT THINKING

You can go deeper with these questions by discussing them with friends, your peers in other or similar professions, or colleagues. 

  1. Who would you be interested in joining forces with? Think about potential partners, be it workmates, acquaintances, or advisors. 
  2. What do you need your colleagues to know? Consider the information, insights, or support you require from your teammates or coworkers, and name your needs to enhance collaboration and productivity (Communicating your needs actually fosters a more effective work environment).
  3. Are there any talks you need to have with your principle or partners to make them aware of what you may have come up with as you thought this through?

After reaping August’s potential yourself, this is a great exercise to do in September with your team or staff to help them transition productively. They’ll get a fresh focus on goals and priorities both personally and aligned with yours or the company’s to bring in a strong and fulfilling year-end succcess across the board! 

However, this moment is your secret weapon to jumpstart your journey towards year-end success, taking advantage of August’s serene ambiance to reflect and prepare. If you’d like help expanding on these questions and insights, setting clear intentions, and laying out a solid path for the rest of the year, contact me and let’s have a conversation. 

Please join my monthly newsletter to receive notice of each new blog,  useful resources, a personal essay, and news of workshops!

Skill Will Matrix: Build Your Own Effectiveness With a More Effective Team

Last month, we talked about the role of boundaries in leadership in the workplace. In it we covered how knowing your staff’s strengths and weaknesses are the key to setting boundaries – and that boundaries are actually welcomed. Because boundaries help everyone know what’s ok and what’s not within a company, so they can tailor their responses accordingly – whether working with you, co-workers or clients.

As the boss, manager or team leader, boundaries help you too; each day there are many interactions in which you will be reinforcing those as they arise, in both obvious or more subtle ways.  So while company guidelines are there, there’s the next level: the more finely tuned boundaries between you and each staff member. Knowing what each individual is capable of is a critical element in defining, conveying and upholding those. And as you do, you will find more ease and confidence in delegating and managing. You will be freed up to do more, while enjoying more office harmony and success achieving goals 

A game changing tool I’d suggest to better assess each individual is the Skill/Will Matrix. Created by Max Landsberg, it shows how to” build your own effectiveness by building the effectiveness of your team members.” That bonus alone is worth the exercise! 

The Matrix helps to frame not just their skills but their motivation level. Combined, you can see each person more clearly and tailor your management of their needs and maximize their potential in achieving the company’s objectives- and your goals too.


The Skill/Will Matrix

The Matrix is a simple chart with four quadrants, each representing a category that denotes levels of skill (high or low) and motivation or will (also high or low). The idea is that each of your people roughly falls into one of these categories. If you understand each person this way, you can engage and manage them in a way that truly fits them. In doing so, you will help each employee grow to be their most effective.That leads to an engaged, happier, more accomplished work force. And you will not only will the satisfaction level be palpable, you will delegate more effectively, thus freeing you up. And the rewards are felt by all as you achieve greater success individually and as a team and a company.

The Four Quadrants:

The graphic above shows four sections in the matrix:

  • Quadrant 1: High Skill, High Will
  • Quadrant 2: Low Skill, High Will
  • Quadrant 3: Low Skill, Low Will
  • Quadrant 4: High Skill, Low Will

Identifying each person by a quadrant is not to put them in a generic box. It is a way to understand and better help them (and you!). Start by determining what quadrant each person may fit into, generally speaking. Then, take a look at their responsibilities, personal goals, workflow and how it relates to their deliverables. 

Skill vs. Will

Skill level can depend on their training, and past work experience. Their level of competence makes all the difference in how well they function in their job. Fortunately, people can be trained to do more or better, in most cases.  Will, or motivation, is a little tricker to assess and work with. There are people who could be more motivated based on a new title, more responsibilities, monetary goals or a sense of success, satisfaction and team camaraderie.  Looking more closely at these clues will unlock the most effective ways to communicate, motivate, and match tasks to skill sets. 

For example, if someone is highly motivated but needs more training to move up, then you can talk to them about getting that training. If another is highly motivated and highly skilled, perhaps you can give them more responsibility, have them oversee others, or check in on them less than you had been. 

Matrix Driven Solutions

Within each quadrant you see there are suggested actions that work with the level of skill and will combined. Note that all include praise and endorsement. I’m a big believer in that. 

If there are productivity issues, is it due to a team with mismatched skills or motivation for the task? Can you provide training to the ones who need it to create better results?  If someone is not as motivated, what steps can you take to work with them to increase that? Would one of your highly motivated people thrive in a different section of the company that is a better match for their skill set? Would a new title or pay grade create the necessary motivation in one of your highly skilled people?  I found this article to be a nice source of specific actions you can take for each quadrant.

Know this is a fluid process, especially because your people will inevitably grow from it! Expect that some may move from one quadrant to another over time. Motivation may increase in all as the team works better – and as you enjoy the fruits of the process as well. Plan to do a personnel review every six months or so, using this tool.

If you’d like to read the Landsberg book which started it all, it’s called the Tao of Coaching. It’s well worth the read as its focus is on creating more time for yourself by delegating well, and enjoying that you are building good teams and working effectively with them… all of which enhances success! 

Sign up for my monthly newsletter which will bring you my latest blog, and useful, inspiring and uplifting content! And please Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook for more tips and encouragement!

How Creativity Enhances Your Ability To Lead

I coach leaders of all kinds, with a focus on their own development of themselves. Learning how creativity enhances your ability to lead is an important skill to hone, especially in today’s new work world. Several of my blogs speak to this, particularly February’s on adding self care to your leadership toolkit.   Seeking to add creativity into self care, elevates the benefits in your professional roles as well as within your self personally. 

Creative time can filter into your work life as enhanced problem solving and innovation, visionary thinking, and improved connection with staff.  An added bonus is your own continued career satisfaction and growth!  Both harmonize with how business is changing from the top down model of leadership to this brave new work world we’re navigating.

Forbes echoes this, saying, ‘effective leadership can require inspiration, which is often better evoked through curiosity and imagination rather than pragmatism.’ 

QUALITIES OF A CREATIVE LEADER

So how do you distinguish what makes a creative leader?  When you read the list, I bet you will think of a few people this describes.  Most of them are quite successful — like Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey. But you don’t have to be at that level of wealth, notoriety or celebrity. There are many, many creative leaders making differences in their way in all levels of the work world.

  • They are intuitive, passionate, authentic 
  • They are curious, think out of the box
  • They inspire and invite ideas and creativity of their team or in their company
  • They grasp that business models are changing, as is the world
  • They will take risks, and are willing to make mistakes
  • They can see and make connections, and strive for everyone winning
 
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” – Albert Einstein
 

HOW TO ADD CREATIVITY:

While I have suggested breaks for self care through the day, adding in creativity works on a whole different level.  Rather than doing a chore or surfing the net, try some of these:

  • Go to a museum, or an outdoor sculpture garden. 
  • Paint, learn a craft, wood work, fly a kite, do a puzzle – especially if you’ve never done them before.
  • Take your camera out specifically to photograph things for the sake of seeing differently. Do a study on the weeds in your yard, the patterns on your front steps or kitchen floor, spider webs – you name it. Art is everywhere. 
  • Repair or restore something with your own hands.
  • Play music.  Lay on the couch or floor and listen to every note like you did in high school! Dance to it. Sing.
  • Put yourself fully in the moment with grandkids and see the world as newly as they do. Engage fully in their activities with them – finger painting, frosting cupcakes, blowing bubbles, drawing on the sidewalk with chalk.
  • Spend time in your local library – preferably in the hidden areas.  National Geographic and Time have gorgeous images to look at and interesting stories to read.
  • You know the coffee table books that are mostly decor? Crack one open, and take the time to enjoy it. 
  • If you’re a hiker, biker, kayaker, or boater, do it wearing “different colored lenses’. Turn your attention from tracking miles, speed or heart rate to truly noticing  the nature around you, how your body feels with each motion.  
  • Break your routines. Try something entirely new. Say yes to things you often say no to, just to see what you learn. Go a different route and explore some new surroundings.
  • Find time for introspection. It really frees your mind and allows creativity to enter!  This could include swinging on a hammock, driving yourself to a park with few people with a picnic lunch, meditating, dancing to some favorite music, or taking a bath 
  • You may want to keep a private journal as you go. Writing something down has a way of setting intentions in your subconscious and you will be amazed at how things manifest. 
  • Educate yourself more on a topic. Read articles, do a workshop, talk to a coach.

Finding Time was my most read blog post, which confirms that it is half the battle as people strive to work new activities into their lives. I recommend reading it, as it offers solid ways to create more time to do what you really want or need to do. Even if you don’t want to add anything new to your current activities, you can achieve creative benefits by simply shifting your perspective while doing what you are doing- arguably a creative act in itself!  I’m suggesting you give a try, even for a month – and preferably a lifetime!

This video by John Spencer helps to define what I mean.

INCORPORATE CREATIVITY AT WORK

After you’ve been doing a few of these things, shift the skill of thinking from a different perspective to your work life. What is an alternate approach to your daily responsibilities and interactions with clients and co-workers? What would be some ways to bring creativity into your work and see how that develops?

  • Can you set new goals using your expanded perspective?
  • Who exhibits creative leadership in the company, your field, or the world?  Observe them, read their articles, books, or biographies. Follow them on social media, watch their interviews or output on youtube, and LEARN. 
  • What situations are opportunities to practice using your intuition instead of only relying on your head, or being led by the bottom line?
  • If you have new ideas, how can you express them constructively with others on your team?
  • What of your work or role requires the most creativity? Can you do that in the hours when you feel the freshest?  

I have written about the paradigm shift that has happened in business, jump started by Covid 2+ years ago. That business model of the future is here. There will be a direct correlation with how much it will thrive based on how you and/or your company embraces and acclimates to it – at a time when interesting the right people to fill roles and being sure they have what they need to deliver their best work is imperative. New roles are being created – ie: remote work schedulers, online meeting trainers, touch-less technologies, take out and pick up or delivery services,  online sales managers, etc… Employee well being, inclusiveness and safety concerns are more top of the list, and as a leader, working creativity into your perspective and reflecting that in your actions will take you where you need to go. 

If you would like support in working through how to utilize creativity in your role as a leader, let’s talk.