What Does Your Word Really Mean?

What Does Your Word Really Mean?

Whether I’m interacting with an individual coaching client, organization, prospective client, service provider, or someone else, something I hear often are the words “I will…”, it may be “I will:

  • Do that action by Mar 13th”

  • Have the information to the team on Wednesday”

  • Send the contract on Monday”

  • Email you the link next week”

Or some other action they're pledging to do in the future.  These pledges are also known as commitments.

As change agents and leaders, we’re often making commitments, whether at work, in our personal lives, or to ourselves.  The question is, how often do you follow through on what you say you will do (i.e. your commitment)?  In other words, what does your word really mean?

Click Read More to reflect on:

  • Which of these definitions aligns with what your word means

  • How you may be getting perceived based on what your word means to you

  • Whether you're a change agent / leader who is standing out from the crowd when it comes to your word

Worry Taking Over?

Worry Taking Over?

Hearing about several companies doing layoffs brings the topic of worry to mind.  There could be the worry of whether:

  • Your company will be doing layoffs

  • Your job is going to be impacted

  • You’ll be able to pay the bills

  • You’ll land another full-time job you like

  • Your mental health will be impacted

And the list goes on.  As you’re reading this you may feel:

  • Your chest or back tightening

  • Your heart starting to pound

  • Or some other unpleasant sensation in your body

If that's the case, take a slow deep breath, in through your nose…out through your mouth…repeat until the sensation starts to pass.  It’s understandable if one or more of these worries and physical sensations are coming up as anyone who has personally been impacted by a layoff knows what an emotional rollercoaster this kind of change can be, and the unknown can be scary.

As change agents and leaders we all get touched by layoffs at one time or another in our career, whether it’s personally being laid off or seeing your colleagues, friends, or family affected.  At this point, most of you have probably been touched by them several times as layoffs have become a way of life in corporate. 

The question is, as you hear the latest lay off news, see the LinkedIn updates from those in your network impacted, if you've personally been laid off, or have something else going on triggering you to worry, how much is that worry taking over?

Click Read More to see:

  • What worry taking over can look like

  • What it’s costing you when this happens

  • Whether worry is a choice

  • The paths you can take to address it

Putting Your Politics Ahead of the Organization's Mission?

Putting Your Politics Ahead of the Organization's Mission?

Watching the historic drama of Kevin McCarthy lose the House Speakership 14 times over four days, brings organizational politics to mind.  What makes this drama historic?  This is the first time:

  • In 100 years it took a House Speaker more than one ballot to be elected

  • In over 160 years it took a House Speaker more than nine ballots to be elected (he took 15!)

As change agents we all encounter politics, whether in a corporation, non-profit, a family business, or the government sector. The question is, how often are you engaging with them and putting your politics ahead of the organization’s mission?

Click Read More to see what putting your politics ahead of the organization’s mission can look like and what doing this could be costing you in your career.

How Accurately are you Reading Communications?

How Accurately are you Reading Communications?

As you prepare for the holidays doing your gift shopping, decorating, baking, planning, cooking, and more, it can feel like a very busy or even stressful time of year.  And when you’re busy, you may be more prone to hurry through your to-do list.  On that to-do list is probably several communication items, whether it’s responding to emails or texts, an invitation, a proposal, deciding what your response is going to be to a recent presentation at work, or some other communication item.  The question is, how accurately are you reading these communications before responding to them?

Now your first thought may be, “of course I’m accurately reading them.”  And, what if this thought is actually untrue at times?  Click Read More to see if these situations ever happen to you and what misreading a communication may be costing you.

How Much do you Enjoy the Drama?

How Much do you Enjoy the Drama?

Watching the midterm elections in the U.S. brings the word “drama” to mind. There’s the current dramas of:

  • Which political party is going to be in control of the House of Representatives in 2023

  • Some 2020 election deniers getting into office who will have control over the voting process in their states

  • Who will be running for President in 2024

There’s the recent dramas of:

  • Which political party was going to be in control of the Senate in 2023

  • All the political ad campaigns that attacked the opposing candidate, and included phrases and images designed to elicit fear, anger, and other strong emotions from Americans

  • The scandals breaking around the various political candidates

  • Several candidates running for office who are 2020 election deniers (i.e. a Congress Member who voted against certifying the 2020 election results or would have done this if they were in office at the time, publicly said the 2020 election was rigged or stolen, or still publicly questions the 2020 election results)

As change agents and leaders, we are very accustomed to being around drama. With change comes strong emotions. Where there are strong emotions, drama is bound to follow. Whether it’s drama with:

  • Stakeholders

  • A team

  • Our boss or coworkers

  • A vendor

  • A merger and acquisition or some other aspect of the transformation

Or perhaps it’s drama with:

  • Family (especially with holiday gatherings coming up!)

  • Your kids

  • Friends

  • Your partner

The question is, how much do you enjoy getting wrapped up in drama? Click Read More to ask yourself these questions to find out. You may be surprised to find you actually like drama more than you consciously thought you did!

How Often do you Put Your Money Where Your Mouth is?

How Often do you Put Your Money Where Your Mouth is?

Way to go to Yvon Chouinard and his family for putting their money where their mouths are (i.e. putting money towards what they say they care about)! And talk about being change agents, and in Level 7 energy (for those familiar with Energy Leadership)…wow. Who is Yvon Chouinard? He is the 83 yr old who founded Patagonia in 1973, the American company that manufactures and sells outdoor clothing.

What did the family recently do that shocked the business world? Click Read More to find out and ask yourself these questions to see how financially committed you are as a change agent.

Be Seen, Be Heard, Be Effective in Bringing about Change