A question that comes up in most every conversation that I have with clients is “How can I better develop my people absent a budget for a formal program?” In my mind, the answer is fairly simple, delegate a responsibility to them that would be a great development opportunity. One of the first things I ask people during a Delegation session is this, “Write down your top 3 time takers -but with the following criteria: You like doing it, you are good at it, and it is important to the organization.” Then I ask them if these three items are something that only they, or someone in their position could or should be doing? Almost every time, the answer is a resounding “No”. Which begs the question, “Why are they still doing these things?”

I get it, as stressful as the work world can be, it’s nice to have something on your plate that you actually enjoy doing. But at what cost? While you might enjoy doing it, what other, more strategically important, responsibilities do you not have time to address because of this one? Who else might benefit, developmentally, from having exposure to this responsibility? How might delegating this responsibility positively impact engagement, productivity, innovation, inclusiveness, and more?

Now some of you are thinking to yourself, “How might delegating something that I actually like doing work to reduce my stress?” Simple, most people I ask say that they are stressed because they don’t have enough time to work on the really important things that they know they should be working on. More of the strategically important things.

While some things may bring you joy, are they really the ones that you want more time to work on and that will help drive success for your organization? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. That’s ultimately for you to decide. Which is a very important conversation to have with yourself!

We recently posted an infographic speaking to stress and how to manage it at work. Delegating was clearly one of the recommended solution actions.

I’m certainly not advocating that you delegate any and all things that bring you joy. I am asking you to closely consider which things you need to be owning and which ones would make for a great development opportunity for someone else. The problem is that we rarely look at delegation as a development tool. In the end, it’s one of the best ones at your disposal. IF you do it properly. We can help with that. Let us know how we can help.

Picture yourself in a meeting at work. You can see the room or even the Zoom screen, the usual suspects are there, and the conversation begins. Now let me ask you these questions. How many meetings have you sat in where you knew the real issues weren’t being discussed? How often do you find yourself just to be polite, saying things you don’t mean? How would you describe the level of collaboration, alignment and accountability of your team? I’m guessing that for the vast majority of you, you didn’t have positive responses to these questions. And I’m not surprised.

Look, it’s a long held belief that whether talking change or overall strategy, as much as 70% of initiatives fail to achieve their goals, largely due to employee resistance, lack of clarity or even lack of management support.

In addition, a McKinsey study shows us that when people are truly invested, especially in change, than that initiative is 30% more likely to stick. Which raises the question, how do we get people truly invested? Well, a dear friend and former master facilitator would always begin her workshops with this quote from a 1991 book from Fran Reis. People support what they help create. And decisions are best made at the levels where they will be carried out. And this aligns with so much research, and yet it seems to fall on deaf ears.

I spoke directly to this last year when posting a similar vlog on reboarding your employees. More and more companies are welcoming people back to the office, I’m not going to debate whether this is good or bad. What I am going to ask it again is who was involved in the creation of any new processes or policies that have been developed? You see, more than ever, we all want to feel involved, even moved by what we experience in our workplace.

There was a Deloitte study of millennial workers who shared that sense of purpose as part of the reason they chose their current employer. So how can you effectively create that purpose? One way could be to start with a beach ball. Bear with me, go back to the questions I asked at the beginning. How many meetings have you sat in where you knew the real issues weren’t being discussed? And why? Why are we wasting people’s time bringing them together? If we aren’t going to get down to the real business? How often do you find yourself just to be polite, saying things you don’t mean? Again, why? Chances are the leader of the meeting isn’t actually looking to hear the real truth, to hear all the different perspectives that can and do exist around literally every topic there is.

And finally, how would you describe the level of collaboration, alignment and accountability of your team? I think you can see where I’m going with this. Here’s one problem with a typical strategy meeting. All the people are there, and they’re the same. Why? Why don’t we bring in the person who’s brand new to the organization? Well, because likely someone said, we can’t do that. They don’t know how we will operate here. Exactly. This is all about accessing the power of diversity, diverse thoughts, diverse processes, a different way of seeing things. I think this has a hole in it. But I digress. If you had any thoughts towards diversity and inclusion, then you should actively be searching out those who see things from a different perspective.

If you want people to buy into any new process or initiative, why not have the ones who will be doing the actual work, be part of the decision making process? Why don’t take advantage of the unique skills each individual person brings to the table to ensure that you’re making the best possible decisions, their sense of belonging, their sense of inclusion is increased. You’re demonstrating that you truly value diversity of thoughts, and your people will actively support the world that they helped create. At Fierce we call this the team or beach ball conversation, and we’re happy to tell you more about it.

Take care

– Paul Stabile

Certain cycles repeat themselves, both in our personal and professional worlds. From a personal standpoint, January always brings with it a bunch of resolutions, most of which have already been broken. From a business perspective, while short-term and long-term planning happens at different times of the year depending on when the fiscal calendar starts, one thing is clear: a lack of clarity (i.e., conversations) continues to cause confusion, which can result in a new strategy being a lot less effective than planned. Much like that now forgotten resolution. Many fail to realize that this lack of connection – again, conversations – is costing you a ton. And we’re not just talking financially!

In our development sessions, we speak to a Papua New Guinean word, “Mokita.” It stands for “that which everyone knows but doesn’t speak of.” We call it the elephant in the room. This represents the conversations that we know we should be having but we are not for any number of reasons. Again, insert personal or professional here. It impacts all areas of our lives. That said, this is supposed to be a business blog, so I’ll focus on the professional side of things.

How well are you communicating this to your people as you plan and prepare to launch your new strategic vision for the year? Is it a memo detailing all the finer points of the plan? Is it a town hall where literally no one is brave enough to speak up to ask questions about it? Is it a memo passed down to all the lower-level leaders, “hoping” they understand it well enough not to confuse everyone? Whatever method you are using, there is one thing to remember. This is only the start; anything new needs constant support, constant evaluation, and, yes, constant conversation.

This is where things get messy. Strategies can look great on paper, but we need to remember that they mean and do nothing without the people doing the work to turn them into reality. This is where the conversations are essential. Unfortunately, with people being involved, we open ourselves up to varying contexts, assumptions, opinions, all of which lead us to do everything EXCEPT have the conversations that want and need to happen. We play out the conversations in our heads. We fear the failed conversation and then never have them. Then we are amazed that things didn’t turn out the way the piece of paper told us they would. All of which create a vicious cycle of confusion, poor performance, and stress. None of which is good. Remember, when there is a lack of information, the natural tendency is to fill in the gaps with the worst-case scenario.

In a white paper just released introducing our new Chief Behavioral Science Officer, Gabe De La Rosa, it is noted that occupational stress costs businesses $187 billion annually! This number jumps up to $300 billion when you include factors such as absenteeism, turnover, diminished productivity, increased medical costs, and increased legal fees. In the end, there is a solution, and it isn’t very complicated. Start having (and continue to have) conversations!

Here are some common steps you can take:

1. Define Goals and Purpose

Your daily actions will have little context if you don’t know what you’re working towards.

If employees and leadership have different goals, or if anyone is unclear about their intended outcomes, engagement suffers. Have conversations around expectations with everyone involved. Write a “Stump Speech,” as individuals and as a team, answering these questions:

• Where are you going?
• Why are you going there?
• Who is going with you?
• How are you going to get there?

2. Understand Roles and Responsibilities

A formal job description gives employees a general understanding of their role within an organization, but that clarity may disappear when it comes to day-to-day tasks. This is where delegation conversations are essential.

Delegating effectively can create clarity around, for example, whether an individual owns a certain task item or whether they merely need to weigh in on the task.

Employees need to know where the responsibilities of their role begin and end if those responsibilities might overlap with their coworkers, and how.

3. Have the Necessary Conversations

As we’ve discussed, effective conversations are the solution for gaining clarity, and for conversations to be effective, they need to occur frequently and include clarifying questions. No more avoiding!

We have to be willing to communicate what we’re really thinking and feeling. Frequency is especially important when it comes to giving and requesting feedback.

Taking a “when you see it, say it” approach is best, as engagement improves when appreciation is out in the open and employees are clear on potential areas they can improve.

In combination with asking clarifying questions whenever anything is unclear, feedback conversations are the two conversational skills that can significantly reduce miscommunication.

So stop the cycle of blown resolutions; I mean ineffective strategy. Start having the conversations!

No matter the environment, no matter the timing, one thing is clear. When we’re discussing plans for 2022, we’re talking about people — and their ability to bring their whole selves to work. In his most recent blog, Director of Learning Paul Stabile explores what it means to bring your whole self to work and how to build that trust within your organization.

October marks National Work and Family Month, a time for all to recognize the importance of a fulfilling balance between work and our human need for community. In this vlog, Master Facilitator Paul Stabile celebrated National Work and Family Month and explores how companies can help promote healthier and more flexible work environments for employees! 

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It’s officially September! Which means classrooms (in-person and virtual) are filled with minds eager to learn. And while many of us enjoy learning new skills and information, it can be difficult to get back into “learning mode.” In his newest vlog, Fierce Master Facilitator Paul Stabile reviews the importance of continuing education and the many modalities offered to help get you started.

Join Fierce Master Facilitator Paul Stabile for a very special fireside chat with our newest Fierce Master Facilitator Ellen Steinlein!

Ellen has been a researcher and practitioner of Organizational Psychology over the past 16 years focused on elevating the employee experience throughout the hiring, onboarding, performance management, and professional development lifecycles. Outside of the world of employee engagement, Ellen spends her free time playing badminton, tennis, and pickleball. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, 3 children, and 2 dogs.

International S’mores Day is August 10, 2021.

44% of employees didn’t take a break last year, and those who did weren’t fully disconnecting. But taking breaks is a vital part of success at the individual, team and even organizational level. Worn down, stressed-out people make mistakes that jeopardize the quality of work being done.

Watch this video with Fierce Master Facilitator Paul Stabile to discover what you can do to disconnect and allow yourself that mental refresh for your overall health and well-being.