Blanchard LeaderChat

Join The Ken Blanchard Companies for a complimentary webinar and online chat beginning today at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (12:00 noon Eastern).

Best-selling author and consultant Scott Blanchard will be sharing the results of five years of primary research which uncovers the motivational factors that bring out the natural motivation inherent in people, get employees up-to-speed quickly in new roles, and remove roadblocks to performance.
 

The webinar is free and seats are still available if you would like to join over 1,100 people expected to participate. Immediately after the webinar, Scott will be answering follow-up questions here at LeaderChat for about 30 minutes. To participate in the follow-up discussion, use these simple instructions.

Instructions for Participating in the Online Chat

• Click on the LEAVE A COMMENT link above
• Type in your question
• Push SUBMIT COMMENT

It’s as easy as that! Scott will answer as many questions as possible in the order they are received. Be sure to press F5 to refresh your screen occasionally to see the latest responses. We hope you can join us later today for this special complimentary event courtesy of Cisco WebEx and The Ken Blanchard Companies.

Click here to watch complete recording.

Join The Ken Blanchard Companies for a complimentary webinar and online chat beginning today at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (12:00 noon Eastern).  Senior Consulting Partner Phil Reynolds will be sharing essential feedback skills in a presentation on How to Deliver Feedback in a Way that Gets Results.

The webinar is free and seats are still available if you would like to join over 1,100 people expected to participate.

Immediately after the webinar, Phil will be answering follow-up questions here at LeaderChat for about 30 minutes.  To participate in the follow-up discussion, use these simple instructions.

 Instructions for Participating in the Online Chat

• Click on the LEAVE A COMMENT link above
• Type in your question
• Push SUBMIT COMMENT

It’s as easy as that!  Phil will answer as many questions as possible in the order they are received.  Be sure to press F5 to refresh your screen occasionally to see the latest responses.

We hope you can join us later today for this special complimentary event courtesy of Cisco WebEx and The Ken Blanchard Companies.  Click here to register or learn more.

10/20/11 update: Webinar recording just posted.  Access here by clicking How To Deliver Feedback in a Way that Gets Results

That’s the message Scott Blanchard shares with readers in his latest column for Fast Company magazine.  Drawing on exclusive, primary research that shows Growth as one of the lowest-rated employee work passion factors in today’s organizations, Blanchard shares what individuals, managers, and senior leaders can do to improve growth perceptions inside their organizations.

Individual Employees

For individual employees, Blanchard recommends first and foremost, to focus on doing a good job in your current role while you look for new opportunities inside the company.  As he explains, “Growth beyond your current job is a privilege usually reserved for people who perform in an exemplary fashion. When managers get requests for growth from people who are not performing at their best, it may feel to them like they are stepping on a treadmill with an employee who may never be satisfied in his or her current role.  Most managers will avoid this, because they suspect it will become a never-ending process.”

Managers

For managers, Blanchard advises facing growth conversations head-on—even when you don’t have traditional next steps up the corporate ladder to offer. As a manager, keep your eye out for new opportunities and new projects that may come up. Know which people on your team would consider it rewarding to get involved in a project that is different than their normal job.

This could potentially be a lateral move, or even a move to completely different part of the organization. Some of the greatest opportunities for growth are found in areas that integrate what’s happening between two departments. For example, a project following up on leads could bring the sales and marketing departments together, while refining and solving a business problem could integrate the engineering and sales departments.

Good managers look out for their people and think beyond the day-to-day. When they have someone who is really working hard for them, they go out of their way to help that person grow.

Senior Leaders

For senior leaders, Blanchard reminds executives that good people always have opportunities.  His recommendation?  Conduct an assessment to find out how employees view current growth opportunities in the organization. Make growth a priority. Your best people are not going to wait patiently for opportunities for advancement—even in a slow economy.  If you are not providing them with growth opportunities, they will go elsewhere and they will take what they learn from you and use that to build their career at another company.

You don’t want to be the person at a top employee’s exit interview who hears, “The headhunters seemed to care more about my career development and growth opportunities than this organization did.”

Learn More

Growth is just one of 12  important factors employees evaluate in their work environment. To see Blanchard’s latest research on the topic read Employee Work Passion Volume 3: Connecting the Dots.  To read more on Scott Blanchard’s specific strategies for creating an engaging work environment check out his other Fast Company articles.

Do Your People Really Know What You Expect From Them?

Feedback Usually Says More About the Giver than the Receiver

Managers: Set People Free to Promote Growth and Get Results

The Role Money Plays in Engaging Employees

The Just-Right Approach To Social Media And Transparency, And What It Says About Your Company

Maintain A Startup Attitude for a Passionate Office

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As the world becomes more connected by technology, there is a growing expectation that modern professionals are accessible and responsive. Often, this means stretching boundaries and developing new skills to conduct business with people in far-reaching time zones and geographies.

One of the basic requirements in today’s new connected world is “virtualosity” when it comes to responsiveness and engagement.

For HR, OD, and training professionals, “virtualosity” means acknowledging and meeting the needs of participants who are located across a widely-dispersed network, and using new technology and enhanced instructional design to keep your audience engaged.

Read more…

Even under the best of circumstances, creating a business plan and getting others to actually buy into it is a difficult task.  Don’t make things three times as hard by trying to do everything yourself.  That’s the advice from Jesse Stoner in a recent article on Creating a Vision Statement that Works.

Stoner explains that too many executives try to do everything on their own.  They don’t leave room for other people.  As a result, people don’t feel like they own the vision and so they are less likely to follow it.

For executives looking to create a strong picture of the future for their company that will guide planning and decision-making in the coming year, Stoner recommends paying special attention to what she calls the three “hows.”

3 “Hows” of Creating A Successful Vision

1. How it’s created.  Resist the temptation to huddle together with a small group of executives at an off-site retreat to create a vision for the organization.  While part of leadership entails setting a strategic direction for the company, the key is to make space for all of the people who are going to be responsible for implementing the vision.  If you want them to buy into the vision, give them a chance to be a part of the process.
2. How it’s communicated.  Avoid the urge to laminate your latest vision statement, frame it on the wall, and distribute copies among the rank-and-file.  Instead, ask managers to share the new vision in small group settings, discuss what it means, answer questions, and gather feedback.
3. How it’s lived.  This is something that a leader can do personally.  Actions speak louder than words and employees will be watching a senior leader’s behavior to see if the vision is really a new direction or just words on a paper.  Make sure that your behavior is consistent with the stated direction of the company.  Nothing does a better job of bringing a vision to life.

Don’t lead in a vacuum—involve others in the process for better buy-in and greater results.

To learn more about what Stoner has to say on creating a clear direction for 2011, be sure to check out Creating a Vision Statement that Works in this month’s Ignite newsletter.  Also, learn more about a free webinar Stoner is conducting this Wednesday on Creating Engagement and Alignment through a Shared Vision. Over 700 people are registered already!

Managers can be shy or unsure of themselves when it comes to recognizing and praising others at work.  That’s some of the feedback we’ve been getting as people have been participating in our Catch People Doing Things Right Twitter contest (see details below).  Part of the reason is that leaders are concerned that they won’t do it right—or that it won’t be received well.  These fears are mostly groundless.  Everyone loves to be praised.  For managers looking to catch their people doing things right, there are really only two things to keep in mind:

1. Be Immediate and Specific–For a praising to be effective, it must be immediate and specific. Tell people exactly what they did right as soon as possible. For example, “You submitted your report on time Friday, and it was well written. In fact, I used it in a meeting today, and that report made you and me and our whole department look good.”

Use examples such as “I see productivity in your department is up ten percent” or “Your report helped us win the contract with the Jones Company.” Comments that are too general, such as “I appreciate your efforts,” “Thank you very much,” “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” and “Keep up the good work,” are less likely to seem sincere and thus are unlikely to be effective.

2. State Your Feelings–After you praise people, tell them how you feel about what they did. Don’t intellectualize. State your gut feelings: “Let me tell you how I feel. I was so proud after hearing your financial report presentation at the Board of Directors meeting. I want you to know how good I feel about your being on our team. Thanks a lot.”

Recognizing people and expressing appreciation doesn’t have to be a laborious, drawn-out process.  In fact, many times your best praisings are the informal, spur-of-the-moment opportunities that happen throughout the course of the day. 

Get started today.  Catch someone doing things right.  It’s a powerful way to show someone you care and it can be your best management minute of the day.

Twitter Contest–Today’s Winner!

Congratulations to Christie at Mississippi State’s Women’s basketball program.  She was recognized by Coach Joey Burton and is the winner of today’s prize of a personally autographed copy of one of Ken Blanchard’s latest books. 

If you’d like to participate and recognize someone you know for a job well done, just follow the instructions below.  We’ll be choosing one more winner tomorrow.

Instructions for “Catch Someone Doing Things Right” Twitter Contest

1. Go to www.twitter.com  and post the name of the person you would like to catch doing things right along with a very short (140-characters or less) description of why. Include the following code in your message @leaderchat

For example: @leaderchat  Nick Peterson—for your work in developing our new press release program and keeping everyone up-to-date on a regular basis.  Thank you!

 2. Push the UPDATE button

It’s as simple as that.  Every day between now and Friday we’ll randomly choose one lucky person among those entered to receive a personally autographed copy of one of Ken Blanchard’s latest books.  Each day’s winner will be posted at 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time right here at www.leaderchat.org

Join The Ken Blanchard Companies’ Mark Paskowitz  for a live, online chat today at 10:05 a.m. Pacific Time. Paskowitz will be answering questions immediately after his webinar on Reward and Recognition on a Limited Budget. The webinar is free and is a part of The Ken Blanchard Companies monthly webinar series co-sponsored with Cisco WebEx.

To participate in the online discussion, stop by www.leaderchat.org  beginning at 10:05 a.m. Pacific Time.

Instructions for Participating in the Online Chat

If you have a question that you would like to ask Mark Paskowitz, just click on the COMMENTS link above.  Then post your question and push SUBMIT COMMENT.  Mark will answer as many questions as possible during the 30-minute online Q&A.  (Be sure to press F5 to refresh your screen occasionally to see the latest responses.)

If you can’t stay for the entire 30-minute chat, but would like to see all of the questions and responses, you can always stop by later.  You can also click on the RSS FEED button in the right-hand column to receive updates automatically through email.

Instructions for “Catch Someone Doing Things Right” Twitter Contest

At the conclusion of the webinar Mark Paskowitz will also be announcing a special Twitter contest that The Ken Blanchard Companies is holding this week.  Starting on Tuesday and lasting for 72-hours, The Ken Blanchard Companies will give you a chance to “catch someone doing things right” by entering that person in a drawing for a copy of one of Ken Blanchard’s latest books. The book will contain a personalized inscription congratulating the winner on being caught doing things right.  The contest ends on Friday at 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time and you can enter as many people as you would like.  Here’s how to participate:

1. Go to www.twitter.com  and post the name of the person you would like to catch doing things right along with a very short description of why. Include the following code in your message @leaderchat

For example: @leaderchat  Nick Peterson—for doing an outstanding job all year and helping to make this our best year ever! 

2. Push the UPDATE button

It’s as simple as that.  Every day between now and Friday we’ll randomly choose one lucky person among those entered to receive one of the personalized books.  Each day’s winner will be posted at 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time at www.leaderchat.org

Don’t miss this chance to say “thank you” to someone who really deserves it.  Participating is a fun, low-cost, and very thoughtful way to let someone know that you appreciate them!

PS: If you don’t have a Twitter account yet, you can sign up at Twitter when you get there.  Just follow the instructions and you’ll be online in minutes.

This Saturday, October 24 is Make A Difference Day.  Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine 19 years ago, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that encourages individuals and organizations to volunteer time to helping others in the community. In his recent post at HowWeLead.org Ken Blanchard is encouraging everyone participating in this weekend’s event to share a story about some of the ways they are making a difference. 

To learn more about this event, check out the Make A Difference Day website.  And if you want to help, but aren’t sure how to get started, be sure to check out the Idea Generator.  It’s an online tool that will help you brainstorm ways your company can help your community. Here are some of the ideas that the Idea Generator created for an organization like The Ken Blanchard Companies. 

• SELF-CLEANING COMMUNITY: In San Marcos, Calif., more than 500 San Diego County residents — representing 20 organizations — carted away 12 tons of debris from six square blocks in the Richmar neighborhood and accomplished dozens of beautification projects. The city supplied hand tools, trucks and dumpsters, while businesses donated plants and landscaping supplies.
• OFFER LEGAL ADVICE: 18 Reno, Nev., lawyers set up a booth at a mall and gave out free legal advice to 66 people on everything from family law, wills and bankruptcy to grandparents’ rights.
• REPAIR CARS: The Dodge-Chrysler-Plymouth dealer in Vacaville, Calif., gave a used van and repaired a second one belonging to the local Salvation Army for free. The dealership and its employees returned the vans packed with donated food and clothing.
• SHOW KIDS YOU CARE: Employees of the Wilkes-Barre State Farm Insurance Auto Claims Office in Pennsylvania made a meal and Halloween treat bags for residents of the Domestic Violence Service Center.
• FOCUS ON YOUR ENVIRONMENT: Five employees of PhotoFast picked up trash in downtown Oroville, Calif.
• USE YOUR NUMBERS: Hundreds of AT&T employees in five states rolled up their sleeves and rebuilt shelters, cleaned parks, prepared food and entertained disadvantaged children.

What are some of the ways your organization can make a difference?  Make A Difference Day is a great way to get started, but as Ken reminds us in his post, making a difference doesn’t have to be this Saturday only—each of us can make a difference every day.

Congratulations to Patti Breckenridge of Tampa, Florida and Lee Wise of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania who were announced yesterday as the winners in our Twitter contest to help identify today’s top leaders.  Both Patti and Lee will be receiving a gift pack of 7 of Ken Blanchard’s best books, including best-sellers together with some of Ken’s newest releases.

It’s been a great week devoted to identifying all of the wonderful leaders around us today and to explore some of the traits that make them special.  We’ve looked at the people who push the edges, inspire us, and lead us to places we may not have been able to get to on our own.

We also looked at a special group of people who we called the unsung hero, or the everyday leader.  These are the people who may not be household names, but who have had a powerful positive influence on our lives.  Here are a couple of more unsung hero/leader nominations from Ken Blanchard’s Twitter page that I wanted to share:

• My favorite leader as a coach: my mother-she understands me, keeps me grounded, pushes, backs-up.
• Innovation, courage, and caring make 8th grade science teacher Sandy Willmore my choice for Top Leader.
• My unsung hero is my cousin Chris an army helicopter pilot who will be leaving for Afghanistan.
• Susan Baldwin. For maintaining relationships with previous employees to use for training and back-up.
• This may sound like a cliché, but my boss is one of the best leaders I have ever met. He never has to ask for respect.

If you haven’t had a chance to see everyone who was nominated, go over to www.Twitter.com and type @kenblanchard in the search box.  You’ll see everyone who was recognized.  Thanks again to everyone who participated over this past week.

Today is the last day of Ken Blanchard’s Top Leader survey/contest on Twitter. Over 2,000 people have viewed tweets, or posted nominations at www.twitter.com/kenblanchard. 

On this final day, the role of the leader as coach seems to be the aspect of leadership to highlight.  In addition to inspirational, unsung, and visionary leaders, the leader as coach has been the fourth most popular nomination.

Nominees have ranged from sports coaches, like Tony Dungy, John Calipari, and Pete Carroll, to business coaches, like Marshall Goldsmith, Stephen Covey, and John Maxwell, and finally to life coaches like Deepak Chopra, Oprah Winfrey, and Tony Robbins.

What’s the one thing they all have in common?  They see something special in others, and they use a combination of encouragement and accountability to bring it to full development.  By setting high standards, providing direction and support as needed, and always believing in their people, these types of coaches help their clients and team members get to places they might not have been able to get to on their own.

Who are the people that have believed in you?  Who has held you to a higher standard of performance—and always believed in your ability to achieve it?  Let us know by posting your top coaching leader at www.twitter.com/kenblanchard  Remember to add @kenblanchard in the body of your tweet so you’ll be entered into tomorrow’s drawing for one of two gift baskets of Ken Blanchard books.

Survey/Contest Details

LeaderChat is partnering with Ken Blanchard on Twitter to conduct a fun and interesting survey/contest.  Through October 13th, we’d like you to Tweet the name of the person you think is today’s top leader.  In order for us to know who your selection is specifically for this contest, just include “@kenblanchard” in your Tweet.

For example, your Tweet could read: “Today’s top leader @kenblanchard: John Smith”

By doing that, you will be entered into our Twitter contest. After October 13th, we will randomly select two submissions for this contest on Twitter, and we’ll send each of these winners a gift pack of 7 of Ken’s best books, including best-sellers together with some of his newest releases. If you win, Ken will send you a direct Tweet to get your contact info, and we’ll also post the winners here.