You’re right. You deserve high-quality, carefully considered feedback in your performance review. Your manager should take this seriously and do it right.

But often they don’t. It’s statistically likely that you (or a friend) will be blindsided by the performance feedback you receive. Let’s get ahead of it this year with some Powerful Phrases to ask for, and engage In a more meaningful conversation.

Powerful Phrases to Deal with Lazy, Vague, Frustrating Feedback

A few years ago, I wrote “Avoid These Infuriating Phrases in End-of-Year Feedback” to encourage managers to stop making stupid comments when giving a performance review.

This heartfelt post came from years of listening to high-performing employees vent their frustrations about frustrating phrases their managers said. If you’re a manager who struggles with performance reviews, please start there.

How to Respond to the Most Infuriating Kind of Performance Review

For the rest of you (or your friends), let’s prepare for that frustrating feedback this year and prepare you with some Powerful Phrases for when the conversation goes sideways.

1. “I don’t have much end-of-year feedback for you. You know you’re doing great.”

I hate this one as much as you do. If you’re hearing this, you probably are doing great, but it doesn’t give you much to build on or improve.

Some options to start your empowered response:

• “Wow, thanks so much! I appreciate your support. This year, I feel particularly proud about __________ (insert that accomplishment you expected them to bring up). I’m curious about your perspective on that _______(project, strategy, accomplishment). Why did that work from your perspective? What made that work so well, and how might I bring more of that into my work?”
• “Thank you! You know, one area I’m really working to improve on is _________. What is one suggestion you have for how I can be more effective in that arena?”
• “Thank you! I’m curious about what specifically you appreciate about what I’m doing here. I’m very focused on ensuring next year is even better, and I’d love your help in knowing what I should continue doing and ideas to help me really differentiate my performance next year.”

2. “I rated you as meets expectations for your end-of-year feedback. Your performance really was an “exceeds” but I had to make the math work out.” Or, even worse, “I could only have one person in that category.”

Okay, you have a serious right to be ticked off here. I’ve been there, on both sides of this awkward conversation.

And it’s probably too late to change the math or the rating. I know this because as a Verizon executive I’ve fought this battle many times for the high-performers on my team, and the answer was “pick one.”

Your manager may be as (or even more) frustrated than you.

In my article on infuriating phrases, my advice to your manager is to stay focused on results and behaviors, rather than the rating. And, to be clear about the criteria that they used to calibrate performance and where you met and exceeded those criteria and opportunities to improve in the future. To stay away from comparisons to other employees, or blaming other people for the rating they received.

And now, some options to start your empowered response: 

• “Oh, wow. That must have put you in a difficult situation. And, I’ve got to tell you, that makes me feel really ___________(insert emotion here, but try not to scream or cry).”
• “I’ve worked incredibly hard this year and I really don’t want to be having a similar conversation this time next year. Can we outline what I need to do for next year to make ‘exceeds’ (or whatever your rating equivalent is) the obvious rating? I’d love to build a plan to ensure I have the success I’m looking for.”
• “I really appreciate your support. And I’ve got to tell you I’m pretty frustrated. This affects my compensation too (if that’s true). I’d really like to talk to HR to express my concerns about this.”

3. “I know we haven’t talked about this before, but _____”

This one’s tricky because your manager certainly shouldn’t blindside you this way in your performance review. There are a few angles you might choose to take. If they’ve put something in writing that’s coming out of the blue, you might request to have that removed, requesting a fair chance to address it before it turns up in the documentation.

And, here are some empowering phrases that might be useful.

• “I appreciate your feedback and your desire to help me improve. I’m wondering what we could do to set up a more regular cadence of feedback throughout the year, so there are no surprises next time.”
• “I’m a bit surprised by this feedback and would like to take some time to digest it. Let’s set up a follow-up in a week to talk a bit more.”
• “Since this is the first time I’ve heard this feedback, can you please give me some time to address this before you put it in the formal review? Here’s my approach to improving in this area.”

4.”I don’t really have any specific examples, but it’s become a real issue.”

If you hear this in your performance review, and you can’t think of any examples either, I’d recommend you push for some examples.

• “I’m deeply committed to improving my performance in this arena. And, it’s really hard to understand what needs to change without some concrete examples.”
• “I really would like to understand this more. I’m struggling to come up with examples too.”
• “Can you please tell me more? I’d really like to get a better understanding of your concern here.”

5. “I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from other people about your performance in this arena. Who? I’m not at liberty to say.

As with most of these awkward performance review phrases, I would start with a gut check. If your manager is raising an issue and it feels true to you, then your best bet is to own it and work on it.

However, if this third-party performance review feedback feels unfair, then I would press for more information.

• “Hmmm. That’s tricky. I don’t see it that way. It would be really helpful for me to talk directly with those concerned. Can you please ask them to come to me with their concerns so I have a chance to talk with them directly about it?”
• “Have you noticed this issue yourself? Does this seem like something that’s consistent with what you’ve observed?”
• “I’d like a chance to better understand this issue. Who do you suggest I talk with to learn more?”

6. “Just write up your accomplishments and I’ll sign it.”

It’s a great idea to submit your accomplishments. After all, you’re closer to the work you’ve done and the impact you’ve made.

Say yes, and then…

• “I’d be delighted to write up my accomplishments (see How to help your boss give you a better performance review for tips on how to do that well).”
• “I would also really appreciate your feedback and perspective on my performance this year. When would be a good time for us to talk through my performance review?”
• “Here you go (hand them your accomplishments). I’m also really interested in your feedback on how I can make next year my best year ever. I got this great development discussion planner from Let’s Grow Leaders. I’d love to schedule some time to go through that.”

While lazy, vague, and frustrating feedback can feel super irritating, it also gives you a chance to take responsibility for your career development. Ask for what you need and giveyour manager the opportunity to rise to the occasion. Sometimes their insights will surprise, and help you make that next step.

Related Articles

12 Powerful Phrases For Navigating Challenging Workplace Conflict

How to Help Your Team’s Performance Stand Out for Better Recognition

The post Performance Review: How to respond to frustrating or lazy performance feedback appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

“Hey Karin, I need some help leading through change. My team LOVES doing things the WAY THEY’VE ALWAYS DONE THEM. And I’m trying to get them to embrace some new technology. To do things just a little bit differently. But they are comfortable where they are. What should I do? #AskingforaFriend

Embracing Curiosity as a Catalyst for Change

Your Curiosity Powerful Phrases are a great start here. You can’t go wrong with your curiosity G.O.A.T.s. You can download a FREE G.O.A.T. Job Aid at our Conflict and Collaboration Resource Center.

“I’m curious how this looks from your perspective?”
“How can I best support you right now?”

Or try these.

“I’m really curious, what is your biggest concern about this change?”
“What would your work day look like if we were to adopt this change? What are you afraid of losing?”

How to Use a Force Field Analysis Technique to Lead Through Change

When helping a team adapt to change, another tried and true technique is a Force Field Analysis (Kurt Lewin). Invite your team to consider all the driving forces that would make it easier to adapt to change. And then have them consider the restraining forces that would make it hard.

The magic in the conversation is the “how can we….” brainstorming. How can we leverage the driving forces and work to mitigate the restraining forces.

Step 1: Define the Change

Describe the change. Clearly articulate what you want to achieve. This step sets the stage for the analysis and helps ensure everyone involved understands the goal.

Step 2: Brainstorm Forces

Split the team into smaller groups, if necessary, and brainstorm the forces driving change (positive forces) and those resisting change (negative forces). Encourage open and honest discussion to identify as many factors as possible.

Step 3: List Forces

On a whiteboard or large piece of paper, draw a line down the middle to create two columns. Label one side “Driving Forces” and the other “Restraining Forces”. List all the forces identified during the brainstorming session in the appropriate columns.

Step 4: Prioritize and Score Forces (Optional)

Assign a score to each force based on its strength or impact on the change. This can be a simple scale from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong). This helps to visualize which factors are most significant and which might be easier to address.

Step 5: Analyze and Discuss

With the team, discuss the forces listed. Consider how the driving forces can be strengthened or how the restraining forces can be weakened. This discussion should aim to find actionable strategies to increase the likelihood of successful change.

Step 6:  Develop Action Plans

Based on the analysis, develop strategies or action plans to enhance the driving forces and reduce the effects of the restraining forces. Assign responsibilities and timelines to ensure these actions are implemented effectively.

Celebrating Progress: The Power of Recognizing Small Victories

Finally, recognizing and celebrating every small victory is vital. It reinforces positive behavior and shows that the organization values adaptability and improvement.

So, what can you add to this approach? Whether it’s a personal anecdote of a change you’ve championed or a unique technique that worked wonders, sharing these experiences can provide others with the tools and inspiration they need to lead their teams to success.

Leading through change is about more than just introducing new policies or technologies; it’s about nurturing a culture that embraces change. It’s about leveraging curiosity to foster an environment of continuous learning and growth.

The post Lead Through Change: How to Guide Your Team to Success appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

When you think of talking with people at work who have different political beliefs, your first response might be like that of many people we’ve encountered as we wrote Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict: “Yeah, no. I’m just not going there. Better to play it safe than say something wrong.” After all, who wants more political conflict at work?

We get it. In a post-pandemic world where social and traditional media contribute to polarization, workplace conflict that stems from differing politics, worldviews, and values can feel scary and overwhelming.

How did THAT Get Political?

You can hear the tension in the voice of many managers and leaders who call to ask for advice. “We’ve got a presidential election coming up and I’m worried about the polarization and potential political conflict. Do you have any advice?”

It’s easy to understand their concern. Just this past week, we saw a range of seemingly “normal” online conversations turn political (with people explicitly assuming, labeling, and insulting one another’s political affiliation).

What were these juicy conversation topics, you ask?

• Taylor Swift
• Workplace performance reviews
• Cheering on a sports team that’s not your usual team
• Whether hens lay eggs with or without the presence of a rooster (No joke! This truly degenerated into political party name-calling).

Wow.

If an egg-laying conversation can turn into ugly political conflict, what are we to do with more serious subjects that might come up at work like global warming, regulatory change, health and wellness of customers and employees, international wars, human rights, and so much more?

Political Conflict at Work by the Numbers

In our World Workplace Conflict and Collaboration Survey of 5,000+ people in 45+ countries surveyed and all 50 US states, 70% of respondents to the survey say that in the last couple years, they’ve experienced the same or more frequent conflict in the workplace.

And of those, 9% cite political conflict as a top contributing factor. 20% cite less tolerance or understanding for others as a top contributing factor of workplace conflict (which speaks to polarization). And there’s more data that suggests the rate of political conflict at work will only increase.

But even (or especially) in these moments, there are practical tools and Powerful Phrases that can help you navigate, communicate, and collaborate.

Turn Down the Heat on Political Conflict at Work

Let’s begin with a few foundational mindsets that will help calm political conflict at work.

Different perspectives aren’t always “toxic.”

“Toxic” is one of those words that have had runaway success on social media because it’s easy to label something as toxic and then ignore or “cancel” the person. (And this behavior isn’t confined to one group or another.) The problem is that when we automatically reject or ignore anyone with a significantly different approach to life, we eliminate any chance that we’ll learn from one another.

Realistically, in any organization, you’re going to have different perspectives. Hopefully, your organization has a set of common values, approach to the work, and how you support your customers and one another. These shared values and approaches give you an important way to work through different worldviews.

That other person is a human being.

Keeping one another’s humanity in mind helps us stay in a place of curiosity and compassion. That person with their incomprehensible position is an imperfect person, possibly worried or scared, and doing the best they can. Just like you.

This mindset helps you stay connected and curious. Think about the pandemic. One person was scared and worried because of the illness. While another person was scared and worried because of curtailed personal freedoms. Both were very human in their fear and worry.

You aren’t there to change their mind.

Your self-evident beliefs are just as self-evidently wrong to someone else. Trying to force someone to abandon their beliefs doesn’t work. Political views are often part of a person’s identity and that doesn’t change quickly.

You probably wouldn’t appreciate it if someone at work spent all day trying to convince you that you’re wrong-headed and mistaken for voting the way you do. And neither do they.

8 Approaches for Dealing with Political Conflict at Work

These are actions, mindsets, and specific powerful phrases you can use before and during the conversation.

1) You don’t have to discuss politics at work.

“I don’t discuss politics and work.”

“I prefer to focus my conversations on our work together and how we’re serving our clients, constituents, or customers.”

These are straightforward statements that stand on their own.

2) Focus on learning.

“My intent for this conversation is… so that…”

If you do choose to engage in conversation that could lead to political conflict at work, you can minimize potential conflict by showing up with curiosity – and stating that from the start. Again, you’re not there to change someone’s mind.

Focus on asking genuine questions that help you understand how they came to their conclusions. You might even find something you share – a commitment to your children, for example.

For example, “My intent for our conversation is to learn more about where you’re coming from with your support for those regulations so that I can understand why they’re important.”

When you start a conversation with your honest intent, it opens a door. The other person can choose whether they want to walk through that door and get the available benefit. That honest intent also makes it clear from the beginning that you’re not trying to change their mind or take away a closely held value.

3) Show up with confidence and humility.

“I’ve noticed that we have different perspectives . . . and would love to learn more.”

This one “lands in the and”: confidently observing the differences with the humility to adopt a posture of learning. Approaching different world views with curiosity lessens the “fight or flight” reflexes people experience when confronted with something strange. When you ask to learn more, you don’t promise to change your mind. Rather, you are seeing them and giving yourself a chance for deeper appreciation.  “Tell me more,” is one of our G.O.A.T. Powerful Phrases in our new book.

4) Don’t assume.

“Have you asked?”

In our podcast interview of Dr. Ella Washington, author of The Necessary Journey, she shared a wonderful story about questioning one’s assumptions.

We all have bias and stereotypes. We all make assumptions. But what if we take these micro-moments every single day and question some of our own assumptions?

Fawn Weaver, the founder and CEO of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, shared one of her favorite examples with me. Her husband’s family moved to Nashville from California and their next-door neighbor was a white man. He had a big truck, long beard, and tattoos. Her mother-in-law told Weaver that the man seemed like somebody who didn’t like Black people. Weaver was curious and said, “Have you asked him?”

She went next door and talked to the guy. He was very open, friendly, and was listening to some of her favorite R&B songs. That’s so inspiring.

Question the things that we’ve always thought to be true and take a chance. Have that conversation. Befriend that person and reach out. That’s where the magic happens.

5) Keep political conversations off message threads.

“Chat and message threads are best suited to low-bandwidth conversations where there are quick transactions and not much emotion. Let’s keep the important topics and decisions in our voice-to-voice or face-to-face conversations.”

Comments and chats are horrible ways to engage in political conversations. (For proof, look at almost any comment thread on the internet – including those conversations about chickens and eggs.)

6) Share your perspective.

“So, what you’re saying is . . . Do I have that right? That’s interesting. And I see it differently.”

As you listen and learn where another person comes from, first check for understanding. For example, “I hear you saying you’re concerned about your children’s future and growing up in a world where they can’t go outside without getting sick. Do I have that right?”

Then you can share your perspective—not intending to change their mind, but to contribute equally, and confidently, to the conversation.

For example, “I see what you’re saying. I’m worried about my kids’ future too. My concern is that we won’t have any work available for them because it’s gone to other countries that don’t have the same values we do.”

7) Stand up to political bullies.

“We have a variety of beliefs and need different perspectives to do our best work.”

We define political bullies as people who loudly proclaim their beliefs and belittle anyone who doesn’t agree with them. This is the person who brashly proclaims, “[Candidate] is an idiot and anyone who votes for them should have their head examined.” (A direct quote from a leader in one of our prior workplaces.)

This kind of proclamation, especially from people in leadership roles, shuts down dialog, and damages trust and psychological safety. If you have a relationship with the person who made the statement, you can address it directly.

For example, “Listen, I know it might not be your intent, but saying things like that shuts down the innovation, creativity, and exchange of ideas we need. We need a variety of perspectives to do our best work and make good decisions. Saying anyone who disagrees with you should “have their head examined” does the exact opposite. And, frankly, it’s arrogant and rude.”

If you don’t have the relationship to say that, talk with your human resources professional.

8) Acknowledge differences and commit to your work together.

“I don’t expect either of us to change our mind about… Can we agree to…?”

When you experience political conflict at work, you may need to create a shared agreement to help you move past the differences and focus on your work. Start by acknowledging that you both have strongly held perspectives, and it’s not about changing those. Then move to an agreement about how you’ll work together. Respecting one another’s right to hold the values you do and then work together toward a shared purpose is a powerful recipe for workplace collaboration. And you may even influence one another’s perspectives—at least a little.

Your Turn

One of the most challenging parts of being human is that our beliefs seem so “right” to us. Everything makes sense. And it feels frustrating when other people can be so (dumb, stubborn, naïve) to see it differently.

The funny thing is that when you feel that way, the other person usually does, too.

But when you can approach these differences with connection and curiosity – the awareness that there’s always more out there to know – you create the possibility of true collaboration.

See Also: Beyond the Drama: How to De-escalate and Emotional Conversation at Work.

We’d love to hear from you: what’s one of your favorite phrases to have productive conversations at work–especially the ones that could lead to political conflict?

The post How to Deal with Political Conflict at Work appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

If you feel invisible at work you’re in good company. Recent research by Work Human found that nearly 30% of workers have felt invisible at work and 27% have felt ignored.

Their research also identified certain “invisible skills” going unnoticed in the workplace. Ironically, the ignored skills are some of the most necessary for productive conflict in the workplace: empathy and compassion (27.4%), a sense of curiosity, (19.8%), and listening skills/emotional intelligence (15.4%).

I (David) had one of these invisibility experiences early in my career. I sat in a committee meeting drawing up a job description for a new senior management role. We finished the description, and the committee chair thanked us for our input. Then she said that they’d start looking for candidates the following week.

The job was interesting to me, and I immediately wondered “Why they hadn’t asked me to do it?” I sat there frustrated as the meeting concluded. And that might have been the end of the story, except for some sugar.

During college, my friends and I went to a diner whose sugar packets featured bits of rhymed wisdom. My packet had these words printed on it:

He who has a thing to sell

And goes and whispers in a well

Is not so apt to get the dollar

As he who climbs a tree and hollers.

Silly, right? But those words stuck in my head. Sitting in that committee meeting feeling overlooked, the rhyme came lilting back to mind. Challenging me to speak up for myself. I raised my hand and said, “I’m interested in this job.”

The committee chair thought about it and smiled. “You’d be a great candidate.”

I got the job. This was a powerful lesson that when you feel overlooked, you must start by seeing yourself.

Powerful Phrases to Ask Yourself If You Feel Invisible

What should you do when you feel like you’re wearing an invisibility cloak at work? Start by identifying when, where, and with whom you yearn for people to see you, and notice when that is, and isn’t happening. Are there consistent patterns that could show unconscious bias or discrimination? (If you suspect bias or discrimination, please contact HR, you need more than a Powerful Phrase, you need support.)

Here are a few questions to spark your thinking.

“What do people not see that I wish they would? For what do I want to be known?”

Get specific to help you determine your approach. Do you wish people would see how hard you work? Then you’re going to need to find some opportunities to showcase your work and your accomplishments. Or maybe you long to have your ideas taken more seriously. In that case, you might need to change the way you’re presenting your ideas. 

Another way to think about this is by completing this sentence. I wish people would know how much I __________. That’s an important first step in remedying the situation.

When you feel unseen, it might feel like it’s with everywhere and everyone. This is worth some reflection. Do you feel invisible in certain meetings or with certain people? If you feel invisible to your manager, be sure you read How to Get Your Boss to Recognize and Appreciate Your Genius.

“Is this a place where employee voice matters?”

Sadly, in our Courageous Cultures research, we found some people in positions of power (we won’t call them leaders) who were happy to treat their employees like bots. They say things like, “I don’t really want them to think. Just teach them the script.” If you’ve done all you can to be seen and share your ideas, and your boss just doesn’t care, it might be time to find a new one.

Powerful Phrases to Share How You Feel or Ask for What You Need

Let’s give you some words you can use to get the attention you need and deserve.

“I’d love to set up some time to talk to you about ___ how’s Wednesday at 3?”

The best way to feel less invisible is to shine a light on the good work you’re doing. Ask for time to talk about what matters to you, to the people who should be listening.

“Sometimes, I feel isolated in my role. I’d love to explore ways to be included in discussions about ________.”

If you want people to know how you’re feeling, tell them, and ask for exactly what you need.

“Working remotely can feel lonely. Could we talk about ways we can connect more as a team?”

If you feel isolated and alone, it’s likely you’re not the only one. You don’t need to wait for your manager to bring this up.

“Would you like to grab a (real or virtual) coffee?”

If you feel isolated, invest in making some friends. Getting to know your coworkers at a personal level can go a long way in making work interesting and fun, not to mention building a network of resources you can reach out to for help.

Powerful Phrases to Get Your Voice in the Conversation

And now a few conversation starters to break through the silence.

“I have an idea that will ______ (insert strategic benefit statement here).”

One mistake that can cause your ideas to be overlooked is a pre-apology. For example, “This is probably a bad idea.” Or, “I’m not an expert here, but…” If you want your idea to be heard, share your idea with confidence and why it matters.

“Before we leave this conversation, I have something important to add.”

This Powerful Phrase can help when you work with a group of extroverts who talk fast and hurry to the next topic. Or, if you work remotely as part of a hybrid team and feel invisible to the people in the room with one another.

When you feel invisible, dig deeper to understand where, when, and with whom you want to be seen and ask for what you need.

The post Feeling Invisible? What to Say When You’re Feel Invisible or Ignored appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

In our Courageous Cultures research, 67% said their manager operates around the notion of “this is the way we’ve always done it.” That’s not just a lack of imagination. It’s hard to solve a problem differently when you’re holding on to outdated assumptions. If you want your team to get better at strategic thinking, start by helping them challenge assumptions.

Here are seven of our favorite questions to help your team reframe problems and consider alternative perspectives

7 Questions For More Strategic Thinking

1. How would our competitors approach this problem?

This assumption-buster nudges your team to consider overlooked opportunities. Understanding a competitor’s angle can be incredibly insightful, sparking creativity and perhaps, a bit of that winning spirit.

This is one of our favorite questions to ignite strategic thinking because it’s not only an “I wonder” question. Because guess what? Your competitors probably ARE faced with a similar problem. And these days, it’s not that hard to poke around and see what they’re doing.

This question also promotes strategic thinking, as you consider why your competitors might approach problems differently.

In Courageous Cultures terminology, this is a great question to ask as part of the Y- in Own the U.G.L.Y. Where are we missing the Yes?

2. How would we handle this issue if our budget was cut in half?

This provocative question is a call for efficiency and prioritization. This question encourages your team to think lean and imagine scrappy, cost-effective solutions. Sometimes, a little budgetary pressure can hatch the most brilliant ideas.

3. If we had unlimited resources, how would we solve this problem?

This strategic thinking question is the flip side of the one above. When constraints are lifted, the sky’s the limit for creativity. It allows the team to think without barriers and then work backward, scaling grand visions to match our resource constraints.

4. What would happen if we did the opposite of our initial plan?

This question invites the team to view the problem from an entirely different angle, potentially revealing unexpected solutions. It’s about challenging the norm and the beauty of 180-degree thinking.

Encourage your team to think past the sunk costs and consider a do-over. This kind of strategic thinking is remarkably liberating. A related question is “What if we DIDN’T do it this way?”

5. What would future generations criticize about our current approach?

This assumption buster instills a sense of legacy and responsibility. It encourages your team to think beyond the immediate and into the long-term impact of their decisions. It’s about making decisions that our successors will thank us for.

This is a great way to expand your team’s thinking to more sustainable, inclusive solutions.

6. If we could only choose one aspect of our project to succeed, what should it be and why?

This is a great way to get your team thinking about the MITs (most important things). Identifying the core element that defines the success of the entire project can help the team focus on what truly matters. It’s like finding the keystone in an arch; without it, everything else crumbles.

A related question, “Which elements of this project should we say “no” to? Note: We have an entire chapter in our upcoming book, Powerful Phrases for Dealing With Workplace Conflict about how to say no, for a more strategic yes.

7. What would we do differently if we were to start over with the knowledge we have now?

This is a look down the mountain question. Help your team reflect on the journey. This strategic thinking question is a recognition that wisdom today results from yesterday’s lessons.

When you’re working hard and moving fast, it’s not always easy to take a step back and challenge assumptions. When you’re feeling stuck in a rut, or results are suffering, invite your team to show up more curious and with these strategic questions.

What would you add for #8? What’s your favorite question to foster strategic thinking?

See Also: Year in Review: 7 Questions to Help Your Team Reflect on Success and Key Learnings

The post Assumption Busters: 7 Questions to Propel Your Team’s Strategic Thinking appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Is your holiday season a time of celebration? Of bustling end-of-year stress to meet business goals? A time of nostalgia and reflecting on what you appreciate most? Of remembering the traditions, stories, and people you have come before you? A time to connect with friends and family? Or, as it is for some, perhaps a time of feeling low and lost? The holidays are all these and more—and within these varied experiences, the holidays are also a guide to navigating change.

7 Lessons from the Holidays to Help with Navigating Change

1. Harness the Power of Tradition

Lighting candles, sharing meals, giving gifts, hanging stockings, spinning dreidels, fireworks, lanterns, prayers, markets, pageants, poppers, deep cleaning, ritual bathing, putting out shoes, and prayer. These are just a few ways people use rituals and traditions during the holidays.

Tradition and ritual play a powerful role in human experience. These moments call us back to our values and what matters most. When you’re navigating change, traditions can help your team maintain their connection with one another and their values.

These don’t have to be big or expensive. My (David’s) team would celebrate the start of a new year with a small gift of a nice pen that was a symbol of what we would create together. People would cherish those pens, not for the resale value, but for what they represented.

When I (Karin) was at Verizon, I would bring my team to my home for a fancy dinner that I cooked and then sometimes we would do something fun after (like go to a show). A few times I enough leadership books for everyone, wrapped them, and then each person could pick a new one or “steal” one from someone else and they explained why that book was interesting to them. Then people swapped them around throughout the year and we chatted about them in our meetings. More than a decade later people still talk about those times at my home.

What traditions can you establish with your team to build connection and reinforce what matters most?

2. Evolve Your Traditions

As important and meaningful as traditions can be, you can also get stuck and stressed out trying to maintain a practice that no longer makes sense. (There’s no point serving a traditional holiday roast to a family of vegetarians and pescatarians.)

An important part of navigating change is periodically looking at your routine practices and asking if they still serve their purpose.

(Our Own the U.G.L.Y. questions are a great way to engage your team in this conversation and learn what you can set aside as you move into the future.)

3. Welcome Everyone’s Ideas

Holidays are special (and sometimes stressful) because everyone has different ways to celebrate. When you’re a team leader, listening to everyone’s ideas makes your team stronger. Just as holidays worldwide celebrate a tapestry of traditions, diverse perspectives, experiences, and voices make your team more resilient as you navigate change.

Embrace the varied cultural practices that enrich the season; similarly, leverage the diverse viewpoints within your organization. By fostering open dialogue and valuing different perspectives, you’re not just encouraging innovation, but you’re also actively adapting to change.

4. Tap into the Power of Stories

What’s your favorite holiday story? Is it a story of redemption and overcoming our worst nature? Generosity, love, and true wealth? The return of light after darkness? Divine intervention? Perhaps a picked-upon reindeer finding his way?

Holidays inevitably include the telling of stories because these tales pass on important lessons and history. As a leader, you can use stories to inspire your team, connect activities to purpose, reinforce values, and help your team make sense of the change they are experiencing.

5. Reflect and Look Ahead

The end-of-year holidays often prompt reflection on the past and setting intentions for the future. This reflective practice is invaluable for you as you lead your team through change.

Take time together to reflect on what has worked, learn from your experiences, and set clear goals. Engaging your team in this reflection process helps get everyone aligned—both for lessons learned and future goals.

6. Celebrate and Appreciate

Ideally, the holidays give us a moment to pause and appreciate one another, whether through shared celebration or giving gifts.

That spirit of celebration and appreciation is vital as you’re navigating change. What is going well? What milestones have you achieved? What effort can you celebrate—even if you haven’t reached the finish line?

Pausing to acknowledge what people have accomplished and the work they’ve put in will help energize your team to keep going.

When was the last time you truly stopped, looked at your team and offered them a deep, sincere, thank you for their work?

7. Cultivate Hope

Particularly in the northern hemisphere, the end-of-year holidays are about hope. Hope for peace, hope for a new year, hope for renewal, the promise that despite the current darkness, light will return.

As a leader, you are in the hope business. Hope is at the core of your work.

Leadership is the belief that if we work together, we can have a better tomorrow. Together we can do more, be more, and add more value to the world.

That’s a big deal. It might be the biggest deal of all.

And some of the time, your team will be stressed and discouraged. Your job is to help them find the hope.

Without hope, you’re done. When your team has hope, they have a chance.

Happy Holidays

Holidays are such a vital part of what it means to be human. On your journey to be a more human-centered leader who excels at navigating change, these principles of tradition, evolution, inclusion, storytelling, reflection, planning, celebration, and hope are as human as you can get. We hope you find inspiration in them for the year ahead.

Happy Holidays and all the best from the entire Let’s Grow Leaders team!

The post Navigating Change: How the Holidays Can Help You Be a Better Leader appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Is there anyone more beloved than Santa Claus? Today, the North Pole is a paragon of human-centered leadership and culture. But it wasn’t always that way.

In fact, Santa has a lot to teach us about leadership. You might have a fantastic personal brand and a world-renown altruistic mission, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore your leadership and culture. The North Pole used to be a very different place…

Nearly sixty years ago, the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer television show documented the poor leadership and culture at the North Pole. Santa, Donner, and the head elf had created and took part in a toxic culture of ridicule that led to poor performance.

Donner rejected his son because of his nose. Santa ignored Rudolph’s obvious talent and leaping ability because of the red glow. And the head elf ridicules Hermey’s aspiration to be a dentist.

The North Pole’s leadership and culture at the time was a great example of what we call “trickle-down intimidation.” The leaders take their cues from what happens at the top. Santa’s leadership led to dysfunction at every level. The toxic courage-crushers got so bad that the North Pole lost some of its top next-generation talent as the victims of the abusive leadership looked for opportunities elsewhere.

There’s a lesson for leaders in what happened all those years ago. When people have to use all their courage just to survive harassment, ridicule, or being overlooked for bringing their authentic selves to work, they can’t possibly bring creativity or innovative solutions to their work. They’re too busy surviving.

The North Pole Today: Can Leadership and Culture Change?

In this human-centered leader TV exclusive exposé, Karin Hurt asks hard questions to find out what has changed – and how.

We were so happy to find out Santa’s a fan of Courageous Cultures. In our world of rapid change, a courageous culture is your competitive advantage.

Start by eliminating toxic courage crushers. Then, invest in leadership and culture where leaders consistently show up with curiosity, ask people for their ideas, and build an infrastructure for courage. You’ll be on your way to high performance, high engagement, and teams who consistently share ideas, and solve problems, with leaders who reward contributions from all levels.

By the end of that frosty Christmas Eve, Santa had seen the worth in every member of his team and encouraged Rudolph’s true strength, competence, and talent. Performance soared.

The North Pole leadership team built a culture where Hermey could bring his best self to work and everyone would eventually benefit from the dental care. And if you have a team member whose ultimate passion lies outside of your work, support them. How can you help them learn all they can while contributing now? The message it sends to your team about your loyalty and commitment to them will come back many times over. (Not sure about your people’s goals? Use this Developmental Discussion tool to find out!)

Your Turn

Santa’s leadership is a cautionary tale for every leader. Do you build on your team’s talents, strengths, and competence or do you waste time, energy, and capacity focused on irrelevant “weaknesses”? Have you allowed a caustic culture of shame, blame, or intimidation to take root?

If so, Santa also shows us a positive path forward. Leadership and culture can change – and it begins with you.

Do you have the culture you want? If not, how can you avoid Santa’s leadership problems? How can you focus on the talents your people bring to work? And not obsess about the characteristics they don’t have (that don’t matter)?

How to Read Courageous Cultures With Your Team

If you missed our Courageous Cultures Leadership Book Club event, you can catch the recording here.  And, in the article below, we’ve compiled a long list of supplemental FREE resources to help you encourage courage and get more remarkable ideas from your team.

Leadership Book Club: How to Read Courageous Cultures With Your Team

The post How Did Leadership and Culture Improve on the North Pole? appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

“Hi Karin, we’ve just received word that after much debate and deliberation, there is a company-wide mandate that EVERYONE must return to office at the beginning of the year.

I know my team is not a fan (and quite frankly, neither am I). I get the rationale, AND it’s going to make all of our lives a bit harder.

We’re past the point of making a case; I’ve been told that this is no longer up for discussion. It’s time to communicate this to my team. The timing is terrible. It’s so close to the holidays I feel like the Grinch who delivered bad news.”

What’s the best way to communicate this to my team #AskingforaFriend

4 Approaches to Get Your Team Past the Disapointment and Moving Forward Productively

As a leader, not every decision you make will be popular. Sometimes you’ll be tasked with delivering news that you know won’t be popular. So, how do you communicate these tough decisions effectively? In the video above, I share four strategies that can help. Here’s a bit more.

1. Create Clarity

Communicate the ‘Why’ Behind the Decision

• Explain the Rationale: Your team will be more receptive when they understand the “why” behind the decision. It’s easy to assume they know. But keep in mind, they’ve not been in the same meetings as you. They haven’t heard the case from both sides of the argument. What seems obvious to you, might not be clear to them. Be transparent about the factors that led to the decision to return to office.
• Anticipate Questions: Prepare yourself for the questions your team might have and address these proactively in your communication.

Communicating the Decision Clearly

• Be Transparent: When you’re worried about how people will respond, it can be easy to throw the bad news in the”diaper genie” and disguise it with spin and ambiguous language. Better to speak the truth.
• Be Direct but Empathetic: Acknowledge that the news might not be what the team wants to hear, but it’s necessary.

2. Cultivate Connection

Creating a Supportive Environment

• Open Dialogue: Encourage your team to share their feelings and concerns.
• Reflect to Connect: Show that you’ve heard them by reflecting on what you’ve heard them say. “It sounds like you’re really frustrated.” “What I’m hearing you say is that the commute is going to create childcare issues for you.” The Powerful Phrases Connection G.O.A.T.s work well here.

Maintaining Team Morale

• Focus on the Positive: Highlight any potential benefits or opportunities from this change.
• Provide Support: Offer resources or additional support to help your team adapt to the change that comes with the return to office initiative.

3. Cultivate Curiosity

Encouraging Team Involvement

• Brainstorm Together: Invite your team to share ideas to make the transition smoother. A great question to start is by asking “How can we…” make the most of this situation?
• Respond with Regard: Respond to their ideas with gratitude (thanking them for their contribution), information (what will happen next– even if it’s not something you can do), and an invitation to continue contributing.

Focusing on Innovation

• Think Forward: Discuss how this decision might lead to new opportunities for growth, innovation, and collaboration.
• Encourage Creativity: Challenge your team to think creatively about how they can turn this situation to their advantage.

4. Create Commitment

Ensuring Understanding and Agreement

• Recap the Plan: Summarize the key points of the decision and the plan moving forward.
• Check for Understanding: Make sure everyone is on the same page and understands their role in the implementation.

Setting the Course for Action

• Schedule the Finish: Lay out clear, actionable steps for how to proceed.
• Regular Check-Ins: Schedule follow-ups to assess progress, address any issues, and provide ongoing support.

Communicating unpopular decisions like return to office is undoubtedly challenging, but it’s a part of the leadership journey. By creating clarity, cultivating connection and curiosity, and creating commitment, you can navigate these tough conversations with more confidence and empathy. Remember, the way you communicate can significantly impact how your team receives and reacts to the decision.

Have you had to deliver difficult news to your team? What strategies worked for you? Please share your experiences, and let’s learn from each other.

Related Articles:

How to Stay Productive as You Return to the Office

Leadership Communication: How Do I Get Everyone On the Same Page?

Human-Centered Communication with Lizabeth Wesely-Casella

The post 4 Powerful Communication Strategies for an Unpopular Return to Office Decision appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Now that “You’re muted'” is the catchphrase of the decade, having a great all-hands meeting or remarkable company offsite is a great way to foster human-centered collaboration. Getting your team together for a strategic team event, especially in person, isn’t just about getting everyone on the same page. It’s the ROI that comes from curated conversations and spontaneous interactions, those electric moments of innovation that happen when your team is in the same room.

A side conversation can lead to the next big idea or micro-innovation, and a shared laugh can forge a bond stronger than any Slack thread. While virtual tools are invaluable, there’s something about gathering, and feeling the room’s energy, that can supercharge a team’s cohesion and creativity.

What we’re noticing in the most remarkable all-hands meetings, is the collective exhale when people get a chance to “FINALLY” be in the same room. We constantly hear, “We’re doing so well with our office occasional/remote team, but gosh, I really miss THIS! It’s hard to do THIS on Zoom.”

Of course, hosting an all-hands meeting or company offsite can be a significant investment of time and money, particularly if you’re having people travel in. So it’s important to make your event remarkable. Let’s talk about some practical ways to do that well.

1. Make it Easy to Share What Works
2. Translate Strategy to Practical Actions and Behaviors
3. Make Space for Practical, Useable, Remarkable Ideas
4. Encourage People to Talk About the Tough Stuff
5. Make it Easy to Follow Up and Follow Through

5 Proven Best Practices to Make Your Company Offsite or All-Hands Meeting Great

Whenever we’re involved in helping our clients plan an all-hands meeting, company offsite, or strategic leadership event, we always start with this question. “How do we design this event so that people walk out the door and say, “NOW THAT was a fantastic use of our time!”

Here are a few of our favorite best practices. We’d love to hear yours!

1. Make it Remarkably Easy to Share What Works

One of the HUGE advantages of bringing your team together for an all-hands meeting, end-of-year meeting, or company kick-off, is that every person in that room has something they’re doing that they’re proud of, and others probably haven’t heard about.

Now that you have them in the same room, one of the best things you can do is give them an opportunity to share them.

We like to do this right at the start of an all-hands meeting for a few reasons. First, it’s amazingly high-energy. People love to talk about what they’re doing well. Structured best practice sharing is a great way to ensure people get some tangible, practical takeaways in the first thirty minutes of your event.

Also, if you have any skeptics in the room, you’ve already tapped into their wisdom, so they’re more likely to be open to learning from others throughout the day.

One Practical Way to Share Best Practices

One easy way to do this is to give everyone a card to record and share their best practice. You invite them to share something general like “their leadership best practice.” Or, you can get more specific by adding a  “for ________” (insert where you need best practices or a prompt that goes with the theme of your all-hands meeting or company offsite).

For example:

“Best practices for fostering trust and connection”

… “for ensuring an amazing customer experience.”

… “for attracting and retaining talent.”

Then give everyone stickers to “vote” for the best practices they like the most. Depending on the size of your team you can then give people 10-20 minutes to talk with as many people as they can, exchange best practices, and “vote” for their favorites.

Note, the larger the group, the more time you should allot, as people get very excited about talking with people they’ve not yet met or haven’t seen in a while. We’ve done this exercise with up to 700 people.

Once your team has a chance to exchange ideas, invite the people with the most votes to share their idea with the larger group (you might even want to recognize them with a small token of recognition). For example, people often choose one of our leadership books as a thank-you for their inspiration.

2. Translate Strategy to Practical Actions and Behaviors

All-hands meetings, company offsites, and leadership events are a GREAT time to talk strategy – where you’re headed and most importantly why it matters.

What’s missing from many of these meetings is giving people time to marinate in the “how.”

One way to think about this is to not just talk EBITDA, but get real about “what I need from ya.”

Start by having your senior leaders share the strategies and the why behind them. And then, get people really thinking and talking about the practical ACTIVITIES, BEHAVIORS, and HABITS that will make the biggest impact.

One way to get to do this is through a proven technique called a Force Field Analysis. Where you invite groups of employees to work with a key strategic initiative and talk about the “driving forces” (that will help your strategy or initiative be successful), and “restraining forces”(obstacles that might get in the way).

And then, most importantly, have the team identify practical, tactical habits, behaviors, or initiatives they could do to leverage the driving forces and overcome the restraining forces.

3. Make Space to Share Practical, Usable, Remarkable Ideas

One of our favorite techniques to use in all-hands meetings, town halls, or leadership events is to host a Team Innovation Challenge (or Fishbowl Competition– think Shark Tank, only friendlier.

Your team works with a few of your strategic initiatives and uses our Courageous Cultures I.D.E.A. Incubator process to come up with and pitch practical ideas to the executive team. You can learn more about this process here and or watch the video below. Even better, drop us an email and we can set up some time to talk you through.

Click on the image to watch a short video recap of our I.D.E.A. Innovation Challenge at Nestlè

4. Encourage People to Talk About the Tough Stuff

Asking For a Friend Panel

One of the biggest complaints we hear about all-hands meetings and company offsites is that executives don’t seem to be in touch with the realities of actually implementing the plans that are presented. Or, people don’t feel safe, to speak up and share what’s on their hearts and minds.

Of course, you want to weave Q&A into your day. We also recommend finding a fun and easy way for people to submit their questions anonymously for your executive team to answer.

We often do this by putting “Asking for a Friend” cards on every table, so people can record their questions as they come up throughout the day. And then facilitate an executive panel toward the end of the day.

5. Make it Easy to Follow-Up and Follow Through

Of course, the true ROI comes from what happens after your all-hands meeting or company offsite. One best practice is to leave time toward the very end of the meeting to have people meet with their teams to talk about practical takeaways and the next steps. It’s also a good time to “schedule the finish” with a time to meet again, to continue their planning work after people have had time to marinate on what they’ve heard and what they’ve learned.

If your all-hands or company offsite is for leadership only, then an important activity is to help managers articulate what messages they’ll bring back to their team and how they’ll communicate them. Giving them tools and time to think this through and practice delivering key messages will ensure they’ve got the message right, as well as the confidence and skills to deliver it well.

You might even consider scaffolding your managers with additional tools and techniques to help accelerate their team’s performance after your all-hands meeting or company offsite.

Your Turn

We would love to hear from you. What are some of your best practices for a better all-hands meeting or company offsite?

The post All-Hands Meeting: How to Ensure Yours is Amazing and Worth the Investment appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Do you have someone on your team who doesn’t speak up in meetings…then shares all their excellent ideas and important perspectives after the fact?

“I have this guy on my team, let’s call him Joe. Joe is SO SMART, and there’s a problem. We’ll be in a meeting and he’ll just sit there quietly, not really saying anything… the meeting will end, and we’ll be walking out of the meeting and then he shares all the great ideas, his great perspective, and all the information that we really needed to talk about in the meeting. What should I do? How can I help Joe?” #askingforafriend

Joe is what we call in our book, Courageous Cultures, a SILENT PONDEROUS type. He’s got ideas but he doesn’t speak up in meetings. He’s not bringing his voice to the team as he could and probably should, results suffer and he’s potentially holding back his career

What You Should Know About the Silent Ponderous Type Who Doesn’t Speak Up in Meetings

• They likely have great ideas but and can get frustrated with other people’s wacky ideas. They spend time thinking through their ideas to articulate them just right, and sometimes by the time they’re ready to share, the conversation has moved on.
• Often they need time to think and get clear on their ideas before they speak up in meetings. They don’t do well when put on the spot.
• There’s a good chance they’re concerned their ideas aren’t 100% accurate and they need permission to explore ideas openly.

Practical Tips to Help Your Team Member Speak Up in Meetings

More Thoughts on Helping Joe Get Better Speaking Up in Meetings

Joe – might be right on the verge of a career breakthrough and he’s holding himself back by not speaking up in meetings. It’s hard to notice his innovative thinking if he stays silent. Not only can you help your team grow and get better results by helping Joe speak up, but you’ll also help his career.

1. Be curious with Joe about what’s going on.

If he’s consistently sharing thoughts with you after a meeting, ask him why, and really listen. The possibilities are extensive. As one LinkedIn follower shared, he might even be neurodivergent and could use some additional understanding and support.

2. Explain why his voice matters.

Make sure he feels like a valued member of the team by letting him know that his ideas are important and that speaking up in meetings will make a difference. Be sure he understands that it’s not just his input that matters, but the conversation with other team members to expand his thinking that leads to deeper collaboration and ultimately better results.

3. Help Joe prepare for the next meeting.

Give him the agenda a day or two in advance and ask him to think about and prep what he wants to share. Not only will this help him prepare, but he’ll also take note of your interest and enthusiasm around his participation.

Another important element of this is helping him consider who will be in the meeting and what might be on their hearts and minds. Have him write down his most important points, and anticipate questions he might be able to answer. Giving him a concrete process to prepare can go a long way in increasing confidence and competence.

4. Debrief and help him learn the process so he can do it himself.

Check in with him after the next meeting, and debrief how the preparation process worked for him. Celebrate and recognize his contributions, and encourage him to continue to refine and use that process on his own.

Your turn.

What would you add? How would you encourage Joe to feel confident and competent in sharing his ideas in the next meeting?

Check out these related articles:

How to Get Your Coworkers to Embrace Your Great Idea (Video)

Share Your Ideas: Practical Ways to Ensure Your Voice is Heard

Speak-up Culture: How to Encourage More (and Better) Ideas

The post The Silent Ponderous Type: How to Help Your Team Member Speak Up in Meetings appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.