When you have high team member commitment, I can tell you several things about your situation as a leader: you have high retention, strong productivity, high levels of accountability, and your job is a bit easier. Since I’m sure you would like all of those things, I hope I have your attention. Now we realize that team member commitment is important, the question is … [Read more...]
How You Can Find More Gratitude
What are you grateful for? Did you know that your level of gratitude impacts your ability to lead? As a new or frontline supervisor, being grateful can impact you and those around you in a variety of positive ways, including: Making it easier to find and give positive, helpful feedbackCreating a lower stress working environmentBuilding a more supportive and … [Read more...]
Taking a Cue from Nature
by Kevin Eikenberry I love the vibrant colors of the changing leaves. One of the great benefits of living in Indiana is seeing the beauty in nature all around. And as I take it all in, I’m reminded each year of the reason we get to see this tapestry: change. Fall is truly a period of change – a transition from summer to winter. And this innate ability to change fuels not … [Read more...]
Are You Aware of What Your Best Really Is?
by Kevin Eikenberry Perhaps it is further proof that a principle is a principle when it becomes more clear and true to you the older you get. If that is true, there can be no doubt that self-awareness is a principle that matters. In order for us to lead at higher levels, indeed in order for us to live at higher levels, we must become more self-aware. What is … [Read more...]
Engaging Employees for the Right Reasons
by Kevin Eikenberry Ok, you've all heard about the importance of engaging your employees. In fact, you've probably heard it directly from me or Guy if you've been hanging around here very long. Here’s some data to “prove” it though. Here's what a survey from Maclean and Company recently found: A disengaged employee costs an organization approximately $3,400 for every … [Read more...]
What Leaders Can Learn from Spiders
by Kevin Eikenberry It's that time of year when we celebrate ghosts and witches and all things Halloween-y. Most of those things we consider "scary" aren't real, so they don't really make us all that fearful. Spiders, on the other hand... Scary or a work of art? If you aren't too afraid of spiders, the next time you have a chance, stop and examine a spider web. What you … [Read more...]
Being a Long-Distance Role Model
by Kevin Eikenberry As a new or front-line leader, you might think about what it means to be a role model leader. If so, you are thinking about something very important. Many people will say they want to be a role model as a leader, but the fact is that once you are in the role, people are immediately watching what you are modeling. The question isn’t how to role model – … [Read more...]
How to Determine Engagement When Your Team is Remote
by Kevin Eikenberry Of all the things a new or frontline leader must think about and attend to, employee engagement might not be at the top of this list. We could talk about why it is important, but suffice it to say, it needs to be on our radar. While getting a handle on that might have seemed hard in the past, now that you may not be able to even see your people at work, … [Read more...]
Helping Your Hybrid Team Members Thrive
by Kevin Eikenberry Many people are talking about the future of work and talking about hybrid teams. Time spent helping build and lead hybrid teams is important (here is the Master Class I created on this topic), but success requires more than that. Remember that your hybrid team is made up of hybrid team members. The question today is how can you help each of your … [Read more...]
The Future of Work Is More Than a Policy Change
by Kevin Eikenberry Now that you are a leader get used to your role in implementing new policies. As long as there are organizations, there have been policies and procedures, and I don’t really expect that to change. Today your organization may be asking you to implement policies related to hybrid and/or flexible work. While there is a policy – the future of work is more … [Read more...]