My eldest daughter is in her 3rd year of University and just recently started an internship.  It has been wonderful to watch her excitement and joy about taking what she has been learning and apply it in the workforce.  One of the challenges that she faced in her first week was having to work remotely.  This made it a bit more challenging to get to meet others and feel supported as she was new into the role.  She has just started her second week and she went into the office and absolutely loves the culture and the people.

This got me thinking about how we bring new staff into our teams.  If they are remote it can be very challenging to fit in.  Being given tasks that may occur in the morning and then left alone until the next day is something that happens too often.  Recently I asked a Senior Manager about their new staff member and what they had done to get them up to speed.  His response was very interesting.  Because he had been so busy the previous week he had not had much time to work with the new hire.  Instead he just had them have video calls and when in the office watch a couple of other staff.  What a terrible start to a new company!

Too often I hear a leader complain about a new hire after a month or two in the role.  When I ask what they had done to get them up to speed the first couple weeks, they very rarely have a good response.  Every leader knows that they should be investing this time at the beginning of the relationship with a new hire, they just fail to prioritise their time to make it happen.  

Here are a few ideas that you can use to help get your next new hire up to speed faster:

Map their First Week

Before they start, map what they will be doing every hour for the very first week.  Ideally you will have a number of different activities for them including:  you teaching them specific processes/skills, them watching and learning from other departments, observing colleagues to learn processes, etc.  Block out 1-2 hour blocks for each of these areas.  Also ensure that you meet with them at the beginning and end of each day, to set the scene and debrief their experience.  This sets them up for success and makes you look like an organised rock star (given most other leaders are hopeless at it!)

Turn boring observation sessions into leveraged learning

The most common thing managers do with new staff is have them observe a more experienced person to learn specific processes.  This often leads to boredom and most of the time they will not be able to duplicate the process on their own (a massive loss of performance opportunity!)  A better approach is to let them know a bit about who they will be observing and give them 3-5 questions that they will need to observe/gather and report back to you.  This ensures that they are switched on and actively learning, rather than just going through the motions.

Get them to Mystery Shop the Competition

Once your staff get introduced to your processes, have them mystery shop the competition.  Give them a list of questions that they need to find out which may include:  What do they do better than us?  What do we do better than them?  How do our products/services compare?  What recommendations would they give to improve?  This will engage them and fast track them to learn how you compare in the marketplace, which can also harness some insights from their fresh eyes.

If we just took the time to plan out what we will do with new staff to get them engaged and up to speed faster we would be creating organisations worth belonging to (not to mention setting up a high performance culture!)

Next week, the 8th of March is International Women’s Day and Hands Across the Water has an amazing breakfast event planned featuring the inspirational Edwina McCann, editor-in-chief of Vogue Australia.  There are still tickets left and it would be great to see you there (and you are supporting a wonderful charity!)  Click here to find out more.

I recently was working with the staff at a car dealership when the temperature soared to almost 40 degrees (104 degrees F to the Americans reading).  

It was hot, damn hot.  As I walked from the front office to the workshop where the mechanics were sweating as they worked on repairing cars, something caught my eye.  One of the office staff had gone to the grocery during her break and bought 2 large boxes of ice creams for the staff.  As she walked around and passed them out you could feel the buzz spread across the building and the smiles across staff faces.  By spending $25-30 they probably increased productivity (& morale) instantly on the spot.  

This is such a simple thing to do, unfortunately most leaders overlook the positive impact they could be making to their people because they just get too busy at work.

It is the little things that really count.  So what can you do to make a difference to your people?  Here are a few ideas:

• Plan Some Things Ahead. To make it easier, take the time to plan some things ahead that can help boost morale and not take a lot of time or money.  It could be something around the seasons or holidays (i.e. cupcakes for morning tea on valentine’s day or momentous staff birthdays – 21st, 30, 40, etc).  Years ago in my first Australian business we had a fortnightly Friday morning at the beach during the summer months that staff loved, it was a great way to build our team.
• Be Spontaneous.  Look for spontaneous things that you could do to make things fun.  This could be giving a staff member that has gone above and beyond an early finish or a gift voucher for the movies.  It could be bringing in pizzas for lunch when everyone has been putting in massive hours to get a project over the line.  Mix up what you do to show your appreciation to your people and they will look forward to coming to work.
• Get Staff Involved.  Ask staff what fun things they would like to have happen to help build a positive workplace.  It may be a Slurpee run where someone goes and gets frozen drinks for everyone or a Red Frog afternoon tea where you get the staff to give red frogs or some type of lolly to other staff to say thanks.   

It really is the little things that count.  By taking a few minutes to get creative and let your people know that you care and appreciate them you can create positive engagement and put a fun vibe on your workplace.

The Winter Olympics have started and I’m always interested to watch the athletes that are stepping on to the world stage to compete.  I’m amazed at their abilities and often find myself watching on and cheering loudly at the tv.

The interesting thing that I keep coming back to is, what did the Olympic athletes need to do to get to this point?  They would have spent months if not years perfecting their technique, practicing their approach and learning new skills.  They would have had to have gone through moments of self doubt, frustration at plateauing at a particular level and often wondering if all the training was worth it along the way.

I’m sure that once they arrived at the Olympics and walked around the stadium during the opening ceremonies, they would have remembered why they were there.  When they come first in their heat or if they may not have won but they achieved a personal best they would have had that Olympic Moment.

It makes me think about what it is that we do at work to create these incredible Olympic Moments?  When we’re at work we go through a tremendous amount of activity and preparation.  We spend long, and sometimes, difficult hours trying new approaches and learning new things.  This often leads to a specific moment in time where we break through to a new level or achieve something that we may not have thought possible.  In business it could be achieving a new sales target or overcoming difficult conditions with a new IT system that staff were able to work around to still deliver to customers needs.

So what do we do to celebrate or create an Olympic Moment?  Quite often nothing.  We keep working away and after a while it becomes the new routine.  Leaders need to find ways to create some short term celebrations or capture those Olympic Moments for their people.  

I was working with a client recently that sold a product that required a national recall.  This took a significant effort for all of their head office staff as well as all the staff that were located around the country in numerous cities.  They were able to achieve this recall in record time, unfortunately it also completely exhausted all of their team.  In speaking with one of the Senior Leaders I was asking him if they did anything with their staff to celebrate their Olympic Moment.  He realised that he didn’t and that became a massive missed opportunity.  Many of their frontline staff were still exhausted and not feeling the support any longer.  

Start Creating Your Olympic Moments:

1. At Work.  Look for moments or achievements that you can turn into Olympic Moments.  Given the Olympics are fresh in many people’s minds, use an Olympic theme.  This could be special awards in a number of areas to staff that achieve a new “department record” or something as simple as providing an Olympic themed breakfast or lunch that is a bit of fun (think food from different countries, think different flags that you could put around to help make it stand out)
2. At Home.  Get your family involved in Olympic Moments.  Once again you can leverage the current Winter Olympics and look at ways to celebrate your children’s new achievements.  This could be an Olympic record in an English assignment or a Personal Best with a math test.  Turn it into a celebration.  Watch an event with the family and make (or go out for) food from the Olympic Champion’s country.  This will be something that your kids remember for years to come.

Remember not to get back on the typical treadmill of work or life.  Create Olympic Moments to recognise some of the achievements that your people or family have and make it a celebration.

So we are into February and everyone has hit the ground running.  For most people the holiday season is well and truly over and now the treadmill of activity has turned up to full speed.

I was talking with a Senior Leader and asked her what her plan was for the year.  Her response was a very common one; “I really haven’t thought about it, especially with all of the uncertainty from last year.”  While sometimes we need a chance to recharge and reset, the challenge can be that we forget to identify what we want to achieve and create something to help us achieve it.

I have a tradition that I follow every year.  It is more than a New Year’s resolution, it’s more like a vision setting activity that I use to help guide me and my decisions and actions for the next 12 months.  It involves 3 easy steps that you might find helpful.

Step 1:  Identify your Mantra 

To help guide me I come up with a mantra.  A mantra is a word that many cultures use to help guide them and focus.  For this year my mantra is ‘To Create.’  For me 2022 is about creating new ideas, new opportunities and new growth (including with a few new clients!)  The mantra will be used to help me stay disciplined throughout the year.  You can put it up on your wall as a reminder to keep you doing what you know you should be doing.

Step 2:  Identify Activity You Need to Take

Once you have your mantra it is important to identify a number of activities or goals that you feel you need to take to help turn this into a reality.  For me I have a number of goals including writing 2 books (the 2nd edition of Leadership Hacks and a new one titled Hybrid Workplace Hacks) as well as delivering more keynotes as well as my Leadership Journey Online Leaders Program.  By capturing some of the goals and activity you want to take you can start identifying what things you need to start doing.

Step 3:  Identify Milestones or Target Dates

To help make some of your goals tangible identify a few milestones and target dates.  For me I had a milestone of having my manuscript into my publisher by 10 January (yes I made it!!)   I also have a milestone of having 3-5 articles published before the book is launched in July this year.

When we identify milestones, this helps us ensure that some of our thoughts and activities have a target of when we will start or complete.  For me I keep these dates light and will shift them if needed, but it is better to have something to aim for, rather than drifting through the year. 

This all sounds easy, and it is, unfortunately for many leaders they do not take the time to write it down.  A thought or idea is not committed until you do something with it (including writing it down or taking action on it).  If you would like a few more ideas on how you can use this process with your people, please feel free to reach out.  Remember we only have so much time to make a difference, so don’t let it slip by because you have not identified some of the things you want to achieve this year!

As we approach the week of Christmas, the excitement starts to increase as people look forward to spending time with family, friends and away from work.  It is as if we all breathe a collective sigh of relief that we have once again made it through another working year, whilst dodging the uncertainty of lockdowns, masks and COVID19 tests!

So are you spreading the Christmas spirit?  As we get into the Christmas madness it is important to take the time to spread kindness and goodness to others.  When you are looking for that special gift for someone are you smiling at others?  Are you showing joy and thankfulness?  

Once a year I have a ritual that I have been following since I was first trained in Native American philosophy.  It is a meditative prayer that I was taught that gets me to remember all of the people that have come across my path over the past year.  I take the time to visualise them and thank them for being part of my life over the past year.  This can be a very powerful (and humbling) experience.   

You decide who and how much time you would like to commit to being thankful (note: this is a great activity to do when you are going on a long drive as it allows the different people you have come across to randomly come into your thoughts as it can take a few hours).

Remember to just send some positive thoughts their way and to be thankful for what they have shared with you.  Also be prepared to realise that some of the interactions with some of these people could have been stressful at the same time, however there is often a message or learning that you may have received from the experience (even if it was painful at the time!)

By taking a few minutes or a few hours to remember everything and everyone that we are thankful for we can reconnect and realign our energy to allow ourselves to make things just a bit better.  And remember to smile to others and spread that Christmas spirit (even behind a face mask a person’s. eyes still light up!)

If you would like to spread some Christmas Cheer to the kids in the Hands Across the Water homes, any donation would be welcome.  Even small amounts of $20 or $50 can add up and help us continue to provide the support we need.  To donate to Hands please click here.

To all my friends and family I wish you a safe and connected holiday season.  

We have finally reached the back half of December.  The last month of the year and everyone is busily trying to get everything completed before the holiday season and some time off.  The number of meeting requests has increased and the number of projects that need to be completed has now reached breakneck speed.  

People are starting to show the strain and in a number of discussions with leaders they are noticing the pressure and the increase in negativity.  I had a discussion with a Senior Manager this week who’d noticed that she had to intervene in a number of situations where staff tension had started to boil over.  She realised the exhaustion that people are feeling has caught up with them and is starting to spread across her office.

Most people have mentioned that they have been under pressure and flat out and just need a break, especially at this time of year.  The question becomes how can you keep them focused, and positive.  Especially before many office Christmas parties where a few alcoholic drinks can muster up the desire to tell others what people really think of them and unload the frustration.

I believe that there are a couple things you can do to help create a more positive environment to help your people last until the holiday break:

Reset the Expectations, in a positive way.  An important step to take is to remind everyone of the way they treat one another.  If people are starting to get stressed out, then call a team meeting and have a discussion.  Acknowledge that they have had a busy year full of remote work and uncertainty and that everyone needs a break and that we still want to create a positive culture over the next couple of weeks.  I know of one client that used post it notes and had their staff identify 3 things that were stressing them out and put them on a wall so everyone was aware of it.  Sometimes allowing staff to verbalise the pressure that they are feeling allows them to reduce some of the pressure and be able to move forward. 

Let them know you appreciate them.  Let your staff know that you do appreciate them and the efforts that they have put in the past year.  Take the time to actively go to them individually and check in with them.  Give them feedback to let them know you have noticed the extra efforts that they may have made to meet recent deadlines.  Often just showing you care will help give them the boost they need to get to the holiday escape.

Give them a few rewards.  Rather than waiting for the common holiday bonuses, start to spread some early holiday cheer by giving staff a few simple rewards.  This can be taking them to lunch or getting some food delivered in.  It may involve a few gift cards for movies, shopping or meals that they may be able to keep themselves or reuse with their family.  I know of one client that organised a massage therapist to come in and give their staff 20 minute massages at their desk (in COVID safe way), the energy in the office shifted immediately, all for only a $300 spend.  Often it is the little things that people remember and small rewards can be a great method to help people get to the end of the year.

So, what are you going to do to help your people make it to the holiday break?  Remember by doing a few simple things you can ensure that they go to their time off with a positive mindset.

I had a really interesting conversation with a colleague about the Black Friday sales.  It seems to be something that has really gathered momentum here in Australia with many businesses even offering the deals until the week after!  She had jumped on the sales with gusto and secured a range of gifts for the family for Christmas at below normal price.  When I asked her how this impacted the way she shopped she mentioned an interesting thing.  She said that when she got a good deal it made her want to continue looking for more deals and spending as she felt she was on a ‘roll’.

Like everyone else, I love a good deal.  There is something satisfying knowing that you were able to get something that had caught your eye and that you got a bargain on it.  It is almost as if the universe is telling you that today is your lucky day (come on you have felt this before too!)  It also gets you to remember where you bought those items and ensures that you will return back to the business in the future.

So leading into the Christmas season, what are you doing to encourage customers to have this good feeling?  For many businesses in retail, this season is the biggest income generating time of the year.  Some businesses get really creative and play Christmas music or decorate the store in a festive way.  I think this can create a positive vibe to help customers get into the mood to buy.  

But what really can set your business up over the Christmas season is what your staff do.  I walked into a really cool vintage shop called Dirty Janes this week (they are in Bowral & Canberra – check them out).  As I walked in, all of the staff were smiling and you could tell that they really enjoyed working there.  They enjoyed each other’s company and they also enjoyed talking with customers.  This created an environment that lifted everyone’s energy and it was as if everyone wanted to buy something because it felt so comfortable.  What are you doing to keep your staff positive to create this environment?

There are lots of great strategies that are captured in my book Leadership Hacks:  Clever shortcuts to boost your impact and results. I also asked my friend about what type of Christmas special I should put on to encourage people and give them that great deal.  She said 30-40% would get her to want to buy a few copies and give them as Christmas gifts (she has a number of corporate clients that she said it would be great for).  So I have decided to do something different and offer this deal to you.  

If you want to get a good deal on something as a gift for yourself or for you clients or friend, I am going to offer 40% off my Leadership Hacks book (or a Box of Leadership Hacks books!) for the next week only. Simply enter LHBOOK in the coupon code and receive a 40% discount and we will ship it before Christmas!  

The race towards Christmas has started.  Many people that I have spoken to have noticed the increase in pace at work as well as the end of school year activities and the massive need for people to go out for Christmas functions, which is probably going to be bigger now that people have been out of lockdown for a little bit!

This is the time of year when people can easily get overwhelmed and overly stressed.  I spoke to a small business owner recently who was being challenged with keeping his staff focused and positive.  In speaking to him, he explained that his people were already getting stressed out and starting to put in more hours at work in order to be able to relax over the holidays.

This started me thinking about what people can do to not become the stressed out and grumpy “Grinch” leading up to the holidays.  And I am not just talking about work.  Many people become more stressed out at home as they have to shift their routine at home balancing the numerous social events that jump into the calendar at the end of the year.

So what can you do to stay calm and be the happy and stress free person that everyone loves to be around?

Winning the Race to Christmas:

1. Prepare for the Race. Just like any sporting event, you need to take the time to be mentally and physically ready.  I see the race to Christmas as a long race, more of a marathon than a sprint.  Make sure that you take the time to exercise and move to release the stress and kick in the endorphins that keep us happy.  Also make sure that you take the time to keep healthy.  With many parties leading up to the holidays make sure that you focus on the good stuff.
2. Remember to Embrace the Spirit of the Holidays. For children Christmas can be a wonderful time of year.  It’s a time of presents, holidays and yummy food.  Sometimes we forget about this.  Take the time to reconnect with the spirit of the holidays.  Also share a special memory from when you were a child of some of the joy that you had whilst growing up.
3. Spread the Cheer to Anyone & Everyone.  Remember to spread positive energy to those around you.  Giving someone a simple smile when you look at them can really light them up.  Be someone that others want to hang out with because of the positive energy that you are spreading.

You may want to provide others with a present that will help them next year and a copy of my book Leadership Hacks:  Clever shortcuts to boost your impact and results is what many people would love to learn from over the holidays.  Click here to buy and enter RACE in the coupon code to receive 10% Discount and we will ship it to you (or them!) before Christmas!  Although the race to Christmas can be a bit stressful, by being more mindful and keeping everything in perspective we can make a positive difference to our colleagues, friends and family.  

In the US Thanksgiving is a massive holiday.  Yes it has the common American commercialisation (who doesn’t love a Black Friday Sales!), but at its core it is about something much deeper.

When I was raised Thanksgiving was about spending time with family and the people you loved and taking the time to reflect about what you were truly thankful for.  I think that this is a wonderful ritual that we should do more often.  

The global singing sensation, Adele, just launched her latest album titled 30.  Of course she has been doing the marketing rounds to promote it to the masses.  However in one recent concert she was asked who was one of the most inspirational people to her from her past.  Her response was Ms McDonald, who happened to be her English teacher from Chestnut Grove Academy, a teacher that she had not seen in decades.  To her surprise, her mother had organised to have Ms McDonald in the audience.  It was powerful to watch and hear how Adele responded, including her saying; “She was so bloody cool. . .she really made us care and we knew she cared about us.”

Click here to watch it!

Wow, what a great sense of thankfulness. When people are truly grateful their energy shifts.  It is almost as if they become more content with their place in the world.  More importantly I believe that these people become more attractive to others and can inspire others to be more than they thought was possible.

What would happen if we were more thankful for the experiences, lessons learnt and people around us? If we spent dedicated time sharing a meal with someone where we had a deep conversation that helped both of us gain valuable insights to want to make a positive dent in the world. 

Take a moment to write down the names of 3 people that you are going to demonstrate that you are thankful for.  It can be a past colleague or boss, community volunteer or a teacher that made a difference to you.  Do something to let them know they are important to you and you are grateful.  

Remember it is the little things and gestures that people remember and appreciate.  And if we can get them to pass it on, we can create a positive impact much larger than ourselves.  And maybe someday you will be the person that someone else is thankful for!

Given the very challenging year that we have had with the global pandemic and the rolling lockdowns that have increased uncertainty and fear, I thought it would be good to revisit some wisdom from my father.

My father, Larry Stein, passed away almost exactly 2 years ago.  After battling liver cancer for a number of years he was ready to go and I was fortunate to be by his side with my mother as he took his last breath.  

When we face challenging times we need to remember what is important (many people are pretty burnt out and stretched thin right now, so this seems to feel like the right timing for a reminder).  My father was such a kind soul, many people appreciated his advice, here is some of the wisdom he imparted on me:

1. Be Kind and Smile.  Sometimes we get so busy with work and other tasks that we can be a bit robotic and abrupt when dealing with other people (including our loved ones).  Rather than getting upset with others my father would just smile. You get a lot further with others when you smile and be kind.  
2. Put Family First.  My father loved our family.  He loved my mother and his grandkids and would do anything for them.  When I was a kid he would work long hours to provide, but when he got home he would always have time for me.  I also saw this when he was with his grandchildren and how he spent time with them.  This included having them ride on his John Deere ride-on-mower until they would fall asleep, he had such a big smile on his face.  He showed me the importance of putting family first.  Remember work is temporary, but family is forever (so don’t wait to let them know how much you love them!)
3. Leave a Positive Legacy.  This is something that he did not talk to me about, however it is something that he has left.  Once he passed I posted the news on Facebook and the comments that came back were incredible.  High school friends from over three decades ago remembered him and his kindness.  Many also mentioned that he was one of the best bosses they ever had and that the advice he provided made a massive impact in their lives.  Legacy is about what you leave behind that others remember.  Live your life to leave a positive legacy.

Sometimes we need to remember the fatherly wisdom that has been shared, and use that to help us keep our priorities in line.