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By Ron Culberson. With a master’s degree in social work, Ron Culberson spent the first part of his career working in a large hospice organization as a clinical social worker, middle manager, and senior leader. As a speaker, humorist, and author of "Do it Well. Make it Fun.The Key to Success in Life, Death, and Almost Everything in Between", he has delivered more than 1,000 presentations to associations, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations. His mission is to change the workplace culture so that organizations are more productive and staff are more content. He was also the 2012-2013 president of the National Speakers Association and is a recognized expert on the benefits of humor and laughter.
My dad, Connie Culberson, was a semi-professional softball player who got his nickname from the professional baseball player Connie Mack. Coincidentally, they also shared their given first name of Cornelius. If you ever met my dad, you would have encountered a man who was respectful and dignified but who also had a great sense of humor. In public, he always handled himself with restraint and I never saw him lose his cool. I once asked my dad if he had any funny stories from his past that might make for a good addition to one of my books. He gave it some thought and sent me an experience which he wrote down word for word. But first, let me give you a little background information. After graduating from college in 1949, my dad became the Executive Assistant to the President at his alma mater, Emory & Henry College. He was responsible for many aspects of the college’s operations including recruitment, alumni relations, buildings and grounds, and other duties as assigned. One year, he actually helped raise funds for the marching band. As he went door-to-door asking for donations, he had quite an encounter with one elderly member of our community. Here is my dad’s description of that experience: I greeted the man at the door by saying, “Good morning sir, I’m Connie Culberson and I am soliciting funds for the Emory and Henry College Marching Band Uniform Procurement Fund.” The man replied, “Eh? I didn’t hear you.” A bit louder, I said, “My name is Connie Culberson and I am soliciting funds for the Emory and Henry College Marching Band Uniform Procurement Fund.” “I’m sorry, you’ll have to speak up.” Even louder, I said, “I’m Connie Culberson and I am soliciting funds for the Emory and Henry College Marching Band Uniform Procurement Fund.” “I’m sorry son, I just can’t hear you.” Irritated, I simply put my hands up, walked off the porch, and headed down the sidewalk. When I got to the end of the walk, I kicked the man’s gate open. The man yelled, “Don’t you kick my gate.” In a low voice, I mumbled, “To hell with your gate.” The man responded, “And to hell with the Emory and Henry College Marching Band Uniform Procurement Fund.” Just thinking about this story makes me laugh. I mean, I only heard my dad curse once in my entire life. It happened when I dropped a log on his foot and his reaction seemed perfectly appropriate for the situation. Beyond that, however, he never showed this type of frustration in front of others. So it’s hilarious to me that he not only cursed but that he chose to share the story with me. It’s as if he knew I would appreciate that the humor trumped his concern for a dignified public image. I’ve been a full-time speaker for twenty-four years. In my world, a story can engage an audience while making a point without overwhelming them with too much data and information. But not everyone understands this concept. I often see industry experts who think their many charts, graphs, and bullet points will impress those listening to their presentation. While I appreciate that data is important, I believe a story is more memorable. A few years ago, I was helping a hospice CEO with his presentation skills. I chose to observe one of his presentations at the monthly new employee orientation. The challenge for this CEO was that he loved to use numbers to highlight the organization’s financial situation, service area, and patient demographics. What he failed to realize was that the people in his audience were mostly caregivers. They were less interested in the data and more interested in the stories behind the data. Whenever he launched into a discussion about the facts and figures, you could see these caregivers just glaze over. Essentially, his hospice presentation was dying onstage. And yes, it was ironic. Afterwards, I suggested that he try telling a couple of stories related to his own experience with hospice patients. He agreed to give it a try. So, the next time he delivered his orientation program, he talked about the impact of his first visit to a terminally ill patient’s home. At that instant, his presentation came alive and afterwards, several people came up to shake his hand. It was clear that he had made an impact on his audience with the story. Stories are a powerful way to communicate. They connect us with others on a very human level. One writer said that our stories evoke the stories in others. And interestingly, stories can actually tie together data in a much more compelling way than using a spreadsheet. So, when we think about how we communicate information to others, we should consider how a story here or there might get the point across more effectively. Earlier in this blog, I could have told you a lot of facts about my dad. The fact that he served in the army in World War II, or that he waited to attend college until he returned from the war, or that he was a member of a Rotary Club for more than fifty years. These facts would give you a sense of who he was but I suspect they wouldn’t engage you as much as one “hell” of-a-funny story of the time he was trying to raise money for that dang “Emory and Henry College Marching Band Uniform Procurement Fund.” That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success!
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By Josh Linkner
In our professional lives, our days consist of delivering value in one form or another. Depending on your craft, your deliverables may take the form of a research report, sales presentation, prospecting outreach, email response, customer interaction, financial model or legal brief. Or maybe you build handmade wooden furniture, corned beef sandwiches, or industrial drill presses. Regardless of chosen profession, we’re all in the business of delivering work-product of one kind or another. With the stakes high and competition fierce, how do we optimize performance? Enter Rule 105, a remarkably simple approach to enjoying sustainable and meaningful results. Rule 105: Consistently deliver 105% on expectations in every unit of work you ship. This simple habit unlocks massive rewards because of two basic facets of human nature: Surprise and delight – With under-delivery being the norm, your customers, colleagues, or investors will be blown away if you regularly deliver more than expected. It doesn’t have to be 500% over-delivery, just a puny 5% will do the job quite nicely. That 5% could be finishing the job 5% ahead of schedule, delivering 5% more of whatever you promised in the first place, coming in 5% under budget, or adding 5% better service. Rule 105 will catapult you above the competitive pack and help you shine in a big way. Relationship currency – Think of each 5% over-delivery as a deposit into a relationship bank account. Later, when a mistake or setback inevitably occurs, you’ve already built sufficient reserves so that your client, boss, or colleague will quickly understand and forgive. If your favorite restaurant that always blows you away has one bad night, you let it go and have no problem returning. On the other hand, if they fell 5% short several times without ever beating your expectations, you might be on the hunt for a new taco joint. You’ve already developed the skills, landed the job, and are doing the work, so the extra 5% really doesn’t take that much more effort. But Rule 105 delivers a disproportionate return in the form of customer loyalty, competitive advantage, and sustainable growth. Simply put, that extra little something makes a gigantic difference. Before you hit send on your next email, make your next presentation, or ship your next product, ask yourself what a 5% over-delivery might be. If you make Rule 105 a consistent habit, you’ll be amazed how your relationships and business will transform. This habit will help you get promoted, grow key customer relationships, delight colleagues, and stand out as a top performer. Rule 105 also applies in your personal life. Consistently beating expectations by 5% with your spouse, kids, community, health, friends and family will drive positive change in a meaningful way. The rule is simple and accessible to us all. Challenge yourself to add a small dose of something extra, and you’ll enjoy oversized success as a result. Now that’s a rule worth following. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Colette Carlson
Real estate agents know property value is all about location, location, location. Connected leaders, savvy team members, and salespeople know professional success is all about communication, communication, communication. The recent pandemic has forced our hand to rely on technology over in-person meetings, events or conferences. To continue to connect, inform, and inspire others, everyone must up their virtual meeting game. Pandemic or no pandemic, video conferencing platforms with layouts resembling old television shows like Hollywood Squares or The Brady Bunch will remain long after we return back to the new future. This is why it is paramount to employ the seven virtual meeting communication strategies below: 1. Show up prepared. Whether leading or attending the meeting, clear, consistent, and concise communication gets heard and acted upon. Meetings that lack focus only lead to more meetings, ramblings, and confusion. If leading, following your greeting, articulate the purpose of the meeting and why it will benefit those in attendance. This helps set the stage for why someone needs to be present and why an email would not suffice. Provide a verbal outline/agenda of the meeting’s flow to mentally prepare others to follow along. If providing updates as a participant, have talking points written out to stay on point and lessen speech crutches such as “um” and “like” which occur when you lose your footing. 2. Be the host with the most. If someone visited your office, you would inform them where they might find the restroom or grab a refreshment. Virtual attendees require the same courtesy to help avoid awkward moments. For example, acquaint others with the basic functions on your visual platform such as how to mute/unmute themselves, chat or ask a question. Provide guidance as to how the group should communicate with one another to remove the likelihood of stepping on each other’s sentences and hearing a constant stream of, “Oh, sorry, go ahead.” For example, do those on the call show support by waving both hands, or would you rather hear the cheers? 3. Visibility counts. I personally loathe a camera-ready look when working from home. Yet, staring at squares of black boxes, both as a speaker and listener, creates a disconnect that encourages multi-tasking and lack of focus. Depending on the meeting’s purpose and size of participants, set expectations in advance whether viewing offline is optional. Given the reality of Zoom fatigue, I’m going to assume the necessary transfer of information couldn’t happen via a phone call or email. Therefore, your advance meeting request might include playful language such as, “Feel free to skip a shower, but your physical presence is required. Baseball hats, beanies, and buns welcome!” Investing in a webcam gives the appearance you are looking directly at another which feels more natural and inclusive. 4. Find the balance between informative and interactive. The ability to connect and engage exists no matter the meeting size or purpose. Larger meetings can include anonymous polls for real-time feedback, pre-recorded videos, or the possibility of sending smaller groups to break-out rooms for deep-dive discussions. Stanford University research suggests the most productive meetings contain only five to eight people. More than eight tends to lower the level of intimacy and candidness amongst the group. To keep the flow and reduce dead air, communicate which team/group you want to hear from (pull names/numbers out of a hat if desired) and who is “on deck” next to minimize surprises and nerves. 5. Unpredictability creates interest. Any regular meeting, virtual or in-person, quickly becomes monotonous when the routine remains the same. For example, do you open your weekly meetings by asking others, “How are you doing?” Even if you are genuine and use an empathetic tone, the impact diminishes if asked repeatedly. A few suggestions for more engaging questions include: “What do you need to feel more supported right now?” or “What part of your pre-quarantine routine do you miss most?” or “What have you learned about yourself during the past few weeks?” Unexpected, richer questions lead to thoughtful answers and deeper conversations. You might add, “I’m happy to share my own answer,” and be transparent. Are you stuck in a speech pattern rut? When asked a question, do you consistently respond, “That’s a good question,” or overuse the word, “Amazing”? Instead, keep a nearby list of words or phrases you can substitute for variety. Why not change up a meeting with a fast, one-word answer round-robin to a question you shared in advance? An example might be, “What do you order on your pizza when dining solo?” Meetings with themes, show and tell moments, book discussions, or Jeopardy-style games, shake up the routine and add an element of fun! 6. Stories are sticky. As a keynote speaker, I’ve experienced first-hand how stories draw listeners in more than any other communication tool. It’s as if our brains can’t help themselves and must pay attention. Are you leveraging this opportunity in every meeting without fail? Yes, powerful stories take preparation, but their impact can last forever. At a minimum, communicate with anecdotes and provide an example for every point you make. If you create a rough draft of your meeting points, use a highlighter to note how often this occurs to gain awareness of where you can add such elements. A story is also a powerful way to close a meeting with energy, gain commitments, and inspire others to action. 7. Connection begins within. If you attend my programs, you will hear me say that clear, concise communication is no longer enough to get results: connection must be part of the equation. Connection demands you listen fully, ask rich questions, show empathy and compassion for another, and not just during convenient moments. When you are mindful of your own energy and well-being, you can be fully present for others to help build their “psychological muscles” during unprecedented times. Even when everything is in the same room, be mindful of what remains on your desk and what you take home. Give yourself permission to fill up your tank and take a breath. Trust me, the results will show when you show up for others at your next virtual meeting. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Mary Kelly
We are often stressed about unresolved tasks that hang over our heads. Most of us feel as though we have too much to do, and we feel as though we don’t have enough time to do everything. World events, our jobs, family issues, and community commitments often causes us to add to our stress bucket. What can you get off your plate, resolve, or delegate so that you have more time and resources to devote to doing the activities only you can do, or for those things that you want to do??
Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Chip Bell
Necessity is the mother of invention. And few things are more necessary to the success of an organization than customers. Leave that thought on the page and we will return to it very shortly. Napoleon knew that a military force was only as successful as the food it was provided. He offered a large prize ($75K in today’s dollars) to any person who could figure out a way to get better, healthier food to his Army. In 1809, a candy maker named Nicholas Appert stepped up to the challenge and discovered a process to heretically seal food in glass jars. Appert’s technique led to an 1810 patent and spread to the U.S. where the first foods sealed and shipped were salmon and lobster! Why not start with the best! We are in a fast-paced, rapidly changing business world. “As globalization gives everyone the same information, resources, technology, and markets,” wrote bestselling author and New York Times columnist Tom Friedman, “a society’s particular ability to put those pieces together in the fastest and most innovative manner increasingly separates winners from losers in the global economy.” But the demand for innovation is exceeding our capacity. Notice, Napoleon did not go down to the mess hall and summon his Army cooks. There was no, “I need your help!” (Actually, he would have said, “J’ai besoin de ton aide.”) We need “candy makers” to help solve our “Army on its belly” type challenges. And that brings us to one of an organization’s greatest innovation resources: its customers. Getting customers to provide input is one thing; getting them to provide hands-on help is quite another. DHL is the FedEx and UPS of Europe. With over a half-million employees, they are the largest private carrier in the world. Their commitment to co-creation partnerships takes many forms including their annual DHL Innovation Days. Customers and business partners connect in an inspirational atmosphere to think outside the box and honor creative minds with the DHL Innovation Awards. When customers wanted help rethink supply chains and logistics to improve future business performance, DHL created a series of intensive hands-on workshops that brought together DHL experts with customers to do scenario planning for future applications. It yielded breakthroughs like Parcelcopter, a drone delivery project; smart glasses, an augmented reality that improved warehouse picking efficiency by 25%; and “Maintenance on Demand,” co-created with DHL customer Volvo Trucks that uses sensors to automatically send back vehicle performance data to identify when and where truck maintenance will be needed. What can you do to find and involve customers who can be the “candy makers” to help solve your product and service creation challenges? What would your co-creation partnerships look like? The road ahead is going to be increasingly complex. You will need all the half-baked, slightly wild ideas you can get. Just like Napoleon who casts an idea net beyond the ranks of his Army, employees can be too close to the issue to see what a customer might see. Next time you need some R&D help, invite your customers to come help sweeten the solutions. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Kristin Baird
Employee retention and patient satisfaction start with culture. There are no quick fixes for a dysfunctional work environment, but there are some immediate and bold actions required when bullies rear their ugly heads. Not long ago, I began working with a client whose senior leaders were fully committed to making their organization the employer and provider of choice. As we delved into the current culture, we realized that some of their key leaders were not aligned with the values or the vision for the culture of the future. Front line staff, managers and supervisors described these individuals as bullies who were unapproachable and at times downright terrifying. Knowing that this might be difficult to accept, I presented these findings to the CEO & COO with clear facts and specific examples. Having had many discussions like this in the past with other executives, I knew the discussion would go one of two ways. It could result in complete denial and defensiveness or swift action. “We won’t allow bullies here” To my relief, the CEO and COO listened and took swift action. They listened to the examples we provided and said, “We won’t allow bullies here.” Ultimately, the offending individuals were terminated. Although this action can be painful, it is necessary for organizational wellbeing and in preventing a culture of bullying. A Harvard Business Review article[i] by Manuel Priesemuth, states, “Studies have even shown that employees who experience abuse from a supervisor are also more inclined to “pass on” this type of treatment in a ripple effect.” THE HEART OF BULLYING Senior leaders lost credibility when their words weren’t matching their actions. This is the consequence for NOT acting over the years. If you say that you are committed to a culture of excellence, then you must align your behaviors and decisions with those words. In the example I cited above, the leaders did just that. I have a plaque in my house that reads, “The secret to having what you want is getting rid of what you don’t want.” So many times, we go through life in a comfort zone running business as usual. We don’t take the time to purge out the things we no longer want or that no longer serve us. Once we do, we make ample space for what we really want. Are you ready to assess what you have and purge what is no longer working? It may be the key to the culture you desire. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Amy Dee
“I can’t believe I’ve gained weight!” “I’ve gotten nothing done!” “How did I messed up so badly?.” Are you tough on yourself when you mess up or miss a goal? Join the club. To be honest, I tend to be pretty hard on myself. As a matter of fact, research shows that I am not alone. The problem is, beating ourselves up isn’t helpful. In fact, studies show that the lack of self-compassion is the root cause of most of our mental suffering. For example, when all my speaking engagements were postponed in March 2020, I had BIG plans to get lots done. To do: -Lose 40 lbs: to lower my cholesterol and wear that red dress on stage. (The skinny dress I’d worn twice, ten years ago) -Feng shui my house. -Cull and organize my kitchen cabinets and dresser drawers. -Repaint my entire upstairs -Update our lighting fixtures. In contrast, this is I’ve accomplished: – Organized one kitchen cupboard. -Lost ten pounds. (I lost 25 pounds, regained 15 pounds binge eating Moose Tracks ice cream and kettle-cooked jalapeño chips. Not proud, just the facts, Ma’m.) Unfortunately, seeing the numbers skyrocket on my bathroom scale or digging through a messy kitchen pantry can make me very angry with myself. But to get back on track, research shows that self-compassion is the path to self-improvement. What is Self-Compassion? When we fail, struggle, or notice a quality about ourselves we don’t like, self-compassion encourages us to be supportive and understand ourselves. Self-compassion requires you to be a good, kind friend to yourself. Why Do We Dodge Self-Compassion? I found in my research that the biggest reason people aren’t more self-compassionate is that they are afraid they’ll become self-indulgent. They believe self-criticism is what keeps them in line. Most people have gotten it wrong because our culture says being hard on yourself is the way to be. — Kristen Neff Dr. Kristin Neff, a pioneering self-compassion researcher, author, and teacher, tells us that self-compassion isn’t self-pity, and it doesn’t give us a license to whine and avoid taking responsibility. Instead, self-compassion asks us to experience, accept and deal with those unpleasant feelings and emotions. Rather than brood and ruminate about lousy stuff, self-compassion helps you embrace, process, and let go of it. Sadly, deep down, many believe that if we don’t blame or punish ourselves for failure, we will become too lazy to change. But, being compassionate to yourself won’t make you complacent. Instead, research shows that self-compassion works lots better for personal motivation than self-punishment. So, instead of dodging personal accountability, self-compassion actually strengthens it. Compassion contains Compass and Passion Compassion/Compassion. Have you ever noticed that inside the word compassion, you can find the words’ compass’ and ‘passion’? A compass is an instrument that determines your direction. When it comes to self-compassion, the arrow points to you. Passion is a very powerful feeling or an extreme interest in something. Self-compassion requires both feelings of self-love and self-mercy, and interest in self-understanding, self-empathy. Lovingly investigating ourselves, warts and all is an important part of our life journey. 3 Steps to Self-Compassion 1. Respect Your Emotions: Allow for Your Pain This is a moment of suffering. Suffering is part of life. May I be kind to myself in this moment. May I give myself the compassion I need. — Kristin Neff Self-compassion requires you to honor and respect your own suffering. Being present with the hurt helps you learn more about yourself and gives value to even unpleasant experiences. Telling yourself the truth enables you to see the good, the bad, and the ugly within you. Self-compassion encourages you to accept every bit of yourself. It asks you to draw a bigger circle to encompass all of you during this once in forever life journey. 2. Recognize your Common Humanity You must allow yourself to fail because your setbacks, stress, and suffering are part of the human condition. You are Not Alone. To clarify, self-compassion asks us to acknowledge our common humanity by realizing that everyone is flawed. Being flawed is part of the human experience. Furthermore, you don’t have to be right all the time. Self-compassion allows you to let yourself off the hook if things didn’t turn out the way you wanted. Stop expecting perfection and beating yourself up for falling short. Forgive yourself. You are a mortal, after all. Being human means you get to be a fallible, wonderful person just like everyone else. 3. Self-kindness/self-mentoring. To begin with, remember and honor your core values. Your values are the things that influence the way you live and work. These are your priorities. Knowing your core values will help you make decisions that align with what is most important to you. Values give you a way to measure whether your life is turning out the way you want. Use a kind voice to ask yourself helpful questions such as: How can I help myself right now? What do I need most? What feels hardest?” Negative self-talk Next, watch for negative self- talk. Negative self-talk is commonly very black and white, all or nothing. “I am a loser because I regained the weight I lost.” Instead of accepting this negative tape, ask yourself, “Is this true?” Find evidence to the contrary. For example, I did regain most of my weight (not good). But, I also took care of two sets of family members who lived in my home for six months (good). Respond to your negative self-talk by remembering: you are enough, you do good work, too. You have friends and family who count on you and love you. Beware of the Busy Trap In his 2012 New York Times piece, “The Busy Trap” Tim Krieder writes, “Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness; obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day.” Restrictions caused by COVID has taken many of us out of the everyday busyness loop. Consequently, some of us have more ‘free time’ to enjoy ourselves. Despite this, instead of enjoying the time off, our obsession with busyness challenges us to be productive! Use this time wisely! Optimize it! Now, in addition to worrying about catching a potentially deadly disease or the world economy crashing, our anxiety is boosted by the worry of ‘not doing enough.’ This is not helpful! To put it bluntly, beating yourself up because you didn’t finish writing your novel, learn Latin, or repaint your house isn’t helpful. Instead, those negative emotions suck up the energy to need to move forward. In other words, focusing on everything you haven’t done or should do, drains the energy and attention you need for future tasks. So, instead of concentrating on the things you didn’t do, shift your mindset by noticing all you have done. To be sure, there’s no Feng shui here, but I alone take care of my elderly mom. My daughters reach out for help frequently. A friend told me I helped her begin her sobriety journey. My dearest friendships have deepened and strengthened. I’ve done some good stuff, just not feng shui stuff. After all, even if you screw up some stuff, you don’t screw up everything. Make a list of all the good things you’ve done to remind yourself of your accomplishments. Remember: You Matter! Self-compassion is the act of saying YES to yourself. In effect, it sends the message, ‘I matter.’ Most importantly, self-compassion reminds you to embrace self-love even when self-loathing yells louder. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Vicki Hess
I recently participated in my 8th Sprint distance triathlon. The alarm went off at 3:45a. My husband, Alan, and I drove an hour to meet some friends for a socially distanced, mask-wearing transition area setup and then headed to the ocean for the open water swim. The outside air was 64° and the ocean was a cool 73°. As I stood shivering, I thought to myself “What the heck was I thinking?” That question seemed to be the theme for the day. I jumped into the ocean to swim a quarter of a mile, then cycled 12 windy miles and finally ran (mostly) a 5K. I had another triathlon under my belt and it felt good! Afterwards, on the ride home, I kept thinking…”What is it that drives me to participate in a physically and mentally challenging triathlon and yet, I can’t seem to do 20 minutes of yoga a couple of days a week?” I was perplexed. So here’s a question to think about... Why are we so good at doing some things – even difficult things – and not able to create habits for others which are easier? I went in search of answers. The book Atomic Habits, by James Clear, had recently been recommended to me by a couple of colleagues. That seemed like a great place to start. What I learned made common sense but wasn’t always common practice. Of course, you’ll need to read the book if you want all the information, but one key thing I quickly learned was about the need for systems. When it comes to triathlon training, I have systems in place with accountability partners. I regularly meet friends to swim in the intracoastal waterway. I have running buddies which I meet twice a week and I put cycling on my calendar. Since I live in south Florida, I’m able to do all of that year-round. These systems promote results that I’m happy with. I consider myself a recreational level, sprint-distance triathlete. When it comes to yoga, since the pandemic hit, I’ve been on my own. No classes to attend, no girlfriends to meet up with. Sure, there are lots of free videos and I can easily practice inside or out at home on my own, but I hadn’t created a reliable system. I no longer identified myself as a yogi. Well, I’ve recently fixed that by making a dedicated space in my house for my yoga mat and signing up for a paid app with live classes that I register for in advance. Classes are on my calendar and I’m excited to practice again. I hope you’re starting to see parallels between my training routines and your leadership and engagement skills. The only way to consistently improve and sustain the engagement levels of your direct reports is to have a system and accountability partners. Here’s one idea for creating an engagement related system for yourself... Before you leave work every day, take 3-4 minutes to look at the next day and put an engagement action on your calendar. Examples might include writing a note of appreciation, rounding with staff, meeting one on one, reaching out to someone via FaceTime, etc. Start realistically with this one system. To help things stick, ask someone to be your accountability partner. Send a quick email to that person with what your activity will be the next day and have him send you one too. Whether something is hard or easy, it still takes systems to create habits. Please let me know what engagement related habits you’ve created for the new year! Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! |
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