JoAnn Corley-Schwarzkopf - ReThink Leadership Podcast

Are You On Lock Down?

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 11:04:00 -0500

Are You On Lock Down?
joanncorley
Mar 7, 2015·4 min read
You can tell from my profile I work in the world of talent management. You know, the talent management that helps companies find, cultivate and keep their best.
At least that’s what most companies say they want. There is a lot of lip service in the world of talent management. I have lots to say about that — but that’s for another day.
Today I want to focus on your talent as the reader. Do you think you have any? What are you doing with what you have? Are you acting as your own talent manager?
In answer to the last question, here’s what I’ve discovered about most people — they aren’t. In fact most people I know are on lock down.
I discovered this when I started conducting creative and innovative thinking workshops through-out North America. For some 15 years, workshop after workshop, I discovered how most people are not only on lock down, many are shut down — emotionally, mentally, spiritually and even physically.
My findings: The most unique and interesting parts of ourselves, where the essence of talent resides, is on lock down.
My workshops seek to “loosen” people up, to unlock what’s been locked up — for years, probably since childhood. That’s when the jail cell door had not yet been closed, but started to. And for many, the key was thrown away.
I help people find the key, unlock the cell and gently, safely coax them out — freeing the essence of their uniqueness to blossom into full uninhibited expression like a flower softly unfolding as it’s enveloped in soothing, nurturing rays of sunlight.
I help people free themselves from lock down. It’s a pervasive syndrome in our society.
In my work, I’ve discovered the primary reason for lock down is fear of disapproval; because for many the core of who they are is so dissimilar to their surroundings and therefore not good, useful or needed. At least, that’s what they’ve been conditioned to believe.
You see, it all began when you where young…when you started to become aware of yourself in relation to the people around you — and they became aware of you.
In the beginning, you were….well …you.
But people began reacting and responding to you — giving you information about yourself in relation to them. Whatever information you received — you received and with nothing to compare it to, you took it as only you could — truth… and not knowing any better… it became your truth.
Life continued to happen and all experiences were filtered through that truth…and you adjusted accordingly. Those adjustments continued to lock you into place and that became the you — the you presented to the world.
Not necessarily the “inside you” mind you, but the approved, adjusted you. The you that conformed to those early accepted truths, whether they were true or not. The lock down had begun…and it continued.
Until one day you sat in a class or a meeting and you were asked to express yourself — to have a voice, to share your perspective, to make an authentic and original statement. “Come on,” someone encouragingly prodded, “we need some creative ideas — we need your creative ideas.”
If you were in my workshop, that would be me advocating for your release, hoping to free you from years of confinement knowing that I don’t have the key, but helping you find your key. You see, you’ve had it all along.
Here would be my message — unlock yourself. “With what key?”, you ask. The key of self acceptance — all of yourself, exactly yourself. We all are on a journey of self acceptance and self discovery — whether we’re aware of it or not. Life presents us this free opportunity. Are we using it?
Here’s the dilemma. That journey intersections with the compelling need for creative thinking and innovation and our personal and societal struggle with differences and diversity.
On one hand we say, “Be different, we need different, we celebrate different, we’re desperate for different. Different will make us more money, will solve our problems, cure our human ills.”
On the other hand, we think and feel, “Wait a minute, your different is making me feel uncomfortable. Your different is strange to me. I’m not sure we want your different. I prefer comfort over different. Can you be sorta different, but still mostly be like us?”
In essence what they really want…is for you to stay on lock down. But you say, “Oh no I won’t!”
I say give them what they need — they need the fully free, real you —though they may not know it and for many they don’t.
Don’t let them stop you! You grab that key, unlock your cell, discover and dust off the barely recognizable parts of you and begin to tune in, so you can turn on and tune up all that talent, so that ultimately you can turn out all of you and the best of you!
“Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, you’re free at last.” Now that is true talent management!

WRITTEN BY

joanncorley

Founder, JCS Business Advisors | helping leaders develop their human quotient (HQ) so they can build businesses that thrive | Top 100 HR & Mgt, experts

My Advice During Covid - Hang On To What's Certain

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Tue, 19 May 2020 13:15:00 -0400

There is nothing new under the sun...ever heard that phrase. It from a biblical passage, Ecc. 1:9.

Well, in the time of Covid, you might be thinking...is that true now? These are unpresedented times. We're entering into a new normal (not a fan of that phrase)...but ok, yes things are definitely unsettling and uncertain. And, some elements of life may permanently change...or not. We'll see.

However, there are some very human, historical and universal truths that are settled, certain and will remain unchanged.

While we get tossed about by how we and others are describing this current experience, as someone who lives in the realm of human behavior in life and business, I can say - and I hope this is encouraging- there some things...and I dare say the most important things... that have not changed and will not change.

Source post: https://www.joanncorleyspeaks.com/2020/05/there-is-nothing-new-under-sun.html

2 NonNegotiable Fundamentals of Business Building You Absolutely Can't Avoid

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 14:47:00 -0400

There is so much noise in the world of leadership and management today. Go on LinkedIn and just see the breath of information in your feed - kinda makes my head hurt. There's so much discussion about what leaders should be doing, what makes a great leader, etc. Do a search on Amazon or Google about leadership and management and millions of results are revealed.

One thing for sure, if you are a senior leader or one that owns a business, there are certain fundamentals you must have in place - above all others. And yet, so many other things are discussed - I call them shiny objects - don't actively advocate and address these fundamentals.

Two in particular are these:
1. If you want to grow a business, you must have a reliable, effective management team.
2. You are the cornerstone of your business, business unit or department.

What's A Cornerstone
My husband is in construction. He has built many a building in his career from a small home to a skyscraper. One building essential every one of them needed was a cornerstone. What is it?

Go here for full text: http://www.joanncorleyspeaks.com/2020/03/2-nonnegotiable-fundamentals-of.html

Is It Time for You to Surrender?

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 13:31:00 -0500

The 1 Thing an Employee Training Won't Change

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Mon, 2 Dec 2019 10:26:00 -0500

If you are an HR professional or key decision-maker, please note, "a simple training day" is not going to fix this. Yet many times, that's the choice that's made.

In my experience there are 2 main reasons why:

1. Key leaders, decision-makers do not understand or appreciate the "human experience" in the work environment.

2. There is a disconnect between how behavior (the human experience) impacts revenue. Therefore the "cheapest" prescription is chosen without being clear on the need and the best remedy to meet it. I call that the spray and pray decision. Let's spray out a bunch of information in a "training seminar" and pray it sticks and fixes things.

I've said in previous posts, when dealing with employee performance problems, many decision-makers want a bandaid, when surgery is what is really needed. A bandaid seems to be much cheaper... really? And by the way, this is beyond an HR problem as some like to direct it...it is overall a leadership and management problem.

Read full text here: https://www.joanncorleyspeaks.com/2016/02/the-one-thing-employee-training-cant-fix.html

3 Undeniable Truths That Sabotage Change - Do You Recognize Them?

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Mon, 4 Nov 2019 09:26:00 -0500

Ever heard the phrase "change is hard'?

I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding about that phrase. In reality there is a range of "change capabilities". Depending on the context, change can be in an instant or permanent change can take time.

I've learned over the years that change can be immediate, but transformation... does takes time. And this is a crucial mind-set for leaders when trying to achieve operational change of any kind. Unrealistic expectations lead to lots of unnecessary stress and poor planning and can waste time, money and talent.

So, What About Change is Hard?
What is hard...really hard...is what leads up to change. Getting to the point of change is the tough part. Here's what I mean.

In the work I do, helping companies achieve better results through leadership and management development, I help decision-makers get to the point of deciding to initiate change...to their benefit.

Even with all the evidence and constant discussion about the epidemic of incompetent or bad managers and with virtually everyone agreeing that good managers are needed...getting decision-makers to the decision of employing management training is tough. If it wasn't, it'd be pervasive. In fact, almost every company would have it as a part of their business development plan.

But we know that just is not happening. Ever wondered why?

Think about it for a moment. Why is the decision to do something so obviously needed so difficult to do?

Well, the ultimate answer I believe is fear. But there's more. And the more... are 3 undeniable truths about change. I call them "change saboteurs"

Read the complete text here: https://www.joanncorleyspeaks.com/2019/11/3-undeniable-truths-that-sabotage.html

People Don't Leave Jobs - They Leave Relationships

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Sat, 2 Nov 2019 10:01:00 -0400

"People don't leave jobs, they leave bosses.'"

This is a very popular phrase that circles around the HR and management community a lot...and in fact has been doing so even during the time I was a recruiter some 25+ years ago. And, in all that time has consistently proven to be true.

However, I'd like to frame this truth in a different way. People don't leave jobs, they leave relationships. Because, in essence, that's what we're talking about. Leaving anyone, boss or not, is leaving a relationship.

What they are leaving is the way they are being treated.

Read full text here: https://www.joanncorleyspeaks.com/2019/11/people-dont-leave-jobs-they-leave.html

Do You Carry This Critical Point of View in Your Business?

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Sat, 19 Oct 2019 16:10:00 -0400

If not, you're missing out...

One of the elements of business I'm becoming more and more committed to - for myself and clients - is that of simplicity.

I'm also devoted to spend my time providing insights and information from a different point of view that provides meaningful value...that is if you spend your precious time reading my blog...at the end of each post you'll think, "Well, that was worth it."
From my experience, that different point of view is seeing business through a very simple lens. Here's the lens: all things business are derived from human behavior. It has become a very defined view over the years and its benefits are enormous for this who are willing to see as I do.

2 Simple Principles of Business You Should KnowBecause of this refined view, I see business in a much simpler way than I did when I first started my own business some 20+ years ago.

After working with thousands of employees and their managers throughout North American over those past years, I've observed and have narrowed down the main, overriding issues to success in business and they are human behavior and relationships... and note how one naturally impacts the other in business outcomes.

Read full text here: https://www.joanncorleyspeaks.com/2019/10/do-you-carry-this-critical-point-of.html

The Dilemma of Creative Thinking in the Workplace

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Tue, 8 Oct 2019 09:53:00 -0400

"If we all think alike -- no one is thinking very much."

- Walt Whitman

Let me get straight to the point. One key element contributing to the dilemma of creative thinking in the workplace is fear of diversity -- fear of "too" different. You see this "too different" causes discomfort. This is the "get out of our comfort zone" we don't consider and resist.

The comfort zone we usually address is pushing ourselves to grow, moving beyond where we currently are as our choice on our terms. This is the one most familiar when we use that phrase.

But, there's another. I call it "the diversity "dis"comfort zone". This one allows others - much different than us - to come into our zone and be truly who they are even if it causes discomfort and in some cases we have to do the work to be accepting, receiving, embracing no matter the level of that discomfort.

Read the full text here: https://www.joanncorleyspeaks.com/2016/06/the-dilemma-of-creative-thinking-in.html

6 Reasons Why Your Managers Are Failing

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Tue, 8 Oct 2019 09:14:00 -0400

I'm gonna cut to the chase.

I've observed for many years a cyclical epidemic. Managers who don't know how and are not managing ...and are not helped in any useful, sustainable way.

And so...it continues.

As a business owner, senior leader or HR professional, if you've experienced this on any level I want to help you diagnose why.

Now, I don't want to insult your intelligence. Perhaps to you the 6 items below are obvious and you've sought help and just haven't found the right resources to fully fulfill your needs. I'll address that in a minute.

You can read the full text here: https://www.joanncorleyspeaks.com/2019/10/6-reasons-why-your-managers-are-failing.html

A Management Tip You'll Absolutely Want to Use!

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Thu, 3 Oct 2019 11:42:00 -0400

I was having a conversation with my step-son a few months back - getting an update on how his business was doing. He's part of a family owned business and was next in line to take over when his in-laws retired. He's very motivated and has grand plans for growth.

He realized that in order to execute his vision, he needed to develop a solid next tier management team, so he could be free to focus on strategic growth activities. Listen to the advice I gave. You won't want to miss it!

Of Note: We've worked to help managing your business, operations and people become much easier with our Smart Management Blueprint - it's a 9 building block roadmap, tested in some of the most challenging environments to substantially improve operational results while developing competent managers.

It's highly successful because it's strategically infused with human behavior science. When you may not be able to trust the skills of novice managers, you will be able to trust the science they'll implement with the blueprint! check it out!

Best Hiring Advice Ever - Hire Beyond the Job Description

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Mon, 5 Aug 2019 14:47:00 -0400

Listen here:

Hiring...talent acquisition is in a perpetual state of handicap.

If you were new to recruiting-hiring and took a moment to scan the breath of recourses available, it's likely you'd be completely overwhelmed. Getting a grasp on effective hiring can turn into a continual game of chasing a rabbit down a rabbit hole...not quite knowing where you'll end up...just crossing your fingers the route you're taking will get somewhere close to where you'd like to end up.

As someone who's been in the space of talent management for over 20 years, spending my early days as a recruiter at a INC 500 boutique recruiting firm in Chicago, I've seen the evolution in the hiring industry to the point where I think it's become complicated and excessive. Hiring just does not have to be that involved and complicated. I know it can be done quicker and better.

Here's Why - Breaking it Down
Let's consider a different approach. Let's look at recruiting through the lens of human behavior - doing so provides needed clarity and refreshing simplicity. Here's what I mean.

When looking to hire, what you are ultimately looking for is a behavior that achieves a desired result. You're looking for behaviors that are driven and shaped by a knowledge base, thinking, emotions, attitudes, capacity, aptitude and experience (which we assume develops skills. By the way this is not always true - experience does not necessarily equal competence).

When you adopt this point of view, you'll begin to first of all read a resume very differently and hopefully draw the same conclusion I have over the years. Many people can do many jobs, with the exception of very distinct technical knowledge and/or capabilities (and even some of those can be acquired over time).

What does this mean? Many recruiters and hiring managers have overlooked many people they could have hired and done certain jobs perfectly well...saving tremendous amounts of recruiting time, money and aggravation.

This principle is another reason why some hiring managers use pre-hire behavioral assessments utilizing a great foundational principle - hire the best behavioral fit.

What does this mean? Another way I like to term it is - natural vs needed. If you can match the needed behaviors (skills, capabilities etc. reflected in the job description) with what is most natural - (or preferred behaviors) the newly hired employee would quickly and easily contribute at a high level with little ramp-up time. (I like to use contribute vs. perform).

Natural implies easy, less effort (effort-less), automatic. The added bonus?... in many cases when something is natural and easy, it's more enjoyable.

A couple of good interview questions to flush this out might go like this:

> "Looking at your resume, what activity do you do with the least amount of effort (or feels effortless)... or enjoy most (and/or) to the point you'd do it whether paid or not?"

> Is there anything beyond your resume that you truly enjoy doing?

Pay attention to 2 key hiring elements here - natural and most enjoy. This is way beyond just "can you do the job". Keep in mind the fact that some folks have been doing jobs for years they don't necessarily enjoy. Do you want to hire someone like that? They could be very skilled at being miserable.

If someone naturally enjoys doing something, they will be naturally motivated to do so and will require less external management to do it. This is key!

Motivation is an incredibly valuable "human resource" and one that is most challenging with managers. In almost every management training I've ever conducted, motivating employees was the most popular frustration point expressed. This frustration could be greatly minimized with a more sophisticated approach to hiring.

The natural vs. needed point of view comes not just from my expertise related to human behavior in business, but also the many years spent as a career coach - particularly helping folks through a career change.

My friend Sue is a perfect example - frustrated with teaching, she was ready to do something different. One of the self-assessment exercises I took her through was looking at areas of her life for which she was known for something - aka - did naturally.

Something dramatically stood out. In our group of friends, she was known as the go to person for getting sound advice. She was a great listener and regularly shared sage wisdom and being with her was like snuggling up with a warm blanket - you felt safe, secure and loved.

Knowing Sue, she has that kind of natural personality. She loves helping people by way of listening, enabling them to feel safe so they can open up to levels needed to sort through their thinking as they address life concerns.

What does this sound like - counseling! Yep, Sue is by nature a natural counselor. Throughout here adults life, she's been doing it exceptionally well and not getting paid for it. She made the transition and now has a thriving practice in the Chicago area.

In summary, her natural met what was needed and she is now highly successful, she thoroughly enjoys what she's doing and her clients just love her!

You know, everyday better hiring matches could be made simply by using a refined hiring lens. I've decided to teach folks how to do this by creating a course entitled: Hiring Beyond the Job Description. It's in the works and will be released this fall. Drop me an email if you'd like to be notified when it's released: joann@jcsbusinessadvisors.com. It's part of my main business and management development offering The Executive Advantage Blueprint for Smart Management.

One final note: If equal emphasis and commitment (financially and otherwise) was placed on developing competent managers and management, there would be less need to obsess over hiring "the perfect person". Both can sabotage a great hire!

Final financial and operational advice - match natural to needed and support that hire with great management!

// JoAnn is the founder of JCS Business Advisors - a strategic business management consultancy. Through her expertise in human behavior, she helps develop high functioning leadership teams and organizations as she partners with forward-thinking senior leaders, entrepreneurs and their HR counterparts, bridging the knowledge & execution gap of connecting human behavior to improving operational results.

// Email: joann@jcsbusinessadvisors.com // Ph: 888.388.0565 // Schedule a 30 min. complimentary advisory call and receive a copy of our latest executive briefing.

//Learn more about our "all-in-one" blueprint that develops competent leaders and managers, effectively manages operations, people, talent and time - The Executive Advantage Blueprint for Smart Management.

Is This Your #1 Business Challenge Too?

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 13:23:00 -0400

This Your #1 Business Challenge Too?

Tip: Business management is developing managers. You've got to grow them...so you can grow!

Duration: 6 mins. 25 secs.

I had a great family get together in Indiana this weekend after speaking at the Energetic Women's Leadership Conference in Indianapolis. (The conference was a gathering of women from all over the US who are in the Energy industry - primarily gas & electric).

One of the many highlights was getting the latest updates from my stepson Chris regarding the state of their business in 2019 (we have 4 business owners in our immediate family!). They are exceeding goals! I was so happy to hear!

"So, what are your current challenges, what do you want to be different?", I asked. His answer, "Building middle management." Their business is family owned and operated with very aggressive growth goals. They need an effective, competent second tier leadership/management team if they want that to happen.

So we talked through some of his efforts and in several aspects he has some great things in place. For example, they have scorecards to keep everyone focused on the metrics that matter. They are very sensitive about company culture. They certainly do a lot of fun things together.

The one thing he really was stalled on was building a management team that could replace him so he could be free to develop the best, most market responsive strategies to grow the business overall.

So I shared with him my newly formed Executive Advantage Blueprint for Smart Management. I walked through each "smart management" building block - some of which, to varying degrees, he had in place.

What was missing is what most leaders miss...see if any of this applies to you:

View full text here: http://www.joanncorleyspeaks.com/2019/06/is-this-your-1-business-challenge-too.html

Notes:
// JCS Business Advisors is a strategic business management consultancy. Through our expertise in human behavior, we develop high-performance leadership teams and organizations as we partner with forward-thinking senior leaders, entrepreneurs and their HR counterparts, bridging the knowledge & execution gap of connecting people, performance, and profits.

// Email: joann@jcsbusinessadvisors.com // Ph: 888.388.0565 // Schedule a complimentary advisory call and receive a copy of our latest executive briefing.

//Learn more about our "all-in-one" blueprint that develops competent leaders and managers, effectively manages operations, people, talent and time.

Special Note: I want to make a bold statement. Every business owner and/or senior leadership team needs an advisor who has expertise in human behavior. It is the #1 driving element of their business they do not recognize (as well as many business coaches), yet directly impacts every area. Take advantage of our complimentary 30 min. Q&A (ask us anything) and see how that translates to your business. Contact

How to Determine When It's Time to Fire Someone

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Wed, 22 May 2019 08:34:00 -0400

Take a 10-minute breather today and learn how to determine when it's time to fire someone.

Want to be clear & confident? Firing an employee is one of the most significant challenges and the toughest things to do in leading and managing.

Yet, sometimes, it's absolutely necessary...and not doing so can severely hurt your business. Do you have a firing philosophy? Do you experience "fog" when you're trying to determine whether to do so or not?

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Thu, 16 May 2019 14:20:00 -0400

I'm sooo excited to start a new series called "Coffee Talk"; the purpose of which is to encourage busy founders, entrepreneurs and/or their senior leaders to take just a few moments (take a "management moment") to learn something that will help them improve how they manage their business.

Our Goal: Help leaders manage their business better, so their business doesn't manage them. :-)

So..."take five" for an opportunity to grow as you go! Subscribe on iTunes - see link to the right.

This Episode:
Are you losing passion for your business? ....Having a love-hate relationship with it? Feeling overwhelmed or as if the business is swallowing you up? / Duration: 5:19

How is Your Performance Management Performing?

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 11:15:00 -0400

Hey that may sound like a silly question, but it's legit! Here's why…

I know that performance management, particularly for managers, can be challenging and without some basic knowledge to navigate its terrain, it feels like you're stumbling in the woods, can't see where you're going and don't know how to get out...and wish you'd never entered it in the first place.

That's why @LinkedIn Learning asked me to create a course written specifically for managers on how to Manage Employee Performance Problems. Don't let the "course" word deter you from checking it out. My approach and mantra is to keep it real and keep it simple. You'll get helpful tips, insights and strategies.

I have a fierce conviction about that mantra because I think a lot of processes and tools we use in business, particularly related to human resource management just overcomplicatesmanagement and the employee experience, wasting time and money.

Read on...

Let's Restore Humanity To Business - Are You In?

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 10:51:00 -0400

"A potent force lies deep within every actor in business...a force so strong it can fuel a vision, make or break a dream. It’s a power so remarkable it conjures inventions that have changed the course of civilization as we know it. This force is the human force - the human quotient in business. It's time to shake off the burdensome, blinding corporatism that is robing us of the full exhilarating expression of this extraordinary force (yes, it can be that way sometimes!). This force translated into work renders meaningful contributions to...creates value for those around us, no matter the endeavor. Whether concocting the next big tech thing or making bread that feeds the world, all work has value and should be honored and appreciated. We come to work bringing that force, the most precious thing we have - manifested as our unique "human resourse". That resource -- our heart, mind, spirit. body and all that entails is ultimately who we are - the essence of our being..." Link to complete text

A Podchat With Irene Becker - Transformational Catalyst

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 11:18:00 -0400

From Pain To Gain: Ten 21st Century Leadership Lessons Learned

© Irene Becker, Just Coach It-The 3Q Edge™ | (IQ-EQ-SQ) Reach-Resonance-Results3Q Leadership™ Blog- 27,000+ Social Media Followers & Growing!

Leadership is a 3Q equation supported by courage. Courage grows each time we align intelligence: (IQ) + humanity (EQ) + integrity (SQ)

9-17-2016 - Interviewer's Note: Though this interview was done several years ago, the insight and wisdom for leadership does not expire. Enjoy!

Listen Now: Click to download

This podchat is based on one of Irene's posts:

If you are a trailblazer who wants to not simply optimize strengths but transform changes/challenges into a lever for your greatest ability; I hope this post will motivate you.

If you are a leader who aspires to building an organization where purpose, engagement, innovation, communication, collaboration (the fire of human potential shines and grows); I hope this post will inspire you.

If you are working/living on over-drive, stuck in a rut/stasis or feeling lost; I hope this post will motivate you to look within and reclaim your power.

If you are a member of any ethnic group/gender that has traditionally be disenfranchised; I hope you will recognize your ability, our ability to light a candle that can drive unity and strength among all people sharing this earth.

Since writing my story, Against All Odds, my journey has included some of the greatest challenges I have ever faced; I guess the pivot points in my journey were pain points that would have compelled most people to simply give up. As a young child, on a journey that encompassed tragedy, abuse, pain and a myriad of challenges I discovered that the greatest power we have is in the hope, faith, courage, integrity and humanity that lights a fire in our soul. I learned that the values we cherish are the formula for our greatest success or a descent into an endless trajectory of ego driven illusions that never really help us achieve our greatest purpose. I learned that we each have a unique footprint, a unique gift/contribution to share in our lifetime; each positive step forward that is alignment with hope, faith, courage, integrity and humanity takes us all forward.

Success is a journey towards a greater goal; a courageous hike on a path replete with many challenges and failures.

From Pain To Gain: Ten Lessons Learned

Lesson One: Leadership is about thought and action; it is also about nurturing the greatness in others. We can all learn to lead forward in different ways, those who lead in a BIG way will be guided by a vision, a purpose and a commitment that is larger than themselves and speaks to the values/spiritual quotient that can guide us forward individually and collectively.

Lesson Two: Those who abuse power, position to get ahead or dominate others may win in the short term, but their playbook will never give them the sense of fulfillment they truly desire.After our survival needs are met, we all seek to be loved. Love is what drive us all. We crave it, we need it, and those who abuse power will never truly find it.

Lesson Three: Success is a me to we equation. Life, business and success are all human equations that rely upon the strength and integrity of the relationships we build and nurture. The global village that Marshall McCluhan spoke of in the 1970′s is now a reality, the social, digital and virtual landscape of our lives, our business and organizations is based on the relationships be develop. Success is a me to we equation.

Lesson Four: The best business idea is impotent without the business strategy, financial capital, human capital to transform what is into what can be. Building a business, an organization, a professional practice requires not only courage and tenacity but the knowledge, collaboration and focus that are the building blocks of success.

Lesson Five: If you want to be a change-maker expect to be tested and challenged at every corner. Every step of the journey will be challenged by those who see you as a threat to the status quo. You will be unable to lead forward, to move forward without building a community of purpose, a constituency of those who share your values and objectives and will support your journey against the flow of what is.

Lesson Six: Bad things, terrible things, totally unfair things happen to good people; (great interview with a survivor and thriver, Resiliency Expert, Michael Ballard). It is our spiritual quotient, our belief in a greater power, a bigger picture and purpose we cannot see or understand that can take us through the most difficult of times. If you are a survivor, you must become a thriver. Those who thrive in the face of terrible adversity, illness, life/career challenges are those whose are purpose and values centered. Their values and purpose are a pilot light that keeps their hope, faith and courage shining brightly in the darkest night.

Lesson Seven: Hope must spring eternal, because without it we are lost. When we lose hope we lose our power to make a difference, be a difference and to contribute to a better life, better organization and a better world. Keeping hope alive does not mean wearing rosy colored glasses, it means cleaving to the values, the spiritual quotient, the heartbeat of human innovation and potential that glows and grows from within.

Lesson Eight: Purpose makes profit; what does not create value for ALL constituents will ultimately crash and burn. The secret to success is simple and timeless; create value for others; the imperative to do so has never been greater. Organizations who survive and thrive will be communities of purpose who align vision, values, purpose with the engagement of human potential. Our ability to communicate, collaborate and build solutions that take us forward is a group activity. The members of your group, your team, your community of purpose must be shareholders in the values and objectives that transform me into we!

Lesson Nine: Adaptability-Resiliency-Creativity-Ingenuity rooted in courage, integrity, humanity are the strengths and values that will take us forward individually and collectively. We must embrace change while guarding the values that are the anchor for a better present and future. The words we use, the thoughts we think impact our potential, optimizing our ability means embracing change and using it to build the adaptability, resiliency, creativity and ingenuity that turns problems into solutions.

Lesson Ten: Perspective is everything. What you focus on grows; your perspective is your reality. Developing a perspective and honing the skills that can help us optimize strengths AND use changes, challenges, stressors, even failures to build IQ (intelligence, strategic thought, ability to learn-relearn faster) EQ (self awareness, awareness of others, resiliency, social/communication skills) SQ (values, integrity, purpose, leadership strengths-spiritual quotient) is CRITICAL.

More? You Betcha! The need to get re-inspired by what we CAN do is critical! AND….a new course From Pain To Gain-Ten 21st Leadership Lessons is on its way. Contact us to learn more. Enrollment is limited! irene@justcoachit.com

Source link: http://justcoachit.com/blog/2013/09/07/from-pain-to-gain-ten-leadership-lessons-learned/ Subscribe and Access via iTunes - Subscribe to Podchats on iTunes

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Got Intuition?

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Mon, 4 Jan 2016 09:42:00 -0500

Mike Lehr: Intuition in the Workplace
I'm excited to launch my 2016 Talent Talk - Thought Leaders 3.0 podchat series with my first interviewee Mike Lehr who was my original first! And I am thrilled we are taking on the topic of intuition. It's a perfect complement to the work I do surrounding creative, critical and innovative thinking.

I suggest you take the time to contemplate and learn about your own intuition, particularly the role it plays in decision-making, inspiration and creative thinking. Harnessing it will expand your effectiveness! Use my interview with Mike to be the jumpstart.

Additionally Mike has provided a white paper on the topic. Also, check out other complementary information on his site as well as my first podchat with him - What Box Do You Want To Be In?

LISTEN NOW:

Trouble loading? Download with this link: http://jrccoach.byoaudio.com/files/media/jrccoach-20160103193234-3258.mp3

White paper link: http://omegazadvisors.com/intuition-definition/

Helping you be a great steward of your talent!

To a fabulous 2016!
JoAnn Corley

Here is all of Mike's Info:

Mike Lehr

President

Omega Z Advisors, LLC

Business Change Management

Navigating Internal Cultures & Politics

Influencing & Problem Solving

(330) 777-0094

www.omegazadvisors.com

Facebook: Omega Z Advisors, LLC

A reminder: This podchat is also on iTunes and the app The 1% Edge Portable Coach

Check out: If you want to learn more about our work with creativity or order the book Brain on Fire - click here.

A Podchat With Workplace Bullying Expert Suzi Benoit

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 09:22:00 -0400

Update: It's 2018. Suzi and I are now part of a strategic partnership that works with business owners, leaders and HR professionals addressing issues surrounding harassment, sexual and otherwise. Our mission is to help companies create positive, healthy cultures that can consistently thrive. We recently did a webcast on sexual harassment that you may want to check out as well. Click here

In the meantime - this an interesting and revealing podcast.

Below you'll find her site link. She has some good very helpful information on her blog! The podchat is an expanded discussion of this post. Please pass on -- a must listen for all HR professionals, managers and employees in this precarious situation!

Download here

6 Reason Employees Don’t Disclose Workplace Abuse

I recently saw an article called 7 Reasons Children Don’t Disclose Abuse” by Ginger Kadlec (you can follow her @gingerkadlec). In the world of mental health and child protection, this article provides an easy-to-understand summary – a neat list of the forces of silence. Those of us who have worked with abused children know these things instinctually. We know why kidnapped children don’t run away. Perhaps this is how I understand the dynamic of workplace abuse so well.

I’m not saying that workplace abuse is as bad as child abuse. Children are much more vulnerable and in need of our protection. Adults are in a better position to know when something just isn’t right. However, the power dynamics are similar and when the bully is successful, it is because he or she has used these familiar tactics. The same issues are at play and at the center is fear. This fear doesn’t have to have a rational basis for us observers but it has great power over the employee victim. It is the reason employees endure workplace abuse and intimidation for years without approach management with a complaint. Instead of worry about their family’s safety as child victims do, it’s the desperate need for employment and the thought of job loss that keeps many abused employees at work. Here are my counterpart reasons, paralleling the original article noted above.

1. “Keep this a secret.”

There are workplaces where truly evil things go on and about which leadership has no idea. Sure there are clues like turnover, employee absenteeism, etc. But workplace bullies are often skilled at making employees feel as though management agrees with them and sanctions their tactics. Fear of straight-forward confrontation with this manipulative individual keeps employees silent. In addition, sometimes bullies draw coworkers into their confidence and offer full membership into the “power group” cultivating the idea that the bully is right and representing a safe haven from isolation. There have been times when I describe what has gone on in a workplace and senior leadership stares back at me, mouths open, incredulous.

2. Threats and fear

Employees learn very quickly who’s in charge, who calls the shots. An example is when an employee questions the bully and gets punished with rumors, defamation and marginalization. Everyone sees what happens, how the victim of retaliation suffers. No one wants that to happen to them. Most people want to be liked at work. We want to be a part of the group not sit alone at the lunch table. When you add the need for employment and fear of losing one’s livelihood it creates the perfect opportunity for emotional blackmail.

3. Love

Ms. Kadlec notes that children are often abused by persons they love on another level. Perhaps it’s someone they look up to. In a work situation I see employees who love the company and basically love the content of their jobs. They don’t want anything really bad to happen to the company. With this mindset, they have difficulty take a posture they see as “against” the company. Employees wrestle with the question: “Doesn’t management understand we’re suffering? on the one hand and: “This bully must be doing something right for management to keep them on.”

4. “No one will believe you”

This one is easy. Employees know that this bully has been behaving this way for many years. They know that no one has been able to get them fired. In the worse case, they have seen the bully dispatch complainers swiftly and with little strain. The dynamic of emotional manipulation sets up punishment of coworkers that the bully sees as unfriendly to their view. Employees wonder, “If all those people weren’t successful in stopping the abuse and intimidation, why would anyone believe me?”

5. “It’s all YOUR fault”

You would be surprised at how long employees sit with feelings that it’s them, that if they could only say the right thing in the right way, the bully would see the light. When companies bring me in to help with long-standing workplace bullying, I speak with employees who have endured terrible treatment. Even after the bully is gone, they still have residual feelings that there was something they could have done. Bullies are so good at manipulating others to feel responsible for keeping them happy and comfortable. This codependent relationship is well understood in clinical and substance abuse counseling practice and it surely applies here.

6. Grooming

Finally, bullies select their victims carefully. They cultivate power-over relationships with those whom they can successfully manipulate. These might be new staff or employees who are fundamentally shy or insecure. These folks are more likely to bend to ideas that the bully is well-connected in the office and much more powerful. Bullies, like abusers, have two ways to deal with coworkers perceived to be more powerful. They can cultivate positive relationships with senior management or they can undercut powerful coworkers with rumors and promoting them as bad or mean. Peremptory strikes are an extremely successful technique for getting rid of those who might otherwise have the power to hold the bully accountable. The same way that domestic abusers don’t hit their boss, the workplace bully reserves their really abusive treatment for coworkers they perceive as no particular threat to them.

I would love to hear from you about your workplace experience with these dynamics.

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Is It Time To Shut Down Your Job Postings? - Zappos Did!

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 16:07:00 -0400

Note: Though this interview was done a year ago...it's still an interesting peek into the world of Zappos.

Learn more about it - listen to my podchat with Zappos recruiter, Rockne Henriques.

@Rockne808

If you are a HR professional of any kind, you may have heard the recent news that Zappos is continuing to set the pace in demonstrating creative practices in cultivating a "human" centric culture (and for some of us set the pace means stretching our sensibilities in creating and running a company). This time it's in the area of recruiting.

According to the Wall Street Journal, they have "zapped" their job board and launched a new way of seeking out and attracting talent with a social recruiting strategy. Here is the link to the full article:

Zappos Zaps Its Job Postings

Online Shoe Retailer Creates Social-Media Network to Evaluate Potential Hires

It just so happened that I'd already had in my interview pipeline for my Thought Leader 3.0 Podchat series one of Zappos' recruiters and was so excited about the timing of the article and the opportunity to talk with a "Zappos Insider" (that's what they call potential candidates who join the social community to learn more about the Zappos way).

The interview was a fascinating insight into Zappos' practices surrounding:

job descriptions
performance management
using pre-hire assessments (funny reaction to that question)
raises
culture
and the new (what I call) social hiring initiative and strategy

Rockne was great to interview and even during our interview there were tours and noise in the background -- all real time and authentic. You can hear his passion for the Zappos' way and his story is a testament to the culture and business philosophy of long time CEO, Tony Hsieh. (By the way, if you've not read Tony's book Delivering Happiness - it's a must read. It's the inspiring story of Zappos and his personal journey as a business owner and leader).

Thanks Rocknee for a really fun time! Feel free to show Rocknee some love - @Rockne808

Learn more detail for Michael Bailin, Sr. HR Mgr.: http://www.ere.net/2014/05/22/what-no-job-postings/

Your Power Point - And I Don't Mean the Slides

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 14:47:00 -0400

Focus: Professional Success, Management Success

Audio duration: 4 mins. 4 secs.
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YOUR POWER POINT
Transcript - print now

Wc: 532

Welcome to the audio lesson Your PowerPoint. That’s right, did you know that you have a PowerPoint! And I’m not talking about a slide. What I am talking about is how you live your life.

Day in and day out, believe it or not, we have power points. Here’s what I mean. If you have a sheet of paper in front of you, I’d like for you to write out this equation: E=R=O. If you don’t have a sheet of paper, just write it out in your mind. Again, E=R=O.

Here’s what they stand for: E is the event, R is our response or reaction to the event, and O is the outcome that is a result of our response or reaction to the event, E=R=O. You know, that’s a formula for how we live our life.

Life happens, stuff happens. And consciously or unconsciously, we are responding and reacting, on a regular basis, to things that go on around us. And they result in outcomes. Some of those outcomes we like and some of those outcomes we don’t like. That formula is so important to be conscious of because if you want to have different outcomes, you’ll have to consciously determine different responses and reactions to various events.

What’s also interesting, those people who are empowered, those people who are very effective are more conscious and more purposeful in choosing their reactions and their responses because they are taking responsibility for the outcomes. Those who are less mature, those who have a victim mentality, you will find will typically blame the event for the outcome versus taking ownership for their response and reaction to the outcome.

Here’s an example. I recently heard a story about a manager in a staff meeting. The staff meeting was designed to get input and ideas for how to make a good year even great. As the staff members began to share feedback about how the year had gone, the manager began to take a lot of the feedback personally and became very, very defensive to the point where it was embarrassing.

Now you can only imagine what the outcome of that particular experience was. She responded so negatively and so defensively to the feedback that was given by some of her staff members that she, in fact, alienated the staff. And the very thing she wanted from them, ideas and feedback, were the very things she wasn’t going to get any more because she had set the stage for not having a safety net and people being able to give feedback and ideas.

That sometimes is what happens to us. We react in ways that we get outcomes that we really don’t want. In order for that not to happen, we’ve got to take one hundred percent responsibility for our reactions and our responses so that we get the outcomes that we want and stop blaming the events. That is critical to personal power and personal effectiveness.

Remember, your power point in that equation is your response or reaction to the event. You know events, in most cases, we can’t control. What we have one hundred percent, absolute control over is our reactions and responses. That’s your PowerPoint.

The content of this post is related to a very popular topic in the workplace today and that is Emotional Intelligence. You haven't had an EQ seminar brought to your organization -- you should -- learn more here!

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Happiness - A Human Resource

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 15:05:00 -0400

Pic Source

This podchat is in reference to a post and book discussion on my corresponding blog: Blog post: Promoting Happiness for Holistic Talent Management

It's an interview with the author of Seven Secrets to Enlightened Happiness! Living the Life You Were Meant to Live, Alan Allard. I recommend you view the post, buy the book and listen to the Podchat.

The Podchat discusses happiness from the view of it's value in the workplace through the lens of employee engagement, retention and company profitability. It's a suggested seminar-workshop or webinar that should be brought to an organization or offered at a conference.

You can listen here:

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Enjoy!
To contact alan - alan@alanallard.com

Alan Allard - Enlightened Leadership

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 16:22:00 -0400

Enlightened Leadership

Published on August 24, 2013 by Alan Allard

Host comments: Podchat based on this theme and post -- it's really good! Duration: 30 mins 48 sec.

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A few weeks back I spent a couple of days with a senior leader who wanted to develop his "leadership intelligence." He has produced outstanding results in many ways and he has superb "technical skills," but his people skills were suffering. As a result, his relationships were suffering as well. Great leaders produce great results in one or more dimensions, but enlightened leaders produce great results in the human dimension as well.

There is no doubt that both Nelson Mandela and Steve Jobs were brilliant. But not equally brilliant--because they didn't seem to have equal values when it came to people. One seemed to love and value people and the other seemed to love and value technology. Their values showed up in how they interacted with and treated those around them. Jobs changed the world in the technology sphere and Mandela changed the world in the human sphere.

An enlightened leader knows that the human dimension is the foundation for everything else. An enlightened leader is someone who values the people he or she leads and shows it by how they communicate and interact with everyone, not just some. When someone is around an enlightened leader, they go away feeling better about themselves in every way--even when the leader has to help them see something difficult about their "performance" in some area.

An enlightened leader doesn't diminish the dignity and self-esteem of those they lead. Enlightened leaders are tough minded but they are also tender-hearted. An un-enlightened leader likely doesn't even like the term "tender-hearted." An enlightened leader might never use that term, but they are known and loved because they embody it.

Enlightened leaders have followers because they inspire individuals and groups. Leaders can get results when they intimidate others, they just can't get the best results--they can't get inspired results. Enlightened leaders know how to connect with, inspire and bring out the best in others.

That's the genius of enlightened leadership and that's the magnetism of an enlightened leader. They not only see the best in those around them, they draw it out and delight in it. Even with those that are (unfortunately) sometimes referred to as "difficult" people.

Enlightened leaders are not the norm; they are the exception. But when we find them, we love them and will follow them anywhere--because of how we feel about ourselves when we are around them.

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What Box Do You Want To Be In?

joann@manageglobal.solutions (JoAnn Corley) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 14:13:00 -0400

Welcome to the inaugural launch of Podchats - a fun, casual, yet informative conversation with thought leaders in the arena of Human Resources, management, and leadership that are 30 minutes or less.

This site was formerly known as Management-in-Minutes and several of those mini-audio lessons are still included in the subscription stream. However, going forward the stream will be devoted to Podchats.

This podchat was prompted by Mike's post provided below. It caught my attention because in my workshops I talk a lot about learning to read people and how that needs to be a professional competency. Mike has a unique view on reading people and so I invite you to view his website.

That's how we started our discussion and then took an interesting segway into intuition. The link to his site is listed below. It's jam packed with lots of in-depth content. For now - enjoy the Podchat. -JoAnn

The Podchat: You can listen here or subscribe via email or iTunes - see information to the right. Listen here: Duration-30mins.

“Which Box Do You Want to be In?”

Word choice is a function of personality. Yes, circumstances like jobs might require specific words but much room remains to choose other words. Sometimes, a single expression can give us all the insight we need.

For example, while with a previous employer, I helped a call center with customer service strategies and techniques over the phone. The center was transitioning between managing executives. When the new executive arrived, she heard about my help’s success. She wanted to meet and discuss me joining her team. After laying out her vision, she showed me a chart expressing the new functional detail for each job. Each job was shown as a box.

At the end of her review, she closed by pointing to the chart and asking, “So Mike, what I really want to know is which box do you want to be in?” To see the significance of this insight into her personality, it would help to contrast it with other possibilities:

“. . . which box do you want to be in?”
“. . . what kind of contribution would you like to make?”
“. . . how would you like to help me?”
“. . . where do you think your talents might work best?”
“. . . where does your interest lie?”

What happened in this executive’s case is that her feelings about her reorganization plan produced certain emotions. They caused her intuition to influence her cognition in a manner that caused her to express people as mere fillers of boxes. We can see the emotional differences between her question and these other variants. Emotions illuminate personalities.

In the end, as you probably suspected, I did not join her team. She left the company after only being there thirteen months.

See more at: http://blog.omegazadvisors.com/2010/07/29/personality-assessment-which-box-do-you-want-to-be-in/#sthash.fX9g7pIA.YeYXly4J.dpuf | @mikelehroza Twitter: @joanncorley | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn Named to Top 100 Most Social HR Experts on Twitter - Huffington Post