Michael Lee Stallard

NOVEMBER 3, 2014

'Great leaders know that task excellence alone is not sufficient to achieve sustainable superior performance. They also know that relationship excellence alone is not sufficient in the end. Instead, truly great leaders realize the vital importance of both elements. The dual focus of task and relationship excellence can be difficult for many leaders to grasp.

Short-term 356

Short-term Long-term Objective Goal 356

Michael Lee Stallard

JANUARY 22, 2014

'The remarkable turnaround of Ford led by Alan Mulally — without U.S. government financial aid — provides an outstanding example of how to gain competitive advantage through organizational culture. When Mulally arrived at Ford in 2006, the automaker’s culture could be described as silo rivalries with leaders embroiled in turf wars. This culture drove Ford to the verge of bankruptcy.

BPR 352

BPR Competitive Advantage Metrics Consensus 352

Michael Lee Stallard

MARCH 16, 2014

'Pixar Headquarters, Photo Credit Pixar Animation Studios. #24 Consider the Effect of Physical Space on Connection – When Ed Catmull, CEO of Pixar Animation, and Steve Jobs, Pixar’s primary owner at the time, designed Pixar’s new headquarters, they created a large centralized space that included the company’s entrance and visitor reception area, meeting rooms, company cafeteria, employee mail slots and restrooms.

CEO 345

CEO Company 345

Michael Lee Stallard

JULY 13, 2014

'Why does employee engagement matter? Check out this handy infographic for key reasons why every organization should care about this important topic. Feel free to share with your leadership team! The post Why Employee Engagement Matters: An Infographic appeared first on Michael Lee Stallard.

Team 342

Team Organization Leadership 342

Michael Lee Stallard

JUNE 1, 2014

'While working at Morgan Stanley in New York City, I met and discovered the writings of several thoughtful market analysts. Among my favorites was Byron Wien, who is now a vice chairman at Blackstone. In “ 20 Lessons Learned ,” Byron includes quite a few lessons that are relevant to connection and Connection Culture. . Byron Wien’s 20 Lessons Learned. 1.

Committee 341

Committee Career Travel Learning-by-Doing 341

Michael Lee Stallard

FEBRUARY 5, 2014

'In most communities, January through April is the time of year when the girls in green are out in full force selling Girl Scout cookies. Can you imagine a world without Thin Mints ® , Tagalongs ® and Do-si-dos ® ? Sadly, they were once at risk. There was a time in the mid-1970s when the Girl Scouts were struggling and their future looked uncertain.

CEO 342

CEO Drucker Leadership Styles Advice 342

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 31, 2014

'#48 Arrange for Peer Mentoring – A great way leaders can serve their direct reports is by making peer mentors available for those who want to improve in a specific area of competence or character. Select a mentor who is strong in the given area, and make the introduction. The mentor does not necessarily have to be someone at a higher level in the company, but should be someone knowledgeable about the area and willing to help others grow.

Mentor 339

Mentor Report Servant Leader Advice 339

Michael Lee Stallard

JULY 6, 2014

'#40 Ask, Don’t Order – When you want someone to do something, ask him/her, don’t order him/her to do it. Asking creates partnership while ordering reinforces hierarchy. Partnerships connect people to the process whereas emphasizing hierarchy by ordering them is disconnecting. By taking this approach, people are far more likely to trust you when you do need to issue orders in emergency situations.

Advice 331

Advice Leadership Tips Process 331

Michael Lee Stallard

DECEMBER 7, 2014

'#62 Provide Autonomy in Goal-Setting. As much as possible, let your direct reports establish their Top Five annual goals after communicating that their goals need to align with your Top Five. Talk through the goals with each employee to find SHARED goals that will advance your organization’s and the individual employee’s interests. It may not be possible to find a perfect set of goals that meet the interests of all so make the effort to find the best possible set of goals and you will be reward

Goal 329

Goal Advice Report Energy 329

Michael Lee Stallard

OCTOBER 24, 2014

'By Michael Lee Stallard and Colton Perry. As seen on SmartBlog on Leadership. . A 49-year-old father of two hits his alarm clock at 6:30 a.m., starts a pot of coffee and prepares for his daily commute. For the past three years, Bill Lewis has worked for a large company based in the heart of New York City; even though his home in Texas is nearly 2,000 miles from the office, Bill’s daily commute only takes him a few steps.

How To 327

How To Micromanagement Trends Workshop 327

Michael Lee Stallard

APRIL 19, 2014

'Jeremy Kingsley, author of the book Inspired People Produce Results: How Great Leaders Use Passion, Purpose and Principles to Unlock Incredible Growth , has some important insights into the power of connection. . I really appreciated how the country (and others around the world) paused on Tuesday, April 15, to commemorate the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Power 325

Power Follow-up Books Succession 325

Michael Lee Stallard

APRIL 13, 2014

'#28 Greet People First Thing in the Morning – When you first arrive at work, take the time to say hello to the people with whom you come in contact. One friend of ours said that as a young retail store manager, his district manager told him that some of the store employees complained about not receiving a personal greeting in the morning. The young manager didn’t intend to be rude; he was simply focused on the day’s tasks as soon as he walked in the door.

Retail 324

Retail Management 324

Michael Lee Stallard

JANUARY 14, 2014

'At the beginning of each year, I take time to step away from day-to-day activities and assess the big picture. In other words, I reflect on where I want to go over the next 5-7 years, the progress I’ve made over the prior year and what I would like to prioritize in the year ahead. Peter Drucker’s writings have always stimulated my thoughts during times of reflection and strategic thinking.

Resources 324

Resources Planning Drucker Review 324

Michael Lee Stallard

JANUARY 7, 2014

'Katie Stallard with daughters Elizabeth (left) and Sarah (right). Ten years ago today, my wife’s surgeon told me she had advanced ovarian cancer. Today Katie is cancer free and flourishing in every way. The experience of spending more time with my family and friends during that season of supporting Katie while she underwent treatment opened my eyes to the power of connection.

Personal Power 321

Personal Power Power 321

Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

'#51 Employ “Flash Mentoring” – One way to match mentors and mentees is to ask them to commit to meet just once to see if both parties “click” (or “connect,” if you will) and if the mentor believes he/she has the knowledge/expertise and sufficient time available to meet the mentee’s needs and expectations. If both parties agree to continue, they should agree to a set number of additional meetings rather than leave the term open-ended.

Mentor 316

Mentor Training Commitment Development 316

Michael Lee Stallard

MARCH 23, 2014

'#25 Connect, Encourage and Coach - Organizations with supervisors who connect with, encourage and coach the people they lead often perform better that those who don’t. Southwest Airlines discovered that when they reduced the front line supervisor to front line employee ratio so the supervisors could connect, encourage and coach these employees, front line employees performed better.

Airlines 316

Airlines Mentor Tips Organization 316

Michael Lee Stallard

AUGUST 17, 2014

'#46 Hold Individual Knowledge Flow Sessions – Begin by making a list of the people you must interact with in order to perform your work well. Similar to Group Knowledge Flow Sessions, in meeting with individuals, share your Vision for what relevant actions need to be taken in your work with them, who you see as responsible for each action, and when it needs to be completed; ask them to tell you “what’s right, what’s wrong and what’s missing” from your thinking; and consider their ideas and opin

Advice 312

Advice Management Leadership 312

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 25, 2014

'#34 Recruit Best Friends – According to Gallup Research, 30 percent of employees have a best friend at work and they are seven times as likely to be engaged, they are better at engaging customers, they produce higher quality work and they have higher well-being. People who don’t have a best friend at work have just a 1/12 chance of feeling connected and being engaged.

Human Resources 312

Human Resources Resources Quality Organization 312

Michael Lee Stallard

JUNE 22, 2014

'#38 Make Lunch and Break Connections – In many workplace cultures today, taking lunch away from your desk may brand you as a slacker. It’s too bad this is the case since taking time to connect with someone who energizes you is a great way to boost your personal productivity by refreshing and re-energizing your brain. Try it this week. This is the thirty-eighth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.

Advice 307

Advice Tips Brand Productivity 307

Michael Lee Stallard

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

'#58 Share Your Stories, Be Open to Connect and Build Trust – The deepest connections are formed when you are appropriately open by communicating who you really are, what you really believe and your struggles in life. When it will help another person and it’s appropriate, consider sharing what you’ve learned from past mistakes. This openness communicates humility and promotes connection and trust.

Advice 304

Advice How To 304

Michael Lee Stallard

NOVEMBER 6, 2014

'Click here to view the embedded video. Enthusiasm and energy will be on full display this Saturday as the #6 TCU Horned Frogs football team host the #7 Kansas State Wildcats at 6:30 pm EDT on Fox. During halftime, TCU will celebrate the 10th anniversary of “Frogs for the Cure” which began in 2005 when TCU athletics partnered with Susan G. Komen Greater Fort Worth to sponsor the first ever pink-out halftime presentation at a university football game.

Video 304

Video Self-aware Team Building Energy 304

Michael Lee Stallard

JUNE 1, 2014

'#35 Respect Other People’s Time – When you interrupt someone while he/she is otherwise engaged, show that you respect his/her time by saying “Sorry to interrupt you. Is this a good time to talk?”. Another way to respect other people’s time is not to linger. If the other person is not very responsive, it may be a sign that he/she is busy and is eager to get back to work.

Tips 304

Tips 304

Michael Lee Stallard

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

'#19 Reflect Upon, Write Out and Communicate Your Core Values – Take time alone to reflect on the values you believe in and want to live out in your life. For inspiration, read Starbucks’ CEO Howard Schultz’s excellent book Pour Your Heart Into It and read the Montpelier Command Philosophy in Fired Up or Burned Out. Write out your core values in a manner that is similar to the Montpelier Command Philosophy, i.e name the value, explain what it means and why you believe it’s important.

Tips 303

Tips Report CEO Team 303

Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

'#50 Create a Blog to Celebrate Your Culture – Create a blog or intranet site where colleagues can post positive examples of people who live out the core values of your organization. This provides employee recognition, encourages everyone to bring the values to life, and spreads positive examples and practices. For example, see the “Nuts About Southwest” blog at www.blogsouthwest.com.

Blog 300

Blog Examples Positioning Company 300

Michael Lee Stallard

DECEMBER 14, 2014

'#63 Celebrate High Five Moments. In Fired Up or Burned Out , we wrote about Cranium, the games company, and how it is intentional about designing games so that people will experience “high five moments.” One form of physical touch that can be appropriate in the workplace (depending upon the context) is to give someone a “hive five” or “fist bump” when they perform well.

Sports 297

Sports Information Team Company 297

Michael Lee Stallard

NOVEMBER 1, 2014

'#57 Affirm Your Colleagues – When you become aware of something a colleague did well, encourage him/her by saying so in person or sending a note or email. A handwritten note can be especially meaningful given the rarity of receiving such notes in the age of instant communication. Remember that some people like being recognized publicly while others prefer private praise.

297

297

Michael Lee Stallard

JULY 30, 2014

'Connection has a powerful impact on our health and well being. Check out this infographic for a helpful summary. The post The Physiological Effects of Connection: An Infographic appeared first on Michael Lee Stallard.

Stress 297

Stress Power 297

Michael Lee Stallard

OCTOBER 26, 2014

'#56 Know Your Team’s Strengths and Vulnerabilities – Have your direct reports take tests that identify their individual temperaments and strengths (e.g. Myers Briggs Personality Type, Gallup StrengthsFinder, VIA Inventory of Strengths, etc.). In E Pluribus Partners’ work with teams, we often have team members take several tests and share the results with their teammates.

Team 296

Team Advice Report Management 296

Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

'As seen on SmartBlog on Leadership. Happiness is good, right? Researchers led by Stephen Cole at U.C.L.A recently made a stunning discovery. They studied the gene expression profiles of people who experienced happiness from seeking pleasure and those who experienced happiness from seeking meaningful purpose in life. While both pleasure and purpose seekers reported experiencing happiness at a conscious level, the gene expression profiles of the two groups’ told a different story.

Short-term 296

Short-term Retail Video Energy 296

Michael Lee Stallard

JUNE 15, 2014

'#37 Safeguard Relational Connections – Don’t nuke people who disagree with you. If you disagree with someone, say so but do it in a respectful manner. You might even begin your response with “I may be wrong but is it possible that…?” or “It’s just one person’s opinion, and I may be wrong, but I wonder if it could be that….” If you offended or hurt someone’s feelings, apologize.

Management 296

Management Leadership 296

Michael Lee Stallard

MAY 11, 2014

'#32 Hire, Develop and Promote for Both Competence and Character that Connects – Most managers hire for competence but are not anywhere near as intentional about probing to understand a job applicant’s character. Take time to identify your core values as a leader then ask questions that explore those values as you interview applicants. For example, ask questions such as “In your past jobs, what work environments and types of work brought out the best in you?

Environment 296

Environment Review Examples Development 296

Michael Lee Stallard

JULY 8, 2014

'As seen on SmartBlog on Leadership. What separates the best leaders from the rest when it comes to employee engagement? Our research shows the best leaders communicate an inspiring vision and live it, value people and give them a voice. Here are seven of the 100+ best practices that leaders can use to engage people. 1. Set “Top Five” High Level Annual Priorities – Many leaders today are overwhelming the people they lead by trying to do too much.

Advice 295

Advice Construction Report Guidelines 295

Michael Lee Stallard

JANUARY 19, 2014

'#16 Develop a Vision That Serves a Cause Greater Than Self – Leaders who view themselves as serving a cause greater than self connect with people who share their desire to serve that particular cause. A shared cause connects people to one another by bringing greater beauty, goodness and/or truth to the world, and, by doing so, helps people. Here are two examples.

Globalization 291

Globalization Productivity Products Marketing 291

Michael Lee Stallard

JULY 1, 2014

'As seen on SmartBlog on Leadership. Is your boss or a co-worker increasingly irritable, angry, withdrawn or acting in a predatory manner? Or are you noticing that behavior in yourself? With rising demands in today’s workplace, emotional and behavioral disorders have soared. In Untangling the Mind: Why We Behave the Way We Do , Ted George, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at George Washington School of Medicine and neuroscientist at the National Institutes of Health, helps us understand

Long-term 290

Long-term Open-book Article Review 290

Michael Lee Stallard

JUNE 8, 2014

'#36 Hold “Skip Level” Meetings – Hold “skip level” meetings where you meet with the people who report to one of your direct reports. In the skip level meeting, the leader should encourage attendees to share their ideas and opinions about how to improve the business. This is the thirty-sixth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others.

Advice 290

Advice Report Management Leadership 290

Michael Lee Stallard

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

'Where were you when you first heard the news of an airliner striking World Trade Tower One on the morning of September 11, 2001? I was in my office near Times Square in Manhattan. At first I assumed it was an accident. Then came the unbelievable news that a second plane had hit Tower Two. That night I hardly slept, concerned about the fate of people I knew who worked at the World Trade Center.

Airlines 288

Airlines Resistance Organization 288

Michael Lee Stallard

NOVEMBER 16, 2014

'#59 Create a Culture Office to Promote Connection – Research has shown that connection begins to breakdown when the number of individuals in an organization exceeds 150. Establishing a culture office or center that reports to the CEO and promotes connection is a best practice. For example, Southwest Airlines has a Culture Office that reports to the CEO.

Airlines 286

Airlines Committee CEO Report 286