Recruiting the right employees and onboarding them so they stay are two of the biggest challenges organizations face today.  This is especially true as Great Resignation shows no sign of slowing down. Something’s gotta give and we think it’s on the organization to step up and lead the way. 

So, what do we mean by the “right” employee? It means they need to be able to check the following boxes. 

• They are a good fit for your company culture  
• They are aligned with your company values & mission  

• They are willing to do what it takes to be part of a high performing team 

All are important considerations as you bring new people into the fold. 

The hiring process is a tricky one, though, because sometimes the best candidate may not be the right candidate. And sometimes the interviewer just makes the wrong choice. Maybe they allowed the resume and hard skills to sell them, or they got caught up in the story the interviewee told. Whatever the case, some candidates make it past the gate, only to crash and burn a few months later. This wastes time and money. Instead, organizations should be putting together a recruiting and onboarding plan to find the right people for the job and keep them. At Brilliant People, we believe there are some key steps to getting this piece right. You want new hires that are in it to win it for the long haul. 

Need a Culture Evolution? 

You might be in an organization who is doing alright, but there might be a few areas where it could improve. If so, an “evolution” is all it needs. Or you might work in an organization that needs a full culture “revolution.” If that’s the case, the job at hand may be a little more daunting but can be accomplished, nonetheless.  

Start by taking an honest look at where your company stands on the evolution/revolution meter. Asking these questions is a great place to start. 

• Is this an organization who builds trust with their employees, makes sure everyone feels a sense of belonging, has excellent communication standards, as well as transparency?   
• What type of culture do you want to build?  

You’ve probably heard the saying ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’, and it’s true! Poor workplace culture is a breeding ground for gossip, discontent, conflict, disengagement, and voluntary attrition.  In fact, 86% of job seekers avoid companies with a bad reputation.  New hires who realize after the fact that the culture is bad, will leave. These early exits cost companies 6-9 months of the person’s salary. How many times can your company afford to make the wrong choice? 
 

Don’t Believe the Hype 

Let’s be honest. We’ve all likely experienced an embellished resume, whether our own, or someone we were considering for a position. The reality is that you must learn to look beyond the resume. It rarely tells the whole story.  

There are very easy ways to get the information you need by just taking the time in the interview to find out what makes the candidate tick. Finding out what motivates them, what their priorities are, whether they have hobbies, or a family or even play sports can help you determine whether they’re competitive, perfectionistic, collaborative, helpful, empathetic, etc.  Then take the time to ask about career goals and how they envision this particular job helping them meet those goals. When you allow someone to share about themselves, you’ll see a different side than how people typically show at work, and this is a good thing. These kinds of conversations allow for an opportunity to open up, be real and shift from selling mode to connecting mode. And if the candidate seems too good to be true, they probably are.  

Looking Through a Different Lens 

Diversity in the workplace is important but we aren’t just talking about differences in age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or education levels. It’s also crucial to have diversity of personalities to build high performance teams.  

But of course, people differences trigger people problems. Where personality is concerned, the different personality types view the world and approach it differently. So, looking for team additions that fill a gap is essential. Rather than seeing it as a chore to onboard this person and get them up to speed, look at it as an opportunity to view the world through their lens. You just might find innovation and creativity.   

Make or Break the New Hire Experience 

Having a solid onboarding program is key to a new hire’s success.  Research has shown that the retention rate of new employees can be increased by as much as 40% with a solid onboarding program. They’ve also shown that having a proper system in place allows for a smoother process as new hires ramp up in their role, rather than expecting them to successfully hit the ground running. This almost never happens so here are a few things you can implement to make the onboarding process work for both the new hire and the hiring manager. A robust onboarding program should include a lot more than these ideas but hopefully this gets you thinking about ways to support your newest additions to the team.  

• Create an onboarding checklist that allows both the manager and new employee to track progress 

• Designate a timeframe for mile markers: Create a 30-, 60- or 90-day plan that gives the new hire the time needed to get through the various items on the list and gives management the time needed to evaluate their efforts and guide them if they falter 
• Assign a mentor, possibly even from a cross functional team. This will create an opportunity for the new hire to meet someone in the company they may not have a chance to get to know otherwise. It will also give them access to someone they can go to when feeling stuck or in need of a little guidance that doesn’t warrant going to “the boss.” The mentor can also help chart out developmental goals they can focus on in their first few months at the company. 

An additional thought for implementing an onboarding system is to give your new hire a voice. As we’ve said before, when you allow employees to weigh in on a process or decision, you’ll more often than not get their buy in, so check in at certain points along the way to see how it’s going for them. They may be able to give some insight that helps you tweak the process which might help to make the process and the person more successful. Afterall, the goal is to create an environment in which your new hire will want to stay and being thoughtful about the path may just be the right move in ensuring you’re hiring the right folks and folding them into your organization in the best way possible. 

Map That Plan! 

Mapping a plan for recruiting the right folks and getting them set up for success once they’ve been hired can take some time, but it’ll be worth the effort. Understanding who you are as an organization and what you want the culture to be like is the first step that will lay the groundwork for attracting the “right” people.  

As you go through this process, it should become clear whether your company could benefit from a culture evolution, or a full-on revolution. Either way, this focus will take your organization to the next level, ensuring that when you find the right people, they’ll be more likely to stay. 

Don’t be afraid to get real during the interview process. Yes, it might take more time and energy to really get to know each candidate, but the effort will help you read between the lines and not get lost in the story you’re seeing and/or hearing via their resume or an interview. True colors shine if you just take the time… And, whether those true colors compliment your company dynamics or not, this step is crucial for making the right choice in the hiring process.  

And lastly, once that new hire is in the mix, give them a path to follow that will set them up for success with a super solid onboarding process. They want it and you’ll appreciate the outcome.  

Whether you need a culture EVOLUTION or a full on REVOLUTION, Brilliant People has your back. Call us at 512-423-2384 or find us at mybrilliantpeople.com and allow us to help you create high performance teams.  

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Your Personality at Work

Of all the ‘do-ers’ in history, Benjamin Franklin stands out as extraordinary.  He was one of the founding fathers of this country, a diplomat, and an inventor. He created the postal service, and he invented swimming fins, the odometer, and bifocal glasses. However, the accomplishment I find most compelling was his ability to objectively see his weaknesses and then methodically work to improve in those areas. Franklin realized that to change behavior, you must practice changing the behavior. And if you manage people, you can learn a lot from his example.  

Franklin grew up in a Puritan society with a heavy emphasis on morality, but he loved to get a rise out of people. He was often argumentative and played Devil’s advocate much of the time. But in 1726, at the age of 20, he realized that his behavior was creating as many enemies as it was friends. So, he devised a plan to improve himself. He understood there were areas in his life where he often ended up going down what he called an unvirtuous path and he wanted to change that. He decided to work on a list of virtues that he felt would counteract his negative behaviors.  

Franklin decided to focus on one virtue per week and then repeat the cycle every 13 weeks. To keep track of his progress, he kept a checklist labeled with the days of the week and the virtues he was working to develop. It looks like he might even be responsible for designing the first habit tracker! The following are four examples from Franklin’s list of virtues that still resonate in today’s workplaces. 

1. Silence: Don’t talk just to fill the silence; give the floor to those who have something meaningful to say  

2. Sincerity: Don’t gossip or speak badly of others; assume positive intent, and if you’re going to speak, speak the truth 

3. Justice: Live your life by not doing harm to others; realize that your actions may harm someone else 

4. Humility: Keep your pride in check; humble people are easier to trust and communicate with   

Although the idea of moral perfection may sound dated and possibly irrelevant, improving oneself in order to manage better is crucial to a manager’s success. Especially when 50% of employees leave their companies because of their boss. To make sure you don’t add to the statistics, take some time to do a little self-reflection. Take the time to evaluate your ability to listen, be sincere, stand up for what’s right, and show humility. Being a role model for these virtues will allow you to meet your direct reports where they are and help them grow. In this post-pandemic world, it is no longer enough for a manager to plan, organize, direct, and control resources in order to achieve organizational goals.  

Quote: Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement,   

achievement, and success have no meaning.   

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 

As a manager, your responsibility is to model these behaviors so that others will follow suit. It’s all about being a ‘doer’; setting the example of doing versus just thinking about it. To become a doer, follow these five simple steps.  

Step 1: Ask for feedback  

Ask for honest feedback from those you know have your back and want to see you succeed. Their critique will help you see your actions through a different lens. Feedback can be hard, but when given with love and kindness, it’s exactly what we need to help us get to that next level. And it’s a good reminder to show the same respect to those you have to give feedback to.  

Step 2: Pick your area of growth 

We all have room for growth.  It’s just a matter of homing in on a particular area and staying consistently focused. Maybe you want to get to know your teammates better or connect with your own manager more authentically. Whatever it is, you have to name it to claim it, so don’t skip this step.  

Step 3: Create a plan of action  

Identify one behavior that needs improvement. Don’t set yourself up to fail by choosing 20 new things to work on. Instead, focus on one behavior until it becomes a habit. Every manager will have different areas they need to work on. And kudos to anyone who takes this step because it’s never easy to admit that we have areas where we need to improve.  

Step 4: Start Practicing 

Consistency is key so use a habit tracker to track your progress. Creating a habit can take 1-2 months. The timing varies depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. Just remember that getting started is the hardest part. And missing a day here or there isn’t going to make or break the process. It’s not an all-or-nothing endeavor. 

Step 5: Rinse and repeat 

This is where the rubber meets the road because once you’ve collected some feedback from your trusted circle of peeps, established your area of growth, created an action plan, and begun implementing the plan, the only thing left to do is to do it again and again and again until it becomes second nature. When a behavior becomes habit, pick a new area of growth to focus on. 

Conclusion 

To be an effective manager requires self-reflection. And this soft skill causes many to just skip over it and move on to the more tangible aspects of managing. Doing that is a major mistake.  Today’s post-pandemic employees are demanding managers that are role models.  And really, the only way to encourage behavior change in others is to model it yourself. In plain English, this means it starts with you. You must walk the talk and show them the way. No human is perfect, but we can certainly look to Ben Franklin as a great example of at least one who wanted to right his wrongs and show up in the world a better person for himself and those around him. With that in mind, following his example of choosing behaviors to improve upon and then practicing them until they become ingrained in your character may be a great place to start. Becoming a better human will make you a better manager and could be your most important legacy. 

Moral perfection is probably impossible but changing behavior is not. At Brilliant People we offer management training that focuses on improving behaviors around communication, motivation and productive conflict. Call us today for a quick chat to see how we might help! 

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Your Personality at Work

People are leaving their jobs in droves. And, interestingly enough, the pandemic didn’t start this trend. The numbers have steadily been rising over the last ten years but ramped up because of the pandemic chaos and uncertainty. The reasons are many including quiet quitting, work to rule, quiet firing, mental health issues and lack of work/life balance, but in particular, there are a large number leaving because they feel like they don’t belong. And a manager’s quest should be to fix this problem.   

The reality is that we humans are hard-wired for connection. It’s why we stop in the hall to chat and go to lunch or happy hour with colleagues. Even those of us who are naturally introverted may on some level still have a need to feel the pulse, so to speak, of other humans in close proximity – even if we don’t want to actively engage. This interaction, however small comes from an innate desire for community.  

To be a part of a community is to feel connected and we all deserve to have this basic human, even primal need met. And recent research backs this theory up, specifically in the workplace. “If workers feel like they belong, companies reap substantial bottom-line benefits. According to “The Value of Belonging at Work” Harvard Business Review, high belonging has been linked to a whopping 56% increase in job performance, a 50% drop in turnover risk, and a 75% reduction in sick days. For a 10,000-person company, this would result in annual savings of more than $52M.” With jaw-dropping stats like that, every manager on the planet should be scrambling to improve belonging in their teams and overall organization. 

How to increase a sense of belonging at work  

As leaders, managers have a responsibility for making sure their people feel like they belong. And because company culture is a living, breathing eco-system, every time a new person is added to the bunch, that eco-system shifts. So what can managers do to help encourage belonging?   

For starters, they can start walking the walk, and not just talking the talk. There are a lot of companies who have begun integrating language around inclusion on all levels, but somehow, they stop shy of hitting the mark. How is it possible that an annual investment of $19 billion dollars is still coming up short?  

It may be because managers aren’t doing enough in regard to personal reflection and self-awareness. These can both be strengthened through a focus on something medical anthropologist Geri-Ann Galanti has coined cultural competence. According to Galant, this foundational attribute creates a culture shift where managers and leaders have the necessary awareness and the ability to care for others through an appreciation of the differences in people and cultures and the unique opportunities and challenges for both. 

To begin improving the cultural competence on a team, managers can implement strategies for creating a sustainable solution that will encourage and uphold a sense of belonging for all involved. Here are a few suggestions to help implement this idea today. 

• Two way, open communication – both horizontally and vertically. 

• Give some power to the people: empower team members by giving them a voice. When they’re allowed to weigh in on decisions, they’ll be more apt to buy in because it shows how much you value what they do and say. 
• Dig deep and focus on internal work – take time for regular self-reflection to assess current internal beliefs. There may be room for some growth that’s being overlooked.  
• Use inclusive language with direct reports to encourage mental and emotional well-being. And, check back often to make sure what you’re doing is resonating.  
• Prioritize connection – take initiative for building a sense of belonging on the team. Lead the charge and set the example. 

These are excellent examples of how a manager can help their people feel a sense of belonging, but is there really a “one size fits all” solution for all?  

A “one size fits all” solution will never check all the boxes 

Ever heard that saying “different strokes for different folks? Every single person has different emotional needs and these needs are crucial to our success so it’s key for managers to understand this really important aspect of leading a team. Whether you’re team and/or company is in need of an “evolution” or “revolution in regard to your culture of belonging, we believe the culture (r)evolution starts with YOU. Each and every manager (of one or many) has a responsibility to help their teams improve in whatever way is needed.  And when managers take that responsibility seriously, it shows. Team members appreciates each other for what they bring to the group (their different ideas, perspective, thought process, etc). There is an authentic drive for meaningful relationships. And, there is an appreciation for the diversity of personality in the people they work with on their own teams or even cross functionally. 

These points get down to the essence of what it truly means to establish a sense of belonging in the workplace for everyone, but no single solution is ever going to work for all people at all times. We all show up in the world differently. And, we all see the world through a different lens. Therefore, we may each approach the solution to this problem from a different angle, which is not a bad thing at all. Sometimes it’s that diversity of thought as much as a diversity of personality that matters to a team’s success. According to McKinsey & Co, “Workers are hungry for trust, social cohesion, and purpose. They want to feel that their contributions are recognized and that their team is truly collaborative.” 

And, the lack of a sense of belonging is one of the top three most important reasons employees give for leaving their job, so this is something managers cannot afford to get wrong. Employee belonging is positioned front and center in the struggle to attract and retain top talent. 

Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor once said, “We can’t fix problems that we refuse to notice.”  If the manager’s quest is to create a sense of belonging for all, each will have to be willing to truly see the problems that exist and should be addressed. It’s no longer ok to be blissfully ignorant of the reality that some people on our teams are actually living. Managers and their organizations have to be willing to ask themselves the right questions. Here’s a short list of things to consider: 

• What are we doing to consciously create opportunities for people to feel like they belong? 
• What does it look like to “belong” in this organization? 
• How are we helping employees feel like valued members of the team/org? 

• Are all voices heard here, and if not, who is? Who isn’t and why? 
• Are certain types of individuals lifted up in this org while others are not? 
• What are they? 
• What happens to those that don’t fit that model? 

Let these questions be a launching pad for creating connection and community in your team and overall organization. Lead the charge and set the pace. After all, the Culture (R)evolution really does start with you. 

If you’re looking for ways to support your team(s) call us. We’d love to help you create a culture of belonging that grows as your company grows.

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Your Personality at Work

Faulty perception shows up in almost every conversation or scenario at work and can wreak havoc on our relationships with coworkers.  Maybe you’ve experienced one of the following situations:  

• Approaching a coworker (your boss, a peer, or even the front desk admin, who’s usually the most upbeat person in the office. But for whatever reason, they don’t respond to you as you were expecting) 
• You ask for advice or pose what you consider to be an urgent question, and your coworker doesn’t seem to care 

• There’s a deadline, and you feel you need extra support, but your manager can’t be bothered 

Now let’s flip it around. Have you ever been stressed, sad or angry at work and  

• Responded abruptly to a coworker?  
• Ignored or avoided a colleague because you didn’t have time for them?  

• Agreed to something to avoid conflict but then didn’t carry through? 

These are all common scenarios at work where misperceptions occur because, as humans, we often don’t realize how the people around us perceive our actions. Unfortunately, how we think we show up for others is not typically how they experience us. For instance, in one of the earlier examples, you need support from your manager, but you ‘perceive’ that he/she doesn’t care, solely based on their response to the situation. You are offended, but your manager is clueless. Your manager has no idea that his/her response (or lack thereof) has caused you to alter reality and start making stuff up in your head. You tell yourself things like: they just don’t care – they’re mean – they’re only out for themselves!

Are We Speaking The Same Language? 

Although perceptions like these are often incorrect, it’s what we do when we are not speaking the same language of as our coworkers.  I don’t mean languages like English, Spanish or French. I’m talking about the language of personality. Because when we don’t understand why our coworkers show up the way they do, we cannot effectively communicate with them. To communicate effectively we need to understand their emotional needs. And, yeah, I know – talking about emotions is not necessarily encouraged at work. But we aren’t talking about being touchy-feely. The research shows that we show up in the world and respond to our environments based on our emotional needs.  

Understanding the four major DiSC types can give you insight into the emotional needs of each person in your organization. For example, the Dominant personality type has a need for control and accomplishment, whereas the Influencer’s needs are all about appreciation and acceptance. The Steady needs to feel valued and listened to, whereas the Conscientious has the need to be correct and prefers to work alone. If we aren’t aware of these needs for ourselves and our coworkers, communication is difficult with misperceptions happening constantly.  

Stories Can Be Dangerous 

When a misperception occurs, our brain moves into storytelling mode. This is because we’re neurologically wired to make something up when we’re confused about how a conversation or event played out or how someone responded to us, especially if there were negative undertones. Our brain needs for the situation to make sense. It’s a safety thing. And, the brain is so incredible that it will reward us (through a dopamine hit, as an example) when we create a story around a situation that makes sense. And that is whether the story is true or not!  

Once we’ve made up a story, a new narrative based on that story affects how we respond the next time we interact with the same person. It can even influence how we treat the next person we see or talk to. Ever snapped at someone about something, only to realize later that it wasn’t them you were frustrated with? It was the person you spoke to BEFORE them. They just happened to get caught in the line of fire. So, misperceptions allow us to create some impressive storylines, but most of the time, they just aren’t true. And they can be seriously detrimental to our work relationships. 

Stories With A Happy Ending

If we want to improve our experience at work, though, we need to be willing to get curious when we feel our emotions being hijacked. When we notice our discomfort or confusion because of a coworker’s response to us, it’s an opportunity to dig in a little before we go down the path of some made-up story. Because the reality is there are always two sides to a story.  

This isn’t about making excuses for their behavior. Instead, it’s about trying to understand why they responded the way they did and why you reacted the way you did. Take some time to reflect and consider how you can show up in a way that meets both of your needs. This may require a conversation and some studying up on the DiSC personality types. Not only will this lead to improved communication, but it will also create connection.

When you show you care enough to get to know someone else’s emotional needs, you begin to create a bond of trust. Since trust is the basis of any good relationship, it’s a worthy spend of your time and energy. And the next time your brain goes into storytelling mode, you’ll be able to realistically create a happy ending.  

If you’d like to improve the storytelling in your work environment, give us a call. We provide DiSC assessments and training on the Diversity of Personalities. 

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We’ve all heard about personality tests and it’s likely we’ve taken at least a few of them during our career. From DISC to Myers Briggs to Tilt and The Enneagram, personality tests have been used to better understand character traits in the workplace for years. And they are still some of the best predictors of behavior.

However, these assessments are not best used as a stand alone product, although there are many organizations using them in just this way. Well intentioned people leaders (HR, managers, Learning & Development leaders or even individual team members wanting to up their game) think that taking the assessment is all that’s needed. But it can’t stop there. It’s much like the quote: Knowledge is power. The reality is that knowledge alone doesn’t bring power… A more realistic way of looking at it is: Knowledge applied is power. 

So, when organizations find themselves looking at the possibility of another assessment in hopes of bringing their teams together, what should they do? Well, what they shouldn’t do is assume the employee will know what to do with the information about themselves, much less how to utilize it for a better employee experience. If you think about it, leadership development is close to a $400 billion dollar industry worldwide and close to $200 billion in the US alone yet, a majority of these programs have failed to create the desired results. Why is that? Because a good many organizations aren’t willing to do the follow up work required to embed the information learned in a way that creates a common language among employees. This is the path to sustained behavior change. This is the path to true organizational health. 

With that in mind, the first step is deciding on the best assessment and training for the challenges you might be facing in your organization. From there, want to know the best way to help your people digest and utilize the information individually and collectively as a team? Keep reading as we lay out the issue from both sides of the management coin: the perspective of the manager as well as those developing them.  

Know Thyself  

First, let’s look at how an individual manager can take the information gleaned from a personality assessment and use it to become a better manager. Before you can understand others, you’ve got to understand yourself. Reviewing the results from your completed report and owning the parts that resonate is step 1. After that, bringing your direct reports together to share all team member results is step 2. Understanding how each individual affects team dynamics is crucial and opens the door for conversations around how everyone on the team is wired.                

For example, what motivates one person may shut another person down. And, the emotional needs of one are likely the complete opposite of another’s. In fact, unfulfilled emotional needs at work are one of the biggest contributors to poor performance and engagement. So, a crucial step in the process is to explore the results of your team’s assessments together, looking at them from all angles to understand the people who work for you and allowing them to understand everyone else on the team, including you. As a manager, your willingness to be open and honest with your own results, is the foundational step toward building trust on the team. From there, it’s a matter of finding ways to keep the conversation alive. Include an icebreaker at the start of your weekly meetings that is based on information gleaned from the completed results. Encourage people to revisit the information weekly or monthly. Challenge them to consider areas for improvement based on their assessment results. Creating opportunities to purposely and mindfully use the information will continue adding to that foundation of trust. In addition, it will encourage effective communication skills along the way. That should be the long-term goal.

Challenge for the Manager Who’s Large and In Charge: 

• What can you do to help your team implement the information so that it becomes a common language embedded in your overall team dynamic?  
• How can you lead by example as a manager?

A Growth Plan For Managers

When we think about the people responsible for an engaged workforce we may immediately lay some blame on the managers. We’ve likely all had a manager at some point in our career that we felt was the cause of our own personal hell. In some situations, it might have even been true, but the responsibility isn’t typically only in a direct manager. It also lies with those who develop managers. As you may have witnessed (or possibly had this happen to you), sometimes individual contributors get elevated into management positions they just aren’t ready for. In our current post pandemic environment and on the heels (or possibly still fully in the middle) of The Great Resignation, some companies just need warm bodies to fill the void that is happening from a mass exodus. We get it. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, even if it means elevating someone who’s not yet there. But, elevating someone to a management position should only be the beginning of their journey. Organizations have to do better at empowering emerging leaders with the skills necessary to manage others to success.

Unfortunately, a lot of organizations don’t have any follow through when it comes to learning and development. They think a “one ’n done” deal is going to do the trick and when it doesn’t, they blame the training or program, rather than realizing that they didn’t support the system. For sustainable change to occur, you have to provide opportunities for employees to keep these Learning & Development conversations alive in the organization, creating a common language for the entire staff. 

Which brings me to another issue: the assessments being used. When teams within an organization are not learning the same language, it might be something akin to the Wild West. You’ve got a bunch of teams all out for themselves, and not for the greater good of the company! 

Leadership needs to decide a path forward and get the buy-in from their teams so that each team is getting the same information, and applying it in the way that works best for  their teams. All while speaking the same language. Without buy-in you’re just checking a box for giving the assessment and assuming that employees

will (1) want to dig into the information they get from their completed reports, and (2) be compelled or even understand what to do with the information.  A leader should never assume the information learned through the assessment will be ingrained in the employee’s mind immediately.  

Growth Plan Challenge:

For true, sustainable behavior change, the information gleaned through the personality profile needs to be woven throughout the organization, in a variety of ways. 

• Encourage managers to understand the individual dynamics for each of the personality types on their teams, starting with their own. When people know who they are in the mix and why they show up the way they do (from their natural wiring to life experiences), it often opens a door of possibility. It creates some ah-ha moments in an individual, allowing them to get to that next level – actually caring about why someone else shows up the way they do and wanting to learn more about that.
• Inspire managers to make space for empathy. When they have learned who they are and who others are on their teams, as well as why they show up the way they do, empathy around those differences goes a long way.
• Motivate managers to use their teams completed reports to have more effective interactions with their direct reports, teammates or even their boss. The information included in these reports can be the game changer in an effort to level up their relationships at work both horizontally, as well as vertically. 

Conclusion:

Personality assessments have been around for years and will continue to evolve allowing us to better understand character traits in the workplace. The trick will be to pair them with appropriate training that solidifies the information gleaned through the completed report. 

Well intentioned leaders who use them as stand alone products do their employees and the organizations they work for a disservice.  The information has to be embedded in the fabric of the workplace, creating a common language for all. So, how does that happen?

Organizations have to be willing to provide ongoing follow up that embeds the information learned in a way that creates a common language among employees. The path to sustained behavior change really is that simple. 

As a manager, or a leader developing them, remember these strategies for building cohesive, collaborative teams.

1. One off training sessions don’t work and usually just end up irritating employees because it takes time away from things they feel need to get done. Providing assessments and training around a given challenge, helping them understand who they are in the midst of that challenge, allows them to see how they might play a part in the solution. 
2. Never assume that learning of any kind will be ingrained in your employee’s minds after one exposure. For sustainable behavior change the information must be woven into conversations across the organization on a continuous basis. 
3. Get into the habit of reflecting on the different personality styles of your team as a group. How do they solve problems?  What motivates them?  How do they respond to conflict? 

At Brilliant People, we are constantly striving to bring fresh solutions to the complexities of human interaction. Call us for a quick chat. We’d love to help you navigate your way to sustained organizational health.

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Your Personality at Work

To build a cohesive collaborative team takes time and effort. As managers, we have to know that just assigning a group of people a common project and calling them a ‘team’ in no way ensures that they will function as one. Teaming well requires soft skills like communication, problem solving and leadership as well as emotional intelligence. Those aren’t always skills we’re born with but they can definitely be learned. 

The learning process is easy. It’s being fully committed to the process and ultimate outcomes that is most important. We’ve narrowed it down to 5 steps for a cohesive, collaborative team. Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to creating team dynamics that work, allowing more success in individual teams that ladder up to the overall organizational wins!

#1 Get To Know Your Teammates

This sounds so simple, almost yawn-inducing simple. But honestly, what are you doing to actually get to know the people you’re working with? 

We’ve all got a lot on our plates but maybe all that’s needed for starters is taking the time to do a bit more than just saying hello. Ask how they’re doing and actually wait to hear their response. Pay attention to whether they’ve got photos of kids on their desk and ask their names, or what they’re into. Maybe instead, they’ve got photos of a four legged friend. Chat them up about it. Animals are a great way to connect because people LOVE talking about their pets! 

Do some covert question-asking to see what their favorite coffee drink is and then surprise them with one. Finding out if someone on your team is a coffee catch up or happy hour kind of person can be super helpful and make for great opportunities to get to know them better outside the office. Sometimes, even if you’re not in the mood for a chat, asking a simple question and just listening is all someone else needs to feel that sense of belonging. It really does go a long way.

#2 Build Trust Through Your Actions

When people hear phrases like “trust building” in the context of work, visions of ‘trust falls’ pop into their heads and that doesn’t always leave a great impression. They think: No way! That is such a waste of time and I’ve got too much on my plate!” Well, we’re right there with you on the trust fall, but we know that building a foundation of trust is the #1 most important thing companies can do. 

Historically, it’s been really challenging to quantify the benefits of having better trust in the workplace. We all know we need to trust our colleagues and company leaders, but it’s been hard to quantify and connect the dots between what that does to things like earnings, profit and financial KPIs. But, we have to remember: the question isn’t if a company will deal with a trust issue, it’s when. So, thankfully, Accenture completed a study a few years back and the findings were incredible. The research determined a connection between things like trust and EBITDA. And guess what they found?? 

WHEN TRUST DROPS BY 2 PTS, EBITDA IS COMPROMISED AND DECREASES BY 9.8%

What does this mean for your company? It means your revenue is at risk if you don’t have a solid foundation of trust throughout your organization. The impact of trust on a company’s bottom line is a big deal and one every company should be thinking about. 

As we’ve said before, vulnerability based trust is the key. Be authentic. Understand who you are in the mix so you can better understand who others are. It’s a simple process, you just have to be dedicated to the outcome. And, understanding how a lack of trust affects the company’s bottom line may give some incentive.

#3 Be Accountable

When there is clear communication, accountability comes more easily. And, I’m not talking about top to bottom accountability. I’m talking about peer to peer. If you’ve got a clear line of communication, and everyone is on the same page about expectations, then you have a road map for how to show up, the work that you do, and the outcomes the team is seeking. Which means, being accountable is three fold: 

• we need to be accountable to ourselves 
• we need to be accountable to the commitments we make to others 
• we need to hold others accountable as well

When we talk about holding ourselves accountable, that can start with something as simple as: do what you say you’re going to do, whether it’s showing up on time or turning something in when you say you will. Those types of actions go a long way in communicating how you really feel about the team and your responsibility to it. It also gives your teammates an idea of what you think about them. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but the person who is constantly late is basically saying they don’t respect the other person’s time. Being confronted in the moment with “I don’t feel like you respect my time when you show up late to meetings” may feel super aggressive. And, your first thought may take you back to 3rd grade when you told someone “you’re not the boss of me!” However, I’d venture to guess that a little self reflection would tell you: they’re right! Whatever the reason for being late, it was obviously more important than showing up on time. 

On the flip side, if holding a teammate accountable falls on you, my guess is that you’re likely thinking “Why do I have to be the one to show them where they’re going wrong…? This is NOT my responsibility!” Well, if this is you, you may need a reframe. Part of having healthy team dynamics is being able to hold each other up, which involves a willingness to out the situation when a teammate isn’t holding up their end of the bargain. If they’ve committed to some action or some type of behavior, but they aren’t following through, that’s an open invitation for a heart to heart. As hard as it is to be the one to instigate it, and possibly harder to be the one who receives the feedback – this is exactly what organizations need in order to create truly cohesive, collaborative teams. 

#4 Focus On Team Results, Not Personal Results

We’ve all got our daily tasks and weekly goals that we have to keep front and center for the overall success of the organization, but it’s a real problem when you’ve got a lone wolf in the mix who is only out for #1! If you’re in this situation, take the time to discuss what “team commitment” actually looks like. Ultimately, it comes down to decisions and actions that serve the greater good of the organization. 

If you are the lone wolf constantly shutting others out, not allowing collaboration or input of any kind to muddy the waters of your solitary strategy you are creating derision and division in the team. This will never be in the playbook for creating cohesive, collaborative teams. Instead, remember that old adage: There is no ‘i’ in team. It still holds true. Allowing others to be part of your process improves the final outcome on so many levels. The workload is spread out, amazing ideas are generated by bringing other voices into the mix and the end result is so much more fulfilling.

#5 Show Appreciation 

When we let others know how much we value their help it really goes a long way. More than 35% of employees consider lack of recognition of their work as the biggest hindrance to their productivity according to a recent poll by Tjinsite, a division of TimeJobs.com. So you can see, everyone needs to feel appreciated, but we are each moved differently when it comes to how it’s shown. Picture this scene: One of your teammates has been responsible for pulling together a really important client event for the company. Time and again this person comes through, working overtime, putting their heart and soul into the outcome, but when you pull them into a large group gathering to present them with a thank you card and a round of applause, they look like they might throw up. And, you’re left wondering what went wrong… 

We are all wired differently. For some of us, we want a standing ovation every time we have a win (big or small). And, then others of us are mortified at the thought of being publicly recognized. Some may just want a pat on the back and a thumbs up, and it’ll carry them through until the next win which takes us back to #1! If we get to know our people, we know what they want and what they need. A little creative investigation goes a long way and then allows you to show how much they mean to the overall team dynamics in the way they need.

Conclusion:

We know it takes time and dedication to build cohesive, collaborative teams. As managers, we have to ensure that every person on the team is dedicated to the process of taking their communication, problem solving and leadership skills to the next level, while also throwing a little EQ into the mix. When you take these five steps and consistently implement them into your team processes the results are amazing. You can’t help but have cohesive, collaborative teams as a result. 

If you need help creating cohesion on your teams, call us. We’ve got a brilliant plan for guiding teams through the right steps to keep them on their path to success!

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Your Personality at Work

I want to talk with you about the idea of a personal leadership revolution. But first, what do you think of when you hear the word “leader” or “leadership”? What images pop into your mind?

Do you assume it must be a manager or someone on the executive team? Do you have moments of thinking “someone in leadership needs to take care of that?” If you do, you’re not alone. A lot of people assume that the leader is the boss. Or, that leadership only happens in the workplace. Well, we’re here to help you rethink that position because leadership is for everyone. From lower-level employees to the CEO, each person plays an important role in creating a positive, productive workplace culture. But we want you to also consider how your actions affect your personal life as well. Being a leader in your whole life isn’t always easy but it can be done. So, I’d like to share the impact of choosing a path to personal leadership (at home and at work).

YOUR PATH TO A PERSONAL (R)EVOLUTION

At one point in my career, I realized my job performance and work/life balance were on the fritz. The culprit? My relationship with my manager. I was incredibly stressed out and constantly felt like I might get fired. Granted, a lot of that pressure was self-induced but I felt like my manager didn’t believe in me. And that stung. I knew I needed to do something but didn’t know where to start. Who should I talk to? How could I actually make a change? At 43 years old, I assumed my way of showing up in the world was pretty set so that didn’t make it easy when I realized that I needed to bring a different person to the table that connected with her in the way she needed. That was the crux. How do you shift who you’ve always been?

YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION….

That’s how the song goes, but I’m not sure that’s really what I was after. I just knew I didn’t want to get fired. I needed a better way of connecting with the person who would ultimately make that decision. But, was I actually ready to commit to showing up differently? I wasn’t sure, so I started slowly. I started by learning first about personalities. Who was I in our relationship? Who was she? What motivators and priorities were we both bringing to the table where our jobs were concerned? How was she perceiving me? This was a big one, because how we think we show up for others isn’t always what they actually experience. What were my strengths and weaknesses as compared to hers?

EMOTIONAL NEEDS ARE LIKE OXYGEN

From there, I learned about emotional needs. We all have them but depending on our natural wiring or our life experience, they may be different. So, what I needed in a given moment, isn’t what she likely needed. I realized that emotional needs are like oxygen.

Have you ever seen someone who has to be on oxygen? Maybe it was in the hospital or they carried around their own private little tank? Ever considered what would happen if you stepped on their line? Think the air flowing through that tube is a NEED or a WANT? Well, I assure you, it’s a need, and what I learned during this self-led leadership journey was that  when it comes to emotional needs, they aren’t “nice to haves.” This might show up as a need for respect, a need for silence, a need for acceptance, or a need to feel like a valuable part of the team. We all have different needs. Taking the time to understand those needs can be the difference between a healthy relationship and a toxic one.

NEXT LEVEL LEADERSHIP – IN AND OUT OF THE OFFICE

I read books like The Speed of Trust and The Magic of Thinking Big. I also read Launching a Leadership Revolution and Resolved: 13 Resolutions for Life. These books helped me to look at the world through a different lens. It opened my eyes to the part I was playing in the breakdown of my relationship with this manager. 

As my view of the world and how I fit in became more clear, my experience at work and at home shifted. Once I understood personalities, I looked at parenting differently because my personality was very different from my kid’s. This newfound knowledge even helped me shift interactions with my husband who shows up in the world a little more gently than I do. We learned to communicate in the way we each needed.

LEADERSHIP EVOLUTION/REVOLUTION

Two years into this experience, I began to really see some changes. Life became more balanced because the lens I looked through had changed dramatically and I was choosing to show up differently. Is that an evolution or a revolution? I’m not sure, but either way, it was a game-changer.

Maybe your situation just needs an evolution. A few tweaks here or there to upgrade the experience you’re currently having. OR, a full-on revolution is the only way to help you get to the other side. Either way, don’t just sit back and assume that it’s someone else’s responsibility.  Stand up and take action today because someone is always watching. And they’re waiting to see whether or not it’s safe to get caught up in your current. Our challenge to you is this: be the change you want to see in the workplace by working on you.  Personal leadership matters and it matters in your whole life. 

POSITIVE ROLE MODELS IN LIFE AND LEADERSHIP

We’ve all seen positive role models as well as really bad ones. At the end of the day, good or bad, they are still leading others down a given path. With that in mind, I hope to inspire you to be a force for good and not just at work. As I’ve said, being a leader isn’t just for the office. As I’ve said, being a leader isn’t for just for the office.

How we choose to show up for others matters. So, in case you didn’t realize it when you’re standing in line at the grocery store – someone’s watching. When you snap your fingers to catch your waiter’s attention – someone saw it. Or, when you don’t get your way at your kid’s volleyball tournament. Ever throw a fit in front of the kids, forgetting you aren’t one of them? Yep, it’s those moments we have to be careful of.  On the flip side, people are also watching when you pick up that $10 bill and run to catch the person who dropped it. Or, you buy the person in line behind you a coffee, just because. And the best part? When your kid sees you do it.

People are watching all the time so we have a choice of what we want them to see. Showing up as a leader in our lives isn’t that hard. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes hard to see ourselves as leaders and much easier to slide into complacency. Or, maybe we just hope that the masks we now wear will hide our worst behaviors. Unfortunately – it just doesn’t work that way. Like it or not, our actions matter as much as our words.

If you need help on your path to becoming a leader in your whole life, we can help. We offer leadership development, emotional intelligence training, and 1:1 coaching. Call us to get started. After all, the Culture R(e)volution starts with you.

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Your Personality at Work

“There is probably no quality or characteristic that is as rare as trust.” Patrick Lencioni

What is Trust?

The formal definition of trust is ‘the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something.’ But really, trust is about vulnerability.

In fact, we think Patrick Lencioni’s definition is way more impactful. In his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Lencioni states,

“When it comes to teams, trust is all about vulnerability. Team members who trust one another learn to be comfortable being open, even exposed, to one another around their failures, weaknesses and fears. Now, if this feels a little touchy-feely, that’s not where I’m going with it. Vulnerability-based trust is predicated on the simple – and practical – idea that people who aren’t afraid to admit the truth about themselves are also not going to engage in the kind of political behavior that wastes everyone’s time and energy, and more importantly, makes the accomplishment of results an unlikely scenario.”

Based on his work with thousands of teams, he’s seen time and again that trust is the foundation for cohesive, collaborative, and productive teams. So how exactly do you go about building that trust?

Trust and Self-Reflection

Self-reflection is key to building trust, so first, consider your own experience with trust. Maybe you have broken someone else’s trust, or maybe yours was broken. Either way, you can learn from what happened. To do so, consider the following:

• How did it feel?
• How did it affect the relationship?
• Were you able to repair the relationship after the trust was broken?

Repairing relationships isn’t easy but the effort is worth it. No matter what your current role is, you need good working relationships and building trust is the only way to get there.  

Vulnerability = Trust 

Second, learn to be vulnerable with your teammates. That might be a bit scary for some. I mean, people don’t usually think: Hey! Let’s go be vulnerable at work today! 

Said no one ever…

Instead, try thinking of vulnerability as being able to be authentic. Help your teammates understand why you do what you do. Giving insight to others about what you prioritize, what motivates you, and what stresses you out will help them understand you more, building better relationships. And FYI, all of that is related to your personality type. The Everything DiSC model describes the four major personalities as: 

• Dominance: Direct, forceful, lack of concern for others, impatience, insensitive
• influence: Talkative, disingenuous, impulsive, lack of follow-through, disorganized
• Steadiness: Slow to respond, acquiescent, too accommodating, avoid changes, indecisive
• Conscientiousness: perfectionist, over analytical, skeptical, overly critical, keeps to themselves

Understanding how your personality type typically shows up can help you understand how others might perceive you. And those perceptions might be causing trust issues on your team. 

Get To Know Your Team Personally

Third, if you want to develop trust with your coworkers, get to know them personally. I don’t mean superficial stuff like their name or role in the company.  I’m talking about taking the time to understand who they are and why they show up the way they do. So, find out what drives them, what their aspirations are, what they’re passionate about, where they’re from, whether or not they have a family, etc. All people want to feel that they’re worth knowing. Understanding what makes them tick will give you clues as to how to motivate teammates better and ease their stress, so that they work better on the team. 

To Wrap It All Up

Building trust takes time and effort but the rewards outweigh the cost. Just remember that team members who trust each other are more comfortable being open to one another around their failures, weaknesses and even fears. When you can talk about these things honestly, you’ll be able to work together to solve team issues. Again, the three steps to practice are

1. Self-Reflection: think through your own trust experiences to learn from them.
2. Personality: understand the motivators, stressors, strengths & struggles (yours and your teammates) and lastly,
3. Vulnerability: set the example for being authentic so others will follow 

Individually, we are each responsible for doing our part to build trust on our teams. Of course, it won’t happen overnight, so start small so it won’t be overwhelming. For example, choose a different commitment each week, until they become second nature. With persistence you’ll get there. Ultimately, we have to be the change we want to see in the workplace and that starts with TRUST. 

Want to give your team the gift of a full day session focused on building a cohesive and collaborative team? Choose The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team training. You’ll get 

• An in depth assessment of how the team is functioning based on the five behaviors: trust, productive conflict, commitment, accountability and results. 
• A full day session including team building activities for setting team norms around each of the behaviors and
• 3, 6 and 12 month post training comparison reports to show progress as well as areas that may still need improvement

Schedule a discovery call to learn more and decide if The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team training is right for you. Remember, you have to be the change. The culture (r)evolution starts with you!

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Your Personality at Work

At Brilliant People, we believe in creating awesome company culture through connection and community in the workplace. It really is the most important thing when you consider that PEOPLE make up a company. Whether an owner, manager, or worker bee – each of us has the power to create an environment that nurtures and sustains people within the organization. Culture can come from amazing programs put into place by HR, or an occasional check-in focused on HOW people are doing, rather than WHAT they’re doing. It can also be a simple smile from one employee to another, passing in the hall, or across the zoom screen. All of these things boost our mental health and create space for more productivity, as well as improving the company’s bottom line. 

Improving Culture Improves Mental Health 

Research has shown that safe and open communication in an organization is vital to employee engagement and well-being. Supervisors who are communicative are more likely to create a feeling of connection with their direct reports. This level of comfort inspires a willingness to divulge symptoms of stress around work or the work environment. When employees are transparent about their needs, they’re less stressed and managers can actually help them through the situation. And, managers who truly support their people motivate them to do their best even when things aren’t perfect. It’s a win-win across the board. 

As mentioned in our guest blog post Building Resilience Amidst Uncertainty (Part 2), by Cait Ross, “One of the most basic needs of our brain is attachment & belonging. As humans, we are neurobiologically hardwired for human connection… When we feel authentically connected to the people we work with, our brains and bodies feel safe.”  

How Good Company Culture Improves the Virtual Workplace

Ever heard the phrases: “culture on the walls” vs “culture in the halls?” An article by LaMarsh Global highlights the difference between these two. “Culture on the walls” has to do with the “official definition of the organization’s culture.” “Culture in the halls” refers to the “true culture that employees experience and contribute to.” I’m sure we’ve all felt the difference between these two types of culture in the workplace. I really appreciate the article’s transparency around what we all know to be true. In some organizations, although they may say company culture is amazing, the reality is very different. Norms created inside organizations either align with the values and mission of the company or don’t. When they don’t, problems arise. This can happen under normal circumstances, much less the uncertain world we’re currently living in due to the pandemic.

With that in mind, the first step is to audit your corporate culture to make sure it aligns with who the company says it is. Next, consider questions like: What are the management styles? How is employee engagement? What is the reaction to change? These are important whether you’re physically in the office or not. Connection in the workplace is often driven by managers and/or HR, but it’s also important for the individual employee to be proactive. At Brilliant People, our motto is “say no to status quo.” This means being disruptive in a positive way by creating solutions around the problem you see. It means asking yourself if you’re going to be a part of the problem or a part of the solution? It’s your choice, but wouldn’t it be amazing if something you said or did helped create more cohesive and collaborative teams at work? 

The Bottom Line

The Hay Group, a global management consulting firm, recently reported that engaged workers are 43 percent more productive. Employees who feel connected to people they work with are more inclined to bring their best self to work every day. Even if they’re just walking from their bedroom to the kitchen table. They’re encouraged and inspired. Companies then reap the benefits of less turnover, fewer mistakes, an increase in productivity, and improvements in overall customer satisfaction. All good reasons for each employee to want to go all-in on awesome company culture.

Leading The Charge

Investing in your company culture is the most important thing you can do. At the heart of overused phrases like “employee engagement” and “leadership training” is the basic understanding that immense value comes from creating a connected, compassionate internal culture. Understanding the drivers of culture can help improve overall employee performance. This is especially important now while we all work to solidify this new normal. For some companies, the virtual landscape is here to stay. This means that companies have to clarify what they want their culture to be and then bring it to life through employee experience. Ultimately, the goal is to create a strong culture, whether you’re virtual or in-person. Our leadership development training focuses on personality, trust, conflict, and team building – all things that lead to great company culture. Give us a call today to get started!

The Culture (R)evolution Starts With You.

This post was originally published on December 4, 2020.

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Your Personality at Work

5th installment of a 5 part series:

YOUR PERSONALITY TYPE AND STRESS RESPONSE  

Read Part 4!

Meet Brilliant Billy

As a Conscientious personality type, Billy’s real strength as a workmate is his aim for perfection. When he does something, he does it right. He’s deep and thoughtful, serious and purposeful and even (at times) prone to genius. Billy’s talents also lie in his creative abilities, which means he’s great to have in a brainstorming session. He can also be self-sacrificing and sensitive to others. He takes other’s feelings into consideration even when they’re not around to speak for themselves. 

Morphing into Back Down Billy

On a typical day, Billy needs a good balance of space and silence to be his best at work and at home. Unfortunately, he’s still having to work remotely which isn’t conducive to supporting these needs. Working from home has been really challenging for him. And, although for the most part, he’s settled into a routine, he’s finding it difficult to connect with his team and manager. 

To top it off, when Billy needs support, he isn’t likely to ask for it. Instead, he prefers to  go it alone, so he can control the outcome. The problem with this is it takes teamwork to make the dream work. And because Billy is primarily working from home, it’s hard for those he works with to recognize the signs that he may need some support. 

Billy’s New Normal

Though Billy has pretty much adapted to his new normal the pandemic is still an ever present threat.  And, splitting his time between working from home and going into the office isn’t helping, especially with his penchant for perfection. The ambiguity around what that’s actually going to look like is making his anxiety worse and he feels like his head might explode. His need for perfection is not achievable, and Billy feels himself begin to descend into total chaos. 

With this much stress building up, his awesome attributes are about to take a leap right out the window. Under stress and emotional duress, he becomes an altogether different person, shutting down and going into avoidance mode. This way of dealing (or NOT dealing) with stress doesn’t help Billy at home or at work.

It’s Time to Give Billy Some Attention

Billy’s normal M.O. is an aim for perfection but this situation is far from perfect.

So what’s a guy to do?

If you are feeling a kinship with Billy, try these tips on for size:

1. Adjust those perfectionist expectations. Recognize and verbalize that things aren’t “business as usual” right now and focus on what you can control and affect. That includes keeping those emotions in check and being aware of how you’re showing up for your coworkers. This will even come in handy for those loved ones you’re currently sharing your living/workspace with. 
2. Give more praise and less criticism because, come on, there is enough of that in the world right now. Instead, channel your inner empathy. This will demonstrate how much you value others. And it will build up others, creating general feelings of positivity and wellbeing. 

If you live or work with a “Billy”, support his need for control and structure amidst the chaos. The simple act of respecting his time can go a long way in bringing his brilliant side to the surface. Preface a conversation with “Is now a good time to talk?” and in this way, help him prepare for a purposeful, productive and positive discussion. You can also offer to help when you see that he’s overwhelmed. He may not take you up on it but the fact that you offered, will go a long way with him.

Moving Forward as a Billy or With a Billy

As you’ve discovered throughout this series, personality plays a big part in how we show up in the world. And it directly relates to the behavior we exhibit when stress and pressure are just too much. If we were Tom Hanks living on an isolated island with only Wilson to talk to, this wouldn’t be a problem. But that’s not how we live and operate. When our personality bumps up against someone else’s in a not-so-friendly or unhealthy manner, there will be negative consequences for both parties. And this type of thing could happen several times during a typical day even under the best of circumstances. 

Being confined to your home with your family, figuring out how to work remotely, and not knowing what the future will look like, makes for some major stress. Our human need for immediate release may cause us to act out by barking orders, yelling, giving in or avoiding. Or we may find ourselves on the receiving end of one or more of those responses. 

We all know that sometimes maintaining your own brilliant self is easier said than done. And this has never been more true than now. The world we are living in may require some serious adjustments from all of us, so take a deep breath and just do your best. Remember that as we cautiously navigate life during this pandemic, we need our relationships at work and at home to remain on solid ground. Because that’s how we will continue to move forward. 

The future will be what we make of it, so if you’re ready to get the personality development training your team(s) need, contact us today. 

The Culture (R)evolution starts with you! 

You can also keep up with us here to receive insights, tips and relevant ways to connect through personalities, employee engagement, leadership and more.

You may also like:

It Takes A Village

Building Resilience Amidst Uncertainty – Part 1

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Your Personality at Work