Cultivating Consistent Culture: 7 Questions That Need An Answer

What is your company culture?

That being said, let’s turn it over to you…what is your company culture? What actions are you taking to craft a healthy workplace that will look like the organization you envision? Around which priorities are you targeting its growth?

You see, most leaders understand their business strategy, but listen carefully and you’ll notice that when leaders talk about culture they often discuss ping-pong tables, extra time off, and interesting (or odd) employee perks. These are all certainly elements of life within an organization that can help shape culture, but rarely do they make firm foundations upon which to build it.

Consequently, the following list of questions will help you begin thinking about how to purposefully shape your organization and cultivate the culture you truly want rather than the one you happen to stumble into:

1. Who is in charge of your organization and or department?

2. How are decisions made inside the organization?

3. How do you communicate with one another?

4. How do you celebrate together?

5. What is the process of raising up leaders internally?

6. What has value within your organization?

7. Is there intentional language to help shape the culture?

Our Challenge to You

It’s amazing what answering these simple questions can do to transform your organization from the inside out. So take a moment to think about these realities, then gather the troops and start crafting your culture vision.

#GiANTworldwide #Culture #Leadership #responsibility #Connections #consistency #Cultivatingculture #Communication

What’s Keeping You From 100%?

Life is sure to deal us many days when we feel less than 100%, but our goal for leadership and personal health should be to drive toward consistency as much as possible. This empowers us to maintain consistent investment, leadership, and growth in all areas of our lives from personal to professional. So let’s set aside a moment to take stock of where we are today.

What’s Keeping You From 100%?

Think through each day from last week and assign a percentage to them representing how alive, purposeful, and empowered you felt in handling life’s challenges, dealing with the daily tasks, and finding joy amidst it all. Don’t worry about being idealistic or projecting how you think you should feel — guilt (“I should be happier”) and pride (“I’ve got everything under control, no problems here”) have no place in the genuine effort to stimulate personal growth and a healthy, balanced life.

For instance:

• When we choose to worry instead of trust or take action.

• When we choose to harbor resentment versus reconciliation.

• When our confidence is found in other people’s perception of us instead of the conviction. of who we know we are as unique individuals.

• When we allow the junk of the world to infect our heart and mindset.

Find the Patterns & Make A Change

So make a list of your daily percentages. At the end of each day write your percentage for the past 24-hours, then list why your percentage was lower than 100%. If it’s over 100%, by all means, write that down too!

Where are your margin points? What derailed you from 100% today? Look beyond the surface for cause and effect, emotional triggers, and recurring patterns.

Once you recognize the trends you can make the right adjustments and start living life fully charged.

#GiANTworldwide #Ginconsultinggroup #recharge #makeachange #Leadership #connections

8 EQ Questions Effective Leaders Cannot Ignore

Relational intelligence is the future competitive advantage for leaders. In the new world the capacity to establish, develop, and maintain key relationships both inside and outside your organization is going to become the primary currency of leadership influence.

People can actually learn how to connect well. While some people are naturally good at it, others struggle mightily. Yet those who practice can become masters at being in the right gear at the right time. These are people who “know themselves” and “lead themselves”…

…and benefit from the influence and respect that follows.

We want to provide a practical solution that can transform behavior in adults who have begun to become self-aware of their disconnected lives and trade them in by learning the art of being present.

Relationships are more important than ever.

8 EQ Questions Effective Leaders Cannot Ignore

Be honest about your reality.

1. Do you know what it’s like to be on the other side of you?

2. Do you know how to connect with people in every social context?

3. Are you easy to connect with in your work setting?

4. Do people like being around you?

5. Are you able to be physically and emotionally present with people even when you have tight deadlines?

6. Do you always have to win?

7. Have you truly ever experienced being present with someone else?

8. Do you know how to slow down enough to hear what someone else is saying?

These are the EQ questions that will differentiate the leaders of the future. IQ and hard skills are essential but they are no longer enough. When you learn to grow your relational competency — the ability to connect with others and be present — then you will be able to build long-term relation- ships and obtain a world of opportunity that most will miss.

#GiANtworldwide #Ginconsultinggroup #Leadership #Connections #EffectiveLeaders

Countering Change: Make It Your Own

Do you bury your head in the sand and refuse to acknowledge the changes taking place? Do you embrace it and go with the flow?

Intentional Transition

Whatever your response — whether healthy, stubborn, or somewhere in between — dealing with change well often requires an intentional transition.

Make It Your Own

Here are a few tips for managing change when it comes your way:

Journal — Every time you experience a new season or change in business, try beginning a new journal or moleskin to write in.

Schedule — Each season has its own schedule. When change occurs, mix it up. 

Dress — This may sound funny, but every season can have its own dress code. Consider making a style change to embrace and explore a new side of yourself. 

Playlists — Create playlists for every season. Having an anthem or soundtrack for a period of life facilitates focus, inspiration, and recharge when needed.

Big Change — Every once in a while, make a major change. Maybe that’s getting more involved with local organizations, volunteer opportunities, faith centers, or sports teams. 

Go For It!

Of course all these ideas are merely suggestions. Everyone must deal with change in their own way, and hopefully you’ll take the time to invest in the new season you are about to encounter.

#GiANTworldwide #Change #Leadership #Growth #Connections #Intentionaltransition

Recalibrating Your Attitude: 6 Steps for Lasting Change

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

- Winston Churchill

However, as we mature we are supposed to gain more control over our attitude(s) so that we can function well as a responsible citizen, productive worker, and a good friend, spouse, or parent. 

How about you, how is your attitude today?

Does it need a slight recalibration or does it require a major overhaul? Either way, if you’re looking to make an attitude adjustment, check out the Six Steps of Attitude Change below.

1. Identify Problem Feelings

Feelings often play the same role. Getting our feelings hurt is natural and we all experience it. However, when insecurity comprises the foundation of our life it’s hard to trust our feelings to guide us to the right solutions.

2. Look for Negative Ramifications of Your Problem Feelings

Throughout our work with leaders, we often find that unsubstantiated feelings of doubt based on insecurity often spread to infect a person’s attitude in the office. 

3. Understand Both Reality and Hope

Let reality become your friend, and while you’re at it, reacquaint yourself with that powerful driver we call Hope. When it comes to changing your attitude, reality is an equalizer. 

4. Choose Your Attitude

Perhaps the most important step in the process is to simply choose to have a new attitude. No change ever happens without actually wanting that change.

5. Practice Your Target Attitude Daily (Internally and Externally)

The old saying “fake it till you make” always proves to be wiser advice than some would think. Any adoption of a different mindset or attitude will begin with an element of “faking it” because you are having to intentionally choose to think, act, speak, or approach life with a different mentality than what seems to come naturally. 

6. Talk About the Change

One of the biggest mistakes people make with any change process is to keep it to themselves. Confidence, encouragement, and accountability come from talking about it out loud, processing it with yourself and others, and letting them know about your goals so they can help you stick to them.

Will You Choose Change?

At the end of the day, remaining unintentional about things leads to the death of those things.

dentify. Understand. Choose. Practice. Share. 

#GiANTworldwide #Leadership #Relationships #Connections #Attitude #recalibratingyourattitude

What’s Keeping You From 100%?

Life is sure to deal us many days when we feel less than 100%, but our goal for leadership and personal health should be to drive toward consistency as much as possible. 

So let’s set aside a moment to take stock of where we are today.

What’s Your Percentage?

What percentage are you operating at today? 50%, 80%, maybe even 95%?

If you kept track of this for an entire week, what would your average be? Maybe it would look something like this:

Monday = 75%

Tuesday = 80%

Wednesday = 60%

Thursday = 45%

Friday = 85%

Saturday = 90%

Sunday = 90%

Of course, everyone’s ranking will be different, but that’s not the issue. The issue is your personal ranking and where you find your percentages lagging and peaking. Even the simple act of charting days like this might help point out where some of your regular pain points show up.

What’s Keeping You From 100%?

Think through each day from last week and assign a percentage to them representing how alive, purposeful, and empowered you felt in handling life’s challenges, dealing with the daily tasks, and finding joy amidst it all. Don’t worry about being idealistic or projecting how you think you should feel — guilt (“I should be happier”) and pride (“I’ve got everything under control, no problems here”) have no place in the genuine effort to stimulate personal growth and a healthy, balanced life.

Find the Patterns & Make A Change

Thousands of distractions and negative stimuli assail us every day attempting to take our “100%” hostage. Yet when we highlight those percentage-stealers we make it a bit easier to turn things around. In fact, even more so than external circumstances, the things we ourselves choose to do with our day generally become the things that bring us up to 100% or steal the joy and peace that could have been ours. That’s why we talk so much about intentional vs. accidental living, and embracing the things that are life-giving versus life-draining.

So make a list of your daily percentages. At the end of each day write your percentage for the past 24-hours, then list why your percentage was lower than 100%. If it’s over 100%, by all means, write that down too!

Once you recognize the trends you can make the right adjustments and start living life fully charged.

#GiANTworldwide #Leadership #success #relationships #connections #worklifebalance

The Power of Questions: Asking for Growth

The good ones evoke exploration of a new perspective, the cementing of conviction, or the reconsideration of a belief that’s never been challenged. Such introspection plays an important role in helping us reflect and grow as people and leaders. Questions surface the underlying, subconscious connections we often fail to make without prompting.

Questions to Consider

If you were a tree what kind of tree would you be? Just kidding. We’ve got a few better questions for you to chew on:

1. When you were little you most likely dreamed about what you wanted to be. Who do you want to be?

2. What things are currently keeping you from being the person, leader, spouse, or parent you want to be? Name the shackles that are keeping you from being that person and begin working your way out of them.

3. Do you see that thread still living in your family today?

4. If you could give up one thing today and walk away from it completely free, what would it be? Are there habits, hobbies, or priorities in your life that might be taking up too much of your energy, time, money, or focus?

5. What would you want your kids and grandkids to say about you once you are gone?

These are just a few thoughts meant to spark internal dialogue. Your answers are personal, but the questions are universal, so feel free to share them with others in your family or workplace. 

#GiANTworldwide #Leadership #Connections #powerofquestions #future #growth

3 Hallmarks of Healthy Culture

What is Culture?

“The one thing I am noticing is that ‘culture’ is a BIG word. It sometimes feels and seems so BIG that people often miss that it’s the people who matter most in culture. People are the culture. Their development is primary in creating and sustaining ‘culture.’ Sometimes the idea of culture can feel so mysterious and ambiguous that everyone seems to wait for it to happen instead of making it happen themselves.

I’m seeing that most have not taken the time ‘together’ — as a family, team, or organization — to define it, share it, and expect it. Culture is first and foremost about people and their personalities. People need a framework of values to share, not so that everyone will conform to a certain way of behaving, but because a commonly held framework grants the freedom to be true to themselves as well as providing a rallying cry to work for the good of each other and others.”

Hallmarks of Healthy Organizational Culture

When you boil it down, there are three major hallmarks of a healthy organizational culture:

1. Character.

2. Competence.

3. Influence.

These elements reflect a commitment to quality character, high competence, and influence wielded for the good of others. We are talking about cultivating a shift in mindset that promises responsible behavior delivered with excellence in work and an eye toward maximizing the greatest possible impact for positive transformation among employees, customers, and the broader community.

Without character, there can be no relational trust which results in failing to deliver as promised or struggling to create a positive experience for clients and employees alike (aka “lack of chemistry”). Without competence, you have no trustworthy expertise — you may be great to work with, but the quality of your product or service falls below expectations. And if you wield your influence negatively or only for selfish gain, you will not be able maintain an attractive workplace environment or brand image.

Final Thoughts

So, to sum it all up, our friend had this to say:

“Character. Competence. Influence. These three elements are crucial. If we can continue to help people ‘KNOW Themselves’ and ‘KNOW and understand each other’ Trust will build, (negative) self-preservation will fall, and people will live and lead with nothing to prove, lose, or hide.”

I don’t know about you, but that seems like a pretty good way to think about building culture, doesn’t it?

#GiANTworldwide #leadership #culture #healthyculture #relationships #character #competence #influence

How Do You Banish Regret? Don’t Wait

Don’t wait to apologize for that which you know in your heart you need to make amends.

Don’t wait to tell your kids why you love your spouse.

Don’t wait to tell someone that you love them when they need to hear it from you.

Wait a little longer to vent your thoughts and feelings if your emotions are getting the better of you.

Don’t wait to give something away to someone who needs it.

Don’t wait to quit something that you very well know you need to quit.

Don’t wait to start learning a language or reading a book that has been on your list for years.

Wait to get hooked on things that simply kill time. Just wait and invite better things to fill your day.

Don’t wait to spend time with your kids or go on a date night with your spouse.

Don’t wait to write the letter that needs to be written. You will never regret expressing what needs to be said.

Don’t wait to give more of yourself to family, friends, and colleagues. When you give it away you get far more in return.

Wait to indulge temptations of slander or malice about someone else.

Please don’t wait to give someone a word of encouragement today. Despite the day’s concerns, don’t wait to hug someone who needs it.

Most of all, don’t wait to love, and love well.

#GiANTworldwide #Leadership #connections #regrets #Lovewell #Communicatewell

4 Questions to Better Understand & Lead Your People

First and foremost it’s important to understand how people are living. Every one of us has a personal life that affects our work life, whether good or bad. Therefore, if we can foster knowledge and empathy about what’s happening beyond the work environment, we have the opportunity to encourage personal growth, which leads to professional growth.

Here are 4 simple questions to ask yourself about your colleagues and employees in order to know them on a deeper level and figure out how to fight for their highest possible good:

1.) How well does your co-worker or teammate live?

This question refers not to an economic standard of living, but rather how fully they live. Are they healthy and thriving? Or are they saddled with fear and frustration?

2.) What is their life like?

Do you really know what they are dealing with? Maybe there’s a health crisis in the family, or some sort of family drama that never seems to end, continually wearing on his or her psyche. 

3.) What does your teammate value?

Can you make a list of the things some of your co-workers value? Do you know their likes and dislikes, the things that give them a sense of purpose and intrinsic motivation? Try learning these things about your colleagues and you will find yourself more prone to communicating with greater intentionality.

4.) Based on the above, how do you think your teammate’s life affects their work?

The process of understanding how your teammates are living is vital to the process of leading. To know your team is the first stage of leading your team. When people know that you are for them then your influence multiplies and your leadership capacity grows.

Living well is a process.

You can help others live well by being “for” those around you.

#GiANTworldwide #leadership #connections #betterunderstandpeople #teammate