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Leadership Lessons From 2020

Let’s face it, 2020 was nothing less than interesting for most. A bit challenging and hard in many ways, especially for businesses. It has been the year for a lot of firsts as well. For instance, if you work for a business that is always used to going into the office, you may have been forced to go remote.

There are many challenges to working remotely, especially if it is not normal for you. Trying to connect, reinforce, and lead remotely is a hard thing to do. Although it’s been a year for the books, there have been some leadership lessons that have been learned through the course of 2020.

Taught Us To Not Waste Our Time 

Time is a very valuable thing, and people have known that for years. But, the recent events of 2020, it has shown us even more how precious our time is.

Don’t hesitate to chase your dreams or take a chance on something. You never know when that possibility won’t be available again.

Don’t Take Human Interaction For Granted 

Creating friendships and bonds with people is important, and to some, they may not have realized how important until now. Friends are a vital part of communication and having someone to talk to when you are stressed. With social distancing being needed for a good part of the year, it has isolated many people from human interaction.

Changed Many People’s Mindsets 

If you are someone who lost their job or had to take some time off during the 2020 pandemic, it may have given you time to dive into a lost interest you have. Sometimes we can drift from our visions of ourselves due to the need for a more stable income or that dream just wasn’t available at the time. This time out of your busy life may have just given you the opportunity to shift your mindset to something else.

Empathy Can Go A Long Way 

There has been so much to be shown through 2020. Many people’s lives have drastically changed and have been a hardship throughout this year. Losing jobs, getting sick, or having family members who are sick. Our words can be very powerful and should be thought about before they are spoken. Empathy towards others can really make a difference in someone’s day.

Please share your comments with us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Decision Leaders Are Chief Architects

If you are someone in charge of making major decisions, it can be a very stressful job to hold. You have to present your ideas and decisions to people and hope they agree. It is not always easy to get multiple people to all think alike and agree on one main purpose.

That is where you have to be creative; you have to be the architect of the decision. If you are a leader of an organization, be proactive in order to help everyone agree. Present things in a way that everyone is involved.

What Does That Mean?

A lot of times the presentation of an idea is all it takes to make it a home run. If you just boringly present an idea without enthusiasm and a great presentation, people are going to argue or disagree with their different ideas. Everyone wants to have their way with things.

When you are presenting an idea, be an architect, and design it to be just right. Make it an offer that they can’t deny. Creativity and presentation is the main goal of being a decision leader.

Lay It All Out

When you are presenting a decision, you should make sure that the point is well presented. Making sure that everyone is understanding it fully. Let the details be clear and the plans very well explained.

Have a detailed list and record of all the decisions that were made, and why they were made. This will help everyone to fully understand exactly what all went into the overall decision. You are the decision leader and presenting it in the right way is very important.

Do Your Best

Architects design things, when you architect a decision, you are designing it. All in all, the presentation of a decision that you have made, has to be eye-catching. When you can show all the ins and outs of how you came to your decision, you are more likely to get more people on board with you.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

3 Ways To Spot A Potential Toxic Hire

Hiring an employee for your business is a big decision. It can end up costing you more money than gain by hiring a toxic employee. There are some areas that you can pay attention to when you are hiring an employee to help you avoid a big mistake. You can ask certain questions and look for different characteristics that can help you notice toxic traits.

Definition Of A Toxic Employee

A toxic employee won’t be a good addition to your business, because they don’t comply with your values and vision that you have. If they are not willing to work as a team, be honest, and respect your values, they are going to hurt your business more than benefit. Pay attention to what they are telling you and how they portray themselves during the interview.

Do They Fit Your Vision?

Interviewing a potential employee can be a stressful and exciting time. The vision that you have for your business should reflect on the employees that you hire. Ask them questions that help you see if they fit into that vision. Their personality will either match your vision or clash with it.

• Are you looking for elegancy?
• Are you looking for peacefulness?
• Are you looking for serenity?

If the person’s energy or personality doesn’t reflect the vision that you have for the atmosphere of your business, it probably isn’t the right choice. It doesn’t mean anything bad towards the individual, it just means they would be toxic to the vision that you have for your business.

Do They Respect Your Value?

When you are interviewing, ask them about themselves. Don’t go into much detail about what you are looking for in the employee. Let them tell you about the values that they have and how they portrayed themselves at previous jobs.

People will try and tell you what you want to hear if you tell them ahead of time what you are looking for. To get a real idea of their actual values is to talk with them. Pay attention to the answers and base your decision on them.

Are They Vulnerable?

Honest employees are probably on the top of any employer’s list. You should be able to trust the employee to be upfront and honest about things when they are on the job. Everyone is going to claim to be honest when asked, but telling about their weaknesses is a great way to really know about them. You will be able to see how forward and honest they are willing to be with you about past mistakes.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Mental Health Coverage In The Workplace

Mental health is something that more places and people should pay attention to. Especially right now with the global pandemic. People are spending more and more time isolated and alone. That is something that can really put a toll on people who struggle with depression and other mental health problems.

It is a more widespread problem that people face than is talked about. People don’t like to openly admit that they are suffering from a mental health problem. The SAMHSA recorded that one in every four people in the world is struggling with some sort of mental health diagnosis.

Mental Health

These disorders go unnoticed so often, depression is one that people don’t openly tell you they are struggling with. They feel embarrassed or ashamed, but it can lead to much worse situations. Suicide is growing at a rapid rate every year.

It has been recorded that 60% of suicide deaths were by people who were depressed. COVID is not helping in that percentage. The pandemic has also caused a lot of anxiety and anxiousness in people.

How It Affects The Workplace

When people are experiencing large amounts of stress, depression, or anxiety, they are not going to benefit the business as much as they could. They may be missing days of work due to their mental health. Even when they are there, they may not be accomplishing as much as they could because they are so distracted.

There are a variety of different kinds of mental health problems that people can face. The way that it affects them is going to be different for everyone too. Some of the major ones that people are facing are:

• Anxiety
• Panic Disorder
• Depression
• Bipolar
• Eating Disorder
• Phobias
• PTSD

Coverage for Mental Health

Some places have coverage in place and some don’t. It is a very important service that people should have the opportunity to take advantage of. In the past, it has always been something that shouldn’t be talked about in the workplace. Instead, in the current times, it is important to check in with people. Ask them things like:

• How Are You?
• Let’s Talk?
• Are you Okay?
• Do You Need Anything?

The current situations that are happening due to COVID-19 have caused a rise in many mental health problems for people. Workplaces can improve their productivity by making these services more available. When employees feel like they are being treated right, they are more likely going to be a better employee.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Building Trust While Working Remotely

With the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses are still working remotely. Some places have been using remote technology for many years and some are in a learning process through this. In many cases, businesses are realizing that they can work just as well remotely as in the office.

There is one thing that stands true though; you have to build a sense of trust with your employees that they are following protocol even at home. Trust is something that you build with someone usually in person, but working remotely puts a challenging twist on that. Some of the ways that you can still trust and even build trust in someone while at a distance are explained below.

Be Predictable

Being predictable in your job is a great way to build trust with your work peers. When you show up every day on time it can help to build trust, even if it is on the computer. Always try to be available during your working hours and following through with deadlines is critical.

Working from home is a whole new world for many people. Many have kids home and other family members home as well. It can be hard to find your groove and stay focused at home. Try to be predictable and be there when you are needed.

Stay In Touch

When you are working in person, you get to learn from people and know them. Working remotely makes that a little bit different. You have to get to know people through a computer screen. Keeping in touch with your fellow employees can help them to build trust in you.

You build friendships with people when working together, even if it is just a work friendship. When you begin remotely working, you are not able to do that the same way. Checking in with people and seeing how they are doing can help to not only build trust but encourage one another through this difficult time.

Be Supportive

As mentioned above, this is a whole new concept for many people. Whether it is for you or not, be supportive of one another. Not everyone does well with change. It may be a harder task to work from home than others. Don’t harass or put down others for struggles, try to uplift them and help them when they need it. Trust is built through supportive measures as well.

Please share your comments with us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Running a business requires a lot of work regardless of whether you have a small company or a large one. All of them require you to put in a lot of hours to have things running and going as smoothly as possible. When it comes to finding ways to reduce costs for the company, it may require you to become more creative.

Thinking about the ways that you can cut back in certain areas or completely weed out costs in places can take some time. In the middle of the year is usually a good time as a business to start exploring these areas you can save in. In this article, we will go over some tips on how you can cut back in places.

Check Insurance Prices

Depending on where you have your insurance, you may be able to shop around and save some money. Call around to a variety of different places and see what rate they can give you. Just because you are checking into these doesn’t mean you have to switch providers, call your current company and see if they will match the rate for you.

Technology Can Help To Reduce Expenses

When you run a company that deals with a lot of business travel for meetings and such, you could cut back by utilizing the technology that is available these days. Instead of going to the client in person, try using zoom or other facetime applications to have meetings. You could cut out the amount of money you are spending to travel to these areas.

Right now, the world is in a place where it is not wanting a lot of in-person business relations with people that don’t work together daily. It is the perfect chance to give virtual meetings a try if you haven’t already. Not meeting with your clients & customers can cause you to lose money. Virtual meetings can save money and time by still having your meeting.

Save Money On Marketing

Hiring a company to help you market your business or purchasing an ad in a paper, magazine, or billboard can cost your business a large amount of money each month. Nowadays you have the ability to utilize free marketing options. Social media is such a popular thing right now and you can almost guarantee that someone is going to see your ad or even share it, when you have it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Of course, time is money and if you don’t have the time, your money may work better for you by utilizing a professional.

These are a few ways you can reduce the costs for your company. Anytime you can reduce the costs, it will increase your profits.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Everyone can agree that being in a management position comes with a lot of responsibilities. It can also bring on stress and anxiety. Having a good relationship on a professional level with the employees can help things run more smoothly. People will tend to work harder and more efficiently when they feel heard and valued.

Businesses will hit roadblocks and present with issues when management is run in the wrong way. Sometimes it is hard to find the line between personable and over the top when it comes to being in a management position. Here is a list of some things that you should try to focus on not doing as a manager.

1. Always Micro-Managing

It is your job as the manager to keep things on track and make sure jobs are getting done. But, if you spend all day going behind everyone making sure their job is done the way you want it, your employees may feel that you don’t trust them to do their jobs. If your employees feel that they are trusted to do their job and you believe in them will result in them giving you better results on their work. 

2. Bad Communication

Communication is key in things running smoothly. If someone doesn’t understand the job they are supposed to do, they can’t give it their best effort. Making sure that your employees understand that they can come to you and ask questions if they are confused. Leaving an open line of communication, instead of feeling as though they can’t come to you.

It can help if you give positive feedback to them as they are doing their jobs. Such as encouragement when they are doing a good job on something. Even if some correction or change of direction is needed, doing so in a positive way can keep employees encouraged. Some ways to communicate with your employees are:

• Keep your employees in the loop
• Give the positive feedback (or negative if needed in a nice way)
• Make Expectations clear

3. Lack of Humor

This may seem like a strange one to need for good management. Having a dry sense of humor can leave your employees stressed and uncomfortable when you are in the room. Humor can give the vibe that you are confident, personable, and approachable by people. You want your employees to be comfortable with you.

Please share your comments with us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Covid-19 hit everyone hard and left many businesses in a predicament. Some places aren’t opening back up, some are open, and some are just now opening. This time has been a struggle for many people and businesses to stay afloat.

On the other hand, it has given places a chance to have time to think about the way things are being done inside of their business. Rules may change, policies might be different, or upgrades could have been made. Whatever is going on whether it’s the same or changing, communication is key to running a successful business.

Communicate With Your Employees

During this whole pandemic, people have lost their jobs and didn’t have anything to fall back on. Which has left them in a stressful situation during the shutdown. Things took an abrupt halt in life and left some people completely unprepared. That is a scary situation and it isn’t over yet even though things are opening back up.

As you begin/continue to bring your employees back into the workplace, make sure you keep open communication with them. They need to know what to expect at this time when no one knows what tomorrow holds.

Even though there may still be uncertainty about the future, let them be aware of as much as you can tell them. For instance, make sure that they are clear about protocols and policies that may have changed. Also, what happens if there is another shut done and what your business plans to do if that happens.

How To Communicate

As you navigate with your fellow co-workers and employees, it is important to be open and communicate often with them. Everyone is experiencing the same uncertainty and has similar concerns. Some ways that you can communicate with them is:

• Make The Plan To Return Very Clear To Employees
• Communicate With Them About How They Can Ask About Concerns
• Talking To Employees On A Regular Basis To Check In
• Accept Feedback From Employees
• Make Their Wellbeing The Focus
• Let Employees Know Where They Can Go For Help If Needed

You may not know what to say or how to say it, but that’s okay. The only thing that can be done is to go about it with an open mind and truthful communication. People are going to be returning to a whole new atmosphere in some cases, and some may not be returning at all.

Listening to your employees’ questions and concerns will help everyone reduce stress & anxiety.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

In a world where face to face meetings have become less and less of the norm, learning to do things remotely has become more and more important. Executives have had to learn ways to lead and guide their teams from a distance. Ensuring that their junior team members don’t stop learning or growing their careers is important

Sponsoring their proteges from a distance can be challenging, but is totally doable with today’s technology. A sponsor’s job is to provide a long-term relationship to the protege and to provide support and recommend them in order to help advance their career opportunities. It has been said that a mentor talks to you and a sponsor is someone who talks about you.

Develop A Relationship

One of the biggest problems with sponsoring a protege remotely is the cliche “out of sight, out of mind”.

With all of the technology that is available today keeping in touch is easier and more convenient than ever. Staying top of mind can be accomplished with weekly video meetings. It can have advantages to ask our protege to write a one page biography of themselves.

A Sponsor may not be totally aware of all of the assets of their protege. It is much easier to promote someone you know. Someone that you have a relationship with and know all about them.

Commitment

It is important that your protege knows you are committed to see him or her become all that they can be. Knowing you are committed will encourage them to give 110%. A good way to show this is to introduce them to an executive or important client while talking up their assets.

Another way to show your commitment is to find a project that they have not been a part of and inviting them to be a part of it. That way they have greater exposure within the company. Letting them know how committed to them you are.

Give and Take

As you are remotely sponsoring your protege there is a certain amount of work, time, and energy that you must put into them, but keep in mind it is a give and take situation. A junior manager or executive with a sponsor is 21% more likely to advance in their career than a junior manager without a sponsor. It goes both ways as an executive that sponsors a protege is 53% more likely to advance in their own careers than an executive without a protege.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

3 Tips Every Leader Should Know When Managing A Remote Team

Right now, things are different in the world than people are used to. Many people who worked at home, are now working from home with kids and other distractions at home. Then there are the ones who aren’t used to working at home, that is now remote working and trying to navigate this new work life. To say it is stressful is an understatement.

When you are the one in charge and managing a team of employees who are working remotely can be challenging as well. Without face-to-face communication, translation can sometimes get lost. Here are some simple easy tips to help when you are the leader of a remote team.

1. Communication is Key

You cannot run a business without communication, much less a remote one. People need to know what’s going on and what is expected of them. If your team is already a custom to working remotely, just talk to them from time to time and check-in.

There is so much going on now with families all home together. If they are new to this remote working lifestyle, talk to them often, make sure they are running smoothly. It doesn’t always have to be a big deal worth of communication, just send an email, text, phone call, or zoom to make sure everything is on point.

2. Make Sure They Know How Everything Works

There is nothing like going home to work where you don’t have your co-workers or leadership models to ask questions to. If you have a question about an assignment, a project, or how a system works, you don’t have those people to ask as easily when you are at home.

Some businesses work remotely no matter the state of the world, so it is important to have frequent check-in’s, in the beginning, to make sure they aren’t getting lost or behind. Same for temporary remote workers, it can be a difficult transfer. Just make sure that they have resources that they can refer to if they need help.

3. Be A Cheerleader For Them

Sometimes all someone needs is a little bit of encouragement. The simple gesture of telling them they are doing a great job and you appreciate their hard work can go a long way. When you are working from home, you can feel stress and fear of doing something incorrectly. Just dropping in every now and then to tell them how well they are doing can be all that is needed.

“Whenever you see a successful person you only see the public glories, never the private sacrifices to reach them.” –Vaibhav Shah

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.