The Value of Intention Setting

What’s the value of intention setting? Well, for starters let’s define it. It is a process used to reach a specific goal or outcome. The aim is to increase the likelihood of achieving said intention by putting your thoughts and energy toward the desired outcome. 

How does it work? There are actually a number of ways you can approach intention setting. You can leverage meditation, visualization, or even personal affirmations. The key, however, is identifying a specific goal and then focusing your thoughts accordingly. 

My coachees are encouraged to set intentions when I commence working with them. We want everything we work on together to be aligned with an overarching theme: an intention. Do you want to earn 20% more this year? Do you want to improve your executive presence? Are you ready for that next step in your career? 

While goals may be finite, intentions are holistic. It lives and breathes with you – and you let it be the guide in your decision-making. Intention setting can help you better understand your own goals and priorities. And once you visualize and verbalize them, you’re more motivated to achieve those goals.

There are even physiological benefits to intention setting: Having clear intention(s) can decrease stress and anxiety – a sought-after goal in this day and age. Further, intention setting can revitalize your motivation, fuel your purpose, and boost your confidence. Research shows that human intention can have a profound impact on physical reality, so it really is worth the hype. 

*To intention(ing)*

The Importance of Acknowledgment

When is the last time you acknowledged a team member? 

Corporations, namely those state-side, miss the mark on acknowledgment. Unsurprisingly, this matters in management. An old-school philosophy and management tactic is to note only areas missed or errors made, foregoing the recognition of small wins and successes. Unfortunately, we’ve grown so accustomed to looking for what was done incorrectly, that we skip over all that has been done well… and this talk track and practice is then repeated as team members become managers. This approach reflects a criticism model and it’s time we phase it out. There’s undoubtedly a case to be made for acknowledgment. 

While we may associate acknowledgment with awards or moments of more notable public recognition, acknowledgment can be far less formal. In fact, the act of acknowledging can be fairly frequent. The truth is, we need to see and recognize our team members as whole people, not just people who accomplish work on our team. 

The benefits of acknowledgment include loyalty and increased team inclusion. What’s more, it’s been shown that when managers regularly acknowledge team members, the company culture takes a hit (in a good way): The act of acknowledgment encourages a ripple effect of kind discourse. When we seek to find the pieces of a job well done, we create not only more tolerance for one another, but we create a sense of belonging. 

Please do not interpret this as a call to blow smoke or ignore less-good work. Instead, this is an opportunity to change how you communicate, still with the need to be sincere and authentic. When managers make acknowledgment a regular occurrence, it’s no wonder team camaraderie follows.

Are you Transacting as a Leader?

Clients are often faced with challenging circumstances at work, and each week we use  these obstacles as learning opportunities to ensure appropriate management. Sometimes in the minutiae of every day life, it’s difficult to allow time for future planning. This is, in part, a job of mine: amidst weekly learnings about effective management and resolving conflict, intention setting is important. 

What’s interesting about the phenomenon of learning is you truly do not know what you do not know. When considering what type of leader you want to be, you might think of descriptors such as charismatic, motivational, or servanthood. But there are actually a number of formalized leadership styles. What’s the benefit of being aware of these differing styles? It allows you to reflect on what you want to be (the intention-setting part). Similar to behavior, you can change your leadership style, but not without the awareness of what direction you want to head in.

Knowing your style helps direct your decision-making, and as a leader, that is paramount. There are numerous styles of leadership that aren’t inherently good or bad—they’re just different. They all have their benefits and drawbacks, as well as their appropriate uses in certain scenarios.

Today, I am sharing information about Transactional Leadership. It is not uncommon for me to see this type of leadership, especially for high performers (who often become leaders of teams due to their impressive track record). 

Simply put, transactional leaders give X and expect Y in return. 

Transactional leaders give instructions to their team members and then use different rewards and penalties to either recognize or minimize what they do in response.

Think of a leader offering praise to applaud a job well done, or mandating that a group member handles a despised department-wide task because they missed a deadline. Rewards and punishment are the way a transactional leader thinks. 

This is a “telling” style, but is often correlated to high-result work environments. So, a natural pro is that confusion is eliminated. Tasks and expectations are clearly mapped out by the leader. An undeniable con is that with such rigidity, creativity and innovation can be stifled and trust decreases. 

Food for thought: Do you transact as a leader? Where might you be falling short?

Your Team is Fatiguing You. Now What?

Sometimes it hits us: We are pretty tired of managing our team. They each have needs, career aspirations, and opinions (strong or not), make mistakes, and need feedback. This, in part, defines the aspects that a manager can expect. We often focus on how to be grounded, to help you provide the necessary assistance your team needs and wants. But, sometimes, focusing on everyone but yourself leads to burnout. Especially when you are still responsible for your own deliverables and work streams.

What’s more, blurred boundaries and increased workloads cause stress. Additional stress seldom causes us to be the best versions of ourselves, as described in my last post. So what gives? How can you re-energize yourself to feel less fatigued and show up for your team?

First, you need to understand burnout. Burnout is a sure way to feel not only out of juice but will contribute to sparking additional conflict on your team. Next, you need to employ tactics to defuse burnout.

• Overcome your need (or desire) to micromanage.
  Surely you must set expectations and follow through on accountability. But you must also remember that if you are seeking perfection, micromanagement is its close friend. To counter micromanagement, one study suggests a decrease in meeting time. A weekly check-in is more than reasonable, but a daily run down to look at your team’s work through a microscope will only fuel the micromanagement bug.

• Make time for yourself.
  What does rest look like for you? You must make the time to rejuvenate in order to put your best foot forth for your team. Take a walk, go to the gym, spend time with friends, etc. Keep these plans in the diary each week.