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Posts tagged motivation

So You Can Judge Talent?

Dec19
2011
2 Comments Written by Steve

Talent can be judged? Think back to a time when you thought this person was going to be the cat’s meow, did they end up that way? I always thought that I could judge talent. Pick the raising star from a herd of folks! Well, it is amazing how many times I have gotten it wrong. Why? When you are judging talent, you put forth your bias toward the folks. You may find a person that is a younger version of yourself and think, well, that is the star. Take a look at the criteria that you are using to judge. Is it really fresh? Does it cover everything? Probably not. I was asked to judge a Spelling Bee for a local elementary school. I thought way not test out to see if I could pick the winner after sizing up the 12 participants. I watched and listened as they were getting ready to start (using my filters to see which one would stand out). Once again, I did not do well.

Since I normally would get it wrong, I stopped really judging and just let the work define the person. It is easier to focus my attention on the team and the folks that are the real talent will raise to the top. Set up an environment where those folks can flourish. How is that?

  • Teamwork: As the manager you need to set up a truly team atmosphere.  Have it be a collective group, that works on the complete picture. I like to involve everyone in the setting of goals, timelines and have them work together to achieve those amazing results. There are many traps to watch out for… So, it takes a lot of effort on the managers part to make sure everyone is aligned and moving in the same direction.
  • Diversity: It is something that is talked about a lot. Some folks think of this as only the different cultures, but it can include age. Make sure that when you are hiring that you keep in mind, your team. If you already have a very mature team, maybe hiring someone younger or fresh out of school – can help add to the team. You have to be willing to take chances to make the team better.
  • 8-5, no way: Don’t know any other way to put this category, it is not about being in the office from 8-5, Monday thru Friday. It is about getting the work “DONE.” It is simply about the productivity of each individual and the team as a whole. I used to have status review meetings that were about 20 minutes long. It was a simple way for the team to keep an eye on the work. Work that they knew would be coming their way and when.. Work that they could help out another, if needed. As a manager, it is great to witness the team helping each other. Mandatory hours don’t really work…
  • Set stretch goals: When the team has worked out their plan and timelines – add a stretch goal. Everyone loves challenges. When you set up the stretch goal remember to not do it every single time. Do it on those particular important ones, that could be a breakthrough or a key deliverable to help the larger organization win big. I have found that all teams, love to win big. Some pretty amazing outcomes have happened from a stretch goal that was extremely visible to the organization.

Once the environment is set, you can watch your people grow. For those that still like to judge talent and make assumptions on who is that star.. Did the star rise? Did someone else really step up? How  about the team? I have found some pretty incredible people that would have gone unnoticed if I stuck to my first impressions. I would rather have all or almost all of the team be stars… It is the team environment that you set up that is better than just your judgment.

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Posted in Leadership, New To Management - Tagged goals, Leading Teams, managing, people, predictions, team dynamics

Motivating Your Team (Workplace or Sports)!

Oct21
2011
Leave a Comment Written by Steve

Over many of my posts, I try the lessons of my experiences in managing and coaching sports teams to highlight a particular subject better. This post is more on motivating your work or sports team. What is motivation? Simply put means to “move” to a goal or end point. Motivation is part of the standard management jargon. Leaders are required to motivate their people. How is that really done?

For me, I see two very clear and different approaches.

  • Carrot and Stick Approach – Dangle that carrot out in front of the donkey (employee) and try to get him to where you want to go. Looking at what carrots we have as managers – you have raises, promotions, stock options and cash awards. Or you can use the stick (corrective action plans, written warnings). Each method may cause some movement. Effective? I doubt that any leader can really motivate for the long haul. In sports, the leaders that stand out in my mind are Bobby Knight and Bill Parcells. Each has been a winner wherever they have been. Problem is, that approach without any changes gets old very quickly (also requires participants to like that style).  When was the last time we saw that level of belittling of employees? In the old days, I do remember some leaders motivating this way.
  • Working together to achieve success. I wrote a month or so ago that I really did not see that the manager is solely responsible to motivating the team. I stand by that. The team should work together to set up achievable goals, practice or train for success, track progress and celebrate success. I have been coaching for over 20 years. My initial coaching style was tied directly to what I had experienced as a youth. That hard charging, in your face, carrot and stick style. Over the years, that style has changed significantly. I think this is where the successes with my work teams help me be a better sports team coach. I have had to learn that not all players respond to that style (and over the years there are less and less players that do respond). When I look at coaches like Mike Krzyzewski and Phil Jackson – you see them more for an even different style. Not a carrot or a stick but one of encouragement.  In order for that to work, you must get to know your players, find out their strengths, help them overcome their fears or roadblocks and provide praise for their achievements. They set expectations of their programs, players and work hard to prepare. For me it seems to work both in sports and the workplace.

For managers, I think we need both items in our leadership toolbox. There will be situations that the old carrot and stick method to help breakthrough to a higher performance that could work. Use in moderation…  Setting the foundation for moving to our overall goals is really through the encouragement of our employees. Set solid expectations, help encourage through the good and rough times and achieve. Pull in your team and have them work with you on setting up that solid foundation that you are attempting to put in place. Discuss, listen and change as needed. As managers and coaches, we just need to recognize what needs to be done and do it.

Related articles
  • Motivating (stevebellnow.com)
  • Need a Leader Checklist? (stevebellnow.com)
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Posted in Leadership, New To Management, Observations - Tagged coaching, goals, Leading Teams, managing, people

Team Dynamics

Sep26
2011
Leave a Comment Written by Steve

Have you ever just sat back and taken an assessment of your team? Thought about how well they work together (or not)? Tried to figure out how to get the team more productive? As managers, that is our biggest role in really getting our team to perform better. The better the team performance definitely demonstrates a better manager. Some would argue that maybe the manager does not play a big part in the overall performance of a team, but I do. All it takes is to look at a failing team and how quickly is it blamed on the manager. Sports usually fire the manager before it rids itself of players. Same holds true for business types, just not in the news as much. Give credit for good managers having performing teams.

So what all goes into a solid team? What can you as a manager do to have the greatest impact? For me, there are a number of web based tools out there that can help you walk through an assessment of your team’s dynamics. Do a Bing or Google search – I have used many different types. There is not one that I have found that is a great one stop shop that I would recommend over the others. Each assessment tool is just that a tool to help you identify areas of potential work that needs to be done. First and foremost, you as the manager, need to find a quiet spot and clear your head of everything. You need to really be honest with “your” assessment of your team. Remember the end goal is to make your team perform better, rather than making you think they are better. Once you are ready, grab one of those assessments and walk through your team’s dynamics.

What did you find? I have written my Leadership Checklist to help me (and others) to help make sure that the manager (you) are doing your part in the process. Look it over, hopefully you are doing those and everything else.

One of the areas that I want this post to focus on is something that most assessment really struggle to cover. It centers on how tight the friendships are with your team. I want you to think back when you were growing up with your friends. When there were two friends working together was fairly easy. Do you have only a two person team? Normally not. So, when a third friend came in, how did that go? Usually after awhile stuff ended up two against one. Do you have a three person team? Probably not. Add more folks to the mix and the team starts to break up in to smaller sub teams. Something to watch out for. That is not always a bad thing, if the team is working for the good of all…

Friendships have its positive effects:

  • Friends usually communicate better together. Drawing others into the discussions. Gives the team a good “social” feel. People usually enjoy working together. Which has an impact on behavior and results.

There are negative effects as well:

  • With a team of 3 or more there is a feeling of being excluded. Remember growing up… Maybe it was not you feeling excluded, but did someone feel excluded? Causing not all of the team to participate in decision-making. You can easily start to have sub-groups forming. Causing communication to further breakdown. Now information will not flow freely among the team. The teams overall performance will suffer, count on it.

When you are sitting down thinking about your team and that assessment, remember to revisit the natural factors of friendship and how it will influence the overall team. With the positive you would rather have inclusion… Exclusion is just plain wrong.

Related articles
  • Need a Leader Checklist? (stevebellnow.com)
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Posted in Leadership, New To Management, Observations - Tagged challenges, communication, feedback, goals, Leadership, Leading Teams, people, team dynamics, teambuilding, thoughts

Need a Leader Checklist?

Sep08
2011
Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I started looking over my leadership and managing teams blog posts and started to notice that I probably should put an overall leader checklist to it. I have had the extreme privilege of leading many different teams and organizations. When I first started out, I used to think about what I would want to see… Since I was an ace-doer that was promoted to supervisor – I had a good feeling what I as a member of the team would want to see from my supervisor. Over the years, I have expanded my reach and experiences. No longer was an ace-doer for the organizations that I belonged. I was hired not for doing the work, but leading the team to get the work done. I needed to change and add to my start up of those teams. Reflecting back, I started to see that checklist come to me.

Here is that leader checklist:

  1. Articulate a vision: Formulate a clear and persuasive vision and communicate it to all members of the team. Most organizations may already have a vision statement or mission statement. Look it over. Ask your team to communicate it back to you. See what is missing and come up with that vision that fits the team, organization and you (as the leader).
  2. Think and act strategically: Get ready to make your vision a reality. Time to set up goals that achieve that vision, both is the short and long term. Don’t forget to consider all the players and anticipate reactions and resistance before they are manifest. Being prepared is key to success.
  3. Honor the team: Frequently express your confidence in and support for those who work with and for you. Use your team to help with every step you take.
  4. Take charge: Make sure to set up a workplace environment that is about action (getting stuff done).
  5. Act decisively: Make good and timely decisions, and ensure that they are executed.
  6. Communicate persuasively: Communicate, communicate, communicate. Easier said than done. Look for ways to insure that communicate happens and people never forget. This is one area that I have experimented everyday of my life. Just make sure that how you do it is simple and the messages are clear.
  7. Motivate the team: Set up a workplace environment that your team can not wait to come to work. Enjoys getting their work done.
  8. Embrace the front lines: The one thing that I remembered before I was a supervisor was how most supervisors did not spend anytime with the team. They did not let the team do anything other than run the equipment. I promised myself that I would never do that. Including the team is something that I feel is necessary for success.
  9. Build leadership in others: Develop leadership throughout. Have no fear in losing your folks to higher opportunities.
  10. Manage relations: Build enduring personal ties with those who look to you and work to harness the feelings and passions of the workplace.
  11. Identify personal implications: Help everybody appreciate the impact that the vision and strategy are likely to have on their own work and future with the firm.
  12. Convey your character: Being yourself. Make sure that in everything you do (communications and actions) should point to who you are. Your team should get to know you – through you.
  13. Keeping it real: Make sure that you never let over-optimism pop into your team. Success breeds success, but watch out threats, unresolved problems and taking unwarranted risks.
  14. Build a diverse team: Leadership is a team sport.. Make sure that your team is willing to be leaders in their particular area. Make sure that your team is not clones of yourself, get and welcome a diverse team.

Walking into a new situation or team can be a little scary. New anything gets the heart pumping. I look forward to these opportunities. Makes me think back and reflect (and practice) my checklist… Try it!

Posted in Leadership, New To Management - Tagged action, communication, Decision making, fear, goals, Leadership, Leading Teams, listening, managing, people, relationship, team dynamics, teambuilding, thoughts

Motivating

Aug23
2011
Leave a Comment Written by Steve

image from Flickr via jk_photos

I have been thinking about his topic for awhile, motivating your team. When I was asked in an interview about how I motivate more team, I tried to answer it this way. “Motivating the team is a bit tricky. I don’t think that the manager has the responsibility to motivate their employees. They need to create an environment that is motivating to their team. Motivation is more internal. I like to insure that my team has the work environment that helps them be motivated to do their best.” Okay, before you go and attack that answer – there is more to the answer – just coming a bit later on. When I think of it is the manager’s responsibility to motivate his employee’s – I think of my time as a coach of youth sports and my time as a company commander in a training company.  We all have seen coaches that are in your face – either cheering you on or screaming instructions to help get you to do what you want. I got some up close and personal experience watching drill sergeants motivate their trainees (see picture). Is that motivating? Would you like to have that be your manager’s style at the office? I believe that the successful coaches are the ones that have instilled an outstanding work environment that helps the player to motivate themselves. Much like my answer.

Getting back to my answer.. I really think there are some fundamental items that I like to insure that my team environment has…

  • Open and Direct Communications : How many times have you heard, “I didn’t know that?” Or maybe, “if they would just communicate with us, we could get that done?” Old school management.. Tell your employees just what they need to know, nothing more, nothing less. Well, that does not work! Never really did.. Be very open and direct in your communications. Tell them everything. What harm is there in doing so? This also will help your employees see that they can tell you stuff as well. There have been many times I have learned something from them that I did not think of – just because we had a open and direct communications.
  • Set a Good Example: As the manager, you really are out front and your team is watching and listening to you. It may sound silly, but how you present yourself in the beginning of the day will set the tone for your team the rest of the day. I know that not everyday is going to be perfect.. There will be something that happens (either at home or on the way to work) that will challenge you to be positive. You have to check all that before meeting your team.
  • Saying “Thank-You”: Doesn’t cost a lot to say thanks for a job well done. Times are tough this days, not everyone has a budget to help out with giving away cash, gifts or raises. Saying “thanks” goes a long way. I learned early on, that I truly perked up when I was given a thank you. Hand written notes, email or just hearing the words worked for me. I started insuring that I did the same for my folks (they like it too). When times get better – or when the time is right – step up that thank you to something more (gift cards, cash, lunch).
  • Give your time: What do you really have as a manager – your time. So, give that time to your employees. Work with them to build a solid working relationship. Help to understand what their passions and goals are. Help them develop and grow professionally. Your time will be well spent!
  • Get dirty: I used to really enjoy getting in there and helping out from time to time. When I was in manufacturing, we had a senior manager that made it a priority that all supervisors and managers would work on the manufacturing line at the end of the month. Clear your calendars, get trained and do the work that your teams do! I looked forward to it. Watching the senior managers work along side the team – was a eye opening experience for all. Roll up your sleeves and do what the team does.

When I left the interview, and was driving home, I thought of a couple of more items that I do that just did not come to me.

  • Look for some fun volunteer activities: I had this one time, that really rallied around one cause. We happened to have a team member that had a child with a disability. We wanted to help – so we decided to step away from the day to day work – to help out with the school that this team members child went to. Everyone was excited to help out. We had a great day! You could see your team in a different environment and watch their interactions. It was an eye opening experience for everyone. Plus we helped out a school in need. I am always looking for those opportunities.
  • Tie everything to the big picture (without losing sight of the little picture): Making sure to tie the work that the team is doing to the companies big picture. The little picture is really the team as a whole. We all like to know that we are working on something bigger than ourselves. Make sure to paint those pictures!

There is no silver bullet for motivating your employees. Don’t look for it. Spend time working on your team environment and maybe that will help you to increase the internal motivation of your employees.

Posted in Leadership, New To Management - Tagged coaching, fun, goals, Leading Teams, listening, managing, teambuilding

You’re NOT The Boss – Lead Anyways

Jul21
2011
5 Comments Written by Steve

Are you a project manager? How about a person that leads the a team without the title of manager? I was a very lucky manager to have working for me, some awesome project managers. They did not have a staff of folks that worked for them – they got their resources from Resource Managers. Those project managers would share their concerns, issues and successes with me on a regular basis. How many projects do you think were 100% spot on for complete success? That answer will be coming in a later paragraph – sorry..

How does a project manager really get their team to be successful? How do they make stuff happen without having their team reporting directly to them? There are some initial basics that each team needs to have to be success:

  • Goals are clearly defined and matched with measurable outcomes. Basic project management tools help to make sure that this is written down. How do they really get everyone on board – that is the trick. My best project managers used to pull everyone in for complete understanding and formulation of the project charter, outcomes and deliverable’s - as a collaborative effort. Making sure to really focus on Tuckman’s model of forming and storming… Make sure that you have set realistic expectations..
  • Accurate 2-way communication. Setting up the working norms for the project team. Could be meeting workspaces, social media group or anything that everyone felt comfortable using. The project manager set up regular review meetings that were short and focused. Meetings do not mean work gets done. Regular one on one discussions are scheduled – around the critical milestones. Of course we have the normal communication channels – the hallway, email, phone and cafe – but if you have a dispersed team – those channels need some TLC to work.
  • Cooperation and collaboration. Probably the single hardest thing is getting work done through people. Since you are responsible, as the project manager, you need to move the team from storming to performing as quickly as possible. Getting everyone to be all in. I usually see good project managers – meeting with their team one on one to fully get to know the person. Understanding them and how they work to help move forward. Spending lots of time listening and understanding. Taking that knowledge and applying it to the the team as a whole. Reviews can be a good thing, if structured well, (I like them rapid fire). Focus on encouraging dialog among team members on the time-lines and deliverable’s.
  • Shared identity. I know this seems somewhat cheesy, but having a team name, maybe a logo or something to identify helps. When working with shared resources – the more you can make those resources feel special – the better off you will be.
  • Celebrate and recognize extra effort. Want to keep your folks motivated to keep on keeping on track – when something special happens – celebrate.. Award the team or set of individuals on the above and beyond effort. Praise never hurt anyone.. Just be fair and consistent.
Back to the question on success rate. Not every project manager has achieved 100% spot on project management. It just does not happen. What does happen is leading their team is a lot easier if they focus on the above. 
Posted in Leadership, Observations - Tagged accountability, collaboration, goals, people, Project management, Project manager, team dynamics

Pressure Moments – How Do You Do?

Jun16
2011
Leave a Comment Written by Steve

As a leader of your team – many eyes are on you from many different angles. You have your team, your manager, your support groups and even your customers. How YOU behavior is important. Decisions can be tough.  Everyone can do a pretty effective job of leading their team if there are no pressures. Working with your team can be difficult at times.  Some key contributors are out. The team is just not getting along as well as it should. Overloaded “to do” list can really make meeting your deadlines a bit tough. There are some many more pressures that can hit you that can make anything seem impossible. Your words and actions during these times are what is truly key to your success as a leader. Remember, everyone is watching.

How do you normally react doing those tough times?

  • Maybe a little short with answers to questions?
  • How about frustrated when things are not going right?
  • Start micro-managing your team?
  • Little slow with answers to tough decisions?
  • Take a day off when a key deadline is due?

Hopefully you did not say yes to any of these behaviors. These were not made up examples, I have seen them throughout my working career. I can almost put a face and a name to each of them. As I have written in past blog posts, learning from ours examples (both failure and success) can be very helpful to you in the future. I have taken those bad examples above and changed up how I perform under extremely pressure.

What I typically do is:

  • Insure that the pressures that I am under are not outwardly visible to my team. I try to maintain my positive and cheerful attitude everyday that I in the office.
  • Sometimes this is extremely difficult, at the very least, I communicate to my team what is going on. Letting them know the pressures and how they can help, usually is a good thing.
  • Come in a bit early and stay late if needed. I always like to get in early to help me with quiet time. Helps me focus on what is important. I want my team to understand that I am here, no matter what.
  • Prioritizing and delegating workloads. Work assignments may need to be shifted in order to meet some extreme deadlines. Asking the team their input on how best to accomplish this has been helpful in the past. Sometimes, a team member may have a skill in something that they don’t especially care for doing, but when times are tough – they step up and get it done.
  • Pressure situations need to bring out some creative solutions – more minds working on that creative solution the better.
  • Most importantly – Be myself! At the end of the day, your character and being true to yourself is what matters. If I am not happy with myself for any reason – I am the only person that can fix it.

How best do you handle those pressure moments?

 

Posted in Leadership, New To Management - Tagged action, challenges, communication, Leading Teams, listening, managing, micro-managing, people, performance planning, trust

Doing It Too!

Jun08
2011
Leave a Comment Written by Steve

Ever have a supervisor that never walked in your shoes? Ever have a supervisor that loved to tell you have to do something, but did not know how to do it themselves? Over the years, I have had plenty of them. Usually not for long! I just don’t understand how any supervisor can lead his/her team without doing the work too. I have always done exactly what my people have done. Building credibility with your team is extremely important!

It started back in that very first assignment as a new second lieutenant in the US Army. My assignment was motor pool officer in a reserve engineering company. We had plenty of vehicles and a bulldozer. I went out and got certified to operate every one of them. My commander was shocked by this. It sort of chalked it up to brand new reservist. Later on, the commander came to realize that this was a good thing. My platoon was working well – they aced everything that was set in front of them. It was something that had not done in quite sometime. Our Inspector General inspection was that first fall and I was tasked with taking the inspectors through the motor pool paperwork, equipment inspections and whatever they wanted. We aced that too! In fact, the Inspector General called out the fact that I was certified on everything and actually performed operation of the bulldozer perfectly. Having heard that and watching how well my platoon worked together – I learned that this was a good thing. I continued this practice with every other position that I had since.

Sometimes I would get some very strange looks from my managers. Why are you doing that? I would always bring up that very first ever work assignment with the US Army… I would make them a promise that it would work or they could find someone else to do my job. I am still surprised to this day, that many managers do not take them time to learn how, perform the tasks and understand exactly what has to happen to get the work done.

If there is one simple piece of advice to get to any new manager – walk a mile or so in the shoes of your team. Get to know exactly what they are doing. If you company has a certification program for the work – complete it. The time that you spend doing that were be paid back to you ten-fold. Your team will thank you. You will have a better understanding of how all the pieces fit together. You will also be a resource to making the work get done – if needed. All good stuff for a team!

Posted in Leadership, New To Management - Tagged Leading Teams, managing, team dynamics, trust

Performance Reviews – Keep or Get Rid of?

May09
2011
3 Comments Written by Steve

Over the past 28 years, I have had to write many and receive a performance review. I have heard from many folks inside the company (and some experts outside) that performance reviews do more harm than good. I don’t have much experience of “no” performance review. When going up and going to school – we always got report cards! College was no different – report card. Some job applications still want to know what your GPA was from those days. When I went into the military – I got reviewed every year. As an officer, I had to write and deliver those reviews for my people. Go off to work in Corporate America, Intel, and performance appraisals were in place. I have never not had a review of one form or another… Maybe my opinion is bias, maybe it is just all that I know. I believe that the performance review is a necessary tool for any manager.

Why?

  • Provides a documented assessment of the overall performance that the individual has performed over the past 12 months.
  • Backs up the overall normal performance management that you as a manager should be doing throughout the year.
  • Gives feedback on overall performance relative to their peers (at least everyone that I have been associated with – have). That was the most meaningful piece of feedback to me. I had some understanding of how well (or not) I was doing within the team, but this feedback helped me with an outside set of eyes.
  • Helped build on my strengths.. Let me focus on the areas that need to improve on – that we important to my job.

Maybe it was me, maybe it is my competitive spirit or maybe I have to “see” how well I am doing! I ran across a this study – This paper examines the impact of performance reviews on productivity, and finds that feedback delivered on a regular basis, whether positive or negative, tends to result in improved performance. On a short-term basis, though, the impact varies, sometimes in ways that are counter-intuitive: Positive reviews, for example, do little to boost productivity, and negative reviews that are somewhat vague and indirect cause performance to fall off, but reviews that are directly negative cause productivity to leap. The research offers guidance to managers concerning the pitfalls and potential benefits in framing their messages in reviews, and suggests there is a need to provide feedback on a frequent basis.

For me, I still believe that performance reviews are necessary.. If done right are a powerful tool in your manager toolbox. What say you?

Posted in Leadership, New To Management, Observations - Tagged communication, managing, performance appraisal

Teacher Appreciation Week! What I have learned…

May02
2011
Leave a Comment Written by Steve
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Today kicks off Teacher Appreciation Week! I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you the lessons I have learned from teachers that apply to leadership. My wife has been teaching for awhile now.. She has been an outstanding teacher for many years (I am not bias in anyway). This feedback comes straight from the parents, other teachers, her administration and the fact that year after year her students come back to say hi or update her on their progress. Looking at what she does and how she does it is amazing. It got me thinking about some of the teachers I had when I was growing up and in college. So, here is a list of the things that I think leaders could learn from teachers:

  • Believe in their students. When did you do your best work? Most of the time you did your best work when you knew that your teacher, your boss or coach believed in you. Knowing that the person of influence believes in you makes it special to you. Your potential is tapped! My wife has high expectations of her students and she knows that they can do it (even if others don’t think so).
  • Care about their students success. Completely vested in the students success. I watch and listen to how much my wife cares about each student making progress or better yet exceeding standards. When the test scores come in – she is really excited to see their success. She also is a little disappointed (well, more than a little) when success is only at standard. She has to be reminded that look at the overall progress.
  • Love what they teach. The passion for teaching does not come from the money that is made! The passion comes from teaching subjects that they love. Sharing their passion for what they are doing to those that are in the classroom. Ever just sit in the back of a classroom and observe? Let me tell you the great teachers really excel are sharing their passion of that subject.
  • Make learning fun. I look at the creative ways that my wife takes lessons and makes them fun for the students. Learning can be fun! It does not have to be drill or ground and pound. Getting the lesson to be fun for the students sets up the learning experience better. For me, the best working environment is a fun environment. I want to come to that place…
  • Make learning very partical and useful. One small disclaimer – some subjects are much easier to do this with. The best teachers really explain what they are teaching in a way that the students understand. Once that lightbulb comes on – then that teacher knows they have a student hooked.

Watching my wife and other great teachers over the years, has helped me be better at leading my teams. I look at her classroom from the beginning of the year and thoughout the year til the end – look at the progress of the students, look at the maturity improvements and teamwork that is demonstrated – and say well done! Really, well done!

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Posted in Leadership, Observations - Tagged challenges, coaching, communication, education, fun, goals, reflections, thoughts
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