360° Blogs

The Podcast Journey begins…

Check out NextProgression by T.E.A.M Outlaw! We were totally honored and delighted to join Micki Woods on her Body Bangin’ Podcast! Like Micki, we have enJ.O.Yed the privilege to work with many participants in The Collision Repair Industry.

Listen, the people who restore vehicles to pre-accident condition are skilled craftsman and detailed creative professionals who provide personal assurance to car owners that their ‘banged up’ vehicles can be restored to pre-accident condition. In some cases, the vehicle will be restored even better than before the accident – that scratch or ding you’ve been living with because “shyt happens”.

Our work in the business of people has been sheer J.O.Y to share our values-based, servant leadership principles to cultivate a culture of teamwork around a shared purpose. At the end of the day, it comes the collective of individual C.H.O.I.C.E that serves a purpose as well as creates expected outcomes. It is quite humbling to see a team’s energy and engagement switch on a dime when the people develop clarity of how their role, and the choices they make, fit in the puzzle of a bigger picture to deliver value correctly on time….and they execute to W.I.N!

We’re privileged to witness careers expand, cultures uplifted, people more excited and fulfilled in their roles as businesses expand through cultivated growth connecting People, Purpose and Process. That’s what we call Climbing The Performance Mountain as a Plural ONE!

Press Download below to play the audio! Thanks Micki for having us on your show.

Moving from Challenge to Opportunity

Climb higher and hurdle the obstacles so you can find the F.L.O.W! Step By Step….set your sights, climb higher, hurdle the bumps so you can flow through the valleys from higher heights For all challenges, there IS a solution.

Every problem has a solution. If you are alive with a fresh breath, sound mind and reading this post, your life is living proof of this fact. Do you agree? Think about the hurdles you have overcome, the problems you have worked through and you got to the other side. Every problem has a solutions. Is that a motto you can face all challenges and fears with? Why not embrace this motto as a way of life? It’ll assist you to hold on to the rails step by step.

Regardless of the challenge we face, I believe with all my heart that a solution exists. I believe that the universe provides a solution for each challenge that comes into my life. Since a solution always exists, why derail progress with worry? Journey with me here and absorb this affirmation this week.

“I am free from angst. I know that I can find the answer to my challenge if I open my mind and look for it. I am always looking for elegant solutions to my challenging circumstances. I trust that when I seek, I will find. Looking back on my life teaches me constructive solutions for difficult times. I see that confusion can be easily resolved by keeping my mind open.

I often find that the answer is right in front of my face. I use the knowledge to my advantage. Whenever I feel stuck, I remember that the solution is nearby, just waiting for me to recognize it. Today, I open my mind to the possibilities of each situation. I look for solutions that I may have previously overlooked. I am confident that every challenge has a solution.”

Life is challenging, but solutions always exist. It is like searching for a buried treasure with a faded map. Go inside and seek. It is only a matter of time before your solution pathways begin to open and direct you. The key is to continue looking even when the situation seems hopeless.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What are the three biggest challenges you face right now?

2. Consider what three solutions exist for each challenge that you have blocked thought to?

3. What can you learn from these challenges so you don’t have to repeat them in the future?

Perseverance

Let’s talk about perseverance.  We are in the Spring and approaching the Summer season and our minds can start to drift.  We are not finished yet.  We still must keep climbing and making progress up the “Performance Mountain.”

Perseverance is a product of seeing Your circumstances from a winner’s perspective. Persevering during tough and challenging times is an emotion that all servant leaders must endure and overcome.  Perseverance is a powerful emotion that must be exercised and developed.  We have no need to fret because our stakeholder(s) are there to help. There are times when the pressures at Your work opportunity pour over You like the constant pelting of golf ball size hail. You are bruised; beat up and unsure of Yourself. The nick picking of people make You feel like You are about to be nibbled to death by ducks. Nothing seems to be going right so You begin to conclude that You need to quit.  Don’t quit, because in any instant the circumstance can change. 

Developing trusting relationships with Your stakeholder is imperative.  We must have each other’s BACK, particularly in tough times. We persevere when we have confidence in the relationship(s). It is easy for our eyesight to become preoccupied with challenges. Our immediate issues can overwhelm us, if we allow them that unhealthy level of influence. Replace unproductive thoughts with productive time having meaningful collaboration with Your stakeholder(s).  N.O.W is the time to tap into Your Mental Toughness to persevere and achieve what’s expected from You by You. Remember, You have been given the P.O.W.E.R of C.H.O.I.C.E.  Make sure Your C.H.O.I.C.E.s align with both Your family core values and those of Your organizations’. So, with steadfast determination, don’t slow down N.O.W, keep believing in Yourself, keep climbing and keep making progress.  We still have valuable time left.

Make the G.R.I.N.D Stronger than Excuses©

5 behaviors of Exceptional Leaders

In business today, change will be rapid and oftentimes unexpected. An exceptional company one day can be not-so-exceptional the next. Your B.E.S.T team members may come and go, and Your business strategy may need to change radically overnight to keep P.A.C.E with ever-shifting markets. Challenges like these can make leading a successful business difficult, but the most successful leaders have figured out how to build organizations that can thrive in even the most difficult market conditions.

Exceptional leaders get the most out of their team members by helping them become highly Engaged, Energized, Empowered and happy in their Job Opportunity Functions. Look at these five routines of exceptional leaders.  What would happen if you decided to embrace these Habits/routines?  If these habits/routines are embraced, I’m confident the trajectory of Your company’s performance will RISE UP!

1. Set the performance bar high -The best way to encourage Your team members to consistently give their very best on the job is to set the bar high and then challenge them to meet or exceed Your expectations. Delegate some of Your most vexing problems to Your team members. Set realistic S.M.A.R.T goals for them, treat each team member with respect, and give them the autonomy to make decisions within the boundaries of core values. Allow them to do their work as they see fit, so long as they meet the performance standards and expectations.
2. Be visible, honest and do “W.I.T” to fulfill Your commitments – Be visible to Your team members.  Make the time to manage and inspire Your team by walking around, making observations and engage. Find the pulse of Your organization by observing the attitude of teamwork.  Ask Your teammates for their views on how they think things are going—within their workspace and throughout the organization. Keep it real with them, and never make a promise You can’t keep. Listen to their concerns and regularly schedule meetings to strategize and problem-solve with Your performance coalition.
3. Make Your team a part of the plan – While it’s the job of a leader to set the course for the organization, your teammates knowledge and skill are critical for success. Direct Your teammates toward Your smart goals but be as transparent with Your team as You can be. Involve them in developing company plans, and then show them what their role is in achieving them. When Your teammates understand the plan, they will view themselves as an important piece of the puzzle and will better understand Your plans for success.
4. Build a productive work culture – A workplace that is trusting, open-minded, and F.U.N will be the most productive and successful, even during challenging times. Be the encourager for idea generation.  Inspire and encourage Your teammates to come up with new ways to improve a certain task(s) and/or processes that leads to process efficiency. 
5. Celebrate your team’s successes – Take some time each week to celebrate Your team’s successes and to thank Your teammates for their continuous improvement efforts. A sincere thank You for performance well done can be a powerful motivator. Thank your teammate personally and promptly when you find them doing something right. A fist bump and/or a high five is powerful and sustaining.

Highly engaged teammates elevate to become empowered through vision and S.M.A.R.T goals.  Meeting performance expectations fuels enthusiastic, empowered and happy teammates.  Exceptional leaders ensure these five behaviors are a part of your habit routines to produce an Engaged, Energized, Empowered and Happy culture.

Life is what you MAKE it; Time waits on no one….

….but Perspective IS EVERYTHING!

Anyone who has frequented Home Depot regularly has likely observed day laborers, homeless and others, stand around the vicinity of the store’s entrance looking for the opportunity to earn a day’s wage.

My local Home Depot is located roughly a quarter of a mile off the main highway.  On a recent trip there, I noticed many clusters of the day laborers scattered along the road from the bus stop to the drive entrance of Home Depot.

While at the checkout register, the cashier had a quote written on her apron, “Life is what you make it; time waits on no one”.  That quote caught my attention because it rang true to concepts that I strongly believe in;  MAKEand TIME.  I commented on the quote, to which she replied; “Yep, its what you MAKE it and I’m still waiting to hit the lottery.”  My partner, focusing on “What you MAKE it”, comments., “waiting to hit the lottery is your destiny?”  With her eyes opened wide with enlightenment,  “You make a good point”, she says, “I need to watch my words”.

As our transaction closed and others were waiting their turn, I shared this perspective.  “Ma’am, as I drove the quarter of a mile drive to your store, I noticed many people lined up the road looking for opportunity to earn a day’s wage.  I’ll bet in their mind, you’ve already hit the lottery!”

 The moral of the story is: be clear of the words and cliché statements we repeat to ourselves.  What will you MAKE happen in your world?  Your focus, with the words and phases used repeatedly, just might create that reality.  And remember, to that wonderful quote on her apron, I’ve added…

Perspective IS EVERYTHING.

Who You Are Is Who You Attract

Effective leaders are always on the lookout for good people with a positive attitude.  Who you get is not determined by what you want, but by who you are.  In most cases, you draw people who possess the qualities you do.  What enables leaders to draw like-minded people to his/her side?  This truth: who you are is who you attract.  Remember these five conditions:

1. Every leader has a measure of magnetism.
2. A leader’s magnetism may impact others’ ability to make decisions,
3. Magnetism is neither good nor bad; it depends on how a leader uses it that counts.
4. Secure leaders draw both similar and complementary team members and/or stakeholders.
5. A leader’s magnetism never remains static.

It is possible and necessary to recruit people unlike yourself; however, it’s critical to recognize that people who are different will not naturally be attracted to you.  Their quality depends on YOU.  If you think the people you attract could be better, then it’s time for you to improve yourself.

Important to Remember

If you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a quality person yourself.  Leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manager and as a leader.  Good leaders continue to refine their skills.  All successful leaders stay aware of themselves, the impact they have on others to gauge their effectiveness.  For example, learn to be strong but not impolite. There’s a difference.  It is an extra step you must take to become a powerful, capable leader with a wide range of reach.  Some people mistake rudeness for strength.  It’s not even a substitute.

Learn to be kind not weak.  We must not mistake kindness for weakness.  Kindness is not weak.  Kindness is a certain type of strength.  We must be kind enough to keep it real and stay naked with the truth.  We must be kind and considerate enough to be willing to lay it on the line; understanding that organizations must be guided to achieve its vision.

Leadership is a journey not a destination.  What works well for you may not work the same for someone else.  However, the fundamental skills of growth and leadership can be adopted to work well for all who must make progress up the “performance mountain” each day. 

WHEN YOU GROW, YOU CHANGE

Change is hard for most people, but growth is impossible without change.  Most people fight against change, especially when it affects them personally. 

Change is inevitable.  There’s a saying that the only constant is change.  Everybody must deal with it in their lives.  On the other hand, growth is optional.  You can choose to grow or avoid it.  But know this, people who are unwilling to grow will NEVER reach their potential.  This can have a negative impact on an organization….and it certainly ensures one will not reach their dreams.

Making change from being an occasional learner to someone who falls in love with personal growth is tough.  It goes against the grain of how many think and live.  We are conditioned in the formative educational years to achieve a diploma.  Although there are varying degrees of accomplishment, high school, college, post graduate, etc., the conditioning causes the young mind to think there is an end to learning; or they at least look forward to achieving that last certificate of accomplishment.  In fact, many will celebrate when they receive a degree or certificate. Some will even say to themselves, “I’m glad this is over.  I’m finished with studying.”  That kind of thinking is a sure fire prescription to complacency and perhaps even stagnation.  The concept of ‘mastery’ can cap one’s summit;  Certainly, it puts an end to progression.  Without some stimulus, external or internal, staying 

Always keep the NextProgression top of mind.  Ask yourself, “What’s Next?”  Identify one new skill to learn or improve.  Know how that improvement can help you and your organization.  Remember, everyone is a leader of their own life. You have a functional responsibility to take advantage of the Opportunity both at home and at your place of business.  Embrace Change and know where you are with your NextProgression,   You are either perfecting and fine tuning; or it’s time to identify the NextProgression in some area of your leadership development.

Improvement Starts With Leadership

An organization will does not show improvement until leaders improve within.  It amazes me at the amount of money, time, energy and marketing an organization will focus on to produce growth.  Pretty brochures, catchy phrases and slogans will never overcome a leader who is unprepared or incompetent to lead through tough times and the good times.

The strength and effectiveness of any organization is a direct result of the leader’s competence.

• Strong Leader = strong organization
• Weak Leader = weak organization

Laser Focus Sharpens the Leaders Effectiveness

What does it take to have the focus required to be a truly effective leader?  The keys are commitment and conviction.  To focus your time, energy and imagination use these guidelines to help you:

1.       Focus 80 percent of your time, energy and imagination (T.E. & I) on developing strengths.  Effective leaders who reach their potential spend more time focusing on what they do well than what they do wrong. 

2.       Focus 15 percent of your T.E. & I on new things – if you want to get better, you must keep changing and improving.  That means stepping out into new areas.  If you dedicate time to new things related to your strength areas, then you’ll grow as a leader.

3.       Focus 5 percent of your T.E. & I. on areas of weakness – Nobody can entirely avoid working in areas of weakness.  The key is to spend less time on it as possible, and a leader can do that by delegating it to someone in your coalition or team.

Innovative Approaches to Teaching Stakeholders Effective Change Management