Okay, so now you think Iām off my rocker! After telling you in my numerous articles how feedback delivered in the context of what to continue, start or change is a positive framework, I tell you the absence of feedback is powerful. Well, even I can evolve my opinion and hereās why:
I asked for feedback and did not receive anyā¦
Last week I asked for feedback about my offers and what I should change as Iām here to serve. What I realized was that I probably asked the wrong questions. I asked what should I change and instead I should have asked you, what do you need? Even I make mistakes and I thank you for your silence, because it gave me time to pause & reflect about what was missing.
You did share feedback, but I did not truly listenā¦
One person in my network shared that their friend consumes my content all the time and they really enjoyed it. They encouraged me to keep going because itās making a difference. Being humble, I simply said thank you, but I didnāt give the feedback the respect it deserves. Iāve had many people say they like my content because it gets them to think differently and inspire them. For that feedback I am thankful and I will continue to be in service through my content.
Youāve spoken loudly about my voiceā¦ but what to do with it?
Itās funny how you work so hard to hone your craft to have people praise you for something completely different. You know me as a Fractional Leader, Crisis Management Expert, Leadership Coach, Podcast Host and Speaker. However, the thread that ties it together is my voice for which you have shared it is soothing, captivating and sometimes disarming.
I donāt have an answer right now, but Iām open to suggestions about how to leverage my voice and make a difference. Iād love to hear your thoughts! I value you and my network who have been so supportive to help me see what I canāt quite see.
I just want to say thank you for the silenceā¦
I am truly grateful as it has given me so much time to reflect and figure out what to continue, start or change.
Having gained such great insight from the silence, I also turn to you and ask for you to reflect on your situation, career or business. Have you asked for feedback for which you did not receive any or it was nothing you could action on? Look for what is not said and there you will find the wisdom and feedback you are seeking.
I want to say thank you to all for your continued support and I will continue to hopefully share valuable insights and inspire each and every one of you.
Iāll get to the point and if this resonates with you, I implore you to read on:
Leaders need to STOP what theyāre doing and confirm if theyāre still on the the right track
Leaders need to assess their energyand if theyāre dreading certain activities, itās a sign you’re applying it in the wrong way.
Leaders need to check in with themselves to see if theyāre still passionate about the work theyāre doing and if theyāre still up for the challengeā¦itās okay, because sometimes you might need a change.
Having spent so many years trying to support others and giving them the tools for success, I have to be honest and transparent with youā¦I have hit the PAUSE button. No one likes to admit that, especially to my community of supporters and who I support willingly and with all my passion. But I too occasionally have to evaluate my strategy, goals and objectives. Itās what leaders do and Iām no exception. Today I am pausing for the reasons above and I simply wanted to share a bit with you in hopes it inspires you to also PAUSE if and when it makes sense.
Fractional Leadership & Crisis Management
There are so many small & medium size businesses that are going through rapid change and may exceed capacity & capability to keep up with the changes. Thatās where I drop in. Every client Iāve served has become so much more. We have become fans of each other’s work for which we sustain long term partnerships. What Iām seeing is that companies are still facing many crisis in supply chain, stable operations and finding talent that they donāt have the appetite for reach out for additional support. Iām okay with that, but as a business owner, that too presents challenges. So, then I ask the question is Fractional Leadership what these businesses need or is it something else? Iām open for suggestions and your thoughts. Great leaders leverage the collective input of their teams and I consider you part of the team!
Leadership & Skills Development
Youāve heard me say over and over again, there is a demographic of aspiring C-Suite Leaders who donāt have a support system and also are overwhelmed with work and commitments and donāt have the time to invest in themselves. I then wonder if I should pause on reaching out to this group of people and try to reach those leaders or HR business partners who realize they want to develop their people, but donāt have the capacity, capability or have the courage to bring on additional resources to help. I know in my gut, this is an underserved market, yet Iām struggling to find a way to connect. Again, as a leader I know Iām stuck and realize my community may have the answers.
How do I find the people who have the ability to invest? Who do I need to connect with that may want to invest in their people? What kind of offers should I offer that would be more attractive or consumable for this group of leaders I so care about? Iād love to hear your thoughts and again, please respond to this email or message me at [email protected]
What have I missed?
Many of you consume my content and Iām grateful for those who have shared how much they enjoy it. But as someone once said to me, Iām inside the cookie jar and may not see what is outside. Where else can I be of service? What skills do you see that could be used in a different way? What role can I play in order to impact more than I can imagine? I turn my attention to you and value your feedback!
As I return to the three reasons to pause, I feel Iām on the right track, but need your input to make any course corrections. I love the work I do and invest a lot of time, but at times I feel drained and wish to take back some of that energy and invest in myself, my family and in the community I serve in the best way. I am also open to any new possibilities of support you or others.
While this article was about asking for some feedback from my community, it is also meant to serve you. Ask yourself – do you need to hit the PAUSE button? And if so, what are you seeking? If you have hit the PAUSE button in the past, Iād be eternally grateful to hear your story and perhaps bring it forward to inspire others.
If this article resonated with you, Iād love to share other resources with you:
Iām excited to share that The CEOās Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track is getting into the hands of many C-Suite Leaders of Today and Tomorrow. This valuable resource asks you challenging questions about your leadership and why you lead. It then takes you on a journey around different compass points with practical advice on where you can make small but impactful course corrections. If this is you, consider getting your copy of the book and then schedule a complementary conversation to discuss what resonated with you and how to evolve your journey.
Recently we offered the Drop In C-Suite Academy to our C-Suite Leaders of tomorrow. We heard from many of you that work and personal commitments keep you busy and make it challenging for personal development. I hear you and I know itās hard to keep it all together.
Iād love to hear from you about what kind of investment in your personal development makes sense. Reply to this email or send a note to [email protected] with a note about any of the following options:
Drop In Mastermind – drop in when time permits and glean new insights from topics presented and the opportunity to engage in conversation with others to solve real issues
Drop in C-Suite Academy Self Paced – consume the content when you have time. No instruction needed
Drop in C-Suite Academy Self Paced + -consume the content when you have time but would like some coaching midway or at the end to evolve the skills
Drop In Conversations – I just need someone to align with periodically to coach through challenging situations, no packages, but spot support when needed.
This story was originally written January 2019 when I had recently transitioned from corporate into running my own business. It’s a reflection of the beginning of me thinking differently and perhaps the genesis of my business many years prior. I do hope you enjoy it…
I was a year into my role where I realized I could not continue to Manage a region, but had to find a way to Lead through a Strategy that was purposeful and could organize the chaos and unify for results. Through countless hours of jogging (training for a 1/2 marathon) and inspirational music, the Framework of One kept coming to me.
Looking for a collection of Quotes that speak to Teams and Unity, I found this curated by Dave Kerpen in an article for Inc. that sums it up well:
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” –Andrew Carnegie
The Framework of One is quite simple: One Team, One Way, One Goal is about aligning resources for interchangeability of talent, harmonizing processes and platforms to one set of Goals and objectives to achieve results. By establishing this Way of Working, it set the stage for teams to come together for collaboration; a key obstacle that needed to be overcome due to multiple disconnected locations & business unites.
The results were remarkable when the Vision took on a life of it’s own, when team members would regularly connect with each other, coach, train and align on best practices and soon resources could be moved around where the skills were needed. Fast forward two years, the region that was last in terms of performance unbelievably arrived at 2nd place and to the disbelief of others that they started diving into the data to make sure it was valid.
While there is more to the story how we tactically achieved brilliant results, it starts with a challenge, self reflection, a purposeful vision and great leadership to show the way. I’m grateful to have led great teams and seek to influence many, many more towards “One”.
This article was brought to you by our Mentoring Monday series. Please tell us if you liked, loved or have alternate perspective. We’d love to hear from you!
About the author: Quality & Operational Excellence Executive / Writer / Speaker: Deb Coviello thrives in Establishing Organizational Stability, Building Solid foundations and Coaching Teams to brilliant & sustainable results
It pains me to realize that Authoritative Leadership still exists in corporate culture; I once experienced this and it absolutely suffocated my creativity. However, taking the high road, I am grateful for having the opportunity to feel it first hand and now share my insights with you. While I seek to help C-Suite Leaders of tomorrow and give you tools to navigate such challenges, today I turn my focus to the C-Suite Leaders of today who may be in such an environment and have the power to make a difference.
Seek to understand why Authoritative Leadership exists in your organization.
Whenever Iām befuddled to understand a situation that is misaligned with my values, I seek to understand why it existed in the first place. We canāt change the future unless we study history and understand the past. In my situation, the industry was highly regulated and risk averse. The business had been burnt many times for which strict adherence to protocol was imperative to survival. Given this insight, I ask you – how you can maintain strict protocols while maintaining employee engagement and creativity?
Educate and guide when to stay in the lines and when to go outside.
When I came to the new opportunity, I was full of ideas on how to improve the situation. My enthusiasm was quickly dampened when I was told to āstay within the lines.” I was shocked and dismayed to know I could not bring my creativity to the situation. I was simply a warm body to execute a transaction. This is frustrating to an employee and may quickly lead to their exit. Consider instead to share where there is freedom to bring new ideas. This helps people to understand the important protocols for business survivability, but also those where people can contribute to growth. The heavy fist should be replaced by education and guidance for the employee.
Feedback, Feedback, Feedback
Did I mention feedback is important? When I was in meetings, I constantly heard people present proposals, but with a tone of uncertainty in their delivery. It was as if, individuals were afraid to voice their opinion for fear of being taken off line and admonished. If they presented everything as a question, they would be safe. Instead, I propose that we provide feedback to individuals on how to present information in a way that is positive and how they can improve while staying within the guidelines that keep the company safe. Employees will grow to respect the company because they cared and will protect it in how they navigate the landscape.
So I turn to you if you are a leader in a highly regulated or authoritative organization; do you provide a safe environment for people to thrive and contribute? Your behavior can make the difference between stability or high turn-over. If your leadership is not authoritative, but you see it in your peers, could you have a conversation with them to evolve the culture to one that is not authoritative. Are you ready to make a difference in the company culture to make a lasting impact on the company and on individuals in your care?
Iāve shared my story with you, now I ask you, will you share your story? Iām here to listen.
My wish is for every C-Suite Leader of today and tomorrow to navigate their careers with confidence. If this insight was helpful, share this article with others. If you have a unique challenge and wish to have a complementary conversation, please reach out to me.
Your time is valuable, so I wanted to share a few quick links so I can be of service:
