Sherri's Blog

Full disclosure: I own Zoom stock. So I’ve got a vested interest in seeing them succeed. And from recent experiences in Zoom-based training, I fear for their future. And my sanity.

These bad experiences motivated me to write about the basics of good training design. Ones you can – and definitely want to – apply to Zoom sessions.

* Keep it simple. Focus on what’s most important for participants to learn. What will help them succeed? What are the 1 or 2 things you want them to walk away with? Include only the must-haves. Forget the nice-to haves.

* Be practical. Provide useful and useable tips, tools, and concepts

* Use fewer slides with fewer words.

* Have less of you and more of them. Break up the content with questions to participants. And, when possible, let them answer them directly. Use breakouts to engage participants with each other. And when you say “we’ll leave time for questions at the end,” mean it.

* Be energetic and keep things moving with humor.

There are also a number of technical things that enhance a session. For example, use speaker view, mute non-speakers, use video sparingly if at all, have someone who can drive the session and troubleshoot if needed.

And please remember – while smart use of technology will keep your training running, only good design will keep participants engaged and learning!

By this point everyone knows what “now” means …COVID-19, Coronavirus, the Pandemic. Many articles have been written about the topic of leading through this crisis. I was poised to write one myself. Then a colleague sent me a segment from CBS Sunday Morning – a 4-Star general, the CEO of a health care system, and the president of a university sharing their thoughts about what leaders need to do “now.”

Their insights were inspiring and realistic. Here are few highlights:

Gen. Stanley McChrystal:
Be brutally honest with yourself about what the real situation is and what you’re trying to do. And be extraordinarily candid with your followers. It’s both a sign of respect and essential for long-term effectiveness.

Dr. Penny Wheeler, Allina Health:
Get information from every vantage point you can. Learn as much as you can from people who are closest to the work – they will guide your choices and decisions. There is genius out there that you need to listen to.

Father Joseph McShane, Fordham University:
Begin with self-knowledge, know what your priorities are, be wise enough to ask for advice and be humble enough to accept it. Ask yourself: How can I be more present with people in a moment that does not allow us to be physically present?

For the full interviews:
www.cbsnews.com/video/what-america-needs-from-its-leaders-during-a-crisis/

A client recently received her performance review. Overall the feedback was positive, except for one major criticism. Her manager told her she wasn’t spending enough time in the office with her team. She’d never heard this from her group so she wasn’t sure what to make of it.

While the feedback might have been valid (she planned to ask her team), it was almost impossible to take it seriously considering the source! The manager, who was telling her this, worked remotely, was the only person in his city, rarely left his home office, and was very difficult to get a hold of when she needed him.

This reminded me that all feedback is not created equal. A key component of its value is the credibility of the giver. And credibility is earned when that person walks the talk. So before you give constructive feedback, ask yourself, “Do I do what I am asking my employee to do (or am I at least trying to)?” If the answer is yes, the receiver will be more likely to trust your insights and put your feedback into action.

When I collect feedback for a manager I’m coaching, I typically include these two questions: What does the manager do well? What could they improve? In one of these interviews, an engineer came in apologizing. “I’m really sorry,” he said, “but I don’t have any improvements for you. The guy is doing everything right in my eyes.”

I wiped the look of wonder off my face. An engineer with nothing to fix! I assured him that it was fine and said, “Let’s just dig into the good stuff!” I told him that in my experience few managers get to hear a detailed discussion of what they’re doing right. And research shows that true excellence grows from building on strengths.

He talked, and I typed. I asked him for as many specific examples as possible, knowing that this would be most helpful to the manager. It was truly refreshing to spend 30 minutes learning only about what someone did right. And it got me thinking about how little time most of us spend focusing on what’s working in our lives.

So I’d like to ask you to take a few moments right now to think about what you’re doing well, where you’re strong, and how you can capitalize on your strengths. Thinking about this can lead to changes in your immediate work life as well as career insights. And beyond the practical benefits … a “positive thinking break” will feel good too.

At this time of year much energy is spent looking at what needs to be fixed. It’s the definition of a New Year’s resolution. I’m re-posting this blog from 2011 to encourage you to also reflect on what you’re already doing well. And please don’t just do it once! As the year goes on when you’re stuck in what’s going wrong, spend a little time at the end of the day thinking of what’s gone right. It’s a great way to re-focus and re-energize.

These days I’m obsessed with articles on politics. (Who isn’t?) And as I read about campaigns, parallels to running for elected office and leading organizations have caught my attention. At their core they have one thing in common – winning hearts and minds. On the campaign trail this manifests in votes. In your organization it leads to motivated and productive employees.

A recent NY Times article on Daniel McReady’s near-win in North Carolina was particularly relevant. Two cornerstones of how he ran his campaign also apply to running a successful organization. Especially in highly competitive environments.

Lead with values. Decades of leadership research supports this. Your team needs to understand your core beliefs and what motivates you. This builds trust and connection and provides guidance for how team members should do their work. Your values become the fabric of the organization and energize your people. McReady went so far as to say, “Lead with the heart and the rest will follow.”

Pay attention to everyone in your organization. While McReady’s actual comment (“Don’t give up on rural voters”) doesn’t directly apply, it does remind you that everyone in your organization matters. You need to listen to your cheerleaders as well as your naysayers and devil’s advocates. To those who are just like you and those who aren’t. Doing this increases your organization’s chance of winning by building loyalty and fostering new ideas.

Read more at:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/14/opinion/daniel-mcready-north-carolina.html