Engaging Leader: Leadership communication principles with Jesse Lahey

Leaders everywhere talk about accountability, but nobody is defining what it really means — and more importantly, breaking it down into a set of skills that people could learn and apply. Accountability is about helping people unlock their strengths. In this podcast, Jonathan and Jesse discuss how you can have far more powerful conversations with […]

On Engaging Leader, we share a lot of principles about leadership communication, but what about collaboration communication? In other words, what’s the most effective and efficient way to talk to the colleagues and clients you work with most closely in order to do great work together? That’s a trick question, because there isn’t (yet) a single communication tool that’s best for every moment of collaboration. The answer depends on several factors, which we’ll quickly discuss and then share Jesse’s current favorite tool for the different situations. Three tools limited people who are stuck in the mid-90s: * In-person meeting * Email * Conference call 10 considerations when picking a communication tool at any given moment: * In person vs. virtual Real-time vs. on-demand (asynchronous) Focusing vs. distraction-inviting Typed vs. spoken audio vs. visual Non-visual vs. screen sharing (webcast) vs. webcam (videoconference) Silent vs. audible Instant (urgent) vs. at-convenience Introverted vs. extraverted (speed and energy for you and the other person[s]) Organized (threaded) Searchable (and archived) Resources Mentioned in This Episode Jesse’s current favorite communication tools for teamwork: Message board Basecamp (message board and task commenting) Facebook groups Instant messaging Voxer Ping feature in Basecamp 3 Last resort: iOS or mobile text messages Screen capture (images) and screen recording (videos) SnagIt  Conference call with optional screen sharing and optional webcams Freeconferencecall.com  Join.me Skype (no option to call in by phone) Google Hangout (poor reliability, no option to call in by phone) WebEx or GoToWebinar for larger groups Document commenting Comments tool for MS Office files, Google Apps files, or Adobe Acrobat  Basecamp (task commenting) NOT the commenting features in storage platforms such as Dropbox (although I do love Dropbox) Real-time collaboration (simultaneous document editing) Google Docs  MS Office Online Thank you to Freshbooks for sponsoring this episode of Engaging Leader. Freshbooks is offering our listeners a free month of unrestricted use of their online accounting software (no credit card n...

On Engaging Leader, we share a lot of principles about leadership communication, but what about collaboration communication? In other words, what’s the most effective and efficient way to talk to the colleagues and clients you work with most closely in order to do great work together? That’s a trick question, because there isn’t (yet) a […]

“We’re in the people business serving coffee, not the coffee business serving people.” ~ Howard Behar As the president of Starbucks North America and Starbucks International, Howard Behar spent over 20 years helping grow the company into a worldwide phenomenon. During those years, he was integral in establishing and nurturing the Starbucks culture. Since the beginning, the Starbucks approach put people and values first. And at various turning points in its history, Starbucks fought to hang on its culture, core values, and passion — all while growing exponentially. In this interview, Jesse and Howard discuss stories and lessons about: How Howard discovered his “One Hat” — rather than trying to be different things for different people — so he could simply be consistent with his authentic self, including his personal values, passions, dreams, and style of working and leading; How to practice One-Hat leadership (and One-Hat living) with honesty, clarity, and passion — and be truly engaged and alive; How to discern your core values as a person, a leader, and an organization; How to continually reaffirm your core values and build a team that share those values and; How to change the values in a team that has lost their way. In this episode, Jesse interviews Howard about his book It’s Not About the Coffee, as well as his newest book The Magic Cup. Howard Behar is a speaker, mentor, and author of It’s Not About the Coffee as well as his newest book The Magic Cup. He served at Starbucks for over 20 years in roles that included VP of Operations, president of Starbucks North America, founding president of Starbucks International, and a board member. He joined Starbucks in 1989, when it had only 28 stores located around Seattle, and helped lead its growth to over 15,000 stores spanning five continents. Along with CEO Howard Schultz and COO/CFO Orin Smith, Howard Behar made up the leadership team known as “H2O” that made Starbucks one of the most admired companies in the world. Thank you to Freshbooks for sponsoring this episode of Engaging Leader. Freshbooks is offering our listeners a free month of unrestricted use of their online accounting software (no credit card needed). Claim your free month at Freshbooks.com/Leader and enter “Engaging Leader” in the section that asks how you heard about Freshbooks. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: The Magic Cup: A Business Parable About a Leader, a Team, and the Power of Putting People and Values First Book: It’s Not About the Coffee: Lessons on Putting People First from a Life at Starbucks Website: howardbehar.com Twitter:@howardbehar LinkedIn: /howardbehar Forbes.com interview: The Secret Recipe To Starbucks’ Success Subscription Links

“We’re in the people business serving coffee, not the coffee business serving people.” ~ Howard Behar As the president of Starbucks North America and Starbucks International, Howard Behar spent over 20 years helping grow the company into a worldwide phenomenon. During those years, he was integral in establishing and nurturing the Starbucks culture. Since the beginning, […]

They’re supposedly young and healthy, but a new study shows that more than half of Millennials report having a chronic health condition. In addition, Millennials struggle how to navigate the health care system, starting with choosing an appropriate health plan in the first place. These and other surprising findings are from a new study on Millennials and their experience with the health insurance and health care system. In a recent poll conducted by the Transamerica Center for Health Studies of 1,171 U.S. Millennials, the research looks at how this mega-generation has experienced the healthcare system to-date and their expectations moving forward. In this episode, Jesse interviews Hector De La Torre, the Executive Director of the Transamerica Center for Health Studies (TCHS). Jesse and Hector discuss the key findings of the study, as well as what employers can do to help Millennials choose a health plan that’s right for them and make appropriate choices about providers and treatment options. TCHS a nonprofit focused on helping consumers and businesses navigate the healthcare landscape. Through its broad-based analysis and research findings, TCHS informs the national healthcare conversation by bringing clarity to the complex decision-making regarding health coverage and personal health and wellness. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Website: www.transamericacenterforhealthstudies.org Study:  Millennial Survey: Young Adults’ Healthcare Reality LinkedIn: /hectordelatorre Twitter: @TCHS Other resources mentioned: EL140 Cross-Generational Communications – How to Bridge the Gap to Engage Multiple Generations Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please rate us on iTunes. That makes a huge difference in helping more people discover it. We love to know your thoughts about this episode. Please submit your comments below! You can also email comments to Jesse at jesse@engagingleader.com, subscribe to him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.  

Increasingly, large organizations are finding their competitive landscape changing so quickly that they’re unable to respond fast enough to survive and thrive. Most mature organizations have a built-in tendency to kill off anything agile, innovative, and entrepreneurial — which often is exactly what’s needed to stay ahead of today’s ever-increasing pace of change in the market. On the other hand, startups often find themselves growing to the point where their organization’s size becomes unwieldy. They don’t have the systems, structures, and disciplines in place to produce great results efficiently and reliably, every day, month after month. In this interview, Jesse welcomes one of his long-time favorite thought leaders, John Kotter. John’s latest book is That’s Not How We Do It Here! — a short fable that distills his decades of experience and award-winning research about how to lead change … and specifically, how to transform your team into one that’s both well-run (with systems and structures) as well as strategically agile (innovative, adaptive, and energetic).  Together, Jesse and John discuss key insights from the book, including: The difference between management and leadership — and when each are necessary; How to implement a “dual system” of management and leadership, to help the company achieve efficient and reliable results, while also innovating and adapting to meet future opportunities and challenges; The importance of relentless communication to create and sustain momentum for the change initiative; and The importance of effectively using story, brevity, and visuals in change communications. Regarded by many as a top authority on leadership and change, Dr. John P. Kotter is a New York Times best-selling author, speaker, Harvard professor, as well as founder and chair of the management consulting firm Kotter International. Perhaps his most famous book is Leading Change, which Time magazine selected in 2011 as one of the 25 most influential business management books ever written. In 2006, he published what is arguably his most popular book, Our Iceberg Is Melting, a short business parable that illustrated his 8-step process for change management. His newest book, another short parable, is That’s Not How We Do It Here! Thank you to Freshbooks for sponsoring this episode of Engaging Leader. Freshbooks is offering our listeners a free month of unrestricted use of their online accounting software (no credit card needed). Claim your free month at Freshbooks.com/Leader and enter “Engaging Leader” in the section that asks how you heard about Freshbooks. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: That’s Not How We Do It Here! Website: KotterInternational.com Twitter: @johnpkotter Facebook: /KotterInternational LinkedIn: /johnkotter Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please

Increasingly, large organizations are finding their competitive landscape changing so quickly that they’re unable to respond fast enough to survive and thrive. Most mature organizations have a built-in tendency to kill off anything agile, innovative, and entrepreneurial — which often is exactly what’s needed to stay ahead of today’s ever-increasing pace of change in the […]

People power your business — and success can hinge on your hiring, inspiring, and keeping the right ones. As a leader, are you cultivating this vital resource? Is there more you could be doing? Are you just winging it? Every HR executive has a laundry list of things they wish managers knew: best practices that would enable the entire organization to operate more effectively … transforming those managers into exceptional — and highly promotable — leaders. In his newest playbook, 75 Ways for Managers to Hire, Develop, and Keep Great Employees, HR executive and author Paul Falcone offers readers a hands-on guide for people-strategies in the workplace. In this interview, Jesse and Paul discuss: If reference checks are still a valuable step when hiring employees. If so, how should you do them effectively? How leaders should view engagement surveys — and how best to support the engagement of your direct reports. Is the performance review truly going away (as suggested by the recent trend in several large companies). Why is it so demotivating to employees and managers alike, and what, if anything, will replace it? How to communicate negative feedback in a way that leads to effective results. What the “secret sauce” is that keeps employees not only happy but also feeling accountable and responsible for end results. Paul Falcone is an HR executive who has held senior-level positions with Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, and Time Warner. Paul is a long-term contributor to HR Magazine and an instructor in the UCLA Extension School of Business and Management as well as a top-rated presenter at the SHRM national conference. He is the author of 10 books addressing tough issues that inevitably surface in the workplace from time to time, even for the strongest organizations and leaders.   Thank you to Freshbooks for sponsoring this episode of Engaging Leader. Freshbooks is offering our listeners a free month of unrestricted use of their online accounting software (no credit card needed). Claim your free month at Freshbooks.com/Leader and enter “Engaging Leader” in the section that asks how you heard about Freshbooks. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: 75 Ways for Managers to Hire, Develop, and Keep Great Employees Website: PaulFalconeHR.com Twitter: @PaulFalconeHR Facebook: /PaulFalconeHR LinkedIN: /paulfalcone1   Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please rate us on iTunes. That makes a huge difference in helping more people discover it. We love to know your thoughts about this episode. Please submit your comments below! You can also email comments to Jesse at jesse@engagingleader.com, subscribe to him on 

People power your business — and success can hinge on your hiring, inspiring, and keeping the right ones. As a leader, are you cultivating this vital resource? Is there more you could be doing? Are you just winging it? Every HR executive has a laundry list of things they wish managers knew: best practices that […]

We are in the early years of a fundamental demographic shift. What worked in the past will no longer be enough. In order to attract and keep top talent — and to influence their actions — you will need to change how you engage people. Today’s workforce is made up primarily of three generations: Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials. While every individual is unique, the three generations display key distinctions in motivations, preferences, and behaviors. In particular, the Millennial generation — which is even larger than the massive Baby Boom generation — now makes up a third of the workforce. As younger millennials continue to graduate from college, their powerful mix of values, communication style, and work perspective is driving a work-culture revolution. In this episode, Jesse explains key generational distinctions and provides a framework to help leaders develop effective communication strategies, including three cross-generational lenses to calibrate your strategy. Thank you to Freshbooks for sponsoring this episode of Engaging Leader. Freshbooks is offering our listeners a free month of unrestricted use of their online accounting software (no credit card needed). Claim your free month at Freshbooks.com/Leader and enter “Engaging Leader” in the section that asks how you heard about Freshbooks. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Recent podcasts and blog posts about mobile engagement Podcast: Episode 127: Let’s Get Visual – 6 Engaging Ways to Use Images Podcast: Episode 136: Sticky — 7 Keys to Making People Notice, Care, and Act Podcast: Episode 138: Nudgy — How to Influence People to Make an Optimal Choice in the ‘Moment of Truth’ Podcast: Episode 003: 5 Steps to Creating a Communication Plan Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please rate us on iTunes. That makes a huge difference in helping more people discover it. We love to know your thoughts about this episode. Please submit your comments below! You can also email comments to Jesse at jesse@engagingleader.com, subscribe to him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.    

We are in the early years of a fundamental demographic shift. What worked in the past will no longer be enough. In order to attract and keep top talent — and to influence their actions — you will need to change how you engage people. Today’s workforce is made up primarily of three generations: Baby […]

“Learn what is true to do what is right.” ~ Thomas Huxley The thing that companies and individuals need most they often get least. What is this thing? The truth. Why? Because people don’t have the courage to say what they’re really thinking. But no company or individual can survive, let alone thrive, without the […]

“Learn what is true to do what is right.” ~ Thomas Huxley The thing that companies and individuals need most they often get least. What is this thing? The truth. Why? Because people don’t have the courage to say what they’re really thinking. But no company or individual can survive, let alone thrive, without the truth. You aren’t doing anyone a favor when you don’t provide bad news, negative feedback, or other “hard truths” that can affect performance. In her new book, The Courage Solution: The Power of Truth Telling with Your Boss, Peers, and Team, Mindy Mackenzie challenges business leaders to take simple actions that are highly practical, although they do require vulnerability and courage. As a result, leaders will dramatically improve their impact while increasing their happiness and fulfillment. In this episode, Jesse and Mindy discuss: how to speak truths in a way people will actually hear (and be open to your influence), how to deliver squirm-free feedback to your direct-reports using the Scale of 1 – 10 Question, keys to delivering the hardest truth to an under-performer (“you’re fired”) without sucking the life out of you, how to build credibility with your boss, so that your ideas will be more likely to be implemented, how to express pushback, challenges, and disagreements with your boss, and the #1 question to ask your boss in order to make a positive change in your relationship. Mindy Mackenzie is a speaker, author, and CEO advisor. Previously, she served as Chief Performance Officer and Chief HR Officer of liquor giant Jim Beam. Her career also includes five years at Campbell Soup Co., where she was was VP of Asia Pacific HR & Public Affairs, and nine years at Wal-Mart, where she advanced through various leadership, HR, and Organizational Development roles. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: The Courage Solution: The Power of Truth Telling with Your Boss, Peers, and Team Website: http://www.mindymackenzie.com Twitter: @mindy_mackenzie Facebook: /themindymackenzie Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please rate us on iTunes. That makes a huge difference in helping more people discover it. We love to know your thoughts about this episode. Please submit your comments below! You can also email comments to Jesse at jesse@engagingleader.com, subscribe to him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.

In episode 136, I shared how there are three secrets to effective content as part of a leadership or workforce communication strategy: visual, sticky, and “nudgy.” We discussed the first secret in episode 127, Let’s Get Visual: 6 Engaging Ways to Use Images. We discussed the second secret in episode 136, Sticky — 7 Keys to Making People Notice, Care, and Act. But we don’t just want our communications to stick, we want to drive action. The final of the three secrets is Nudgy, and that’s our focus here in episode 128. “Nudgy” means we apply evidence-based insights from behavioral economics to help our communications influence people to make an optimal choice in the “moment of truth.” This term comes from the book Nudge, by University of Chicago economist Richard H. Thaler. But a newer book on the subject has a more specific application to workforce communication — The Power of Fifty Bits, by Bob Nease, who served many years as the chief scientist at Express Scripts. In this episode, Jesse discusses how to use communications to leverage three heuristics (subconscious rules of thumb) that influence everyday behaviors of people. Inertia Loss aversion Social norms Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Article: Behavioral Economics Strategic Framework Podcast: Episode 127: Let’s Get Visual – 6 Engaging Ways to Use Images Podcast: Episode 136: Sticky — 7 Keys to Making People Notice, Care, and Act Podcast: WHE29: Behavioral Economics for Business Leaders: Turn Good Intentions into Positive Results | with Bob Nease Podcast: WHE27: How to Engage Senior Leaders in Wellness Communications with Mark Snyder from Owens Corning Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please rate us on iTunes. That makes a huge difference in helping more people discover it. We love to know your thoughts about this episode. Please submit your comments below! You can also email comments to Jesse at jesse@engagingleader.com, subscribe to him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.