News from Leadership Insight

I am pleased to announce that Dianne Anderson - Senior Consultant with Leadership Insight, recently graduated as a Certified Executive Coach from Royal Roads University in Victoria B.C.. Dianne brings over 25 years of operational and management experience in the health care field. Her accomplishments are a direct result of her passion for excellence and her desire to see her clients succeed. Dianne can be reached at danderson@leadership-insight.com

Leadership Insight provides one-on-one coaching and Coach the Coach programs for Managers at all levels. We view Coaching as a dynamic and disciplined process designed to generate positive changes in your professional and personal life. Specifically, our programs help you to:

� Become inspired to achieve a higher level of performance

� Guide your creative thought process

� Unleash your untapped potential

� Conquer obstacles and challenges

� Capitalize on strengths and leverage new opportunities

� Enhance communication skills

� Build strong, lasting relationships

For information on how coaching can help you stay focused on your career goals, even in these trying times; or to arrange for a complimentary coaching session, please call us at 905-257-7227 or email info@leadership-insight.com.

Enjoy this issue of talent talk.

Rebecca Heaslip

President

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Personal Development

The missing link in professional training & development

By Peter LaChance

To develop professionally, one must also develop personally. When people enroll in a training program, most of them ask, what's in it for me? If you are their Fall boss, that question may seem selfish, but actually, it's a fair one. Often, "personal gain" isn't monetary in nature -- it can mean recognition, trust and respect -- basic aspects of human dignity that we all crave. If there isn't anything to gain personally from a training program, people lose interest in it, attending only to satisfy someone else's wishes. The result: they don't retain what they learned, so no improvement is realized and your organization's training dollars are wasted.

Most training programs are intended to achieve professional improvement. At best, they pay lip service to personal improvement. Yet, in many areas of professional improvement, addressing personal improvement is essential to achieving the objective. For example, to develop into a terrific people leader, one first has to develop great self-leadership skills.

Training entails practicing new skills and learning new knowledge. Personal Development entails making positive behavioral change, by changing attitudes and instilling a permanent commitment to goal-achievement. Of course, new habits of thought -- that is, new attitudes -- and new lifelong goal-setting and achievement habits, aren't accomplished over a few days! (This explains why most traditional training & development programs aren't successful.) It may take time, but personal development is absolutely essential to generating the internal motivational forces required to achieve personal and professional success.

Combining training with personal development is a powerful way to capture and maintain the interest of trainees, which in turn results in higher levels of trainee commitment to improvement and better retention of skills and knowledge. Equally important, when goal-achievement and attitude development methods are properly understood and facilitated, training and development programs will result in positive behavioral change, leading to improved job performance. When the constructive behavioral talents of well-developed employees are funneled into alignment with organizational goals, your company will operate in the "high performance zone!"

Written for Sorrell Associates by Peter LaChance, President, The Quintessence Corporation. 215-321-8914, �2009

Improve Morale -

Give Employees Time Off

Given the current state of the economy, giving your employees time off is probably the furthest thing from your mind. However, not giving enough attention to this subject could come back to bite you later . . . and it might do so sooner than you think! Fall

The reason is simple. There's a good chance that the employees you currently have are anxious and apprehensive at the moment. With layoff figures and unemployment numbers in the headlines just about every week, it's only natural that they carry some trepidation with them to their job. The problem is that you need them at the top of their game in order to put their talent and skills to the best possible use.

This is why you should ensure your employees take time off, especially their vacation time. If they are well rested and refreshed, then you'll reap the benefits upon their return:

� Company culture - A more relaxed atmosphere contributes to a better culture within the company. Employees, like everybody else, are intrinsically drawn to people and/or things that help them to reduce the stress in their lives. Your company could be one of those things.

� Productivity - Employees are more productive when they're rested and relaxed, not when they're frazzled and feel worn out.

� Loyalty - A relaxed atmosphere, a better company culture, more productivity...it all leads to more loyalty within the ranks.

� Retention - This is the ultimate payoff. One day, the economy is going to turn around and some employees might be tempted to sample what they believe might be greener pastures. However, they'll remember your investment in their peace of mind and resist temptation.

During tough economic times, improving morale is often difficult to accomplish. However, by focusing your efforts on helping your employees take the time off they need, you'll not only improve morale, you'll also improve productivity.

That's a combination that's tough to beat!

Leading by Empowerment

How often does your organization give employees responsibility without a clear direction or an understanding of the expectations? Fall

This can, and most often will, result in low productivity, confusion, and lack of results, that creates low morale and possibly high turn-over.

However, employees that are empowered will produce amazing results in the workplace, and usually do it with a great attitude and enthusiasm.

When leaders and managers empower effectively, they don't give up authority and responsibility completely; rather, they share these elements with the employees. They help the employees reach new heights and further their career.

A key to successful empowerment is to clearly communicate your expectations, establish clear boundaries of authority, and create an action plan for results.

Leader guidelines for empowering employees

� Include Employees in Direction-of your company

This includes a part in the strategic planning phase, writing goals and objectives and the implementation of the goals with a specific timeline. Let your employee's help determine the timelines and rewards of the completion of the task.

� Be Clear in Your Communication

Be sure employees understand what you are asking for. Ask them to recap the conversation, listening for gaps in what you said and what was repeated back.

� Use Their Ideas

How much time do you spend listening to your employees' ideas and suggestions? Ask for their input in how they would go about completing a project. Let them do it their way if the result will be satisfactory to you.

� Demonstrate Your Trust

Determine what resources they need before they start the project and clear the way for the resources to be available. Resist checking in on every detail, but have controls in place so they know when they should check with you.

� Match Their Interests with Your Needs

Meet with your employees and learn what they want and need. When possible, assign tasks that will allow them to grow and take on additional responsibilities.

� Give Realistic Timelines

Determine together a realistic timeline. Be specific as to when a project is due, don't say, "Return this to me as soon as possible." If you need it by the end of the week, say so clearly.

� Establish Priorities

It is helpful for employees to know which pieces are the most important to you. Make certain that they know what needs to be done first and why.

� Coach, Don't Manage

Coach employees to success. This means listen, ask questions, offer strategic advice, and always give direct feedback.