What's New
Join Libby for Breakfast This Week
Libby's is sponsoring the Women's Business Exchange June breakfast event this Thursday June 10th at the Washington Athletic Club. Find out more here!
Sign up Now!
Libby's taking a bit of a break from the road during the month of July and has many different opportunities to connect with people, near and far! Check out these upcoming events: Friday July 9th 2p-3pPSTWebinar Topic: "Transcending Your Leadership Level: How to Push Through to Create Dramatic Results" Join Libby as she talks about how to overcome your own obstacles, "Get Over Yourself" and create new goals. Learn how to become "unstuck." Libby will be joined by David Zarza, Seattle's "Mind Coach" and owner of Directed Focus.
Friday July 9th 4pm-7pm
Open House Meet & Greet Where: 216 First Avenue South Suite #331 Seattle, WA 98104 Join us at the new home of Libby Wagner & Associates as we officially open our new office and training center at Grand Central in Pioneer Square! Wednesday July 14th 12pm-1:30pmPST- Focus On Where: Rainier Square Conference Center 1333 5th Ave Seattle, WA 98101 The road to recovery need not be long. In fact, it's in your best interest to accelerate it! Libby Wagner and Dan Weedin will share with you their roadmap to help your business be in position to come out of this recession with dramatic growth, tremendous confidence and improved employee morale. Thursday July 22nd 12p-1:30p PST
Webinar Topic: "Team Agreements: Increasing Accountability and Commitment"
Would you like to get everyone on your team literally 'on the same page?' Join Libby as she walks you through one of the most powerful tools to lead your team to the next level of success. Learn the step-by-step process to writing a behavior based blueprint that is relevant to your team's goals and needs. Clients typically pay thousands for this one-on-one interaction with Libby-- attend the webinar live and pay only $99! Pre-register by July 1st for discounted recording if you cannot attend live to receive the same $99 download rate. Webinar will also be available for download on website for $120 for those who do not make the pre-registration deadline.
Libby Live!
Libby will be hosting a new event in Seattle starting in August. Space is limited for this unique opportunity to connect with Libby live one-on-one for "Libby Live:Taking Your Small to Medium Business to the Next Level"
Topics will include:· performance management · team agreements · leading yourself first · creating marketing gravity · improving workplace culture Seats will be reserved on a first come, first serve basis. Specific registration details will be provided in next month's newsletter! Open Enrollment Workshops
Due to an overwhelming response to our previous open enrollment workshops, we are offering another opportunity for you to attend our Influencing Skills and Managing for High Performance workshops. These events will be hosted in Seattle, WA and you can sign up for them by clicking the links below: Thursday & Friday August 19th and 20th - Influencing Skills 8a-5p PST daily Thursday & Friday November 4th & 5th- Managing for High Performance and Retention8a-5p PST daily Book Launching This Fall
We have been given launch dates for Libby's new book, The Influencing Option: The Art of Building a Profit Culture in Business. The book will make its debut in the UK this September and will hit stores stateside in November. We will be set up soon to begin processing your pre-orders for this book, so keep your eyes open for more details around that. We're also planning some very cool book launch parties! We'll be offering some bulk purchase discounts, so if your organization would like to place an order for an entire team or division or use the book as a company-wide resource, contact Phillip Bryant, Director of Operations. Libby is Featured
Libby's Advice is Featured in Today's Woman's Advantage Calendar and on Entrepreneur Magazine's Homepage for Women Libby is honored that her advice was selected for The 2010 Woman's Advantage Calendar. My quote is featured on today's calendar page and also on Entrepreneur Magazine's homepage. |
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Libby's Article |
Accidental or Intentional: Creating the Organizational Culture You Want
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Our recent office relocation included the movement of many boxes of books. It seems like we moved an acre of books, and at least half of this acre is devoted to leadership, organizational development, sales, performance management. Suffice it to say that it's quite the library, and for the most part, I've read them all, sometimes more than once.
All this to say that there's plenty that's been said about leading teams and groups, and plenty other things have been said about organizational culture, organizational environments and teams. But some things bear repeating, especially when the repetition means that you might actually make a change in something that's important to you.
What are the characteristics of your organizational culture? And perhaps more important, is the culture of your team or organization the one that you want, the one that you intend? Many organizations' cultures are not the ones they intend, but they are the ones they've got! How does this happen when just about everyone sets out to have great places to work that meet the goals and the mission, attract great people to work, and loyal customers to do business?
When we have an accidental culture, rather than an intentional culture, most likely it's because our organizational behaviors are not matching up with our intentions.
How to create more intention around your culture:
1. Revisit or clarify your organizational values.
Most organizations or teams have clearly identified their values--- the principles they agree to live by in their work and business. Sometimes these are corporate-wide, and other times they might be team-specific, like a Team Agreement. If you don't have these articulated, that's the first step. Clearly identify 5-7 key values that are important to you in your business to be the kind of place you want to be that does the kind of work you do. Then--- and this is the really important part--- you need to define them behaviorally. Most organizations have things like "communicate honestly" or "respect each other," but because they don't define them behaviorally, everyone does his or her best (or not) to fulfill this as they define it. There's no collective definition, so you get what you get!
2. Operationalize your values and practice them consciously and purposefully.
As the leader, you've got to carry the flag. Articulating your values, and even defining them behaviorally, is no guarantee that you will begin to shape or re-shape your culture according to your intentions if no one is committed to carrying them out. Lead from the front. Your values should not only be visible, and some organizations are good at this--- you see posters or plaques or wallet cards--- but you have to actually use them. Many teams I work with begin their meetings with their Team Agreements or Guiding Principles almost like we used to say the Pledge of Allegiance in grade school. In other words, you check in on the promise you made to each other and see where your successes are and where you've got room to grow or pick up the slack. You've also got to weave the language of your values into your performance evaluations (formal) and in the language you use when you make decisions and collaborate (informal).
3. Reward and recognize one another for upholding your agreements or values.
It is true that what gets done is what gets measured, so those things we want to happen with some regularity and consistency in our organizations need to be noted in some way. Generally, I advise clients to do this both formally and informally, as suggested above. Additionally, I'd add that when appropriate, it's important to honor and recognize those who are demonstrating the values as you intend. Three important times for recognizing (i.e. in a public forum, using your own special recognition practices, formal letter of thanks and recognition, etc.) could include consistent performance, above-and-beyond performance and career milestones. For example, if one of our values is flexibility and resiliency, that in your organization we all roll up our sleeves and help one another on projects or proposals or initiatives that are priority, and someone regularly demonstrates her ability to assist others and perform her own job tasks, that's a good way to reinforce the values and culture you want. Notice it and recognize it with high specificity.
There's really no reason your culture can't be exactly the one that gives you the highest levels of productivity, trust, morale, profits, customer delight and employee retention. Just intend it, and take disciplined action toward it! |
