People First – we build a better world when we understand what it means to put people first.
Start by Lifting your gaze. When we are myopic we miss the true picture of what is happening.
Act in the moment, to do the right thing, and immediately set your gaze on the horizon.
The 2020 theme of identity continues. Putting people first is probably a question of values. At the same time, putting people ahead of profits or expediency usually creates better overall outcomes. Moreover, our values reflect our identity.
In the Kickass Koach podcast episode dropped April 6th, I reflect on the moment the US president stopped the flow of N95 masks into Canada. He eventually walked it back with his typical vibrato or shtick. When he learned he wouldn’t win, he created a lie that his country had more PPE than they needed. He puts people first, when it is him self.
For the newsletter, I relate the lovely story of Hayley Wickenheiser and the collaboration she is leading to gather #PPE in support of Team Canada.
In the weekly Instagram and LinkedIn video, I offer insights shared by a young ER doctor who re-framed the way we all view being home and how by knowing how to apply self-care as a way to put people first.
Finally, in this post I reflect on the power of putting people first to build community, teamwork as well as the career and business results we desire.
People First Means Self Care
Most of us have heard the analogy of putting on our own oxygen mask before helping another. Unfortunately, knowing and doing are not connected. When we have good habits of self-care we more effectively show compassion and generosity toward others.
The story I shared in the Instagram and LinkedIn video was a stark reminder to me. We all love to praise the front line health workers but how many of us recognize the importance of them taking care of them self. Since hearing his story about creating a nest of safety at home to ensure when he heads to the hospital to save others, I have found the bravado of some political leaders annoying.
Many use phrases about each other like, he is working 24/7. No one is working or capable of effectively working that much. We don’t want our leaders to be irrational or caught in a fog. Foggy thinking is a residual of not properly sleeping or taking care of our self.
A few weeks ago a reporter asked the Canadian PM if he was taking family breaks to take care of himself. He honestly admitted he needed to take a few days to unwind with his family over the long weekend. It was a healthy thing for him to do. We need a clear-eyed and well rested leader in that role.
I recently heard POTUS describe his VP as working 24 hours a day on his corona taskforce. That is an exaggeration. Of course people tend to exaggerate a point to make a point. I get that. this is not the time to be a stoic workaholic. We need clear minded leaders who are taking care of them self so they can make wise people-oriented decisions. This concept is not brain-surgery!
People First Builds Trust and Respect
In a democracy we select our leaders, for the most part! We have the choice of options and we may select parties or leaders who we trust to deliver on the policies that serve us most effectively. Usually leaders who put their citizens first will be re-elected over time.
Lately there has been an erosion of trust for institutions for two reasons. One, people don’t feel respected by leaders. Two, political leaders have used divides in the populous to win by diminishing institutions of government. I was born in the 60’s. It was a time when, at least through the eyes of a child, there was deep trust in Canadian Institutions. We still had political strife, of course. At the same time, even growing up in Western Canada, there was trust.
As people started to see regional favoritism that seemed to put only some first or, to some degree, disadvantage key industries in less populous regions, divisions grew. We see it rising again with a renewed Western alienation. It is interesting to observe how Team Canada has shifted as opposition parties in government worry that the current government is winning favour because of the trust that can be built in the midst of a pandemic. When asked why he is touting fake news propagated by POTUS, Sheer argues that part of being on the team is criticism.
Sheer is correct. To a point. He just is a weak, even pathetic voice for this criticism. Additionally, he is using a poor and non-credible foundation. Unfortunately by not respecting Canadians, he is losing trust. At the same time he is potentially eroding our capacity to remain united against the real enemy.
Putting People First Opens Doors
As we reflect on how to apply this principle in our career, consider the significance of influence. When we’ve built the skills to garner support, we can move mountains. The person who learns how to organize and engage others on a project is an asset to any workplace, industry, or initiative.
Those choosing to leverage learning from this pandemic, will do well to spend time working on people-first mindsets or skills that supports them. The first set of skills one might consider are in the interpersonal toolbox. I’d suggest you start with self-awareness. Whether we seek to be a powerful and influential leader or a well regarded and highly skilled individual contributor, being self-aware is essential to success.
We might all do well to first work on our resilience. That starts with clarifying what really matters to us. This sounds easy but when we set aside even a day to focus on identifying what really matters, most of us find clarity a challenge. It is hard work. When we have clarified where our passion rests, we can define what it will mean to be persistently or doggedly chasing it against the worst odds. THAT is resilience in a nutshell.
Secondly, we might want to work on our connections. Some define this as a network. We all need deep connections and broad connections. Most of us focus on one of these almost exclusively. Success requires a well-honed combination.
Thirdly, we will all benefit from nurturing a strong presence. Those who are seen to have established and meaningful careers have intentionally worked on the energy they generate or add to any room they enter.
While this is just a start, it is all connected to how we put people first in our thinking and in our approach to our career.
Putting People First – the Foundation of the Value Chain
Next week I’m examining the significance of properly establishing, monitoring and adjusting metrics to drive effective Key Performance Indicators. Essentially this relates to the value chain. While I speak to the importance of building deep connections between every element of the value chain next week, this week the focus is on the early elements. The foundation to managing a value chain starts with people. Relationship building is critical.
About 20 years ago I worked with a mentor we contracted to support the operation to improve performance. One of the first things we discussed was how people in leadership fall into two categories of interest. Some are task-oriented while others are relationship-oriented. He had a model to examine people’s orientation. It turns out I’m an extremely relationship-oriented person. I challenged my mentor, since some who worked with me may take issue with that. He reminded me that one can be results-oriented, which is a different spectrum completely. In other words, I’m a results-oriented, relationship-focused leader, WHEN I’m performing at my best.
People are the foundation of achieving anything. Organizations and governments who understand this, are far more effective in achieving results. Therefore leaders like to remind us of what binds us. How many times during this pandemic have you heard Premier Ford say something such as, this is the power of 14.5 Ontarian’s. Or this is how Ontarian’s behave when times are tough. We’ve all heard a corporate leader do this too. It’s a “subtle” way to make us comply.
Leaders use this approach to pull us together when they need to us to hunker down and perform as a team. It works. We want to belong. The key to remember, at any time, is that when people feel valued they perform at a higher level.
Life is one big Experiment
The underlying point, again this week, emphasizes the benefit of approaching life as an experiment. Moreover, when we learn the skills to create community and put people first we establish meaningful interpersonal skills to support our self. Furthermore, we may then more closely monitor how our choices, decisions and ability to adjust our actions to our current situation. Then, we may influence how things unfold.
There’s a difference between wanting something and making something happen. With the mindset necessary to perform under pressure we are able to influence results more deeply. This mindset that relies on clarity, curiosity and a resilient spirit we accept no excuses, only results. Furthermore, it’s essential we have a system to evaluate the risk of any action, removing the very human emotions that cloud our judgment.
Walk with me. Together let’s examine options consciously and authentically to make choices that move us strategically toward where we want to be. Strategy is a about choices. Execution on these choices requires masterful performance. Furthermore, a well developed process allows us to enjoy the journey far more fully.
Be part of the journey in 2020.
Start by subscribing to my mailing list . Subscribers receive:
- My interactive exercise to begin reducing the impacts of stress and feelings of overwhelm will be sent.
- My newsletter with the related podcast episode will be sent weekly.
- Special offers will be available to subscribers monthly including: a random offer of a complimentary one hour coaching conversation, access to roundtable engagements and group coaching on identity and related subjects, as well as information on an initiative on which I’m collaborating: #FeMasCon.
People First is a Core Value in Bank Your Impact (BYI)
Putting people first is an underlying theme in my posts. A career built on the skill of relationships is strong. Choosing a relationship-focus over a task-focus doesn’t typically come easily. It is easier to focus on transactions and tasks rather than the complications of people. The BYI system helps participants build an approach by identifying options, making wise choices and committing to influencing desired outcomes. This starts and ends with relationships. Furthermore, it takes a systematic and experiential approach to influence the outcomes we produce. Moreover, becoming aware of who we are being and how it produces the results in our life is a consequence of the choices we made and how we execute on those choices. Ultimately, creating the life we want starts with the actions we choose to take.
Furthermore, to get what we truly want in life, we need to be willing to persist, seek help, and continually look for transferable learning opportunities. Additionally, we need to be willing to question our choices and expand our options through healthy curiosity and a search for unique perspectives. Moreover, identifying and nurturing our identity is the place to start.
A healthy meaningful and full life is made possible with clarity about our values, beliefs, patterns and habits. Additionally, our quality of life is influenced and shaped by our unique blend of strengths and inclinations. Undoubtedly, a growth mindset and open-minded approach are foundations to sustaining this healthy sense of self.
The System
The Bank Your Impact (BYI) System is about both developing and embedding self-awareness. Furthermore, the benefits of expanded resilience, connections built on understanding the impact of belonging and an ability to bolster a professional and authentic presence are foundational. Perhaps more than the other two, developing a foundational resilience is critical to with standing that which moves us into burnout.
The current system incorporates 1:1 coaching, roundtable conversations; eventually I’ll add a neuro-social learning experience (currently only available in organizational contracts but will be added to the system for individual engagement in 2021).
My approach is based on the ICF (International Coaching Federation) standards. I’m meeting you (my clients) where you are, both as the coaching agreement begins, and in the moment that exists at the time of each conversation. Progress or growth is not a straight line. The ICA model is the framework for every conversation: Issue/Insight, Choice/Commitment, Action/Accountability. Over the past year I’ve been tightening the model to meet the needs of my clients.
Holding space to support my clients in:
- Developing meaningful insights
- Expanding/deepening perspective on those insights
- Building/designing a practice to try on new ways of being/seeing OR experiment for discovery
- Assessing progress, becoming agile in transfer of learning and application before developing additional insights
An organic experience
The experience is tailored around what you bring to each conversation, in my experience, there are common themes that arise including: self-awareness, mindfulness, mindset, communication, connections, and attitude. Self-awareness stands alone but is also a foundational theme. I have registered upwards of 40 sub-concepts that fit under each of these categories. Furthermore, I bring tools, skills and techniques to respond and guide our work together, informed by positive psychology, neuroscience, and management/leadership research.
Walk With Me, to Where You Want to Be
In all my blog posts in 2019, you will find this section outlines what brought me to this area of focus: supporting people in the early to middle part of their career as a #performance #coach.
You can read more about my work and my in the About Me section of the website and below is a recording of my #bigwhystory:
Feel like you’re living someone else’s destiny?
If that’s working for you, great. If it isn’t or it starts to be a problem, reach out. I welcome a conversation.
Willing to do the work to find more meaning?
With the skills to unpack the emotions and barriers and triggers and mindset challenges with the skills in my BYI system, participants begin to see the impact in their career and finally begin to discover what matters most to them. The bonus: they begin to see a path to get there. Join me…
My system is intended to be meaningful, relevant, accessible and affordable. With that in mind, there are many ways to engage with me. Below are TWO ways to start, without spending a dime.
Walk with Me!
- BOOK a complimentary exploratory 1:1 conversation 20-30 minutes.
- SUBSCRIBE to my mailing list. You’ll receive an interactive exercise that you may use to reduce and manage stress or feelings of overwhelm. PLUS each week you’ll receive my podcast and reflections in your inbox AND you’ll be invited to monthly webinars and roundtable conversations.
In closing, I love bringing learning experiences to workplaces that are interested in raising their performance and encouraging their people.
- Book me to speak at your conference or to a group in your organization. My workshops on building resilience, improving workplace outcomes through relationships, and increasing performance are big hits! In 2020 I’ve added a few workshops on gender engagement – how, by knocking off the boxes that limit us by gender we all find our capacity expands.