Reason #2 Why You Need An Executive Team Coach: Because You Are Two Optimistic

Studies show that the more power you have, the more optimistic you are. 

While optimism is an important trait for a leader (who wants to be led by a pessimist), being OVERLY optimistic - especially in the face of glaring internal or external issues - becomes problematic. 

And think about it, if power wields optimism, then the lack of it wields pessimism. 

Therein lies the problem.

Employees at the bottom of the totem pole can be overly pessimistic. This may be due to a lack of information, or a narrow perspective.  Or, because they are seeing something that the leaders at the top aren’t.  

While optimism keeps us moving forward, pessimism keeps us from walking off a cliff.

It is important for leaders to transfer knowledge and information to their teams, and keep their ear to the ground to understand business realities.  

We help you narrow the optimistic/pessimistic gap by SEEing things from different perspectives - ensuring that you gather important information - learn from different perspectives - and effectively solve problems as a team.   

Reason #1 Why You Need An Executive Team Coach: Teams are waiting for answers, decisions and follow through.

Because teams are waiting for answers, decisions and follow through on the issues and solutions surfaced in various meetings. And if that follow-up takes too long, is not well thought through, or is all together forgotten, people will check-out or move out. They feel as though they haven’t been heard. They feel they don’t matter.

I get it, things get in the way.

Executive teams are inordinately busy. Fires absorb their time and attention. This, in turn, kicks internal tasks down the road.  But, many of those fires wouldn’t exist if things were in better order internally. 

Building a solid foundation of structures, processes, roles/responsibilities, education and support is paramount. 

We help you RUN your business more efficiently and effectively. One way to do that is to make sure team questions/ideas/issues are surfaced, discussed and addressed in a timely manner.

Just Call Me Goldilocks

Like Goldilocks, I am a big snoop. I crash businesses on a regular basis. I walk around. Look under the covers. Sit at different seats at the table. Taste the kool aid.

Too much? Too little? Just right?

In today’s business climate, we are at an inflection point.

  • TOO HARD isn’t going to motivate or retain employees (hello Twitter).

  • TOO SOFT isn’t going to ground and focus employees (you know who you are).

  • JUST RIGHT therefore, shows up when there is a collective focus and purpose so people are able to do their best work.

My snooping takes me through company doors to see the inner workings of an organization -operations, team structures, meeting profiles, personal interactions, leadership styles, business goals and results.

  • Too hierarchical, too flat, or just right?

  • Too collaborative, not collaborative enough, or just the right amount?

  • Too much direction, not enough direction, or just the right amount?

  • Too many meetings, too few meetings, or just the right amount?

Like Goldilocks, I help you find ‘Just Right’

We’ll take a look at your business aspirations and determine where you want to stand out from the crowd and call attention to yourself. And, how much space you want to take up in the marketplace.

We’ll identify key areas of your business you want your employees to pay attention to and support in their everyday activities.

We’ll provide your workplace a sense of cohesion and coherence by organizing around your aspirational focus and business cycle.

And, we’ll create cycles throughout the year to cultivate business ideation and evolution.

What Coffee Shops Can Teach Us About Employee Retention

I recently took a road trip to visit my family. I am an early riser, so I often head to a coffee shop and get some work done before others wake up. 

On this particular morning my preferred coffee shop wouldn’t be open for an hour, so I searched for another option. The place looked great from the outside. I ordered a coffee and sat down to write.

Within minutes I was itching to get out of there. 

The place was a mess. What I am sure the owners saw as maximally quirky decor, I found to be sloppy, claustrophobic, unorganized and all together distracting. I simply couldn't focus. 

As humans, we need order in order to do our best work.

As with this coffee shop, a company might look good from the outside, but inside it is claustrophobic, sloppy, and all together unorganized.  Before long employees are itching to leave. 

CLAUSTROPHOBIC: Micromanagement. Little autonomy. 
SLOPPY:  Poor communication and unaddressed issues.  
UNORGANIZED: Unnecessary obstacles that keep people from doing their best work. 

Discuss and address these issues with your team. If you do, you will find people lined up at your door, itching to join your company.

I didn’t know anything about Sally, and she would have been just fine with that.   

Sally and her husband were the founders of the highly revered restaurant The French Laundry.  Described as the pioneers of the Napa Valley culinary scene. Recognized as starting the local food movement. 

Sally was quoted as saying, “I didn’t have a mission. I wasn’t trying to prove anything to the world. I didn’t really have a statement to make. I just put good food on the table. It is fun to feed people. It is very pleasing.” 

Sally, I learned, did have a very intentional cooking process. She explained it this way: 

“I was successful putting everything together in the right place. I started with the complex, followed by simple, then more complex. I added texture, color, and flavor. I kept things balanced. All piled high with good conversation.” 

Sally’s attitude and approach have inspired my 2023 focus - just put good programs on the table.  Here’s my new program format recipe (per Sally)

Recipe: Everything Together in the Right Place

Ingredients:

  • Start with Complex - understand the layers of business operations

  • Followed by Simple - outline the essentials (needs for the business, employees and clients)

  • Then more Complex - what happens when essentials aren’t met.  

  • Texture - create dynamic solutions that include appearance, tone and consistency.

  • Color - reflect the light of internal ingenuity.  

  • Flavor - create a distinctive taste that is unique to your company.

  • Balance - introduce solutions that are in correct proportion to the end goal.  

Directions: 

  • Roll up sleeves and get to work. 

  • Mix in plenty of good conversation


Sally died this past year, right before her cookbook - “Six California Kitchens” - was published. In the books’ Forward she was described as, “Kind and generous, forthright and unpretentious.”  

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5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself

Peter Drucker, the incomparable management expert, leadership trailblazer and wise sage once said that we should all answer these 5 questions and share the answers with our customers, our team, our peers, and our boss.

I put it to the test. I was enlightened.

1 this is what I am good at…

I am good at listening to issues, reviewing circumstances, surfacing the unconsidered, envisioning a future, and then pulling from my personal insights and experience to guide you towards a successful path forward. 

2 this is how I work...

I review where you have been and where you want to go…and why. I talk to you. I talk to others. I share perspectives. I probe. We discuss. I push you to think holistically and responsibly. I ensure solutions are foundational (not bandaids). I take a reductive approach to solutions - as architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe exclaimed; “less is more”. 

3 these are my values…

If you are only focused on making money, I am not your business partner. I believe there should be a responsible balance between your impact on your team, your customer, the world, and your bottom line.  

4 this is the contribution I plan to concentrate on...

I will offer you a simple and focused path forward. The results will take time. But through a concerted focus, regular education and communication, collective efforts will result in a steady buildup of momentum that will propel your organization forward in important ways. 

5 these are the results that I should be expected to deliver…

A focused and dynamic organization. People will feel connected and ideas and solutions will flow easily - individuals will know where their time and energy should be placed - teams will understand where ingenuity should take root - a perfect balance of vision, partnership and execution will emerge.  

I encourage you to go through this very insightful process! Let me know what you discovered.

The Greater the Contrast, the More Something Stands Out.

We take inspiration from the world of art to help you organize and operate your business. We start by looking through the lens of ‘contrast’.  


Definition: CONTRAST | noun

  • Art: Difference in quality between two art elements. The greater the contrast, the more something stands out. 

  • Business:  Where you stand out from others and call attention to yourself.

Find contrast by getting clear on how you are different from your competition. Pinpoint your unique attributes. Define how they benefit a client? Outline why they make good business sense. 

Then grab your lab coat and test your hypothesis. Get feedback from those outside your organization - clients, experts, discerning minds. 

  • Does your approach resonate?  Or, does it confuse or fall flat?

  • Is it a solid business differentiator?  Or, seen as a gimmick?

  • Why would they choose you over others?

Clients want to be a part of something special - they want to believe they have chosen the best for themselves. Through contrast, you will separate yourself from the crowd and shine bright in your client’s eyes.

“What if we designed our organizations with the same thought and consideration an artist does to create a piece of work?” - WORK IS ART author Jane Walton

Give It A Break Leaders!

Our companies need bold leaders with fresh ideas and grounded perspectives to move us forward in a positive way. We need leaders who act through a wide angle lens and not with tunnel vision.

We don’t need leaders who live and breath their work 24x7. Who’s jam packed schedules of meetings and industry events define them. Where burning the candle at both ends is their measurement of success.

We need leaders to take a break! Regularly. Intentionally. And, comfortably.

Regular breaks allow you to come up for air. Clear your head. Gain perspective. Be inspired.

Regular breaks allow you to see the possibilities before you. Identify opportunities that are important. Assess where you should be focused.

We need leaders who are on top of their game - not worn out and ragged.

So, do me a favor leaders…TAKE A BREAK!


WORK IS ART
Book: https://lnkd.in/dzx7TN8h
Workshop: https://lnkd.in/dd78D8Xc

See. Stop. Run.

Prose clustered in three’s dance on the tongue…

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Stop. Drop. Roll.

Turn on, tune in, drop out.

Mentally and intrinsically we respond positively to groupings of three. Three is memorable, creates interest, and adds emphasis.

We ask our clients to identify 3 areas of concentration that will result in business success. Three areas where you need collective efforts focused. Three areas that everyone can impact on a daily basis.

At Jane Walton Consulting, our focus is SEE. STOP. RUN.

  • SEE things from different points of view.

  • STOP doing things that don’t add significant value.

  • RUN your business in a focused, impactful way.

This focus is how we approach our work with clients. It is how we break down and tackle complicated workplace issues. It is how we guide clients towards success.

Learn more about this approach in my book WORK IS ART. or, bring us into your organization to guide you through the process.

We would love to help you achieve a deeper team collaboration, better business results, and less employee stress and burnout.

Inspired Strategic Planning

“Strategic planning should leverage collective intelligence to position your firm for success.” - Jane Walton

Effective strategic planning isn’t simply about prioritizing goals for the next few years, it should include a careful review of the following;

  • Taking stock on where your firm has been and the lessons learned that will inform your future focus and strategies.

  • Assessing your industry - market trends and conditions - to anticipate movement and strategically position your firm for success.

  • Surfacing ideas from the organization at large. Uncover what people are seeing, hearing, and experiencing to best position your firm in the industry and against competition?

  • Ensuring firm leadership is in agreement with the future direction of the organization. Identify and vet aspirations, ideas, and concerns. Come to agreement on a focus that blends ideas and information into a dynamic and aspirational plan.

“I was a little skeptical of “strategic planning consultants” and you’ve made me feel completely the opposite – don’t know how we’d have gotten to this point without you.” - R.C. Managing Principal

We are leading the way to a more inspired way of planning for your firm’s future. Give us a call, we’d love to discuss our process with you!