Becoming a Servant Leader

I have considered myself a student of Servant Leadership for about five years now.  Ever since I enrolled in the Multicultural Leadership Program which focuses on developing servant leaders.  Recently I’ve been refreshing my knowledge in this area and digging into the published works of two well-known servant leaders: Robert Greenleaf and Ken Blanchard. 

Servant and Leader are usually thought of as being opposites.  Yet when you bring them together something beautiful happens: you are able to both serve and lead

Let’s break it down:

There are two aspects to servant leadership.

  1. Leadership – your role when you provide vision and strategic direction
  2. Servant – your role when it is time to implement or operationalize

Leader

If people don’t have a compelling vision to serve the only thing they have to serve is their own self-interest.  Your job as leader is to provide the compelling vision.  Keep in mind that your vision – your picture of the future – should focus on end results.  Once people have a compelling vision, they can set goals and define strategic initiatives so people know where to focus their effort right now.  The ultimate responsibility remains with the leaders.  This should not be delegated to anyone else.  This is where the traditional hierarchy comes in with a top down approach.  The top of the hierarchy is responsible for setting the vision, and the bottom is responsive to that vision.

By the way, the leadership aspect is necessary for all – corporations, non-profits, churches, community organizations, community initiatives, etc…

Once people are clear on where they are going though, the leader’s role shifts to a service mindset for the task of implementation. 

Servant

Once it is time for implementation (or operations), it is time to flip the traditional hierarchy into an inverted pyramid such as below.  Customers and the people directly serving the customer are at the top.  Now the those closest to the customers become responsible for operationalization the vision, and the leadership is responsive to their needs.  Your job as the servant leader is now to help your people accomplish their goals, solve problems and live according to the vision. 

Becoming a Servant Leader

You can learn to become a servant leader.  There are two easy ways to get started:

1) Understand the fundamentals of Servant Leadership

I highly recommend you purchase, read, study, and re-study over your lifetime two books:

You can also check out the The Robert K Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.

These are resources to help you deepen your understanding of servant leadership.  There are plenty more, and you know I’m always going to encourage you to keep learning!

2) Develop your skills around 10 Most Common Characteristics of a Servant Leader

We will dig into these more next week, but for now you can reflect on these and identify where you know you have the most work to do. 

  1. Listening
  2. Empathy
  3. Healing
  4. Awareness
  5. Persuasion
  6. Conceptualization
  7. Foresight
  8. Stewardship
  9. Commitment to the growth of people
  10. Building community

Servant leadership is a proven model that revolutionizes all that we do.  It’s a mindset, a philosophy, a cultural practice, and a skillset.  I encourage you to find the servant leader within you.

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These blog posts are meant to be thought-provoking. We encourage you to use your deep thinking skills and apply this to your own growth and development in a way that is meaningful to you! If you choose to respond or start a conversation on this, we ask that you practice professionalism at all times.

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Leadership on a Mission

My friend and fellow leader Erin Reeves-Attere has been chatting with me every Friday this October to share the incredible mission and work of Threads Worldwide.  Just this past week, we dug into leadership and the impact we can have on others.  It all came down to creating significance, acceptance, and coaching.

Significance

Creating significance for others is incredibly powerful.  Your team wants to be worthy of attention or importance.  Everyone wants to perform work that matters.  Often times, we want the value of the work to carry the weight of significance.  Erin and I put the idea out there that it is the people who bring significance to the work.  How do you influence others to create that significance?

You begin by understand why your team member is even there.  Ask them why.  Ask them why a few times in a row to dig deeper.  You might be surprised – is it passion for the industry?  Maybe the people and culture have a great reputation.  Maybe they just need a paycheck.  It is important to understand their why so you can help them bring their best selves to their job.  Your conversations should center around their why, not yours. 

This approach puts emphasis on the individual and targets resources to be used in one-on-one meetings.  My biggest takeaway from Erin was that she tells her team members that her time with them is an investment, and they are worth it.  Whoa!  Imagine how you would feel if your supervisor sat you down and said you were worth their time because they see it as investment!  Personally, I would feel incredibly valued.

Focusing on the individual also means that team meetings then become purpose-driven to motivate.  If you find yourself leading a team meeting full of announcements, I have news for you.  That could be an email.  Your team meeting is about motivation, conversation, and results. 

Acceptance

As a leader, acceptance of where an individual wants to go can be difficult when it conflicts with the potential you see in them.  This is especially hard when you see incredible potential, but the individual is not interested in pursuing anything more.  You can lose a lot of energy trying to propel someone who doesn’t want to fly.  The better approach is to accept it.  You just need to meet them where they are at right now. 

This does not mean that you give up on them or stop providing coaching, resources, and support.  It simply means that you are respecting their current position.  It is important you keep checking in on their status.  Life changes, and you will want to be sure that potential doesn’t lay dormant if and when they are ready to reach higher.

Coaching

Do you spend more time managing your team members?  Or more time coaching your team members.  Whereas there are some key administrative duties you must manage, for the most part adults would prefer to manage themselves. Your job is help them determine the goal and support them as they figure out “how” to get there.   You can offer guidance, yes.  Resources, yes.  Most importantly, you should be asking them questions.  Here are a few simple ones you can start with:

  • What are your objectives/goals?
  • What is going well?
  • What are your key suggestions for improvement?
  • How are you going to do that?
  • How can I help?
  • Do you have any feedback for me?

These three areas of focus are great for any leader.  Erin uses them in her business every day, all create life-changing work for women around the world through Threads.  We encourage you to give these approaches a try and see how they work for you.

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October Givewaway

Erin and I have partnered together this October for a series called Feel Good Friday, which you can see on the social sites below. We are also giving away this product from Ecuador, hand made by Threads Artisan Partners out of Tagua seeds. Enter the Giveaway today! The winner will be drawn this Friday, October 30th.

https://talentuplifted.com/social-goodness/

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These blog posts are meant to be thought-provoking. We encourage you to use your deep thinking skills and apply this to your own growth and development in a way that is meaningful to you! If you choose to respond or start a conversation on this, we ask that you practice professionalism at all times.

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Thriving in Times of Uncertainty

Last week I was invited to talk about Thriving in Times of Uncertainty with the Professional Women of McLean County.  Specifically, they wanted me to talk about how development can help them move forward.  I had such an incredible hour with them, and the feedback I received on the model I shared was so positive, that I wanted to share it with you all!  This is an abbreviated version, and I invite you to reach out to me for further conversation.

The pandemic has really heightened our awareness on the feeling of uncertainty and ambiguity.  We’ve all be through times of uncertainty before…a time where we found ourselves not knowing what to do next or how to move forward.  For me I’ve been an trailing spouse, a wife going through infertility and the most magical adoption experience, and unemployed thanks to the economic toll of the pandemic.  And every time, I have found a way forward.  Putting some thought to it, I realized I used the same model every time to gain positive momentum.

What does it mean to THRIVE?

The definition of “thrive” is actually set by you.  Thriving is a feeling you have about your life.

It does not mean everything is perfect.  Let me repeat that:

Thriving does not = perfection!

It means that you feel good about the direction you are heading, the journey you are on, and your ability to get there.  Thriving is all about the vision you have for your life right now.  Your vision might be big and take you years to reach.  For others, their vision might be smaller yet no less complex for them. 

Let’s break down the components of this formula:

Energy

There is absolutely no perfect combination.  May experts will tell you that eating right, exercising, and staying hydrated will do it.  I will agree that those things give your body energy.  But during times of uncertainty, it is our MIND and SOUL that need energy.  That is where real resilience begins.  So I always suggest finding the right combination of 3 things that you do every day that provide you with:

Energy for the mind

Energy for the body

Energy for the soul

To keep from being overwhelmed, keep this combo simple, achievable, and right for you.  You do not need an “overhaul” in your life to make this doable.  The point of this to make sure you have the energy you need to tackle every day.

Mindset

Your mindset during times of uncertainty is critical.  It is very easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious because of the lack of normalcy and the lack of control during tough times.  Mindset is a little bit about finding the good in every situation.  I definitely encourage that. 

But let’s face it – some days, some situations – that is just hard to do.

Instead, work on opening yourself up to discovery

You won’t know the end game.  You don’t have control over where these uncertain times are leading you.  But you can be open to embracing what comes your way. 

The best way to be open to discovery is to adopt a growth mindset.  A growth mindset is when people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.  Remember – a growth mindset can be cultivated.

Action

Moving forward during times of uncertainty requires action.  And usually it requires hard work.  Hard work, by the way, is a GOOD THING.  We tend to put a negative spin on hard work.  Why can’t things be easy.  Trust me on this one, hard does not equal bad.

Your growth is deeply personal.  The great news is that you can learn and grow based on your needs, your preferences, your challenges, your time constraints, and your budget. I recommend checking out these two previous posts to help you understand how adults learn and how to use the 30 Day Development Model to get started.

3 Steps to Owning Your Development – Part I

3 Steps to Owning Your Development – Part II

The 30 Day Development Challenge can and should be repeated.  Each 30 day challenge is a different building block in your growth and development.  You get to take it in the direction that works best for you.  Over time, these building blocks come together and create significant change and improvement in your life.  And not once will you be overwhelmed with how to achieve long-term goals. 

Reward

I believe reward yourself is very important to maintain momentum.  But I don’t believe that rewards need to be physical gifts or a special treat for self-care. Instead, I believe you should reward your progress by boosting your emotions. 

  1. You should do a deeper reflection on your progress.  Go back and look at those journal pages.  What worked?  What didn’t work?  By the way, failure of your goal will happen at some point.  But reflecting on it lets you see what to change for next time, and what did go well.  I promise you, something in that experience is probably a keeper.  My sister found that she failed on her goal over and over, but her plans were well laid.  She had an execution problem.  But that meant that she was a good planner.  A skill she could use to her advantage going forward.
  2. Tell your story.  Tell it to the person/people who have been supporting you during the last 30 days.  Tell your co-workers or girlfriends.  Tell your children, if you have them.  Children often have the best response plus you are role modeling for them!
  3. When you tell your story, express your feelings.  Find those words that represent how you felt on day 30. 
    • Proud
    • Surprised
    • Frustrated
    • Disappointed
    • Energized

You can have more than one.  These feelings are your real reward.  They are what will motivate you to go after the next 30 days, and the next. 

Energy + Mindset + Action + Reward = Thrive

I believe you can get back to that feeling of Thrive in just 30 days.  Start small.  Build your momentum and let it work for you. 

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These blog posts are meant to be thought-provoking. We encourage you to use your deep thinking skills and apply this to your own growth and development in a way that is meaningful to you! If you choose to respond or start a conversation on this, we ask that you practice professionalism at all times

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Creating a Career Mosaic

Our careers will look more like mosaics and less like climbing the ladder.

~Elatia Abate


Our deep connection to our occupational identity challenges our ability to navigate change, but we can rewrite our narratives for a richer purpose.

~Heather McGowen and Chris Shipley, The Adaptation Advantage


Last week I shared with you several truths of the revolution that define the Future of Work. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking around what this truly means for our careers and how it impacts the traditional approach of climbing the ladder to success. 

Now if you are not a student of art (like me), you might be wondering what a mosaic even is and how you create one.  I did my research when I first hear this concept two years ago. A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small pieces of colored stone, glass, or ceramic.  Mosaics have been created as early as Mesopotamia in the 3rd millennium BC. A quick google search reveals some of the more famous mosaics, or you can check them out here.

If a mosaic is a pattern or image made of small pieces, then a career mosaic is a pattern made of small experiences.  At it’s completion, that pattern represents you and all you have given to the world through your talent and dedication. 

Why a mosaic over the ladder?

First and foremost, as you climb the ladder there are fewer and fewer opportunities.  By definition that means that not everybody reaches the top.  There are a whole lot of people who make that world go around who are not a CEO or even an Executive.  They may choose not to pursue that career path.  They may be involuntarily forced off the ladder. A lot can happen while climbing that ladder. 

I’m going to pause right here and point out the seemingly obvious.  Climbing the corporate ladder equals a higher income.  Yes, that typically is true (although depending on the size of company, job title doesn’t always equal more income).  I could spend a whole day arguing that your income is only part of an equation of what you want in life.  Your values and certain life situations dictate what you need and want your income to be. So I only see income as one factor to consider when it comes to your career.  There are a lot of ways to achieve certain incomes.  Climbing the ladder and getting promotions is one way to achieve that income. 

By the way, climbing the corporate ladder is not a bad thing.  If that is what you choose to do (or have done) then that is great!  I’ve been on that ladder twice now and enjoyed climbing every rung.

The reality, though, is that not everyone makes it to the top.  There are a lot of reasons why they don’t.  And some people make it to the top (or at least pretty high) and move on to something else.  I fall into that category too.  You never know where life is going to lead you.  And climbing the ladder is not the only path to success and happiness. 

To truly thrive, we need to untangle the identity trap that our personal identity is the same as our occupational identity. I encourage you to see that your personal identity is the mosaic that you create.  You can, and do, learn new things.  You adapt to situation.  You go after new goals, new skills, new jobs.  Seasons of life come and go.  And your personal identity is the combination of all those experiences.  It is the mosaic that represents your life.     

What does a career mosaic look like?

Let’s start with a blank pattern.  You can begin to fill it in with your past.  What experiences built your foundation?  What experiences helped you to rise or fall?  When did you make a lateral move or start at a new company?  If you stayed at home to care for children or adult family members, where would you place that on your mosaic? 

I believe 2 things really create a career mosaic: work and community involvement.  This encompasses the jobs you have had – both paid and unpaid.  Volunteering as a board member, coach, or religious education teacher requires the same skills, talent, and intentional development as working.  Ask any person who has ever run a little league, chaired the Parent-Teacher Association, or coordinated the live streams for church service, and they will tell you all about the communication, project management, and technological skills they learned through those experiences. 

As you continue to add your small pieces, your pattern grows and the image begins to change.  Only you get to create it.  It is a piece of art that is unique to you. 

And unlike the corporate ladder, anyone can create a career mosaic.  It is in these beautiful designs that real, every day impact occurs. 

As the world continues to change rapidly…

As social movements progress…

As politics rage on…

As technological advances accelerate…

Just remember that you are not one particular job title.  You are a beautiful piece of art, still being designed and created.  And the artist is the one and only you. 

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These blog posts are meant to be thought-provoking. We encourage you to use your deep thinking skills and apply this to your own growth and development in a way that is meaningful to you! If you choose to respond or start a conversation on this, we ask that you practice professionalism at all times.

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Truths of the Revolution

I’ve been following the concept of “the future of work” now for a couple of years, and recently I’ve started to dig a little deeper into the topic.  As we progress through the 4th Industrial Revolution, we must adapt to the outcome rapidly changing technology has on our world.  The connectedness between technology and humans is becoming more deeply integrated.  You can read last week’s post The Future of Work is Now to gain a deeper understanding.

I’m currently reading the book “The Adaptation Advantage” by Heather McGowan and Chris Shipley. The concepts are bit mind blowing, especially given the fact that we are in the midst of so much change right now.  I’m also re-reading some notes from a keynote speech presented by Elatia Abate back in 2018 called “Preparing for the 4th Industrial Revolution.”

I’ll be honest…I’m still processing it all myself.  I’m reflecting on my own personal stories that exemplify the truth behind their work.  Until I am able to help you break it all down, I’m going to leave you with some of the concepts.

We need to move away from subject matter experts and toward subject matter students.

The future of work relies on rapid learning, unlearning, and adaptation.

We must become comfortable with ambiguity and vulnerability.

  Our careers will look more like mosaics and less like climbing the ladder.

 Disruption is simply opportunity spelled a different way.

I want you to let these statements sink in.  Reflect on them.  What do they mean to you?  Do you feel a visceral reaction to any of it?  Do any of the statements make you curious?  These are all examples of how we need to reframe our thinking and our outlook to be successful in the future of work.  We will be breaking them down over the coming weeks. 

Until then, open yourself up to discovery of the meaning behind these statements and how that may impact your own journey.   

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These blog posts are meant to be thought-provoking. We encourage you to use your deep thinking skills and apply this to your own growth and development in a way that is meaningful to you! If you choose to respond or start a conversation on this, we ask that you practice professionalism at all times.

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The Future of Work is Now

We all know that our world is changing around us.  It has always been changing around us.  There are times throughout history, though, when change happens more rapidly and more significantly than we are prepared to handle.  We are definitely in the midst of one of those times now, and we all feel it. 

From an economic and social standpoint, many of these changes were predicted and named back in 2016 as the soon-to-be 4th Industrial Revolution.  Sometimes this is also called “The Future of Work.”  By 2018, the experts were stating “It is here!”  And yet companies were not yet prepared, and some hadn’t even believed it was coming.  Jump to 2020 and we all see it and feel it everyday, and yet we are not prepared either. 

Before we jump into what to do about though, let me explain – in my own simple terms – the 4th Industrial Revolution.

A Quick History on Industrial Revolutions

Think back to your high school history class and you might remember the industrial revolution.  You might remember something about steam engines and the invention of the light bulb.  And you remember correctly, but there is so much more to it!

First – there have been multiple industrial revolutions driven by technological advances that significantly and quickly changed the way the world works.  Literally.  It changed how we live and work.  Check out this chart for a quick refresher on past industrial revolutions. 

The 4th Industrial revolution is all about how technology and humans work together globally to create integrated living that we have never experienced. This is why you often see the word CONNECTEDNESS attached to it.  Think about the internet of things and how you can control the temperature of your house, watch videos in real time from your home security system, and even start dinner in the crockpot all from your smartphone.  Think about the connections that have been made possible during the pandemic thanks to technology.  I know I personally managed through hard times thanks to video calls.  Smiles during isolation do make a difference.  Think about how robots have taken over mundane and repetitive tasks for us, and we program them to do the work when and how we want it done. There is even more to it. This article, and the embedded video within the article, shared by The World Economic Forum will give you a deeper understanding.

What does this mean to me?

The potential and opportunities to create goodness out of this connectedness are immense.  Automations and better streamlining alone tend to rock my world in a good way!  But as with all potential and opportunity, there comes challenges and hardship too.  As much as the word connectedness comes forward, so does the word disruption.  So let’s just tackle some of those truths right now. 

  • Jobs will transform.  Some will go away.  New ones will emerge. 
  • Upskilling and reskilling will be incredibly important.
  • Education will look different. 
  • Growth mindset will be necessary for success.
  • Collaboration will be required.
  • Ambiguity of the future will become normal.
  • The concept of retirement will change as we live longer, healthier lives.
  • The rate of technological breakthroughs will have exponential growth.

In simple terms, it means the job you do today will change radically, and maybe even be eliminated in the future.  The future of work will ask new skills of you.  It will require you to do new jobs.  Ones that may not even exist yet.  Whoa.  That can certainly create a sense of anxiety. 

There is no need to panic, but there is an urgent need for action.  You can be preparing yourself now for the future.  While there are many things you cannot control (like how Artificial Intelligence or Robotics might impact your job in the future), there is a still a whole lot you can control to put you on the path to career (and life) success. 

Engage in the Journey

The absolute first thing to do is work on acceptance.  You have to believe that the future will lead to positive growth and that you can be a satisfied, productive person playing your part in the heart of it all. 

It’s not so easy to do when many of us have been raised to have a “life plan” that included go to college, get a job, work for 30-40 years, and retire.  Now, though, we must think of our career, and our life a bit differently. 

This way of thinking is also growth mindset.  It’s opening your life up to discovery instead of a specific outcome.  It’s rethinking the concept of subject matter expertise.  It’s the idea that your career looks less like climbing a ladder, and more like creating a mosaic. 

Digging into the Future of Work

I’m going to spend the next several weeks digging into the Future of Work with you.  Nurturing your growth mindset is key.  If you just started to follow Talent Uplifted, check out the previous 4-5 articles on Growth Mindset.  Looking forward to sharing more resources, thoughts, and ideas on how we can all capitalize on these moments to thrive at work and in our communities.

Until then, I want to leave you with a resource.  I follow Elatia Abate and her thinking on The Future of Work, which she calls The Future of Now.  I had the privilege of hearing her speak at a conference back in 2018.  Her energy, her knowledge, and her enthusiasm for seeing the beauty in the 4th Industrial Revolution were unforgettable.  Since then I have had a chance to sit in some of her live training sessions, and I follow her work in real time on LinkedIn. 

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These blog posts are meant to be thought-provoking. We encourage you to use your deep thinking skills and apply this to your own growth and development in a way that is meaningful to you! If you choose to respond or start a conversation on this, we ask that you practice professionalism at all times.

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Progress!

Progress – forward or onward movement toward a destination.

We sometimes mistake progress as the end destination.  We often believe that we have only made progress when we have reached the destination.  In reality, progress is infinite.  It’s movement toward a destination.  In our world, the destination changes often.  As we make progress, we have the opportunity to continue shaping the destination we have in mind

When you set a goal, you are imagining something you have not seen before or been before.  During your journey to get there you take hundreds if not thousands of steps.  Each step forward gives you a little more clarity on that goal you set.  Each step forward gives you a little more clarity on who you are becoming. 

Even those steps that feel like you are going backward are actually steps forward.  Challenges and even failures are steps forward because you learn from them.  They, too, give you more clarity. 

The Many Faces of What Progress Feels Like

As you learn and gain more clarity, you also ask more questions.  Better questions.  To seek those answers, you must do something different.  You must ask something more of yourself to keep progressing. 

This is the beauty of progress.  You are ever growing.  And with intentionality, you will grow in the direction of your biggest goals and dreams. 

Now, we humans don’t really like the idea of progress without an actual destination, so we set goals.  We tend to set annual goals too.  Think about New Year’s Resolutions, Company Goals, traditional Individual Development Plans, and even the new fad of setting milestone birthday goals (i.e. 40 5ks the year I turn 40!).  All of these are annual goals intended to be achieved within a year. 

And then 2 things happen (in no particular order):

  1. We lose motivation.
  2. Something changes in our life.

We’ve all been there.  For example, who has ever set a new fitness goal and then gotten injured a few weeks in?  Ever set a goal for work and then a few months later been transferred to a project or moved to a different job?  Or hey – maybe a pandemic hits.  Suddenly that annual goal doesn’t work anymore. 

Let’s just talk about FRUSTRATION! 

By the way, it is A-Okay to feel frustrated when things change or we lose motivation.  All emotions have their place.  What we have to fight is not letting those negative emotions hang around forever. 

So how can we approach goals so that we see progress? 

Let’s start by throwing out the annual timeline.  There.  I said it.  Why are we stuck on “the year?” 

I propose that we do 2 things instead:

  1. Cast a vision for who we want to be (no timeline allowed here). 
  2. Start creating small goals that get you making progress immediately.

Casting a Vision

Casting a vision is about dreaming.  Who do you want to be?  What do you want to be doing next?  What will people say about my organization?  Ask yourself big questions.  And then describe the answer.  Don’t worry about how to get there yet.  Allow yourself to dream big.  Anything is possible if YOU want it.

I am not suggesting you have to write a vision statement here.  There are a lot of ways to represent your vision.  Some people prefer a nice, concise vision statement.  Other people prefer vision boards full of images that represent what they are working toward.  And still others prefer to write it out in a lengthy, story-like description.  The method that works for YOU is the BEST. 

Small Goals

Next you get to work on the vision.  I am a believer in 30 day goals.  Not monthly goals.  No.  30 Day goals.  This can be any 30 days in a row.  Why 30 days?  New habits can be formed in 28 days.  Also, 30 days gives you time to gain some new knowledge and then apply it.  We don’t really learn until we do something in real life with that new knowledge.  And in the 4 weeks you get during a 30 day period, you have time to try things out and start to make it yours.

30 day goals are like building blocks.  You keep stacking them next to each other and on top of each other to create something bigger.  And that something bigger is what you described in your vision.  Making your vision a reality can be a long process, but with small goals you will see PROGRESS.  And progress will make you proud.  Progress will keep you motivated. 

I’m a big believer in journaling (check out this previous blog post).  Your journal will show your progress to you.  This is especially beneficial when progress comes in the form of challenges or failures.  Your journal will also tell you YOUR STORY.  Anyone who reaches for “better” and achieves it, has an interesting story to tell.  If the story isn’t interesting, the journey was probably not much of a reach for that person.  Your journal will be there to remind you of your story.  Share it.  Share your story with others.  Your journey will inspire others, help others keep moving forward, and with any luck give them a good hearty laugh at some of the ridiculousness that can happen in life. 

If you need a little help with setting goals and journaling, check out this free 30 Day Development Guide

And remember that progress is forward or onward movement toward a destination. As you make progress, you have the opportunity to continue shaping the destination you have in mind

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These blog posts are meant to be thought-provoking. We encourage you to use your deep thinking skills and apply this to your own growth and development in a way that is meaningful to you! If you choose to respond or start a conversation on this, we ask that you practice professionalism at all times.

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3 Steps to Owning Your Development – Part 3

Your development and growth truly relies on the amount of effort you put in every single day.  The most significant aspect to your daily development routine is to carve out 15 minutes at the end of your day to journal and reflect.  This helps you process what you put into action, and it holds you accountable to working on your goal every day.  We all know it is far too easy to lose sight of our development goals in the day-to-day grind.

Why write it down?

Scientific studies have proved that journaling provides physical and mental benefits to your wellbeing.   Your our sleep will improve.  You will build a stronger immune system.  You will work through emotional barriers, allowing your brain to free up some space.  Once you get it out, you don’t have to think about it as much any more.  A friend of mine calls this “the brain drain.” And it is pretty effective.

Writing down your thoughts and experiences also allows you to remember things more easily, and even go back and look for patterns.  If someone asked you sit down today – in September -and share what you did and learned in July, could you do it?  Probably not very well.  And you definitely wouldn’t be able to go back and look for patterns.  Journaling every day allows you to go back and look for patterns about your own behavior.  What works?  What doesn’t work?  How did certain situations make you feel? 

Pen and Paper becomes your outlet to organize all you have tried and learned. 

How to journal?

There is no set way on how to journal.  Personally, I’m a pen snob and love to write full sentences with beautifully colored ink pens that reflect my mood. I describe a lot of detail. Forcing myself to write full sentences makes me slow down and be more thoughtful.  I had a manager once who told me she journaled just by writing significant words down, scribbled across the page as she worked through her thoughts.  Seriously – she did not stay on the lines!  It’s what worked for her.  I also have a friend who only journals her “insights” or significant thoughts on the matter.  The point is that you have to write it down in a way that works for YOU. 

The hard part about journaling is the discipline and also now taking yourself down a dark path of negativity.  You might find you hammer on yourself in the journal, especially when times are hard or things are not going well.  I have two tips for you to avoid this:

  1. When you name your negative emotions (and you should), also write that it is okay to feel this way.  I literally write, “It’s okay to be angry Lacey.”  This action will actually trigger some magical neuroscience where your brain and body will start to counteract that emotion!  Humans are amazing beings!
  • Somewhere in your journal, share some gratitude with yourself.  Name what is going well, or who helped you out that day.  This simple act of gratitude will keep your learning experience more positive. 

Your Journaling Practice

A daily journaling practice will keep your goal prioritized at the top. It is especially critical in processing your growth and development.  In the 30 Day Development Challenge, you journal about your experiences every day.  It takes 15 minutes and is all about how YOU did that day. 

  • What did you try out?
  • What worked?
  • What didn’t work?
  • What will you keep doing?
  • What will you stop doing?
  • What is your focus for tomorrow?

Remember that this is personal and private.  It is your place to be real with yourself on how it is going.  And since you write down your focus for tomorrow, you are actually more likely to do it!  By Day 30, you will see just how far you have come.  Literally you can go back and look at it in your journal.  You will be ready to build on that goal for the next 30 days! 

The 30 Day Development Guide includes a journal page template that you can print off and use to get started on your journaling practice.  Download it here:

In Review…

You can own your development!  You deserve to grow and reach for YOUR goals.  This three part series was written to help you break it down, make it actionable, and achieve real results.  Here is a recap for what to:

  1. Understand how we learn.  Check out Part 1 of this series.
  2. Follow the easy-to-use 3 Step Approach to owning your development.  Learn more about the 30 Day Development Challenge and download your guide here
  3. Practice journaling every day.  Reflect and be real with yourself.  .

If you would like to talk more about your development, feel free to reach out and schedule some time to talk with me.

Subscribe to the Talent Uplifted blog to receive weekly thought-provoking emails that will ignite your thinking and motivate you to take action. 

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These blog posts are meant to be thought-provoking. We encourage you to use your deep thinking skills and apply this to your own growth and development in a way that is meaningful to you! If you choose to respond or start a conversation on this, we ask that you practice professionalism at all times.

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3 Steps to Owning Your Development – Part 2

Your growth and development is personal.  Each one of us has different needs based on our current situation and past experiences.  And each one of us carries a different set of learning preferences, challenges, time constraints, and financial abilities to invest in our development. 

Often times, one of two things happens with your development.  You either a) follow a pre-determined path that someone else decided you needed or b) you do nothing at all.  Unfortunately, option “b” is far too common.  According to a 2018 report published by Gartner stated that 40% of employee attrition is driven by lack of career development.  Employees believe it is their employer’s job to develop them.  And I am here to say that is just plain wrong.

You are responsible for developing yourself.  A good leader will support your efforts in a significant way.  But working for a poor leader does not impact whether or not you can grow.  **In fact, as side note, some of my best learning experiences have come when I worked for a bad boss.**  A good company will support your development efforts with training budgets, tuition reimbursement policies, and maybe even internal offerings.  If you work for a company without these resources, it still doesn’t stop you from developing yourself.  Even if you work for a good leader at a good company, they can’t make you develop yourself. 

Only YOU can do that.

And I promise you it’s easy to step into your own development and take control.  I’m going to walk you through a simple 3 step model and share a tool I created to help you see results quickly!

First – I want you to understand how we learn as an adult.  You can read about that in 3 Steps to Owning Your Development – Part 1.  In about 10 minutes, you will have a deeper understanding and appreciate for how you actually gain new knowledge and learn new skills. 

Now, let’s walk through this 3 step model for your development.

The 30 Day Development Challenge

Step 1: Be Intentional

Knowing what you want to work on for your own development can be challenging.  Ask yourself:

What would I like to be able to do better or more often? 

Why is this important to me?

The answers to these two questions are what will drive your ultimate goal, your motivation, and your overall direction.  It is also what makes your development so personal.  It’s about what you want to be able to do in this world.  Your development can be career focused, community focused, relationship focused, etc… It’s about what is important to you right now.

Step 2: Set a Goal – 30 Days to Challenge Yourself

Start small here.  You have 30 days to challenge yourself.  It is not the size of your development goal that matters.  Your goals will build on each other month after month, and before you know it you will have improved ten-fold throughout the year in very intentional way.  It is okay to start small and get a feel for what works for you.  The more successful you are in the beginning, the more momentum you will have to keep going!

Your goals need to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant to what you want to do, and time-based.  You already have the time-based part covered since this is a 30 day challenge.  Completing the chart below will help you work through the logistics of how you will achieve your goal.  What are your resources?  Who will help support you?  How can you practice in real-life?

Step 3: Get to Work

Time for action!  You can get started right away once you have named your goal for the 30 Day Development Challenge.  A small checklist will get you started.  Get your resources asap.  Schedule learning time into your calendar, and reach out to your support network to get something on the calendar.  Let them know what you are doing and how they can help. Those meetings with your mentor or a coach will hold you accountable to your goal!  

Finally, carve out 15 minutes at the end of your day (put it on the calendar) to journal and reflect on your progress.  This daily practice will keep your goal prioritized at the top. By Day 30, you will see just how far you have come, and you will be ready to build on that goal.  Complete the worksheet every 30 days and you will be amazed how much you will grow in a year (and you will have the journey documented!).   

The 30 Day Development Challenge is meant to help you see results and improve month over month.  This approach is less overwhelming and allows you to build off your own momentum as you see success. 

I’ve developed a 30 Day Development Guide including the template and journal pages for your own 30 Day Development Challenge. 

Look for Part 3 in this series – I will share with you how to use the 30 Day Development Challenge approach month over month, for short-term and long-term goals. 

Subscribe to the Talent Uplifted blog to receive weekly thought-provoking emails that will ignite your thinking and motivate you to take action. 

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

These blog posts are meant to be thought-provoking. We encourage you to use your deep thinking skills and apply this to your own growth and development in a way that is meaningful to you! If you choose to respond or start a conversation on this, we ask that you practice professionalism at all times.

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person writing on white paper

3 Steps to Owning Your Development – Part I

Raise your hand if you have ever been asked (or maybe been given) an Individual Development Plan (IDP) at work?  Keep them raised if you have never fully executed an IDP?  Yeah – me too.  I love the idea of them.  I mean, I am a talent development professional after all.  In my experience, I have never seen the traditional IDP work for anyone and for a variety of reasons. 

Usually development plans are annual (one plan for an entire year) and very checklist oriented.  Something like this:

In 2020, complete the following:

Take class “ABC” or take a class on topic ABC

Meet with person X

and if you are lucky, maybe even a Lead Project Y.

At the end of the year, did you actually learn anything?  Did you even get to complete it?  Budget realities and time commitments are real challenges.  And unfortunately, unless you are one of the lucky ones who get to consult directly with a talent development professional on your IDP, there is a good chance that your goals are not going to give you the most meaningful result you need to make a real impact.

The good news is that talent development strategies and resources are modernizing rapidly, so we can ditch the traditional IDP and get to work in a way that give you results.

The great news is that only one person owns your development and that is YOU!  No one else, not even your supervisor, owns your development.  No matter your budget, time constraints, or goals – you can find a way to move forward today. 

First  – it is important that you understand how you learn and grow

Adults learn best when we try new concepts out in real life.  We get new ideas, learn about new models or approaches, and hear about best practices.  Then we test it out and process how it is going, usually by talking with a friend, mentor or coach.  That, in a nutshell, is adult learning.  I’m sure you can think of something in your everyday life where this is the approach you take. 

For example, when I want to try out a new recipe, I head over to Pinterest to find one and read all the “how-to” details.  Then I get to work in the kitchen, and there is almost always a moment where I text or call my Mom as I’m doing something because she is the best cook I know and can give me some advice.

In the world of talent development, we call this the 70-20-10 model.  It’s been around quite a while.  You often see it depicted something like this:

As simple and straight forward as the model is, there is actually a LOT to unpack and understand.  The deeper you understand what is meant by the model, the more creative you can be in achieving your own development goals.

Based on my experience, I like to represent the 70-20-10 model like this:

The components of this model work together, and in my opinion are dependent upon each other.  Let’s work our way up from the bottom.

Formal Learning

Don’t let the word “formal” throw you off here.  This is just a way to talk about intentional learning that provides foundational knowledge for you to build upon and practice.  In today’s world, the opportunities for formal learning are immense and widely available.  Access to resources can be free or require payment.  Some require minutes of your time, others require intense periods of learning (think degrees and certifications).  Education comes from a lot of places.  Here is a list to spark your thinking on all the ways in which you can consume new knowledge.

  • Books
  • Podcasts
  • Interviews
  • Movies/TV Shows
  • YouTube Videos
  • Board Games
  • Video Games
  • Articles
  • Reports
  • Master Classes
  • Training Courses
  • Workshops
  • Webinars
  • Professional Association Meetings
  • Conferences
  • Certificate Programs
  • Degree Programs

The important factor here is that you seek out new ideas, concepts, information, and skills.  If you are doing this regularly, you will find that about 10% of your learning comes from the formal learning you engage in.

Real Life Experience

Once you learn something new, you put it to work by applying what you have learned in real life. The bulk of your learning will happen in this format.  Adults like to learn by doing, which is why this shows up as 70% of the model.  At times, you will find that most, if not all, of your learning is happening through real life experience. 

A key element to success here is to remember “real life” does not have to equal your current job assignment.  Challenging and meaningful experiences where you can practice what you have learned are available through many channels in your life.  It could come from on-the-job experience.  Absolutely.  And you should definitely try for this by working with your supervisor.  But don’t limit yourself just to that.  Experience can come from any number of professional associations and community organizations.  Do you volunteer with a community organization?  Are you on the Board for a local association like Rotary?  Do you coach a youth sports team?  Or teach Sunday School?  Volunteer with the local Parent-Teacher Association?  Don’t discount the amazing opportunities you have outside of work to learn and grow.  In fact, experience outside of your work will give you a more diverse perspective, which is an asset to your company.  We even have a word for it in talent development – global perspective.    

Get out there and practice, practice, practice.  Practice makes progress.  And that it what you want to achieve with your development efforts.

Learn from others

So you gain some new knowledge and try it out in real life.  The critical factor in your learning process is receiving feedback and coaching from others along the way.  I’m going to say that one more time.

The critical factor in your learning process is receiving feedback and coaching from others along the way.   

Learning from others, or as I like to often say – learning “with” others, allows your measure how you are doing, express concerns, frustrations, and other emotions, celebrate your wins, and gain a lot of advice and suggestions along the way. 

Mentors and Coaches are the best to turn to, as they are in the conversation to help you out.  Your supervisor or team members might also be good to turn to especially for feedback.  Role models, experts, or your HR partners are additional sources to seek out.  If you are in a cohort of any kind, your fellow participants will learn as much from you as you do from them.  Reach out and ask for that quick cup of (virtual) coffee.  Research tells us that we gain 20% of our learning through these powerful conversations with others.  These important people in your life will ask you powerful questions, listen, and help you process the knowledge you have gained through formal learning and the practical application you have gained through experience. 

I encourage you to dig into this model.  Ask yourself these valuable questions:

  1. How do I learn?
  2. How do I like to consume new knowledge?
  3. What would I like to learn?
  4. Am I seeking out opportunities in my life to help me grow?
  5. Who are my mentors?
  6. Could I benefit from a professional coach?
  7. Who supports my learning the most?

This will help you to better understand how you learn so that you can be intentional about your growth and development.

Look for Part 2 in this three-part series tomorrow!  I will share with you the 3 actionable steps to owning your development and a tool to help you drive action and accountability. 

Subscribe to the Talent Uplifted blog to receive weekly thought-provoking emails that will ignite your thinking and motivate you to take action. 

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

These blog posts are meant to be thought-provoking. We encourage you to use your deep thinking skills and apply this to your own growth and development in a way that is meaningful to you! If you choose to respond or start a conversation on this, we ask that you practice professionalism at all times.

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