Lead For Clarity

Trust is Either Eroding or Growing

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0700

Trust is either growing or eroding. So let's talk about growth. When trust is growing, you are working at it. You are putting effort into it. You are, taking vulnerable chances. You are sharing your weaknesses. You are sharing your strengths. I think sometimes it's harder to share our strengths than it is to reveal our weaknesses.

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#LeadForClarity #LeadershipDevelopment #Leadership #Growth #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipCoaching #EmotionalIntelligence #Clarity #PersonalAccountability #Communication

Thanks for joining us - don't forget to subscribe, rate (or like), comment & share!

Visit our website and follow us on social media - Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn

We LOVE your feedback & questions - click HERE to share your questions/feedback or email us at podcast@shandelgroup.com

Subscribe for our free 66 Seconds with Shandel Group at shandel.com

#LeadForClarity #LeadershipDevelopment #Leadership #Growth #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipCoaching #EmotionalIntelligence #Clarity #PersonalAccountability #Communication

Leading Without Burning Out: The Importance of Prioritizing Balance

Mon, 27 May 2024 15:00:00 -0700

In this episode, Shandel and Melanie discuss strategies for avoiding burnout through effective time management and prioritizing what matters most. They explore an assessment tool for gaining clarity on life priorities across different categories like work, family, health, and more.

The team reflects on seasons in their own lives when work consumed too much energy, and how they've worked to establish better balance. Melanie shares how realizing she was negatively impacting her team's work-life balance through her own habits prompted change. This discussion highlights the importance of leaders setting the right example to avoid normalizing overwork cultures. Throughout, Shandel and Melanie stress that revisiting time management strategies is always beneficial. Their insightful conversation provides actionable takeaways for avoiding burnout through prioritizing what fulfills both professional goals and overall well-being.

Sign up for our upcoming webinar HERE! Balanced Leadership: Mastering Time and Avoiding Burnout

Key Takeaways:

Use self-assessment tools to evaluate multiple life categories in order to identify areas that need more focus and balance. Seeing your priorities reflected in numbers can be an eye-opening experience.
Leading by example is crucial, as your own habits directly influence your team's work culture and expectations. Be mindful of behaviors you want to promote, like a good work-life balance.
Balance across work, family, health, and personal fulfillment is important for sustainable long-term success and avoiding burnout. While career goals require effort, neglecting other categories takes a toll.
Revisiting time management strategies periodically helps you continue improving and can catch imbalances before they become problematic. What worked before may need adjusting.
Small changes like dedicated weekly time with loved ones or limiting after-hours availability can make a big difference in establishing a balanced lifestyle.

Mastering Your Time: Finding Balance Through Self-Awareness

Fri, 10 May 2024 14:00:00 -0700

Welcome to another episode of Lead for Clarity! Today Shandel Sutherland and Melanie Montgomery continue their discussion on mastering your time through a leadership approach to balance.

They dive deeper into understanding personal work styles and strengths using tools like the Working Genius model and DISC assessments. Shandel and Melanie share insights into their own styles and how they maximize productivity. Practical tips are provided for avoiding distractions and staying focused, like using timers and scheduling focused work periods.

Melanie and Shandel emphasize the importance of self-awareness. Only by understanding your energy levels, strengths, and weaknesses can you plan your days intentionally. They encourage building this "self-awareness muscle" through reflection.

Key Takeaways:

It's important to understand your personal work style, strengths, weaknesses, energy levels, and zones through self-reflection and assessments. This self-awareness allows you to optimize your productivity.
You should schedule your day intentionally around your "green zones" when you have the most energy, rather than just reacting to what feels urgent.
Practicing self-care through taking breaks, creating margins in your schedule, and prioritizing rest can help you avoid burnout and stay focused.
Working from home can make it harder to stay on task, so using tools like timers and scheduling focused work periods without distractions can help maximize your effectiveness.
Being intentional with how you spend your time based on your values is more important than trying to achieve an unrealistic "balance." Prioritizing what energizes you and matters most is key.

We hope you find these insights on mastering your time through leadership and balance helpful! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss future episodes.

Sign up for our upcoming webinar HERE - Balanced Leadership: Mastering Time and Avoiding Burnout

Why Don't We Delegate? Navigating Trust Issues and Pride

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Lead for Clarity, Melanie and Shandel discuss the common challenges that prevent effective delegation in leadership. They share stories from their own experiences struggling to delegate tasks and identify issues like lack of trust, pride, and not having systems in place. The team also provides strategies for overcoming these barriers, such as embracing mistakes, building relationships, and communicating expectations. They emphasize the importance of delegation for career development and empowering teams. The hosts encourage listeners to recognize excuses and delegate tasks with a growth mindset.

Key Takeaways:

Delegation is a process that requires consistent communication, follow up, and relationship building over time. Simply asking someone to take on a task once is not enough.
It's important to recognize our own excuses for not delegating and have a growth mindset to overcome challenges through practice. Mistakes will happen but that's part of the learning.
Effective delegation empowers team members and supports career development by providing opportunities for growth, contribution and feeling valued in their work. Making delegation a priority has benefits for both individuals and the organization.

Resources:

Click HERE to register for our FREE live webinar, Transformative Delegation: Unleashing Potential in Your Team! It will be held on Thursday, March 28, 2024 from 12pm - 1:30pm PST.
Article from Harvard Business Review, Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey

Taking Back Control: How Delegation Empowers Leaders and Teams

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0800

Shandel and Melanie discuss the importance of delegation for leaders and teams. They explore how to build trust and confidence through communication to build a foundation to delegate effectively. Learn how to avoid frustration when others do tasks differently and build a growth mindset. The team shares tips on understanding team members' strengths and weaknesses to set them up for success. Listen in to discover how delegation can help prioritize values, avoid burnout, and create room for visionary work!

Click HERE to register for our FREE live webinar, Transformative Delegation: Unleashing Potential in Your Team! It will be held on Thursday, March 28, 2024 from 12pm - 1:30pm PST.

Click HERE to learn more about our Science of Self Class, which starts on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 12pm PST.

Key Takeaways:

Delegation is key to personal and professional growth for leaders and their teams
Investing time upfront to understand team members pays off in empowering their potential
Trust and confidence are built through open communication and embracing different strengths
Letting go of control and perfectionism allows room for creativity and shared leadership
Prioritizing delegation frees up time and energy for what truly matters - family, vision, values

From Fear to Fulfillment: Overcoming Obstacles to Reach Your Potential

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 07:00:00 -0800

This episode features a conversation with Scott Sutherland about his experience going through Shandel Group's 12-week coaching program and achieving success in the "profit" stage of the Process of Sustainable Growth. Scott shares how he overcame his lifelong fear of failure by setting clear goals with Melanie and challenging himself to step outside his comfort zone. Through the accountability of the program, Scott was able to accomplish his goals of improving his leadership skills.

As a result of facing his challenges, Scott has found fulfillment in his daily work running a bowling business. He enjoys embracing new opportunities and tackling difficulties head-on. Melanie and Shandel discuss how Scott's personal growth has positively impacted his professional life and relationships. They highlight the importance of self-awareness, authenticity, and aligning with shared values.

The conversation demonstrates how leadership development can enhance all areas of life when focused on becoming your best self. Listeners learn practical tips for overcoming obstacles and achieving profit through personal transformation.

Key Takeaways:

Facing fears and stepping outside your comfort zone is necessary for growth. By challenging himself through goal setting and accountability, Scott was able to overcome his lifelong fear of failure.
Authenticity, self-awareness and values alignment are important. By embracing who he is and advocating for his needs, Scott has built more genuine connections and situations where he feels respected.
Setting clear goals and having an accountability partner is important for achieving success. Scott was able to overcome his fear of failure by working through the goal setting process with Melanie's support and accountability.
Personal development enhances all areas of life. Through focusing on himself, Scott strengthened his leadership skills professionally and improved his relationships personally through increased self-awareness and authenticity. He's now able to advocate for himself while also being a peacemaker.

Getting Back on Track: Listening to Your Internal Dialogue and Recognizing the Signs of Disconnect

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0800

Shandel and Melanie discuss the signs and dangers of falling into an "unhealthy cycle of misery" as a leader. They explore how fear, insecurity, and a lack of humility can disconnect leaders from their values and damage relationships with their team. However, they emphasize that recognizing when you've gone off track is the first step to getting back to purposeful, values-aligned growth.

Key Takeaways:

Pay attention to your internal dialogue, as it can provide insights into where you are in your leadership growth and when you may have fallen into a "Cycle of Misery."
Don't be too hard on yourself if you recognize unhealthy patterns - the important thing is to take responsibility and get back on track as quickly as possible.
Look out for signs like a lack of humility, fear of being wrong, blaming others, and disconnect from feedback from your team. These can indicate a disconnect from your values.
Avoid being too busy "doing stuff" instead of prioritizing what really matters. Reframe excuses around not having time.
Be open to pruning less effective practices, even ones you've "always done," rather than doubling down on the past.
Personal stories can help identify unconscious patterns so you don't justify bad behaviors for the sake of success alone.

Pruning for Sustainable Growth: A Nonprofit's Guide to Healthy Change

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0800

This podcast episode features Nancy Bacon discussing the important process of "pruning" for nonprofit organizations to experience sustainable growth. The team provided helpful framing and strategies for nonprofits to thoughtfully prune in a way that supports their long-term health, impact, and sustainable growth while staying aligned with their core reasons for existing. Both organizations and individuals should reflect on how to "prune" themselves to better support others in taking action.

It's important to periodically "prune" programs and practices through a lens of what still aligns with an organization's mission and purpose is important for sustainable growth. Honoring and openly discussing emotions, which are deeply tied to nonprofits, can help with difficult pruning decisions. Having courage is needed to proactively prune and make changes rather than just doubling down on the status quo.

Key Takeaways:

The importance of periodically evaluating programs and practices to determine what still aligns with the organization's core mission and purpose. Nancy encouraged nonprofits to take everything out and only put back what "brings them joy."
The challenges of pruning given the emotional nature of nonprofits, but the importance of openly acknowledging and discussing emotions.
Examples of nonprofits collaborating within their sector's ecosystem to maximize impact and do less duplicative work.
Tips like focusing on an organization's higher purpose rather than emotional attachments to specific projects or programs when deciding what to prune.

You can find Nancy on LinkedIn or at https://nancybacon.com/ !!

The Importance of Employee Experience in the Progress Stage of Sustainable Growth

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0800

As companies hit the progress stage of growth, it's important not to get complacent and assume the hard work is over. In this episode, Melanie, Shandel and guest, HR consultant Skye Mercer, discuss strategies for acknowledging success, getting employee feedback, and pruning back to set yourself up for continued growth.

Skye shares insights on navigating the progress stage of growth. The team discusses the importance of employee experience and having strong HR foundations in place. Skye offers tips for celebrating accomplishments, conducting annual planning, checking in with teams, and letting go of old habits to prepare for the next phase. Skye shares examples of companies that have succeeded or struggled in this phase based on their people practices. Practical tools are also provided for annual planning, team check-ins and more.

Key Takeaways:

Treat your people strategy as importantly as your financial strategy. Your employees are the most important part of your business.
Have strong HR foundations like employee handbooks and clearly defined values in place before reaching the progress stage.
Celebrate accomplishments regularly by making successes visible and recognizing individuals' contributions.
Conduct annual HR planning to map out your people strategy and compliance priorities for the upcoming year.
Create a "stop doing" list to prune back inefficient tasks and free up capacity for the next phase.
Check in regularly with your team using a structured framework, and understand their preferences for communication and support.
Rethink traditional performance review models and look for new ways to motivate employees.

Resources:

Skye's Free HR Resources and sign up for her blog
2024 Employee Handbook Update Checklist
Connect with Skye on LinkedIn

Overcoming Obstacles and Evolving Your Leadership: Lessons of Accountability, Communication, and Progress

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 10:00:00 -0800

Shandel and Melanie interview Aliza Brown about her experience navigating the Plant stage of growth. Aliza discusses shedding old mindsets of overcommitting and multitasking in favor of consistency, accountability, and communicating clearly. She shares obstacles faced like not asking enough questions, and strategies used like finding trusted advisors. Aliza emphasizes the importance of evolving one's leadership approach through self-reflection on values.

Key Takeaways:

The importance of shedding old mindsets like multitasking and short-term gratification in favor of consistency, accountability, and focusing on long-term impact.
The importance of communication, both written and in-person, and finding the right method for the situation. Too much digital communication can lead to misinterpretation.
Asking clarifying questions upfront to fully understand expectations and negotiate support as needed for important projects.
Learning to say no and prioritize the most important tasks, rather than taking on too much and risking burnout. Focus on quality over quantity of work.
Using self-reflection to identify personal values and strengths, and ensure one's leadership approach aligns with those over time as situations evolve.
Leaning on a support system of trusted advisors for honest feedback during challenging times, rather than isolating oneself.
Unlearning habits that don't serve growth, like assuming rather than inquiring, and relearning strategies tied to sustainable progress.

Building Trust and Connecting with Your Team: An Executive's Perspective on Shifting from Boss to Coach

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 10:00:00 -0800

Shandel and Melanie welcome a special guest, Ed Wickman, to discuss his experiences with the Purposefully Connect stage of the Process of Sustainable Growth. The team explores the concepts of the healthy cycle of growth versus the unhealthy cycle of misery. Ed reflects on how early in his career he lacked leadership tools and fell into a "boss mentality." He contrasts this with his current approach of aligning teams around shared values and purpose. Ed shares his insights, favorite tools and leadership approaches!

Key Takeaways:

Focus on building trust and authentic connections with employees. Get to know them as people through daily check-ins and active listening. This helps foster engagement and open communication.
Shift from a top-down "boss" mentality to a side-by-side coaching approach through empathy, shared language, and supporting employees' growth and goals.
Be persistent over time in driving cultural changes through small, consistent actions each day like recognizing contributions and using shared values in conversations. Building trust among peers is also important for facilitating change.

Focusing Your Fire: Using SMART Goals to Achieve What Matters Most in 2024

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 10:00:00 -0800

In this episode, hosts Shandel and Melanie provide listeners with strategies and tips for effectively setting goals for the new year 2024. The team talks through digging into the "why" behind goals and drivers, what success specifically looks like numerically, creating attainable action plans, planning for life obstacles, and making goals connect to one's deepest values and purpose.

They discuss the importance of having both a strategic plan as well as flexibility to adapt goals over time. Distinguishing between surface level "symptoms" like customer service issues, versus deeper underlying "causes" such as low morale or lack of tools that should be the real focus of goals.

Shandel Group's comprehensive SMAART goals template adds elements beyond the typical SMART framework. This includes making goals specific, setting quantifiable and measurable metrics, breaking large goals into achievable smaller steps, anticipating potential barriers and how to overcome them, ensuring goals are truly meaningful and relevant, and setting regular dates to re-evaluate progress and celebrate milestones. Each component of the template is explored in detail to help listeners set clear, measurable and attainable goals.

The value of accountability partners is highlighted, as is reflecting on successes and failures from the past year. Additional resources will be shared through the Shandel Group newsletter to support listeners at various stages of the goal setting process.

If you'd like to use our worksheet to workshop your goals, reach out to us at melanie@shandelgroup.com! We encourage you to apply the discussed strategies to inform your own goal setting for 2024.

How Navigating Discomfort Leads to Trust and Connection: A Naval Officer's Journey of Self-Reflection and Team Development

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 14:00:00 -0800

This episode of Lead for Clarity focused on the "pain stage" of the Process of Sustainable Growth. Shandel and Melanie interviewed their guest, Rob Shipp, about his experiences in the Navy and how he has worked to develop trust with his team. Rob discussed how he realized the Navy hadn't been focusing enough on developing leadership skills. He worked with Melanie to provide a 9-week leadership training program for his team. The discussion explored how acknowledging pain and being uncomfortable can help drive growth. Rob also shared personal stories about improving communication with his children and looking inward at his own behaviors. The episode emphasized the importance of addressing pain points in order to progress through the growth cycle.

Key Takeaways:

Addressing pain points and areas of discomfort is necessary to progress through the healthy growth cycle.
Focusing only on behaviors and results is superficial; getting to the root causes by exploring events, stories, and feelings leads to deeper understanding and change.
Developing trust, both giving and receiving it, is an ongoing leadership challenge that requires self-reflection and commitment.
Personal growth often happens through acknowledging pain in relationships close to home, like with children, and looking inward at one's own behaviors and communication styles.
Providing opportunities for teams to have open discussions about both work and personal lives can foster stronger connections and engagement with leadership development.

Clarity, Confidence and Opportunity: What Happens When You Focus on Your Values

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 10:00:00 -0800

Shandel Sutherland and Melanie Montgomery welcome back guest Lydia Faitalia. Lydia shares how centering her values helped bring balance and opportunities in her life as a working mom. She shared her story of centering her life around her values, having hard conversations, digging deep within herself, and building a fulfilling career. Having the courage to confront difficult issues and go through hard situations, even if it meant disappointing others, allowed her to thrive.

Focusing on and centering your life and decisions around your core values can lead to positive growth, shifts, and opportunities. It's important to take the time to understand your own values and priorities through self-reflection and difficult conversations. Leaning into discomfort and confronting hard issues, even if it means disappointing others, allows for growth and thriving in the long run. Investing in your own leadership development through coaching and mentorship focused on values profoundly impacts all areas of life. Having the courage to go through difficulties and revisit values during uncertainty provides clarity, confidence, and freedom to say no when needed. Doing inner work and being vulnerable in the process of understanding values leads to benefits personally and professionally. Leaders should encourage others to value themselves enough to invest in their own growth and leadership through focusing on their core principles.

To learn more about the Process of Sustainable Growth, check out the first episode of this season!

Truth, Trust, and Humility: Keys to Escaping the Cycle of Misery and Reconnecting to Values-Based Growth

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 13:00:00 -0800

In this episode, Shandel Sutherland and Melanie Montgomery discuss the dangers of "off ramping" from sustainable growth and entering an "unhealthy cycle of misery." They provide frameworks to identify unhealthy vs. healthy leadership cycles and steps to get back on track.

Off ramping occurs when leaders stop investing in growth and instead focus only on short-term wins and survival. This leads to an "unhealthy cycle of misery" characterized by negative mindsets, culture, and lack of positive change.

The cycle of misery centers around having a "victor" mindset of only caring about winning rather than values. Behaviors in the cycle of misery include blaming others, being distracted to avoid problems, and only focusing on short-term dollars and dividends. As the cycle continues, it leads to a culture of dictating orders rather than empowering growth, which disconnects the leader from the team over time.

To get out of this cycle, leaders must reconnect to their values and those of the organization through truth, trust, and humility. Admitting mistakes is key to regaining focus on sustainable growth. The goal is not to never off ramp, as all leaders will occasionally, but to recognize it quickly and take steps to reconnect and get back on track through values-based leadership.

The podcast provides a framework to identify unhealthy vs healthy leadership cycles and emphasizes that all leaders will occasionally off ramp, so the goal is recognizing it and getting back on track as quickly as possible.

Discussion Questions:

Have you ever recognized being in the Cycle of Misery in your leadership?
What phase do you think you may be in now?
How can you reconnect to values and get back on track?

Reaching Profit: Celebrating Success and Tackling New Challenges

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 10:00:00 -0800

This episode of Lead for Clarity focuses on the final stage of the Process of Sustainable Growth - Profit. Shandel and Melanie discuss what profit means beyond just monetary gains, emphasizing things like team morale, effectiveness, and clarity of vision. ACTions to take in the profit stage are accomplishing the mission, conveying appreciation and celebration, and tackling the next pain point or challenge.

Properly reflecting on accomplishments and celebrating as a team builds stronger relationships and confidence to tackle what's next in the continuous process of sustainable growth. Leaders should give themselves and their teams permission to feel good about wins before moving forward. Rushing ahead without acknowledging goals being met can demoralize teams.

Tools suggested include financial planning, strategic analysis and ensuring cultural alignment as the organization expands. Additional takeaways are that growth happens in ongoing cycles, and each new challenge should be faced with optimism after celebrating wins. Sharing one's growth journey can help coach others. Maintaining momentum comes from continually seeking new ways to improve.

Key Takeaways:

Define profit beyond just monetary gains to include team morale, effectiveness, clarity of vision
Make time to celebrate accomplishments to boost confidence for the next challenge
Track personal and team wins to reference past successes when facing future difficulties
Avoid rushing to the next objective without acknowledging goals being met
In profit stage, accomplish mission, convey appreciation, celebrate, and tackle next pain point
Give yourself and team permission to feel good about wins before moving forward
Consider financial planning, strategic analysis, cultural alignment as organization grows

Pruning for Progress: How to Thoughtfully Trim the Excess to Focus on Long-Term Growth

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 13:00:00 -0800

In this podcast episode, Shandel and Melanie the important but often overlooked "prune" stage of the growth process. They explain why pruning is necessary for long-term sustainable growth and share tools and strategies for effectively pruning at both the individual and organizational levels. Listeners will learn a framework for effectively navigating this stage of growth through asking questions, collaborating with others, and carefully trimming areas that are no longer serving long-term goals.

The episode provides a framework for thoughtfully navigating the prune stage through collaboration and trimming non-essential things to focus on long-term sustainable growth. Pruning involves removing things that served you in the past but may now be hindering momentum. It allows for working smarter with less effort. Collaboration and communication are vital. Involving teams and being a good listener helps facilitate change and avoids losing trust. Leaders should ask questions like "Why are we doing this?" and recognize they don't have all the answers. Delegating effectively and learning what can be pruned frees up time and space. Individuals can prune habits, set new goals, and optimize processes during downtimes. Even good things may need pruning to make room for new priorities as circumstances change over time.

Topics covered:

Why the prune stage is so important but often resisted
The difference between pruning happening "to you" vs. being proactive
Examples of what to look for to prune like hidden renegades on teams
Asking the right questions like "Why are we doing it this way?"
Learning to delegate effectively to free up time and space
Involving teams in decision making through collaboration and communication
Setting new goals and priorities after pruning unnecessary habits
Using downtime to optimize processes and sharpen existing skills
Personal examples of pruning even good habits to make room for new focus areas

Celebrating Milestones: A Key to Sustainable Growth

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0700

In this episode, Shandel and Melanie discuss the key stages of the growth process model, with a focus on navigating the Progress stage. The team stresses the importance of celebrating milestones to maintain motivation as changes start to take shape. Checking in on morale and buy-in, simplifying processes, and clear communication are also highlighted as important factors for success during this phase. The discussion provides actionable tips leaders and individuals can apply to stay on track during periods of progress.

The Progress stage of the Cycle for Sustainable Growth is where changes start to be seen. The team discusses what growth looks like in reality vs expectations. Growth is not a straight line, and we need to embrace the ups and downs. Identifying meaningful ways to mark progress and using these milestones to celebrate wins along the way and stay motivated is key.

During this stage, it’s important to check in to ensure everyone remains on board with changes. How is the morale? Check for contentment and discontentment. Simplifying and streamlining as things start to fall into place will set you up for success in the next stage. Communicating progress clearly to build understanding and buy-in helps continue the growth.

The ACTion steps in the Progress stage are:

Acknowledge success – celebrate progress & follow through on celebration plan of milestones.
Check in – continue to guard the culture and make sure people are not becoming complacent.
Take fuel, take a breath – really get to know and invest in your team.

Leading Through the Plant Stage: Investing in Training and Development for Lasting Change

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 13:00:00 -0700

In this episode, Shandel and Melanie discuss the third stage of the Process for Sustainable Growth - the Plant Stage. This stage is all about doing the hard work of implementing changes after an initial period of excitement. Lasting change requires continuing the hard work of implementation even after the initial excitement fades. Sticking with training, accountability practices and skill-building leads to profound results.

It's important to have patience during the Plant Stage as new habits and behaviors take hold over time. Sticking with the process of implementation and not giving up prematurely is critical for success. Accountability, confrontation, and training/development are critical actions during this stage. Holding teams and individuals accountable to new standards through feedback and healthy conflict helps ensure goals and expectations are properly understood and met.

Investing in systems, processes and regular development opportunities like strategic planning, sales training and leadership labs helps new behaviors take root culturally and form lasting habits. Ongoing training that uses tools like the 12 Steps to Accountability empowers people with understanding, confidence and skills so they can meet expectations independently over the long run. People want to feel their skills and careers are being continuously invested in. Consistent checking in and reinforcement aids long-term learning retention and application.

Driving real and lasting change requires continuing efforts even after initial enthusiasm fades. Sticking with training, accountability, and skill-building over time leads to profound results by forming new habits and transforming organizational culture for the better. Regular check-ins aid in ongoing learning and proper application of new strategies.

Living Your Values: Commit to It & Do It

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0700

Shandel shares the "Commit to It and Do It" framework she presented in Germany for living according to one's core values. She outlines the six steps using the acronym COMMIT: Clarify values, Organize life around them, acknowledge Misery as a sign you've strayed, Make hard decisions, Invest in your values, Trust yourself by not compromising.

The COMMIT Framework:

C - Clarify your top 5 values. Getting crystal clear on the values that are most important to you is essential for the next steps. Clarity provides focus.

O - Organize your life around those values. Once you know your values, intentionally structure your time, goals, decisions, etc. to align with what really matters to you.

M - Misery is a sign you've strayed from your values. Pay attention when you feel unhappy or unfulfilled - it could indicate you're off course from living congruently.

M - Make hard decisions to stay true to your values. Living by your values often requires letting go of less important things, even if they're convenient or profitable. Having the courage to do this is key.

I - Invest in what you value and divest from what you don't. Put your energy, money and resources toward the things and people that align with your values.

T - Trust yourself by not compromising your values and orienting your life around them. Have integrity by staying true to your word with yourself. Rely on your instincts to guide decisions.

Clarifying your top 5 values provides focus and is the foundation for living intentionally and developing self-awareness of your core values provides clarity and focus to achieve goals. Organizing your life and decisions around your values, rather than other factors, ensures you spend energy on what's most meaningful and leads to fulfillment. Feelings of misery or unhappiness can indicate you've strayed from your values and it's time to realign. Living by your values may require difficult decisions, but has rewards like peace of mind that outweigh other benefits. Invest your energy and resources into what really matters to you based on your values. Surrounding yourself with truth-tellers who hold you accountable helps you stay aligned with your values over time. It’s important to treat yourself with the same kindness you show others to stay motivated living congruently. Having compassion for yourself during missteps helps you get back on track living according to your values instead of experiencing shame.

Navigating the "Purposely Connect" Stage of Growth through Effective Alignment, Communication and Trust-Building

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 11:00:00 -0700

Shandel and Melanie discuss the "Purposely Connect" stage of the business growth process. They explore how teams can effectively align around purpose, mission and values through communication. They share tools like DISC assessments, Enneagram and Lencioni's working genius that provide insights into communication styles and working preferences. They emphasize the importance of developing trust within the team and resolving conflicts in a healthy manner. The discussion also covers mindset shifts, accountability and understanding different perspectives. The team shares guidance for teams on navigating the "Purposely Connect" stage through alignment, communication and trust-building.

Introduction:
- Overview of the business growth process stages discussed on the podcast
- Today's focus is the "Purposely Connect" stage

Alignment:
- Importance of aligning the team around shared purpose, mission and values
- This lays the foundation for effective collaboration

Communication:
- Tools for understanding communication styles like DISC and Enneagram
- Leadership's role in over-communicating vision and goals
- Developing communication skills across the team
- Emotional Intelligence training

Trust-Building:
- Trust grows or erodes quietly over time if not intentionally cultivated
- Managing conflicts in a healthy way supports trust

Mindset Shifts:
- Personal accountability, understanding different perspectives
- Avoiding assumptions and seeking others' perspectives

People Practices:
- Hiring for cultural fit based on ideal team player traits
- Scaling communication as teams grow in size

Additional Resources:
- Link to video on story framework mindset - Click HERE
- Contact info to learn more about tools and coaching - Click HERE

Embracing Discomfort, Assessing Pain & Uncovering Opportunities for Growth

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 14:00:00 -0700

Embracing discomfort and assessing pain points is necessary for growth as an individual, team and organization. In this episode, Shandel and Melanie discuss the first stage in the Process for Sustainable Growth, which is Pain.

The ACTion steps in this stage is: Assess the Gaps, Character, Competencies & Capacity and Trailblaze through the pain.

It’s important to dig into root causes rather than just symptoms is important to create effective and sustainable change. Character, competencies, and capacities should be assessed to understand where development is needed. Tools like 360 reviews, SWOT analysis and feedback surveys can help objectively evaluate strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.

Leaders must do the difficult work of self-reflection and assume responsibility for issues rather than blaming others. Trailblazing through pain is a privilege that requires courage and humility and creates a path for others to follow.

In the Pain stage, it's easy to off ramp into the Cycle of Misery. That happens when we go away from our values, not necessarily intentionally or with negative intentions, but something else gets in the way, such as fear, frustration, or ego. Self-awareness and leaning into our values is key as we assess the pain and find the best path forward.

Growth happens in cycles, and periods of pain or discomfort are inevitable and should not be feared but seen as opportunities for learning and improvement.

Discovering Your Values: The Key to Sustainable Growth

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:00:00 -0700

Shandel and Melanie dig into what's at the center of the Process for Sustainable Growth - Values. Living our values (even when it's hard) keeps us in the healthy cycle of growth and moving in the right direction.

Values evolve when we do hard work on ourselves and lean into personal growth. As we grow, we start to uncover parts of ourselves that we weren’t able to lean into before, or find things that we didn’t realize were so important to us. Finding our values is so important and digging into what really drives us?

When we don’t live our values, we off-ramp into the cycle of misery, which results in protecting ourselves instead of our values. Most of the time, people don’t do this intentionally – it’s out of fear, frustration or some hard emotion that we aren’t tackling. We can get off track when we aren’t in tune with our emotions or we aren’t dealing with them in a positive way. But we are able to get back into the heathy cycle by reconnecting with our values. If you find yourself in the cycle of misery and not living your values, it doesn’t mean you're a bad person, it just means you are off track and you need to get back on track! Lean into those hard things that you’re avoiding right now and make sure your values are at the center of your actions.

Truth and trust fuels us through the cycle, which we build through living our values. When we are truth-telling and trusting ourselves and others, we facilitate (fuel) our process through healthy growth.

A great weekly exercise is to look at your values and ask yourself if you’re truly living them, or what is one step that you can do this week to honor that value more? This helps us keep our values at the forefront and allows us to lean into them, even when it's hard!

Listen to the previous episode to learn more about the Process and click HERE to see the Healthy Cycle of Growth as well as the Unhealthy Cycle of Misery.

Below are some additional resources on Values, a topic that we have covered from many aspects!

The Process for Sustainable Growth

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 11:00:00 -0700

The Shandel Group team is back for Season 5 to discuss the Process for Sustainable Growth, a framework developed to support sustainable growth of organizations, teams and individuals. It's important to remember that growth is uncomfortable and we have to push ourselves into that discomfort, otherwise we will end up moving forward in an unhealthy way. The Process guides us to consciously think through how we grow to make sure we are growing in the right direction.

The Process outlines the 6 stages you can anticipate going through any time you grow. The stages are - Pain, Purposefully Connect, Plant, Progress, Prune and Profit. Click HERE to see the Healthy Cycle of Growth as well as the Unhealthy Cycle of Misery referenced in the podcast, and to learn more about the Process.

The starting point for any growth cycle is Pain and this is where we enter into the process. In the healthy cycle, everything is centered around our values, understanding what those are and making sure we are focused on living our values. Many pain points come from not knowing our values or compromising them. It’s hard to this work and we can off-ramp into the unhealthy cycle when we are not ready to lean into fixing what isn’t going well. After feeling the pain, the next stage is purposefully connect with our values, others and the struggle we are facing. Planting is a stage full of hard work but this leads to Progress, where we start to see changes coming to fruition. Then we go into the Pruning stage, where we take out the fluff and get rid of things that don’t serve us anymore. Finally we reach Profit, and see that the pain had a purpose and a meaning and we have reached our goal and are profitable.

After going through the cycle, then you start all over with a new pain point! This season is going to be all about how to apply this growth process to all aspects of life and how to get the most out of what you want to accomplish.

Harness Your Meetings to Increase Efficiency and Effectiveness

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0700

In this season's final episode, Shandel and Melanie describe meetings that bring efficiency and effectiveness, instead of wasted time and frustration. The team discusses the difference between strategic meetings and tactical meetings and the importance of keeping them separate. They also dig into successful 1-on-1 meetings, which create a space for relationship building as well as a place for coaching and teaching.

As we prepare for Season 5, we would love your feedback, questions & topics to help us create content that helps YOU!

Sustainable Practices to Avoid Burnout

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 13:00:00 -0700

Shandel and Melanie answer a listener's question about sustainable practices to prevent burnout. The team digs into this question from a business standpoint, personal growth and leadership tools. It's important to build strong relationships so you can recognize when someone is struggling as well as taking ownership of the things that we can control, such as sleep and eating healthy.

We need to think about how to build sustainable growth within our organizations, our teams and ourselves. Shandel and Melanie discuss their own experiences and how they have invested in things that help them avoid burnout.

Setting & Communicating Healthy Boundaries, Part 2

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0700

Shandel and Melanie dig deeper into communicating boundaries in Part 2 of this segment. The team talks through tips and advice of how to say no to someone as well as how to share that you don't appreciate someone's behavior.

Learning how to effectively manage up helps keep a reasonable workload while also saying yes as much as possible and maintaining positive relationships. One way to do this is by asking your boss what to prioritize when they ask you to add something new to your plate and communicating timelines for getting things accomplished. It's also important to be realistic about how long something is going to take and give yourself time to check your calendar before automatically saying yes to things. Living with integrity and being a person of your word requires that you take care of your priorities first before taking on more things than you can handle.

Communicating boundaries that have to do with other people's behavior can be hard - here are some tips to do this well! Understand the standards you have for yourself first and then the boundaries you set for others - this helps us train people how to interact with you and treat you. Dig into the specific behavior that you don't want from others - what is causing your discomfort? Don't expect others to know your boundary and communicate it very clearly, when you are not emotionally charged. Offer consequences of not following your boundaries, a reminder and grace period, and then follow through on the consequences.

Click HERE to listen to the podcast with Cody Coles that digs into the mindset shift from being the doing to being the leader.

Setting & Communicating Healthy Boundaries, Part 1

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 12:00:00 -0700

Shandel & Melanie tackle another listener question about setting and communicating healthy boundaries in the workplace. Boundaries and values go hand-in-hand, so understanding your needs and the values you are protecting is key. The team shares their own experiences with setting boundaries and different approaches in communicating them to others. More to come, there will be a Part 2 as Shandel and Melanie dig deeper into this important topic!

Communication Tips & Tools for Healthy Conflict

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 11:00:00 -0700

A lot of stress comes from poor conflict management and not being able to have hard conversations in effective and respectful way. Shandel and Melanie answer a listener's question about how to better engage in difficult conversations and turn them into positive experiences. Listen for lots of tools and tips to help you lean into conflict!

Shandel and Melanie covered A LOT of different things. Let us know if you'd like us to go more in depth into any of these.

Hard conversations can be scary, so a good place to start is shifting your mindset about conflict to see it as beneficial and necessary. Having the conversation the right way in the right mindset is the best gift you can give someone.

Quoting Scott's Porch Talk Doctor episode, you need to remember 3 things when having hard conversations. Be Kind. Keep the Relationship more important than the Issue. And Be Direct.

A few of the other topics covered include: STORY, giving the benefit of the doubt, using disarming phrases, focusing on behavior versus intentions, digging into dialogue versus discussion, clarifying roles and responsibilities, understanding personalities and communication styles, developing emotional intelligence, and being aware of power dynamics.

Resolving conflict always leads to more trust and intimacy in relationships.

Promoting High Performers & How to Help Them Thrive

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 11:00:00 -0700

Shandel & Melanie talk through a listener's question of how to help new leaders thrive after being promoted from within the organization. It's great to promote high performers but it's really common to see them struggle in their new roles. Setting new leaders up for success often requires a mindset shift – just because someone is amazing at doing their job, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to be amazing at supervising others (at first). They don’t always have the tools and skillset to lead others, and we need to invest time, money and energy into training them!

It's so important to train all new supervisors on the basics of leadership, organizational values, communication, delegation, etc. Ideally, this should be part of the promoting and hiring process. We then need to take it further and coach the supervisors while they develop their leadership abilities.

Build a strong bench of leaders! Invest in your whole team and provide career paths so they see a future with your organization. This way, team members are ready for the next promotion or growth opportunity.

It's hard to teach what you intuitively know because we look at people through the lens of our own ability. Invest the time, money and energy to train, coach and mentor because when we don't, we will see the consequences down the road - and those consequences usually cost even more time, money and energy.

We encourage you to listen to the last episode (48. Develop & Train for Long-Term Success) - this discussion was a deep dive into effective training.

Develop & Train for Long-Term Success

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 14:00:00 -0700

Shandel and Melanie dig into training and development of team members, a conversation sparked by a listener's question about struggles to effectively teach customer service. So often, we move quickly through training and in doing so, don't set our team up for success...and create future obstacles for ourselves.

When training others, it can be easy to assume what's easy for you will be easy for others. In doing this, we can leave gaps in teaching which lead to confusion, frustration and unmet expectations. The Shandel Group team talks through the importance of creating detailed scripts (or SOP's) and checklists to ensure the team has a thorough understanding of what is expected of them. Additionally, practicing and role-playing new skills will help create a foundation for a new skill.

Investing time in thorough training will help set you and your team up for success!

Exploring Your Unmet Needs

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 11:00:00 -0700

Shandel and Melanie explore a common barrier to effectively achieving goals - unmet needs. All goals should be focused on values, which means that we need to understand our values BEFORE setting goals. And digging into values is a great time to start distinguishing between needs and values.

Try asking yourself, what charges me up versus what drains me? This is a good place to start in discovering your needs and looking for needs that are getting met in unhealthy ways. Unmet needs will always get met, and they can get in the way of living your values.

Join Shandel and Melanie as they explore values, unmet needs, and effective goal setting!

Tirelessly Growing in Leadership

Tue, 30 May 2023 17:00:00 -0700

Cody Coles joins Shandel and Melanie this week to talk about his journey of leadership development. Cody shares his experience transitioning from a more tactical role to leading, coaching and teaching others and the challenges along the way. He learned the importance of modeling the vulnerability and behaviors that he wanted to develop within his team and showing them the impact that these changes can have.

Leadership development and Emotional Intelligence are like exercise - you need to continuously build the muscle in order to build long-lasting success. Investing in your up-and-coming leaders creates an ROI for the business, team and individual both inside and outside of the workplace. This is evident as Cody shares his journey to not only becoming a better leader, but also a better husband, friend and family member!

Dialogue vs. Discussion

Tue, 23 May 2023 11:00:00 -0700

Shandel and Melanie sit down to talk about the distinction between dialogue and discussion, a communication tool to help deepen understanding of others. Leaders that are intentional with their conversations create an environment where everyone has a voice and everyone feels heard, valued and respected. They see things more objectively and make better decisions. They listen to understand instead of listening to reply. Join us to dig into dialogue and how to intentionally create these kinds of conversations!

The Key is Asking Better Questions

Tue, 16 May 2023 11:00:00 -0700

Shandel and Melanie sit down with special guest, Shelley Newham and talk about her journey in mentoring, coaching and personal growth. Shelley shares the power she's found in asking better questions of her team, her family and herself. Leaning into vulnerability and finding others to learn and grow from is instrumental in growth!

The team digs into the importance of finding a balance between showing up authentically while also adapting to meet others where they are, recognizing that they are not mutually exclusive.

A Journey of Exploring Our Wants, Needs and Emotions

Tue, 02 May 2023 12:00:00 -0700

Shandel and Melanie speak with Sabeth about her journey towards self-awareness and embracing her wants and needs. After growing up in a more reactive household, Sabeth spent much of her life in a reactive state until realizing that she has a choice in her reaction if she understands the impacts of her emotions. She reflected on her struggle of taking things personally that have nothing to do with her and learning to be courageous enough to break the silence and ask for clarity when she's making assumptions.

Shandel, Melanie and Sabeth dig into self-awareness and discuss their own experiences of exploring their needs along with how their unmet needs affect their emotions and behavior. They share the importance of sitting with yourself to figure out what you need and want, and then finding ways to communicate your feelings to others. Sabeth reminds us all that there is so much solidarity in what we are feeling and going through - we are never alone in this. Let's give ourselves permission to have wants and needs, and then communicate them!

Leader Making Leaders

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 11:00:00 -0700

Alan Andersen returns to the podcast to talk leadership development with Shandel and Melanie. In today's world, success as a leader is being defined differently. You're not only expected to perform your job well, you're also expected to elevate those around you - being a leader making leader is an important component of leadership success today and in the future.

Being a leader making leader starts with looking inward and leaning into growth and development of yourself. Leadership is not a position, it's a reflection of people wanting to follow you, and that takes a desire to consistently strive to become a version of yourself. Personal development is a lifelong process that great leaders embrace within themselves and within their teams.

The team also discusses trends they are seeing in the workplace including burnout, people feeling overwhelmed and being stuck not knowing how to move forward. Combating these barriers is important as we develop healthy cultures and effective teams. And since every organization is a reflection of their leader, the leader must go first. Listen in to hear ideas to overcome these workplace struggles.

The Freedom in Being Allowed to Make Mistakes

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 11:00:00 -0700

Shandel and Melanie sit down with Shandel Group team member Ericka Slaten to discuss her journey of growth and development. Ericka shares her experience combating perfectionism by giving herself the freedom to ask for help and make mistakes. When we feel like we have to be perfect, any mistake hurts our confidence and when we step away from our perfectionism, we actually become more confident, happier and more authentic people.

Ericka shares how her growth has impacted her role as a mother and a wife and how she is able to empower her daughters by leaning into a growth mindset!

Motivation in Tough Times

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 11:00:00 -0700

When you encounter an obstacle within a task that you don't particularly enjoy, how motivated are you to push through and keep going? At what point do you give up?

Shandel and Melanie discuss an often misunderstood aspect of Emotional Intelligence - Motivation. This dimension indicates how able we are to move through barriers, even when we are not intrinsically or extrinsically motivated to do so and when our emotions are high. Some may call this grit. The team digs into motivation and provides some tools and ideas to develop this aspect of our EQ.

Our motivation can be highly influenced by those we choose to surround ourselves with so especially when facing hard challenges, its important to seek advice from those who will uplift us and encourage a positive path forward!

All five EQ dimensions (self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, social awareness & social regulation) work together and one strong dimension can also compensate for a weaker one. Digging into self-awareness helps us get a better gage on our motivation so we can develop both of these areas.

A Behind The Scenes Look at Conflict & Communication

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 11:00:00 -0700

On this behind the scenes episode, Melanie and Alan discuss their journey together building effective communication and teamwork. Developing strong relationships requires self-awareness, communicating differences, showing up authentically, awareness of others and feedback! Alan and Melanie give an inside look of how they navigated these areas and worked through Shandel Group teachings to strengthen their communication, as they learned how to adapt to one another to best listen and be heard. As a team, we believe in the importance of practicing what you preach! Leaning into vulnerability, conflict and accountability are keys to our success as a team.

Always Growing

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0700

So often we sacrifice creativity, patience, connection and joy to busyness and trying to keep up with everything. Shandel and Melanie reflect on their own growth and discuss how they've overcome some of their biggest hurdles - including, understanding our own needs, shifting our mindset to embrace vulnerability and slowing down to intentionally be present.

As leaders, its important to remember that we are always growing and always learning! Sharing our challenges and paths forward help us all move forward in positive ways. What tools & tips have you implemented to help yourself develop your leadership skills?

The Path to Leadership is Through Serving Others

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0700

Melanie and Shandel sit down with special guest, Lydia Faitalia, and discuss self-awareness and self-regulation. Lydia opens up about her growth in these areas and its impact on her communication, setting boundaries, connecting with others and much more.

Lydia shares that the path to leadership is through service - but that doesn't mean we need to say yes to everything. Great leaders understand the importance of pouring into themselves so they can effectively pour into the next generation. Listen in for some powerful insights!

Why Does EQ Matter in the Workplace?

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0700

Life is moving fast and we have to make fast decisions. Change is everywhere, which makes Emotional Intelligence more important in today's world.

Can you tell when someone is upset? Do you pick up on changes in behavior in others? And do you understand your own emotions and harness them to make better decisions?

Shandel and Melanie discuss why EQ matters in the workplace and why leaders NEED to develop (or continue developing) in this area.

Intro to Emotional Intelligence

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0800

Dig into Emotional Intelligence with Shandel Group this season on the Lead For Clarity podcast!

Shandel and Melanie introduce and discuss the 5 dimensions of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self regulation, motivation, social awareness and social regulation.

Do you want to actively develop your emotional intelligence? Let's grow together!

What Will People Crave For 2023?

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 16:00:00 -0800

Shandel and Scott talk about "What will people crave for 2023? Simply connection!
There is nothing more fundamental and essential than connection.

What are you most proud of as you look back on 2022?
What do you desire for 2023?

Many people desire for the new year to spend more time with their family. That's great, but are you desiring that goal because you feel guilty, or is it because you WANT it? When you want something you usually do it.

If you, like so many of us, crave, yearn, and long for connection with family and friends, be intentional about it, and you'll make it happen.

Please read Shandel's Newsletter for more on this topic:
https://satchel.works/@shandel/what-will-people-crave-in-2023--q4-newsletter

If you would like to subscribe to our other offerings go to the link below. https://satchel.works/@shandel/subscribe

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Great Meetings & Relationships Using the Working Genius ? Pt. 2

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 19:00:00 -0700

This is part 2 of one of our favorite topics these days, The 6 Types of Working Genius.

In the last episode, we talked in detail about the model and in this episode, we talk about how to use it with team meetings and also how the WIDGET model has truly helped Shandel and Scott understand each other with more clarity. We recommend ALL of our clients from 1 to 92 take this assessment to see how they can fulfill their purpose in life.

We at the Shandel Group have a company crush on The Table Group and specifically Patrick Lencioni. Since 2005, we have been using his materials, and last year, Shandel got certified in the Working Genius assessment and has used it with dozens of clients and teams.

The book launches Sept 27th with a live presentation from Pat, we invite you to attend with us. We also encourage all of you to preorder the book and hire Shandel Group to come to facilitate an incredible session that will launch your team forward to your next level. We are offering a 20% discount to all who engage Shandel Group to debrief you and your team.

This is the last episode in Season 3, we will see ya all in a few weeks, in the meantime watch our CAVU Vlogs at https://www.shandelgroup.com/cavu

#workinggenius #tablegroup #patricklencioni

Do You Know Your Working Genius? - Pt. 1

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 14:00:00 -0700

Shandel and Scott discuss the remarkable and beneficial tool- The Working Genius

The Working Genius is designed by The Table Group. It's an assessment for anyone who desires to know their Working Genius and their Working Frustrations.!

Everyone has at least two Working Genius'. Therefore consequently everyone has two Working Competencies and two Working Frustrations. The key is to work in the arena that correlates with your Working Genius.

There are 6 types of Working Genius with the acronym WIDGET

Wonder-The natural gift of pondering the possibility of greater potential and opportunity in a given situation.
Invention-The natural gift of creating original and novel ideas and solutions.

Discernment-The natural gift of intuitively and instinctively evaluating ideas and situations.

Galvanizing- The natural gift of rallying, inspiring and organizing others to take action.

Enablement-The natural gift of providing encouragement and assistance for an idea or project.

Tenacity-The natural gift of pushing projects or tasks to completion to achieve results.

This Podcast sheds some light on this great tool and why it's essential to any organization.

Pre-order Patrick Lencioni's new book here and sign up for his LIVE talk on September 27th . Learn more at TheTableGroup.com

Check out shandelgroup.com/CAVU for weekly tips for all levels of leadership in your organization.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Subscribe for our free Daily Quote with Shandel Group at shandel.com

Visit our website http://www.shandelgroup.com

#workinggenius #leadership #organizationalhealth

Optimize Your Team For Fall

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 14:00:00 -0700

It's back to school time, Summer vacations are wrapping up and now is the time to get your team on the same page to finish strong in the last quarter. In this episode Shandel and Alan Andersen talk Organizational Optimization. What we mean by that is? How healthy is your team and are they all sharing the same vision, vigor, and vitality?

Shandel Group performs Optimization Diagnostics for any and all businesses, teams and organizations. This Diagnostic tool allows you the Leader and the your team to quickly pinpoint areas that need special focus and attention so that the entire organization can run optimally.

This diagnostic helps reveal issues by focusing on three areas of concentration: priorities, people, and performance. When these three areas are optimal, the business will be healthy and able to grow.

CLARIFY PRIORITIES X ALIGN PEOPLE + ESTABLISH PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS

For more information on the Optimization Diagnosis please visit our website: https://www.shandelgroup.com/optimize

Check out our newsletter: 6 Ways to Recession Proof Your Business
https://satchel.works/@shandel/6-ways-to-recession-proof-your-business

Check out shandelgroup.com/CAVU for weekly tips for all levels of leadership in your organization.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Subscribe for our free Daily Quote with Shandel Group at shandel.com

Visit our website http://www.shandelgroup.com

Leaders Go First

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 10:00:00 -0700

This episode is all about "YOUR LEADERSHIP FIRST". You as the Leader set the tone in the organization by modeling the values which establish the culture. Therefore walk the talk. Be authentic. Be humble, and confidently lead your team.

Grow your Emotional Intelligence by focusing more than ever on your Self-Awareness. Do the coaching work to grow your own leadership first and then demand it from your team. Personal GROWTH is not optional.

Lead by serving. Recall the last series we did on the S.E.R.V.E. model of leadership. Dive deep with a trusted advisor on the huge benefits of self-awareness, extending trust, real connections, vision-focused living and empowering others to shine.

Check out our newsletter: 6 Ways to Recession Proof Your Business
https://satchel.works/@shandel/6-ways-to-recession-proof-your-business

Check out shandelgroup.com/CAVU for weekly tips for all levels of leadership in your organization.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Subscribe for our free 66 Seconds with Shandel Group at shandel.com

Visit our website http://www.shandelgroup.com

Culture is Everything...How Recession Proof is Yours?

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 10:00:00 -0700

6 Ways to Recession Proof your business. We use the acronym STEADY to drive home the point that the best way to recession proof your business is to master the basics in order to weather any storm that may come.

Our motto: "Stay Steady and Thrive." Emphasis on the Thrive part!

STEADY:

Simplify Everything

Train, Teach & Invest in Your Talent

Elevate Structure

Attitude is Everything

Double Down on Culture

Your Leadership First

Today we are talking about CULTURE. We at Shandel Group believe Culture is driven by not only YOU as the leader but by the purpose, mission, vision and values of the organization.

Are you and every member of your team, living and breathing the purpose, mission, and values? If not, make a fast effort to get back to them. If you are not clear on them, get us on board with you ASAP to discover and define those values. It is not that you ‘have'' them, it is that you live them, and make decisions with those values in mind.

DEFINE IT CLEARLY. Do you define your culture or are you defined by your culture? What I mean by that is that we all have a company culture and it has its embedded norms...like it or not? For example, in your culture, do you run on time, or it is fine to be 5 minutes late? Some cultures do not embrace change, others demand it. This is the time to make sure that your cultural norms are the ones that you are driving and are helping you achieve your purpose!

Check out our newsletter: 6 Ways to Recession Proof Your Business
https://satchel.works/@shandel/6-ways-to-recession-proof-your-business

Check out shandelgroup.com/CAVU for weekly tips for all levels of leadership in your organization.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Subscribe for our free Daily Quote with Shandel Group at shandel.com

Visit our website http://www.shandelgroup.com

Attitude Is Everything

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 11:00:00 -0700

In this episode Shandel and Melanie Montgomery discuss, why Attitude is so important.

This podcast is about why you should have a growth mindset. How to reframe your attitude to handle difficult situations.

The key to having a good attitude is through proactively taking ownership of whatever situation you are in. You have to power to influence others based on your behavior and your ability to be personally accountable no matter what seems to be "happening to you".
The sooner you recognize you have the power and the "say" as to what may be happening to you, the sooner you can regulate your emotions and demonstrate a positive reaction.

Check out our newsletter: 6 Ways to Recession Proof Your Business
https://satchel.works/@shandel/6-ways-to-recession-proof-your-business

Check out shandelgroup.com/CAVU for weekly tips for all levels of leadership in your organization.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Subscribe for our free 66 Seconds with Shandel Group at shandel.com

Visit our website http://www.shandelgroup.com

Make Sure the Structure of Your Business is Recession Proof

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 13:00:00 -0700

Why is structure so important to Recession Proofing Your Business?

Structure is not only important for how we do what we do, but why we do what we do!
When people understand the why behind the how they are even more engaged and productive.

Melanie and Shandel discuss the importance of Structure: systems, processes, standard operating procedures, and target analysis to zero in on the right things now.

Check out our newsletter: 6 Ways to Recession Proof Your Business
https://satchel.works/@shandel/6-ways-to-recession-proof-your-business

Check out shandelgroup.com/CAVU for weekly tips for all levels of leadership in your organization.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Subscribe for our free Daily Quote with Shandel Group at shandel.com

Visit our website http://www.shandelgroup.com

Train, Teach, and Invest In Your Talent

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 12:00:00 -0700

This episode focuses on your organizations talent- meaning your people.

Shandel Group operates to help companies invest in their people, through training and teaching (coaching) so that the people in the organization are equipped to perform optimally and teach others to do the same.

Organizations that pour into their talent, not only keep their talent but raise future leaders and increase their productivity.

No matter if we are in an economic downturn or we are soaring through an economic boom, investing in the talent you have will always reap great rewards.

Check out our newsletter: 6 Ways to Recession Proof Your Business
https://satchel.works/@shandel/6-ways-to-recession-proof-your-business

Check out shandelgroup.com/CAVU for weekly tips for all levels of leadership in your organization.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Subscribe for our free 66 Seconds with Shandel Group at shandel.com

Visit our website http://www.shandelgroup.com

Simplify Everything (Recession Proof Your Business)

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 09:00:00 -0700

We are talking about Recession Proofing Your Business. Shandel and Melanie introduced last episode an acronym STEADY to help you, and your business, to thrive even in an economic downturn.

This episode they talk about the first letter of the acronym STEADY- "Simplify Everything".

To Simplify Everything begins with your business' core values and the "WHY" of your organization. These two form the foundational bedrock of your company. Analyze every part of your structure through the values and the why you are in business in the first place.

Your values will help you prune and identify cultural misfits. The keys to being more effective and efficient is having the right people in the organization all going in the same direction with the same purpose.

If your organization is struggling and you can't put your finger on the issues. Check out our Organizational Health Diagnostic as part of our Optimization strategy for growing a healthy business. Organizational Optimization Diagnostic

Check out our newsletter: 6 Ways to Recession Proof Your Business
https://satchel.works/@shandel/6-ways-to-recession-proof-your-business

Check out shandelgroup.com/CAVU for weekly tips for all levels of leadership in your organization.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Subscribe for our free 66 Seconds with Shandel Group at shandel.com

Visit our website http://www.shandelgroup.com

Intro to Recession Proof Your Business

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 12:00:00 -0700

Shandel Group has weathered three of these recessions alongside our clients.

We narrowed it down to 6 main points that fit nicely into an appropriate acronym STEADY and motto of “Stay STEADY and Thrive."

STEADY:

Simplify Everything- “Simplify everything so you can have clarity for the journey.” - Shandel Sutherland
Run an Organizational Optimization Diagnostic - a fast track to identifying any looming issues in regards to: People, Priorities and Performance. Optimizing is the key outcome of simplifying. Make sure your company is optimized and healthy to weather this next season.

Train, Teach & Invest in Talent- Your people have been through a lot from being laid off during COVID, then overworked during the labor shortage, and now looming layoffs and huge inflation that truly hits the middle class worker hard. Have empathy for your employees and commit to invest in them, both as people first and assets that are precious to you.

Elevate Structure- This is where you take the time and implement all the issues you identified in your Organizational Optimization Diagnostic in regards to processes, systems, and broken procedures. Your team will be inspired to create Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) and with the clarity you have from simplifying your structure, and with a team that is fully trained, it is time to sharpen the edge of the spear for the battle ahead.

Attitude is Everything- Have a positive mindset. Project an atmosphere of hope and confidence as you lead your team to their next level during economic uncertainty. If you are confident your team will be confident as well.

Double Down on Culture- Are you and every member of your team, living and breathing your purpose, mission, and values? If not, make a fast effort to get back to them. If you are not clear on them, get us on board with you ASAP to discover and define those values. It is not that you ‘have” them, it is that you live them, and make decisions with those values in mind.

Your Leadership First- Lead yourself through all the STEADY steps in your personal life. Work the steps, and challenge yourself to some real intentional unplugged rest in the next month to sharpen the proverbial saw and prepare for the marathon ahead.

Check out our newsletter: 6 Ways to Recession Proof Your Business
https://satchel.works/@shandel/6-ways-to-recession-proof-your-business

Check out shandelgroup.com/CAVU for weekly tips for all levels of leadership in your organization.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.c

What Is The ROI In Rest?

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 14:00:00 -0700

What comes to mind when you think of REST? How do you REST?

Shandel talks about how pertinent rest is for all of us who burn the candle at both ends and it seems we never let up. Since we are so diligent and we run successful businesses we may feel we don't have the luxury of slowing down to rest because we're so sure we should or if the payoff is worth while.

The investment in taking some time to REST will reaps rewards and you'll get even more done and have a greater degree of enjoyment doing it. I love the picture of what Stephen Covey calls Sharpening the Saw which means “having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual.” He warns that “without this renewal, the body becomes weak, the mind mechanical, the emotions raw, the spirit insensitive, and the person selfish. Not a pretty picture, is it?”

In 2004, Patrick Lencioni wrote an article on adrenaline addicts, he stated, “Unlike other addicts whose behaviors are socially frowned-upon, adrenaline addicts are often praised for their frantic activity, even promoted for it during their careers.” That is the problem, we are consistently reinforced for this and it keeps us on our personalized hamster wheel.

We hope you enjoy this episode and find you want to establish an intentional habit of RESTING!

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

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Check out our video series on our website: https://www.shandelgroup.com/cavu

Maximization Myth

Mon, 16 May 2022 12:00:00 -0700

Maximization is only effective when preceded with optimization, and multiplication.

Alan Andersen discuses Optimization first. This means asking yourself "what" and "how" questions, applying Personal Accountability. It is walking through what is effective. Most of the time effectiveness takes planning and preparation.

Multiplication is all about efficiency and producing results. In order to achieve efficiency we must be persistent with a mindset that the more I work this out, like a muscle with continued repetition gets stronger and more efficient with use.

Then Maximization takes over, because of the execution of everything that has been practiced, now works like a finely tuned machine. Maximization is a process and culmination of being effective and efficient leading to excellence.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanandersen/

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

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Getting The Right Things Done

Tue, 10 May 2022 17:00:00 -0700

Alan Andersen joins the Podcast and talks about, getting the right things done. This involves understanding what is important now, both professionally and personally.

Putting out fires is busy and may produce good results but also leads to burnout. Being proactive regarding organizing, prioritizing, and executing are the keys to getting the right things done.

Alan goes over the three steps to getting the right things done.

1. Organization- this involves identifying what needs to be done
2. Prioritization- do the difficult tasks first
3. Execution- follow through

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanandersen/

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

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Check out our video series on our website: https://www.shandelgroup.com/cavu

Women Making An Impact

Tue, 03 May 2022 12:00:00 -0700

Melanie Montgomery returns to the Podcast.

Melanie talks about the non-profit organization Native Action Network of which she is a board member and the impact the recent Bootcamp had on Leadership Development to continue the process of Native women finding their seat at the table.
https://nativeactionnetwork.org/

Each participant in the Bootcamp received the Clarity Report which is DISC and Driving Forces. The participants were each given a debrief and coaching session based on their assessment so they could come to the Bootcamp understanding their communication style, Behavior style, and Driving forces.

She really dives into the strength of the Clarity Report, especially the robust content such as "Ways To Communicate" and "Ways Not To Communicate" and "Value to the Organization".

One of the more significant questions for Melanie is regarding getting women back into Leadership roles, following the Great Resignation.

Check out Melanie on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-montgomery-5b2256ba/

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

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Check out our video series on our website: https://www.shandelgroup.com/cavu

Developing Leaders Within Our Sphere Of Influence

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 09:00:00 -0700

This episode introduces Melanie Montgomery. Melanie has a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership. She is a Shandel Group consultant. Shandel and Scott ask Melanie how she went from hospitality to leadership consulting.

Melanie shares her most recent involvement with Native Action Network. She is on the Board of this amazing nonprofit to raise up leaders within the Native Community.

Melanie shares what it was like to grow up with a mindset of "give back" as a member of the Quinalt Indian Nation. She developed a strong compulsion to give back by being a leader in her community.

From her 17 years in hospitality she pursued her passion "to help others grow and develop".
Her work with Shandel Group is just that, helping others grow and develop to lead with purpose and vision.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

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What Top Executives Are Asking!

Sun, 10 Apr 2022 12:00:00 -0700

This episode Shandel shares what top executives are mainly dealing with today, how to keep and train up their talent. Today leaders have the very difficult task to keep their team together, work harder, and enjoy what they do. Engaged teams stay together and find success in the relevance of their organizations mission.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

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How To Have Hard Conversations

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 18:00:00 -0700

Hard conversations are not easy and those of us who don’t like confrontation do everything we can to avoid it. Why do we fear or avoid confrontation? Perhaps it’s because past experiences involving hard conversations did not go so well. A likely reason for that may be the inability to regulate our emotions.

Hard confrontive conversations said with the right tone of voice, and supportive body language will help engage the listener and enable that person to regulate their emotions.

Hard conversations can evoke strong emotions which then can lead to the down regulation of the higher cortex. When this occurs the conversation is over and defensiveness, combativeness, and justification take over. The positive end result we desire when engaged in a hard conversation is tempered emotions and feeling heard.

Some hard conversations involve personality and behavioral conflict. Someone who rubs you the wrong way. This person seems to know how to push your buttons. Or maybe you push their buttons. Conflict such as this often is a triggering response based on an emotion which evokes a physical neuro chemical reaction in the body that leads to the disabling of the Higher Cortex. This is called the “Amygdala Hijack”

Psychologist Daniel Goleman first used the term “amygdala hijacking” in his 1995 book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.

It refers to situations wherein the amygdala hijacks control of a person’s ability to respond rationally to a threat. This then leads to the person reacting in an intense, emotional way that may be out of proportion to the situation.

Without the ability to use their frontal lobes, a person is unable to think clearly. Therefore, they are not in control of their responses.

Going into a difficult conversation? Ask yourself:

How can I best get my message across, strengthen the relationship, build trust, and achieve a desirable outcome?

Check out Scott's video on How to Have Hard Conversations https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC-hHuramLvFvtXFp670wdcA/videos/upload?filter=%5B%5D&sort=%7B%22columnType%22%3A%22date%22%2C%22sortOrder%22%3A%22DESCENDING%22%7D

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How To Keep Your Top Talent!

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 15:00:00 -0700

Empowering Others To Shine is the 5th and final driver in our S.E.R.V.E. leadership series.

If you are implementing the other 4 Drivers of Leadership, you know your people. You are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, where they need to grow, and you know their personal goals and ambitions. Now, you must proactively invest in their development toward not only what they want, but also what you see as their next step in the organization.

We have quite a few clients who, gloriously, have low leadership turnover, so it is to their advantage to keep investing and growing their young talent so they can keep their Top A Players engaged and feeling valued. Retaining excellent talent may be of greater importance now than ever, therefore I would like to suggest one of our many Leadership Labs if you do not know where to start with your people. We have so many clients doing this well and can share ideas on how to help you protect your investment in talent for the future!

It builds trust when we master the art of empowerment through delegation and building on everyone’s strengths, including our own.

People feel cared for and invested in when you hold them accountable. Do you have set standards or values for the organization? If you do and you should, hold yourself accountable to those values as an example for others to follow.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

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Are You Ever Misunderstood? Part 2

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 10:00:00 -0700

This episode is a continuation on the subject of communicating to be understood.

Part 1 focused on how communication is 93% non verbal. And yet we seem to be mostly focused on our words while missing the greater elements of speech, body language and tone of voice.

Shandel opens this Podcast on how to best communicate with introverts. In DISC these are the "S" for Steady, and the "C" for Compliant.

Previously Scott and Shandel talked about extroverts the "D" for Dominant, and the "I" for Influence.

DISC is observable normal behavior, otherwise known as Behavior Style Characteristics.
The key take away from the Podcast is communication can lead to feeling triggered. When you understand the behavior style of someone else you can adapt what you are communicating to enhance understanding. Optimizing communication is knowing yourself and the communication style of others.

Our Clarity report using DISC and Driving Forces to help you gain an understanding of the
behavior of others while opening your own eyes to how you yourself are being perceived. It is paramount that we learn these skills so that our message is received for the most beneficial outcome.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

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Are You Ever Misunderstood?

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 16:00:00 -0800

Remember, we can change the way we communicate by first owning our “story” and then adapting our body language and tone of voice to the listener’s style. The listener is bound to hear it one way –“their way”.

This is part 1 of 2 on maximizing communication effectiveness. If we are communicating effectively our message is being received in the most beneficial way possible for our listener.

Understanding our behaviors and the behaviors of others is the key component to being a clear communicator and/or receiver of others' messages.

Communication is both articulating language as well as interpreting what is said. As the listener or receiver of someone else's message, knowing the behavior style of the speaker is important for how we proactively listen and interpret that person’s message.

How we say what we say is more important than the words we use!

Communication is 7% verbal, 55% body language, and 38% tone of voice. The words we use to express ourselves only convey 7% of our message. WOW! I heard myself saying just last night, “that’s not what I said!” It would behoove us to be self-aware of how we are saying the 93% of language that doesn't contain words.

Are we sending a mixed message? Clear communication is not just clearly mouthing the right words, it’s complementing those words with appropriate tone of voice and body language.

When communicating with someone who does not match our behavior style, the opportunity for miscommunication increases, as does the potential for conflict. Have you ever encountered someone that no matter what you say, they seem to take it the wrong way? Maybe it’s not the words you use but the manner in which you say it. Our Clarity Report helps us better understand how we are being perceived and how we can adapt to be better understood.

We must remember that we show we care for the individual we are talking to through voice modulation and being aware of the posture of our body.

The magic of the DISC theory is observing the behavior of others and having the self awareness of how you are being perceived. It is paramount that we learn these skills so that our message is received for the most beneficial outcome.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback to: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Subscribe for our free 66 Seconds with Shandel Group at shandel.com

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Re-engage Your Team

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 10:00:00 -0800

Shandel begins the Podcast talking about a new client engagement and how she walks them through the process toward Engaging their Team.

First she starts with Leadership development through the 5 Drivers of Leadership using the SERVE model:
Self Awareness
Extent Trust
Real Connection
Vision Focused
Empower Others to Shine

Next, Shandel will take the client through STORY:
The "STORY" involves this concept of how our brain processes facts to create meaning. When an event happens, our brain needs to establish meaning. Your STORY provides perspective and greater understanding. It also provides if you should allow it, a growth mindset.

Engage your Team- many teams may wonder what’s in it for us! People who are engaged in their work are effective performers. The 2022 Haiilo reports only 20% of people are engaged in their work. This creates a massive problem for businesses because of the costs involved in employee turnover, and lack of productivity.
https://blog.smarp.com/employee-engagement-8-statistics-you-need-to-know

Engaging the team involves many aspects of their employment. Communication is paramount in establishing trust and building a real connection. We use our Clarity Report which includes two Sciences (DISC and Driving Forces) to implement effective and beneficial communication.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback at: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Visit our website http://www.shandelgroup.com

Don't Give Away Your Personal Power

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 18:00:00 -0800

Personal Accountability is eliminating blame, complaining, and procrastination.

When we blame, complain and procrastinate and therefore make excuses for our behavior, we give our power away.

Negative questions filter through our brain when we get triggered, and that starts the downward spiral of who, why, and when statements that erode responsibility.

In relationships such as marriage we give up our personal power by not owning what is ours to do. By making excuses for "why" we didn't do, what we said we would do. To take back your personal power, take ownership. Say, "I dropped the ball on this, it was in my court and I missed the deadline". No more complaining, no more blaming, no more procrastinating or putting off the unpleasant.

Ask "what or how" questions, take responsibility for your actions and proactive measures to support what is yours to do.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback at: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Visit our website http://www.shandelgroup.com

The Why For Personal Accountability

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 18:00:00 -0800

Shandel Group begins most trainings with Personal Accountability because personally accountable people are open minded, take ownership and think outside the box.

Shandel goes over the difference between reactive and proactive questions.

Reactive questions involve the words: who, why and when. These questions abdicate your responsibility and essentially leave you powerless.

Proactive questions and or responses involve: what or how, "I", and an action that can be taken. "What can I do...?

Personally Accountable people take responsibility for their actions and do what needs to be done without blaming or making excuses.

Please email us your questions and give us feedback at: podcast@shandelgroup.com

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Get To Your Next Level

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 19:00:00 -0800

Shandel talks about how she got her start. She loves helping her clients find Clarity in the way they lead their organizations. Organizational Clarity involves understanding your why. Your why, is your purpose. It’s the reason you began this Venture. Once you are clear on your why, you must then establish your core values, mission, and vision for the future. When these guiding principles are in place and followed, this will help you guide and build the team and culture that will enable you to fulfill your vision.

Shandel believes in getting her clients to their next level of leadership and satisfaction.

Shandel Group focuses on managers and growing their leadership acumen. Managers that are great leaders have great teams. It is the team that drives the culture which is directed by the managers who lead them.

Please email us your questions and feedback at: podcast@shandelgroup.com

Visit our website http://www.shandelgroup.com

Introduction to Lead With Clarity

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 20:00:00 -0800

Welcome to Lead With Clarity!
This Podcast is for anyone who wants to FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS.
This episode Shandel tells her story as to how she got into coaching.
20 years later in the coaching business, Shandel shares her wisdom and why having Clarity for your business is so important.

Priorities, Goals and What’s Most Important Now!

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 11:00:00 -0700

Leadership is a joy when you have clarity and know where you are going in the next 3-5 years. Once you know where you’re going and you have your strategy to get there, it is time to determine the factors that are most important in the next short season. Getting the one thing that is most important and establish goals to set your GPS in that desired direction.

As a leader, it is your job to prioritize what matters most through thoughtful collaboration with your leadership team. You want their full participation and buy-in since they will be helping lead the charge. Once your leadership team is clear, now they can communicate "what matters most" to your team. This becomes your rally cry aka your Thematic Goal (thank you Table Group and Patrick Lencioni).

This podcast pertains to having effective meetings around these very important topics to set appropriate goals, and priorities, so your organization knows, What Matters Most!

This concludes our Clarity Changes Everything season and we share the quote that we started with here to inspire you to lead with clarity.
“Companies that enjoy enduring success have core values and a core purpose that remains fixed while their business strategies and practices endlessly adapt to a changing world.
To create an effective envisioned future requires a certain level of unreasonable confidence and commitment.”
- Jim Collins/Jerry Porras, ‘Building your Company’s Vision'

Thank you for listening and we appreciate your reviews!!!

Please send us your questions and comments- mailto:podcast@shandelgroup.com
http://leadershipdds.com/

How Do You Achieve Your Vision? Strategic Planning!

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 11:00:00 -0700

So, what is a strategic plan? It’s the approach you take to accomplish your vision. If your target is synonymous with your vision, and you want to hit that target, you must decide on a strategy that will enable you to be successful in hitting that target. One of the main reasons most businesses don’t reach their potential is either a lack of clear vision or a lack of strategic planning in order to successfully reach that vision.

Some organizations vision may be a Big Hairy Audacious Goal the BHAG. These goals may seem extreme, but they keep you striving. Whatever the vision you must have a strategic plan to get there. If you don’t plan you won’t get there.

In my dental practice I had a BHAG for a vision. I had observed that some of my patients kept having dental problems every time they came in to see me. I realized that maybe I could do something different in order to help them have better check ups. This led to identifying my ideal patient and how I could get other patients to join them. Simply put my vision is to keep my patients out of my treatment room. This may sound like a bad business model but to me it makes sense. First, I care about my patients and I want better oral health for them.

So, in order to move the bus toward the BHAG you need to have a strategic plan. This Podcast is a simple way of understanding why your organizations vision is so important and it must accompany a plan to hit the target you set your sights on.

Please send us your questions mailto:podcast@shandelgroup.com
http://leadershipdds.com/

The best business ROI: Investing in your people

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 09:00:00 -0700

The previous Podcast dealt with vision and where you want to take your organization. The best strategic decision to realize your vision is investing in the right people.

Some business metaphors makes sense and Scott and Shandel use Jim Collins example of “the bus” to describe getting the right people into your company.

The bus is heading somewhere. The future destination for your organization is what you envision. It takes vision to remain relevant in this fast-changing market. The bus ride to your future will be realized by the quality of the people you’ve invited on the bus. Without the right people, you won’t be able to experience the culture you always dreamed of.

Without the right people, you won’t be able to get the map out and plot destination points to measure your success. Because your success will be measured by the amount of delight you experience enjoying the ride. So, invite the right people and you'll have the best ride ever. Everything else will take care of itself as long as you have the right people, and they’re in the right seat.

Please send us your questions! mailto:podcast@shandelgroup.com

Business owners and leaders need vision

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 16:00:00 -0700

Vision is the number one key accountability for any top leader. The job of the CEO, and business owner, and that includes you, the leader is to get everyone in the organization aligned with the vision for the future of your business.

In this episode, you will hear what you need to know about why the vision for your business is so essential and vital to the health and relevancy of your future.

"What is vision?" You will learn in this episode that Vision involves a picture of what you see for your company’s future.

When Scott finally got serious about a vision for his dental practice he kept in mind his dental practice clarity pieces:
The purpose which is “we genuinely care”;
The values: “we always do the right thing, we respect each other deeply, we play as a team”;
The mission which is, "to assist our patients in achieving oral health”.
Then he clarified the vision.

Furthermore, the vision he had for his dental practice involved having an amazing culture, a warm friendly environment of super hard-working people who love what they do and have fun doing it.

These ideas combine to formulate a vision that he believed they could aspire to as they progress into the future.

Please send us your questions! mailto:podcast@shandelgroup.com

Why your business should have a Mission Statement

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 16:00:00 -0800

The mission statement is your organizations GPS. The mission statement says this is where we’re going. Without clear direction, I couldn’t lead my team into the future. Part of having clarity is knowing your mission. When the entire team knows their mission and everyone is moving in the same direction, great things happen.
A mission statement will help narrow your focus and:

Establish your desired culture
Help hire the right people
Set appropriate goals for the business
Help establish your purpose
Help guide where you want your business to go
Create clarity for the entire team

If you have any questions and you would like to help establish your purpose, values, mission, and vision please contact us: podcast@shandelgroup.com
You can also find us at Shandelgroup.com

How running a business by your values can be challenging

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 20:00:00 -0800

Why living by our core values can be challenging.
Shandel and Scott continue on the topic of values. When you present your values to your team you must be ready to live by them.
Scott shares how in the early days of his dental career he passively accepted the wrong values into his practice. And once they crept in, he felt opposition and resentment when he rooted them out. After Scott discovered the core values for his dental practice he had clarity as to how he would manage and lead his team.
If you’re a leader who avoids conflict and dealing with issues, this episode is for you.
This episode will give you hope and strength to manage your practice no matter the challenges you are facing. Furthermore, by having office values you will have a benchmark for holding your team accountable.
To be successful you must lead by example, own your shortcomings, and trust your team.
Email your coaching questions to: podcast@shandelgroup.com
Learn more about us at Shandelgroup.com

Why every leader should discover their core values

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 17:00:00 -0800

Clarity changes lives and changes the way we do business. How do we as business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders of our organizations find clarity? Shandel and Scott go deeper into finding clarity and how asking good questions ultimately gets good answers. Finding clarity starts with knowing why you are in business in the first place, and from there, how to make your business your own. This means you must discover your core values and achieve buy-in from your team. Scott provides some examples from his dental practice and how he struggled to make his practice his own and understand his purpose beyond fixing teeth.
Email your coaching questions to: podcast@shandelgroup.com
Learn more about us at Shandelgroup.com

Clarity Changes Everything: Why Dentists and all Business Owners Need Clarity

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 14:00:00 -0800

Did you get into dentistry to manage people and deal with communication issues? Dentists, along with all leaders, crave practical advice to make leading their team and growing their business a sure success. Leadership DDS is leadership, dentistry, and life colliding to help you gain clarity and lead with confidence. We believe that clarity will change your everything.

“Companies that enjoy enduring success have core values and a core purpose that remains fixed while their business strategies and practices endlessly adapt to a changing world.
To create an effective envisioned future requires a certain level of unreasonable confidence and commitment.”
- Jim Collins/Jerry Porras, ‘Building your Company’s Vision'

Dr. Scott and Shandel kick off this premiere podcast by beginning their story about how a coach and a dentist transformed their dental practice. You will find out how clarity changes lives.
Email your coaching questions to: podcast@shandelgroup.com
Learn more about us at leadershipdds.com