SigmaU Blog

There’s a lot of talk about employee loyalty but not a lot of leader loyalty to team members. A recent incident involving an irate and borderline abusive client got me thinking. How loyal am I to my team members?

Willingness to Walk Away from Money

The customer is not always right! Contrary to popular belief, there are situations where the customer is downright rude, unable to regulate their emotions and hurl abuse at your team even when your employees are not at fault. Are you willing to confront the behaviour and risk losing the client? This is the test of loyalty to your team. I’ll admit that in the early years I bought in to the notion that the client was always right. I’m embarrassed to admit it but I always appeased the client and apologized even if it risked implying that my team member was in the wrong when they weren’t. Having been in business for twenty years, I’ve seen the majority of client interactions be smooth and positive. I’ve...

When you prioritize your energy, everything else is sustainable! Isn’t it true that you feel like you can face the day when your energy levels are high and similarly when your energy is low, the smallest of tasks can seem daunting and draining?

Most people think of the physical only when we talk about energy, but each element is actually critically important. Energy is physical, yes, but it is also the mental and emotional energy we bring to the day. Once we have all of these in balance, things just seem to flow and we can operate at our highest potential and lead more effectively.

Most of us go through life in reactive mode. We take little time to consider the energy we want to bring to a day. I would recommend checking out “The Intentional Leader” journal which helps reframe each day and strategically map out the type of energy you want to bring, and the leader you want to show us as that day. 

The way we show up matters!

Your energy impacts the room!

The winter blues are a real thing ya’ll! Many people head south during the winter months or get active skiing with friends and volunteering in hot climates to break up the winter. With spring officially here, it’s a new reminder that not everything is back open due to COVID restrictions. So, we’ve created a list of ten ways to beat the blues and keep the motivation train moving!

1. Gratitude journal

I go on and on about a gratitude journal and here’s why. During coaching, one of the major differentiators in my clients’ moods and outlook on life is their commitment to keeping a gratitude journal. You cannot be thinking about all of the amazing things in your life and upset and worried at the same time. Take three minutes and write down three things you’re truly grateful for today. If you’re having a hard time coming up with three, consider these options: You are living in a safe country where you are not fearful for your life. You have...

I’ve had the pleasure of spending the last week training with some of the top coaches in the world! They are also some of the most highly productive and successful people in their field. I paid attention to their behaviours and wanted to share some takeaways that are common with most high achievers!

1. They are open and always learning

It was amazing to witness some of the coaching role-play and practicum assignments between veteran and novice coaches. They all had one thing in common: they have a humble spirit and were open to feedback from their peers. They approached each task with an open mind and were always taking notes and learning more.

2. They’re cheerleaders!!

What an exceptional community of human beings! Not only were they willing to learn from first-year students, but they were genuinely happy for their success and accomplishments. Most successful people do share this trait! They LOVE seeing others succeed. They don’t “wish” they were more...

Oh heck ya! Bring it on! Typically words you do not hear most people say about criticism and, I must admit, I never initially react that way to it.  Like most people, I struggle with criticism which is quite different from constructive feedback. One builds, one destroys. One easy check: is what I’m saying being done to serve the other person or my ego?

Criticism stings and it can tear us down and hold us back from our full potential if we let it. There are, however, some incredible ways to use criticism to your advantage!

Breakthroughs

Upon reflection, I’ve realized that two of my biggest breakthroughs in life have come from criticism. When I wrote my first book “Relationship ROI” I promoted my BAAM series which had a fun and quirky vibe. Many of my photos I was pretending to knock out the competition with a punch move. I had a ton of fun at the photoshoot, launched my program and then WHAM! I was the one sucker punched! I saw a group chat that I...

Yesterday I had a great one-on-one with one of my team members and she said:

“I love that we measure our week based on metrics and not a gut feel! It makes me feel empowered because in the past I may have scored myself based on my emotions that day, but this way I either hit the mark or I don’t and the process is objective”.

This got me thinking about the power of clarity and expectations with teams and how they really are transformative!  Here’s why:

Psychological safety

There’s chaos when people don’t have clear instructions. They often work on what they believe is important, only to find out it’s not at all what their manager had in mind. When you provide metrics-based goals and objectives for team members you create clarity which puts people at ease. This provides a psychological safety net because it’s black and white. They either are achieving or they’re not! The emotion is removed and they know what needs to be...

Last month I had a bit of a meltdown! Do you guys remember the scene in Jerry Maguire where Tom Cruise goes from seemingly stable and put together to losing his snizzle? Well, that was me!

To preface this, I should share that we’re almost into a full year of the COVID pandemic. We’re all feeling a little bit of pandemic fatigue. While I consider myself to be both pragmatic and optimistic, I had a moment where I lost my marbles! I was in the middle of having a super productive day and then I received a phone call. I heard about the new curfews in Quebec and possible “industry lockdowns” that were under consideration. I also heard that Ontario may follow suit.

My mind starting swirling! “What about our supply chain?” “What happens to my husband’s company if construction comes to a screeching halt?” “What if essential factories which have been keeping us in business close down?” “What if I have to lay people...

As a leader, you’re most likely confident speaking your mind and sharing your vision. You are able to make snap decisions and you feel like your voice is valued and heard. Chances are that many people on your team don’t feel the same way that you do. A part of effective and transformational leadership, I believe, is building up other empowered and confident leaders on your team.

Here are a few ways you can do just that!

1. Have Team Members Lead Meetings

When you create a safe space for team members to take charge and lead a meeting you slowly build their self-confidence muscle. I used to think that as leaders we should set the tone, lead the meeting and wrap up in an efficient way.

During our many Zoom calls during COVID I decided it would be a perfect time to enable each team member to have their turn to lead. We’re a tight knit team and I figured that this was a psychologically safe space for each person to “try it out”. I was astounded by the...

Love may seem like a strange word to use about your employees but hear me out. I believe that love is a verb! In fact, I have Love Does tattooed on my right foot to remind me that loving is actionable, not just something we say!

With that in mind, I wanted to invite you to explore “loving” your people in the following way:

L – Listen and Learn

Taking time to do one-on-ones with our team members and asking them thought-provoking questions and then listening to what they have to say is so valuable. Take time each week for quick check-in’s or longer strategic coaching sessions once a month to really understand your people’s needs. This means listening for what they are excited about professionally and personally. What motivates each team member? What keeps them up at night? What is the “Why” that sustains them when times get tough? A great coach once reminded me that “we learn so much in the silence.” When we do ask questions,...

Being a student of high performance and watching those who are the top of their game has been a passion of mine for several years! I’m always amazed that some people are able to create and contribute so much, consistently achieve at high levels and maintain a healthy balance and higher levels of happiness. It dawned on me that these are people of ACTION!

A – Act vs. Overanalyze

Achievers take action even when they’re not ready! They aren’t afraid to show up with imperfect video content, imperfectly written blogs and they execute plans before having every precise detail figured out. This is a key differentiator between achievers and their lower producing peers. Their peers tend to overanalyze the situation, dissect the videos and blogs before sharing them and worry about perfectionism. The cost is twofold. One, the person who really needs to hear your message continues to suffer and two, you miss opportunities that go to the person who is out there making...