Accelerate Your Performance

Changes in an organization can occur that team leaders may have little control over. What we can control is how we adapt and react to the change in our daily business. When we utilize team meetings with structured, thoughtful discussions, and analysis, someone will propose a winning solution or solutions for the team to agree on. Using a problem-solving agenda, conversations stay focused and teams can avoid falling into a pit of negativity and conflict. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How do we shift from unproductive meetings to meetings where we can solve problems with our teams? 
• What can you do when a team meeting has turned to arguments and negativity rather than problem solving? 
• How do you keep teams focused on finding a solution?

Recommended Learning:Improve Your Meetings & Guidelines for Effective Meetings & Tips for Effective Listening with Teams & Leading Effective Meetings

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For the first time in history we are operating with five generations co-existing in the workforce, and there are more young professionals joining every day. Dr. Pilcher talks with Ruthie Speight, the Executive Director of Pensacola Young Professionals (PYP) about their mission and impact in our community. PYP provides young professionals with a community where they can make a difference, connect with like-minded individuals, and learn new skills. Ruthie also reveals the top three skills young professionals want to develop and the top three things they’re looking for in their work environments. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• What is the purpose of Pensacola Young Professionals (PYP)?
• What leadership skills do young professionals want to develop?
• What do young professionals want from their work environments?

Contact Ruthie Speight, the Executive Director of Pensacola Young Professionals at [email protected]   

Recommended Learning:Enhancing Engagement in the 5-Generation Workforce & Boost the Employee Experience

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Service excellence is more than just being polite or being ready to offer the unsatisfied customer a discount. Join Donna Kirby and Janet Pilcher this week as they conclude their conversation about the value of service excellence. Donna Kirby reveals her top 3 tactics for applying customer service excellence within your organization and how to treat your organization like a living room. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How can leaders build a culture around service?
• What 3 tactics does Donna Kirby recommend for applying service excellence in your organization?
• How are the employee experience and customer experience intertwined? 

Recommended Learning:Hiring for the Right Fit, Ideas for Recognizing Your Employees, What Gets Recognized Gets Repeated

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Service Excellence differentiates your organization from others in your industry. Great leaders place importance on how to become the best service provider for what they do. Donna Kirby returns this week to discuss why prioritizing service excellence is necessary for success and what core drivers keep her focused on service excellence. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• Why is it important to focus on service excellence? 
• How does customer experience drive finance?
• What keeps 96% of Blue Wahoo’s employees returning there for work year after year?

We will continue the conversation with Donna Kirby in episode #42 by revealing 3 tactics you can use to build a culture around service.

Recommended Learning: Service Excellence Standards, Reward & Recognize, Actions of Excellence

Donna Kirby, the Vice President of Operations at the Pensacola Blue Wahoo’s AA Baseball team, joins Janet Pilcher this week to talk about Donna’s journey to becoming a leader of best practices in minor league baseball. Donna and her team at the Blue Wahoo’s stadium are sought after as an example for creating the ultimate fan experience. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• What is the passion behind Donna Kirby’s work?
• How can a focus on customer service improve life in your community?
• What creates loyal fans of an organization? 

We will continue the conversation with Donna Kirby in episode #41 by discussing the value of great service. 

Recommended Reading: Exceed With Delight

Recommended Watching: Defining Service Excellence

Many successful, hardworking Americans experience burnout more than once during their careers, even people who are passionate about what they do. High performers can be obsessed with achieving excellence and exceeding results to the point of exhaustion. And when the candles are burning at both ends for too long, we do ourselves, our clients, and our team a disservice. Begin reducing stress by taking small steps to prevent overload burnout.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• What is overload burnout? 
• How does being overly stressed affect our teams and productivity?
• What can we do to monitor our burnout levels? 

 
 Recommended Reading: From Hopeless to Champion & Is it Really Urgent?

The way we provide feedback makes a difference in how people receive and act on the feedback. If our goal is to provide feedback to change behavior for the right reasons, we need to message our feedback in the right way. Dr. Pilcher dissects real-life situations where feedback was given that wasn’t asked for, or that hurts the receiver, and offers solutions and tips to improve the interaction. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How can we provide feedback that changes behavior? 
• What happens when we send emotionally charged responses? 
• How does aggressive language negatively affect the receiver? 

Recommended Reading: Three Positives for Every One Constructive Feedback & Provide Feedback that Inspires& Key Words at Key Times & Plus/Delta

There’s a fine line between giving feedback for improvements and leaving an employee feeling criticized and deflated. Few of us respond well to someone telling us what to do or how to fix ourselves. Yet when feedback is provided in the right way, individuals are motivated to learn and improve. To create excellent organizations providing others with feedback is necessary. Reshape your feedback conversations to focus on achieving a positive outcome.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• What is the most productive way to give feedback?
• How does feedback fuel the achievement of excellence? 
• How can leaders use feedback to inspire a change in behavior? 

 
 Recommended Reading: The Feedback Fallacy By Marcus Buckingham & Ashley Goodall

Recommended Learning: Three Positives for Every One Constructive Feedback

Making intentional connections with employees is especially important when the employee is within the first 30 and 90 days. Research shows that up to 22% of turnover takes place within an employee’s first 45 days of employment. 30-day conversations reinforce that leaders are committed to retaining the new employee and provide leaders with a fresh perception of the organization. This week Dr. Pilcher dives into what a 30-day conversation is and then provides a real-life example with Studer Education℠ new hire Beka Padilla. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How can I build a relationship with my newly hired employees?
• How can I ensure new employees are engaged and connecting with the organization’s culture?
• How can I understand the challenges new hires are facing? 

 
 Recommended Reading: 30-Day and 90-Day Conversations, How to be Intentional and Most Effective with 30/90-Day Conversations

Additional Resources: 30-Day and 90-Day Conversations Tracking Form

Why is a commitment to excellence important as a leader and as an organization? Dr. Janet Pilcher interviews Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award recipient, Dr. JoAnn Sternke, to get her perspective on what it takes to pursue performance excellence. As a superintendent of Pewaukee School District, JoAnn led the organization to receive a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. In this episode, she reveals the key to seeing results and getting the entire group of leaders moving forward. 

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• What do great leaders focus on? 
• How can you approach the organization’s goals more systematically? 
• What has the greatest impact on moving the organization forward?
• What is the significance of using the Baldridge Framework along with the Nine Principles®? 

Recommended Reading: Case Study: 10-Year Quality Journey Leads to Baldridge Honor for Wisconsin School District

Recommended Learning: Leading Change