Winning Teams

While the world is fighting against the recent pandemic, many business owners—big or small—are also fighting to keep their businesses afloat. Company morale has reached an all-time low and leaders are having a hard time keeping everything and everyone together.

However, finding the right way to inspire your team is crucial in boosting your company’s performance. During these times where keeping a close watch over your team’s productivity can prove to be challenging, working around it in an organized and scientific fashion may be the key to keeping your team motivated.

Today, we have Lindsay McGregor, co-founder of the organization called Vega Factor and co-author of the bestselling book “Primed to Perform,” to talk to us about how you can harmonize and embed motivation into your team.

Tune in today and get some useful insights into the science and practice of motivation.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

The management differences between then and now and its challenges [02:39]

How to set harmony within the team [05:00]

How being proactive and planning ahead affects team motivation [08:00]

Micromanagement affects motivation, visibility helps it [09:10]

Motivation in a real-life situation—getting the right rhythm in your team [10:44]

What is performance? Tactical performance and adaptive performance defined [13:18] 

Tactical and adaptive performance: how are they different and how do they work together? [17:39]

Keeping adaptive performance fresh [19:34]

ToMo—the science and practice of motivation [21:00]

Six reasons that affect total motivation [22:20]

Improving organizational culture to get positive results [25:53]

What three tools are required to change an organization’s culture? [29:07]

About our Guest:

Lindsay McGregor is a co-founder of Vega Factor and co-author of the bestselling book “Primed to Perform,” which explains the psychology of the success of several multi-billion dollar companies, and how motivation boosts company performance. Formerly a consultant at McKinsey & Company, she received her BA from Princeton University and MBA from Harvard Business School.

Get access to their resources at www.primedtoperform.com.

Connect with John Murphy:

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A Life and A Living Podcast

What is an Organizational Efficiency Warrior? Well, it is exactly what our guest is today. Trish Tagle is the creator of the SIEZE framework which stands for Summit for Internal Efficiency and Zipped-Up Evolution. This framework supports the discovery of leadership issues in organizations and with Trish’s help, is designed to create a strategy and action plan unique to each organization.

Trish is also the best selling author of Everyone Knows You Suck: Bad Boss Stories. A Succinct Guide. In her book, she demonstrates where leaders fall down and offers advice on developing the self-awareness leaders need to have. She is also the host of Optimal Instinct Podcast.

Join us as we discuss Trish’s one of a kind framework and her advice on being a great leader within your organization.

Show Notes:

[0:18] – Trish describes herself as an organizational efficiency warrior because she is a very “cut to the chase” type of person.

[1:57] – During this unique time with Covid-19, the people who are not accustomed to working from home are really struggling.

[2:47] – Any kind of change this big will impact the way people work.

[3:20] – SIEZE framework is Trish’s core product that stands for Summit for Internal Efficiency and Zipped Up Evolution.

[3:54] – Trish saw a need in the marketplace for quicker turn around. Most consultants take a long time but Trish wanted to get her clients their answers as quickly as possible.

[5:00] – Rather than providing a client with a 300 page document over the course of 90 days, Trish sits down with her clients and works out a step by step action plan in one day.

[6:01] – The action plans are tailored to the client’s needs and could address a time goal of 6 months, 1 year, or whatever the client needs.

[6:24] – In her book, Everybody Knows You Suck: Bad Boss Stories. A Succinct Guide, Trish divides leadership into four pillars: truth, teach, think, and trust.

[8:22] – Trish explains that all four pillars build on each other and are very interdependent.

[9:50] – Self-awareness can be a problem. Most leaders have blindspots and asking their team for feedback is a great way to be transparent and grow.

[11:13] – There’s a message everywhere. Leaders need to pay attention and not only be aware of themselves but to understand others and how they communicate.

[12:15] – It is okay to say, “I don’t know, show me.” It shows that you are willing to learn and interested in the work your team is doing.

[13:58] – Trish would run meetings where each time, a team member would show the rest of the team how to do something. It gives them the credit and appreciation they deserve and shows your support for the team.

[15:07] – There is power in being humble and being able to say, “I don’t know.”

[16:35] – If there’s only one person talking in the room, the other people are not involved in the whole team. There’s only one person driving it.

[17:16] – When people are not speaking up or having a hard time speaking up, you can tell that they are not working well as a team.

[18:01] – Trish utilizes a form to qualify clients to work through her framework and part of that is “you can’t be a seat warmer,” meaning everyone needs to participate.

[19:11] – A powerful quote by Edwin Locke that struck Trish is “Leadership is not primarily abo...

With the workplace experiencing many changes during the coronavirus pandemic, what are some things leaders can do to ensure the mental health of their team? So many times, we only see a mental health problem when it blows up. So how can we recognize signs of a problem and create a culture where people feel safe to be their authentic selves?

Michelle Dickinson is here to help us with this dilemma. Michelle is a well known and passionate mental health advocate. She is a TED speaker and a published author of her memoir entitled Breaking Into My Life. Her book gives readers a glimpse into her childhood experiences living with her bipolar mother. She also knows what it is like to struggle with a mental illness. Today she offers us her expertise in becoming a compassionate leader and creating a welcoming environment and accepting culture in the workplace.

Show Notes:

[3:20] – Michelle describes what it was like to grow up with a mother with bipolar disorder and how it has shaped her as an adult.

[4:41] – Michelle has peace with her childhood but believes that it has given her passion to help people in mental health.

[5:30] – Her childhood taught her resilience and empathy and compassion for people suffering. There is nothing more painful than watching your mother cry and not being able to console her.

[5:55] – Michelle was groomed as a little girl to put her own needs on the shelf and really focus on creating as much comfort for others as she can.

[6:25] – Living through the “corona blues,” has had an impact on Michelle’s mental health, but through coping strategies she has learned over the years have helped.

[7:58] – Michelle was very successful in the corporate world prior to becoming a mental health advocate and describes how the workplace approached mental health and understanding.

[9:26] – The leaders who get the most out of their team and really optimize the potential of their team are those leaders who have a strong sense of humanity. They are proactive and preemptive.

[10:28] – Companies tend to be late in dealing with mental health, waiting for things to blow up and then dealing with it. The key in avoiding this is to be proactive.

 

Links and Resources:

Michelle E. Dickinson Web Page

Breaking Into My Life by Michelle E. Dickinson

Michelle Dickinson Facebook

Michelle Dickinson Instagram

Michelle Dickinson Twitter

Love What Is by Byron Katie

Connect with John Murphy:

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Website

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There is no returning to normal after this pandemic. The world will be different once all of this is over. At this moment in time, all of us are just looking to survive and thrive in the future. But how do we do this when the very structures of our lives have been unearthed?

We adapt and change. Hunkering down is the worst thing anyone can do. We are already in the midst of a massive shift in how we work and how industries stay alive. Evolving to change with the times is the only way, and that can be done through one thing.

In today’s episode, Tamara Ghandour talks about innovation. We all come with different strengths, so innovation isn’t one-size-fits-all. Tamara tells us the dominant triggers in our own innovation, and how we can appropriately develop innovation in a team.   

Whether you’re a business owner or part of an organisation, you know that change is the new normal. So tune in to this episode now!

What We Talked About in This Episode:

Why Innovation Is Needed in the Midst of a Crisis

Change is Positive and Here to Stay

Defining Innovation

Developing Innovation from a Collective and Individual Perspective

Understanding my Everyday Innovator Style

What Are Dormant Triggers

Collaboration Based on Power Triggers

Building a Team of Different Types of Innovators

Creating a Culture of Innovation

Book Recommendation and Daily Rituals

About Our Guest:

Tamara Ghandour is the founder of Launch Street, an organisation that is all about recognising and developing innovation, and helping people understand how innovation can become a key element in their business.

To reach Tamara, order her new book, or take the FREE Innovation Quotient Edge (IQE) Assessment to uncover your unique innovation strengths, go to Launch Street’s website: https://www.gotolaunchstreet.com/

Connect with John Murphy:

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Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Website

Other Resources:

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

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A Life and A Living Podcast

Do you ever wonder why customers who get sold on your sales pitch just leave after a few months? Most businesses focus their effort on attracting new customers and advancing their marketing strategies, but never really make an extra effort in taking care of the existing ones.

At the end of the day, in whatever market you are building your business in, we still end up dealing with humans. And sometimes, entrepreneurs get side-tracked on the technical side of the trade that they often forget the human side of it.

In today’s podcast episode, we will learn about how to take care of our existing customers and how to better the customer experience with Joey Coleman. Today, he will give us incredible insight into customer retention and what it means to your business.

Stop losing customers and start becoming a customer retention genius by listening to this episode now!

What We Talked About in This Episode:

The Three Different Speakers

There’s No Such Thing As B2B or B2C; There’s Only H2H

Falling Into The Trap of Corporate Speak

The Challenge in Customer Handoffs

Why Businesses Don’t Focus on Customer Retention

Changing a Company’s Mindset on Customer Retention

Silos are Incredible in a Farm But Horrible on a Business

How to Get It Right in the First 100 Days Through 8 Phases

The Six Tools for Customer Communication

Humans Are Dying For Proof That They Matter

Book Recommendation and Daily Rituals

About Our Guest:

Joey Coleman is the Chief Experience Composer at Design Symphony and author of the #2 Wall Street Journal Bestseller ‘Never Lose A Customer Again.’ His excellent customer experience and retention strategies have helped big names in several industries such as Zappos and Whirlpool improve their retention rates.

You can reach Joey Coleman through his website: https://joeycoleman.com/

Connect with John Murphy:

YouTube

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Website

Other Resources:

Never Lose A Customer Again by Joey Coleman

The Art of Making Memories by Meik Wiking

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. Thanks for tuning in!

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A Life and A Living Podcast is powered by Valher Media

As the world has turned upside down and we are all ushered into a new era, companies are opening their doors to what we call a “hybrid work environment.” However, this setting poses a challenge to an already existing problem pre-pandemic: employee engagement.

With employees thousands of miles away, it is a dilemma for every employer to keep the company morale and productivity high. So, how do we keep our employees engaged in this new age of work-from-home environment?

In today’s podcast episode, we will learn about the value of employee engagement in today’s crisis with Peter Rawlinson. He will open our eyes to the opportunities that this global situation has presented and how to better communicate and engage with employees working from home.

Connect better with your employees more than ever before and tune in this episode!

What We Talked About in This Episode:

Workvivo and Improve Employee Experience

The Effects of the Pandemic on Workvivo

The Future of Company Working Environment

Sustaining the Company Culture in a Remote-Work Setting

Managing Without Micromanaging

The Changes Leaders Need to Adapt

The Desire for a Hybrid Work Environment

The Global Impact of Remote Working

Workvivo’s Role in Talent Management

Opportunities Awaiting Workvivo

Book Recommendation and Daily Rituals

About Our Guest:

Peter Rawlinson is the Chief Marketing Officer at Workvivo, a company based in Ireland that’s dedicated to keeping employees engaged and motivated through technology. Starting out as a nuclear physicist, he has then switched careers to product marketing, then product management. Since then, the company has enjoyed massive success for the past three years.

To get in touch with Peter Rawlinson, go to the Workvivo’s official website: https://www.workvivo.com/

Connect with John Murphy:

YouTube

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Website

Other Resources:

* The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

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A Life and A Living Podcast is powered by Valher Media

As a leader, do you really listen to what your team members say? When you ask questions, how much of what you say is asking and how much is just you telling them what you want? In a world filled with dialogue and the exchange of ideas, people often forget to truly listen to what is spoken and what is left unspoken.

Effective listening is key at every level of any organisation. You can miss out on valuable insights that could impact your business’ profits by failing to listen.

Today, we get to learn how to become better at listening with our guest, Oscar Trimboli. He teaches us how we can get the most out of our team and help people achieve their own level of excellence by becoming an expert at deep listening.

Do you want to utilise the skill of deep listening to improving your bottom line? Then tune in to this episode now!

What We Talked About in This Episode:

Deep Listening and Oscar’s Passion for It

The Crossover Between Asking the Right Question and Deeply Listening

Listening to the Unsaid

The Consequences of Not Listening

Recognising Blindspots to Become Better Listeners

Tips to Listening Better

Signs of Effective Listening

Book Recommendation and Daily Rituals

About Our Guest:

Oscar Trimboli is a global expert at deep listening. His mission is to create 100 million deep listeners.

Get access to more resources and take the 7-minute Deep Listening Quiz to identify your Listening Villains here: https://www.listeningquiz.com

Connect with John Murphy:

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Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Website

Other Resources:

The Advice Trap by Michael Bungay Stanier

Atomic Habits by James Clear

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. Thanks for tuning in!

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A Life and A Living Podcast is powered by Valher Media

Space. It’s something that the world is running out of. Everyday, we often see something that we want to keep for the rest of our lives—a family heirloom, a fancy pair of shoes, some nice China in your kitchen cabinet.

We keep accumulating stuff everyday until one day, there’s a mountain load of it that’s gathering dust in a corner somewhere. However, when things that really matter come into our lives, suddenly it becomes difficult to let it in because of all the rubbish that we keep. So the big question is, “How do I make more space?”

The answer? You don’t have to.

In today’s podcast episode, we will learn about the psychology behind cluttering and how it affects us personally and professionally with Tracy McCubbin. She will teach us about the value of decluttering and will help us avoid gathering unnecessary stuff at home.

Listen now and find out how to make the most out of your space.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

The History and Business Model of dClutterfly

The Seven Emotional Clutter Blocks

The True Meaning of Decluttering

Psychology Behind Clutter and Stress

The Virtue of Care and Repair

How To Prevent Cluttering

The Value of Decluttering

About Our Guest:

Tracy McCubbin is the founder and CEO of dClutterfly Inc., a company that’s based in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to helping people let go of their unnecessary clutter. She is also the author of Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book on Decluttering You’ll Ever Need.

To reach Tracy McCubbin or take a FREE clutter block quiz, go to dClutterfly’s website.

Connect with John Murphy:

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Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Website

Other Resources:

Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book on Decluttering You’ll Ever Need by Tracy McCubbin

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. Thanks for tuning in!

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A Life and A Living Podcast is powered by Valher Media.

 

 

Like me, I’m sure you have been seriously troubled by the recent George Floyd and other similar incidents. I feel very strongly about this issue of racial divide, and the easy thing for me to do as a white European is to decry it but do nothing about it.

But, I passionately believe that we all have a role to play in these circumstances, and  to speak out about these issues in these troublesome and worrying times. That’s why I’ve invited Jackie Ferguson once more on the show to help me tackle this sensitive issue. Jackie, who is an expert on the subject of Diversity and Inclusivity, talks to us about how important it is to be able to listen so we can understand, learn, and eventually, lead.

We all have the potential to become allies, but what does it really mean when you say that? What responsibilities do we need to take on? What actions can we take? Listen intently and learn more about navigating the changing conversation in this diverse society by tuning in to the latest episode of A Life and A Living Podcast.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

Six Steps to becoming an Ally [5:32]

Step #1: Listen

Step #2: Educate yourself

Step #3: Talk to your kids

Step #4: Be an example

Step #5: Speak up

Step #6: Nurturing truth-telling relationships

The realisations that come from reading the book “White Fragility” [8:13]

Jackie’s stand on taking down statues [11:30]

An update on the Black Progress: Why has there been none since 2000? [14:22]

Where is change going to come from? [17:01]

How do employers support their employees in navigating change through this COVID pandemic along with issues of racism [18:20]

How can business leaders create a multi-racial culture where everyone can thrive equally? [23:43]

Driving the message of Diversity and Inclusion home [29:51]

“Are you optimistic about change?” [33:07]

About Our Guest:

Jackie Ferguson is the Director of Multicultural Programming at Walk West in North Carolina. She managed multi-million dollar accounts while working in sales and marketing for large corporations. She is also a certified diversity expert. 

Connect with Jackie through The Diversity Movement’s website.

Connect with John Murphy:

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Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Website

Other Resources:

Winning Teams Podcast Episode #153: Diversity Beyond the Checkbox with Jackie Ferguson

White Fragility by Robin Diangelo

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A Life and A Living Podcast is powered by Valher Media.

 

 

With the business world hitting some kind of a pause, how do you bring your best self? In the face of a global pandemic, how do you make sure you make positive changes to your work, business, and personal life?

In this episode, Frances Cole Jones shares a list of simple changes you can make today to help you “wow” tomorrow.

Frances also talks about the importance of knowing what your brilliant self looks like, so you can achieve that “wow” impact in any situation – be that in your career, business, or personal life.

Take away invaluable insights. Tune in to today’s episode of the A Life and A Living podcast.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

What it means to bring your best self to business and life.

Knowing what your brilliant self looks like, so you can bring it in any situation.

What you need to focus on if you want to “wow”.

How you can use body language to have that “wow” impact, even in a virtual environment.

What you can learn from Downton Abbey about posture and body language.

How you can “wow” in social media without tipping over to inauthenticity.

What things you can do to guarantee your edge in today’s business world.

Frances’ book recommendations and daily rituals.

About Our Guest:

Billed as one of the country’s top speakers in communication, Frances Cole Jones helps her clients bring that “wow” factor. Be that at a job interview or a TV appearance in shows like The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Oprah among others.

She is the author of several best-selling books, including “How to Wow: Proven Strategies for Selling Your (Brilliant) Self in any Situation” and “The Wow Factor: The 33 Things You Must (and Must Not) Do to Guarantee Your Edge in Today’s Business World”.

* Frances C. Jones’ Website

* Frances C. Jones’ LinkedIn

* Frances C. Jones’ Twitter

* Frances C. Jones’ Facebook

* Frances C. Jones’ YouTube

Connect with John Murphy:

YouTube

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Other Resources:

Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger

About Ashtanga vinyasa yoga poses

Ask Frances a question

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. Thanks for tuning in!

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A Life and A Living Podcast is powered by Valher Media.