Avoiding Miscommunication on Your Team

Clay and Adam discuss five ways to avoid miscommunication on your team.

About Clay Scroggins:

Clay Scroggins is a sought-after ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠speaker and leadership coach⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, known for his practical and engaging approach to leadership. He is the author of three books, most notably ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How to Lead When You're Not In Charge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With a passion for helping leaders thrive in any environment, Clay brings valuable insights and real-world experience to this podcast and his ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠weekly email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

 

About Adam Tarnow:

Adam Tarnow is a recovering CPA and now a partner at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PeopleWorks International⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where he heads up the Leadership Development Practice. He is the co-author of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Edge: How to Stand Out by Showing You're All In⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and shares his insights on leadership through his Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Leadership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

One Tool Every Team Needs to Use

Clay and Adam encourage teams to use a simple and effective tool to improve performance and harmony.

Mizzen+Main

Use the code HOWTOLEAD to get 15% off your first purchase at https://www.mizzenandmain.com/

About Clay Scroggins:

Clay Scroggins is a sought-after ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠speaker and leadership coach⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, known for his practical and engaging approach to leadership. He is the author of three books, most notably ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How to Lead When You're Not In Charge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With a passion for helping leaders thrive in any environment, Clay brings valuable insights and real-world experience to this podcast and his ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠weekly email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

 

About Adam Tarnow:

Adam Tarnow is a recovering CPA and now a partner at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PeopleWorks International⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where he heads up the Leadership Development Practice. He is the co-author of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Edge: How to Stand Out by Showing You're All In⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and shares his insights on leadership through his Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Leadership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Sometimes, full engagement isn't enough. Today, Clay and Adam talk about one "fully engaged" employee who is not helpful to your organization.

Sign up for the July 31st RightNow Webinar here:  rnow.me/howtoleadwebinar

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Based on The Unstuck Group’s most recent data, 53% of churches have gone through a restructure involving multiple staff positions within the last two years. 

And it can go so wrong; unwise restructuring can lead to churches…

• Retaining people who aren't a good fit for far longer than is healthy—and letting toxicity grow.

• Allowing ministry silos to develop and misalignment to grow, undercutting the ministry God has called you to do.

• Allowing failures in character, chemistry, competence or culture to go unaddressed.

• Letting people continue in key areas of responsibility when the ministry has outgrown their leadership capacity.

In their “How to Restructure Wisely” webinar last month, Tony Morgan and Amy Anderson simplified what it takes to restructure with wisdom and grace—and they are sharing the event replay with us.

Nobody gives their life to ministry for the money: It’s more than a job, and your team is more than a staff. You can lead through it with confidence, and your church can come out stronger on the other side. Learn how: theunstuckgroup.com/howtolead

US: Does professional life ever leave you feeling overwhelmed? YOU: Uh yeah, I call that "Tuesday." US: Are you responsible to achieve a goal that feels unreasonable? YOU: It's ridiculous. Don't get me started. US: Did you just get some sobering feedback from your team? YOU: It's like they don't even know me. US: Are you facing some circumstances that feel unfair? YOU: See all my answers above. If you (or someone you know) are facing some challenging circumstances at work, this week's episode promises to be a breath of fresh air. After this episode, you might still have 99 problems, but how to respond won't be 1.

Accountability gets a bad rap.

Some people love it, but most do not.

Why is that? 

Why do we have such a troubled relationship with this concept?

That is exactly what Adam and Clay unpack in this week's episode of How to Lead.

In less than 17 minutes you'll hear three simple ways to use this powerful, but misunderstood concept with your team.

You've started the meeting well and run the meeting even better.

Now, the most important part: the ending 🏁.

If you don't stick the landing, all that time and energy could be wasted.

You don't want that and your team doesn't want today.

Today in fifteen minutes, Adam & Clay will give you 2️⃣ productive ways to end your meetings.

You've started your meeting off on the right foot.

✅ You've Provided Inspiration 

✅ You've Checked-In Relationally

✅ You've Defined the Problem You're Solving

Now what?

In less than twenty minutes, Adam and Clay provide a few simple ways to ensure you run your meeting with excellence.

The pandemic might have killed off the acceptability of coughing in public, but it sure didn't kill off meetings.

Love 'em or hate 'em, meetings are a part of organizational life.

They are not going anywhere.

The key to a great meeting is a strong start.

In this first of three episodes on the topic of meetings, Adam and Clay give you a few simple & easy ways to ensure you start your meetings on the right foot. 

Next week: they'll discuss how to run a great meeting.

Sometimes, you don't find motivation from looking ahead to the future. 

Sometimes, you find it by looking back to the past.

Clay recently spent time with some leaders and challenged them with one simple question.

A question that, when reflected upon, will help reorient your priorities and give you the energy you need to keep moving forward.

This is How to Lead!

The tool a leader uses most often is communication.

This is bad news and good news.

Bad, because this tool can become dull and in need of sharpening.

Good, because sharpening this tool is not difficult.

In this episode, you'll learn one quick and easy way to sharpen your communication skills.

You'll also learn one of Clay's least favorite words and the oddest gift Adam ever received from his mother-in-law.

Welcome to How to Lead!

Unfortunately, for many organizations, there is a disconnect between they way they treat potential hires and new hires.

Potential hires are taken to fancy dinners, introduced to important people, and promised the world.

New hires are given a laptop, a cubicle, and a pat on the back.

This, can feel like a bait & switch.

Healthy teams work hard to change this.

In this episode, Clay and Adam discuss why it's important to be more thoughtful with your new hires and throw in some practical ways to make a new hire feel welcome.

Along the way, Clay impersonates a sushi chef and Adam impersonates a GenZer.

Welcome to How to Lead!

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Have a question you would like to be considered for a future episode?

Please send us an email: Info@HowToLead.Work

The great Holly Tate (SVP of Growth at Leadr) is on the podcast today talking about all things Gen Z and leadership development.

If you have any young 20-somethings on your team, Holly has some interesting insights and practical ways to engage and develop this newest generation to hit the workforce.

You can learn more about Leadr and its mission to develop 1,000,000 leaders at www.leadr.com

If your current job has you near the bottom of the org charge, what should you do if you feel you have some great ideas for positive change but little influence?

Is it possible to be a positive influence for change when you lack authority?

These are not easy questions to answer, but they are questions being asked by many emerging leaders.

Today, Clay provides a few straightforward ways to leverage your influence, even when you lack authority.

Register for the free Coaching Millennials and Gen Z webinar at rnow.me/howtoleadwebinar brought to you by the How to Lead podcast and RightNow Media @ Work. 

 

RightNow Media @ Work is a voluntary, faith-based library of more than 25,000 videos on topics such as leadership, personal development, marriage, parenting, and more. Visit rightnowmedia.org/howtolead to find out how RightNow Media @ Work can help you develop leaders and care for your employees.

Is it possible to lead your boss?

Kind of.

Tell them what to do? Probably not.

Positively influence them? For sure.

Learning how to develop and cultivate a great working relationship with your boss might be one of the most critical steps you take in your career.

This episode gives you some simple ways to begin "leading up" with excellence.

Tell your boss she can send her "thank you" notes to: Info@HowToLead.Work

✌️

How do you think about your professional life?

This might sound like an odd question, but it can significantly impact your day-to-day job.

How you think about your career will determine how you respond to good and bad days at work.

In this episode, Clay shares a word picture that helped him change how he thinks about his career, and we know it will help you too.

Quick question: who is the salesperson you most want to be like?

Don't worry if you struggled to answer that question. 

We did too.

Why is this?

Because for whatever reason, not many of us hold up "salesperson" as an identity they want to chase down.

We think this is unfortunate because every leader (and by "every," we mean "every") is in sales.

Sooner or later, every leader has to try and "sell" an idea, a solution, a direction, or a vision.

If you lead others, you cannot avoid sales.

So, today on the podcast, we help you learn how to sell things without becoming too salesy.

Quick question: how's your relationship with The Morning doing?

• Are you two on good terms? Are you excited to see each other every day? Are you missing one another throughout the day? Is the relationship filled with appreciation for one another? 

• Are you two on bad terms? Have you two not talked in a while? Are there lots of broken promises? Are there tons of unspoken issues and frustration?

If you find yourself nodding your head in agreement with "bad terms," we've got some good news. You don't need to start going to couples therapy to improve the relationship. All you need to do is listen to this episode of How to Lead.

Enjoy!

No one makes it very far in their career without receiving difficult feedback.

Hearing difficult feedback is never fun, but it happens to the best of us.

The sooner you learn how to handle It, the better off you will be.

In this episode, Adam and Clay talk about ways they've handled challenging feedback throughout their careers and how you, too, can bounce back from difficult feedback.

Late in 2021, CBS brought back the wildly popular Kids Say the Darndest Things.

It's a simple show. Put a bunch of cute kids in a room and let the great Tiffany Haddish ask them questions.

Hilarity always ensues.

If the show fails, we have an idea for the next reboot.

Instead of putting a bunch of kids in a room, just put a bunch of bosses in a room.

We promise that hilarity will ensue.

Why? Because kids aren't the only ones who say the darndest things.

Bosses do too.

On this episode of HTL, Adam & Clay unpack one (of many) confusing things bosses say.

Do you have a confusing thing your boss often says? Please shoot us an email: info@howtolead.work

Clay recently ran into a friend of the podcast, Frank Blake (Former Home Depot CEO), and he summed up the current employment market perfectly.

According to Mr. Blake, It all boils down to one question.

If the answer to this question is "yes," then you have a great reason to stay at your current place of employment.

If the answer to this question is "no," then it might be a good time to start looking around.

What's the question?

You'll have to listen to this episode to find out (you knew that was coming, right?)

Don't worry, this episode Is less than twelve minutes. You won't have to wait too long before we give you the question.

Wanna know what's fun? COMPLAINING!!

Verb. "To express dissatisfaction or annoyance about something."

Hello! Who doesn't love to do that?

Isn't that why Mr. Mars just bought Twitter? So we can all complain more freely?

Although complaining is fun, it, unfortunately, doesn't lead to many changes.

We want help.

Today, we give you a formula that will allow you to complain in a way that sounds helpful, not annoying.

A formula that will lead to real changes, not just more complaining.

You're welcome.

"Money isn't the most important thing in life, but it's reasonably close to oxygen on the 'gotta have it' scale." - Zig Ziglar.

Does inflation have you in a headlock?

We Googled "products with the highest inflation in 2022."

This list was not pretty.

If you feel like you could use more financial breathing room, it might be time to ask for a raise.

Ask for a raise is one of those ideas that feels super easy at 10 pm while sitting in your apartment talking with friends.

It feels nearly impossible at 9 am the next day while sitting in a meeting with your boss.

If you want to ask for a raise, but are unsure how to approach the conversation, don't worry; we got you.

In this episode, we walk you through how to ask for a raise without sounding like a selfish jerk.

Ahh, RTO. In 2019, these three letters stood for: +Registered Training Authority +Regional Transportation Organization +Radiation Therapy Oncology +Remote Take Over Unfortunately, it's no longer 2019. Today, these three letters stand for one thing: RETURN TO OFFICE. RTO has become a business writer/blogger's favorite new subject. Bored? Google RTO, sit back, and enjoy the tidal wave of opinions. The bottom line is this: not everyone wants to RTO, and if that's you, we've got a plan to help. In this episode, we offer a few simple ways for team leaders and team members to approach this conversation with clarity and honesty.

The one and only Jordan Montgomery joins Clay to discuss his latest book, The Art of Encouragement. This book explores ten distinct “arts” of encouragement, revealing the skillfulness behind uplifting oneself and others.

To learn more about Jordan and his book, check out https://www.montgomerycompanies.com/art-of-encouragement/

In 2001 Jim Collins published his classic book, Good to Great.

Chapter three in that book is called "First Who...Then What."

That chapter included what may be the most famous metaphor in all of leadership: The Bus.

"The good-to-great leaders began the transformation by first getting the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it."

For over twenty years, leaders worldwide have been using this metaphor.

• "Who do we need to get on The Bus?"
• "Who needs to get off The Bus?"

In this episode, we ask, "is The Bus still a thing?"

Is this metaphor outdated, or is it still helpful?

Dust off that old DVD of the Keanu Reeves / Sandra Bullock classic Speed and enjoy our conversation about The Bus.

We know leaving your job is SUPER trendy right now. 

But before you do, it'll be helpful to listen to this episode.

Why?

Because when you set up that meeting to resign, your boss will ask you a simple question, "Why do you want to leave?"

If you haven't thought through your answer to that question, it will be a VERY awkward conversation.

In this episode, we give you a simple framework that will help you identify WHY you want to leave (and help you know WHAT to look out for in your next job).

You can download the framework here.

Enjoy!

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ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

Adam and Clay open up the old listener mailbag again. 

This time, Jonny from Dallas wants to know how to succeed as a new manager. 

Step 1 - check out this episode.

Step 2 - dominate your new role.

Step 3 - send Adam and Clay a "thank you" Starbucks gift card.

Just kidding about Step 3. 

Kind of.

__________________

ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

Clay gets asked this question often. Why? Because after working at one organization for almost twenty years, he decided to leave and start a new professional adventure.

This question, however, is more relevant than ever. The past two years' events have all of us asking existential questions, like this one.

So, if you are contemplating a career change or know someone considering a career change, this episode is just for you!

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ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

*** QUESTIONS FROM THE INBOX ***

Is it better to specialize or generalize? 

That is the question Matt from Waco asks on this episode of How to Lead.

Clay and Adam don't have all the answers, but they try to help Matt (and others like him) think through this popular question.

Do you have a question for Clay and Adam? 

Send them an email: Info@HowToLead.Work

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ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

{cue the beat}

Guess who's back? 

Back again. 

Casey's back...tell a -- {record scratch} 

Sorry, sorry, sorry. That was uncalled for. We're better than that. We'll leave 2002 alone.

But, Casey Graham is back and he's got a lot to say about LinkedIn and why he asks everyone at Gravy Solutions to share their "aspirational intent." 

Get your pencil and paper ready. You're gonna want to write down the wisdom he's about to drop.

Enjoy!

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ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

Buckle up! This is the first of two episodes with the one and only Casey Graham. 

Casey loves to ask leaders, "Do the people on your team know what you really want?"

Can you answer that question without spouting out some corporate mumbo-jumbo? 

Unfortunately, for far too many leaders, the answer is "no," and Casey believes that needs to change. 

How can you start to get your answer to that question? It begins by checking out this episode of How to Lead.

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Click here to check out Casey's new book.

ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

Back in the day, "public speaking" was a skill almost every leader was looking to add to their toolbox. 

Have the events of the last two years changed that? 

Is public speaking still a thing? 

Is it still a way for a leader to differentiate themselves from the crowd? 

Clay & Adam may not have the answer, but they sure do have some thoughts. Enjoy!

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Come hang out with Clay and Adam on Tuesday, March 1st, at 4pm EST as they host a "Zoom Meet-Up" to discuss Employee Enagement. Register here: https://www.teamengagementsprint.com/zoom

Adam basically uses this entire episode to get some professional coaching from Clay. 

So selfish, right?

As Adam wrapped up Clay's new book there was one section that really challenged him. Fortunately, the topic is something all leaders face: solving problems.

Enjoy eavesdropping in as Clay coaches up Adam.

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ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

Question: How would your team respond if you subtly dropped, "You know, the other day I was talking to my leadership coach, and she helped me realize something..." during your next team meeting?

Would you get funny looks, or would it be no big deal?

Elite athletes and aspiring actors and singers are no longer the only ones seeking out a coach. Leaders everywhere are starting to realize how helpful it can be to have a leadership coach.

So, how can you find a  coach to help you improve your leadership game? It starts by listening to this episode of the How to Lead Podcast.

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ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

In this episode, Adam and Clay discuss some research on what makes an employee happy (spoiler alert: it's not money).

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This episode is brought to you be The Working Genius. To become a certified Working Genius Expert, visit workinggenius.me/howtolead

NEWS FLASH: According to the CDC, the average life expectancy in the United States declined 1.5 years during 2020. That's the most significant decline in decades.

Now, more than ever, leaders need to ask, "How do I make my time count?"

We can't promise this episode will help you live longer, but we can promise it will help you think about the time you have left a little differently.

And, we can promise that Jon Acuff makes an appearance on this episode too!

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ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

"In general, I'm not a very disciplined person...I don't like counting things. I don't like counting my spending...I don't like counting my calories...I don't like counting how many days I've worked out."

Listen to this episode to learn which host dropped this confession bomb on the podcast.

If the one who said this could develop helpful and lasting habits in their life, then there is hope for all of us!

Enjoy!

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ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. 

As we discussed in episode 8 with Sheryl Sandberg, every leader needs to be resilient. 

The problem, however, is going through a situation that builds resilience Is typically zero fun. 

• Would you like others to call you resilient? Sure.
• Do you want to go through situations that make you resilient? Ah, not so much.

Today, we discuss three ways you can build resilience without waiting for calamity or hardship to show up on your doorstep.

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ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

We have really good news and good news.

REALLY GOOD NEWS: If you listen to this episode before 1 PM EST on January 11, 2022, you can still sign up for Clay's free event entitled, Three Ways to Future Proof Your Career.

GOOD NEWS: If you listen to this episode after 1 PM EST on January 11, 2022, you can't sign up for the free event, but you can pick up a copy of his latest book, The Aspiring Leader's Guide to the Future.

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ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

In this episode, Clay joined by Andy Stanley to wrap up their conversation “How to Lead in a World of Distraction.” They discuss four noise-canceling habits for leaders. If you missed the first part of this conversation, go back and listen to it here (insert link). We hope you enjoy this episode and that it inspires you to adopt new habits to help you turn down the noise in your life. What are distractions costing us? Introduction to noise-canceling habits In-depth discussion of the four habits

Stand-up comics are fascinating. They stand on a stage, talk about nothing of substance for an hour, and everyone is disappointed when the act is over. They have to be the envy of every teacher, college professor, and pastor out there, right?

Well, today, Adam and Clay dive into one of John Mulaney's bits from his 2015 comedy special, The Comeback Kid.

Clay extracts a counterintuitive leadership insight. Three simple words that are easy to apply and will make you a leader worth following for years to come.

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Preorder Clay's new book here.

ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

Learning to lead and learning to lead ourselves has never been more difficult because of the amount of noise and distractions in the world. In this conversation with Andy Stanley, Clay had the chance to talk about what he likes to call “the Axis of Distraction,” which are three distractions particularly common for leaders. Below is a quick breakdown of some of the things they discussed in this episode. Enjoy! Why are distractions such a big deal? The first member of the Axis of Distraction The second member of the Axis of Distraction The third member of the Axis of Distraction How to combat your distractions A time I saw Andy turn down the noise

A pessimistic CPA and a rainbow puking unicorn walk into a bar to record a podcast...

That basically describes this episode. 

A natural pessimist (Adam) and a natural optimist (Clay) discuss what they are both learning about the power of optimism and how you can become a more optimistic leader (without faking it).

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To learn more about Clay's "Influence Sprint" check out: https://www.influencesprint.com/

ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

Clay recently had the opportunity to talk with one of the most interesting individuals he's ever met, Bob Goff, or Bobby G, as Clay like to call him. Bob is the Consul General to Uganda and spends much of his time, writing, speaking, and providing safe healthcare and education for orphans all around the world. Any time spent with him is full of joy and laughter. During their brief conversation, they discussed: How Bob turns down the noise in his own life Bob on being present and available Guess which one of us wears a mood ring? Why it’s important to stay in your lane

Learning to lead when we lack authority requires us to lead ourselves well despite all the distractions that can pull us off track. Fortunately, Clay had the chance to sit down with Dave Ramsey to talk to him about how he manages to lead in a world of distractions. In this episode of the How to Lead podcast, we cover: A little backstory you may not know about Dave What doesn’t kill you… Importance of trust in an organization How Dave turns down the noise

Sometimes, you need your boss to step up and fight for one of your ideas. When that doesn't happen, it can be very frustrating. On this episode, Clay and Adam explore a few reasons why your boss might not be advocating for you.

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This episode is sponsored by The Unstuck Group.

Every quarter, Tony Morgan analyzes all the data collected by The Unstuck Group to report on trends in churches in the United States.

For this quarter’s report, they focused on questions related to staffing, structure and team. They only included responses from church leaders that submitted data between April 8 and May 6, 2024 to provide a very current snapshot of ministries of all shapes and sizes. That includes responses from 402 churches, ranging in size from under 100 to more than 8,000 in physical attendance for worship gatherings.

Download Q2 2024 edition of The Unstuck Church Report for all Tony’s insights in the areas of Staffing & Ministry Trends, Staffing Data by Ministry Type, Staffing by Generation, Leveraging Contractors, and more at theunstuckgroup.com/data

Remember in 2019 when working from home felt like going to bed without brushing your teeth as a kid?

It felt efficient. It felt edgy. It felt like you were doing something special.

Fast forward to 2021, and not brushing your teeth before bed has gone mainstream. Everyone's doing it. It's no longer edgy or cool.

Hybrid work environments are part of our new normal and seem like they're going to stick around a little while.

As a result, the question leaders are asking is no longer, "How can we work efficiently in a hybrid environment?"

The question they're now asking is, "How can we build a healthy culture in a hybrid environment?"

So, put on your favorite house shoes, make your favorite work-from-home lunch, and enjoy this episode of How to Lead.

LINKS:

ClayScroggins.com

AdamTarnow.com

A few months ago, Clay had the privilege of sitting down with Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. Sheryl is one of the most powerful leaders in the world, but Clay also found her to be one of the most gracious, kind, and thoughtful leaders he’s had the opportunity to interview. In this episode of the How to Lead podcast, you’ll learn How Sheryl became COO of Facebook The importance of resilience Leading yourself through grief The habit of gratitude How to grow from pain

Aspiring and engaged leaders have something in common: they get promoted or recruited to leave their current job.

This means that sooner or later, you will be leading a new team or have a new role on your current team.

When this happens, how can you make sure you CRUSH the first ninety days? By listening to this episode, that's how.

We give you three simple ideas that we guarantee will set you up for success. If they don't, return this episode, and we'll give you your money back. No questions asked.

Wait, this is all free. Nevermind. Sorry about that.

Enjoy!