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| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Are You A Bad Boss to Yourself? | 20 Jul 2025 | 00:29:21 | |
In today's episode, we dive into the juicy topic of being a "bad boss" to ourselves as entrepreneurs. Isn’t it funny how some of the very behaviors that made us decide to stop working for a bad boss, are often some of the same behaviors we do to ourselves. Things like overworking, neglecting self-care, not setting boundaries, working unreasonable hours, and more. Together, we explore how these bad boss behaviors can lead to burnout and resentment, So, if you’re ready to stop being a bad boss to yourself and start thriving in your entrepreneurial journey, this episode is packed with insights and encouragement just for you! 🌟 Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings To work with Lisa, check out her resources for independent coaches, trainers, and speakers. Get business tools and strategy support with her Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways Here are three key takeaways from our conversation:
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🎧If you're ready to stop being a bad boss to yourself and start building a business that aligns with your values and goals, tune in to this episode! Let’s embrace the journey together and create a fulfilling entrepreneurial experience. 💬We’d love to hear your thoughts! How do you ensure you’re being a good boss to yourself? Share your experiences in the comments below! #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #Leadership #Boundaries #Community #ValueYourself
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa:
Brea: I’m Brea
Lisa: And today, oh, this song is on my mind. Do you remember that song? Where it says buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh. Yeah.
Brea: Yes, of course I do. And you did that so well. Do it again.
Lisa: Well, that was me for a lot of years of my coaching, training, speaking business being a bad to the bone, a bad boss to yourself. I am so guilty or was so guilty.
Brea: A bad boss to yourself. Yes. Okay. This is juicy. You know, I love a juicy topic. This is a juicy one.
Lisa: Yeah. Well, let's talk about what brings us into wanting to be entrepreneurs and then how, well, for me, I know I have the stories to tell and the lessons to tell about the things that were turning it into bad boss. So if I start off and say, I didn't have bad bosses in corporate. I had great bosses, great leaders. I had a really good experience. So I didn't have the reference point of saying, I don't want to be this terrible person. And so that's why I'm leaving. I wasn't running from that. I was running toward this dream. Oh, now I've got a Tom Petty song in my head. Running down a dream. OK, no, let's stop. I've got too many songs.
Brea: Chili's, baby, baby, baby back ribs. That's what I have in my head. Now you've got to turn it into bad, bad, bad boss.
Lisa: That's so fun. Anyway, yeah, I was totally running down that dream. It was like freedom. I would see other people doing it and I would think, this is so cool. I could take the work that I'm paying vendors to do. I just saw this vision, like if I could be that vendor, I could have this amazing life doing exactly the work that I love. It will be so inspirational and soul-filling because the work is really cool. I'll have total freedom and flexibility with my time. I can work fewer hours. I think it's going to just be so amazing. So I really set up this dream life vision and then quickly out of fear, now that I have a rear view mirror, I worked myself into not that dream because I was so unreasonable as a boss to myself. So I was a total bad boss to myself. What about you? What attracted you to do your own thing?
Brea: Yeah. A huge part of my story was, I'm not going to say I had bad bosses, but I am going to say There are a lot of people who are elevated into leadership positions because they were really great at their job. at the lower level, you know, for example, maybe they were just a killer salesman. And now all of a sudden, they're a manager of people. And that's not even the same job. And I think we've actually talked about that on the podcast before, and how just bogus that is that we're expecting, you know, great leaders to emerge from people who were showing excellence in something else. And so I have worked for and with people who were not given any training or any support to be a leader and didn't know how to handle me. And I'm a lot. And I think maybe those who are listening with a lot of strong, influencing themes like me, I'm not the cookie cutter, let's do it like it's always been done. Just close your mouth and do the work. I can't work like that. I bring new ideas and question everything. And leaders didn't know what to do with that. And so I really did get into this business, especially strengths to help be a solution, to help leaders learn how to lead the people they have. instead of just trying to put everybody into the same little mold. So a different starting place, but yeah, great conversation. I'm excited to dive in. Okay, nice.
Lisa: And you made me think that our thread is so tied together in that it's like when people get promoted into their incompetence. When I left and went out on my own and didn't know how to be an entrepreneur, I had business acumen. I was promoted into incompetence as far as being able to manage myself and my time and create, run, grow a business. I didn't really get all of it so I had some areas of high incompetence and that's why I was a bad boss to myself.
Brea: Yeah, and maybe this is where we start is, you know, there are very, very few people out there who can do all the things with excellence. We've talked about that a little bit in our BP10 episode, you know, how there are certain talents and certain skills that every business owner needs, and no one person has them all.
Lisa: Yeah, well, let me give a real-life tale of being a bad boss to myself under one category, which would be just unreasonable work hours. And one version of that is I had this business strategy. I worked to work with Fortune 500 talent development teams, leadership development teams. That was all great. Got that. So then, I have clients who have people all over the world, and they want to do sessions and workshops, usually virtual, because that was my specialty, and they would want to break up a session, and we would do them basically on the same day, and here's how it would work. I would have a 9 a.m. session, and that would be with Americas and EMEA, so if you're not from corporate or a place where they do these abbreviations, EMEA is Europe, Middle East, Africa, And then I would do a 9 p.m. session with India, APJ, APJ is Asia Pacific, Japan. So I would be up, prepared, showered, ready to go, sound check, so pretty early days, starting with the 9 a.m. Then I would deliver at 9 p.m., depending on time changes, sometimes it was 10 or 11, or depending on the client. could be a 10 or 11 p.m. start. So I would be finishing up as late as 1 a.m. after having gotten up at 5 a.m. and I would do these repeatedly. It wouldn't just be like an occasional thing. I would do them over and over and that would be these long, long days. And I just thought, I mean, it's the same workshop. We're trying to deliver it on the same day-ish. And I just did it unthinking about the consequence to my body and my sleep and the circadian rhythm and all these things that now later, I realized I really wrecked it, but I didn't know then. I just thought, yeah, I stay up late once in a while. Once a week I do these, big deal. And it was a big deal, but didn't realize I was being such a bad boss to myself with those decisions.
Brea: Yes, totally. It does add up over time, right? It's so funny because for me, it's exactly the opposite. I love a 9 a.m. and a 9 p.m. I often am working late at night. 9 p.m. to midnight is kind of a sweet spot for editing podcasts or emails or some creative things. So I don't mind the unreasonable work hours. But for me, where I fall into the trap is just working all the time, not having boundaries. So one of the things that attracted me to entrepreneurship is this concept of time freedom, you know, being able to just go to a kid's soccer game or a recital or something during the day that I wouldn't be able to if I was in an office 9 to 5 and I had to be there, right? So if I'm working at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. I have to make sure that I'm taking advantage of the time freedom that I've given myself.
Lisa: It's like the good boss to yourself is taking that time and making them non-work hours. The bad boss to yourself would be go, go, go and just fill the middle with the emails and the mundane and fill it in and then it becomes a, well, more than 12 hour workday. Maybe it became a 16 hour workday, but the difference could be a nap in the middle of the day, the soccer game and all of those things. And you're still spending those same hours awake, but it's what you're doing with them consciously.
Brea: How do you know me so well? You know that I love to nap. I mean, come on, naps are a key part of a long day, you know, is taking a little break, a little siesta. Yes. And to be honest, I don't feel guilty about any of that at all. Unreasonable work hours doesn't resonate with me, but working more hours than ever totally resonates. Whatever your time hangup is, make sure that you're being a good boss to yourself by honoring your own needs, your own talents, and balancing the work with life.
Lisa: Right. Yeah, all of mine are some version of time. Like the next one that I thought of was PTO policy. So if you're an employee somewhere, you have PTO. And when you have PTO, you actually think about booking out vacation time. And I just allowed myself to forget about the concept of PTO. And in the early five years of my business, in the front end, I was so booked out. I would be booked out for nine months. So if anybody wanted to get on my calendar for anything, it would literally be like, well, I have a speech that week, or I have a training that week, I want to be in this city that week, I want to be in another city that week. And if we were going to take a vacation, we'd have to think of it nine months in advance. So that is another area of bad boss to yourself, where on one hand, you think you're being good because I was like, Yeah, I'm booking myself out and I was excited because I could generate enough business to be booked out that far But then the downside was what about my family? What about friends? What about my own breaks? I just didn't have them and one day I was talking to a friend about it Tammy if you're listening shout out she was like Lisa It's so easy. All you have to do is block of one week per quarter. And that's it. Just one week per quarter. Then you give yourself four weeks of time. Worst case, if you don't want the time off or you don't want the vacation, don't take it. But otherwise, take it. And if a client wants to book a speech and it's a really cool opportunity, then just move the week to another week. But if you don't block the time out, you'll never get the time. And it was really cool. I started doing it and it made everything work. Now, I am way on the other side of it now. I take lots of time off. I work three-day work weeks. I have a whole different thing because I've figured out how to be a super cool boss to myself nowadays. But it was terrible. So that was one that I thought, gosh, that would be a really good lesson for someone new who is building momentum to just do that in advance. Even if you don't have any bookings yet and you're new to building a business, just start doing it as a habit. Because what's the worst case of that? Just work during that time if you want to.
Brea: Yeah, I love that. And the other side of that is if it's on the calendar and you've got a trip to Europe planned and it's coming up and you aren't working like that's a little fire under your behind to find some work, get some revenue coming in. It's also interesting, this concept of boundaries, putting a PTO on the calendar, that's a boundary. You're saying, I'm prioritizing this. There's a literal boundary that you're drawing on the calendar to block off the time for that. So if you're listening, think about other boundaries that you need for yourself.
Lisa: I'm curious, how did you know some of the boundaries early on? I don't know how I would know until I made the mistakes. I would do three or four virtual sessions in a day because I was like, oh, this is so efficient. I love being efficient and I only have to do my hair and makeup one time. And then I can take the next day to do more admin stuff. So I would get like adrenaline dump after adrenaline dump. It was not good for my body to do it that way. But I didn't realize until I did it enough to go, Oh, I need some boundaries on how many a day I'll do. And then another one, is I would do about 100 events a year. And if you think about travel events, there's a fly day, there's the event day, and then there's a fly day. So if you do 100 events times three, because it's three days to do an event, that is 300 days. Then you want to add on some vacation days, and then add your 52 weekends in there. Basically, that's every day. So then, when do you do prospect calls? When do you do instructional design? When do you answer emails? Do you just cram it in even more? I did. I was a terrible boss to myself in that way. So I think, like, I'm curious about you and your boundaries. How did you know what your boundaries needed to be before you were ever fully booked?
Brea: I didn't know. I didn't know anything. I didn't even know anything. I mean, I think I've said this on this podcast before. I didn't even know that I wanted to own my own business. I literally just fell into it because I didn't have a job and I just started like, doing what I could to make money. And now here I am nine years later. So that's a bad boss, OK, is not even knowing that you're running a business. Yeah. So I learned as I went and I often learned the hard way, which I think is why I love these episodes on helping other coaches to not make the same mistakes. For me, the boundaries that I've learned I needed were around customization. So a trap that I would fall into and still do, if I'm totally honest, I need to continue to do better, is to not over customize everything. Because I love that. I love it so much. So I learned to set the boundary of charging more for those custom, bespoke, premium experiences, which is helpful. But also, I just have such a big heart for people, and my little individualization will over-customize literally everything if I'm not careful. So setting those boundaries is really important. I think you mentioned earlier working or operating out of fear. That's a general caution when we're looking at how are we a bad boss to ourselves. Oftentimes, being a bad boss comes from being afraid. So you're afraid that the customers won't come, you know, the work won't come. And so you take anything given to you, even if it's something you've never delivered before, you don't know anything about it. And You're like, sure, I can do that. And then you spend way too much time creating something that you only use once and not charging enough for it. So setting boundaries around where I want to spend my time. Not just the time on the calendar saying this is admin time, this is creative time, and this is delivery time, but boundaries around what do I want to offer? And that took time for me to figure out. I don't know that I would know that ahead of time, unless maybe someone else who was in L&D or are something, something adjacent and then became their own boss. Maybe they would have a better idea, but I had no idea.
Lisa: Yeah, I came from that background and I had no idea because I knew how to block out time for instructional design, for a needs assessment. I knew those parts of the work, but then how many minutes I would need to be in QuickBooks, or calling the accountant, or managing a procurement process, or talking to the insurance company. I mean, all of those kind of things that I had an experience before. I did not block time out. And that is how I figured it out eventually. I'm still figuring it out, let's be honest. But I did get a lot closer by time blocking. And I started doing things like, what amount of time a day do I spend on email? OK, about an hour. And sometimes emails create action items. So I've got to leave some space for that. So I started putting, OK, they create about this many action items. So I'm going to put hold customer work. And I'm going to block. a couple hour chunk twice a week, and then I'm going to put one hour a day for email, and then I'm going to put 30 minutes for lunch so I can actually eat. I just tried to look at what the average week had for me that I hadn't really thought of or didn't want to plan for, because planning for design time, that was easy. I would just be like, block one day, and I can get this deck developed. I really just had a good feel for that, whereas these other elements, I didn't have a feel for it. And I didn't want to be in those moments like I wanted to be in a needs assessment or instructional design or making a deck. So I started time blocking. And then I had this massive realization that was whoa, there aren't very many minutes left. If you actually put, you know, if you want to work a regular kind of, say you want to work a nine to five kind of time block, and then you fill all those things in, where, where do you even have time? And then you add in delivery and flying. if you're on the road and that gets really slim and that is where I realized I just had to say no. I was so good at saying yes to things and that's not as fun for me to say no. It still isn't as fun to say no but that is the the magic sauce. And I still struggle with it every day because the more you book and the more you get seen in an industry, the more people ask for things from you. And some of those are really great things. You want to be in a peer relationship. You want to have a media appearance. You want to talk with clients about ideas. You want to do a bunch of things, but you realize you have to say no to a lot or you'll never have time for you and the whole oxygen mask theory comes into play.
Brea: Yep, totally. So the thread, common theme that I'm hearing is this idea of structure. We need structure. Too much structure, maybe, is what I'm hearing from your early days. Or the wrong kind of structure, not knowing how much time to block for certain things. Too much structure might equal no freedom. which is bad boss, right? That's not why we went into business for ourselves. But also the other extreme is no structure. No structure is no freedom as well, because there's wasted time and decision fatigue. So finding that median that works for you. Maybe it's a nine to five workday. Maybe it's a nap in the afternoon and a 9 a.m. and a 9 p.m. But whatever works for you, making sure that there is some kind of structure, some kind of boundary, some kind of sandbox to play in to allow the freedom that you're looking for. It's such a trap to believe that structure constricts or restricts our freedoms. There's so much science that proves when we have at least some boundaries, when we have a sandbox of plan, we can get so much more creative than if we have all the things to do, then we end up doing nothing or we end up just spinning our wheels. going insane.
Lisa: Yeah, constraint can give you the freedom. And it's scary to honor the constraint. But you definitely have the theories that everyone has heard of, like the work expands to the time allowed. So you have simple things like if I give myself three hours to make this deck, will it be any better than the one hour? Well, maybe marginally, but if I said, I'm going to buckle down, I only have one hour to do this, boom, I'm still going to have a good product. And then I get two hours back in my day that I would have spent over maximizing. And then on a bigger picture, if you back into the dreams, when I decided a few years ago to have three-day work weeks, it sounded so impossible. But then I just blocked off Monday and Friday and said, well, what does it have to look like to make it possible? and being able to say things to a client that I was so afraid of. The words, oh, I'm already booked there. Let's look at next week. Those are so easy to say. I don't have to say, oh, I take off Fridays to get a massage. I don't have to say those words. I just have to say, I'm booked already on Friday. Let's look into next week. And it's fine. Everything's fine.
Brea: Yep. And people like to work with winners. So if you are available every minute of every day, what they might see is, wow, like she's not doing anything. She's desperate for work. And they're busy too. They are busy too. This actually just happened yesterday. I got an inquiry from someone that I didn't know. They found me online and went to my website and scheduled a call. So yay, process works, right? Yay, inbound. Yay, inbound. But it wasn't until my next available on my Calendly, which was a few days away. And when her inquiry came in, I happened to be available. And I just texted her and I said, Hey, super excited to meet with you, just wondering if you happen to be free now. And she called me and we talked and it's looking really good. So I think structure is good and it's okay to be flexible in the moment. You know, I gave her that option that said, Hey, if you want to talk now, we can. And she took it and now we're moving forward.
Lisa: And what a cool way, like I just think of that and go, ooh, that could be an example of being a good boss to yourself. And that what if you really had something else in mind for Thursday and you could find cracks in the week. You always talk about the cracks in your day. And then this could be a crack in the week where you're like, ooh, if I filled this one in, I'm going to free myself up to do this other thing on Thursday.
Brea: Totally. And it was it was better for me because my energy was at a high. I had just delivered something really great. I had just had a great coaching call in the morning. So I was like, I was feeling it. I was feeling strengths. I was feeling myself. And that came through in the sales call several times. She said, oh, my gosh, I can just tell how much you love your work. And isn't that what we want? Is that true authenticity? So knowing my own talents, knowing that my energy comes from those wins, I leaned in and I offered to meet with her then because I knew I would be better on the call. She didn't have to say yes, I wasn't forcing her to change the schedule, but she did and that worked out for both of us, you know? So knowing yourself is just really, really important. Yeah. Another thing is also with boundaries and with fear, the trap of charging too little because we're afraid that people won't pay for what we have to offer. Not only does it hurt our profits, but it also leads to so much burnout and maybe even resentment. And that's something that I found really early on. I didn't know what the market would handle as far as pricing went, and I didn't really know what I wanted to value my time for. And so that was something that I had to learn the hard way. But I think if I had put some thought into it, put some research into it, I could have figured that out without years of learning the hard way and struggling with the burnout and the resentment that that brought.
Lisa: Yeah. Oh, that's a really good one because you basically you're being a bad boss to yourself by not thinking of it as a business. If you're thinking of it as you as a freelancer doing hourly rate, you're going to make really different decisions versus how you would price it if you were like, oh, they want to do four pre-event calls, not just one. Oh, they're going to ask me to take my deck and put it into their brand template. oh, they're going to send me through a procurement process that requires 40 hours on the phone with their call center, and they only happen to be available in India time zone, and things that you wouldn't expect because you don't know at the beginning, or maybe you need to hire a team to deliver because the time zones are all over the place, and you have no margin for that if you're building it like an hourly freelancer, not like a business owner. And it's a way that people are often bad bosses to themselves just out of naivete. But like you said, if you have people around you, if you have mentors around you, if you ask the questions, you can really be a good boss to yourself by thinking ahead and surrounding yourself with a community of people who have been there and done that so that you don't walk the same mistakes.
Brea: Yes. Yes, I know you probably want to land the plane. So I'll give my closing thought first. My closing thought is scaling the wrong thing, growing something that you don't enjoy, continuing to offer something that has worked, that has brought in money, but not because you like it or not because you want to continue offering it. Gosh, Doesn't that happen when we're working for someone else? We're given tasks all the time and expectations, and we just kind of have to grumble our way through it. And we do that to ourselves in our own business as well. And you don't have to. You don't have to do that. I talk to so many coaches who ask me, what should I offer? What should my offering be? What should my business model be? What should I? And you are the only one that can answer those questions for yourself. You have to make sure that you're setting things up in a way that you want to go to work every day. You want to sell in casual conversations in the elevator and also informal networking opportunities and in a formal sales call. You have to be excited about what you're doing. Don't keep doing things just because they're bringing in profit. If it's not really lighting you up, then figure out something else. Scale your business another way. You don't have to scale it based on what other people are telling you to do or what's working for other people.
Lisa: Yes, and I'll jump on the theme of scaling and say where I know I went wrong and I was a total bad boss to myself, was not thinking about the scale of labor. And I ate into that with my personal hours as the only solution I really knew how to do at the beginning. And if I had mentors and a community and people who had been there before I went there, I think instead of me just celebrating, Oh, look how much I'm growing. Oh, look how many clients I'm getting, I would have realized, Oh, my gosh, I'm about to step in a big pile of life poo because of how much I'm wearing myself out. So it's actually why, one of the reasons I created Tools for Coaches. So if you're listening, and you've been hearing me talk about the tools and templates inside of Tools for Coaches, there's also a community out there and there's mentorship. And part of the beauty of that group is being able to ask, like, what do you all do to prevent this? Or what do you all do to get in front of that? And that's part of that membership that I run. So leadthroughstrengths.com slash Tools for Coaches, if you want to check that out. It's a great place to catch these problems, like being a bad boss to yourself before you commit them.
Brea: Love it. Yes. And same for me. I mean, having people around me, having community is just essential for my happiness and for my success. So I think that's why I've been really itching to get this podcast community together. I want to talk to you guys about these episodes. If anything is resonating with you, come talk with other podcast listeners. Let's talk about what's working for you, what questions you have, what's not working for you, share that community, and then put it to work. Let's build your business. You know, we had our first meeting this week and it was so awesome. So it's BreaRoper.com/leadthroughstrengths. Can't wait to see you.
Lisa: Boom. No more bad to the bone.
Brea: Now we can get our baby back, baby back, baby back ribs.
Lisa: See y'all next time.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| 20 Ways to Find Coaching Clients | 06 Jul 2025 | 00:27:17 | |
In today's episode, we dive deep into a topic that many coaches struggle with: finding clients. If prospecting makes you want to run and hide…don’t worry. We’ve got you! Listen in as we share some strategies that have worked for us, so you can make them work for you. Plus, we sprinkle in some creative ideas on how to make yourself visible and approachable in everyday situations. You know, just because we’re fun like that. If you’re ready to transform your prospecting game, and maybe even have a little fun along the way, this episode is just for you! 🌟 Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings To work with Lisa, check out her resources for independent coaches, trainers, and speakers. Get business tools and strategy support with her Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways ● Throw Away the Rule Book 📚 ● Know how to answer the question, “What do you do?” When someone asks, they’re standing at the front door of your business. If you don’t have a compelling answer, they will turn around and leave. Tailor your response to spark their interest, and they’ll likely ask to come inside. ● Referrals are the lifeblood of your business. Move beyond the awkward, “It was nice working with you. If you ever know anyone else who might be interested, please send them my way.” Instead, request referrals with confidence, intention, and gratitude. Build intentional relationships to create a network of mutual referrals that benefits everyone involved. ● Visibility is Vital 👀 If going out to find clients feels intimidating, get them to come to you instead! Find creative ways to make yourself visible and approachable in everyday situations, like bringing a relevant book to a coffee shop or wearing a name tag while working at a co-working space. These small actions can invite conversations and opportunities. ● Follow Up with Existing Clients: Don’t overlook your current and past clients. Regularly check in with them and ask for referrals or feedback, as they are often the best source for new business opportunities.
Take Action ● Identify and utilize your unique strengths in your prospecting efforts. Focus on what feels authentic to you rather than blindly following conventional methods. Authenticity wins every time! ● Craft Your One-Liner: Develop a compelling answer to the question, "What do you do?" that resonates with your target audience. Ask Brea to share her simple 3-sentence framework that works every time. ● Leverage Referral Partners 🤝Make a list of other professionals who serve your target audience in different ways. Invite them to be an intentional referral partner for you (and you for them!). By collaborating with these partners, you can create a network that mutually benefits everyone involved. ● Utilize Email Marketing: Start or enhance your email marketing strategy to gather and nurture leads. Create valuable content that keeps your audience engaged and positions you as a go-to resource in your field. ● Engage Current Clients for Referrals and Continuing Business: Regularly ask your existing clients for referrals by directly inquiring, "Who do you know that might benefit from my services?" Use feedback forms to gauge interest in additional services or coaching opportunities. Here are 20 Things to Try, as a Numbered List 1. Be ready with a clear answer when someone asks, “What do you do?” 2. Create a network of referral partners in adjacent businesses. 3. Co-host an event to share audiences with another service provider. 4. Participate in adjacent groups, like trade associations (your audience), and be of service. 5. Be a toll booth in a customer’s existing flow. This is a way to get inbound leads because you are contributing in spaces where they are hanging out. 6. Create a nurture sequence in your email system. Keep in touch over the long term, and they will likely hit reply to offer gigs. 7. Use your strengths to decide which prospecting channel will feel most natural to you. 8. Bring “the book” to your coffee shop or hangout space (one you wrote, or one that is easy for them to comment on). Leave it on the table and use it as a conversation generator. 9. Wear a fun name tag to be extra approachable. 10. Host a podcast and sponsor yourself. 11. Write about a single topic all over the place – blog, guest author, a book, social – get known for a specific thing so people come to you. 12. Use email marketing. Unlike social media, where a small % of your followers see your content, with email marketing, you reach 100% of your list with no gatekeepers. 13. Run ads. Nail your messaging first so that you’re not bleeding out cash. 14. Expand business with an existing customer by building in a Yes/No checkbox on the feedback form to ask if they’re interested in following up with coaching. 15. Expand business with an existing customer by booking a “Keep Momentum” call after your event. Give them DIY ideas, and also offer ongoing services. 16. Be findable when someone searches for answers to the problem you solve, which means having at least a few pieces of clear content. This could be working on Search Engine Optimization to be found in online searches. It could also be on podcasts or YouTube, which also get used like a search engine. 17. Pick one primary marketing channel and go all in. 18. Directly ask for referrals. Using questions like “who else might need work like this on their team?” is a great way to get intros right after a client engagement. 19. Plug into a community of your target market. Contribute genuinely, and the relationships will naturally create business and referrals. 20. Use video. Trust is more important than ever. Being visible on video can help people know more quickly that they want your service. 🎧 If you're a coach looking to grow your client base, this episode is packed with actionable insights and creative ideas. Tune in now and let us know your thoughts! #Coaching #ClientAcquisition #Podcast #Networking #ReferralPartners #Visibility #StrengthsBasedApproach Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram AI-Generated Transcript Lisa: I'm Lisa.
Brea: I'm Brea.
Lisa:
Brea: I love prospecting.
Lisa: They didn't see it coming.
Brea: I know. I was trying to think of something funny that was unexpected, but I wasn't expecting to do that. And then I just was like, I just love it. I love it so much. Helping people find clients, finding my own clients, reaching out and helping people, giving them a solution. Finding people, I just, I love it. I love it so much.
Lisa: You hear her excitement. She's in love with prospecting. How fun is that? So yeah, today we're going to talk about 10 ways to find clients as a coach. Hey, awesome. Let's go. Well, you're enamored. You're in love. So we're going to start with you. Give us a way to find clients as a coach.
Brea: Well, I think the first thing to do is to throw away the rule book. whatever the people have told you that you should be doing, or you have to do this if you're gonna find clients as a coach. No, there is no right way. We know from our strengths work that the only right way is to use your strengths. So do that. If you want to use social media and funnels and aggressive marketing campaigns and all the things that they say, whoever they are, say that you should do that, that's fine. And also use your strengths. So for me, communication, number one, telling the story, right? Sharing testimonials, telling the transformation, not in a salesy way, but just in a like, I love my job kind of way. You know, when you meet someone on the street, when you're sitting in the salon chair, when someone says, Hey, what do you do? Don't give them the wah, wah, wah. This is what I do. Tell them the story, right, if you lead with communication. So, woo, you know, look for opportunities to approach new people or sign up for networking events or figure out ways to use your strengths. to interact and engage with people.
Lisa: Yes. One of mine was pretty similar, so I'll just jump on to kind of piggyback that. And the way that I thought of it was, have an answer that you love to the question, what do you do? Because that question comes up in life so often. So I always think about the person I'm talking to. So if I'm in a room full of software engineers and my answer is, I help burned out software engineers love their work again, like I'm being really specific to that person where they're like, oh, I'm burned out. So whether in the story, I just love your perspective because you're pulling people in like, oh my gosh, I know someone who needs you.
Brea: So that's right. That's right. Yeah, and you're reminding me we have another episode, I don't remember what it's called off the top of my head, but where we talk about that one-liner. And so if that's something that you listeners want to do, go back and listen to that to maybe spark some creativity about how to create that one-liner.
Lisa: Yes, absolutely. We'll find it and put it in the show notes.
Brea: Okay.
Lisa: Yeah. So Brea, if we do, if we start with how we've actually gotten the bulk of our business, let's start the next couple with things that we actually used to get business. I mean, probably all of them are things that we've used, but I want to say like, what has had the biggest impact in getting us business?
Brea: Yeah, so I love this concept of referral partners. I mean, referrals are just, I mean, chef's kiss, you know, for building a business. But I don't know that a lot of people know what a referral partner is or have put some thought into having intentional referral partners. So that could look like a referral program where clients can refer you and maybe they get some kind of reward or maybe they do it out of the kindness of their heart. But when I think of a referral partner, I think of who else serves your customer, your client base, in a different way. Are you intentionally partnering with those people to refer each other? So think, what else does your client need? Find those service providers and link arms. Realtors are great at this. Their job is to sell the house, so their referral partners are the plumber, the electrician, the lawn maintenance, anything that a homeowner might need services for, then all of a sudden you've got this network of people that are referring their clients to each other. And we can do that too as coaches.
Lisa: Yes, so smart. I can see, like, if you do CliftonStrengths for teams in manufacturing and you have a referral partner who does HR for teams in manufacturing, you could be a great referral partner for each other. Absolutely. Yes. I have something similar I would add. It's going to be a separate thing. It's a separate technique, but it is along the lines of referrals. I would call it an expansion referral. And that would be, I've gotten a lot of business over the years where I get in a customer, and then I'm in with Executive A, and then Executive B tells Executive C, and they start spreading you around the organization, sharing what you do. And that can be something that just happens because the impact was big and they took it upon themselves to do it. But you could also do this really programmatically. If they don't have the budget to do the full thing they want to accomplish, I'll say, what other leaders could we involve so that you could team up together and get a year's worth of this instead of one? session, one one-off session. So things like that, where you get in and you grow the opportunity from the inside because you've already proven yourself and you have fans who are willing to share, plus you're already through the procurement system and all of those things that happen. So I would say, I would call that an expansion referral, a little different from an outside referral partner, but both amazing kinds of referrals, especially if you make it a system.
Brea: Yeah, I love that. You know, my missionary background is coming to mind where I had to fundraise all of my income for four years. And in that training, we learned a question that has been so helpful for me as a business owner. And that question is, who do you know that needs whatever it is that you provide, that needs your coaching services. But when you ask a current customer who already loves you, who's already paying you, who is already singing your praises, the question of who do you know is so much different than saying, oh, if you know anybody who could blah, blah, blah. That's not actually helpful, but when you say, who do you know? Then their brain turns on, right? And they're like, oh, maybe this leader. Oh, maybe this person. Oh, so be direct without being aggressive or, you know, like weird about it, but give them an opportunity to actually answer the question instead of just throwing the ball casually in their court and just watching it like drop and bounce. away, you know?
Lisa: Love it. Okay, how else have you got in business? That's amazing.
Brea: So I think asking people who you patronize to patronize you is like a great way to kind of start that referral partner process. And then can you co-host something together where they invite their people, you invite your people and and those relationships start to meld. One way that I've found to be incredibly helpful and lucrative is at a co-working space because a lot of my clients are smaller businesses or entrepreneurs or, you know, people in the local community and they office out of a co-working space and the co-working space already has clients, right? They've got people that are there who need my services. So I can offer the benefit to the coworking space of professional development. Here are a lot of small businesses who don't have a budget for that or just, you know, startups that need and desire professional development, but they don't have the big corporate budget or the corporate vendors, the systems. And so I can just come in and provide that for the coworking space. And the coworking space is providing me with the people. We do a little intro workshop and then Boom, we're off to the races.
Lisa: Okay, amazing. I mean, audience built in. My version of that, I have one that is similar but a different thread. I would call it adjacent groups. So for example, I think of my favorite match of an audience. So over the years when I would lead workshops, The ones that just always felt so aligned and like great fit were marketing teams. And so then, OK, what are the marketing associations? American Marketing Association, there's a national something, National Association for Advertisers. It's ANA, I think. But anyway, different groups like that, where you go to the trade associations, but not in what you deliver. So I didn't say, Go to the CliftonStrengths Association, because I do CliftonStrengths. I moved over to something adjacent. I thought of my audience, and then my audience's group, because that's not going to be filled up with people who do what you do. Just like I mentioned manufacturers earlier, if I went to a manufacturing association, and I delivered something as a CliftonStrengths person, it's going to look really unique, and the concept might be very unique to them. And it's not just flooded with people doing the same thing. So adjacent groups are a really cool place to provide development, just like you're talking about with that audience that is already sitting there, where they wouldn't have gotten that education otherwise, if you delivered a speech or a workshop for that group.
Brea: Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah. And if workshops are not your thing, if you're listening and you're thinking, oh, I'm a coach, you know, I don't want to go out there and do an intro workshop to get people. Try a book club. Partner with a local bookstore or a local library or a local group that's adjacent and do a book club. And when they get to know you and they hear what you have to offer, then that easily can transfer into a coaching engagement.
Lisa: Beautiful. Well, I'll share my favorite thing. And that is I love email marketing, as you know, probably as much as I love prospecting. I love email marketing. I love the automation of it. I love how I can educate and help people. And I can write a thing once and it can serve 100,000 people with that one writing. I think it's so cool. And so once someone is on my email list, I have a couple of years worth of those nurture sequences to keep educating them and keeping them up on whatever topic. So being of service. But what is so cool from a business building standpoint is, if they're of value, and people stay subscribed, then you become part of their daily flow. And I have had dozens, I would guess on the order of about 50 events, where people hit reply on one of those emails way into the sequence. They are 18 months in, they're two months in, and they're like, oh, hey, we're having a summit in three months and we're planning, we need a speaker, can you speak on X date? Those gigs are so great. They know you and love you. They've received content for months or years, and they're literally just saying, I have a gig in this city on this day. Are you available? Let's go. I mean. What can get better than that, where they're literally just like plopping it at your feet?
Brea: Yeah, I think that's so good. You have to be visible. And so your email sequence is making yourself visible on a regular basis, right? Weekly in your case. I don't do email marketing like that. My version of being visible is when I go to a coffee shop, I take my laptop and I'm just going to do some admin work to get my energy from the vibes. I'm going to bring a book. Maybe it's a StrengthsFinder book. Maybe it's, I don't know, it's The Manager or Strengths for Students. I've been working on some offerings for students, high school students and their parents. I'm going to bring the book and I'm going to set it on the table. so that anyone walking by or looking in my direction sees the book and if that connects with them in some way, there's an opening for a conversation and it's making my offerings visible. And then they come to me and they say, oh my gosh, StrengthsFinder. I love that. I did that at my job two companies ago and I really wish that my company that I'm at now would do it. And I'm like, oh, really? Tell me more. Let me help you with that, right? So clever.
Lisa: And they're coming to you. They're approaching you.
Brea: That's right. So make yourself visible and it doesn't have to be like you get a sign and you're standing out on the street corner and you're like, hey, mattress sale today. Come on in. You know, it doesn't have to be crazy.
Lisa: You have that sandwich board. You're swinging that sign around that goes in the twirlies that is like, strength coaching here.
Brea: Right, right. I mean, if that's you, do you. But I think most of us, it could be as simple as just putting a book out for people to react to. I love co-working spaces. I just joined a new place. I've been wearing a name tag. It just says, hi, I'm Brea. Or sometimes I'll say like, please say hi. You know, I, I love people, you know, or something, something that kind of catches people's eye. So again, it's an invitation. And if they want to engage, they can. So just be creative, but be visible.
Lisa: I love the creativity. Okay, let's see. I have one that I think is worth putting in here because it is the way I've gotten the most business over the years. Host a podcast and sponsor yourself. So by the way, you hear me talk about at the end of these episodes, you hear me mention Tools for Coaches, my membership that supports coaches. You hear Brea talk about going to brearoper.com for coaching. We have a podcast. We're sponsoring ourselves because that's who we're talking about, just like I did there. So that's part of the beauty is that you have some awareness of a service that we offer. And the way that I've systemized it to really make it work over the years is every time we do a podcast, we transcribe an episode. I turn it into a blog post. That blog post over the course of 11 years, having that many of them, even though we don't have a high frequency show, It's built really good search engine optimization. So people Google and find me based on the topic and just dropping in your contact form saying, I found you on Google, want to talk to you about an event. And that has been an incredible win. That's what everyone seems to wish for. And it really does happen.
Brea: I love that. I just am so inspired by you, Lisa. Slow and steady wins the race. Consistency, your focus, you just kind of have built such a wealth of resources on your website, and it's working. So that's inspiring to me. Yeah, I think along those lines, you can write, you can host your own blog, or you can be a guest blogger. You can be a featured writer in magazines, newspapers, other publications. It could be on LinkedIn, it could be on social media, but also go out there and be a guest author in a real publication. Again, obviously, target the publications that your people are reading. Use your strengths.
Lisa: And books. I mean, look, in the speaking world, the most classic way to sell to customers is to have a book, be an expert in a topic, and you have a book, which is basically like a business card. It's something tangible that people put in there. hand to know about you and then of course like if you make a dollar or two a book and you sell one to every crowd you can get some momentum from that but books are a classic way of writing and getting customers especially in the speaking world.
Brea: The last thing that I'll say is I think we've already touched on it but I just really want to call it out because it's so important is find your clients in the clients you already have. Don't sleep on your current or your past clients. The people who you've already sold to are most likely to buy from you again. So make sure you're always, always reaching out.
Lisa: Yeah, I want to add on that two specific ways. Because I think what you just said is so important. So one way of doing that is, let's say you're doing a workshop or a coaching program, and you have feedback forms at the end. You can literally build in a yes-no checkbox kind of question at the end to ask them if they're interested in exploring one-on-one coaching on the topic that you just did. So, for example, let's say the company provided the budget for the kickoff. I could go back as the coach and say, 85% of people check they'd really be interested in this. Would it be of interest for you to explore how we can make this happen for your team? And also, if there's someone who's interested in one-on-one coaching and they might want to pay for themselves, it might be something they want to do individually as well. Feedback forums can be a really good place to introduce something that you have, a solution to their problem, something of interest to go further, and they just don't know ways to go further if you don't tell them. So that is a way to open the conversation.
Brea: That has worked for me so many times. I actually do cards at the event, and I put them in a little bag or a box, and I draw for a little prize, because you don't want to force people, but you want to encourage people to fill it out. But I also put on those checkboxes like, are you interested in one-on-one coaching? Are you interested in bringing me to your school, to your church, to your, you know, fill in different places that you might go that are even outside of the workplace? Because people a hundred percent are not thinking that you might do that if they're experiencing you in their workplace, right? They're not thinking outside of that at all. So if that is something you offer, put that on the card as well. And then also have a place for them to put their testimonial. Just write something that they really loved about the day, and then boom, you've got a testimonial. And if you really, really want to just milk it for all it's worth, you can ask them if they have a referral. You know, so those those feedback forms or those, you know, those cards can really, really pack a lot of value.
Lisa: Packing in the value. Okay, let's see value. Another technique is when you're in the process, let's say you have a workshop or a speech planned, you have an event in the works, You set up with the person who's sponsoring it for the company, you set up this extra call while you're in process, and it's a debrief call. You set it up in advance. And in the debrief call, you chat about what's next. And in the what's next conversation, You might be just saying, you know, like, congratulations, you've graduated type of thing. And here are some things you can think about going forward. And I have these things available to help you if you want to go deeper, you want to go further and ask people if they're interested in carrying it forward. And if they say no, I don't have the budget or no, not right now. But I would love to think about that for next year. Then you have the follow up for next year. But a lot of times they're like, yeah, I didn't know there was a next. I didn't know there was another step in this progression. And you already have the call set up. So it's not awkward. You're debriefing and you're chatting about what's next, how to carry it forward.
Brea: Yes, how to really maximize their investment, right? How to set them up for success, continued success. Yes, that is, I'm just going to repeat what you said because it's so important, setting up the call ahead of time so that they're expecting it. Set up the workshop, set up the debrief all in the same call. It just flows so much better and feels better for both parties.
Lisa: Yeah. Love it. It's part of the process. It's just part of the system. And it is a conversation that sounds natural and is natural. You don't want your thing to come to a conclusion and be like, okay, bye, abrupt, like just cut off. And it doesn't mean that somebody always has the budget or inclination to keep going, but they usually do. They want to maximize their investment. They want to keep things happening. And if they don't have the money to do that right now, they might have the money in six months if they're looking for a corporate budget or they have to get in the cycle, it might be next year. But those are those long tail things that just keep the pipeline full over time so that you don't look up and say, oops, I don't have any bookings now. What do I do? I'm starting from scratch again. No, if you're always doing this with every customer and you hit, let's say only 25% of those turn into business, that's a lot after you add them up over the course of years.
Brea: Yep, yep.
Lisa: I'll give my closing thought. Closing item, I should say, because I want to do one more. We're always talking about strengths. You and I both love CliftonStrengths. And I think prospecting is tough for a lot of people. And instead of having Brea's reaction that is like, I love it." Instead, people are like, I didn't like the thought of it. Oh my gosh, I wish they would just magically appear in my inbox. This is a great opportunity to say, pick a primary marketing channel. and pick something that aligns with your strengths. Like if you're a speaker and a workshop leader, and you love being on stages, then maybe webinars and speeches are the kinds of things you should think about as your primary lead gen. If you like the one-on-one interaction and that is what you need and want and sounds more meaningful to you, maybe you're gonna reach out to every person who's in your professional network from way back in the day and you just like log them up in a spreadsheet and you do a couple a day where you reach out and you say, hey, I'm doing this new thing. This is what I do. If you know somebody who needs X, I hope you'll send them to me and just get the conversations going in a way that aligns with you and your strengths. Because if you don't, you're going to wear yourself out, burn yourself out, and you're going to hate prospecting. One of the reasons I think Brea likes it so much is like she's giving these creative ideas like wearing a name tag that makes it approachable. So people are just like, oh my gosh, I want to talk to you. Well, she leads through communication. She wants to get people talking to her and she thought of creative ways to get people talking to her. How perfect is that?
Brea: Yep. I mean, that's why I love it. Communication Woo Activator, top three. If there's a strength zone, this is it for me. I love it. I love it.
Lisa: Amazing. I would come talk to you. I would come talk to you with that book on the table at the coffee shop. I would come talk to you with the name tag. Yeah. There are all kinds of ways to be creative to allow approachability. I mean, of course, a smile always helps make you be approachable, but there are a lot of other tools you can use that naturally draw people in to start talking to you.
Brea: Totally. Yes. Use your strengths, baby. Come on. Come on. Use your strengths. Lead with your strengths.
Lisa: And prospecting, dare we say, might actually be fun.
Brea: Yes. It is. It is. I know, we already have gone so over time. So here's my closing thought. My closing thought is if you are interested in the idea of using your strengths to prospect, come to my website, no surprise there, brearoper.com. But this time I actually have a download for you. Send me your top five and I'll send you some ways to prospect based on your strengths.
Lisa: Oh, that sounds really cool. I want that. I'm headed there now. And then for mine, Tools for Coaches. It's our group. And if you are listening to some of these and you're on the, like, in the Lisa land where you're like, Oh, yeah, she's talking about long tail over time. She's talking about evergreen email, she's talking about building systems that a little bit at a time have a compounding effect. If that kind of stuff resonates with you, those are the kind of systems and tools and templates I provide in the Tools for Coaches membership. Right now, the price is only $100 a month. So come on over and join us. Leadthroughstrengths.com slash Tools for Coaches.
Brea: Sounds good to me.
Lisa: All right. Well, hey, Brea, we got to go. We need to go build some more business and start thinking about prospecting.
Brea: Oh, you're right. Yeah. OK, guys. Catch you on the flip side.
Lisa: Bye for now.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| How Low Ticket Offers Can Help Your Independent Coaching Practice | 22 Jun 2025 | 00:27:57 | |
In this episode, Lisa and Brea explore the phenomenon of low ticket offers and how they can be a game-changer for your business. While high ticket items often steal the spotlight, we believe that low ticket offers have their own unique magic that can help you build relationships and grow your business. Plus, we have a special invitation for you! Make sure to listen to the end for an exciting new opportunity to connect with other listeners, ask questions, and get support as you implement what you learn. Let’s unlock the potential of low ticket offers together! Work With Us to Decide on Your Low Ticket Offer BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings To work with Lisa, check out her resources for independent coaches, trainers, and speakers. Get business tools and strategy support with her Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways on Using Low Ticket Offers In an Independent Coaching Practice
The power of the no-brainer factor. Low ticket is a strategy for creating offers that your audience can’t resist, making it easy for them to say "yes!" ● Transform Browsers into Buyers: By offering low ticket items, you can convert freebie seekers into paying customers. This shift not only establishes a business relationship but also increases the likelihood of repeat purchases in the future. ● Creative low ticket ideas: Steal some of Lisa & Brea’s favorite low ticket offerings that you can implement in your coaching practice. ● Leverage Existing Content: Coaches can create low ticket offers from existing materials, such as recorded webinars, activity guides, or coaching templates. This allows you to monetize content you’ve already developed, making it easier to generate income. ● Build Trust and Value: Low ticket offers can help establish trust with your audience. When clients see the value in your lower-priced products, they are more likely to invest in higher-ticket items down the line, creating a sustainable business model.
Take Action to Build a Low Ticket Offer Strategy ● Define Your Low Ticket Offer: Determine what your low ticket offer will be. Remember to make it a “no-brainer” for potential customers. ● Repackage an Existing Asset: Look through your existing materials (like recorded webinars, handouts, or coaching questions) and package them into a low ticket offer. Aim to create something that provides value and can be easily sold, such as a workbook or an activity guide. ● Ask For the Sale: After you create a clear offer, it’s time to communicate it to your audience. Remember, people who have bought from you before are more likely to buy again. ● Automate Your Sales: Consider exploring ways to automate the sales of your low ticket offers, such as through email marketing or online sales platforms, to generate income while you focus on other aspects of your business. 🎧 Whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your existing offerings, this episode is packed with actionable insights that you can implement right away. Let’s unlock the potential of low ticket offers together!
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa: I'm Lisa.
Brea: I'm Brea.
Lisa: And today we're talking about a wallet phenomenon. It is all about low ticket offers and how they can help your coaching practice.
Brea: Ooh, I love a low ticket offer. Come on.
Lisa: Yes. Come on.
Brea: I'm here for this. Yeah. All this talk. I hear so many people like, oh, here's how you have the highest ticket.
Lisa: Most high end product. That's all cool. If you can sell $100,000 product. Cool. I love you for it. It is amazing. I have sold six figure product. things as well, or services rather, but low ticket is its own phenomenon. It has its own magic. I personally love having low ticket in the portfolio of a coaching business.
Brea: Amen. Yes. I mean, that's how I launched my business was a hundred people, a hundred dollars, a hundred people in 60 days that I was able to coach. And that was the foundation for an eight plus year business, you know, so.
Lisa: Yeah. OK, so let's just do dollar definitions and then we can do a little bit of a greater definition. But if you say low ticket, what is a dollar amount of a we're talking U.S. dollars if you want to do a conversion from another currency. But what is approximately a low ticket offer in your world?
Brea: In my mind, I think $100 or less is a no-brainer. When I think of low ticket, I think, what is something that you could put out there and almost every single person, nine out of 10 people, could say yes without having to think about it, without having to ask for permission from someone, without having to get special funds. Just $100, sure, I'll try it.
Lisa: I would say something very similar but in my mind it's all about the no-brainer factor like I like to get in a $25 or under zone because I want it to be true no-brainer like literally they just go oh I will, yeah, sign me up. I'm not even going to think about it.
Brea: I would be an idiot if I didn't say yes.
Lisa: Yes, yes. So personally, I like the person, not the value of the offer, because I do think it is cool in a low ticket offer. If you could say, here's a Lamborghini product, but you're going to pay a Camaro price. If they can get that vibe on the value difference, then of course, they're going to be like, oh yeah, I'll put my $100 in. But that idea of offering something that has way higher value is super cool. But I like that. Yeah, that very low ticket is for me and the strategy that I have behind low ticket. I like it to be very low.
Brea: Yeah. And you know, this, gosh, this conversation could go so many different ways. Like, you know, a $9.99 offer, a $10 offer could be an upsell, right? If they're buying something online and then it's like, oh, here's another $10 thing. Do you want to just add that on to the course you bought or, you know, the coaching package or whatever? That's one kind of low-ticket offer where it's coming at the end of the purchase. I think when I think of low-ticket offers, most often I think of something that's coming at the very beginning of that customer journey to bring them into your sphere and start working with them in a small way. Kind of like you dip your toe in the pool before you jump in just to get acquainted. That's not so much of a shock. That's, I think, a great use of low ticket offers as well.
Lisa: I am absolutely with you. I think the biggest magic you can get out of it is on the front end. So I have two favorite things. One, I have, as an example that is concrete, I have $10 activity guides someone can download and they don't have to be a trainer type. They don't have to have any special training. and it allows them to run a mini team building kind of conversation with their team. So those conversation guides slash activity guides, 10 bucks. I mean, it's one of those things like I love that for those who can't afford the bigger service right now. But you know, they'll stay in touch with you. And later, they might become your deeper clients in that way. But one of my favorite ways is totally a different strategy. It is when someone signs up for your list. It's like, Hey, you just downloaded this thing, this, this freebie on conflict. If you click here, you can also grab for $10 this more robust version where I can walk you through being able to lead a conversation like this with your team. I think that is such a cool way and I have so many reasons for it because it's easy to spend the money. You're converting a prospective customer into a legitimate customer. Now they're not just lurking around. Now they're not just looking at freebies. They are now a customer and people who have already purchased from you are so much more likely to stay in touch with you and purchase again. And I think probably the more important thing, you're establishing a business relationship with this person. And I hear people all the time say, well, I have all these people and they're just around for the free content. I have the tire kickers, I have the freebie seekers, but I don't have people who transact. Well, I think that if you put out so much free content everywhere all the time, it's great. And that is a good thing for being able to have brand awareness and establish relationships. But think of it, it's kind of like they view you like a charity. And you have a business and you have to make offers to not go out of business.
Brea: That's right.
Lisa: So this changes the relationship. So some things are free content, some things are for sale, and it normalizes a relationship that you have offers and you have a business, not that you are only a charity where they come to get only free. And I think that dynamic in the relationship, and listen, we're talking about the shift happening over $10, but it totally changes the mentality in the relationship, and I think in such a good way.
Brea: A huge way. You know, this is so key. As you're sharing, I was just thinking about all of the conversations that I've had. with other coaches or other business owners who say the exact same thing. I'm putting out all this content, I'm showing up on socials and no one is buying. And so I just ask, well, have you asked them? You know, have you asked them to buy? And they're like, wait, what do you mean? And I'm like, have you put out an offer? Have you actually said like, here's something and this is what it costs, you know, or are you only doing the free stuff to try to get them into your funnel? There's all this noise out there about getting people into your funnel and the purpose of the funnel is to get them to buy. It's not the end, it's the beginning. It's surprising to me how many people forget to ask for business and to your earlier point, to ask for repeat business. Right? People who have already purchased for you are the most likely prospects for future sales. So ask, ask, ask, ask. You have to, you have to ask. When I think of transforming browsers to buyers, the difference in my mind is the browsing, the free content, you know, the things you want to put out there that you might not be charging for. That's the why. Why should you do business with me? Why is it important? And what that sounds like to the customer is what is the problem that you're facing, right? The free stuff should connect with them in a way that says, ooh, this is my person, Lisa. Like she gets it. She gets me, she gets my problems, she gets the situation I'm in, however you want to say it. I understand why I should do business with her and that she can help me. She's the person. And then you charge for the how. you're not going to tell them how to fix their problem or you're not going to give them the solution for free. You're going to charge for that. So if your freebie is attracting them into your funnel, then what you're offering them in even a low ticket way is just maybe here's the first step to the solution and then they can pay more for a bigger offer that offers them more later.
Lisa: Yes, yes, yes. I actually attended one recently and I thought it was a clever idea. I did a boot camp that I paid $25 for and the boot camp, this was extremely inexpensive for what it was. And so as you might imagine, now that I've said that, this boot camp is the start of his funnel. And so you're in the boot camp, and then you're getting upsold into a more expensive product set. And it was great. It's totally fine with me. I only paid 25 bucks. It made it a no brainer for the bootcamp. And truth be told, I already had plans for that week that did not include working. And so I skipped every day except the first day and I'm planning to go back to replays and whether I do or not, I don't know, but I want to. That is another thing about like, it's so low ticket that if I lost $25 over it, I'm not going to lose any sleep. But I also didn't want to lose the opportunity to get this content for only $25. So it was more important for me to take the chance to buy it. And then I'm supposed to watch the replays within a year or they disappear. A year is plenty of time. So, I'm totally happy and if a year goes by and I didn't do it, then I still thought that was a risk worth it because it was such a no-brainer dollar amount.
Brea: I mean, we are in the age where most people would agree with you. I've spent money on things that I haven't used because it's like, oh, it's such a great offer. So, yeah, I get that. I think low-ticket offers are also an opportunity to to build trust with people. When we first started talking, it kind of triggered something inside of me of like, sometimes there is such a thing as too low of a price in my mind. If you're selling a Lamborghini for a Camaro price, You definitely don't want to sell a Lamborghini for, I don't know, whatever is less than the Camaro price. Because then people, they kind of lose a little bit of trust. They're like, wait, this sounds too good to be true. So you don't want to sell something that's $2,500 for $25, right? So there is, there is something I think to be said about low ticket might be under $100, it might also just be like, look, if you've got a $10,000 coaching program, maybe the low-ticket version or the low-ticket offer for that is $1,000, not $100, but $1,000.
Lisa: I'm with you there on value. So let's talk about, as the coach who's building a practice, many coaches have these portfolio businesses. You lead workshops, you do one-on-one coaching, you have group programs, you have all kinds of things. This can introduce the variety of topics, like low ticket can mean, Oh, look, I've delivered these 10 other workshops, but people tend to know me for this other thing. So you could have these low ticket offers in those areas that people don't yet know you for and you want to start to get them exposed to you in that new way. And it's totally low risk for them to do it. Think about things like You did a webinar and you recorded it on Zoom. Now you have a product you could go sell as a low-ticket offer. You have a really cool handout or workbook or something that you use in a framework. Like, let's say you have a workshop that you offer on delivering feedback, and then you have this really cool model for delivering feedback, and you have a handout and a guide on it. And it's sitting in your Dropbox folder and you could just package it up and have a low ticket thing. Like go dig around your files for two or three hours. I bet you could come up with 40 things that you could sell for $10.
Brea: I believe it. I believe it. I've done that. I do that, you know. I have to be intentional about that because I'll just create and create and create and it'll sit and sit and sit and it won't even be sold the first time, you know, because I learn as I do, right? So there's so much stuff that's sitting there just waiting to go out and I love it when coaches come to me and they say, you know, hey, what have you done for I don't know, someone came to me a couple weeks ago and she said she was looking for name cards that she could put into like lanyards for presentation and I was like, oh yeah, I have a template and I sold it to her and it saved her time. It was a win-win for both of us. I was able to customize it for her with her branding. It was a low ticket offer, you know, and it helped her and it helped me. So I think there's people have tons of stuff like that.
Lisa: Yes. And if you know that you're going to create things like this, you could do it with the thought in mind like, hey, I'm going to make this so it could be white labeled for later in your case. Or if it's an end product like a handout that you want to sell, you could just be thinking, oh, if I wanted to sell this as a standalone, what I need to add to my process right now. literally within 30 minutes, you could have your first one done. And then after that, each one might take five minutes.
Brea: Yes. It's always the first one, which is often why people don't do it. Right. Whether it's this or anything is just like, Oh, I have to go buy this software. I have to, you know, go put this thing together, you know, this web page or whatever. I have to add this to my, my Squarespace website. But once it's there, Boom. That's it. I love it. The other thing about low ticket offers, all this noise that's out there that's like, oh, you have to sell all the high ticket offers and you have to make a lot of money every time you sell. McDonald's does not sell high ticket offers. And they, you know what I mean? You can sell cheeseburgers for 99 cents or I don't know whatever it is now, but for very low ticket and be the number one hamburger chain, you know, I'm just making up statistics, but be something that everyone recognizes, right? I mean, McDonald's is, is huge. because they sell cheeseburgers, because they sell fries. So you can get rich on low ticket offers. I guess that's what I'm saying. You don't have to sell high ticket if you don't want to at all. It doesn't have to be- It's not the only way. Yeah, it doesn't have to just be like, oh, you should add a low ticket offer to be supportive. That could be the main meal.
Lisa: It could, it could. And I think that's an interesting model conversation because If it's a low ticket and someone comes back again and again and again, that relationship, it's easy to keep the relationship going. One thing that's difficult about high ticket, I know on this podcast I've told the story about having the $29,000 solution and then challenging myself to add a zero and I sold the $279,000 package and I thought I was so cool. But there's so many, I mean, okay, I'm doing a little high five to myself here for that. Also, how many of those have I sold? Right, right. Certainly not very many so If you want to go whale the rare, you know the rare Yeah, yeah, and some people have a really good time they chase those and they do all RFP business because they're out there doing those requests for proposals and they're looking for those massive multi-million dollar contracts and And that is totally a legit business model. And just as legit business model is selling $25 at a time, a bunch of times to someone who just loves swimming in your ocean. And over time, it'll be like, oh, they bought this activity guide. And then a week later, they bought this one. And then two months later, they bought this other one. And then, oh, look, they started coming to every webinar I deliver. And then, oh, look, they became a workshop customer. It's so fun.
Brea: It's very rare that you get someone to the altar on the first date, right? You know, it's very rare that you're going to just sell your high ticket item to someone out of the blue. And you can either chase them personally with phone calls, with meetings, with emails, however you do it, or you can sell them things. You know, I mean, it's amazing.
Lisa: Yeah. Yes. I like this metaphor. Like we're not trying to get married and do the $100,000 gig deal. We are on a coffee date.
Brea: Yep, that's right. And just getting to know me. And I mean, because like you said, a lot of these low ticket offers can be automated. That happens while you sleep. You're not even doing anything. It's easy. And you're putting yourself out there and keeping your business top of mind with your future customers or with past customers. And that's what's motivating them to buy in the future.
Lisa: Yes. Okay. I'm doing this off the cuff, so we'll see what we can come up with. Let's see if we can come up with a back and forth, like five different things that a person who's a coach, especially the portfolio business kind of coach who does workshops and coaching, what kind of thing could they sell for 10 bucks? Or let's just say low ticket.
Brea: Go. So something that a lot of people don't know about is private podcasts or even just audio. That's something that I love to offer as a low ticket item.
Lisa: Good one. I know you like to talk about Hello Audio as one of those.
Brea: Hello Audio, that's right. Shout out to Nora if you're listening.
Lisa: Okay, that's good. Okay, I'm going to say go back through Zoom recordings and see what you've delivered that you could sell the recording that already exists. If you just do a little trimmy trim and then you could sell that.
Brea: Boom. Love it. Love it. How about audio coaching? I mean, you're picking up on my communication. Number one, I love audio. But like pre-recorded coaching questions, reflection questions, mantras, you know, whatever you want to package it up as so people can hear your voice, experience your coaching questions every day without paying the big ticket price for one-on-one coaching.
Lisa: Oh, I'll tell you one. I hear everyone in the audience, somebody put this out before I do, because I've been thinking of it for years and have not executed yet. It's just basically a workbook of coaching questions, and they're tailored to whatever thing you want to guide them through. And you give them something $100 or less, and they take themselves on their own, their own personal retreat, and you just write up prompts, and you package it up in a beautiful workbook that they can print out and take with them.
Brea: Well, shoot, Lisa, I've got a few of those in my vault. I should just pull them out and sell them. That's a good reminder. Yeah, tomorrow. That's funny. I actually just made another one for a one-on-one client.
Lisa: Well, how many of those do we have as coaches? We do a coaching session, and we're like, oh, they're focused. Like, pick a thing. Oh, this person's really focused on their goals for the year. This person's really focused on weight loss. Like, pick the thing. And then you know you have 20 questions you could support. And if you did a one-on-one coaching, you might even send them follow-ups that you drip out, things like that. Those are all right there under our fingertips, right at the tip of our tongues. It would be so easy to create those from scratch. And we just don't. And it would be so easy to do it and sell it.
Brea: Yep. Yep. And I mean, I have to say it just because it's probably one of the most common things. It's common because it works is an ebook or a guide, 10 steps to something or 10 easy ways to, you know, just a, a real easy PDF download. People love that. They love that stuff, but go for like seven things or 10 things. There's a lot of psychology behind that, but those are numbers that people like.
Lisa: Mm-hmm. And then your deep dive extra private podcast that explains each of them and what to do to really take action Like you could just build from one thing to the next and take your lead magnets and build on them. That's right Okay, I want to build on my activity guides I think that idea of setting up one page guides that someone else can facilitate, it is so powerful. How cool to have, like, I just think about when I was a manager early on, like a frontline manager, and I didn't have a team building budget to go access, I would have spent $10 of my own money. And that is such an easy one to create and so powerful for what you're providing them. with. I think it's a really nice one for those of you who have a workshop business or a content business. Totally.
Brea: Yeah, and for those of you that are listening, you can probably hear the difference in Lisa's brain and my brain. I don't often think about the auto magic or the repeatable, but I love being live. I love being connected even in the low ticket offers. Um, so don't limit yourself to something that they have to download or something that works while you sleep. You can make low ticket offers that are inclusive of your time, you know? Yes. Yeah. Yes.
Lisa: Yeah, you're right. That is not my first go-to.
Brea: I mean, I've done so many webinars over the years that are $100 a seat or $97 is usually the price that I do because of psychology. But, you know, $97 a seat, that's a low ticket price. But if I sell several seats to the same webinar in that hour, then it's worth it for me.
Lisa: Yes. Yep. And now you have a customer, you have a different relationship with that person, and they're going to buy from you in the future, and you've established that relationship at a deeper level. Yes, yes. Because I'm going to come away from that $97 being like, I want more brand.
Brea: I want more, yes. And here's the thing. I find a lot of value in saying, look, spend $97, come to this webinar. It's not going to be recorded. There's value in that. There's attraction in that as well. And it gives a different message, you know? So yeah, just another way to look at it.
Lisa: And you know, I think you're bringing up a different angle on the money, but also you're bringing up a different psychology in terms of putting yourself out there. So if I go to your $97 webinar and I know that it's going to be recorded and resold as a participant, I'm going to be a little bit guarded about what I say because I know any person in the world could buy this and see exactly what I said. And if you say it's not going to be recorded, I'm going to show up in a different way. That's me personally. I don't know if everybody is like that, but I would show up differently if I knew it wasn't going to be recorded. And then, of course, you have the scarcity like, well, you know, buy it here because it's not just something you can download later for free.
Brea: That's right. And you have to sell them something else if they want to keep engaging with you because they don't have a recording from that to go back to and revisit. Right. So they're more engaged. They're more invested because they've shown up in a more vulnerable way, most likely. And they're primed and they're ready to purchase more to keep going down that journey.
Lisa: Yeah. Okay. This was a fun exploration of low ticket. I think for a lot of people, this is kind of a new phrase, even thinking low ticket, high ticket, what kind of ticket? They just think, here's what I do. How much should I charge for that? That's a whole question, a whole different show. What should I charge for that? But this idea of having low ticket in your stable of offerings is a valuable conversation to have and a valuable thought to make sure you run through. Brea, did you have a low ticket thing you wanted to share with the audience?
Brea: Oh my gosh, you know what? I think about all the people who are listening and I hope that you listen and you're like, wow, this is really exciting. I want to do a low ticket offer in my business or I want to add a group coaching program to my business or I want to take whatever the topic of this episode is and I want to do that in my business. And then life happens and you don't take action. If that's you, here's my invitation to you. Let's do a virtual little meetup on the off weeks. We release an episode every other week. So on the weeks that an episode doesn't release, we're going to meet up all the listeners who want to come and discuss whatever the topic of this episode is. I'll be there to answer questions and let's do it. Let's get the work done. Let, let me create a space for you to come together with other listeners of the podcast and actually get this stuff done. So if that sounds good to you, if you want to spend some time connecting with other listeners and connecting with me, go to my website, brearoper.com and come join us.
Lisa: Love it. Love it. Well, I'm not going to say any call to action this time because I'm just going to leave that at Brea's so that you can go hang with Brea.
Brea: Oh, well, thank you. I just, I really want to know who you guys are. I believe you're out there, but yeah, I would love to, love to connect with you. So just come on, you know, and let's get, let's get some work done. Let me activate you and, and let's connect with each other.
Lisa: Yes. Is there a thing like Strengths Twins Activate? Where did that come from?
Brea: Oh, I don't know. I mean, Richard Starey keeps a database of strengths for people to match them to twins.
Lisa: Yeah, it's not the Strengths. What is that? StrengthsTwins.com. That's really cool, but it's not what I'm thinking of. There's something that's like Power Twins Activate or something that I don't know because I'm so missing non-pop culture.
Brea: That's so funny.
Lisa: I keep thinking of Inspector Gadget, but that's not it.
Brea: I don't even know either.
Lisa: People tell us. Look how lost we are. We need you.
Brea: You need to come to the meetup to let us know. Cool. All right. Well, this was fun. I feel like hopefully there's a lot of value there for people. But don't just let it sit. Go and do something with it. Do it on your own or come do it with me and do it with other listeners. Let's do it.
Lisa: One thing, one little thing, because after you do the first one, the rest will seem easy. Talk to you later.
Brea: Bye, guys.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Lumpy Revenue - Does Your Coaching Practice Feel Up and Down? | 08 Jun 2025 | 00:26:29 | |
Lumpy cash flow. Unpredictable income. Feast or famine.
If you own your own coaching business, you’ve probably ridden the revenue rollercoaster a time or two. Scary for some, and exciting for others. Either way, this episode is for you! Join us as we explore strategies to smooth out the lumps and create stability in your cash flow, OR learn how to lean into the dips and curves so you can, dare we say, enjoy the bumpy ride! 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways ● Embrace the Lumps: It's completely normal to experience fluctuations in your income. These ups and downs are part of the entrepreneurial journey, and don’t reflect your worth as a business owner. Instead of feeling like something is wrong, let's recognize this is a natural part of running a business. By accepting the lumps, we can better prepare for them, and even leverage them to our advantage. ● Create Predictable Revenue Streams: Finding ways to smooth out the revenue can help alleviate the stress of unpredictable cash flow. Consider strategies like offering retainers, group coaching, or digital products to establish a more stable revenue base. This can help smooth out the highs and lows of your cash flow. ● Nurture Relationships: Stay in touch with past clients, even if you're not actively selling to them. Simple gestures like sending a handwritten note or a small gift can keep you top of mind for future opportunities. ● Align with Your Strengths: Build your business around what you enjoy and excel at. When your offerings align with your passions, it becomes easier to sell and maintain enthusiasm for your work.
Take Action ● Identify Revenue Patterns: Look for seasonal trends in your business. Recognize the months or periods that tend to be busier or slower, and plan your strategies accordingly. ● Create Consistent Income Streams: Explore options for establishing a steady base of income, such as offering retainer agreements, creating group coaching programs, or developing digital products that can be sold repeatedly. ● Nurture Past Client Relationships: Implement a system to stay in touch with past clients, whether through email marketing, or more personal outreach. This can help keep you top of mind for future opportunities. ● Leverage Your Strengths: Align your business strategies with your personal strengths and preferences. Focus on what energizes you to make selling easier and more enjoyable. ● Prepare for Lumpy Revenue: If you're considering transitioning from a corporate job to full-time entrepreneurship, assess your appetite for lumpy revenue. Create a financial plan that includes a savings runway or a solid customer base to mitigate the stress of unpredictable income. 🎧 If you're navigating the challenges of lumpy revenue or just looking for some inspiration, I encourage you to listen to this episode! Let's embrace the journey together and find ways to smooth out those lumps. #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #Podcast #LumpyRevenue #Networking #Coaching #SmallBusiness
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa: I'm Lisa.
Brea: I'm Brea.
Lisa: And today we're talking about my humps, my hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely income lumps. Check it out. Priya, do you know what I'm referencing there?
Brea: I do. Is it Black Eyed Peas or is it just a Fergie thing or am I totally off?
Lisa: It's one of the two. I mean, it is Fergie's voice, whether it was Black Eyed Peas or Fergie solo, I'm not sure. You nailed it. If it's music, you know I've got a little bit of it. If you talk movies, forget it. I've got songs floating in my head all day, every day. So there you go. Yes.
Brea: So our lovely revenue lumps.
Lisa: Revenue lumps. We're talking about lumpy revenue, lumpy income, lumpy cash flow, lumpy demand. Some people even call these lumpy businesses. We're talking about these solo practices that many of us have, or small practices that are coaching, training, workshops, and they don't have predictable, steady, stable income, and it is the bane of the existence of many coaches. It freaks people out. They talk feast or famine. They don't know if it's normal. And they also want strategies for it. So, yeah, let's talk. I know you're going to want to define what we're talking about, Brea. So take us down the definition trail and then let's jump in.
Brea: I mean, honestly, you did such a great job. You used feast or famine. I think that's a great, like, that clues us into what we're talking about. It's unpredictable. You know, this is unpredictable cash flow. Maybe another term would be seasonal. This is often seasonal business. And I think This is something that we can all relate to because a lot of the work that we do as entrepreneurs, as consultants, as you know, whatever it is that you're doing, a lot of it is project-based, right? So obviously that's not a consistent cash flow.
There's a beginning and an end to that. And because we're selling into other markets that have slower sales cycles. In a previous episode, we talked about selling to corporate. That's maybe a longer, slower sales cycle than some other cycles. But there are cycles, there are seasons, there are longer lead times and shorter lead times.
There's such a reliance on other people, on referrals, on things that are outside of our control that lead to this kind of lumpy, bumpy life. So today I would love to talk about what are the lumps and bumps that we're experiencing because, first of all, I don't think we talk about it enough. People just feel like there's something wrong with them, you know, if they're not perfectly consistent and that's not true. So let's just call it what it is and say it's actually normal to experience this rollercoaster of revenue.
Lisa: Oh, rollercoaster revenue, there's another good one.
Brea: Yeah, and maybe can we talk about how to create some predictable, consistent revenue streams that make the highs and the lows, the peaks and the valleys a little bit more tolerable, right? I'm just laughing.
Lisa: It used to be on the inside, but it came out. I was trying to think of the name of that shapewear that people wear under their pants to smooth out the lumps. What is that called? The Spanx. We are coming up with Spanx for revenue.
Brea: Hey, I love it. I love it.
Lisa: Yes. And then, okay, you also, I wanted to just call out that this topic came up because you and I were talking And you were like, I don't know what's going on, but are you seeing this trend? There's a mega activity right now. And you were talking about the good, you know, the lumps, the ups, the good part. And I was laughing because I had just been on a call where people were like, have you seen this trend? There's such a retraction.
Everyone is freaking out and, you know, killing their budgets. And that is such a truth. in the peer groups that I've been in over a decade of doing this work, you get one person who is on a high and they are on a roll.
Then the next person is thinking the world is ending and we tend to assign our personal truths like that's what's going on for everyone and in every time, every time this goes on, you can look around and you can find examples of someone who's on the upper hump and somebody's on the lower hump.
Brea: Yes, and we need each other so much. That's why these communities are so important. Hopefully this podcast is helping to fill that need to recognize that when I'm down, someone else can lift me up or I can be so excited that someone else is having a good day, even if I'm not.
Then I can offer that energy when I'm on a high to someone else who might be on a low. And if we're both on a high, then we're sharing in that. And if we're both at a low, then we're sharing in that. So true.
Lisa: Mm-hmm. OK. Well, should we get right into smoothing the lumps? Or is there more to talk about before ideas and business models and strategies for getting some predictability?
Brea: Yeah, I want to talk about smoothing the lumps. I think Spanx for revenue is a very cool topic. And also, I kind of want to normalize the lumps. As a business owner, I don't mind the lumps. And I think part of that might be looking back and seeing, are there some patterns? Do I see that there are some seasons that are really high, some seasons that are slower?
Can you find those patterns? And if you can, let's just, let's, let's just call it what it is, you know, and then lean into the highs and, and figure out some strategies to make sure you're, you're covered during the lows. It's okay to be lumpy and bumpy, is what I think I'm trying to say. And accepted. Yeah. I remember in 2023, I was expecting about three months of, I knew it was just going to be slower, where I'm not traveling as much, is what I mean by that.
The work that I was doing was pretty much all virtual at the time. And I was like, you know what, I'm gonna go home to Kansas City and I'm gonna be near my family. I've got five nieces who I just love to pieces and why not go be near them for little things like baking cookies, going to pumpkin patches and showing up for sports games and Christmas recitals and all the things that I don't normally get to do when I'm living states away. So that's what I mean is sometimes the lumps and bumps can be to our advantage if you can just accept it and then make it work for you, you know?
Lisa: Yes, I like that. And you were also making me think about how some lumps become predictable. So I would say over my 11 years in business, There are a couple of patterns that are pretty common, and that is October is super busy. People are using up their budgets, their corporate budgets, and they're trying to cram it in before the holidays.
Then, and it might be 4x a typical month. Then November, you get a little bit of that carryover, and then it drops off for US Thanksgiving. And then, forget it, December is just going to be low. So that has been something I accepted from the beginning because I knew that from being in talent development teams and learning teams in corporate. I just knew that was how it went as far as workshops and events. And that was fine. And so December was either restful family time or if you have a month to develop something, oh, I want to create an online course, that December would be a great time.
I know if I want to leave the business for three weeks and not reply to an email, that's the time of year to do it. Especially, yeah, that week between Christmas and New Year's and then January is going to explode. So that's a trend that even though it's lumpy, it feels very predictable to me at this point.
Brea: Yeah. Yeah. And also that week between Christmas and New Year's, that's a huge week for me because the individual customers that I'm working with are not working at their jobs. You know, they have free time that they don't normally have. They have downtime and they have mental space in a way that they don't normally have when they're in the hustle bustle of the nine to five workday schedule. So they're much more open. Like that week is like, huge for VIP days or retreats or whatever it is that I'm offering that year.
That's one of my biggest weeks every year because I lean into it, you know, and I create an offering for that. So it really is just kind of looking at the lumps and bumps of the market and looking at the lumps and bumps, you know, in your own business and just deciding, do I want to smooth this out? Do I want to lean into it? Do I want to make the peaks and valleys even greater? You know?
Lisa: Yes. Yeah, the deciding. Oh my gosh, you're hitting on it. It's so important because the same phenomenon that is going on the week between Christmas and New Year's, you're taking it and using it to make an uptick. And I'm using it to say, oh, if everyone's gone, this is amazing. No one will expect an email. This is a time I can really go dark and no one minds. So we're doing an opposite thing with it, with the lump. And that's good. And we both love what we're doing with it. That's such a cool one because it just proves that point out where one person is like, wow, are you seeing this mega bump? And the next person is like, whoa, I'm taking such a dip. Is everyone seeing this?
Brea: Yeah, that's right. That's right. If you're experiencing some lumps and bumps, just know that you're not alone and you're not without hope. There's always an opportunity.
Lisa: Yes. Well, let's talk about some of the things we've done to smooth lumps. So if you have ups and downs, but you have a bread and butter level that comes in, you don't mind the lumps because the bottoms become what used to be the top. That is a key to my strategy in I'm not caring as much about smoothing out lumps.
I'm caring about raise the bottom level so that there's no freak out about bare minimum. There's no freak out about the bottom. I want the bottom to be steady and then the spikes at the top, that's great. That can come in. That's okay with me. How about you? What's your perspective there?
Brea: Well, I agree, and this is something that I'm not naturally good at, and I think you are naturally good at and have just done such a great job of smoothing out that base. I mean, there were a couple years in my business when I didn't even know what that base was. So if you haven't started your business yet or if you are in the beginning stages, start there. Figure out what is your bare minimum and find some more consistent income, some passive revenue or some evergreen stuff or whatever to like give you that base so that the low doesn't feel as low.
Lisa: Right, right, right. OK, so let's talk what we really did. I'll also throw in some ideas of things that I didn't do, but I see other coaches do that I love. But personally, what I did, so again, this is like Lisa strengths aligned. So as a listener, think about your strengths and match it up. For me, I love workshops. Those were my bread and butter. Also, speeches are great. So think of me as an event based person.
I knew the downside to that is if I'm doing a bunch of one off events, That's not a consulting engagement that I have a contract signed for four years. If you could do that, that would be a version of consulting that would smooth the lumps. But I knew that isn't what I wanted. I didn't want to do that level of project management. I wanted to be in, be out, be done. And that feels enlivening to me. But I knew that would mean selling over and over and over again.
One of the things I did with that strength in mind and that desire in mind is I targeted corporate where I could find customers that have big talent academies or learning academies. And they could book many events at a time. So I would get people who would say, OK, let's book 20 for the year in January. And I had several of those customers. So I would have dozens of events just lined up ready to go from these academies because we would offer the same program over and over again to different audiences.
And that was a way for me to be a spark and not have projects to manage and not have deliverables hanging over my head, which didn't feel like they aligned with my strengths and desires. and also kind of have that base come in where I felt really comfortable that the base revenue was going to be great. So there's one strategy, talent academies.
Brea: Yeah. Anytime you can sell one thing and have it repeat over time. I mean, what a great strategy, right? I'm like you, Lisa, you know, I love events and I like getting in and getting out and not having those long commitments.
I love retainers when you can get them from a sense of, I love working with internal coaches who are, you know, they're championing the strengths effort at their company, but it's just one of the hats that you're wearing, you know? You've got so many other things going on. I love being that person in your pocket, that coach that you can rely on when you need a coach, when you need, some extra hands when you, you know, you're onboarding a lot of people and you just need a few extra coaching hours, but you're not looking to bring a coach on, you know, for long term.
You just need a little bit of extra juice for a little bit of time. I love being that person and I can create a retainer for that. and just kind of level out that bottom floor, like you're saying, and still honor my talents of being able to flex and adapt and respond as needed, gives me the variety and the consistency, you know, at the same time.
Lisa: Beautiful. Yeah. And Retainer, endless creativity there. You could do so many things on Retainer.
Brea: So fun. So fun.
Lisa: OK, that also made me think of filling a coaching book of business for one-on-one coaches. If you have packages and you're a one-on-one coach, you could fill your book of business and get to the point that you're filled and you have a waitlist. And that would be a way of smoothing the lumps. Of course, it would require selling and marketing and ongoing work. You can't sit back on your laurels when you're full or close to full. You have to kind of overdo it to keep people on wait lists, but that's a really good way to smooth it out if you're a one-on-one coach. Of course, you could do group coaching that has longer programs.
Like if you have a year-long program, maybe they're on a payment plan that charges them once a month for the year instead of a one time. And just think of the image of that revenue. If they paid you in January for 12 months worth of work, would you rather have that spike of having it up front or would you rather have it leveled out over a 12-month payment plan?
That's up to you to decide what you prefer there. Some would much prefer to have it up front. Some would much prefer to have the steadiness. So it doesn't mean lumpy is bad. I mean, a lump can be a super spike and that can be amazing and you might desire that.
Brea: Yeah, getting people to pay up front. I love that.
Lisa: Okay, another one that popped up for me is digital products. One of the things that I started doing years ago is if I created a cool workbook or some activity guides or some resources that would be follow-ups to a workshop, if I'm already going to create content that is new, which my individualization loves to do.
One of the things I decided to do with myself is kind of like rules for life is, hey, you're going to indulge this individualization that loves to create new stuff. You better make it worth it. And maybe Maximizer's kicking it. Make it worth it. So can you resell this as a standalone product? Then those things are living on and serving customers and they're smoothing for you.
Brea: Mm-hmm. You know, something else that I did not do very well for a while that when I started doing it made a huge difference is nurturing relationships with past clients. My talents are just, you know, high futuristic, high strategic, high activator, high a lot of things that are thinking forward, moving forward. So looking back is just not something that that I do naturally.
Once I was done, I was done. So again, learn from my mistakes and stay in touch with people, even if you're not selling to them. I love sending handwritten cards. I love just a a small like Starbucks e-gift card, you know, I can text that to someone and just say, hey, like coffee's on me today, or even just an email or, you know, it doesn't have to be a gift.
It could be anything to just kind of stay in touch because you never know when they might want to be sold to, you know, or they might, might need you again. And if you don't stay top of mind, then you're not on their mind. Whether that's an email list, you know, like Lisa's really great at or I have my own creative relational ways of staying top of mind, like put in the effort. It's worth it.
Lisa: Yes. Okay. I just have to build on that one. because I am the evergreen queen and I love email marketing software and how that can be used to deliver. You can use that software to deliver training. So I have the rest of the training, these activation courses that are delivered from my email marketing software. It's just a way of sending content out.
From there, I have these nurture sequences that stay in touch for more than two years. after that initial contact. And I can't tell you how many times someone is way into it. They might be over a year into receiving a thing and then they go, Oh, we're doing a team summit. Are you available on June 15, 2027? I mean, they just pick a date out of it. It feels like it comes out of nowhere, but it didn't come out of nowhere. It's systematically in there. And that has been incredible for me, smoothing out the lumps.
Brea: Oh gosh, there's just so much on my mind right now. I think I just want to say when we're talking about revenue, when we're talking about income, when we're talking about the highs and the lows and all of this conversation, it's so easy to attach our worth to the numbers that we're seeing on the screen or that we're not seeing on the screen.
I just want to encourage anyone that's listening to detach who you are, just to detach that from the data that you're seeing on the screen. Like you are not your business, you know? And if, if the market is changing, if the politics are changing, if, if you're seeing a down month, that doesn't mean you're a bad person or you're a bad business owner. It just means that this is happening and that's okay. So I guess I just am feeling inspired to speak that over people that are listening.
Lisa: Because you know it happens so often. When I'm listening, I hear what you're saying and I'm thinking of the words and I'm like, lumpy revenue happened. Lumpy income happens.
Brea: Yes.
Lisa: Lumpy. And that's a thing. Like, you can just look at it and go, OK, that is a picture. It's on a chart. And there are plenty of business strategies that can address it. So if you see a trend you don't like, cool. You can come up with a business strategy that can smooth it out. Work with a coach who can help you smooth it out. Great. We all have the ability to build these businesses that are incredible and serve us. It's just an experiment.
I feel like all of this is an experiment in aligning what makes the business go and what makes you go with your strengths and your values. It's just that constant messing with the dials and finding the experiments so that the business strategy, the revenue that comes in, your personal preferences, they can all find alignment. And sometimes it takes several years to play around and find all of that. And meanwhile, yeah, give yourself a break.
You're building your selling skills. You're figuring out all this software. You didn't know you were going to become a full-time marketer and salesperson and you're delivering on the work and you're trying to find a business strategy that there's a lot going on when you're in those first years of business. So have a play with it.
Brea: Yes. And yes, all of that, rewind, listen to it again. Yes. And realize that even when you think you finally got it, like things will change. What worked for me seven years ago doesn't work for me today. You know, like not all the time, not in all the ways. So when things happen that are different, like the whole impetus for this conversation was my Vox to Lisa that said, Why all of a sudden are these people that have been ghosting me for literally years?
I have a client that I can now call them a client because they have paid me to come and do some work for them. But it's been eight plus years that I have been pursuing them, nurturing them. And then all of a sudden it's like, boom, we're ready. Some of those people are coming out of the woodworks. And so you just never know why some things hit when they do and some things don't. So just expect the unexpected, know that lumps and bumps are part of it.
It doesn't mean that something is broken or wrong. It just means that this is happening. And how do we approach it? How do we respond? Those are the skills and talents to learn and to grow in yourself as a human and as a business owner because everything else is changing. Technology changes so fast. You know, what works with the algorithm today, in a few months it's going to be different.
Build your offerings around things that you enjoy delivering and want to sell because if you like it and you want to do it, then it's easier to sell, you know? So, um, that's it. I'll get off my pedestal, but I love this conversation so much. Yes.
Lisa: Yeah. The mind exploding emoji. Like if you love it, you're going to bring an amazing energy around it and it's going to make it so much easier to sell if it aligns with you. So yeah, I think that alignment part and the worthiness thing that you brought up is an important undercurrent in this thing.
Okay, I thought of a closing thought and it's a new idea, so I think it is important for those people who are side hustling or they are still in their corporate job but they have been dreaming of leaving and doing the coaching, workshopping, speaking kind of thing full time. This idea of lumpy revenue and whether you have an appetite for it is a consideration that's valuable to have before you decide to leave and put that in your plans, whether that means you have a longer savings runway.
If you can get that level one covered so that the things that are on top of it are good, get that level one customer base. Prove to yourself that you can sell something, that you know what your product is, that you have your basic website up, those kind of things. That can be very helpful in bolstering that fear part that comes when people launch and leave.
It feels like The lumps are smoothed out before it's all on the line. So that's not something everybody needs to do but for someone like me that that would have helped a lot if I had two years to Make my business idea get things sold get the strategies going get all the nurture going that would have been Incredible for me to get rid of a lot of stress and fear. I had just going straight out of the gate
Brea: Yeah, totally. My crowdfunding campaign did a little bit of that, you know, in the fact that I was able to launch with a hundred coaching sessions paid for, you know, but nothing else was done. I mean, it was just completely building the plane as we tried to get it off the ground.
A hundred percent, if I would have had the opportunity to give myself more runway, I mean, my goodness, I could have gone so much further faster. So two thumbs up, like I'm raising all my hands and all my feet, all my toes. I'm scared of two toes up.
Lisa: What did I even say? I don't even know. Two thumbs up. Two toes up. I mean, drop the mic with that. That is where you end - with that visual. We'll see you all later. I'm thinking of Brea's toes right now. Bye for now.
Brea: Bye.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Starting a New Coaching Business - The Backstory | 25 May 2025 | 00:33:52 | |
What do math dreaming, crowdfunding, and Sunday night heart palpitations all have in common? You’ll have to tune in to find out! 😀
Join us for some real talk about the common fears and hesitations many aspiring coaches face when starting their business, like feeling unprepared or overwhelmed by the need for a perfect plan. But fear not! You’ll be encouraged to embrace the messiness of starting out, and reminded that it’s okay to pivot and change your business model as you grow.
So, whether you're in the dreaming phase or already knee-deep in your entrepreneurial journey, this episode is packed with insights, encouragement, and a few laughs to help you navigate your own path. Join us as we explore the ups and downs of starting a coaching practice. Let’s celebrate the beauty of building a business that aligns with who you are! 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways ● Embrace the journey: Every entrepreneur has their own unique path to success. And it doesn’t happen overnight. Whether you stumble into it or plan meticulously, what matters is that you keep showing up. ● Use your strengths: Instead of following what others say you should do, focus on what feels authentic and enjoyable for you. ● Don’t fear imperfection: It’s okay to experiment, pivot, and change your business model as you learn what works best for you. ● Community is key: Finding a supportive community can help you build belief in your abilities and access resources to navigate challenges. ● Assess and Adapt: Regularly step out to evaluate your business. What’s working? What’s not? This reflection can help you make informed decisions about your business direction so you can grow with intention and maximize your impact. ● Do it scared: Sometimes, the best opportunities arise when we least expect them. If you're feeling stuck or hesitant, remember that action often leads to clarity. 🎧 Tune in to the full episode to hear more about our personal stories, the challenges we faced, and the lessons we've learned along the way. Whether you're a seasoned coach or just starting out, there's something in this episode for everyone! I’d love to hear your thoughts on these takeaways and your own coaching origin stories. Share your experiences in the comments or connect with me on LinkedIn! Let’s keep the conversation going! #Coaching #Entrepreneurship #BusinessJourney #Strengths #Community #Podcast
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa: I'm Lisa.
Brea: I'm Brea.
Lisa:
Brea: Wait, what happened on Sunday?
Lisa: I mean, actually, we're talking about starting a coaching business. That is part of my origin story. Instead of it being from starting a coaching business, it led me to start a business. But I just thought that was Yeah. Just a little teaser.
Brea: Yes. Like you were not looking forward to Monday. So you were getting stressed out.
Lisa: Well, you would think. But I would literally have this every single week in the job that I was in. And I loved my team and the CFO that I reported to. Like, it was just super cool on so many levels. And the role was a bad fit for me. And I literally had severe palpitations every Sunday night. And I would just I would sit on the couch and I would do breathing exercises. And you would think that I would, being such a health nut, that I would care about my cardiovascular health or otherwise. But it took a moment where my husband was actually in the room with me and he said, what was that? Because I had this hitch in my breath where I was like, and just trying to kind of breathe through the, the, the janky body systems. What was that? And I was like, sending out heart palpitations and he was like, uh, you need to quit. And he was like, you need to quit now. That is severe. And, and I was like, wait, are you serious? And he said, yeah. And I'm like, oh, um, that sounds really exciting, but I haven't planned anything. I don't know what I would do after this. And I am mega planner. I would totally have written it up differently, but I thought that would actually be a good part of this story because I didn't do it at all the way I would do it if I planned and I worked my regular system. But it was a time where a little intervention was called for and it took someone else noticing how bad it was for me to do the wake up.
Brea: Wow. Okay. I like this. I mean, it's just so good to hear what other people have gone through. And I know that there are other people that are listening that have had a similar palpitation or a similar hesitation of just, I've thought about going for it, but I just, I don't have all my ducks in the row. I, I'm not quite there yet, you know, and very different experience on my end, but also similar in the way of, If I knew then what I know now, I probably definitely would not have done it the way that I did it. No preparation, you know, I mean, really, it was bootstrapped from ground zero. So similarities and differences in our story. Yeah, this is exciting. Okay.
Lisa: I think this is a fun conversation for listeners because just like you said, some people are in the midst of the heart palpitations. Some people have been wanting to leave for 10 years, but they can't figure out like what it actually means. How do you know when your ducks are in a row? And some people are busy kind of filling their minds with this. But hey, like I've met people who had a pension and then they retired and they had money coming in forever. And they could use that to fund the business and not be scared. Or you must have had a buku bucks saved up, ready to go. And that made you confident. And I don't have the advantages that other people have. And the truth is, for a lot of us, it just takes courage, I would totally be the person who had preferred a plan. I would have done it absolutely differently. I would have spent a year or two figuring all those things out up front, because that would feel great to me. But it's not how it turned out that night, the heart palpitation night. We actually stayed up really late, which is odd for me. I'm like a be in bed by 10 o'clock kind of person. And it was one of those, like, stay up until 1 a.m. talking about all the things, like, what if I don't sell anything? Am I going to make us lose the house? What is the repercussion if I'm terrible at this? What if it all goes wrong? When it came down to it, after fast forward through like four hours of what's the worst that could happen, my answer was, if I lose it all, we'll go live in an RV. We're going to be camp hosts at some beautiful state park and life's going to be fine. And that never came true. But it did give me it gave me the confidence to to be like, all right, I'm not going to suffer and starve literally.
Brea: Yeah, that's so interesting, because that conversation would have sent me running for the hills. I would have been scared out of my mind and never would have jumped. But for me, I didn't have the luxury of even asking myself those questions. I accidentally fell into being a business owner. And that's the honest to God truth, I never set out to like open my own business. I had an unfortunate series of just a lot of instability in different jobs. And at one point a contract was ending and I was just like, what am I going to do next? And strengths had always been something that I was very passionate about. I've used strengths in different jobs, different companies, different capacities on my own, but never really explored being a coach or doing that as a career, let alone owning my own business and doing that full time. That was never a part of my thought process until There was no next step. And it just so happened that the very next week after my contract ended was the certification course to become a strengths coach in Omaha. I was living in Omaha at the time. I walked out of one job and into the certification course and I was like, I know this is my next step. How was I gonna use that? I have no idea, but I'm gonna do it. How am I gonna pay for that? I have no idea. I've been a missionary for four years. I'm not making a lot of money. I don't have a lot in savings. So do you know what I did? I crowdfunded $10,000 to pay for my certification. And I went into my certification course with 100 paying clients, people who paid in exchange for coaching. So think of it like a pre-sell. They were on the books. I came out of that certification and I coached a hundred people in less than 60 days. And they were all different kinds of people. Stay at home moms, students, couples, professionals, people who were in job transition, people who were in the C-suite, people who were business owners, people who were individual contributors. I mean, I got so much experience right out of the gate and built the business just because I could, you know, one step at a time.
Lisa: Yeah, and in the what went well column, I am hearing this brilliant thing that happened out of your creativity. And desperation, okay. Which does create a lot of stamina and motivation, right? Yes. That thing that happens often with coaches setting up their business and they are like, I don't know what I want to specialize in. I don't know what my niche is. I don't know what I love the most. And you coming out having a hundred people in 60 days. You got exposed to that wide swath of types of people and types of coaching that you just described. What a brilliant way to get in there and actually experience it. Because you're only guessing and hypothesizing. Like, if I would have picked my niche, and I would have done my year or two planning, doing all the things, I would have been guessing, and I know I would have guessed wrong, and I would have remade a lot of it, because I did that anyhow after I created it. What a beautiful way to get a head start on clarity of what you like and what aligns with your strengths.
Brea: You know, it, it did bring a lot of clarity. Even more than that, it brought a lot of practice. You know, I just got a lot of reps really, really fast, which also brought a lot of confidence. And the thing that I love the most about crowdfunding was my life before strengths was a lot of marketing and sales and being a missionary. So by running this crowdfunding campaign, people seeing me every day posting different things about the campaign and strengths and all the things. Like, people knew Brea as the strengths girl, right? Instead of Brea the missionary or Brea, however we first, you know, connected and came to know each other, they knew about this change. So it was possible for me to make this. Not even a career pivot. I mean, this is a huge jump a huge change and I was able to bring people along because They were part of it. They were the bridge that got me there. So if you're listening and you were Part of that go for Brea campaign. Thank you so much because look at what we did It's amazing.
Lisa: Go Team Brea. That is so cool. I definitely would mark that in the What Went Well column on about four different tallies. That's great. And I did mine differently, but I think we were both using our strengths for this What Went Well category. So I started a podcast and I felt really comfortable. This was early days of podcast. It was actually called Pinch Yourself Careers. I thought I was going to do more career transition coaching. And that is what the original name of this podcast was. It was the name of the business entity. And I'm just bringing this up because people are like, oh my gosh, I got the name wrong. I got the thing wrong. Me too. Me too. This podcast was totally a different niche than I ended up choosing. Pinch Yourself Careers, very different from the CliftonStrengths focus of today. When they were in career transition, I asked people, hey, What questions do you have? If you are in a career transition or you know someone in a career transition, send it through and then I'm doing Q&A and they would send an audio question through or even just a one sentence question and I would answer it in the podcast. So, I thought it was a really cool way to get the word out that I was playing in that space and I didn't have to have my sales pitch refined yet. I didn't have to have all that sitting down yet. It was, I was self-sponsoring my own podcast. And I was adding value out in the world. And people were getting to know me for being a career coach, then later, people development coach, then later specifically, team development and big corporate with CliftonStrengths, with, with team dynamics through CliftonStrengths. So, It evolved, but it was very comfortable. And I think because I felt good going back to my existing network, and I had a big corporate network because I always kept in touch with people, that felt like a natural way to plug in, be of service, and also start to spread the word that I was out there on my own offering a service.
Brea: Yes, that's so great. That's a lot of ticks in your win column as well, using what has worked for you in the past in the pivot that you made. I think that's awesome. I definitely relate with the feeling of, oh my gosh, what am I going to name my business? What is my brand going to look like? And what is my website going to look like? And I have to get it all right because This is what people are going to see and this is how they're going to think of me. I don't know the answers. I'm just figuring it out. So how can I do all those things? But I need those things. So like, oh my gosh, it's so overwhelming. It's OK. You can change your mind. I just want everybody listening to hear you just get started. It's really not that big of a deal what you call your business. It's really not. It feels that way, especially if you have communication. Number one, hi. I get it, but like it's really not that big of a deal. Just so true. Get out there and go.
Lisa: And even literally, like if you're in the U.S., not every listener is of course, but in the U.S. there's literally a thing called a doing business as. So on top of whatever entity you already bought, you set up a doing business as and you can add, you could have four of them. You can keep changing your name until you figure out who you are and then it's going to be fine. It is not a huge deal. It's not.
Brea: It's really not. I love that. You know, I have a lot of things in the I wish I would have done it differently column as well. Okay, so the crowdfunding campaign was playing to a lot of my strengths. And I'm believing what the internet is telling me. I'm getting sucked into all the things that I hear and read from all the other business owners and the social media influencers that are telling me I have to do this. I have to do that. I have to do it like this. I have to do it like that. What were some of the whispers that were getting you? Oh my gosh, I was spending hours a day creating graphics to post and finding the right words to make the perfect post that would convince people, influence people to go for Brea, right? To pledge toward the campaign. hours a day. I mean, that's exhausting. When I realized it doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to get out there. And the easiest way for me to do that is talking. My talent is telling stories. My talent is on video. So I was just like, okay, Facebook Live, here we go. And I pushed a button and I would just talk and then it was done and it was out there and I couldn't edit it if I wanted to. So hours a day turned into minutes a day and the impact was so much greater. People were commenting and liking and sharing and pledging. The impact was there, the results were there when I started using my talents and stopped doing it like I thought that I should. So don't use my experience as a prescription of how you should move forward, but hear the underlying theme of use your talents to build your business and build your business around your talents. Create offerings that make sense for you because when you show up at your best, I mean, that's better for everyone else that you're serving.
Lisa: Yeah, that sounds so amazing. I could just feel the momentum shift, even though you're taking us back via story, but I could feel the difference like, oh, I'm spending hours worrying about it. It's the same today. We hear the same story from so many people who are like, oh, I just labor over trying to create the perfect social or get myself on video and I don't want to be on there, but I should do this. I should do that. This is the formula. And the great question, it's so obvious being a strengths coach, but even those of us going into strengths coaching, we forget to say, what would be fun? What would actually make us feel alive? And then, of course, you're going to attract people to you who want to be in your circle. That's the kind of customer you want to attract when you're at your best. So perfect. Yeah, that's right. I did very different things. So if we want to just give a contrast on not taking Breas as a prescription, and then what are some other ways people get started? I lead through Maximizer. And I lead through Strategic. And so I'm always thinking of things like, Every time I would ask myself the question, every time I would create something, I would say, How can I maximize this over and over again? Can I recycle content? Can I put things out there that are so timeless, someone could use it? four months later, and it's still just as relevant. If I'm going to go out on social media and post something, it's going to disappear out of an algorithm within 20 minutes. So why not use it over and over again? I had that thought from the beginning, and it felt so cool to use that as a filter from the beginning. And so if I'm going to make a podcast episode, then I'm going to turn that into a blog post as well. I'm going to turn that into email marketing. it's going to be content that someone could enter at any time five years into the future or today. And it's going to be just as useful for them. And I'm going to put together a series so that everything I do compounds on top of the next thing. And it's like baby steps, building one thing after the other thing after the other thing. And all you have to do is put one foot in front of the other. So from the beginning, I was really strategic about that. And it felt wise, even though it wasn't the fastest momentum, I knew it was wise. And I knew that it was exciting to be able to take something and reuse it. And it really, really worked. It got me out of a lot of pinches later when I needed to step away from the business. And then I was still showing up because I was showing up in automations. that I had created years before. But it also, I was like, this is going to add up, even if I'm really busy and I only have time to do something once a month or once every two weeks, everything matters. And years later, it looks like years worth of content. And it happened really slowly. If you want everything to be lined up and perfect, and that leads you to do nothing, it's better to do something regularly. And I think that's a great lesson for anybody who's starting up
Brea: That's right. I love so many things from what you shared. I want to dub you the evergreen queen. It's such like a, just a court to who you are. I don't know, hearing that, that was so natural for you, even from the very beginning. I think that that's a real superpower that you have. Yeah, that's cool.
Lisa: Thank you. Yeah, there was another one. I think that one really spoke to my maximizer. One that I would say I both did well and I would do differently is when I was picking what I would focus on and what the business model would be, I remember going through strengths and thinking, all right, I lead through activator. I lead through strategic. I lead through these fast moving talents. I do not like having open loops hang over my head. And so I just decided I love kickoffs. It's sales kickoff meeting. It's your team summit. It's your team retreat. I love doing them and people need them and have them. So that is a what went well column. What I would do differently, though, is I might think a little more deeply about What could I have done to serve those customers more actively without it being a consulting engagement? Because I kind of wrote it off, like, it's either going to be kickoff and I'm out, which felt good, or it's going to be kickoff leading into a giant engagement. And I didn't like the idea of a giant consulting engagement. So I think what I would do differently there is I would have come up with more strategies to go deep in service of that customer without it having to be a consulting model because I was acting like there are only two choices, this way or that way. But that meant every sale I have to start over. Every prospect is a new prospect. And sometimes you get, you get spinoff business, you get repeat business, you get things like that. But I could have been more strategic about leveraging the accounts that I already had trust with and already had a relationship with. So give me a win tally because it was aligned with my strengths, but also give me a ding that I allowed myself to have to start over with the selling process.
Brea: 100% that is my experience as well. And I am not surprised because we share some similar talents that I think are contributing to that pattern. But yes, I definitely wish that I would have put some more thought into how do I continue to nurture and maintain those relationships.
Lisa: So you've worked with a lot of coaches also, we both have. What do you see they wish they would do differently after they come in and they feel frustrated, they feel like an incompetent business person and they're about to leave and go back to their former work lives?
Brea: Wow, what a loaded question. You know, it might just be because I bring marketing experience, so these might be the kinds of coaches that I attract, but I hear a lot of, I need to be doing social media, I need to be doing email sequences, I need to be doing more of that, more marketing, more messaging. Which, yes, there is so much value in that. And also, I don't have an email list. I never have. Really? It sucked the life out of me. Yes.
Lisa: What? No email list?
Brea: Yes. I know. I know. It's a shocker, right? It's like a doctor whose kids never go to the doctor or whatever.
Lisa: I see an email marketing fan, Lisa, over here. I'm like, what? No way.
Brea: But here's the thing is I choose as a consumer don't love being on email lists. I don't like sitting behind my computer and doing it. And I also, because I have high communication and a lot of training around how to craft a message, I don't like paying people to do it because they're never going to nail my voice like I will. So, it's either I do it or nobody does it and I just choose to connect with people in other ways that feel better to me. So, that makes sense for me. It is possible to run a business without an email list. Yeah. There's a lot of value in having an email list and doing it well. But, you know, I also kind of stopped. I mean, I haven't done my Instagram in almost two years. I haven't posted anything. And that's a big like.
Lisa: No, no in the marketing world and still it's possible, you know to like grow a business media Yeah, social is not my level English It's funny because I love email marketing because I love the automation of it and all of the evergreen part being evergreen Queen But I the same reaction I had like, oh no, no email. I'm the same on social media where I'm on social media and There are so many ways. I mean, that's the thing. So many ways to do it. Yeah. It's just like we understand this about strengths. There are so many ways to get a thing done and it's the same. There are so many marketing channels. You can run ads. You could write a book. You can run challenges. You can do cold calling. You can go to in-person conferences. You could run it on an email list. You could have a great blog. You could have affiliate sales. sell for you. You could be an affiliate for somebody else as your full business model. You could be on older things that other people are off of like Telegram or Snapchat. I mean like. Carrier pigeon anybody?
Brea: You could.
Lisa: You totally could. You could be a podcast guest. You could be a podcast host. There are Dozens of ways you could build a business and they don't all have to be social media. I love that. Think of all the possible channels and especially for those of you who are listening who are like, yeah, I have three clients, but I need 30 to have a solid book of business. How did you get those three? What is your easiest channel? What is your most effective channel? And a lot of times that's your answer where to drill into because you probably like it and people have responded well to it. And meanwhile, you're over here thinking, oh my gosh, I have to be on social media or whatever you're putting yourself under pressure for. But your answer is over there and your three clients that you already attracted and why they came to you so naturally.
Brea: Right. Did they come to you from social media? No. Do they come from your email list that you don't have? No. Then why do you think you need those things? Where did they come from? What is working? Lean into that. Lean into that. That's something that I wish I would have done earlier in my business journey, but a lot of grace. I've learned as I've gone. It's fine. I wish I would have done more of that looking backward, even just once a year, but quarterly, kind of assessing where is my profit? Where's my revenue coming from? What is turning the biggest profit? Those are two questions I didn't ask myself until I was, I don't know, maybe three years into business. I had no idea where my clients were coming from. No idea, you know, and I was just, whatever was in front of me was what I was doing. And I, there was no strategy. It was all just reacting, which is in line with my talents. So it serves me in a way. And I have other talents that love to plan and could have, I mean, I have strategic number six. there was room to refine a little bit and build a little bit more intentionally. So look to your talents and look to what's in front of you.
Lisa: Yes, you have data right in front of you. Just start playing with numbers. What do I need? How do I need to do this to get people in and how many does it need to be? And if you already are attracting people into your funnel in some way, all you have to do is back into how you've already gotten customers and your answers will be right there.
Brea: That's right. Yep. And because you're the boss, like you can see the data in front of you and decide that you want to keep going in that direction. Or you can say, okay, that serves me to this point, but now I want to try something different. You know, you don't have to be scared about what you're going to find because the data is just information. It's just helping you make a decision. You know, I love one of your coaching questions is how can you add a zero? Yes. There's a great book out there called the 10x book. What's that called? How to how to 10x your business or something.
Lisa: Oh, it's the same thing. Adding a zero is 10xing. I didn't know. I don't know that book.
Brea: Oh, well, it's such a great question. How do you add a zero, right? It's also a good question for an upsell, downsell situation. You know, if you come in with, we'll just do a hundred bucks for easy math because my math does not math very well in my head. Let's say you're offering a coaching session for $100. You need an upsell and you need a downsell, right? So how can you add a zero or take away a zero to give them an easier step up or an easier step down if that signature offer or that standard is not working for them?
Lisa: So many things we've learned along the way. Math dreaming is a thing. Obviously, I've told Brea about my Add a Zero challenge before. This started off, at the time, the biggest contract I had ever sold was $29,000. And I was like, $29,700. So what I have to add to sell a package for $297,000. So I went off and sold a package for $297,000. One single transaction. Come on! Yes! Yes, but I had to dream it up first, you to say like, what value would have to be added? And how can I say it to us with a straight face? And who would I have to say it to? And what conditions would have to be present for them to want to buy it? But then I've also done the thing where I'm like, what's a $300 product that would just be super easy, that would be really attainable for somebody who doesn't have a budget, that would be a nice add-on. So going lower ticket, higher ticket, play with the math, play with the numbers. I swear it's fun. It can be fun.
Brea: It can be fun. Absolutely.
Lisa: You're like, yeah, yeah, that sounds great.
Brea: No, it can be. And I think this goes in the, I wish I would have done this sooner or known this sooner category. It's so easy for us to just get caught up in the moving forward. The momentum is here. We find ourselves working on this or saying yes to a project. And so then we just kind of keep moving in the direction that we're going. You'll never get to that $290,000 contract if you don't give yourself permission to shoot for it. If you don't give yourself the target, you're not going to get there. That's not going to fall in your lap. I mean, never say never, but that's never going to happen. So take some time every now and then to step out and allow yourself to see where you are in your business today and then dream about where you want to go, what could be. And if you're stuck in that place right now, you haven't started your business yet and you're just in the dreaming phase and you're thinking, gosh, wouldn't it be amazing if I could start this business and here are my aspirations. You got to take the first step. You know, you got to, you got to get into the business. So I think that's my biggest takeaway. If you're in the business, Try to take a step out every now and then. Or maybe you're outside of the business, you're thinking about a business, you need to take a step in. Wherever you are today, just give yourself some time to also step in or step out.
Lisa: Yes, yes. And I will piggyback on that and say, closing thoughts here. Along the lines of what Brea was talking about, if you're not taking the time to dream and you don't have anyone else to dream with, it makes it more difficult to believe it's possible. So if I were to start over, I would do something like my tools for coaches membership, where you can spend a hundred bucks a month and you're in the presence of these other amazing coaches who have incredible businesses. They're living the dream already. And you can build your belief because you're like, Oh my gosh, they're already doing all those things that I thought I just imagined, but people are actually buying that they're doing it. And And it is such great motivation to both get inspired by them, build your belief from them, learn together. It's, it's really an incredible process. So if you have trouble believing, because you're not going to live into it until you believe it, if you have trouble with some of that belief, come join a group like my Tools for Coaches group. Just go to LeadThroughStrengths.com, click on Tools for Coaches. And we will help you because we will show you how we're living it out in all different ways.
Brea: I love that. I was never short on the belief. I believed in things that I had no business believing. I had no business for reality. I was never short on belief, but I wish I would have asked for help if I had known then what I know now. This community of coaches is just incredibly generous, and we are so much better together than we are alone. I had every belief that I could do it, that I would do it, that it was going to work out, that the world needs what I can offer. I mean, that was never a question. But how to do it, I had no idea. I mean, I really just built the plane as I was flying and I could have asked for more help. I could have reached out and I didn't know that. So if you feel alone, you are not alone. And you have two people here who would love to Love to come alongside you and be your cheerleader, provide resources, connect you to other people, other resources. So please, if that's you, go ahead and reach out to Tools for Coaches with Lisa or just come to my website. We can get on a call and see how I might be able to help you or connect you with the resources that you're looking for. That would be awesome.
Lisa: Go to BreaRoper.com. What if you want to coach? who will dream with you, who won't tell you your dream is stupid, who will help you build on what you already have and align your strengths to it. Brio would be so perfect for that.
Brea: Thanks.
Lisa: Now for the listeners, it would be so fun to hear other people's coaching origin stories, coaching backstory. How did you get started? So come over to LinkedIn and share yours.
Brea: I love that. Well, as they say in the music business, that's a wrap.
Lisa: That's a wrap.
Brea: See ya.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Selling to Corporate Clients - Coaching, Training, and Speaking Services | 11 May 2025 | 00:30:06 | |
Selling to corporate clients can be exciting, and sometimes daunting. And everyone wants to know…what’s the secret sauce? From the thrill of landing big contracts to the unexpected surprises that come with corporate red tape, we cover it all. You’ll hear about the challenges of finding the right decision-makers, the complexities of procurement processes, and the importance of pricing your services appropriately to account for those hidden costs. We also discuss the potential rewards of working with corporate clients, like the opportunity for repeat business and the chance to make a significant impact on a large scale. Plus, we share tips on how to leverage your unique strengths and experiences to connect with corporate teams effectively. So, if you're considering selling to corporate clients or just want to learn more about what it takes, this episode is packed with valuable insights and a few laughs along the way! 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways Here are three key takeaways that stood out during our conversation: ● The 5 “P”s of Selling to Corporate: Selling to corporate clients can be a different ballgame compared to smaller businesses. We discussed five specific challenges, including prospecting, people, processes, paperwork, and pricing. ● Financial Surprises: One of the biggest surprises for many new to the corporate world is the financial aspect. From insurance requirements to payment terms that can stretch out for 90 days or more, it's essential to factor these into your pricing strategy. ● The Ripple Effect of Corporate Work: Despite the challenges, working with corporate clients offers incredible potential for impact. The ability to reach a large number of employees and make a difference in their work lives is a powerful motivator.
Take Action ● Research Corporate Client Needs: Take the time to understand the specific needs and expectations of corporate clients in your industry. This includes familiarizing yourself with common processes, procurement requirements, and potential red tape. ● Prepare for Financial Surprises: Account for unexpected costs such as insurance policies, software fees, and extended payment cycles when pricing your services. Ensure your pricing reflects these potential surprises to maintain profitability. ● Identify Key Decision-Makers: Develop a strategy for finding and connecting with the right people within corporate organizations. Understand the hierarchy and decision-making processes to streamline your sales efforts. ● Leverage Existing Networks: Utilize your current connections and past experiences to identify potential corporate clients. Attend networking events and engage with local businesses to expand your reach. ● Stay Adaptable and Open-Minded: Be prepared for changes in corporate structures, such as turnover in key positions, which can affect ongoing contracts. Maintain flexibility in your approach and be ready to pivot as needed.
If you're looking to expand your business into the corporate sector or simply want to learn more about the nuances of this market, this episode is a must-listen!
🎧 Tune in now and let us know your thoughts! What benefits and challenges have you faced in selling to corporate clients? Share your experiences in the comments below!
#Podcast #CorporateClients #Coaching #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #LeadThroughStrengths Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa: I'm Lisa.
Brea: I'm Brea.
Lisa: And today's episode is all about selling to corporate clients. Whether we're talking about coaching, speaking, training, workshops, facilitation, all of those kind of services in a corporate marketplace. Brea, this one I'm like, oh, I'm totally comfortable. This is my jam. Corporate is my bag.
Brea: And I'm just here with my paper and my pen ready to take notes and learn from the master, you know? This is so juicy. This is so good.
Lisa: is like, that isn't the market I'm focused on. Okay. But I think you bring really great stuff because I know you do have corporate clients and I know we've talked about them over the years and it will do a lot for our listeners just to be able to hear from two perspectives, somebody who's absolutely focused on corporate and somebody who isn’t.
And then what the experience is when we're in that process of talking to a prospective customer, what the surprises are, what the road bumps are. I think it's really important to have this conversation. For one point alone, if I could share some experiences where people can see the financial surprises.
Like you get the gig and then they're like, oh, we need to see your insurance policy with the $3 million limits. Oh, we need you to pay $13 a month for your software to get paid because that's what happens with our procurement software. Oh, it's going to take 14 hours to get through the procurement paperwork.
Those things aren't built into people's prices because they have no idea they're going to run into those on the other side. So that part of the surprise makes this whole conversation worth it.
Brea: Yeah. In case people don't know, my background is not in corporate. It never has been until I started my own coaching and consulting business and wanted to start selling to corporate clients. But I personally don't have any background there. And so at first I was like, oh my gosh, corporate, you know, big starry eyes emoji because you're looking for what I'm selling.
So it's just going to be so easy to sell. And then I was just like, I just don't love this process of trying to sell into corporate. And even I think delivering to corporate clients has been a very different experience versus delivering to a smaller business or a smaller nonprofit. So I'm excited to dive in.
Lisa: Not just selling, even the delivery. Oh my gosh. Can we start on the positive? What gives the starry eyed emoji? I can't say the word emoji today. That's funny. What's exciting about it? Like, why do we even try if there is going to be a lot of red tape? Why go through the red tape?
Brea: Yeah, well, for me, it seems like two things. Financial, right? They have budgets, their budgets are big, and they're looking for the services that we're offering. So it's not a heart of a cell, you know, theoretically, right.
There's a credibility to put a corporate logo on my website as a client that I've served looks really good to other potential buyers. So. I think those are the two things that first attracted me.
Lisa: Yeah, I'll agree with those. Those are amazing. And it's definitely proven true. You know, people go to leadthroughstrengths.com and they scroll to the bottom of the homepage and they're like, Ooh, look at all those logos. That is good for being able to sell people in the future.
The financial part of it could be really cool. There have been a lot of customers over the years where they have big corporate academies and they'll offer a program on repeat inside of a corporate training academy. And it is just business that comes back and comes back and comes back. So there may be a little more difficulty in getting in up front. And then once you're in, there can be some ease of repeat business that is really cool. There's an upside for me. I think this would be true for any of us.
If you learn that you're working with a customer who has 100,000 employees and you think, how powerful the work is that we do and that you could reach that many people through your work. It feels amazingly efficient and beautiful to be able to have that ripple effect in the world. So it just feels great, the upside in all the ways.
Brea: Yeah, so much potential, so much potential.
Lisa: Exactly. Personally, I've been able to travel to 15 different countries delivering our work. And that's very enriching personally as well. So getting to see the global experience, it makes you better at your craft because you're facilitating in all kinds of different environments and cultures.
And also, what a gift to be able to travel for work like that. So that's been a fun benefit as well.
Brea: Yes, I love all those things. I think also for those of us who are strengths coaches and use Gallup's CliftonStrengths assessment, I mean, it's designed for corporate teams. You know, like that's where it started. Obviously not the only place that it can be applied, but it's such a natural fit there.
Working in corporate training, even though you get all these fancy trips around the world or, you know, whatever, like it's hard. We need a little a little spark and we need to approach our work differently.
We deserve to enjoy our work, you know, and to show up and be able to do what we do best every day. People need what it is that we're offering. So it's a real opportunity for us to go in and, and make real impact, you know, and really help people live good, full lives.
Lisa: Yeah, yeah. If we're selling to corporate clients, we're in there thinking from the corporate client perspective, hey, we can help you have employees who are fully engaged, who are reaching their highest potential, who are working in their efficiency zone.
There are a lot of really good business reasons. So I think it's a great match. We know our services can be of value and how cool when you can touch the individual who also works there and make their human experience better.
Brea: Yeah, yeah, love it.
Lisa: So what are some of the surprises you've run into, Brea when you've been talking with a corporate client as a prospect, when you're in those early stages, what have you run into that's notable?
Brea: Well, so many things. I mean, I've learned the hard way, you know, let me, let me be honest, but everything was a surprise to me, because I literally had no experience going into it. I think It was so surprising to me how hard it was because in my mind, I was like, Oh, this is such an easy match.
And it, it wasn't, it's so hard to find the right person to talk to. It's hard to get them on the phone, you know, or on the zoom or on the calendar there, their time is very, very full, you know? And so to get to the right person and then to get their time was surprisingly harder than I thought. I was surprised by, again, all the red tape, just, oh my gosh, my little activator.
I was just like, this is taking too long. I can't. I love that about small businesses is I can talk to the owner. I can just walk in there a lot of times, you know, and talk to the owner and we can put something on the books for the next day, you know?
I was surprised by how long the process was. from the very first prospecting call to the finished product. Oh, there's so many things that surprised me, but another big one is how it felt like, I don't know, how do I say it?
From my perspective, it felt like they wanted a lot of my time and a lot of like free, like the interview process, you know, or as you kind of work through the chain, you, you end up talking to several different people, you know, as you're, continue to pursue the lead.
And they want you to, you know, meet with a small team and do a, you know, a 30 minute webinar or whatever. And I'm like, what? Like, no, I charge for this. Don't you know? So things like that.
Lisa: Yeah, you have to find out who else is involved in the decision and who has veto power on the budget and what budgets matter. One of the surprises I experienced, this is why I experienced it many times, is some corporate clients have these things called an accumulation period.
So let's say you set your billing to be Net 30. That means you send your invoice and it's due in 30 days. They will say, well, we do Net 90. So we only pay every 90 days and we have a 90 day accumulation period. Yeah, like double surprise. 90 days and the accumulation period over which we're collecting all of the paperwork.
So really, they're saying we pay you six months after the gig. And that for most individuals who are getting started in the early years is a long time to wait. And then people don't expect it. And they're like, oh, my gosh, are they Not paying me? Do I have to chase this? I've had some of the biggest names, Fortune 50 names in the world. One took over one year to pay.
It wasn't because they weren't trying to pay. It was because one person who worked on just a regular old operations team out there, she didn't know how to navigate the internal procurement, how to get a PO, how to get it paid. She didn't know she needed a PO. She didn't know the paperwork. Because that's not what they do on a daily basis.
This just started off as a team who wanted to do a team building. And by the time we figured it all out, it was a year into it. is so much. So I would put that out there. If you're early on and you think you want to serve and sell into corporate clients, make sure you are accounting for things like you're going to have to buy insurance policies and show them.
And then once you've purchased your insurance policies and you've paid a couple thousand dollars, oh, then they're going to say, you need to add us as additional insured. And if you don't have this in your policy, that might be a couple hundred dollars to add that. Oh, then you have to pay to be in our software, to be able to get paid.
You're going to fill out 14 hours worth of procurement paperwork. There might be a year long closing cycle or there might be a one day closing cycle. You don't know what you're going to get.
So a lot of surprises come up like you close the deal and then they say, oh, by the way, are you going to show up with a PowerPoint? Are you going to use a deck? And if you say yes, then they say, oh, well, every deck in our organization has to conform to these brand standards. And they send you a 100 page document and a template and you're like, I don't even use PowerPoint. My deck's designed somewhere else.
And why would you have a vendor put their stuff in your deck's format? And why wouldn't you just close it up front? Because that's going to take six hours. Those are the surprises you just have to be ready for and you have to have a price that you're satisfied enough with that when those surprises come up, you don't have to be like, well, if this, then I need to charge this much more.
Instead of feeling like you're in a nickel and dime or an adversarial back and forth, because you want to keep this, you want to keep it. Feeling like, really exciting and fun. And so after you get through the paperwork phase, you want to be in a great relationship with them. So price it for the unexpected because in big corporate, you're going to have the unexpected.
Brea: So here's what I'm hearing from you and what I'm feeling in my bones are the three P's. It's people finding the right person to talk to. It's paperwork. It's so much paperwork and processes, right? There are so many processes that you just have to kind of learn to navigate or just throw your hands up and just go with the ride, you know?
Lisa: Yeah, and hey, I mean, I'll just add in another P because when you're talking about prospecting as another P, I think in general, if the topic of this show is selling to corporate clients, when people start a coaching, speaking, training kind of business, we get into it because we love the work.
What percentage of coaches do you think are like, “oh my gosh, I didn't know I needed to spend at least half my time being a salesperson or a marketing person.” So that prospecting element, I'm going to just add an extra P in there for you that I think that's another surprise. What it takes to find prospective customers. Where are they? How do I find them? What is my process going to be?
For some, it's social media. For some, it's tapping into an existing past network or people that you've known in your career. For some, it's going to chamber events or other types of networking events and meeting people. Sometimes it's a local effort and they're trying to build business in a specific city. And you can have successful paths through all of those. But it definitely is something you have to be conscious of that it's a thing with corporate clients.
Brea: Yeah. And maybe the fifth P is pricing. This is such a mystery still to me, even though I have worked successfully with corporate clients. It's how do you price it? Right. Especially if you've never done it before and it's your very first contract. So there we go. The five P's of selling to corporate.
Lisa: I know. And we're all over the place, aren't we? I mean, and that's fine. That is a beauty of it. I have heard plenty of our peers say when they're starting out, they've delivered a speech for $700 and I have friends. I know because they're thinking one hour. They're thinking, Oh, that sounds like a lot for an hour.
Sometimes you have to overcome that with a client because they also think of it as one hour. But we, I also have friends who are 20,000 plus for one speech.
Brea: Yeah.
Lisa: There's such a variety. And it's fine.
Brea: And, and I think the mystery for me when it comes to corporate clients is, um, is you don't know what their budget is. Like, you know, that they have a price in mind. Right. And every company is different.
So how do you come in not too high that you lose the, you know, the opportunity, but not too low that you look like a total idiot?! He's never done this before. Right. You gotta come in where they're expecting you to come in. But how do you know? Because what one corporation may do isn't necessarily what, you know, another one will.
I don't have any answers. I'm just here. I'm just here taking notes and saying, if you feel like it's hard, it is. And I'm with you.
Lisa: Well, and I also say you have to have some awareness of things like, okay, here are some things early on that I forgot would be important, but they weren't surprising, even though they surprised me. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes you're like, oh, of course, duh.
Brea: But when I started selling it, yes, you just recognize it when it shows up, you know?
Lisa: Yes. Like, for example, if you went to deliver a workshop to Apple, and you walked in with a Lenovo laptop, no. That's just a hard no. You would cannot do that. So there are times where I have, based on the operating system or even the chipset, let's say you're in big tech, Do they only have Intel?
Like when I'm working with Samsung, well luckily when I worked with Samsung, they don't let you bring in any electronics. You can't get past the front door because you're supposed to leave it all in your car and go through a metal detector. So maybe that's a bad example.
But you have to know those things and you have to know, can I buy Can I bring in a thing that has a component part that is representative of one of their customers and will that offend them in a way that it becomes a note? Another is if they're used to dealing with vendors in person, some companies will expect that you fly in for prospective conversations.
It's not as much of an expectation these days. That was something that the era of COVID brought to us where almost everybody is now willing to have calls over camera. But others, they expect, hey, if we're having conversations, you're flying in on your dime to go have a conversation about the services.
So if that's the case, you're likely going to want to be pitching a big program, not a one-time event, because if you didn't win it, your event can't be profitable with that kind of in-person conversation, unless they're local. So all these kind of things to navigate and know the expectations. In corporate, here's a fun surprise. Sometimes learning the departments that you really mesh with well, can help you get in faster because you’re already a trusted vendor.
You get in with one team and it expands from there. One manager team at a time, one bid at a time. So for example, I really work great with marketing and sales teams. We close fast. They make decisions really quickly when we're together. They're just like, yes, this is it. Boom. Let's go. Where do I sign? Let's not have any more formalities.
That's been a thing. Is that the nature of those departments or is it that we matched so well? I don't know. But if I'm working with HR teams, usually the opportunities are bigger because it might be more like the centralized department that's covering development for 100,000 people.
So maybe they follow the rules more because they're in HR - might be the nature of the work. It might be because they are not as likely to pay on a credit card. They're going to go through their procurement process. And they also have the bigger upside because they might bring you on for 100 training classes in a year. So those are some of the things that I don't know how much you pre-plan for those.
You just experience it and start to learn it. And then you figure out when X happens, things happen really fast and really nicely for me. Maybe those tell you you're in great alignment. So those are the kind of companies and departments that you work really great with. So that could be where you focus your attention so that you're not spending as much time feeling like you're running your head against the wall.
Brea: Absolutely. Yes. It's also reminding me of another challenge that I've found and this is not just in corporate, but a lot of corporate turnover, you know, finally you start to make some inroads and then all of a sudden that person isn't there anymore because they got let go or because they restructured or because, you know, fill in the blank. So then you got to start all over again.
Lisa: It's wild. You know, the biggest contract I sold was $297,000. I was so excited about it. It went swimmingly. It was like, oh, this is amazing. If I could re-land this every year, it would be so perfect. I mean, everything was going. Yeah. The gig was great. The people were great. The relationship was great. And in the 11th month of the 12-month rollout, they had a rework, and there was a new VP, there was a new director, there was a new manager, the program got deleted, and all the people turned over and just poof, gone.
No opportunity for that to repeat. But if I had won that same contract five years before, that could have been part of my revenue for five years in a row. So you just you really don't know and you have to consider it. I think that's a great surprise to bring up is the eggs in the basket kind of concept.
You could sit back on your laurels and say, oh, look, I have two big contracts. I'm just going to hang. And if you stopped marketing and stopped trying and stopped reaching out, you might really shoot yourself in the foot two years later when you had to start over.
Brea: Oh, absolutely. Oh,
Lisa: That's important.
Brea: Yeah. So the starry eyed emoji is now I'm like, this is just hearing all of this and reliving, you know, my experiences that are resonating. It's like from starry eyed to just like full on streaming tears, you know, it's just like, I don't even know if corporate is worth my time or my energy. And, and I have found, you know, a nice home with, smaller businesses and even local small businesses. And when those corporate opportunities come along, it's awesome.
I just did a one-on-one coaching session with a high school senior. The mom bought a coaching session for her daughter and for herself. So they both did built-in trainings. We did a debrief individually for each, but kind of at the same time, they were present to share that experience together. really sweet. Well, it turns out that mother is in the C-suite for a very big hospital chain.
Boom, there you go. It's like, wow, I wasn't looking for this, right? But here's this person in front of me that I definitely need to talk to. And so when those things come up, I'll put in the work and the time to follow it and pursue it and be patient. But most often I'm not out there looking for those opportunities because it just doesn't doesn't fuel me. You know, I lose gas really fast.
Lisa: Well, those sound just perfect. And plus you lead through connectedness. So being able to just be open to the fact that those are going to drop in sometimes and it's not what you're leading with and they'll drop in. And you know, like those are the best scenarios when someone says, oh, well, oh, I'm in charge of these seven locations.
I want to bring it to each location. So let's do these seven different rollouts. And sometimes they'll just drop a giant project in front of you and you're like, And other times, here's one I think people run into when they're selling to corporate clients. They think, okay, I'm gonna sell to corporate clients.
I have the most aligned amazing experience. I'm in their industry. Let's take one like, okay, I'm in hospitality and that's where I've spent my whole career and now I'm an executive coach and I specialize in executives and hospitality and I'm gonna come in and coach leaders in that industry. It seems so niche, so perfect. And then a leader, you connect with a leader there and they're like, this is amazing. I'm going to bring you in with all of my other senior VP peers.
And they start bringing you in and they realize from corporate HR, oh wait, we have the International Coaching Alliance as an approved vendor. And they're the only people approved to deliver coaching. So if you want to be part of coaching, you have to go through them. So these things that get real convoluted sometimes come up where they're like, you have to get billed through there.
Then they reach out to this coaching alliance, and then you have to be a subcontractor to the coaching alliance, and it's this detached kind of thing, and oh, they're gonna take a cut, but you brought the business in, but the cut is there, and you have to price that in, but you have to go with their rates, because they already established their rates to become an approved vendor.
So those surprises are definitely worth being ready for and maybe even asking those questions. I find it's way more common with coaching than anything else, but it also comes up with speaking. We'll have approved vendor bureaus. I've had to get paid through a speaking bureau that I had never interacted with before, but it's the only person they can get paid through.
So you go through that bureau. The same happens with training services. Sometimes it's really interesting how their procurement departments have done this to be efficient and to lock in prices. Sometimes they've done reverse bidding. I call them reverse bidding wars, but they like send their specs out and they have all the vendors bid on it so that one they can only deal with one vendor and that one vendor wins the business and that one vendor likely came in with the lowest price.
Not always, but they came in with all of the factors that needed to be in place to win that business. And they've centralized on that one vendor. And you have to then be a sub of that vendor. That's something I never even knew existed until I got into the corporate world. And sometimes that pops up as something to navigate.
Brea: There's just so much. I mean, my brain is spinning from all the things that we could talk about. Yeah. Okay. So there are so many people who are listening and want to sell into corporate. So instead of being surprised by that, maybe do a little bit of research and go and try to be proactive and align yourself there. I know I've found certain certifications that corporate clients have partnered with.
And so you could go get certified from that company and then they're the ones that give you all the clients. So not dealing with corporate directly, but finding corporate clients in a coaching certification.
Lisa: Yes.
Brea: I think something else I was surprised about was how, because learning and development and assessments and these types of workshops and coaching and training are so commonly offered in corporate, I thought it would be so easy because that's what they're looking for. But sometimes I was surprised that they, oh, well, we've already done strengths.
Lisa: Right.
Brea: We did it once five years ago as a team. Right. So we're done. So thank you so much, but we don't, you know, we don't need you. Or there's a challenge. Even if you win the bid, you go in and you deliver, you're walking into a room of a lot of people who have their minds made up about what they're going to experience with you based on other trainers that have come in for other assessments, right.
Or other workshops that they've done in a similar vein. They just automatically lump you into. their past experiences, which might be good and might be bad. But that has surprised me and challenged me. I haven't seen that in smaller businesses that maybe don't have as many opportunities to offer these types of things to their people.
Lisa: That is a great point. It's a both a pro and a con in corporate because they might be like, hey, look, during my corporate career, I've done it all. I've done Myers-Briggs. I've done DISC. I've done Hogan. I've done Berkman. I've done VIA. I've done CliftonStrengths. I've done The Fascination. I've done this. I've done The Insights. They will rattle them all off and they're like, It could be, we love all of those.
It could be, Oh, gosh, here's another one. Which one are we going to do this quarter? And you don't know what the perspective of the team is going to be. But if they didn't have the greatest experience in the past, they might be in an eye roll view of it as a participant.
On the other hand, when people are like, Hey, we have a brand new team, we should do something for a team builder when we get together for our quarterly meeting that's in person. Oh, have you ever done StrengthsFinder? Oh, yeah, I did that years ago. We should do StrengthsFinder. And they remember these, like for us, it's a really old terminology, but I get lots of people coming to me still saying, I want StrengthsFinder because they remember it, it's part of corporate, they've done it in corporate.
So it brings a recognition to a product that we didn't even have to create. And it gives us a little bit of a leg up to be able to get in because they already know they want that thing.
Brea: Yes, yes. So for better or worse, you know, kind of lays the groundwork for you. So to be aware, you know, that those preconceived notions are there and to prepare for that.
Lisa: Yes, yes, yes. Well, I hope all of you listeners, I hope that you got something cool out of this that will help you mitigate some of those surprises and give you strategy to chew on. It's not like this was meant to be a roadmap, like here is how to sell to corporate clients, but More like, here are some pros and cons.
Brea: Because that roadmap doesn't exist, by the way.
Lisa: Yeah, if you made that roadmap exist, it could look six different ways. And yeah. All right, Brea well, if someone wants to work with you, whether it is one of those corporate clients listening in, or maybe one of the others who are like, oh, yes, she likes those medium businesses, and that is me. Tell them how to work with you.
Brea: Well, you can just come on over to my website, BreaRoper.com, B-R-E-A-R-O-P-E-R.com. And I'd love to chat and learn more about what it is that you're looking for, what problem you're trying to solve, what it is that you hope to gain from working together and we'll customize a solution that fits for you.
Lisa: Beautiful. And me, Lisa, at Lead Through Strengths, this has been our thing. Big corporate clients have been our focus, so it's totally our comfort zone. And also, I do a program called Tools for Coaches, and it's a $100 a month community where I give away all of my tools, templates, the documentation, and just give you a leg up so you save a lot of time on these kind of situations when you're in that community. And that's at LeadThroughStrengths.com over on the Tools for Coaches link.
Brea: So good. So good. All right. Go on out there and get your business. Go get those corporate clients.
Lisa: Yeah. If you want them. And if you do, go make a huge difference because they have a massive number of employees out there in the world who need what we do as coaches and speakers and trainers. And if this one lights you up and it's a customer set you want, let's get out there and have a big ripple effect.
Brea: See y'all later. Bye.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Do You Want to Offer Group Coaching | 27 Apr 2025 | 00:21:29 | |
Thinking about offering group coaching programs? This episode is for you!
We explore the many benefits it offers – for those being coached and also for coaches themselves. Things like opportunities for support and feedback, profitability and scalability, and developing deep, lasting friendships.
We also share a few different program structures we’ve tried, and the impact we’ve seen. If you're curious about how group coaching can benefit your organization, or if you're a coach looking to expand your offerings, tune in to this episode! 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways ● Affordability and Accessibility: For many individuals, one-on-one coaching can be a financial stretch. Group coaching is often more budget-friendly than one-on-one sessions, making it an attractive option for those looking to access top-tier coaches without a hefty price tag. ● Networking and Peer Learning: Participants in group coaching can build meaningful connections with peers who share similar challenges, fostering a supportive community that extends beyond the coaching sessions. Offering group coaching allows individuals to learn, not only from the coach, but also from observing and engaging with others in the group, enhancing the overall learning experience. ● Scalability for Coaches: Instead of being limited to one-on-one sessions, coaches can reach and impact more people simultaneously. This not only increases profitability but also allows coaches to create a ripple effect of positive change. Plus, the energy and interaction in group settings can be incredibly motivating for both coaches and participants, making the experience more enjoyable and fulfilling. ● Flexibility in Structure: Group coaching offers can take many forms, from small cohorts to larger sessions, and can be tailored in duration, allowing coaches to experiment with different formats to find what works best for their audience. Experiment to find what works best for you! 🎧Listen now and let us know your thoughts! We’d love to hear how delivering has impacted your journey. #GroupCoaching #Coaching #Networking #ProfessionalDevelopment #Podcast #Leadership #CoachingCommunity
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa: I'm Lisa. Brea: I'm Brea. Lisa: And today's topic is all about group coaching. So do you want to deliver or offer group coaching? Brea: Yes. You should. You know, not that I'm going to should on everybody, but really you should. There are so many benefits of delivering group coaching. Brea: But if you've ever asked yourself that question, group coaching, should I do that? This is the episode for you. Lisa: Yes, it is. Yes, it is. I was thinking we could talk about the two angles. Of course, anytime you have a product or a service, so we're even talking to you internal coaches who are coaching for an organization as an employee. Lisa: Well, you might have a lot of reasons you want to incorporate group coaching into your internal practice. Certainly, if you're an independent coach, you might want to introduce this into your product offerings. And as always, we want to think about the person we're being of service to, right? Some people call them coachee. Lisa: I will often call them the person being coached because people look at me weird if I say coachee. It is such a weird word. It's such a weird word. It is. Lisa: It is. So anyway, we want to think of that person Let's, let's take that angle first. Cause of course it can benefit. You can benefit your organization, but let's talk about the person receiving the coaching first and why group coaching could be great to consider from that person's point of view. Lisa: What say you, Brea? Brea: Oh my gosh. Well, one of the main reasons that I hear people are attracted to group coaching when they're considering one-on-one versus group coaching, it's price, you know, group coaching is usually cheaper, so it makes it just a little bit more affordable. And it's a great way for them to get to know the coach and receive some coaching, you know, receive the value of it for not a big spend. It's just kind of a smaller step before they're ready to commit to one-on-one coaching. Lisa: I had not even thought of price. And could you imagine like some people want access to a specific coach and they just cannot get that in their budget at this time, but they could get access to that person with a more intimate kind of relationship if they did group coaching. Smart. Brea: I've got a whole list, but I'm sure you do too. Lisa, what else do you think of? All right, we'll ping pong back and forth. Lisa: I think my favorite benefit to the coachee is the network. Because let's say you're doing a group program and you're like, I'm going into this program on how to get rid of my imposter syndrome as a new senior leader. Well, you are now in a room with 10 or 15 other senior leaders who are also currently experiencing imposter syndrome. I mean, the ability to network and really grow your relationships with people who are like you, who understand you. Lisa: It's so cool. And because you're learning from peers who you respect, when they're learning, and the coach, let's say the coach is doing like a focus on that person, whether it's a hot seat or whatever you call it, depending on what kind of program you have. But If they're focusing in and doing a coaching spotlight with that one person, and that one person is not you, you still benefit so immensely because you're watching someone who has the same issue or challenge you have. You're watching the coach and you can't help it. Lisa: You're coaching them in your mind. You're like, Oh, this is what I would think of that. Oh, this is how I'd approach that. And you're learning about yourself while you're doing it. Lisa: It's an incredible way to learn and meet people. I just love that richness. I think that's amazing. That might've been like, two different things in one, both the networking and how you learn from peers. Lisa: But gosh, that is a really big deal. Brea: Yes, I agree. Peer feedback is, if not number one, it's, you know, it's tied with my number one, I think. So I'm glad that you brought that up. The other part of the networking piece is the network just really like commits to supporting each other, not just in the session, but also outside of. Brea: And what I mean is like on LinkedIn, whenever I post something, I'm going to tag the people that are in my group that were in that coaching session. We were just talking about, you know, being bold and putting something out on LinkedIn. So we tag those people and everybody likes and comments and boost the algorithm and just shows that support. So the network is, is more than just building friendships. Brea: It's actually committing to, to support each other in their business. Um, which I think is so cool. Oh yeah. Lisa: I mean, you made me think of two things there. One is, if you paid $1,000 to be in a group program, and that group program is six weeks long, but you made really tight relationships and friendships during that time, now that learning and peer network carries forward for years to come. So you pay for this quick thing, and then it lasts in a way that one-on-one coaching can't without continuing to pay. Brea: That is super cool. That's the power of of spending time with each other. You show up to a group coaching program and you're vulnerable, you're open, you're hungry, you're learning, and you're all in it together. So it really can form some great friendships. Lisa: I think that's why it's so cool that it goes beyond the person. Because you buy a group coaching program or you buy into a group coaching program or membership or course, however the structure, because it could be literal coaching, it could be a course, it could be a membership, lots of different structures to group coaching, but you buy it based on that person selling it and you're sold on that person. And what is so cool to me is how often you get into this group coaching and you're satisfied with the purchase based on that person and how they run their program. And then all those extra people are like bonuses. Lisa: It's incredible what relationships form from group coaching. Brea: It's amazing. Yeah. You know, another great thing about being in a group coaching cohort is the added availability. I don't know about you, but my brain is always coming up with questions and it's usually not in the moment. Brea: You know, it's like after I've stepped out of it that I'm like, oh shoot, we should have talked about this or I should have talked about that. And it's like, you know, you can do that with a group coaching program. You've got all these other people in the cohort that you can reach out to outside of the sessions. You're not just limited to the one hour you've paid for with the one person. Brea: You have more time to practice what you're learning and just ask questions without that added burden of being limited to time Yeah. Oh, what a good one. Lisa: This makes me just want to go sign up for more group programs right now. Brea: I know. I love it. I mean, you and I both, Lisa, we're social beings, you know, very social. So the people part of it is super, super attractive. Brea: But these other practical elements, I think, are really great for you as a coach, for the listeners, to remember this is a great thing to consider. So maybe we should talk about that. Why might a coach want to consider it for themselves? Lisa: Before we go to coach, I just feel like, I think this is a thing. My sister is super introverted and loves to tell me that the whole world is not extroverted like me. I'm like, just to put a little closure on this, I want to say for those of you who are not mega social beings like Brea and like me, don't think this is just an extrovert's game. It is a really incredible what you can get just watching what happens in a mastermind hot seat coaching or in a demo where someone's in front of the room. Lisa: You don't have to be social to watch someone else. You could just sit there in your own solitary world and just watch and soak in and have your mind exploding with nuances that you learned that you never even signed up to learn. Little things that you change about how you move forward. It's incredible. Lisa: So it is beneficial for all. Brea: Yes, introverts, welcome! Lisa: OK, OK, now let's move. You said, let's go to the coach side. How are these programs of service to the coach who's offering the program? Yeah. Brea: Well, Price, I guess I'll just start with the same thing, right? It can be very lucrative for you as a coach to build a group coaching model. because you're able to serve more people and profit from more people at once, right? So you're getting more bang for your buck as far as the time goes. Brea: Does that make sense? Yes. Lisa: Oh yeah. Brea: Heck yeah. Lisa: Yeah. You know, I like profitability. I also think it's been really cool where you can serve so many more people, have such a big ripple effect by being out there in service of others, where one-on-ones, you'll just blow past your capacity eventually. We go through waves sometimes where we're in a really high demand time. Lisa: And we feel bad when we can't serve people who are like, please take my money. I love your service. Please come into my organization and do this thing, or please coach me. And you cannot, because you are just blowing way over your own capacity. Lisa: So a group program also keeps that from happening. Brea: Yep, that's right. I mean, the potential for impact is so much greater. When you've got more people in the room, you're doing more. You're doing more for the same amount of energy, the same amount of effort. Brea: So love a good group coaching program. Yeah. And if you're like me, I come out of group sessions and I am on fire, you know, I don't want them to end. And, um, all the interaction with everyone, the, the group versus the one-on-one is really where I'm at my best, you know? Brea: Um, and so it's, it's good for me because of my talents. So that's something to consider too. if a group sounds fun, then that's a reason to do it because it's fun. Yes. Brea: Yes. Lisa: Cause if it's fun, you're going to serve better. Yes. I'm going to say this is tagging onto your first one and specifically probably make it mean something a little different for me is this idea of building a more scalable practice, whether you're an independent coach or an internal coach. I have had so many times during my coaching life where I get myself so busy that I have literal 12 hours blocked on my calendar where I know exactly what I am supposed to be doing for every minute. Lisa: Get in that 12 hour block. I'm running through my house like a tornado. It is a ridiculous sight to see. And then I think, as far as being scalable, think about how many times you get asked the same question over and over again. Lisa: And if you could offer that one time, you can create one video, send it out to the entire group, have a discussion around it, and it can live on forever. It gives you so much scale. So I would just say as a person who has always tended toward going back to overbooking myself and creating overwhelm, the beauty of a group program to give you space to really allow yourself to relax into it and show up as that best version of you instead of that frantic swirling around version. Brea: Oh my gosh. Nobody wants to live in the middle of a tornado. That is not, not the life that I'm looking for. Wow. Brea: Well, you kind of stole, it wasn't exactly what I was going to say, but along the same lines. So I don't want to, you know, like go over that again. Um, I feel like we've got, it's a good list. It's a good list. Brea: We covered a lot in a little bit of time. Lisa: Oh, you know, okay. I have one final one. Yeah. And you made me think of this while you were talking about the benefit to the person getting coached, the friendships, the vibes, the just like feeling amazing when you're of service to someone and you have that relationship and it's just giving in all the directions. Lisa: It does work in both ways. It serves the person getting coached, and it serves the person coaching, and it feels so enriching. It's an incredible way to live. I mean, being coaches, internal or independent coach, if we crafted a life where it feels like you're hanging out with your friends for a living, oh my gosh, it's so darn cool. Lisa: And I could not be more grateful for that. I think that is… It's the unexpected. It's not like I thought you would, you know, you don't think your people you serve are going to be enemies or something, but the level of friendships and love toward the people that you serve, it is an incredible thing that it does for your life. And I think it's been one of the bigger surprises in how deep those go. Brea: Yeah, I totally agree and have benefited in the exact same way. I know that if I was, ever in any of their towns, I could call them up and say, Hey, I'm in town and I haven't talked to you in five years. How you doing? You know, that's incredible. Brea: It's incredible. Yeah. You know, a couple other things are coming to mind as far as what group coaching could look like, right? Um, it could be a small group. Brea: Like I think many of us would think, you know, eight to 10 is usually like a really great size. 20 to 30 could be even bigger, right? Actually, the time that I spent serving SOAR, one cohort had almost a hundred people in it. And we showed up twice a week together live. Brea: And then I did a one-on-one session with everyone. So it was a lot. Okay. A lot. Brea: That is making me tired. Lisa: It was a lot. You're talking big group. I think what you just brought up is also so important, because a lot of people who are internal coaches, they're like, yeah, I'm responsible for all leadership development for my company. And that happens to be 12,000 people. Lisa: So how big can a group be without just being considered a big old webinar, a big old course? And there are plenty of programs that do 100 people level cohorts. I probably you're not going to have the stamina that Brea had to do that many one on ones. But even if you met up, even if you took out the one on ones and just said, it's a group program, it's for 100 people, it's two times a week live, that is a lot of touchpoint action for that group. Brea: You know, I also, I've hosted what's what I call weekly office hours, which is kind of a group coaching variation, where you know, it's advertised that I'm going to be on the zoom on this day, you know, for this hour or for this time and anybody can pop in. And sometimes that ends up being a one-on-one coaching session, you know, for the lucky winner who, you know, was there by themselves. Sometimes it's a lot of people in a room, you know, or a small amount of people in a room, but there is that group coaching element. And I think that can be beneficial to you as a coach to just, again, um, provide an opportunity for people who want to work with you. Brea: You don't have time for a one-on-one contract, you know, for an extended amount of time, but you can say, Hey, come to this. I'm committed one hour a week, you know, to be here or one hour a month even, or whatever you want it to be. But to just leave that open ended for anyone who you meet networking or who reaches out to you on LinkedIn or anyone that, that wants to work with you, boom, there it is. You've got it already in your calendar. Brea: So. they can, they can come. Lisa: Amazing. Yeah. There are so many structures. I guess you have the kind of the numbers broken down. Lisa: You can do a structure that is more like the traditional mastermind where it is the hot seat where that one lucky person gets coached. It can be open Q and a, it can be, um, even in my tools for coaches, we have an open, We call it tea time. It's really just coach connection slash Q&A. It's the spot where all the people who do coaching, speaking, training, and our friends and families and outside of our lives at work, they're like, what do you do again? Lisa: And no one really understands what it is you do. Now you're in a room full of all the people who understand and you can ask one question and you'll get 20 ideas. I was just talking with a friend the other day and we were musing about how Isn't it cool that we can show up in that room and we're all what outsiders would think of as competitors, but we show up in the room together and we share the insides of our business, our resources, our ideas, our tools, and it just creates an environment that is so unique. So that's another version where it's a group program and you get so much more out of it than you would out of a one-on-one. Lisa: Yes. I think I would close out with a thought on time. The duration is a big question because how long should I make my group program? So from the coach perspective, should I make this a six week thing? Lisa: You talked about a 14 week bootcamp. I have corporate clients who do two year leadership accelerators. So the answer to that time thing is really, it can be as long or short as you want, but I love that for creativity and for a coach who's creating a program, Why not do a six-week, 10-week, 12-week, shorter kind of thing and see what you think of it? Because it's such a great place to experiment. Lisa: You get a lot of feedback. If you have 15 people who go through a six-week program, you can finish the program, and then you can tweak it for the next one. And by the time you're a few in, you have really made a huge difference in the way that you show up for your clients compared with what it would be like if you took all of those people through a one-on-one program. Brea: And that's another, you're, you're teasing another benefit for the coach. You, it's very easy to use a group coaching program, especially if it's a shorter time commitment as a lead generator for one-on-one coaching, right? So people get a taste of working with you. They get excited, they're invested, they're seeing results. Brea: You can easily see results after six weeks and they've had a great time. And it's a shorter runway to a more profitable sale, right? or a higher ticket item that you may have. Lisa: You could create multiple group programs. You can take your broad topic and now you funnel into group programs that people are eligible for that go into a different skill set or focus area. Brea: And I know I keep kind of setting it up where it sounds like it has to be group coaching or one-on-one, but the most successful group coaching programs that I've been a part of have a one-on-one element as well, right? We meet as a group and you have the opportunity or even the option to have one-on-one coaching, which is just so great because you get all the benefits of all the things, the personal attention and the peer feedback and the relationships and all of that. So it doesn't have to be either or. Lisa: Well, I'm leaving this episode feeling like I'm going to go join more and deliver more, it's just beneficial on both sides. And I get really hyped about them. And I just, if you're a Tools for Coaches member listening in, I adore you. You are so incredible, and thanks for being part of enriching my life. Brea: That's so wonderful. I'm sure they feel the same, Lisa. I'll speak for them. I'm sure they feel the same. Brea: I'm doing the heart thing with my hands, you know. Well, I agree. I think, I think the tornado has has gone and I'm just seeing clear blue skies, you know? Peace. Brea: That's right. That's right. Cool. Yeah. Brea: Good. All right, BreaRoper.com, LeadThroughStrengths.com. Anything else you want to remind people about? Lisa: No, I think we’re all good. See you around.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Building Your Coaching Business with BP10 | 13 Apr 2025 | 00:24:11 | |
Ever wish you knew what all the best business builders had in common? What talents contributed to their success? Well, that’s exactly what the BP10 is all about! If you want to build a successful coaching business, you need to tune in!
We kick things off by explaining what BP10 stands for (Builder Profile 10) and how it identifies the top talents that successful business builders possess. We also share about our own top talents and how they influence our approaches to business, especially when it comes to building relationships and profitability. Spoiler alert: we have different strengths, but that’s what makes our conversation so rich! We also discuss the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people—your personal "board of directors"—to fill in the gaps where you might not excel.
Whether you're contemplating starting your own business or looking to enhance your existing one, this episode is packed with tips and encouragement to help you leverage your unique strengths for success. So grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let’s get building! 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways on BP10 ● Actionable Insights from the BP10 Framework: The various worksheets and tools provided in the "Born to Build" book, which accompany the BP10 assessment. These resources encourage self-reflection and help you articulate your purpose, dreams, and plans for the future. Brea mentioned the purpose journal as a particularly impactful tool for self-awareness. If you're considering starting your own business or transitioning from a corporate job, I highly recommend diving into these resources. They can provide clarity and direction as you embark on your entrepreneurial journey. ● There are talents specific to building a business: The BP10 assessment identifies the top talents necessary for building a successful business. It emphasizes that no one person possesses all ten talents, highlighting the importance of collaboration and filling gaps with the right people. ● The assessment is just the beginning: The assessment unlocks additional resources, including worksheets and activities, that promote self-reflection and strategic planning. Taking action with these tools can lead to greater insights and business success. ● The BP10 Talents and CliftonStrengths work well together: Both assessments can provide a deeper awareness of personal strengths and areas for growth in business. Take Action ● Take the Assessment: If you purchase a physical copy of the book, Born To Build, it includes a code to take the assessment. If you prefer to go paperless, you can purchase an assessment code here. ● Read "Born to Build": Purchase and read the book "Born to Build" by Gallup. ● Complete the worksheets and activities included with the assessment to gain a deeper understanding of your business-building capabilities. ● Compare your BP10 with your CliftonStrengths: Take the time to reflect on how your BP10 talents align with your CliftonStrengths. This can help you understand how to leverage your unique combination of strengths for greater success in building your coaching practice. ● Join a Group Coaching program: If you don’t want to go through the BP10 resources alone, consider joining a cohort of other coaches. This can provide support and accountability as you explore your talents. ○ BP10 Coaching Cohort with Brea Roper ○ Jeff Liscum’s BP10 Training Course. 🎧If you're intrigued by the BP10 assessment and want to learn more about how it can help you build a successful coaching practice, be sure to check out the full episode! #Podcast #BusinessBuilding #BP10 #Gallup #Entrepreneurship #Coaching #Networking #SelfAwareness
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram AI-Generated Transcript Lisa:
Brea:
Lisa:
Brea:
What Gallup has done is they looked at people who highly successful builders as far as entrepreneurial and building businesses. They've identified what talents have gotten them there and made a list of 10 that you need to build a successful business.
Lisa:
Brea: If I'm cold calling or I'm reaching out to a company that I've never reached out to before, my first instinct always is to go to LinkedIn and see, do I know anyone that works there now or that has worked there or that might have a connection there?
That's always my first instinct, which may or may not be helpful, you know, but that relationship is always always leading me.
Lisa:
Brea:
I just, I don't love doing it alone. I love doing it with people. I love doing it for people. From creating my offerings, it comes back to that relationship. What does the customer in front of me need? That's what I'll create an offer for. What are the relationships that I have? Who are the people in my network?
What do they need? Or where are they? Then I show up at those networking events. Relationship leads everything.
Lisa:
And mine has a little different angle and I totally can map it to my strengths. So my number one is profitability. I know you're so surprised.
Brea: That's low for me. So having relationships, people in my circle who bring that is such a gift. And that one is… Oh, go ahead.
Lisa: It does, but it happens so fast. And I think this would reflect my strategic talent from
CliftonStrengths. It's such a vetting tool for me. If we're talking in the context of business, not in my hobbies or my giving strategies or something like that, if it's literally in the context of my business, then if it's not profitable, then I just throw it out immediately.
Because if it's not profitable and doesn't seem to have the chance to be, I have 10 other things that I could do that I enjoy that would be profitable. So go for those. And it's just like you in, you out.
And then, and then I don't think about it a lot. So it's not one of those that I think lives in my head all day, every day is how I feel. It's just like an early filter and then out.
Brea: Because the profitability is so low that it just doesn't motivate me.
So for instance, I understand from a business standpoint, I understand the value of having an evergreen something something. You know, something passive income, you know, something that generates income while you sleep.
You know, I, I get how cool that would be to just wake up and have mailbox money as they call it down in Nashville. Like, but there's no relationship. There's no, like, it really just doesn't, fuel me at all.
I would much rather create offerings that are profitable that allow me to connect with the client instead of just selling them a digital something and never talking to them.
Lisa:
Okay, if yes, you're in, you get the shot at it. And then because relationship is high in my list, then for me, it's like, okay, now, because I do love people and I like being around people, then, okay, do I already know someone who I could ask questions of?
Or do I already have customers who I know and love and the feeling is mutual and I could put in a phone call and we could have a chat about it and they could help me? That the idea I also see in the BP10 report is a watch out. It says ensure your networking activities don't detract from accomplishing other tasks.
And that has totally been true in my lifetime. I can get so deep into like having the fun social part of business because it's so fun. Then is the time suck so high that it's getting out of balance for me?
It is something I have to watch, especially living out in remote areas. If I'm going to do the in-person relationship thing, it's going to take a day of dedication. So is that day sometimes I'll have to say, this is a relationship day.
I'm doing it on purpose to feed my relationships. But if I'm doing it for business, I would throw it out because it wouldn't be worth the hours. So sometimes I even make those delineations. Just to feel like, okay, no, I'm actually doing this because this is a real human friendship sort of thing that I want, but it is a business meeting. This wouldn't be worth eight hours of time of our friendship.
I'm going to go into town. I'm going to combine it with other trips. I'm going to do these other things. So it is interesting how it comes into how I spend my time, how often I do it, what it's about.
But I'll definitely think of relationship as a way to build business first, just because if you could build it 15 different ways and the relationship way is really fun, then why not go for one? If it can be profitable and fun and have a meaningful relationship all in one, I'm in.
Brea: You know, I, this is gonna sound bold because it is. I really, really love BP10. I love CliftonStrengths more. Okay, let's be honest.
And I love how the two of them work together. It's very, very easy to see how your CliftonStrengths are really bringing the nuance to these builder talents. But I will say that BP10 is the single most valuable thing that I've done for my business, I think.
Like the $20 for the code and the time that I put into the worksheets, the activities that the book kind of takes you through, like those resources that Gallup provides, if I did not do that for my business the first year that I was in business, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't still be in business today.
Lisa:
Brea:
And independence being number 10. You cannot do this on your own. You don't want to do this on your own.
You will not do this on your own. And if you're going to really make a business, you've got to make money, you know. So you can't just live in la la land of like, oh, I'll just spend all my time building these relationships and going to these networking things like what you just said.
And hope that the dollars fall out of the sky. So even though, you laugh because you can't imagine a world, but believe me, I've lived in that world. So I think it's so powerful to see it on paper, just like it's so powerful for us to see our own CliftonStrengths, our own talents on paper and be like, okay, yeah, these are my talents, these aren't my talents.
But that's the thing about BP10 that's very different than CliftonStrengths is in order to be a successful builder, according to the research that Gallup has done, you have to have all 10 of these things present in your business. And what they've understood through research is no one person has all 10 of these talents.
So it's different than CliftonStrengths, right? Because we say you don't need all 34. You know, all 34 are good, but it's OK if you, you know, if you don't have all 34 as your top.
But this is saying you need all 10 of these. So for me to see what I needed to be successful, what I didn't have, that if I wanted to be successful, I needed to find these things or these people. I needed to fill these gaps. It was just such a clear, simple way to figure out where do I start building this business.
Lisa:
Brea:
There's a purpose journal where it's really a self-awareness exercise, helping you figure out what's your why, what's your purpose, what experiences have you had. You get to dream a little bit about your plans for the future.
I love the purpose journal because it was just reflection and dreaming and all the things that I do well, right? There's a self-schema tool that was really powerful for me that helped me kind of dig into the themes themselves. Honestly, all of them were helpful.
Overall, just having that framework and that structure for me was super, super helpful.
Lisa:
Brea:
They include the code in the back. So the book is like, I don't know, between 20 and 25 bucks, depending on the day on Amazon, read the book through and download the worksheets online and just go through, go through the book and do the worksheets as you, as you go through. And if you don't want to do it on your own, then come and do it with me in a small group that I lead.
Lisa:
Brea:
Lisa:
Brea: Lisa:
Brea:
Lisa:
Like if you don't have these 10, all really high, then who else do you have in your life whose opinion you respect, but thinks totally different from you, who you could make part of this process, and it's, I thought that was pretty cool after I pooh-poohed it initially. That's so funny.
Brea: Do you have a role model? Do you have an expert? Accountability partner, I think, is one of them. So there are specific people that you need on your board to fill specific roles.
Which from my experience in nonprofit world, I have seen, unfortunately, a lot of nonprofits pull together a board of directors that are just like their friends. And so I loved Gallup's board of directors because it was very specific about the perspectives that you need to surround you to make sure that you're covering all your bases. So cool.
How do you feel like your CliftonStrengths, maybe think of your top five or so, how can you see those influencing your BP10 talents?
Lisa:
They're the ones who say this fits. It's kind of like I'm just, I'm very visual and I see this Venn diagram that only has two circles instead of three and one side, says, here's a service I know how to provide and love providing it.
And the other side says, the market wants it and needs it. And where they overlap, boom, it's going to be profitable and it's going to be a great match.
And so I think those talents line up with that. And then there are things in there with disruptor that's also in my top. And building and testing a minimally viable product, launching to early adopters, iterating, that is so maximizer.
And so individualization, like let's figure out what is unique, what's a unique differentiator, what's something different that the market might have an appetite for, but it hasn't been available readily. So, that you get the novel part of things and then also be open and willing to iterate.
Brea:
BP10 uses your top four, so it was not part of that top four. I could sell ketchup to someone in white gloves. I could sell ice to an Eskimo. I have been selling my entire life.
I was a missionary for four years and I had to fundraise all of my income. I can sell. Why is this number five?
I think it's not that you can't do something. Again, it's not as much about the outcome, similar to CliftonStrengths. It's about that vetting, that prioritization that you're describing. Selling is not my first instinct relationship for me will always come first. And then I figure out how do I sell it. So it's interesting to look at your BP10s and your CliftonStrengths side by side, you know, and figure out what those connections are.
Lisa: And in the selling one, it talks about communicating clearly and communication is in your top. I mean, all those things. And I think about things like with your connectedness, you're going to be focused on whether something's a good fit for someone.
You're not going to push it if it's not, if it doesn't feel meant to be, you're not going to be the one who would push on that. And you would be great at rallying support for your ideas, but you're not going to disingenuously rally support for your ideas.
If it didn't feel moral or aligned with Brea values, you wouldn't push it. Whereas maybe somebody who's selling is number one, maybe it would be like, I just sell is number one. And it happens before thinking of the relationship, whereas your relationship comes first.
Brea:
Lisa:
And I also want to throw out begintoflourish.com. One of our, well, two of our fellow strengths coaches, Jeff and Heidi Liscum, married couple, married coach couple, how should we say that?
A couple who focuses on BP10. They specialize in this tool. They have an online class in this tool. So their site began to flourish, would be a cool place to look as well.
Brea:
The assessment plus the worksheets, plus the activities, that was the most valuable. The assessment itself, there's not nearly as much science behind it as CliftonStrengths. The report itself, it's very, very simple compared to the complexity that CliftonStrengths brings us. Just want you to know, if you go and buy the code and take the assessment and you're like, what is this?
Just know that there's so much more there. So please do at least get the book and go through it on your own, or at least go through the module, you know, in Gallup Access.
Um, reach out to the Lipscombs, reach out to me, reach out to someone to help you, um, really get the, the fullness of what BB10 can offer.
Lisa:
That pretty much sounds like, just like people do with CliftonStrengths occasionally. They'll take it and they'll be like, yeah, that kind of sounds like me. Pretty cool.
Okay. And then you close the book and then you forget that it's there and you don't do anything else with it and you don't get a ton out of it.
You just kind of get the, yep, reinforcement. That sounds about like me. And that's the difference in you getting something that is so rich that you said it's the single best thing you've done for your business.
And meanwhile, when Brea brought it up, I was like, I need to retake that and I can't really remember what mine were and I think it was all right but it didn't resonate with me so deeply like it did with you. So those two differences came in. She took action and really dug into it and I did not.
Brea: You know, it hit me at the right place at the right time. It was really valuable for me. At least check it out and just know that there's so much richness in looking at your CliftonStrengths next to your BP10 talents.
And just adding to that awareness, that depth of awareness of who you are, what you bring and what you need so that you can go out there and just crush it and build an amazing coaching practice that is honoring the best of who you are and letting you thrive.
Lisa: Finding top talents that are easy for you to lean on that will bring you success with the least amount of effort.
Brea:
Lisa: But if I could work one hour a day and get as far, why would you not?
Brea:
Lisa:
Brea:
Lisa:
Brea: Lisa:
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Why Coaches Need a Signature Offer | 30 Mar 2025 | 00:17:17 | |
This episode explores why having a clear and distinct signature offer is crucial for your coaching practice.
Whether you're an internal coach or running your own independent gig, clarity is key! Having a clear and distinct offering can make all the difference in attracting the right clients and maximizing your impact.
That’s why we discuss the importance of aligning your signature offer with both your strengths and your clients' needs. We also share tips on how to choose the right modality and service, and even how to frame your offering around the problems you solve. Plus, we sprinkle in some fun anecdotes and examples from our own experiences, to make it clear – while you can have multiple offerings, a standout signature offer makes you memorable and repeatable.
So, grab a notepad and pen, settle in, and let’s get you on the path to creating a signature offer that truly reflects your unique coaching style! 🌟
Work With Us on Your Signature Offer! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways About Signature Offers ● Clarity is Kindness: When potential clients encounter a confusing array of services, they may feel overwhelmed and move on. A signature offer makes it easier for clients to understand what you do, which ultimately leads to increased interest and profit. Remember, if you confuse, you lose! ● Lead with the Problem You Solve: While it’s tempting to focus solely on the positive aspects of your services, we emphasized the importance of addressing the problems your clients face. By framing your signature offer around a specific problem, you can create urgency and relevance. This doesn’t mean you can’t highlight the positive outcomes; it’s about meeting your clients where they are and guiding them toward a solution. ● Aligning Passion with Profitability: Choosing your signature offer is about finding that sweet spot where your passion meets profitability. Don’t be afraid to pivot if your current offering isn’t fulfilling you or your clients! ● Embrace Your Unique Delivery: Recognize that your signature offer should reflect your unique strengths and style. Make it memorable and distinct so that it stands out in the market. ● Flexibility in Offerings: Just because you have a signature offer doesn’t mean you can’t have other services. It’s about creating a clear starting point while still allowing for additional offerings that can evolve over time based on client needs and your interests. Take Action as You Create Your Signature Offer ● Identify the Problem You Solve: When defining your signature offer, articulate the specific problem it addresses. This helps potential clients see the value in your service and why they should choose you. ● Analyze Profitability: Review your past offerings to determine which services generated the most revenue. Use this data to inform your decision on what should be your signature offer moving forward. ● Define Your Signature Offer: Just do it! Additional Resources ● Further Reading: Check out the book Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Join us as we explore these concepts and more in our latest episode! Whether you're refining your current offerings or just starting out, this discussion is packed with insights to help you create a signature offer that stands out. 🎧 Listen now and let us know your thoughts! What’s your signature offer? How did you choose it? We’d love to hear from you in the comments! #Coaching #SignatureOffer #Clarity #BusinessGrowth #Podcast #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram AI-Generated Transcript on Signature Offers for Coaches Lisa: I'm Lisa. Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: So if it's clear, it's easy for you to communicate, then that equals profit, that equals interest from people, and it attracts the people that you want to work with. Hopefully, if it's your signature offer, you love delivering it. So it's good to have a firm place to start and to stand. Not to say that we can't have other offerings as well, but we've talked about personal branding and the importance of that. This is what you are known for delivering. Lisa: You know, we have the urgent, important thing going on in our lives, like, oh, this is probably important people development, but it's just not urgent for this moment. So I'll come back and look at the menu later. That is what you do to the customer or potential customer, whether that's an internal customer or a prospect for your independent business. And even if it sounds desirable, they can just be like, I'm moving on. And that to me is why you need a signature offer so that when they're looking for that thing, it grabs them. Brea: Lisa: Brea: I don't know. Everyone listening might not know this. Your brain, when it's working, when it's doing all its stuff, it's consuming calories. That's why when you're at a conference or you're in a class or you're reading a lot, you're learning a lot, you can stand up and physically you weren't doing anything. You were sitting on your behind, but you stand up and you're like, man, I'm exhausted. Because our brain actually consumes calories. And so because of our primal instinct and all that stuff, it's our nature to want to make things simple, to conserve the energy for when a threat comes and we need to go out there and fight the dragons or whatever, you know. So the more simple, the more clear, the more easy to understand that we can make our offerings, the better. Because if the brain has to work too hard about something that it doesn't think is very important, like what you just said, Lisa, like there are other things that my brain is working on right now, it will dismiss it. And you don't want to be that thing that gets dismissed. Lisa: The thing is, after you've done your favorite one or the big one or the one, let's, we'll talk in a minute about how to pick which one is the signature offer. They'll ask you, what's next? Where do we go from here? How else can I work with you? And then all of those other things can unfold. So it's not as if failing to mention all of the other ones up front means you'll never do them again. It just makes it clear and easy to digest the first go round. Brea: Lisa: Brea: And so it's really easy for me to just look back at the data and be like, OK, last year, where did most of my money come from? What are people buying? You know, that's a real easy way for me to say, OK, well, let's lean into that. Right. We find what works and we do more of that. Lisa: Brea: Kind of like I'm thinking of you, Lisa, like when you switch to fully virtual, you know, like it's a little scary to lean into that, but that's what you needed and what you wanted and so you went for it. But that would be my first approach to the signature offer: to figure out what is your signature offer now, either on purpose or by accident, and do you want it to still be your signature offer moving forward? Lisa: OK, so when I think of a signature offer, there's the service itself and what is the modality? So the modality, I think you pick something like, is my signature modality training, one-on-one coaching, in-person, virtual? Book tours. I mean, it could be anything that you can imagine that you could get paid for that is the service, but what's that modality? And then the service itself. So if you do retreats, it's like one-on-one or a one-on-one retreat would be weird, but you could, I guess that's a VIP day, right? Hey, hey, so there you go. If I spoke as Brea, I do the most amazing, immersive, one-on-one VIP days. I mean, imagine if a person heard that and that was them, what they would feel like. So I like that modality plus service, but then I also like adding in, be ready with a problem you solve. Because, like when I said, I help leaders build their teams after reorgs, that's kind of generic. That's not the service. That's a problem. So like, Ooh, I'm just going through a reorg, and it really stinks right now. How do you do that? Oh, I do that through half-day workshops with CliftonStrengths. And then boom, they've got your modality, your service, your problem, you've got it all in there. Brea: I'm a firm believer in leading with the problem, not in a negativity or to try to scare you into working with me type of way, but in a, this is actually where people's brains are. And so if you're going to communicate with them, you need to meet them where they are, and where they are is usually working on a problem. And so, um, to align with that, I think is really smart. Yes. Yes. Lisa: We're talking a lot about coaches, trainers, speakers. Most listeners are into strengths. So if you're out there, we're all alike in the way that we see potential. We try to focus on what's great. So to turn around and say, focus on a problem, it really does like we're going to get a little glitch in your brain. Like that's not what I want to do. I want to focus people on the positive. And if you layer in human psychology, I really love Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow, even though it's the most giant book and a little heavy to get through. But Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize-winning behavioral economist, put the stats behind what Brea just said—that people are two times more likely to act if they're moving away from a negative versus when they're moving toward a positive. So giving the feel-good potential is nice. And you can also create more urgency and interest if you can help them solve a problem that's pressing and eating up their headspace. Yeah, and it is positive to serve them in that way because they can get that negative thing over with. Brea: I have helped a lot of coaches with their marketing of their signature offer and even the creation of their signature offer that fits with them. Many strengths coaches keep coming back to this point of like, I don't want to offer something that solves a problem. I want, you know, I want to work with people who want to really integrate strengths into their organization. I don't want to work with organizations or managers that are in the middle of a problem. I want to work with people who are thriving, you know, and they want to get more of that. So we want to bring strengths in. So that's fine. You don't have to have a negative. Your solution doesn't have to be to go into the depths of the problem areas with people. You can have a really positive, proactive, strength-focused solution. And recognize that whoever's buying that does have a problem, even if it's not a problem like you would normally define it. Like, um, such as maybe their problem is they just have too much going on. They really want to provide excellent professional development for their team. They really want this, you know, offsite to just rock their people. Their people have been working so hard, and they want to reward them, they want to appreciate them—all the positive things that give us all the, you know, all the tinglys as strengths coaches. That's what they want. They don't have time to do that themselves. Boom. There's your problem. Lisa: I had a—in a past role, I worked for another company, and we had a signature offer of training that was two full days. And I was an executive in charge of this product. And you know what the number one feedback was from customers? It wasn't about the content. It was about the length. It was two days. "We can't give people two days." I heard so many times, Could you make this half a day? that when I started Lead Through Strengths, I was like, Absolutely, 100%, my signature offer is going to be a half day because I heard from so many big corporate people who were my audience that that is the amount of time that was palatable for them to give. And I didn't want to fight all the objections of two days. Would I rather spend two days with them immersing in their awesomeness? Yeah, that sounds pretty fun. Yet I knew what needed to be signature. Once in a while, they'll ask to extend it and they'll do the full-day version, but it is actually really rare. It's just such a sweet spot of a time, and that has stood the test of a decade. It's really incredible. Brea: But that doesn't satisfy me. I love the full day, two-day, or even, you know, some micro-learnings once a month for a year. Or, you know, packaging it in smaller bites like that is what fuels me. So I've learned that I need to hold out for those customers, and I need to be specific and market to those customers. And there are less of them, you know. Like you said, a lot of people are looking for the half day. So that's my signature offer: Look, I can create this experience. I'll take care of everything. I'll find the venue. I'll find the food. Like, you don't have to worry about a thing. You just sit back and I got this. All you have to do is show up, and I promise to make you the person that hired me—I promise to make you the hero. I'm going to create this amazing experience for your team, and you get to take all the credit and all the fruit from what comes from it in days to come. So for coaches that are listening, it's just so important to look at your own strengths and create a signature offer that fits with you and satisfies the need of your customer. Lisa: It made me think of Carol Wheeler. She's one of our fellow coaches in New Braunfels, Texas. Shout out, Texas. And she's got this physical space in New Braunfels, Texas, and she owns that market. If you're in New Braunfels and you're doing leadership training, strengths training, she's the person that you will think of or that colleagues will refer to because she owns that space. And that's a beautiful thing about signature offers too. It's ownable because it is—the more distinct, the more differentiated, the more other people can help you. So it's another good reason to have a signature offer because it makes you memorable and repeatable for other people. It makes it easy to share. Brea: No one else can deliver that in the same way. And I think, you know, if you want to really create a true signature offer, that's the impact that you can have. It's so unique in the way that you deliver it that you own that space. I love that. What a great example. Yes. Lisa: She always talks about how just because you have this signature offer doesn't take away the fact that you have the credibility of the other offers that you have, and it doesn't mean that those go away. Getting really clear doesn't mean those other things disappear. It just makes that one thing stand out. Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Wait, is that a hockey team? Lisa: Brea: Okay, well, Slumber Party at Lisa's house! We're watching Mighty Ducks and D2. It'll be a movie marathon. Oh my gosh. There's so much pop culture I'm behind on. Any other 90s kids out there? Your jaw is on the floor just like mine. I'm like, Oh my gosh, The Sandlot, Mighty Ducks... I mean, just right back to my middle school years. I love it. Love it. Lisa: I mean, music—I have pretty broad taste. I can do that kind of pop culture. But movies and television shows? I've never been a watcher. And so I am just real behind on those kinds of things. Brea: Well, that's all right. We can catch you up to speed. We can catch you up to speed. I won’t do that. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Turtles in a half shell!
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Strengths and Your Personal Brand as a Coach | 16 Mar 2025 | 00:26:48 | |
In today's episode, we dive into building your personal brand as a coach. You’ll hear about "Connected Kelly," a coach who initially felt pressured to conform to an analytical persona in her big tech job, only to discover that her true strength—Connectedness—was what truly set her apart. You’ll learn how she transformed her approach, leading to a more fulfilling and energized coaching practice.
We also explore practical tips for building your personal brand, including how to identify the challenges you can help solve and how to communicate your unique value effectively. Whether you're an independent coach or working internally at a company, it’s important to be specific in your messaging to connect with your ideal clients.
So, if you’re ready to make sure your coaching brand aligns with your personal brand, this episode is packed with insights and actionable advice to help you shine! 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways ● Your differences are your differentiators: Don’t shy away from what makes you different. Like Connected Kelly, who initially suppressed her connectedness, recognizing and embracing your unique strengths can lead to a more fulfilling coaching practice. ● Be specific in your messaging: Vague statements like "I help you live your best life." are unclear and uninteresting. Instead, focus on clear, compelling messages that resonate with your audience, such as "I help get your emails get read." This specificity helps potential clients see the value you offer. ● You are your brand: Your personal brand is a reflection of who you are. By aligning your strengths, values, and messaging, you’ll create a cohesive brand that resonates with your audience and showcases your unique contributions. ● Narrowing your focus can attract more clients: When it comes to marketing, less is more! Don’t fear that specializing will limit your opportunities. Instead, it can help you attract clients who are specifically looking for the solutions you provide, ultimately leading to a more successful coaching practice. Take Action ● Identify Your Strengths: Reflect on your unique strengths and how they contribute to your coaching practice. Let your differences be your differentiators – in your brand, your business model, and beyond. ● Identify the Challenges You Solve:: Determine the specific challenges you want to address as a coach. Consider what problems your ideal clients face and how your strengths can help solve those issues. This will help you create targeted messaging that resonates with your audience. ● Craft Your Messaging: Develop a clear, concise, and compelling answer to the question, "What do you do?". ● Utilize Your Online Presence: Update your LinkedIn profile and other online platforms to reflect your personal brand. Incorporate your strengths and the specific problems you solve in your headlines and descriptions to attract the right clients. ● Engage with Your Audience: Actively communicate your value and the unique contributions you bring to your coaching practice. Share insights, tips, and success stories that highlight your strengths and the impact you can have on your clients' lives. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in building their personal brand. Join us as we explore the power of aligning your personal brand with your coaching practice.! 🎧 Listen now and let us know your thoughts! We’d love to hear from you! #PersonalBrand #Coaching #PersonalDevelopment #Podcast #Leadership #CoachingTips #StrengthsBasedCoaching Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram AI-Generated Transcript Lisa: Hi, I'm Lisa.
Brea: I’m Brea.
Lisa: And today's episode is strengths and your personal brand as a coach.
Brea: Yes. Oh my gosh. I love this topic. Let's just dive in.
Lisa: I'm so excited. Okay, let's dive in. I want to dive in with an example of something that happened with a coach who was building a personal brand as a coach and she didn't know it and it wasn't at all what she would have done on purpose. Ooh, I'm intrigued. Tell us more.
Brea: Because I think that so many people fall into this trap.
Lisa: Yeah. Heck yes, we do. I imagine most of us have done this where we unintentionally built a reputation on something that we just became skilled at because we practiced it a lot. And this person, I'm going to call her Connected Kelly. I made up her name because I want to keep her anonymous. But she led through connectedness, hence Connected Kelly.
Brea: And alliteration. We love alliteration. OK. I mean, who doesn't?
Lisa: OK. She's a real client. She works in big tech. And she felt like I need to be analytical. That's what I need to be, to be believed, to be credible, to be desired in this company, to be found useful in this company.
I mean, we could go on and on, but analytical was the thing that she really grabbed onto as important for her to be. So she spent a lot of years really honing it, doing analytical actions, showing analytical skills, and showing up that way.
Brea: And probably because she's surrounded with people who are acting like this or who are showing up that way. She feels like she has to be that too. Yeah. Okay. I'm with you.
Lisa: Yeah. And I can, I mean, my individualization loves that in many ways because I'm thinking, well, she's being palatable to the people that she's around. So she's thinking, this is who I need to be for them. Otherwise they won't value me. And specifically when we talked about connectedness, she was like, oh, that's for my friends.
Brea: She's like, that part of me doesn't belong at work. You know, that's my at home or my with friends. Okay. Yeah. Interesting.
Lisa: Yeah. She really felt deeply like it didn't belong there. Like it would get shunned there. It would get made fun of there. She said it felt like people would perceive it as woo woo, that it would just not go over well. So she just shut it off, like put up the wall, anything. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
So what's the results of it now? She it's not like she was faking it. She legitimately built analytical skills and she legitimately used them with her clients, but the repercussion is She was completely wiped out. It was sucking the life out of her because it wasn't fun. It was just something she could do
And I think this is a really important lesson for building a personal brand as a coach, because if you do what you're competent at, you're going to get more of that. She's great. She's an amazing performer, an amazing person. So she kept getting more of the work she didn't want because she showed up and she was good at the work she didn't want.
Brea: That's the worst, the worst.
Lisa: It's a bad cycle.
Brea: Digging your own grave, you know.
Lisa: Yes, yes. Now we did some things with it so I can tell you what I did with her and then I want to switch over to things that you might do with her after she's to the point where she's ready. She feels good about her personal brand aligned with her strengths so that her personal brand as a coach is making her feel alive. It's bringing her clientele that she loves.
So I have this personal branding page. It's leadthroughstrengths.com slash personal dash branding. We started there. We started looking at her top five. We really honed in on connectedness because it was one she said she was squashing. And we just use it as a starting point because she's like, OK, genuine. Well, that's a good thing for me to be as a coach. Being present with people, that's a good one. Okay.
And then we start talking about things like, Oh, I see downstream effects. I understand how parts are connected. I have good rapport across departments. Okay, like all these things could be useful internally. I just shut it off. Because I thought it was the woo-woo strength.
So first pass through, it was really cool, because she realized What a fool! Why am I shutting all this off? There are actually things that I believe people in big tech would value.
And in fact, she's realizing people are like, oh, wow, you're an intrapersonal genius. And they're seeing these elements of her that she didn't show before. And they're things that the clients wanted from her and really valued because they don't know how to do that at all. So that was cool.
Brea: Yeah, it's the lie that we tell ourselves that when we are different, the talents that we might have that are different than what we see around us, we believe that it won't be valued or that it won't be wanted.
And sometimes that is true, but most of the time it is very valuable because other people don't have it. They don't have that capacity, they don't have that ability, and when they saw that in her, that uniqueness, it became her differentiator, right? That's the word that you like to use, Lisa.
Lisa: Yeah, that your differences are your differentiators. Exactly.
Brea: Yes, yes. I think Gallup's focus on naming, claiming, and aiming is what's coming to my head here.
When she was able to look at connectedness and really name it, really understand what that talent is. Maybe it had been called the woo-woo strength, but it was so much more than that.
So when she was able to start finding new definitions for that talent theme, I think that opens up so much potential for us to then claim it, for us to love it in ourselves, you know, for her to see how it could be beneficial at work and how she could love working. How her life at work could actually energize her instead of draining her energy and sucking her soul. She could come to work and thrive and it could increase the connection that she makes with her employees.
And so then when she was able to better understand what it is and what it could be and she could get excited about it and really own it, then she started to aim it and that's where all the magic happens. So what a great example.
Lisa: So, one of the things she named it as was Integrator. She was working with a bunch of software developers, hardware engineers, and what happens is the engineers speak in specifications. That's what was important to them.
But At some point, somebody has to translate that to the non-technical people, whether that is to the marketing team so that you could talk about that to a customer audience and they could actually understand it or otherwise.
So she started thinking of herself as an integrator because she could see all the connections, because she could speak human. They felt like she was a complete genius in this area, but that never got exposed until she started looking at connectedness as this great element of herself and it really became key in her personal brand as a coach.
So, okay, Bria, I know you are a StoryBrand coach and that you keep it under the covers all the time and people don't even know this about you. Let's get some of this magic out of this brain you have on StoryBrand.
Brea: Yes, I was trained in StoryBrand. That’s true.
Lisa: Yeah, OK, so now let's say she wants to work her personal brand as a coach now and connectedness and being an integrator and being perceptive, being a connector. These are some parts of her messaging.
If she came to you and said, OK, now what? How do I build this reputation? How do I begin to change it? How do I do the messaging? What kind of things come up for you and what could be valuable that you could bring? Because I think you have this unique lens because you have story brand and strengths mixed together and it's so cool and I want the audience to get it from you.
Brea: Yeah, thank you. That's why I call my business Strength+Story. I use both of those things all the time. So this is a fun conversation to have.
So if you've never heard of StoryBrand, it's a marketing framework that is built on or let's maybe even say adapted from just general framework of story because there's so much scientific proof and just I think all of us have experience of how story it connects with our brains in a very powerful way.
and there's a framework to it. It's not by accident that the blockbuster movies or the best-selling books are blockbusting or best-selling. That's not by accident. It's by design.
So essentially, if you are adapting this to your brand as a coach, there's a challenge that you help people overcome. So most good stories start with a bomb going off, you know, something that's like really challenging, a problem that needs to be fixed, right? That's what grabs our attention and locks us in from the very beginning, the, the bomb ticking away, right?
So what is that challenge that you as a coach, want to solve for the world, for a particular client, for your company, if you're an internal coach like Connected Kelly, what is the challenge that you have a personal mission to overcome? If you can identify that for yourself, then you can build your messaging around that.
Because when you're communicating that challenge in your messaging and in your branding, in the way you talk about your services, if you're leading with that challenge, you're going to attract the people who need that solution, right?
So it's not a marketing gimmick. It's not a way to manipulate people or to scare people into working with you. It's a real way of connecting with the people who need your services. So I would say that's a great place to start.
And it sounds like Connected Kelly did that where it was kind of a backwards on accident way of doing it. So the challenge is to figure it out first so that you can put that out there in your messaging and your branding.
Lisa: on purpose. It is funny that you say this because there's something really simple that was going on with the problem that linked to her brand which was just no one reads my emails.
And it's because they were boring speeds and feeds, they were not compelling, they were not written from the perspective of the reade: an internal person who's really busy in back-to-back meetings all day. and she's offering coaching services to people who don't really know what a coach is or how a coach can help.
When she realized the thing that would grab them: ‘I can help your emails get read. I can help you get responses, get noticed by your peers so that you become the collaborator.’ So the kind of things that they were having problem with and frustration with, like, ‘hey, I sent an email off and it goes into a black hole.’ Now it doesn't.
Now she is helping them. because she's the integrator, she's helping them communicate with their colleagues in a way that helps them get noticed. And it's because of her connectedness. It's because she can think beyond the analytical.
So I really love that because she was solving that problem for them and loved solving that problem for them. And it was easy for her to do that. And they thought she was a genius.
And she never thought about messaging like this. She was just like, hey, we're here. We can help you live your best life. This is something that we're guilty of as coaches. We're like, oh, everyone needs a coach. It's so powerful. It's amazing. You want to feel good again? You want to live your best life? But inspiration like that actually doesn't drive people to action the way that solving a problem for them does.
Brea: That's right. That's right. And this is where it can be so interesting because You can approach the problem from two different ways. You can look at the problem that your client or your potential client is facing, like no one reads my emails, and make that the problem that you solve.
That's a great way to do it because your client is the hero of their own story. So when they hear your messaging, it needs to be their story that they hear or else they're not interested, right? so many other things pulling for their attention, right? So make it easy for them.
The other way to do it is to look at your strengths. And if you if you are a certified strengths coach, you know this language of bring and need. What do each of your strengths bring? What do they contribute? What problems do they solve really, really well with ease? And you love solving those problems.
And then just make that your business, right? Choose that problem and then put it out there and let the right people find you. So you can go either way and I think that's the first place to start.
If you're listening now and you're like, I really want to work on being intentional about my personal brand as a coach, I would say start with your strengths. figure out what problems you solve really naturally and you want to solve and then build your business around that
or figure out what are the problems that your clients are already coming to you for, right, that you have successfully helped people with and figure out how your strengths are doing that and then be intentional about really leaning into that and building your brand around that.
Lisa: I love this conversation and it overlaps so much with the one about And I know we'll do a separate episode on what your niche is as a coach. But there's overlap because it's like this all relates to what is your specialty? What is unique about working with you?
And if you're not clear in your messaging, then you just overwhelm people with options and they scroll on by because you really have to grab attention with somebody, especially today. There are so many things competing for attention. So that person has to be like, whoa, that was written for me.
And so if she is the one saying, I hope your emails get noticed. I hope your emails get read by colleagues. I hope your specifications get implemented properly. Whatever it is, that wouldn't grab me personally, but I'm not her client. So that's the beauty of it. We know to scroll on by because we're not her client, but the people who are are like, whoa, I need that.
And I think the objection that coaches have to this is we think if I narrow too much, then people won't know what else I could do for them when I decided to specialize in virtual.
I remember the angst I had about putting that on the website, like we specialize in virtual training. And I was like, Oh my gosh, I'm going to lose all my in-person workshops. It's going to be detrimental to the business.
It's not what happened at all. I attracted more virtuals. And then plenty of people still said, Oh, do you also do in-person? Why? Yes, we do.
Brea: Because people are not idiots. They can fill in the blanks. They can make those very easy jumps and connections. So you don't have to spell everything out, but you need to give them a place to start, you know? Yes. It's clear.
Lisa: Yes.
Brea: Yeah, and it's interesting because as coaches, like let's flip it, let's put our coaching hat on, okay? So we're in a conversation with a client and they say, gosh, I really just want to be my best self at work. I really want to live my best life, right? What's the very next thing that you would say?
Lisa: Tell me more.
Brea: Well, yeah, “Tell me more.” Or “What does that mean? What does your best life look like?”, right?
Lisa: Yeah, yeah.
Brea: So what you're saying, Lisa, and what we're saying about building this personal brand that's more specific, instead of just saying, hey, coaching's gonna help you live your best life, it doesn't connect with people. It doesn't connect.
So you understand as a coach, that if someone came to you and said, I want to live my best life, your job is to help them understand. what that best life is. It's not enough just to leave them with this desire to live their best life. That's not helpful to them.
So why are we putting that out in our marketing? Why do we think it's going to be helpful to them in marketing? It's not. And it, which means it's not helpful to you in building your business. It's not, not profitable. It's not converting.
So it is helpful. It is It is your responsibility even to be specific in your messaging, in your marketing, to niche down, to find that signature offer, to build your business model around your strengths, the problems that you solve. That's actually more helpful to the people that you serve and it's a win-win for your business as well.
Lisa: Yes, yes, yes. And I think that's a great place to issue a challenge. What could you talk about in your personal brand that brings in your ideal client, somebody who'd be so fun to work with on a topic that you love coaching on? What could be your hook for marketing?
So to Brea's point about your customer being the hero of the story, you're making them the hero by making them stop in their tracks and say, whoa, this was written for me. That's right.
Brea: They're the hero. You're the guide. They're Luke Skywalker. You are their Yoda, right? Especially in coaching, this metaphor works so well because whoever you're coaching, they are the ones that are doing the work. They're the hero of the story, right?
They're the one that's on their journey. They're the one that is actually doing the work. You are just there to empathize, to keep them on track, to keep them focused, to keep them moving in the right direction. They're the ones that are doing the work.
So your marketing should reflect that. Your messaging should reflect that. Your brand, your visual brand online, you know, in your print media, your deliverables, and you, the way that you speak, the way that you come into networking meetings. Just who you are should align with what you do and they should really flow into and out of each other.
A brand is not something that you just create. You can use this intellectual process to help you get intentional about it, but You are your brand. Your strengths are such a natural place to start when it comes to this because that's what makes you unique. So how do your unique strengths set you apart amongst other strengths coaches? It's not just the client that you serve or the problem that you solve, it's how you do that.
So I just love this conversation in general, but then bringing strengths into it is such a natural, just a natural fit because that's what strengths does best is figuring out what's unique about you, what your unique value is, what your contribution is, what's unique about how you approach it.
And if you can get clear about that and put it out there, you're doing the same thing for yourself as you're helping your clients do for themselves, you know, in their lives.
Lisa: Yes. I love also that we've talked about the independent coach. We'll see a lot of this as natural because they've already been thinking, Oh, I need my messaging. I have to write about myself on my website. I have to have, I have to have my messaging in all the places that I'm talking about my business.
But for internal coaches, I don't think that they have often put a lot of thought into where this messaging would happen or could happen. And just imagine, what if your headline in LinkedIn mentioned something around your personal brand?
Imagine how many times, okay, yesterday, I was personally in my coaching practice, I was talking to a really big customer and there were five people there from the client and they went around the room and described what their role is and three of the five people said, I am in HR.
Brea: Boring!
Lisa: Yeah! Could you imagine if a person was like, oh, I'm in HR. My role is that I'm an internal coach, and I help people get their emails read at work. I would be like, ooh. I don't even need the service, and I'm not even a potential customer, but I'm still like, ooh.
That's really interesting because it's so specific. I also know, oh, I need that. I have a friend who needs that. Oh, I can refer somebody internally. So think about all those places where you might communicate.
If they had used your story brand, they could have been beneficial to some other person who was doing an intro to say, oh, I know somebody. Oh, I know six people in my department who need that.
Now they're referring people to you and you're getting the work that you want more of because that work energizes you. You're working yourself into a lot of job security because you're in such high demand. So there are all kinds of places this come up.
And just think of how many times someone asks you, “What do you do?” That happens all over the place, whether you're an internal coach or an independent coach. So that's a great application for this.
If you're listening, and you're like, I get it. Now, what do I go implement from this? Have an answer to that question, “What do you do?”
Brea: So you're tee-ing me up really well for my call to action for this episode, Lisa.
Lisa: Bring it.
Brea: Usually, answering that question, “So, what do you do?” brings fear and dread and makes us, you know, shake in our boots because we don't know how to answer that question.
So if you're really, really good at what you do, but you don't know how to talk about it and you definitely don't know how to give a compelling, concise answer to that question, “What do you do?” If that's something that you need – that one-liner, that elevator pitch, whatever you call it, you need to reach out to me and we'll get it done.
Lisa: Hit her up, brearoper.com.
Brea: Whether it's a workshop for your team or whether you want to do this one-on-one with me, I also have a keynote version, but answering that question, so what do you do? That is one of my favorite things to do. What about you, Lisa?
Lisa: I have a membership for coaches who are building their independent practice and they need help when it comes to the business building practices like, Oh, I don't have business acumen. Oh, I don't know about all the tech. Oh, I, or I was an executive and I left work and all these people used to do all of that. And I, now I have to be the person doing it.
So templates, tools, strategy, marketing, sales, operations, all of that stuff that you might want to learn from a business coach and steal. I actually let people steal all of the stuff I've used in the 10 years of my coaching practice so that they can get a head start and they don't have to spend so much time being bogged down in the business side. And that's leadthroughstrengths.com and look for the link called Tools for Coaches.
Brea: Love it. We are all about giving and sharing and abundance. And I just really hope that this information is helpful to you. So please take advantage of either of those offers. Both of those offers go out there and build your personal brand based on your strengths. The world needs what you have to give. So don't be shy in putting it out there.
Lisa: Yeah. The world needs it, and when they hear about it, they get excited. So you've got to give yourself a chance by actually putting it out instead of just saying, I'm an HR, next person.
Brea: Oh, my gosh. OK, we can do better. We need to do better. You deserve to do better. It's hard to find our place in the world. But once we do, once we can get clear on how we show up, how we can contribute, what our purpose is, what our role is in the bigger picture.
There's just so much freedom there for you to be able to step into that with confidence every day. I mean, no more imposter syndrome, right? Like when you know who you are, why you're there, the value that you bring, how you're making lives of the people around you or the processes around you or whatever it is that you're involved in.
When you're making that better, I mean, who doesn't want to live that life, you know? So you owe it to yourself to get clear about your value and your strengths and how to clearly communicate that so you can do what you do best.
Lisa: Yes. Yeah. Don't withhold it from the world. We need you. We want you. And Brea just dropped the mic. So we've got to go because she doesn't have a microphone anymore.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Should You Avoid Bias in Coaching? | 02 Mar 2025 | 00:20:40 | |
Every coach grapples with today’s topic: Should you avoid bias while coaching? We kick things off by acknowledging that the answer isn't as straightforward as it seems. While many might instinctively say "yes," we explore the nuances of bias and how it can actually play a positive role in coaching. Whether you're an independent coach or working within a company or organization, this episode is packed with insights to help you embrace your unique coaching style while still being the best support for your clients. Let's get into it! 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways ● Bias Isn't Always Bad: We often think of bias as a negative trait, but in coaching, it can actually be a powerful tool. Our personal biases—rooted in our strengths and experiences—can enhance our coaching effectiveness. For instance, if you have a strong belief in your clients' potential, that bias can help them borrow your confidence as they work toward their goals. Embracing our biases can lead to more authentic connections with our clients. ● Awareness of Preferences: As coaches, it's crucial to recognize our own preferences and how they shape our coaching style. Understanding our preferences helps us create a coaching environment that aligns with our strengths while also being transparent with our clients about how we operate. This clarity can help clients determine if we're the right fit for them. ● The Balance Between Coaching and Expertise: Sometimes, coaches feel pressured to avoid giving direct advice, fearing it may introduce bias. However, there are moments when sharing our expertise is not only appropriate but necessary. It’s about finding the right balance—knowing when to ask powerful questions and when to provide guidance based on our knowledge and experience.
Take Action ● Reflect on Your Biases: Take time to identify and acknowledge your own biases and preferences as a coach. Consider how these may influence your coaching style and interactions with clients. ● Communicate Your Preferences: Clearly articulate your coaching preferences and styles to potential clients. This transparency can help clients determine if you are a good fit for their needs. ● Balance Coaching and Expertise: Recognize when to lean into your expertise and provide direct advice versus when to facilitate a coaching conversation. ● Leverage Positive Bias: Use your positive biases, such as belief in your clients' potential or your focus on strengths, to support and encourage them. Allow clients to borrow your belief in their capabilities to help them progress. ● Embrace Differences as Strengths: Foster an environment where diverse perspectives and biases are seen as advantages. Encourage open discussions about biases within teams to enhance collaboration and understanding. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in personal development. Join us as we explore the nuances of bias in coaching and how to leverage it for better outcomes! 🎧 Listen now and let us know your thoughts! What biases do you find helpful in your coaching practice? How do you navigate your preferences? We’d love to hear from you! #Coaching #Bias #PersonalDevelopment #Podcast #Leadership #CoachingTips #StrengthsBasedCoaching Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram AI-Generated Transcript Lisa: Hi, I'm Lisa. Brea: And I'm Brea. Lisa: And today's topic is all for coaches. And it's this question: Should you avoid bias while coaching? What say you, Brea? Brea: Well, this sounds like it's going to be a juicy topic. That's what I say. I think it's not so clear black or white this time. I feel like there's a lot of gray here. Lisa: Right. And I think people will be listening. You tell us, listeners—did you say, "I don't even know if I want to listen to this one because, of course, the answer is yes, I should avoid it?" I don't even need to listen. Skip. Brea: Yeah. I mean, that was my first thought. Like, well, of course, you should. That's my, you know, what all of the gold-star coaching programs are going to tell you. Lisa: Yeah, I feel like you get the message both ways. You should avoid bias while coaching, and you should avoid bias in all areas of life altogether. And I think a good discussion is warranted. Why don't we start with where bias would be bad? Whether you have an independent coaching practice or you're an internal coach in a workplace, I have two things that feel like bias that you should be on watch for. One, I have an agenda for you. I want you to own your own business, not stay in corporate. I want you to have bigger goals for your revenue. I want you—those are my wants, not yours. That could bring a huge bias. So having an agenda for you could be a warning sign where you really should avoid that bias while coaching. The other is when my preferences blind me as a coach. Brea: I'd like to talk more about that. Sometimes, as an independent coach with my own business practice, where I'm the business owner and I've got a business model and a strategy to make a profit, my preferences play into that big picture. That’s very different from being an internal coach at a company where my only job is to show up for 30 minutes and coach. So maybe we could talk about preferences a little more. Lisa: That's an example. Say I'm your customer and I come to your coaching business, and you have some preference. Give us an example of what that actually sounds like. I think with this idea of avoiding bias, we’re going to get people caught up in semantics. Brea: Yeah. Everything from how many coaching calls I want to do in a day, a week, or a month, to how long I want them to be. Do I want video? If so, is there a certain platform that is easier for me? I strongly prefer Zoom over things like Teams or Google Meet. Just because I've been using Zoom for as long as I've had my business—almost eight years. So, I’m very familiar with Zoom. That’s a functional bias of ease of use. Lisa: Yeah, they create clarity for you. And something that’s simple and practical can be an area that allows the customer to decide if you’re a good fit for them. You could think of putting out biases to the world like an exercise in saying, "Here’s how I show up best." If these are a good match for you, we’re getting off to a great start. Brea: Yep, that’s right. And it's interesting because all of this comes from our strengths, right? There are coaches out there who appreciate having an agenda as a structure. Some coaches have a general outline of their sessions. Some coaches use slide decks. I prefer to just show up, meet them as they are in the moment, and go with a casual flow. I don’t do worksheets during sessions. That awareness of personal bias is so key. Lisa: You're actually getting me to think beyond preferences into advice-giving when your client really wants it. Say you’ve been delivering CliftonStrengths for ten years in a specific industry. Now a client asks, "Hey, coach, give me your recommendations on how we should implement this." And coaches get wrapped up in avoiding bias. Brea: Isn’t that ironic? Because that in and of itself is a bias, isn’t it? Lisa: Boom. Yes! And if a client comes to you because you have expertise but you refuse to share it, you’re just going to be frustrating. Sometimes, you are a person with an expert perspective. Not every part of every conversation is a coaching moment. Brea: Yeah. I love that. I think I run my business and life that way. Every interaction I have with others is just me, Brea Roper, human being. Lisa: Yes. And another reason why the answer to "Should you avoid bias while coaching?" might be no. What if you are a specialty coach? Like an accountability coach? Or take this: I once heard of a woman who was a deltoid coach. Literally, a shoulder deltoid coach. Brea: What do you mean? Lisa: Like, she helps people with deltoid strength, mobility, and appearance. That’s her specialty. She’s going to have a system, a structure, a bias. And that’s good. Brea: Yeah, similar to strengths coaching. I intentionally lean into the bias of focusing on strengths. If that’s what the client wants, that’s a good thing. Lisa: Right. And that is a cognitive bias, right? We’re wired to figure out what’s wrong as humans. But what if we leaned into a positive cognitive bias? Brea: Yes! And I think most people immediately associate bias with negativity. Recognizing that we can use bias for good is crucial. Lisa: Yes! One last example: Sometimes clients don’t believe in themselves. I let them borrow my belief in them. I’m biased toward their success. Brea: You are so good at believing in people. That’s what we’re talking about—being aware of our own strengths and using them when needed. Lisa: Yeah. Sometimes clients say, "I want to start my coaching business, but I don’t know if I can cut it." They don’t believe in themselves yet, but they expect their clients to believe in them. I help bridge that gap with my belief in them. Brea: Yeah. And bias plays into communication, too. My communication strength hears something differently than your strategic strength. That impacts our responses. Lisa: Yes! And in workshops, that always comes up. The way we ask questions and interpret answers reflects our biases. Instead of running from bias, let’s explore it. Brea: So cool. And recognizing our different cognitive patterns only helps if we’re aligned toward the same goal. Our differences are advantages. Lisa: Yes! Your phrase, "Differences are advantages," sums it up perfectly. Recognize bias, use it with purpose, and turn it into an advantage. Brea: Absolutely. And if someone wants to work with me, they can find me at brearoper.com. Lisa, where can they find you? Lisa: leadthroughstrengths.com—check out Tools for Coaches for independent or internal coaches. Brea: Amazing. And in closing, avoiding bias for the sake of avoiding bias only disconnects you from authenticity. Recognize it, use it with purpose, and let your differences be your differentiators. Lisa: Agreed! Strength snaps! Brea: See you next time! Lisa: Bye! Brea: Bye!
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Working on Your Business | 16 Feb 2025 | 00:33:18 | |
In today's episode, we dive into the essential, yet often overlooked, concept of "working on your business" versus "working in your business." We share our personal experiences and insights on how taking intentional time to strategize can transform your entrepreneurial journey. If you've ever felt like you're just spinning your wheels, constantly reacting to the demands of your business, this episode is for you! We discuss the importance of stepping back, assessing your goals, and making those scary but necessary decisions that can lead to greater profitability and joy in your work. You’ll hear us chat about the value of business planning retreats and how they can help you align your offerings with your strengths. Whether you’ve been in the game, are building a side hustle, or are still dreaming of the entrepreneurial life, it’s imperative to pause, reflect, and create a roadmap for success. So pull up a chair, settle in, and get ready to be inspired to take that much-needed time for yourself and your business! 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways ● The Importance of Working on Your Business: Taking time to strategize and plan is crucial for long-term success. It helps you shift from a reactive mindset to a proactive one, allowing you to set clear goals and work with intention. ● Align Your Business With Your Strengths: When you’re the business owner, you get to choose how you run your business. YOU’re the boss now! Make sure you practice what you preach and choose a business model that fits your strengths. ● Business Planning Retreats: Dedicating a day or more to work on your business, instead of in your business, can lead to significant breakthroughs. These retreats provide the space to assess your offerings, refine your messaging, and make strategic decisions that align with your desired lifestyle. ● Customization vs. Standardization: While creating custom solutions for clients can be appealing, it’s essential to find a balance. Standardizing certain offerings can save time and energy, and bring clarity to your customer. ● Understanding Profitability: Knowing where your revenue comes from is vital. By identifying your most profitable offerings, you can make informed decisions about where to invest your time and resources, ensuring that your business remains sustainable and enjoyable. ● Embracing Scary Decisions: Making bold choices can feel limiting, but they are often necessary for growth. By stepping back and evaluating your business strategy, you can confidently embrace changes that lead to greater fulfillment and success. Take Action ● Schedule a Business Planning Retreat: Set aside a full day to work on your business strategically. Use this time to assess your current offerings, define your target audience, and outline your business goals. ● Identify Your Core Focus: Determine the one big thing you want to focus on for the upcoming quarter or year. This will help filter your decisions and keep you from getting distracted by new opportunities that may not align with your primary goals. ● Evaluate Your Offerings: Analyze where your revenue is coming from and identify your most profitable offerings. Decide if you want to double down on these or pivot to new opportunities that align better with your strengths and interests. ● Create a Customization Strategy: If you offer customized solutions, establish a clear pricing structure for these services. Consider implementing tailoring fees or premium pricing for highly customized work to ensure it is profitable. ● Reflect on Your Business Alignment: Take time to assess whether your current business model aligns with your strengths and desired lifestyle. Make adjustments as necessary to ensure that your business empowers you to live the life you want.
If you're ready to stop being heads down all the time and start working on your business with intention, I invite you to listen to this episode! 🎧 👉 Listen now and let us know your thoughts! What strategies do you use to work on your business? Share in the comments below! #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPlanning #Coaching #Podcast #Leadership #IntentionalLiving
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Brea:
Lisa: Brea Roper. Hi, I'm Lisa.
Brea: And I'm Brea.
Lisa: And today we're talking about working on your business.
Brea: Working on your business. Yes, because let me tell you, working in your business is so fun. working on your business, not always, but gosh, when we do it, it makes working in the business so much easier and smoother and more profitable and all the things, right?
Lisa: Right. I remember first learning about this concept from the book E-Myth and E-Myth revisited way back. I mean, it must have been the nineties. I wasn't an entrepreneur at the time, but I served them. They were our customers and I think the example in the book was something about a frame shop. And it was like, imagine the person who is framing stuff all day long. Frame, frame, frame, frame, frame.
You’re so busy. But then what about bringing in customers? What about taking a vacation? What about having a break? And we have these dreams of starting a business and what our life might be like as an entrepreneur. It definitely kind of looks sexy to people who aren't doing it. often. And then you get in and you're like, Oh my gosh, I'm just working like a dog. What am I doing? I don't have a single break to even think or eat lunch. So I'm curious for you, have you gotten in that place in your business before where you were just working yourself to the bone? You seem like you would be a person who never let yourself do it because you're so good at intention.
Brea: Okay, well, thank you for saying that. But no, it happens all the time. It happens all the time because even with the best of intentions, it's so easy to get blown off course, especially for people like me who, you know, I love to plan and I'm very adaptable. I'm very like emotional, you know? So if I'm not feeling it, I'm like, Oh, I'm just going to go take care of myself, you know, go for a walk, go eat my feelings, you know, whatever.
And that's not the best way to, to set yourself up for success. Right. So we have to find that blend that works for you. And sometimes it is working yourself to the bone. Right now, I'm actually setting up for a big speaking tour. So there's just a ton of work that has to be done on the business so that when the tour starts, you know, that first domino falls and I'm not working on the business at all. For several months, I'm working in the business, right?
So However the rhythm works for you, it's just so important to make sure that you're doing both and that it's intentional and focused instead of just reacting to everything. That's the worst way to to run your business, you know? Yeah. And I have definitely, definitely fallen into that, that trap for sure.
Lisa: Yeah. Brea Roper is a mortal.
Brea: Yes.
Lisa: I could see that where you're like, I'm over self caring. I could, I could definitely see that. I also think in talking to coaches and trainers very specifically in this episode, a lot of times we're talking about, Hey, you're a CliftonStrengths practitioner, that sort of thing. And that could be internal in a company that could be a coach who does this full time. And there are a lot of listeners who are either independent coaches, or trainers, or they're doing it at a company internally, they're doing something else, and they want to start a business like the one we have.
And we know they exist and they're all over the place because we typically get one to five of these people hanging out after every workshop saying, how do I live this life? How do I do this thing that you do? This is so cool. So how valuable would it be to work on your business from the beginning? I'm thinking of that person who is starting up a side hustle. They're interested in this and they've never done a business planning retreat. They've never worked on their business in a way that they take a day off. and they really figure out what they want their lifestyle to be, what they have as a profitable business model, you know?
Have they even tested out their idea for their product and their messaging? Do they feel solid on it? And I love this episode for the corporates who are going to leave someday out on their own, or the coaches who are already on their own, independent, and they just have a tough time taking off a full day or a big chunk of a day to work on their business strategically. So what is it for you? Tell me about the why. Why do you do this on regular intervals?
Brea: Yeah, well, because I have to for my sanity, you know, because I've seen how beneficial it is. I've experienced being an entrepreneur without it. and running a business from that place of reacting, you know, as leads come in or as opportunities arise or don't arise, you know, then all of a sudden you're like, oh crap, I have nothing on the calendar. And then any sales conversation you're in is from a place of desperation.
So if you can make sure that you're setting yourself up for success by giving yourself that intentional time to find who do I really want to work with, right? Who's the customer that I really want to serve and how do I want to serve them? That takes time, you know, and shaping your business is, I think one of the greatest things about being an entrepreneur is that we get to choose.
And I've seen in myself and I've seen in coaches that I've coached, when we don't take that step back and do that intentional planning, how working for yourself can feel just like working for the man, you know? The place that you left, the stress that you were trying to get away from, it just actually becomes more, you know, if you don't take the time to put the thought and the planning in.
Lisa: Yeah, you just got yourself a bad boss and it's you!
Brea: It's you! I know, I know.
Lisa: Yeah, I love this also for stopping the squirrel. So you know, people are like, oh, squirrel, squirrel. We are like this quite often as coaches, as trainers, as course creators, as speakers. we get a lead on a thing and someone is like, Oh, okay, what's next? What about this? Do you have any content on this? Do you have any content on that? Do you have any content on this? And sometimes strategically, it is a great idea to do it.
Other times, it ends up taking you a month of work to create a new program, roll it out to their people, and maybe you're doing it one or two times. And when you sit back and look at whether there was a return on that effort, yes, can you reuse it? Can you resell it? Will you? Those are all strategic decisions you could make up front. But I've seen a lot of coaches get really distracted by the squirrel opportunity, the potential squirrel opportunity, and also the kind of squirrel thoughts on learning, like, oh, this is cool.
Oh, I should be doing AI. Oh, I should be doing more on this element. Oh, I should make some content over here. Oh, I like learning on this topic. So I'm going to go take some more training. [[Instead of really focusing on one big thing for that year in front of you or that quarter in front of you.]]
So I love having a business planning retreat. or a business planning day to work on your business and get your brain reset and get it really focused on what is the one big thing you're working on right now so that you can keep filtering your decisions through that? Like, is this a good use of my time? Should I be, even though there are a lot of fun things we could do, are they going to make money? Are they taking the business in the direction I want it to go in? It gives you the moment to get a big breath and assess.
Brea: So I love this and I hate this at the exact same time. Well, here's the thing is because it's so true. So if you're listening to Lisa and feeling like me on the inside, like I don't want to just do one thing. I don't want to focus on, you know, I don't want to create something and then rinse and repeat. I don't want to, right? Like, I've been there, I am there every day, and that is not, almost always, not the way to profitability, not the way to ease.
But if you have high individualization like I do, and like I know you do, Lisa, so I want to hear how you balance that. But my individualization was killing me in the way that you're describing, where if anyone said, do you have content on this? I'm like, sure. Do I? No. But can I make it? Yes. Will I? Yes. And all of a sudden, all my talents are engaged. I'm like, yes, I get to do this for this person or this company. But like you said, it takes so much time, right? So for me, I have to honor my talents. And what I've learned is that when someone comes and they ask for that custom solution that I don't have, I have to charge for it. Like this is a premium offering.
These are my talents. giving them something that has never existed before ever. This is not an out-of-the-box solution. If what they want is an off-the-shelf, out-of-the-box, you know, press play and go, like, they can get that anywhere. If they want something that is customized to them, to their values that they have hanging on the wall.
If we want to learn how to use the strengths of their team and the strengths of the individuals on their team to live these values at work in their interactions with their customers every day, then they're going to pay for that. And I'm happy to create it. But it's it's not pennies on the dollar like I was doing, you know, before.
Lisa: Yeah. I definitely agree that individualization can create a monkey wrench in this way. It does for me. Similarly, I love customization. It's a thing with individualization. I started off trying to solve that problem with tailoring fees. I would be like, okay, if it's a really customized thing, there would be a tailoring fee and make sure that they know it's super premium. I found over time that what really worked out better for both of us was, Look, I have a standard deck for a half-day program and a full-day program, if we're talking CliftonStrengths. And I have a handful of exercises in there.
Say there are 5 exercises. that if I just get a little bit of information from them on their values, the programs they're implementing right now, a couple of hot-button topics, what challenges are going on, I can integrate those into the exercises as examples. I could change in literally 15 minutes. I can change some words on the screen to customize the exercise, and then they're having whole conversations on things that matter to their team, and it feels very customized.
I got really good over time at making it feel like customization to both of us, to them and to me, but very minimal time because I standardized what I was customizing. And then I also, if I take Maximizer and Strategic and I said, all right, now if I am going to do mega customization, I'm going to make sure that if I do it, they're going to pay a mega premium or they're going to offer at least six of these programs so that if it's in volume, it makes it worth it doing it. And I can offer it to other clients.
I ask: is it something that could then become a standard program? And then I could go out and sell that. So strategically, I'm looking at that would be one of that would be a great topic that you could come with in a business planning retreat. Like, here's how I'm getting myself in trouble. Here's where I'm finding a time suck, even though I love how that time is going by. It's not a profitable use of my time. So then how can I get rested and rejuvenated in a day away while I'm simultaneously working on the strategy of my business, the direction of my business, the most profitable decisions.
And it's just like any tough decision in your life. If you make these decisions in advance before the situation comes up. you can handle it in a way that you're proud of. And it's easier for you to make the decision you need to make. Because I'll tell you, like relationship wise, and in a great conversation with a prospect, I've been swept up in the moment where I'm like, yes, this sounds great. And then I make them feel like I'm totally going to do that customization thing.
But if I had decided in advance, here's what customization means to us. and be able to explain it. Because I already came up with that strategically in my business planning retreat day. It feels great. I know how to present it to them so that it feels great to them. I know how to present it to me so it feels great to me. And I didn't get swept up in the moment and get excited and then promise something that takes my business off course for a whole quarter or two, which could really tank your revenue for the year.
Brea: Totally.
Lisa: Because something sounded fun. And look, if we have our own businesses and coaching and training, for most of us, all this stuff is fun. It's just what is the most fun? And or of the fun things, what are the most profitable decisions? And if they're not fun or profitable for you, you know, we have dozens of amazing coaches we can refer it out to because we're all so different in what we want to do.
And we could pass that work along to one of our colleagues. And then that kind of good vibe comes back to us, but it feels so good to be solid in your decisions because you took a business planning day to really be working on your business and what you want out of it. Big picture.
Brea: Totally. Yes. I wish that people could see, like, I'm just nodding up and down because, you know, Brea from seven years ago, you know, I wish I had known these things then, you know, I wish I had seen how, how much of a difference it makes and what that looks like. Because otherwise it's not only confusing for you as the entrepreneur, but it's confusing for your client. No, if someone comes to you and says, Hey, what, what's it like to work with you, Brea?
And I say, well, I can do whatever you want. What do you need? They might say, who is this girl? No one can do everything. Like, you know, she's just hungry for a sale. Or they say, well, I don't know. That's why I'm asking you. What does it look like to work with you?
Lisa: I want you to consult me. Oh, I have an example of my very favorite outcome from a business planning retreat. I decided to work on my business and get really focused and make some scary choices. Because I think what we're talking about here is making scary choices because it feels like if you're saying no to business that is sort of in your realm, are you being foolish?
Are you turning away business that you should have taken? What if you don't get any more this year? There are all kinds of things that come up in people's minds. So I had something similar coming up. This was a few years into my business. I was doing a lot of virtual training for very large companies who at the time were saying, no vendors like doing virtual training. None of our vendors want to. We just make them put it in the lineup.
I was like, Pick me, pick me. I love virtual training. Now, of course, post-COVID life, everyone's used to it now. It's not a big deal now. But at the time, it was a very rare specialty.
Brea: So rare. And you were crushing it. I mean, you were like the girl to go to for that. Yeah.
Lisa: How cool to have you come back and say that because you know how scared I was to put it on the website, like that we specialized in that. I came up with all these stories about how. Look, my whole business was based on all of these in-person workshops. If I put it out there that we specialize in virtual, I'm going to lose my whole business. What am I doing?
So I needed that day to work on my business, to decide what my strategy is, to come up with a revenue model for it. That makes sense. to make sure I understood how I was going to generate business, attract clients, feel solid that I had a model with an addressable market, and all of that sort of stuff, and feel comfortable putting it out there. And the funny thing is, there's no reason why, if you lead with a specialty, like at the time when I put virtual training on the website as the core thing we did, It didn't mean that I would never offer an in-person workshop again.
It didn't mean we would say no to all those things forever. But it was really clear what our main thing was. But I was so scared to make that change. I thought it would tank the business. And in fact, it did the opposite. And I think we have a lot of those kind of things happen where we need these business planning retreat days to, to take care of ourselves and our minds and direct our minds because they can make up all the stories about how terrible our decisions are. But if we sit back and say, okay, look, I've mapped this whole thing out.
I've thought about what I want. I thought about the life I want to live. So now I've got a lifestyle that I feel good about for my business. And then I've run it against a profitability model. Do I actually have a business model and customers that make sense? And now what's the strategy to implement it? But if you don't step back, take the time to assess it, ask yourself, if those narratives you're talking about are really true or not. You don't know. So I like that example.
I wanted to bring that up because those are the kind of problems you can solve in these days where you're working on your business, that if you're just going about the daily motions, you would never say, This is my core focus. I'm saying focus on that, back to that idea of focus on one big thing. It didn't mean I didn't do anything else in the business. I still did one-on-one coaching. I still did in-person.
But I had a totally different strategy for how I would bring the business in, how those leads would be handled versus the other ones. It just changes the details of the operations for how you handle it. And if you don't take time out for yourself to think through it, you just keep going through the motions and it never happens and you never design the lifestyle you set out to do when you started your business.
Brea: That's right. And what a shame, you know, because the entrepreneurial life is not for the weary, not for the faint of heart. There's so much good that comes from making these sacrifices, but there are many sacrifices, you know, that are made. So if you're not getting the outcomes that you want, then why are you doing this, you know? Yes.
You're making me think about how, one of the things that surprises me when I work with coaches, coaches tell me all the time that they struggle to know where their profit is coming from. Look at where your revenue is coming from. What is the most profitable offering that you're offering? If you don't know that, then you have to step aside and take some time to work on your business. Because as strengths coaches, we want to focus on what is working. We know that when we invest in what's already strong and what's already working, that's the best way to get more of what what is good and what is working.
So do that with your offerings. Do that with your revenue. Do that with, yes, your personal energy, you know, what's fun for you, what you enjoy doing, but also look very practically at what are people buying? and then decide, do I want to keep, you know, is that sustainable for me? Is that fun for me? Do I want to keep offering that? And do I want to double down? Or, you know, like, like Lisa was just describing, you know, maybe in person was the majority of your revenue, but it was It was not fun for you. It was draining you. It was not sustainable for you.
So you made a scary switch. That's fine. But you have to at least know what the heck is going on in your business right now. You know?
Lisa: Yeah, I agree. Because if I did a surface level assessment, I would have said I love in-person events because I do once I'm there. But I didn't like being away from home all the time. I didn't like the airplane travel there. And so there are these other elements involved that if you're not retreating and getting that restful state for your mind and that dreamy state for your mind about what you want, you're not going to come up with those deeper realities about the thing.
You might just be like, Oh, yes, I love being in front of a crowd. Okay, great. But that is not all that is involved. Totally. So if someone wants to work with you on one of these days, let's talk about that. What kind of things could they expect?
Brea: So if we worked together on a retreat day where we retreat from the everyday operations, we change our patterns, we change our location, we change our mindset, we create extra space to dream. What could that look like? Well, I think it's going to be most successful if you come in with a very specific outcome that you're desiring. Maybe that's coming up with a new offering.
Maybe that's trying to figure out how to stay profitable. and stay home instead of traveling all the time. Whatever problem you're feeling or whatever tension you want to solve, let's do that. Or if you say, gosh, I've got this offering and I love it and I want to get more of it, let's bring it into the retreat and let's figure out how we can really blow it up. Or if you're just saying, you know, I've been at this for two or three years and I feel like I've got a good business, but it's not in alignment with my strengths. You know, how many strengths coaches are out there that are not operating from their own strengths? Let's figure out how to align who you are, how you work at your best. with what you're actually offering and how you are running your business.
I mean, I could offer my story brand marketing. My goal is to show up and make sure that we continue to shine a spotlight on your talents and lead from your strengths so that when you come out at the end of the day or at the end of your time working on your business, you have a business that empowers you to live the life that you are empowering others to do.
Lisa: Beautiful. Oh, I think so many coaches don't know that you're StoryBrand certified and how important that could be to be able to get messaging and from somebody who leads through communication and cares about words at a level that is It's pretty epic. I've heard it in our conversations on and off the podcast. Like you really care about words and that translates for messaging when someone is working on their business. So get on over to briaroper.com slash VIP. Is that the right link? Let's make sure I got it right.
Brea: You got it. That's perfect. Thank you so much, Lisa. Yeah. And leadthroughstrengths.com slash VIP. What will they find when they go there?
Lisa: They will, well, when they go there, literally, they'll just find the opportunity to book one of these personal business planning retreat days. And the people I think this would be really good for, for me, would be if you are starting up a side hustle, you're in corporate right now, and you are making that decision. How do I decide when to go full time? How do I build all the systems and structures and marketing and sales and operations and things to feel really comfortable and solid?
Or if you've just dreamt of starting a business and you want to map this all out? Like, what is my strategy? What is a profitable business model? What do I love and want to do, and somebody else wants to buy it? The other audience, like you mentioned, people who are several years into it, but they've found they have gotten away from the lifestyle they meant to create. Or they never created a profitable business model. They just did what they loved. And then they're like, oops, this isn't profitable. I just like it. So any of those kind of problems or places where you need to do decision making, and a little bit of that dreaming and decision making together to map out a strategy, it'd be a great way to spend a day. And as Brea has said many times, this idea of restfulness and rejuvenation, even though it's hard work to do one of these days, there's also a restful, rejuvenating vibe because your brain has space. It's not task, task, task in those days. It is thinking. time, there is space and pause, and it's a really different cadence than many of us are used to when we're in a grind mode.
So I think if you're ready to stop being heads down all the time, come to leadthroughstrengths.com slash VIP.
Brea: I love it. Lisa, you are so good. I mean, your story is exactly that, right? You were crushing it in corporate, but it was crushing you and you were like, there's a different way. So here you go, right? You put your plan together and then you started your own business and you worked your plan and now you're just crushing life, you know, without losing your mind. Like that's the ultimate success story, I think.
You are an excellent authority for anyone who is in that same situation right now. I mean, Lisa is such a great guide for you, so please reach out to her. My story was very different. I did not ever have a corporate experience. did not have any kind of planning. You know, I crowdfunded $10,000 to pay for my certification.
And that was my business planning was, you know, people pledged in exchange for coaching. So I left the certification with 100 people. on the books, scheduled, ready to start coaching. I coached 60 people. I'm sorry, 100 people in 60 days.
I built this thing, you know, from the ground up just on the fly. So it can be done both ways. But definitely if I had known earlier the benefits of having a little bit of runway built ahead of you. I know that that would have helped me get a lot further a lot faster. So no matter where you're starting from, please just make the time, invest the time, take the time. It's never going to just be there for you. You're not going to wake up one day and just say, oh, huh, I have a day to work on my business. Cool.
Lisa: That's right. Yes. Working on your business like this, this is working on your life. This is an investment in your life that you are choosing to live. Thank you for saying that. That is so big.
Brea: Yeah, yeah. So wherever you are now, the best is yet to come and you will go further faster if you just take a pause. It's like those little toy cars that you have to pull back and then release it and then it just like shoots forward really fast. That's what this day is. It's time to just pull back.
Lisa: Marco Pico train.
Brea: Like what?
Lisa: Hillbilly references, you're gonna have to look up. See, I know we both are not great on pop culture, but I've got the hillbilly 1980s down pat.
Brea: Oh my gosh, that is so funny.
Lisa: It's a scavenger hunt. Let's see if people can come back in. Actually, I said it wrong. Anyway, it's Roscoe Pico train, I think, not Rocco.
Brea: Okay, Roscoe Pico Train.
Lisa: Roscoe Pico Train. Okay, so that's the scavenger hunt for people to come back in social media and tell you who Roscoe Pico Train was and get you, because it just, I'm playing on your car metaphor here. You just had no idea that it was all in support of the visual that you gave us.
Brea: Love it.
Lisa: So there you go. Yep. Now the listeners have to support you. I'm not going to give you the answer. It'll be fun.
Brea: Okay. I love it. I love it. Oh, that's so good. Well, I feel like we could talk about this forever because it's just so important. It's not even the right word. It's foundational. It's essential. It's necessary. If you don't do it, you will feel it and not in a good way. And if you do, oh my gosh, like you will feel the benefits of being just more in alignment finding more ease, more energy, more joy in your everyday work, and more profit, more success, you know? Yes, yes.
Lisa: And I think that these business planning retreats, I mean sometimes people of course go to in-person retreats to work on business. But if you're doing it, and you're like, hey, I love to work with Brea or Lisa, and I can't go to Kansas City, or I can't go to Austin, Texas, or to Colorado, we'll do it virtual.
We'll create relaxing vibes, we'll recreate those kind of feels as much as possible, because you can still find a park where you have Wi-Fi, you can go outside, you could go get a hotel for the day and do a staycation, you could, you can do a lot of things to mix up your workspace, even if you're in a different spot in your house, or you just sit on the patio that day instead of indoors. I think you can get a lot of those kind of feels as long as you're breaking your patterns.
Brea: Yep. Yep, and I love to travel and I'm very happy to travel to you or to your nearest beach in Mexico if that sounds fun for you. But maybe people don't know that Tour Guide Barbie is actually my middle name and I love to create experiences.
So, yeah, Kansas City, Nashville, Denver, or, you know, wherever you are, let's do it. You know, we'll make it fun. We'll make it a little yummy, a little special, and It really is just what you do for everyone every day. It's just holding space so that you can have that focused attention that intention to Set yourself up for success just like you do for your clients every day
Lisa: Beautiful. Mic drop right there.
Brea: Boom, baby. All right, everybody, BreaRoper.com slash VIP or LeadThroughStrengths.com slash VIP. Go book it now. Just do it. We'll see you there. Just do it. Adios.
Lisa: We'll be there with our tiki torches waiting for you.
Brea: Party.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Bonus Episode: Announcing Season 10 for Coaches | 09 Feb 2025 | 00:01:36 | |
| Goal Setting with Your Strengths | 02 Feb 2025 | 00:19:56 | |
Goal setting. Does setting and getting goals light you up and get you groovin? Or maybe you’re not a big fan. Either way, this episode focuses on how to set yourself up for success – by using your Strengths, of course! Tune in for personal anecdotes and insights about how leveraging your strengths can transform your goals from mundane tasks into inspiring challenges. We discuss the importance of having a solid action plan and the value of check-ins to keep you on track. Plus, we emphasize that even if a goal feels outside your natural strengths, you can still use your unique talents to achieve it. So, whether you're looking to set a Big Hairy Audacious Goal or just want to make your bed every day (no judgment here!), this episode is packed with tips and strategies to help you set it and get it! 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways ● Strengths-based goals set you up for success: Setting goals through the lens of your unique strengths can lead to more meaningful and attainable objectives. By focusing on what energizes and excites you, you can create goals that feel natural and motivating. ● Think beyond SMART Goals: While SMART goals are a great starting point, it's essential to think outside the box. Incorporating your strengths into the goal-setting process can help you identify opportunities and areas for growth that traditional methods might overlook. ● Strength doesn’t happen by accident. Strength, or as Gallup defines it, “consistent, near-perfect performance” doesn’t happen by accident. To achieve the best outcome,use your talents to bring intention and clear direction to your goals.
Take Action ● Explore Your Strengths: Take time to identify your unique strengths and consider how they can inform your goal-setting process. Reflect on what comes naturally to you and what you enjoy. ● Create an Action Plan: Simply setting a goal isn't enough; you need a step-by-step action plan to achieve it. Without a clear strategy, it's easy to lose focus and get sidetracked. Consider using tools (like sticky notes or vision boards) that align with your strengths to keep you organized and motivated. ● Set Goals for Talent Development: Consider setting goals that focus on developing your talents further. This can lead to new opportunities and enhance your overall performance. ● Use Accountability: Find an accountability partner or coach to help you stay focused on your goals. Regular check-ins can help you assess your progress and make necessary adjustments.
If you're ready to use your Strengths to set and get your goals, this episode is for you! 🎧 Listen in and let us know your thoughts! Got some hot tips of your own on strength-based goal setting? Share in the comments below! ✨ #Podcast #Productivity #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #Planning #TimeBlock #Goals #WorkLifeBalance #WorkLifeBlend #Talent #Strengths
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa: Hey, I'm Lisa.
Brea: And I'm Brea.
Lisa: And today's episode is all about goal setting.
Brea: Oh my gosh, we came in with giggles because I was like stretching and groaning like an old person as I was getting ready for the record button to go. So funny.
Lisa: It would be great if one of those kind of noises, I guess, included, you know? Yes, I love letting them in. And my back cracking as I'm like crouching in my chair. We'll have to overdub some back cracks. Oh my gosh.
Lisa: Hi, everybody. Yeah. Hey, everyone. And a double hello to Ricardo. I want to give him a shout out. He has been a listener, oh my gosh, I don't know how long, for eight years, nine years. He's been a listener forever and has been giving feedback over the years and has just been a great, great listener and strengths peer. So shout out to Ricardo for suggesting the topic of goal setting.
Brea: Okay, love that. Thank you, Ricardo.
Lisa: Yes. And I think, Brea, you tell me what you think here. I'm going to say you have to give an obligatory nod to SMART goals because it's the standard everyone talks about. So if you're a listener and you've never heard of SMART goals, it stands for, it's an acronym, it stands for Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.
And yes, those are great standards to make sure your goals are concrete and ready to go and in a form that feels gettable. And with that, I would like to quickly move right off of SMART goals so that we can give you some insights and things to think about that are different from every other goal setting podcast or article you've ever read. What do you think, Brea?
Brea: Yeah, you know, we're talking about strengths. We're talking about goals through a lens of strengths. So already it's different because, as everyone on this podcast knows, your strengths are as unique to you as Well, there is nothing more unique. They are 100% unique to you, the blend of your talents. So already, just if you are leaning into your strengths when you are approaching goals, it's already going to be unique to you. So let's dive in.
Lisa: Yes. You know, as you said that what pinged for me was When I'm deciding on my goals, what comes to my mind first is traditional goal setting stuff like, okay, let's think of the workplace and what are some metrics I want to move for the year? What are my revenue goals? I start to think of things like that. And when I think of strengths and add that in, I add things that I never would have thought of otherwise. So for example, I lead through positivity, individualization, woo, I have these need for people kind of themes, and I've worked from home for over 15 years.
What I've realized is if I don't have goals that relate to social things, I start to lose myself a little bit and I just don't realize it's that important for me to be around other humans physically because you can just be heads down in your work and forget. So I think that's an example personally of where goal setting with a lens of strengths, it could even tell me which ones to set that I might overlook entirely that'll be really valuable to me as a human. How about for you?
Brea: Yeah, totally. Using our strengths to set goals automatically broadens the scope of where you can go and what you can achieve. And it's attainable because it's coming from a place of strength, right? So it feels like, oh, this is a surprise. I've never really thought about setting a goal like this. And at the same time, it feels so doable and so natural and exciting, hopefully, you know, to think about going for that.
Lisa: Yeah, yeah. And they also give you. different approaches. If I think of mine, strategic's my number one. I love to get a list going of possibilities, and it's quick. But here are things I could focus on for the year. Here are things that might be important. And then I know that if I'm realistic, I can't do 40 top goals. That doesn't make any sense.
So instead, I can use strategic to say, what's most important for me? What are my priorities? And boom, I'm picking these two and that's it. And if I need to pivot later, cool, I will. And it allows me to do that. I love that. And I think my maximizer number two, it really drives me to set a goal and a BHAG, you know, the Big Hairy Audacious Goal, so that I can challenge the standard and challenge my potential and get a little bit of fun out of having the goal and then having the Big Hairy Goal.
Brea: Yeah. I love that.
Lisa: What do you think?
Brea: Yeah. I, I just, I'm thinking about, well, I'm thinking about why, why is setting goals so important and also why do so many people not do it? And also for those of us that do do it, like, why is it so hard? to finish. And I wonder if part of that is just because we are setting the wrong goals. Like you said, if we think about this through the lens of our strengths, we're able to set goals that can help set us up for success versus, you know, younger Brea would set goals to make my bed every day.
And, I just am not an everyday bedmaker and I've wasted so much time going after that goal, but it's just not a goal that's worth my effort. So I think this idea of setting goals through the lens of your strengths is so important because it helps you choose the right goals. And then the big hairy audacious, um, what's the G in beehive? Oh, Oh my gosh, I crack myself up. Okay, as soon as I said it, it was like right there.
Lisa: It's like pin number, personal identification. What's the N? Oh my gosh. It's a pin number. It's a BHAG goal. I think it's the same situation. So you're off the hook.
Brea: Yeah, that's so funny. So the BHA goal is, I forgot what I was saying. I don't even remember.
Lisa: I've got to jump on the insight then while your brain can bring it back to you. I think what you said, it felt like a metaphor that happens in the workplace all the time. So at year end, especially, but it happens at all different times of the year when people have to do their individual development plan for the year. And it's required that they set goals.
Of course, sometimes you have assigned goals where it's like, here's your goal. Go figure out how to meet it. And you can do that through strengths really well as well. But there's this opening on these IDPs, the individual development plans, for so many people because you're supposed to come up with a few of your own development goals. And what do people do?
They come up with goals that they think someone else wants to see. And what I just heard you saying, it reminded me of this same situation. Maybe they're making Make your bed goals. They've tried it and it was a meh goal. Well, those aren't fun to achieve. Those don't motivate you and pull out your potential. And if you use your strengths as a filter, they're going to be fun, or at least more fun. They're going to inspire something in you. There's going to be a spark.
And if you set your goals the way you think someone else believes you should, well, of course, they might not be that motivating for you. They might not sound that exciting. So I think strengths as a lens of goal settings, oh, it's so smart because all that stuff we talk about with the ease, ease, energy, enjoyment, excellence. If you set your goals aligned with strengths, it's going to bring all of those things out in you.
Brea: Totally. Yeah, I 100% agree. I've been that person. I think most, if not all, of our listeners have been there, so totally that resonates. Yeah, the BHAG doesn't seem so big, hairy, and audacious if it's aligned with your strengths.
Because what feels big to us or hairy to us or audacious to us are often the goals that are not in alignment with our strengths, right? Because like you just said, if we're setting goals that are in alignment with our strengths, then it feels easy. It feels energizing. It feels like excellence is attainable, right? We're excited for it. We enjoy it. That does not feel like big hairy audacious, right?
Lisa: I think, okay, so big, yes. Audacious, yes. Hairy, maybe not. But I would think like be careful with what kind of audacious, what kind of big, what kind of hairy. What a funny conversation. But I would say, okay, let's do an example. If I say, I want to double my number of members in Tools for Coaches. That sounds possible.
But I could set an audacious goal to triple it. And is it possible? Yeah, I think it's possible. And I like the stretch in the brain on something that sounds really exciting for me, something that is strengths aligned if I allow it to be. and I do it in a way that is of service to the members and in alignment with my strengths at the same time, then the audacious part of it feels amazing.
So instead of audacious being outlandish, it would be audacious because it's like, ooh, this is just a little possibility that I'm seeding in my mind so that I can start marinating on how I could actually pull that off.
Brea: Yeah, and I think when we use our strengths, we can do that, right? The big hairy audacious becomes possible.
Lisa: What about accomplishing goals? Let's say it's a goal. Now it's set. You've done your SMART goals, you've picked a BHAG or a stretch or whatever version of it, and you've done it. with your strengths in mind. It feels aligned with you, with you as a person. So your goals are set.
Brea: And now you got to go get them.
Lisa: You got to go get it. Brea's got the ultimate rhyme. Set it and get it. So now we're on the get it phase. How do you use your strengths? What does that even look like if you're using your strengths to accomplish what's already set?
Brea: Yeah. So we've talked about how setting the right goal is setting yourself up for success. But then you got to go get it. And you can't just like set the goal and say, okay, cool, and then have no plan. And I think that's the second place that people fall down is that they don't have a step-by-step action plan of how they're actually going to get there.
So it's kind of like Babe Ruth steps up to the plate and he points to where he's going to just crush this Homer But if I did that, the ball would not go where my finger is pointing, you know what I mean? Like, I have no plan, I have no practice. That's where I think a lot of us fail in our goal getting is there's no strategy, there's no plan, there's no step-by-step. So gotta give yourself some direction.
Lisa: Direction, intention, you know, which you also brought out for me is the difference that in the same thing, let's say the same, goal, I'm going to use this in quotes, because you might not do goal setting. If you were Babe Ruth, you're not like I am goal setting to hit the ball over there in that moment. But if it were you, you would have to because of all the things that would have to come to lead up to it. So the relative part of this is cool because we're one person's task is another person's goal.
Thinking back to some recent coaching conversations - I had one recently where person manages her goals and tasks with sticky notes really masterfully. And I think that's kind of neat to see. Yeah. And if you imagine adaptability, arranger, those kind of things, or someone has all the stuff and Achiever was on board. All the things that you have to accomplish, they can get scratched off and thrown out. They can get pushed over to another category on the side.
Goals can be stacked. If there's a project involved, the next action is the one that's on top. I was getting the whole visual of this thinking, this sounds so beautiful and strength aligned. And the next person who leads through futuristic and strategic and positivity, maybe they love vision boards to get them started, and then they turn that into concrete action.
And maybe the next person who leads through competition and analytical, they're all about the metrics and understanding where they came from last year, where they're headed to this year, what the industry standard is, how they're going to nail it, how they need to break it down by month.
And all those different examples, those are really different paths to possibly hitting the same exact goal. It's using your strengths to find the approach that is fun to you because your strengths are aligned.
Brea: Yeah, that's so good. Yeah. I think something you're bringing up is, um, guardrails or just like check-ins, you know, depending on the goal, depending on the length of the project or, you know, the timeline that you have, you might need to have little milestone goals, right? You might need to put in some check-ins to say, let's look at the data. How are we doing? Are we making progress?
Because that's the worst is if you set a goal and you start running after it, and then. you know, squirrel and you get distracted, something comes up and all of a sudden you're off on another tangent. So if you can't be that person for yourself, if you can't set those, those boundaries or those guardrails for yourself, then maybe it's finding an accountability coach, or maybe it's taking advantage of weekly check-ins with your manager or whatever it might be.
Lisa: Yeah, I like that. How do I know what else needs to happen to keep me on target or to check in? Whether, like you said, whether that's accountability partners or using, for example, using some relationship themes to reach out to people who have been in that industry longer than you so that you could get some data points outside of the ones you know, but you could do that through relationships.
You could sit back and do some reflection and thinking or research with your thinking themes. Just go through the domains. I just went through two of them, but you can go through and think about different ways to approach it based on the domains you're dominant in.
Brea: Yeah, this is so important. If you're given a goal, okay, bring your strengths. How can I use my talents to accomplish the goal that has been set before me? Even if it's not, let's say, most naturally aligned. Maybe it's an execution goal and executing is your lowest domain. Okay, that's fine.
You can still get there using your strengths. We can also set goals to actually develop your talent. What a great use of time, energy, resources. You know, the definition that Gallup gives us for strength is consistent, near-perfect performance. That does not happen by accident, okay? So you need to be intentional. So let's set some goals to develop our talent and build strength, create new strengths, and go out there and just crush life, you know?
Lisa: Yes, I'm loving what you just brought up. And it made me think of this example of a person in a workshop a couple of years ago. She led through connectedness. She told me she had been squashing it down at work and that that was more of her personal strength with friends, family, social, etc. But she kind of put it in a drawer for work because she had the sense that it wasn't hard driving and logical enough. and didn't think it was useful at work.
So she set a goal, to your point, to develop connectedness and see what it looks like at work. And pretty soon she's realizing, oh, this is how I build rapport. Oh, my kindness takes the edge off when I really need to push hard. Oh, connectedness, it helps me see downstream effects that others don't see. It helps me see how our work is connected to the end user. She came up with 20 things that it was valuable for as she got into it. Yeah, and she did it because she set the intention to work on one that she had been totally shutting off in the workplace.
Brea: Yeah, and I think that's a great example of, and I hear it from clients too, this is a great exercise to help you get to the goal setting process. Just start looking at your strengths, start looking at what is easy for you, what's natural for you, what you enjoy, and dreaming about how you can grow that - how you might be able to bring that to a place or a person or a task that you normally don't. And then all of a sudden you're like, oh wow, look at all these opportunities, right? And then you can set goals to help you get there.
Lisa: Beautiful. Inspired action.
Brea: Ooh, love. Hello.
Lisa: Oh, I got snaps.
Brea: Love it.
Lisa: Okay, we got snaps, but we also need to tell people how to work with us because what if they want our help in exploring their goals? So, Brea, tell them. If they want some goal-setting work with their strengths and they want Brea Roper in the house, how do they find you?
Brea: Well, if you are ready to go for your own snaps, then come to my website, brearoper.com. Set up a call. We'll figure out if we're a good fit to work together. How about you, Lisa?
Lisa: Come to leadthroughstrengths.com/getcoached and we can do a one-off session on goal setting or any topic you have on your mind.
Brea: Love it. Don't forget to use your strengths to set it and get it.
Lisa: Set it and get it.
Brea: But don't forget it.
Lisa: Yes. Don't forget it.
Brea: Don't forget your strengths when you're setting and getting goals.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Do You Nurture Your Nature? | 19 Jan 2025 | 00:25:33 | |
Did you know that frustration and burnout your talents can be ‘hangry’. In today's episode, we dive into the delightful concept of nurturing your nature! Life can be tough, and we all know that adulting isn't just a walk in the park. So, why not focus on what makes you shine? We discuss the importance of not just using your strengths, but actively nurturing and developing them to unlock their full potential. You’ll hear us chat about the nuances of nurturing your talents, the idea of nourishing them like a well-cooked meal, and how to create opportunities for your strengths to thrive. We even share some personal reflections on our own talents and how we are intentional about feeding them. So, if you’ve ever felt like your talents are a bit hangry or underutilized, this episode is for you! Join us as we encourage you to take a moment to reflect on how you can start nurturing your nature today. 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways
Take Action ● Schedule frequent talent ‘check ups’: Just like our bodies need specific nutrients to thrive, our talents require attention and care. Regularly reflect on your top talents and assess which ones may be undernourished. This self-audit can help you identify areas where you can focus your energy to foster growth and satisfaction. ● Create opportunities for your Strengths to shine!: If you find that your strengths aren't being utilized in your current environment, take the initiative to create opportunities for them to shine. Whether at work or in personal projects, seek out or design situations where your talents can be fully expressed. ● Consider a VIP Day: If you're looking for guidance as you work to nurture your nature, consider booking a VIP day with Lisa or Brea. ○ Book with Brea: https://brearoper.com/vip ○ Book with Lisa: https://leadthroughstrengths.com/vip If you're ready to unlock the hidden potential in your talents, this episode is for you! 🎧 Listen in and let us know your thoughts! What does nurturing your nature look like in your life? Share in the comments below! ✨ #Podcast #Productivity #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #Planning #TimeBlock #SelfCare #TimeForYourself #WorkLifeBalance #WorkLifeBlend #Nurture #Nature #Talent #Strengths
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa: Hey, I'm Lisa.
Brea: I'm Brea.
Lisa:
Brea: How to nurture your nature or why to nurture your nature. I love it.
Lisa: I love how your brain does this. It does it on a lot of topics. We'll talk about the topic and then you'll be like, but why? You know? So when you ask me the question, why should you nature… Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Should you nature your nurture? Let's nurture our nature, but I need to think on that. Is there an application for nurturing your nurture? Because I really like to nurture. Why should you nurture your nature? Instantly, I think about how adulting is hard. And really, I mean, stuff is hard. Life isn't just joy, joy, joy, joy all the time. So why not do things that for you are efficient and fun and can make life feel better. And if you're really taking your nature, and then you're leveraging it for all that it can be, then you're going to feel more efficient in your life. You're going to have more fun. It's going to be more exciting. It's not going to feel so laborious and difficult. I mean, we already have enough difficulties that will come our way anyway. So when you direct your attention for where your development is going, why not do it in these areas where you can really, really shine? That's what comes to mind for me.
Brea: Life is hard enough. Yes, life is hard enough. We don't need to make it more hard. So yes, I totally agree 100%. And I feel like a lot of people listening right now are nodding their head in agreement, right? Like we all get that. I do think that there's a different nuance to the conversation because we love nuance here on the Lead Through Strengths podcast. There's a different nuance to the conversation where leveraging your talent or your nature is one thing, right? Leaning into it aligning with it. Those those are all Kind of versions of that using it, right? But the idea of nurturing it Developing it. I Feel like there's a lot of us out there who aren't really exploring the full potential of what that means to nurture Our nature, you know to grow it. How do we do that? How do we do that as coaches? How do we help our our coachees to nurture their talent, to grow the good, not just to use it as it is, you know what I mean? But to nurture it, to grow it, to invest in it, right? Like that's- That's a cool distinction. Yeah, yeah.
Lisa: So I am totally getting where you're coming from. And the word that popped into my mind while you were describing it, because it almost felt like it with your words and the way you said them, was the word nourish. It's kind of like, If you were nourishing them, what would you be doing for them? If you were paying attention to making them better and better or have more things they could be directed toward or apply them in new situations and try them on in new ways and experiment with it and play with it, like all of those things could be ways that are nurturing it.
Brea: Yes. We have to feed our talents because if we don't, then they get hangry. And we don't like talents when they're angry. That looks like bad behavior. That looks like not emotionally regulated. That just doesn't look good. It does not look like strength. It looks like weakness, right? So the idea of nourishing is so good.
Lisa: So I definitely am a person who thinks you grow through practice, but you could practice the same terrible form over and over throwing a ball and just become stronger at your poor form.
Brea: I love that because clarity comes from action. I a hundred percent believe that a hundred percent. You got to move in order to get some clarity. Here's the thing, though, when it comes to nurturing, Traditionally, outside of the strengths movement, we have learned to reflect on our practice, to take a look at how we did and invest in the places where we were falling short. This is the difference. I think we still kind of default to looking to where we fell short and, you know, how do we use our talents to like fill the gaps? But what about this idea of looking at what we did well, looking at where we're excelling even and nurturing that, growing that? Is it true that if we do that, that our great will get even greater and it will be strong enough that the weakness doesn't even matter? In some cases, right? Is it true? Is what we believe really true?
Lisa: Yeah, so in addition to what you're talking about where we get focused on filling gaps and fixing weaknesses and trying to figure out how to do what we can't do yet, I also think there's this piece of nurturing your nature where you have to remember what makes you come alive and you have to remember where your greatest contributions are because if you will, You'll remember how to bring that excitement to your life. You'll remember what it feels like when you're contributing in the world. And you're like, oh, I need to get in that environment more often.
Brea: So this is so good because it it brings us back to let's start at the very beginning. The idea of how do we nurture? How do we do that? Right. Well, I think it's looking for opportunities to use your talents and or creating those opportunities if they don't currently exist in your work from home environment, then you have to create those opportunities. If you're in an office setting, maybe it's being aware of the opportunities where your talents can shine and really thrive and raising your hand for those, you know? So whether it's taking advantage of them when the opportunities come or, you know, creating those opportunities for yourself, I think that is a very foundational way of making sure that your talents get nurtured.
Lisa: Yeah, 100%. I love the word nurture. I love the metaphor we've been using with nourishing because it really is like that. Yes, you can go consume the fast food version of doing these things where you kind of get a drive-by experience of using them. But you could also do a slow cooker soup that you really worked on and you thought about carefully. And when you eat it, you're like, whoa, there's depth here. Like if you ever ate an amazing soup where you can just tell. this thing has been cooking for 36 hours with 20 amazing ingredients. Like that is what that taste experience is akin to what somebody is receiving on the interactions with you. They're like, whoa, when they say that person is so genuine or wow, like I really like that person. They it's because you're showing your strengths so genuinely and you just seem so on. That's what it's like. I love that kind of fed, nourished vibe because it really shows the richness that you demonstrate as a human.
Brea: I love that, too. And now you're actually reminding me, Lisa, when we went to Four by Brother Luck. I had a soup and it was maybe the most delicious soup that I've ever had. So that's just a fun little memory that you're bringing up.
Lisa: I think I know the one. Was it their duck chili?
Brea: No, it was a butternut squash something something. It was delicious. Yeah. But here's, this is actually going to your naturing the nurture. Okay, I think it's possible. You're gonna make it work. Well, I, to me, they they're hand in hand. If we look to the nature and we say, look, I know I want to nurture my nature. So I'm going to feed my nature, right? I'm going to nurture it. I'm going to feed it. I'm going to nourish it. Okay. So how do we nature the nurture? Well, we have to look to the nature and say, well, what do I need? What, not just what food, like, okay, well, I need food. I need water. Okay. Yeah. So all of us do, but what do I need? So have you ever gone to the doctor and done a little allergy test or a blood panel that says, you know, hi, you're, you're vitamin D deficient, you know, or you're deficient in this or whatever. Like every body needs the same vitamins, nutrients, everything, but some are deficient in areas that others aren't. Right. And so if I'm going to, if I'm going to truly nourish my body, I need to know specifically what it needs. How much protein should I be eating every day? Well, that depends on how much muscle mass you have, or maybe hormone levels, or exercise, or all the things matter. So if we're truly going to nourish, and this is along the lines of self-care too. We talk about how it's important to take time for yourself. It's important to nourish. yourself and care for yourself, we have to know what we need in order to do that. And it's not just as simple as saying, well, we need food, we need water, we need to sleep, we need air. It's very specific to the person.
Lisa: I like your metaphor. I can also really relate to it. Having been a person who nerds out on my micronutrients every six months and seeing how individual vitamins, minerals, etc. are on or off. And then I pay attention to them and give them extra care for a while. The same would go for the talanthemes. And you have to keep checking in. It's not like a static thing. Well, I gave it some gave it some nurture time. It's set for life. It's very much like those nutrients in the body. So I think that's a great metaphor because you do have to keep checking in and it depends on what you've been focused on, how you've been living, who you've been around, what kind of contributions you've been making, all sorts of factors. So it is an ongoing check-in.
Brea: Yeah. It reminds me of caring for plants. Now, this is not one of my strengths. I do not do a good job of caring for them. And I think it's because I don't understand what they need. So I'm like, Oh, I'll just put it by the window and I'll get some water. And I, I think it's you know, good to go, but then, nope, it's not good to go. But in that situation, I would say, okay, well, maybe I'll, I'll move it over to this side, or maybe, oh, it's right by a vent. So it's just getting blasted with AC during the summer. Maybe it needs to be in a warmer place. So I move it to a different location and you move it around. And if you're patient, if you love it enough, if it matters, then you're going to figure it out, right? You're going to figure out. and maybe you have a cool little app on your phone to help you figure it out, but some way you figure out what it needs, right? You understand how much to water, when to water, how much sun, shade, all of the things, and then it can start living its best life. If we do that for plants, then why don't we do that for ourselves?
Lisa: Right? And the CliftonStrengths report And many tools, coaching and other things, but the CliftonStrengths Report makes it pretty easy. It's like your app for the plant. And it gives you the chance to say, Oh, okay, I'm feeling drained. I'm feeling a little soul sucked right now. I'm feeling whatever negative emotion. If you look to your report, it can often, with a little bit of the nourishment of your talents, it can bring you out of the yellow leaves. So it's another just great reason you've got to nourish it. And everyone looks a little bit different. And you have to pay attention to your own. Great point that I mean, come on, if you're going to give your houseplant more attention than you give yourself. Yeah.
Brea: Got to get your back here. You're more important for real, though. Like how many of us do that? I know I'm sometimes guilty of that. maybe not with plants, but maybe with other things that are not worth as much as I'm worth. I'm giving time and attention to other things or other people or other situations or whatever, and I'm not doing the work for myself. And so I think it's a real gut check to say, are you nurturing your nature? It's not a pleasantry or a platitude or a cheeky phrase. I really invite anyone listening to ask yourself, am I nurturing my nature? And if so, how, and how can I do more of it? And if not, what's one way that you can start right now? You know, today, what's one thing that you can do to appreciate your nature and to just give it a little bit of love?
Lisa: Yeah. And I think there's an audit that could be cool as well. You know, I always go practical and I'm like, okay, let's apply this to something really going on in life. So I just did a quick run through of my top talents and I'm thinking through strategic, maximizer, positivity, individualization, woo, focus, futuristic, learner. And the one that pops out for me when I ask this question, am I nurturing? The one that I'm not sure I'm deliberately nurturing is strategic. Now it shows up in a lot of things. It shows up in my thinking. It shows up when I get to make a quick decision. But a lot of times I'm not making quick decisions. I do like to zoom out. I do like to prioritize. So there are a lot of things I could say I like to do this. But am I deliberately doing it and really pouring into it as something I could develop and make me a better human with? Ooh, that's the one that stands out to me that could use some directed attention. So I'm thinking, ooh, this little process, this question is an easy one. You could just glance down at the list and say, well, which one's in a micronutrient deficiency? Which one's sad right now? Which one's just not used that much right now deliberately? It is used in small doses throughout the day, but am I really giving it nourishment? Am I really developing it? Am I really working it? Am I really having fun with it? Am I really directing it? That one stands out for me. Do any stand out for you?
Brea: Well, what immediately stands out is, you talk about that a lot on this podcast. The strategic wanting white space, you know, wanting an opportunity to be more intentional. So I guess I'll just reflect that back to you because…
Lisa: It's hungry.
Brea: It's getting hangry.
Lisa: Yeah. It's hungry. It's hungry.
Brea: Yeah. Well, for me, this is part of my nightly examine is intentionally looking at my talents and saying, which ones do they feed today? Which ones are going to bed hungry? My strategic, it also shows up every day, but it's like, I don't know, strategic is like real hungry. It's like a teenage boy, you know, like just a ravenous appetite all the time. It's like, like you can never feed it enough. And so it gets me into trouble sometimes because it's hangry a lot. Does that make sense? It's more needy than the others. And so if, if my strategic stays in my head, I can think and think and think and think and think about, we could do this. We could do that. It could look like this. It could look like that. Well, we can't move, you know, this way because I don't have this piece of information. And if I still need that piece of information, then I don't really know you know, how it's going to go. So I can't like make a decision yet because it could go the wrong way and I can just lose my mind, you know? So the best way that I need to be intentional about feeding my strategic is actually like moving forward. I don't know if that's just me. You tell me because you actually have strategic number one listeners with strategic. How does this show up for you? Is strategic always on the move? I mean, it's a strategic thinking theme. but I feel like it thinks on its feet. You know, it really like at its best, it's as you're moving and grooving, it's like, we can pivot this way. You know, we can pivot that way versus standing stationary and thinking through all the options. For me, I need to move, you know.
Lisa: Yeah, I think always being on the move is true for mine as well. That seems like part of the nature of strategic. My strategic, I think, is what makes me decisive though. And I think when you mix it with Maximizer, it becomes an efficiency theme. So it might take on a little different flavor. But what, back to your strategic, if you were to think about a night, because you do this awesome nightly, tell us what you call your nightly practice again.
Brea: It's an examen.
Lisa: You're nightly examine when you're doing this. Tell us a night when this hungry teenage boy felt satiated. What was a day when strategic was like, yeah, I used that. And that was a good one.
Brea: Yeah. It's when it allows me to pivot through unexpected circumstances. You know, when I had a plan, but things didn't go according to plan and I was able to just roll with it. Like that's where my strategic really, really comes alive.
Lisa: Hmm. Ooh, I like this because it shows some, so much difference in strategic.
Brea: Yeah. I think it also comes out in coaching. If I'm coaching strategic plus ideation is like, and all you can eat buffet. Like, I'm so happy if someone comes to me and says, can you give me some ideas of what I could do? I'm like, yes, I can. You know, I have a lot of ideas, but they're strategic as well. So that's also a really good feel good, you know, thrive kind of situation.
Lisa: Yeah. Like mix that with strategic ideation and communication and you're someone's at the ready brainstorming partner. It's going to feel amazing.
Brea: Unless it's a coaching client who continues to come back and, you know, every session never takes action. Then my activator is like, we're done. So that's, it's true though. You know, like my activator, if it's not activating, then it gets, it gets angry. So.
Lisa: Well, that's the whole topic of the show, right? Talking about the idea of nurturing the nature. So if something's running against your nature and you can't activate and you're able to choose your clients and you want someone who is going to take action on the stuff they've come up with from their coaching, maybe that's, I mean, that's beautiful. I'm sure that's something that you've come up with in your nightly examines where you say, ooh, this isn't good nurturing of my nature if I keep Being around this and I'm not pushing on it to get action Mm-hmm.
Brea: Yeah, and it's interesting because then I have a choice right we have we have a choice. Do I? Do I say okay, I only want to work with super high achieving People who are gonna come every week do the work come back and be hungry for more or do I say, you know what activator like I This person is really just looking for some ideas or some space to think and dream. So it's not time to activate yet. So you can just move to the back, have a seat. Thank you so much. We'll call you when it's your turn. And I think that's the thing is just understanding that just because I'm hungry doesn't mean I need to eat every second.
Lisa: Yeah, if we're brainstorming, and I want them to take action for them, but if that's not what they want, because they're not there, or maybe the value they wanted out of this conversation with me was a person who could generate ideas with them, but they're not ready for or interested in the action. And to them, they're getting full value out of the coaching is Is that plenty? You know, it's really interesting to think through the coach's needs, their needs, what the coaching agreements are, what they're there for. Are they just not challenging themselves or is it something else? Did they just come for ideas? Do they just need a space to let their brain go open wide?
Brea: Yep. Yeah. That's what makes you such a good coach. Lisa Cummings, everybody. Love it. Love it.
Lisa: I'm bowing, I'm bowing. Thank you, thank you very much.
Brea: Here's a round of applause, a round of applause. Oh my gosh, it's so good. That's why they pay you the big bucks. Come on, come on.
Lisa: Okay, well, speaking of that, if someone wants to experience the Brea Roper, tell them how to find you and find this concept of nurturing the nature or nurturing the nurture, either one you want. Brea Roper's got it for you.
Brea: It's a equal opportunity here for nature. Come on over to brearoper.com. You can schedule a call, just a quick little, a quick little chat. I'll get to know you. You'll get to know me a little bit better and we'll see if, if it's good fit. I'd love to work with you. Please come on over. Say hi, Lisa. How about you?
Lisa: Come on over to leadthroughstrengths.com/getcoached. And actually, I think there's a dash in the getcoached. It's “Get Coached” in the main menu. And we can set up a one-off call anytime you need to feed those talents, because we don't want you being shriveled up and starved out.
Brea: Yeah. You know, something else that's coming to mind is for both of us, we both have what we call a VIP day. And this is an opportunity for you to really step out of your everyday experience and nurture, feed, nourish yourself, whether that's your business, your talents, um, whatever is, is hungry the most, but you can find that at BreaRoper.com slash VIP or LeadThroughStrengths.com slash VIP.
Lisa: Yes, this is when you are ready for a delicious seven-course meal and you're ready for the whole experience. You're not eating Panda Express today. You're having a VIP day.
Brea: That's right.
Lisa: Come on. This is your high-end, calm, nourishing, beautiful, delicious experience.
Brea: You don't have to cook. You don't have to clean. You can just set the time aside, right? Come sit down at a beautiful table and be there. Show up for yourself, show up for your business and feast.
Lisa: We've got to go now. I am very hungry, Brea.
Brea: All right. See you guys later. Bye.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Taking Time for Yourself | 29 Dec 2024 | 00:35:25 | |
Maybe you're a planner like Lisa, whose calendar resembles a game of ‘time Tetris’, more spontaneous like Brea, who’s a little more free-flowing, or somewhere in between. No matter how you do it, taking time to prioritize your well-being is essential. In this episode, you’ll hear us discuss the importance of setting boundaries and making intentional choices about how you spend your time. We share our personal experiences and strategies, from booking vacations and massages to creating those precious moments of spontaneity that can truly rejuvenate your spirit. We even touch on our VIP day offerings, where you can take a deep dive into your goals and aspirations with us as your guides. So, if you’ve been feeling the weight of life’s demands, this episode is your reminder to take a step back, breathe, and invest in yourself. So, grab your planner (or just your favorite cozy blanket) and get ready to discover how to make time for YOU! 🌟 Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways
Take Action ● Block Out Time for Yourself: Schedule your personal time in advance, whether it's for vacations, self-care activities like massages, or simply time to relax. Make sure to earmark these activities in your calendar to prevent overbooking. ● Plan for Spontaneity: Create blocks of time in your schedule that are left open for spontaneous activities. This could be as simple as a few hours with no plans, allowing you to engage in whatever feels right in the moment. ● Reflect and Review: Set aside time for a year-end reflection or quarterly reviews. Use this time to assess your goals, accomplishments, and areas for improvement, ensuring that you are intentional about how you want to spend your time moving forward. ● Establish Boundaries: Learn to set and maintain boundaries around your time. This includes saying no to commitments that do not serve your well-being and protecting the time you have allocated for yourself. ● Consider a VIP Day: If you're looking for guidance in taking time for yourself, consider booking a VIP day. This can provide you with structured time to reflect, strategize, and plan for your personal and professional goals. ○ Book with Brea: https://brearoper.com/vip ○ Book with Lisa: https://leadthroughstrengths.com/vip If you're feeling overwhelmed or just need a reminder to prioritize yourself, this episode is for you! 🎧 Listen in and let us know your thoughts! What does taking time for yourself look like in your life? Share in the comments below! ✨ Additional Resources ● The Planner Pad – Brea’s favorite planning system. ✅ If you’re looking for a simple and effective way to time block your day, so you can streamline your focus and maximize your free time, check this out! #Podcast #Productivity #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #Planning #TimeBlock #SelfCare #TimeForYourself #WorkLifeBalance #WorkLifeBlend
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa: Hey, I'm Lisa.
Brea: I'm Brea.
Lisa: And today's episode is about taking time out for yourself.
Brea: So this is a timely topic because you have just taken time for yourself, a luxurious amount of time in a really yummy place. And I am feeling the need to take time for myself. So we're coming, you know, from opposite ends of the spectrum. And I think that hopefully that makes for a juicy conversation.
Lisa: I feel like we should define it Brea style. You know, you're always like, let's back up. What is it like? What does this mean? What's it about to take time off? What does it mean to you?
Brea: Yeah, taking time out for yourself can mean, an all-expenses-paid resort wherever your heart fancies for an extended amount of time with no responsibilities, turn off your cell phone, like to one extreme. I feel like it also, most of the time for most of us, looks like smaller moments, you know, throughout the day and throughout the week and throughout the month and throughout the year. And that's what I'd love to talk about as well as, you know, the big things, but just the little things. How can we, how can we take time for ourselves?
Lisa: Yes. I love it. And for me, it's the same along with I don't have a lot of talents that are in the moment and spontaneous. And if I don't plan these things, they do not happen. So I'm very much a planner. So for me, taking time out for yourself is about relaxing. It's about time to marinate, reflect. luxurious amounts of time. I don't feel that feeling very often. It's usually like I have booked myself from the moment I wake up until 8pm in time blocks and I am like boom boom and you know how I am. You do Brea and probably many listeners know now that if I have a five minute sliver of time I have something else I throw in there. It's very packed when I'm in a workday. Okay. You might be better at this than I am. Like if I scored myself on a scale of one to 10 on how I am at taking time out for myself, I would give myself a six. I feel like you're better at this. How do you score yourself?
Brea: Well, maybe we need to go back to the definitions. Yeah, I mean, 10, 12, 20, I feel like I am overly kind to myself in time. And that works for me, but I know that I could do more. I could accomplish more. I just choose not to because I don't like that feeling of being stressed. It's stressful for me to have a lot of time pressures. For other people, that's the thrill. That's the thriving. That's the best life. It's just not for me. I've learned that over the years and it's been a really hard lesson for me to learn or just something for me to accept about myself because I grew up, maybe like a lot of us, just feeling like we have to be productive all the time. And I just don't enjoy it. So I do take time for myself, but I call it planning to be spontaneous, you know, like putting time in my schedule to just kind of ebb and flow and, you know, live into the adaptability parts of me. So.
Lisa: Well, that phrase you just used, planning to be spontaneous, well, it resonates with me a lot. I would love to talk strategies, what you block out. I know I have four really clear things that I block out. Yeah, tell us. Okay, okay. Number one, block out PTO for the year. So if you're an employee, like when I was an employee, I blocked my PTO. I might be wrong and I might change vacation days, but I will earmark them essentially because I can always shift things in the calendar. Like if I need to move things by two weeks, it's fine because there's a chunk of time allocated to it. So, I block that for the year. Just do it. Yeah.
Brea: Buy the tickets. You gotta go.
Lisa: Yes. And even if I don't buy the tickets, just have the four days, seven days, however many days that's going to be, they're earmarked so that I don't book over it. Booking PTO for the year is big. Another one is I book massages or self-care things, like whatever that thing is for you. Massage is my favorite self-care thing to go do. I block those out even if I don't have them booked I block either Mondays and Fridays because I attempt to not work on Mondays and Fridays and I will Put those in and then if it doesn't happen for some reason fine but I'll I'll block those because otherwise I'll just book right on top of them and We'll never get them done And then third thing is I time block my workouts and even my walks. Like if I just have a leisurely stroll where you hear me audio chatting with you with my gravel crunching in the background, those and my workouts are inside of those time blocks. When I have my calendar rolling from usually about eight to eight, I have every minute pre-planned what is going to happen in that minute. Doesn't always work out. But yeah, that that works for me. And I would say for someone else, they might need an accountability partner to make it happen. But I think the time blocking time for yourself to honor your body, and the one that I'm working on right now is blocking out more time for the time that food requires, like the actual eating whole food and what it requires for cooking and cleanup is something that I haven't allocated very well in my time blocks and I'm seeing it's one of my failure points. So coming into the next year when I'm reviewing how I've done, I see that's an area where I'm not doing as great. And then the fourth and final one for me is I plan a year-end reflection at least one day at the end of every year. Sometimes I do these quarterly, but I just really like them as a year-end. I usually do a year-end training day where I just give myself the opportunity to learn about whatever. And then there's one day that's like strategy, look back, reviewing all the metrics and like basically it's what do I keep of this? How did I do? And what do I change? And then what do I want this next year to be? How do I want to show up? What are the goals? It's just that whole day of reflection and thoughtful strategic stuff so that every day isn't defaulting to what is currently urgent. It's kind of like the urgent importance scale, making sure there's time blocked out for what is important and then fill in around it. So it sounds like I have all kinds of leisure time, but also people who know me would also say I've been talking about getting more white space and marination space and open brain space for years. So it's something, this is why I give myself a six. I'm pretty good at blocking the time out. And then I'm also pretty good at overbooking myself in the time blocks I have left over. Yeah, that's real. So that's my recap. Yeah, what's your recap?
Brea: Well, that sounds exhausting. I'm like, I need a nap just listening to that.
Lisa: This is like a great example of strength because I'm like, this sounds so cool. When I look at those time blocks, I get so excited because there are big chunks just blocked off that can't be scheduled. I get excited.
Brea: So funny. So planning to be spontaneous in my world is not that. Planning to be spontaneous is putting, it's putting two hours or three hours or 30 minutes or whatever onto the calendar with nothing planned. So you're planning to be spontaneous, right? So maybe, so for me, if I do have a really full day that's just packed, I have to have those blocks of like nothing time because because I've learned over the years that things come up, you know? If my schedule's blocked too tightly, then I can't receive those. And it means so much to me. It gives me a lot of joy and it brings me a lot of energy and really fuels me to be able to say, yes, let's talk. You know, I have some time this afternoon. Or maybe I just need a nap or maybe I just need to rest, you know, or maybe I just want to go outside and like, you know, kick off my shoes and put my feet in the grass and let the sun on my face and just have that time for myself, you know. So, yeah, it is interesting how our talents are so different, you know, like taking time for yourself can mean a million different things depending on where you find your fuel.
Lisa: I think yours might be a wiser, more mature version of what I'm saying, because I'm listening to you going, I need to do this, this sounds so good. Because if I got the call like, oh, sick dog, throw out the whole afternoon, I would be like, Okay, and I would do it and then there would be an aftermath. There would be no blocks of spontaneity in there that could be grabbed. So I like that as a day. Do you do that every day?
Brea: Well, yes and no. I don't plan my schedule as tightly as you do just to start off with. I don't have my full day blocked minute for minute, so there's already just breathing room. Again, this is something that I've learned for myself over the past Specifically, past like seven years, eight years, as I've been a solopreneur doing a lot of this type of work, I used to do like eight to 10 hour-long Zoom meetings, coaching calls back-to-back all day. And that was awful. I've learned that maybe I should put a little bit of buffer space in between or not do so many in a day. It felt really efficient at the time. It was like, I'm just going to knock them out all, bring similar tasks together. I'm going to do all my Zoom computer video stuff so that Cause that's always hard, you know, is like trying to figure out, okay, I got to get home to be on the video, you know, versus taking a phone call versus meeting in person. So I thought it would be efficient, but then it just ends up draining you, you know, so draining a lot of times.
Lisa: Cause there are coaches like Adrian Massey, as an example, fellow strengths coach, she loves doing seven, eight calls, boom, boom, boom, boom, back to back to back. coaching on video. I can't imagine that. I think I would be sucked of energy and I need that buffer in between. But she loves that and it's energizing.
Brea: So, yes. Gosh, Adrienne, I'd love to hear more about what energizes you about that. If you're listening, throw it into the comments or tell us more. But I think for me, it is energizing because that's eight different people or 10 different people that I get to talk to that day and that's so fun. What I learned doesn't work for me about that is follow-up, right? Any emails that I have to send after the conversation or whatever, the follow-up is, I had also blocked that time on a different day. I'm going to have my admin day and I'm going to do all the follow-up from yesterday. That is so draining for me. So instead, I just have done a little bit of time before the call to just kind of prep, a little bit of time after the call to send whatever follow-up, and then it's done. It's off the list, it's out of my head, and I can move on to the next thing and be really present with whatever I'm working on.
Lisa: Next Yes, I think you're excellent. This might be a future episode just being present. I Take it like you're naturally good at this or I have in the past making it like you're naturally good at just being present and I I think you also do it very strategically on purpose because you like being in that state and you take time out for yourself to ensure that you can. So I really like your idea of handspontaneity and I would say like people who know me really well they would crack up if you heard me say planned. Yeah. They would be like planned. Yes. Spontaneous. No. No. But I do desire that. Like that's a thing that I think, oh, that's possible because that can be planned for. I just haven't done it. I haven't learned to do it right yet. So I'm learning from you. Yeah. In this episode. But maybe I'm good at the big picture thinking out for the year, but I'm not good at executing in the day to day. Yeah.
Brea: Well, Gosh, I mean, I've done this since high school where, like you, I plan out my big rocks. I'm also a very big planner. I know it sounds like I'm just very spontaneous and adaptable, but adaptability is not a talent of mine. I just have had to learn over the years because I've moved so many times and my life has has required a lot of adaptability. So I've learned how to adapt and it is easier for me than it used to be, but it's not a place that I thrive. It's not something that I'm like seeking out. You know what I mean? I love to plan, but truly planning to be spontaneous is more than just adding buffer. I remember when I was in high school and college and I just didn't have the responsibilities that I have today, planning to be spontaneous, what that was was blocking off an entire afternoon. And when it got to that time, I was like, okay, what am I gonna do? And it was true spontaneity. It was, what do I feel like in the moment? who's around me, what am I feeling inspired to do? Let's truly be spontaneous. And sometimes that was just going on a little adventure. Maybe we went to go get ice cream or maybe we went on a walk or maybe we just said, you know what, let's go for a drive. We've got two hours, let's go see what we can find. It was truly spontaneous and there is a thrill about that. spot in 80 that I think creating that time for myself was just, yeah, just, it was good. It was good.
Lisa: And something you want more of or something that is just different in adult life?
Brea: I still do it. I don't lock it or plan it in the same way, but I mean, When I'm feeling stuck, when I'm feeling low energy, when I'm feeling like whatever, I'm present with myself enough to know I got to get out of this. I got to switch. I got to do something else. I got to be spontaneous. I'll just get in the car and I'll go for a drive or I'll go to the park or whatever. But again, I can do that because I've learned not to pack my schedule. Again, it's really been more of an unlearning. I used to live the Lisa lifestyle where everything was just go, go, go, really, really full. And part of that is exciting. You get a lot of dopamine. There's a lot of adrenaline. Part of that was and still is in my adult life. It can be exciting, but it's not sustainable for me. I've learned that. And so I've learned to unlearn some of those beliefs or those patterns of, I have to be this kind of person because this is how we're supposed to be. We're supposed to be super uber productive all the time. I've had to unlearn that a little bit and this is just what it looks like for me now.
Lisa: Yes. Well, hats off for unlearning and for using that whole concept of taking time out for yourself as a way to have spontaneous moments, get spontaneity, be spontaneous. I mean, all of those things, there's been a lot of spontaneous in your theme. And I listen I listen to your examples thinking that sounds really nice. That sounds like something I should work on. So this is great given the theme for me being all about planning in advance so that the day-to-day can actually happen. So these moments can happen, but they're still planned. There still isn't spontaneity. So the planned part, I'm solid in, I feel great about, I have a great system for, but I can see through this conversation even more clearly, maybe this is why I've been seeking that white space, buffer time, even though you said it's more than that, I don't even have that yet. So if I had the buffer space, the white space in the moment every day. I think that's the missing piece for me personally.
Brea: Interesting. I want to holler at you offline because there's a tool called the planner pad. Okay. It's the best planner that, and I've tried a lot of them. Like I said, I mean, I used to be much, much more of a planner than I am now, but it's a simple system that makes it easy to take advantage of those five minute slivers of time or to block out a luxurious two or three hours for a futuristic Friday afternoon, where you just go and lean into, for me, futuristic, but pick your strength and just say, Hey, I'm going to go and sit on a patio somewhere and just create this white space to let my futuristic flag fly and just dream. Anyways, so I can show it to you if you want. I can link it in the show notes if people are interested, but the planner pad is a great tool to help facilitate this. But one thing that I think you're really good about is boundaries. Lisa, you're so good at boundaries. And that is something that I do learn from you and will continue to learn from you is how to set those boundaries and hold those boundaries. Because that's why I laughed when you asked me to rank my on a scale of 1 to 10, how good are you at taking time for yourself? Because I can have so much white space that there isn't enough structure to make sure that I am answering emails like I should be or email is always my Achilles heel. So yeah, I think if we could just meet in the middle, you know, then we would both be great.
Lisa: I am so structured and you are so unstructured. Right.
Brea: Yeah. What do I feel like doing today? Oh, it's four o'clock in the morning. Sure. My brain's awake. Okay, great. You know, like, that's usually how I get things done is when I'm, I'm feeling it, you know, whereas I am like, it is 4am.
Lisa: That is designated blocked as sleep time. Sleep time is the only thing that might be available right now. Back to school. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, wow. OK, well, this is great. We took people on quite the tour of options. And hello. Hi. Yeah. And this is just our example. We know you lead through your own strengths as a listener and your own preferences. And you have your own desires about what you do next when you're thinking about taking time out for yourself. What does that look like? Does that mean you haven't taken a vacation in two years and it's simply to block those five to seven days? Is it overall getting a little more relaxation, marination? Is it body work? Is it the nourishing, the body, you know, the massage, the food, the things that you're putting in so that you have the ability to perform highly? Or is it something like me that I need to focus on planned spontaneity? That is a great goal for me. to be able to do a little bit more inside of the day, like Brea was talking. So, Bria, I know we both have VIP days available for people if they want to do some deep reflection to figure out and tackle something difficult in their business. And I think the stuff we just talked about today would be a great source for a VIP day. Like, hey, I need to do some strategy and reflection. I want to decide what my next 12 months will be, but I want a third party person to step me through it facilitation style. Why don't we tell them about each of our VIP day offerings so they could get an idea in the context of taking time out for yourself, but then also maybe other things they could be for them. Why don't you tell them about your VIP day?
Brea: Yeah, VIP days are so, oh gosh, it's just, I mean, it literally is taking time for yourself. It's blocking an entire day. For me, I don't really care what it is that you're trying to accomplish. You can come to a VIP day for professional reasons. Maybe this is your quarterly planning or your annual reflection, your beginning of the year, it doesn't matter. Or it could be personal, like let's just explore your talents, right? What talents are being fed? What are not? What did you use to enjoy? You know, you used to be into, I don't know, musical theater, you used to dance, you used to paint, you used to read, you used to take time for yourself, but you don't anymore. Why is that? You know, it could be coaching, it could be anything, but it's a day for you to step away and explore or put together a plan to accomplish your goals, however you want to use it. But I block off the day for you. I'm available for you throughout the day as you need it.
Lisa: Beautiful. And where do they find more? Do you have a website spot for them to look?
Brea: Yeah. So as always, BreaRoper.com. You can schedule a call if you just want to learn more. But if you're like, wow, that sounds amazing. I'm ready to book right now. Go to BreaRoper.com slash VIP.
Lisa: Boom, VIP. And mine is similar in the, you know, take time out for yourself as a theme. I have a couple of flavors of these. One is kind of tactical, and one is more strategic. On the tactical one, it might be you saying, Hey, I'm a coach. I have never set up email marketing as a system. I don't have any sequences. I do coaching with somebody or training with somebody. And that's the last they hear from me. And I want to have a more systematic approach to marketing and keeping in touch and adding value to people. So I do VIP days like that, that are more on the tactics of getting it all set up and established. And then I also have more of the strategy reflection where it's a personal development day. It's $1,500. It's there for you to direct. But if you say, I just want to spend the day really deciding what my business is to me next year, what my goals are, how I want to show up, it could also be a day around career personal branding figuring out what's next in life and maybe you don't feel ready to take a whole sabbatical in your career where you take off months to find yourself but you do feel like it's a great idea to spend a day reflecting on it and just stepping back for a minute and figuring out what's next. Those are great. I have all the questions to guide you through for the day. Like Brea’s, we can start on Zoom if you desire. I usually spend a lot of time with people on Voxer because they can begin with questions, and then we can ping back and forth. And I can go to the next kind of reflection, thought, exercise, and then come back to you when you're ready. So that's my quick version of what the VIP day Tends to look like at leadthroughstrengths.com slash VIP Hey Hey, it's time. It's time to take time out for yourself Do it with us if you need a guide or do it alone, but do it Do it man Yes, so important with do what do with this would be my little 90s rap songs that Brea probably does not recognize as jazz lady.
Brea: Oh, man, I just that's funny. I want to talk about 90s rap because I love it. It's like 90s R&B is like the best R&B ever. But also I've got a little a little G in me. Okay, a little gangster. Come on.
Lisa: Same old G even though I'm shocked right now.
Brea: But also, I just am thinking about how I hope that there's a listener who is going to book a VIP day but says, gosh, I want to do it in person and I want to do it in Europe and then we can just do that. That would be awesome.
Lisa: I'm just going to say- So if that's you- Yes, you must call Brea if that's you because as we were comparing notes on our VIP days- recently, I'm like, yes, they're on Zoom, they're on Voxer, we have the day. It's a luxurious amount of time, but on technology. Bria is like, oh, I would love it if it were in person, and I'll create this experience for them, and it will be at a resort. I mean, the way you were describing what you would love to create for someone in the in-person versions, and I'm like, oh my gosh. Here's the planner of my brain kicking in. I'm like, oh, but I mean, that sounds cool. But that's like, you're gonna have to buy three VIP days because you need one on the front end for me to plan and get there and one on the back end and one here and then that's going to be a lot of logistics. And I go down the opps kind of road thinking about how the opportunity cost of time is going to make that not a great product for me. And meanwhile, I'm listening to your description going, I want one of those with Bria.
Brea: This sounds good. See, part of planning to be spontaneous is planning around things that already exist, right? So even if someone only books one day, they book one workshop or they book a VIP day or whatever, I can plan to be spontaneous by extending my stay and then filling it in as much work or as much play as I want. I love that. It gets me so excited to think about it.
Lisa: Yeah. Oh, it sounds exciting. And also the things that the listeners didn't hear, you gave me an example of the experience you would be creating and how much thoughtfulness and care that you would put into an in-person VIP day, it just sounded incredible. So even though we're not taking the time in this episode to go through a whole scenario of what it might look like, if you have one of these on your mind, Or you're like, hey, could I bring Brea to my city or could I go to her city? As of this recording, she's in Kansas City. That may or may not be true when you keep listening because she does like to move.
Brea: Yeah, it's true. Just call me Tour Guide Barbie. I love it.
Lisa: Love it. Tour guide Barbie brearoper.com
Brea: Oh my gosh. Yeah, and if you're like, oh, that sounds too woo-woo or too dreamy or too connectedness, then I just need practicals. Lisa is your girl. She's going to get you up and going and moving and grooving.
Lisa: Yeah. Super fast. Yeah, we'll move and groove. We'll be practical and reflective. We keep taking reflection and then turning it into Now, how do you go execute this? What does this look like in real life? I will get you to step back have the deep thoughts But you're also gonna be leaving feeling really practical Love it.
Brea: Love it. So basically you can't lose. We're both awesome and You should just take time for yourself. However, you do it whether it's with us or on your own just I Put it into your calendar, block the time off, buy the tickets, make it, set the boundaries around it, guard the time. It's such a powerful investment in yourself.
Lisa: Yes. Yes, invest in yourself. That's a great theme for the episode to end on. Because taking time out for yourself, it can be a financial investment or not, but it is a time investment. And hey, it might sound cliche, but you're worth it. So if you don't do it, that time is going to get sucked into the vortex of life. It is going to get grabbed by other people. And if you don't grab that time for yourself and decide how you want your life to be, it's just going to be what swoops up all around you. So why not take the opportunity now, no matter what time of year you're listening to this, to decide what you want the next 12 months of your life to look like and then grab it by the horns and make that happen. Look, here's the truth.
Brea: Not like we're going to lie to you on this podcast, but for real, like, let's keep it for real right now. People say that you can't give what you don't have. Have you heard that before? Of course we have.
Lisa: I'm just thinking of Rolling Stones, you can't get what you want. And I think I like your saying a little better.
Brea: Well, people say like you can't give what you don't have, right? Like you can't pour from an empty cup or whatever. But like, I don't think that that's the fullness of the truth. I think you only give what you do have. You will give whatever you have. So if that's exhaustion, if that's burnout, if that's confusion or whatever the case may be, that is what you give. That is what you're bringing every day to the people that you're around. You have to take time for yourself to recharge, to be intentional, to plan, to set yourself up for success so that when you show up every day, you are giving what you want to give, which is joy, which is freedom, which is all the good things that you are. So don't settle for just giving whatever you have. Beautiful. Take the initiative to make sure that you are setting yourself up for success so that when you pour out, you're giving glimmers and glitters and all the goodness.
Lisa: Glitters and glimmers, yes. And I like the take. You know, you're talking about the word take. We're saying taking time out for yourself. You truly have to take it. people have heard me say a dozen times if you don't ask the answer is no and that might be out of a sales context that might be out of other kind of context that they've heard me use that phrase but the same goes for time out for yourself if you don't ask for it from yourself you won't get it. It will just get swallowed up by the world around you. So take, we love to be givers. We love to interact with givers, but in this case, take, take time out for yourself.
Brea: Love it.
Lisa: Let's do it.
Brea: See y'all later.
I'm fired up. I'm going to go. I'm going to go book with you, Lisa. I need a VIP day. This sounds so good. Yes.
Lisa: I mean, I'm headed to Kansas City right now and I'm going to see one of these curation. Come on.
Brea: Oh, my gosh. I love it. I know just the drum circle. Oh, this is exciting. I'm already planning it in my head.
Lisa: Oh, you know, do you even know I love drum circles? Yes, that's why I just said that. I just might guess because you're so good at customizing.
Brea: No, I know, I mean, I guess I don't know that you love drum circles per se, but I know that you love drumming. And you know, I have a drum circle that I can connect you to.
Lisa: That's such a specific thing. And so yeah, that you that you know what it is. And then if you do that, you would think yeah, she'd probably like one of those. That all that that's just really fun. You're a good customizer.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Will My CliftonStrengths Change? | 15 Dec 2024 | 00:15:29 | |
People are always asking us, “Will my CliftonStrengths change?” and “Should I retake the assessment?”
Since these questions are really two sides of the same coin, the short answer to both is the same: probably not. For the longer answer, be sure to listen in as we explore if/when to retake, and how to get the most from your CliftonStrengths results. 🌟
Work With Us! Brea Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! Lisa Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways
Take Action ● Shift your focus from rankings to actionable outcomes: Remember, the assessment is merely a tool for self-discovery. True growth comes from taking action based on your strengths. So, instead of seeking validation through changes in rankings, focus on identifying your desired outcomes, and then explore how to utilize your strengths to achieve those outcomes. ● Work with a CliftonStrengths coach: A coach can provide personalized guidance on applying strengths to specific goals, overcoming perceived limitations, and navigating potential confusion or frustration related to strength rankings. Lisa and Brea are both accepting new clients. Reach out today! 🎧 Listen now! p.s. - Don't forget to share this episode with friends who might find it helpful! Strengths develop in relationship. Don’t keep the good news to yourself. 😀
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa:
Brea: And I'm Brea. Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: And I can say, from my own experience, I have seen dramatic shifts in some, moving from the top to the bottom, and the bottom to the top— Lisa Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: That isn't where you should retake. That's where you should work with a coach to figure out how to bring out the really good side of competition, like how you like to help everyone win, like how you're really focused on key performance indicators, and like, all of these elements of competition that would be really good, and not get caught up in how your corporate team uses a word that matches Gallup's labels. This whole thing with labels, if the word gets taken out of context, or isn't the one that Gallup means, sometimes people get really wrapped up in that. And they're trying to pull one up, or trying to push one down. And just like what Brea said, it's going to be a lot more effective for you to work with a coach on bringing out all the good stuff that is natural in you, rather than trying to stuff down these natural elements of you, because that isn't going to go that well over the long term. And this retake, sometimes it's just curiosity. And if it is, I get it. And if it's not just curiosity, it's one of those other things. Pull one up, push one down. Call Brea Roper instead, and work on bringing out the good side, and really maturing the ones that you have. That—that's going to be a much bigger return on your effort, and time, and money. Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa: Brea: Lisa:
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper. | |||
| Are Strengths Nature or Nurture? | 01 Dec 2024 | 00:17:38 | |
We hear it all 👏🏻 the 👏🏽time 👏🏿: “Are strengths nature or nurture?”
In today's episode, we weigh in with their opinions on whether our strengths and talents are hardwired into our DNA or shaped by our environment and experiences. And, spoiler alert…we don’t always agree. 🫣
Listen in as we explore how nature and nurture play a foundational role in who we are and how we develop. You’ll enjoy some fun metaphors and personal anecdotes about the impact of childhood experiences and how understanding our nature can help us navigate our environments more effectively.
If you wonder about the interplay between your natural talents and the influences around you, this episode is for you. Thanks for allowing us to accompany you on your journey of self-discovery and growth, so you can lead through strengths! 🌟 Work With Us! Brea Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! Lisa Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways
Take Action ● Identify your talents. If you haven’t already, take the CliftonStrengths assessment to identify your natural opportunities for growth. ● Recognize the impact of your environment. Acknowledge how your upbringing and surroundings have influenced you. Consider how the people, places, and things in your life today are nurturing (or hindering) your talent. ● Learn how your CliftonStrengths can feel honored or insulted. Use these insights to nurture your strengths and manage what might negatively impact you. 🎧 Listen now! p.s. - Don't forget to share this episode with friends who might find it intriguing! Let's spread the conversation about our nature, and nurture together! 🌿
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa:
Brea: I'm Brea.
Lisa: And today's episode is all about nature versus nurture.
Brea: This is a really hot button for me. And a hot button, just meaning it's interesting, intriguing. Are strengths nature? Are they nurture? This is exciting. Do you want to start with your answer first?
Lisa: Okay. I think there isn't a clear answer. And I was very fascinated by this and still am. I think there's a part of us that is just DNA. And it doesn't matter if you drop me off in Antarctica when I was a toddler, I would have turned out in certain ways exactly the same. And I also think a lot of patterns in us come from nurture, come from our environment, our conditioning, the things we hear over and over again, or watch or see modeled in front of us, and they shape us in ways that we don't even realize. And I chased down the behavioral economists at Gallup a couple years in a row. So these are the smarty pants PhDs who create these instruments and just said, Hey, do we have a percentage? You know, can we know what bit comes from what part? And the way I net out their answer is we can't really measure that. And we can't really know. Although We all have our theories. So I thought it was kind of an unsatisfying answer and it probably was to them as well because we all just want an answer like 60% comes from our genetics and 30% comes from this thing and then 10% is this wild card that comes from over here. That would be cool if we could just know. That's where I landed. I think they're probably right that we've We really can't know and it's very difficult to measure. And I suspect, Brea Roper, that you disagree with me.
Brea: Well, here's the thing. I wonder if we just need to define our terms. Are we talking about strengths? Are we talking about talent? Are we talking about what shows up on people's CliftonStrengths report? Or are we not talking about CliftonStrengths at all? I'd love to really just clarify what are we talking about?
Lisa: Ooh, okay. So let's talk nature. What's nature to you?
Brea: Well, where my mind goes is talent. Is talent nature or nurture? And that's where I feel like it is a very clear answer from that perspective because, you know, Gallup teaches that talent times investment equals strength. And at least in my mind, that's a very clear parallel to nature, talent multiplied by nurture, investment equals strength.
Lisa: Uh-huh. Hmm. I feel like I just need to sit here in a deep pondering moment right now, because what you just said, that part's easy. I don't need to ponder that. I was thinking of it like nature equals DNA and nurture equals environment.
Brea: Yeah, same, same. So if we say that talent is nature, then yeah, it's baked into you. It's DNA. It's, you know, how you come out of the womb. Nurture is investment. It's the time, the practice, the knowledge, the skills that you learn, but it also is the environment that you grew up in, right? It's the family that you grew up in. It's the teachers that you've had. It's everything else outside of nature that nurtures your nature, either positively or negatively, right? What say you?
Lisa: Well, I just I think we're pretty close. If I replaced the word nurture with environment. It works for me so easily because of all those things you listed off, country you grew up in, all kinds of elements around you and what you, the actions you've taken toward your growth and that others have even taken toward or away from, especially in your younger, younger years where you weren't the one with agency over that sort of stuff. I think environment, if I replace the word nurture with environment, everything you said, I would be like, yep, we are totally in agreement. The word nurture, trying to associate it with negative doesn't make sense for me, just the word itself. I can play, I can do that for this episode and go, oh yeah, I think we're totally in agreement. I'm glad you did definition. But nurture is a good thing to me. So saying, that there's a negative nurture doesn't, my mind's like, bonk, that's not, that's not true. So I think we're in agreement. And I'm glad you did this because it is a definition thing. So we'll just do nature versus nurture. And then I'll just be like, and put my put my little asterisk on that, as we're talking. And for me, I'm talking environment.
Brea: Yeah. Well, I think of it like this, you know, I'm the queen of metaphors. So here we go. If you're born a super sleek, sexy sports car, but you really want to become an SUV, right? Like You're never, you're never going to become an SUV. Like you are a sports car. You can drive your sports car up into the mountains or go off-roading. You can do the things that the SUV might do, but your body is just not made for that. It's going to hurt your tires.
Lisa: You might just get stuck. I've seen one in Colorado last summer. It was high-centered off-roading in a hot hatch little car. It was made for being fast on a pavement and it was out on Cottonwood Pass. It's not where it should be. I don't know how it got to where it got, but it didn't get out.
Brea: Yeah. So why didn't they go rent or borrow or figure out how to get a different tool to do the same thing? And the opposite could be said for an SUV. You don't want to put that on a race car track and expect it to handle the curves and go at the speed that the race car is designed to do. I think that's where I see it as like, we all are built, nature, we're built a certain way. And you could use the metaphor of bodies as well. Some people have more of an athletic, strong, really muscular build. You've got a football body maybe, or you've got a ballerina body or like a long and lean you know, runner's body. Like, both have muscles, both have skeletons, but they're different. And both of the bodies can go into the gym, and they can both do leg day, and they're going to work out the exact same muscles, but just because the muscles are built differently, they're going to develop differently.
Lisa: Yes. Yes. This reminds me of When I was a kid, I was obsessed with organizing. And I still am. So I believe it's totally a nature thing. I don't care where I am, I'm going to be organizing things. I want my visual environment to be tidy. And I was the kid, literally single digit ages, probably six or seven, saying, Mom, I'm going to clean out the refrigerator again because it's too cluttered. Mom, I'm going to clean up the cabinets again and organize these bowls. And I had to do it. Even if it wasn't welcomed, I would feel compelled to do it. Totally the nature.
Brea: Yeah, that's talent. That is the most natural way for you to approach a situation. There's that natural desire. So I think if people take assessments like CliftonStrengths earlier in their life, before they've learned the way that they should behave or the way that other people want them to behave or whatever, then what the assessment really finds is your nature, your most natural patterns, not your learned behaviors.
Lisa: Right, right. Yes, I agree. Yeah, I won't fight you on that at all. And I think that it translates as you age, it translates into probably more practical uses. But also it can show up in my shadow side. I feel myself compelled to organize other people's things. Like if I'm around a person who isn't as tidy as I am, I want to straighten that thing up or put it in a proper spot because everything should have a home. And there are things like that where it may not be my business to be messing with somebody else's stuff in the house. Those kind of things. But it's driving me like, oh, Oh, that has to go where it lives. In my case, that would be blind spot. That would be overuse of, it would be not my place to mess with somebody else's stuff. And so that comes into the nurture element as well. Because it's like, in this case, there's nature. And it might feel like nature versus nurture, because it's like, Okay, you also have to train yourself that you can't impose your talents on everybody else. You have to know what is your responsibility and where somebody else needs to be able to have their life and their strengths as well.
Brea: Yeah, that's why having this language can be so helpful because if little Lisa doesn't have that self-awareness yet, and is punished, and I know you didn't say this happened, I'm just making it up for the sake of conversation. If someone punishes you or reacts in a negative way when you move things or deal with other people's stuff, then that will teach the little you that that's not the right thing to do or not the right way to behave, which is not true. It just is misplaced or misdirected in that moment, maybe. So if the adults can have the language and the awareness to say, okay, little Lisa, I see what we're trying to do here, and I love that you want to be organized. Now's not the right time, or we can't actually move other people's things, you know, so maybe you need to ask permission first. Right, right.
Lisa: And in my case, as a kid, they were like, wow, the refrigerator looks so amazing. We love when you do this. I'm like, get out of the trash can. That's amazing. Yeah, I'm organizing it again. Maybe this is why I overstep as an adult. I never had someone say, oh, you should ask first. Other people use that too.
Brea: Oh, that's funny.
Lisa: Okay. I heard of another example yesterday in a workshop of a childhood thing that made me think, oh, this is cool to hear the contrast. So there were two people who led through command and they met in an activity where they were matching up with somebody else who shared the same talent theme and they both grew up in a household full of brothers where they were the only girl in the sibling group. And they came up with the question, is this nature or nurture? Because we really think it's because of nurture because our environment was all the boys around. We had to be bold. We had to be convicted. We had to be the powerful version of ourselves if we were going to play with them. And it's what made us have command. And I was like, oh, this is so interesting because I also had an event where a lady grew up in a family full of brothers. And she said something about how she got to be protected. She got to be nurtured by these brothers who took care of her and looked over her and that it made her soft. And she was convinced this is why she had all the relationship themes. Yeah. Same scenario. And they were convinced totally that it was the nurture. But actually, I think that makes the case that this is nature. They probably would have become who they were going to become either way.
Brea: Yeah. I mean, as the oldest of eight kids, I can speak from experience, you know, that like growing up with the same parents in the same house with the same siblings, we are not all the same, you know, we do not all act in the same way. So for sure, that's, that's where I feel very, very strongly that we all come out with a certain nature baked into us and the same nurture. the same nurture ring will have a different effect on each individual receiving it because the nature is different. Yeah. Our nature is nurtured. Yeah.
Lisa: I love it. Instead of the phrase nature versus nurture, that's such a cool way to say it. Our nature is nurtured.
Brea: Yeah, it's super interesting. And another area that I talk about this is with trauma. A lot of people are really, you know, trying to become more trauma-informed and on their own healing journeys. Why are some negative experiences that we have in our life, why do they affect me in a certain way and they don't affect you in the same way? You know, even if we experience the same negative experience, right? And it's because our talents have different needs. And if I need something that you don't need and the nurture that we're a part of doesn't provide that, if you don't need it, that's not traumatic for you. It doesn't hurt you in any way because you don't need it. So the fact that it's not there is fine. But if I have a really strong need for that because of my talents and it's not there, then that does affect me in a negative way. So it's all very, very interesting.
Lisa: Endlessly. Endlessly so. So if somebody wanted to talk through this sort of stuff with you, what they need, what they bring, what their talents are at the nature level, how they might nurture them more with your help, how would they work with you, Brea?
Brea: Come on over to my website: brearoper.com. You can schedule a quick call and I’d love to hear more about you, what you’re looking for, and talk about how we might be able to work together. How about you, Lisa?
Lisa: I am, for this episode, I'm just going to give people a resource on the Lead Through Strengths website. If you go to leadthroughstrengths.com slash honored, or leadthroughstrengths.com slash insulted, you'll see a list based on your talent themes, some things that might hit you at a values level. And I think, although you can get pretty close to this idea of what is innate in you, I think our talents sit on this system of values. And these pages bring it together where they get to explore some things that might make their talents feel totally honored, totally nurtured. And then the insulted page might be the non-nurture representation, where it hits them at a hot button level. And the episode was intriguing and people are listening wondering, what about me and what about my talents and how does it actually show up for my specific talent themes? I think those would be a couple of good pages to check out and run against your top talents.
Brea: Yes, I've seen those pages and for sure the insults just like, oh, it hits me. I'm like, yes, I do not like the way that that feels. So yeah, it's a great resource. I'll make sure that goes in the show notes as well. Yeah.
Lisa: Excellent. In your excellent show notes.
Brea: Okay. Bring us home, Lisa. Bring us home. Wrap it up.
Lisa: Let's see. I mean, I come back to this concept of becoming more of who you already are and getting really comfortable in that concept. We spend so much of our lives trying to direct and control and If we spend a little bit more time focused on finding who we are at our natural best, I think a lot of that other stuff gets released. The pressure that you might feel to want to control and direct things really just starts to let go.
Brea: Grow the good, people. Grow the good.
Lisa: Grow the good. Another fine alliteration to end on. Nature versus nurture, grow the good.
Brea: Love it.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Can You Become Anything You Want | 17 Nov 2024 | 00:17:35 | |
Throughout our lives, many of us have been told we could become anything we want. Unfortunately, without understanding our natural talents and motivations, this belief can set us up to pursue goals that may not align with our true selves and capabilities. That’s why we look to our talents: to understand our true desires, and align our aspirations with our strengths. By embracing the strength-based mindset of becoming more of who you already are, you can achieve meaningful growth that aligns with your most authentic self. This approach fosters a healthier relationship with your aspirations, reduces pressure, and ultimately leads to greater happiness and success. 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways
Take Action ● Reflect on Your Aspirations: Take time to explore why you want to achieve certain goals or become a certain type of person. Ask yourself where those desires come from, and whether or not they align with your true self. ● Focus on Strengths: Instead of trying to become something you are not, identify your existing strengths and how you can leverage them to achieve your goals. Consider how you can use your natural abilities to reach desired outcomes. ● Seek Support: Find a coach, mentor, or trusted friend who can help you navigate your aspirations. They can ask you the tough questions that lead to deeper self-discovery and help you stay accountable to your true goals. ● Embrace Self-Love and Growth: Acknowledge and appreciate who you are while also striving for personal growth. Commit to loving yourself enough to seek improvement and development in areas that matter to you. Be sure to listen to the full episode for more insights and to reflect on your own journey of becoming. Remember, it's not about becoming someone else; it's about embracing and enhancing the incredible person you already are! 🎧 Listen now!
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa: Hi, I'm Lisa.
Brea: And I'm Brea.
Lisa: And today's topic is around the question, can you become anything you want?
Brea: I say no.
Lisa: Whoa. That is decisive. Decisive. Tell us.
Brea: I mean, sometimes I want to be Michael Jordan. No, I'll never be him. Sometimes I want to be a penguin because penguins are awesome. No, never going to be a penguin. Doesn't matter how much I want it, how much I believe it, how much I try hard, believe hard. Doesn't matter. I'm never going to be that.
Lisa: Okay, now I have some of these too, like, hey, I wanted to be a pro beach volleyball player, but I'm 5'5 and I don't jump that high and me trying to become that may help me grow, but I'm still not going to become that. But what about something that you want to be more of? Let me give you two examples I hear often. I want to be better at time management or I want to be a person who works out every day. Now, can you be that if you want to?
Brea: Yeah, I think the word be might be where my hesitation is. Can I show up on time? Absolutely, right? Can I change my behavior? Can I work toward a different outcome, right? If I don't naturally or often show up on time, but I want to do that, can I do that? Sure. Can I be a person who naturally always with grace and ease and excellence show up on time? No, I just don't think that you can change who you are in that way.
Lisa: What do you think? I like that you were able to find that it was the word be, like the being.
Brea: Yes, I think it's Tom Rath that said this in Strings of Pride 2.0. You can't be anything you want to be, you can only become more of who you are. I believe that to the core of my being, you know?
Lisa: This idea of becoming more of who you already are is what we hope our coaching is stepping someone through, that discovery of figuring that out.
Brea: And that's where I think becoming anything you want or becoming anyone you want to be, it reminds me of, you know, people talk about like rewiring your brain. And I think for me, one question is, can you? which I think is what you're asking now and what we're kind of talking about.
But to me, that doesn't even feel like the deepest question, I think. Should you? Sure, there's plasticity in our brains. Sure, we can change a habit, even a deep habit. I can choose to change what I think about something. Yes.
I think that's so amazing. As humans, we can choose in a way that animals can't, non-living things can't choose in the way that we can. I think that's so cool that we can do that. And should I? Should I invest so much time and so much effort and so much resources into completely trying to change how I approach something? Is that the best use of my time and my money and my effort?
Lisa: I love where you're taking this because I know the neuroscientists seem to disagree on these areas of plasticity anyway. So be like, yeah, neuroplasticity exists. How much is nature? How much is nurture? We can't really know. How much is it plastic?
How far can you take it? So if they don't have a clear, easy answer, why worry about the debate of can you? We know to some extent you can. But to what extent, if they all disagree with each other, wouldn't it be productive as a human to explore the other question you raised? Should you?
When I hear that question, I think about how then do you get closer to discovering who you really are and how do you get further away from the pressures of who you think you should be and how to even know that you think you should be someone because you might just unconsciously be internalizing these pressures and you don't even know it. So how do you handle that as far as coaching goes to help someone unravel these who you think you should be factors?
Brea: Yeah. For me, it all comes back to what is the truth? Like, if you came and said, Brea, I want to be a pro beach volleyball player, you know, okay, what does that entail? Can you actually meet the requirements? Do you meet those requirements right now? You know, is there an actual height requirement to be a pro beach volleyball player? Or do you just think that you have to be taller than 5'5"? What's the actual truth?
Or, I want to be a person who makes my bed. Well, why do you think that? Well, because all the gurus tell me that if I'm going to be a successful CEO, I have to make my bed every day. okay, let's explore that because it worked for them doesn't necessarily mean it will work for you or that you have to follow in that path. So that's where I would start is what is the truth, the truth of what you want and why you want it and also the truth of what is and then where do we go from there?
Lisa: Yeah. What do you think about somebody who's in a corporate environment and they're like, Hey, I want to be a leader because that's the career path they know and they want to be a senior leader. They want to get promoted. What if you're this person who is saying my goal is to be a senior leader?
But how do they even know if they want to be that because that's just the career path they know of and seems available and seems to be where the paycheck is compared with the idea of, hey, is this just because this is a pressure of who I think I should be because it's the only thing I know? So then how do you navigate that situation through this lens?
Brea: I, yeah, again, I think that is what I mean by we start with the truth. You know, if they say, I want to be a senior leader. Okay, why? You know, what is it about that, that you want, right? Is it the title? Is it the paycheck? Is it the responsibilities, the quarter office? Is it the opportunity for impact? What is it? What about that? do you want? And why do you want it?
And will it actually give you what you want? Because sometimes when we look at an opportunity, we think that there's potential there, or we think that it might be something other than what it actually turns out to be. Sometimes when people are in, let's say, a sales role, crushing it. They are constantly at the top of the leaderboard and they just are such a great salesperson.
And so they're tapped for management. And they hate management. They get there, it's this promotion. But being an amazing salesperson and being an amazing manager of people are just completely different, right? One person is out on the road all the time, one person is at the desk all the time, you know? It's just different skills, different all the things.
Lisa: You're making me think of that saying about when you're climbing up the ladder and then you realize it was leaning on the wrong wall and you're raising such good questions that they seem confronting. I think, I know I've been confronted with some of those questions. I know, I remember a senior VP asking me, why, why are you interested in this role? Really pushing me on the why and the why and the why behind the why. And I was like,
Brea: It's not intended in an aggressive way. It's intended in an exploratory way, a discovery way.
Lisa: Yeah. And this guy specifically, I remember thinking, I wonder if he just wants me to admit there's ego in it. That, yeah, I do like the title. Yeah, I do like the money. There were other elements I was describing in my why. internal motivators that made me feel alive.
If you don't have someone in your life who will ask you those questions, whether a coach like Brea or like this senior VP, if no one asks you those questions and you don't confront those early, you might find you get promoted four steps along the way and then you realize, whoa, I created a life for myself that I am not into at all. How did I get here? What did I do?
Brea: Yes, it's important to understand why you want that to see if taking the next step is what you should do. Also, there are times in our life when we're like, I just really want to be a pro beach volleyball player, or I really want to be Michael Jordan. I don't. really want to be Michael Jordan, okay?
Like, what is it about that? Why am I attracted to the idea of being like Michael Jordan? Asking those questions and figuring out why does this aspirational identity, why is it attractive to me? Why do I want that? Can help us identify the deeper down things that we can actually attain or achieve or become, right?
Because they are in alignment with who we are. Becoming a pro basketball player is not in alignment with who I actually am as a person, okay? I can never become a pro basketball player, nor do I really want to be. But there are aspects of Michael Jordan, who he is as a person, his intellect, his hard work ethic, his entrepreneurial journey, the impact that he's made. I mean, I could go on and on about him as a person. There are so many things that are in alignment with talent that is inside of me and things that I can aspire to imitating or striving for.
I think that's that's where I'm at is we ask those questions of why. Why do you want that thing? Because it might not actually be that thing you want. It might be certain elements of that that are attractive to you that you can find in a different thing that will be better suited for you and that will actually allow you to grow beyond.
Lisa: Yeah, absolutely. You're making me come full circle on our conversation and it brings it all together. What you were just talking about, it's the perfect tee up for strengths because inevitably somebody in a workshop or in a group or a team will say, I don't like this one or I wanted to see this other one because they like the word or it reflects a goal they've been working on. Usually that's another definitions issue.
But if you're trying to accomplish something and you back into it from the outcomes level or the results level, this is where the useful conversation is anyway. So if somebody says, Oh, I really wanted Achiever. Oh, I really wanted Includer. If the next conversation is, tell me about what result you would want with that or tell me about the outcomes. What are you trying to achieve where that would come into play for you?
And then they give you some examples and they're like, oh, well, I've been having trouble getting it done and hitting my deadlines on this global team with all these complexities and matrix reporting structures. And they give you this whole example. And then you just ask the question, and what if you use the ones you have, which ones could you lean on? And you get them down a conversation there, and they realize, I can achieve, I can get things done, I can hit my deadlines, and lean on the ones I already have, because those are the ones that are easy for me to lean on.
If you spent your whole life trying to grab your achiever that's down at number 20, you're spinning your wheels and kind of draining yourself. And you could get there, you could raise it up, but it wouldn't be a high leverage way to spend your time. And I feel really confident that we agree on that point. So it's more like backing into it from the result or the outcome. Am I right? Am I right? Do we agree?
Brea: Well, of course we agree. Yes, this is a very strength-focused partnership here. And that's where I think my sticking point is, again, it's the difference between being and becoming or doing, right? Is this who I am, my identity as a person, or is this just what I do or how I do it? I don't identify as an entrepreneur or a business owner. That's not who I am. That's not my identity. That's how I make a living, you know? That is how I spend a lot of my time, but that is not who I am as a person. This is where this conversation really pokes the bear inside of me is because I grew up like a lot of people, I think, believing that their identity is what they do, what they can do, how they perform.
That's where I get really passionate about this. That's where the mama bear comes out. And I'm like, no, being something or becoming something or believing you can become something that you're not is not true. I think believing that sets us up to fail. I'd love to hear from listeners.
Lisa: Yeah, we would love to hear and come tell us in a review, come communicate, let us know. And BreaBear, if they are like, hey, this is blowing up my idea of parenting or this is blowing up my idea of my career goals. And they now feel compelled. They've got to work with you. How do they do it? Tell us about how to bring out the Bria bear. Yes.
Brea: Brearoper.com. B-R-E-A-R-O-P-E-R.com. Just come on over, schedule a call, and let's talk about your outcomes that you want to achieve and how you can do that using the tools that you already have. Beautiful.
Lisa: I highly recommend. Brea is an amazing coach. And if you want to work with me, Lisa, let's move. I think on mine, I'll talk about the entrepreneur one. If you're like, I am in corporate, I have a side hustle career with training and coaching, etc. And I just need to get my head around what it's like to do and or explore the being. Who do you want to be? How do you want to show up? How does all this work?
I would love to support you in that. We have a membership for coaches where we support you with the skills and a lot of the doing things so you can spend your energy being who you already are naturally at your best. And I can cover you on the operations, the visuals, the decks, the tools and all the things you have to build in those first years when you're getting started. On the website, LeadThroughStrengths.com, check out the link, Tools for Coaches.
Brea: Love that. And so many people are already finding so much success using those tools. Yeah, it's really fun.
Lisa: Yeah. Yes. OK, well, with that, I guess we should leave people to to go off and find their moment. And so if you believe you can fly, we're here to tell you today. No, you can't. Sorry.
Brea: Not a bird.
Lisa: Not a bird. Go back to being what you are best.
Brea: Oh, my gosh. Unless you think you are the Wright brothers, you know, and you want to go build a plane, then do that.
Lisa: There you go.
Brea: Love yourself as you are. You are amazing and good and beautiful and strong and smart just as you are. But love yourself too much to leave yourself there, right? Find yourself a coach. Find yourself a friend. Find yourself someone else to push you to become more of the amazing person that you already are.
Lisa: The way you said that was so beautiful. Love yourself too much to leave yourself there. I love that.
Brea: I promise to all my clients, I'm going to receive you just as you are. And I'm going to love you there. I'm going to believe in you there. But I'm going to love you too much to leave you there. So you can do that for yourself. You can find someone else who does that for you. I know people are listening.
Lisa: You're worth it. Yeah, they're like making the heart sign with their hands while they're listening. We'll see y'all next time around.
Brea: Bye!
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Believe in Yourself | 03 Nov 2024 | 00:27:38 | |
Using Strengths to Believe in Yourself From time to time, everyone struggles to believe in themselves. Especially when faced with challenges and changes in their lives. Too often, this doubt can lead to feelings of inadequacy, and hold us back from the growth we desire. That’s why we look to our talents: to identify and question limiting beliefs, so we can shift our mindset to take actionable steps toward our goals, no matter how unattainable they may seem. As always, this episode is packed with insights and practical tips to help you believe in yourself and take those next steps on your journey of development and growth. 🌟
Work With Us to Unlock Your Ability to Believe in Yourself BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa for 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways on How to Believe in Yourself
Take Action so You Can Believe in Yourself ● Identify Your Beliefs: Reflect on the beliefs you hold about yourself, especially those that may be limiting. Are these beliefs true, or are they based on specific circumstances? ● Create Bridge Thoughts: Find an actionable step that feels more attainable than a complete identity shift. ● Practice Small Choices: Start making small, intentional choices that align with your desired identity. For example, instead of saying ‘I am alcohol free’, try ‘I choose water today’. ● Focus on Your Strengths: Leverage your unique talents to support your goals. Consider how your strengths can help you navigate challenges, reinforce your new beliefs about yourself, and make choices that support the aspirational you. ● Seek Support: If you're struggling to believe in yourself, consider working with a coach who can help you see your strengths and encourage you to take the next steps. #BelieveInYourself #PersonalDevelopment #Podcast #SelfBelief #Strengths #Coaching #GrowthMindset #Productivity #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment 🎧✨
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript for the “Believe in Yourself” Episode Lisa:
Brea: And I'm Brea..
Lisa: And today's topic is believe in yourself.
Brea: Ooh. Believe in yourself. Believe in yourself. Tell me more.
Lisa: What does that mean? Oh, this has been a conversation I've been on recently with clients about how to believe in yourself, how to believe in possibilities when they don't feel attainable, how to believe that change can happen in your life when you haven't been feeling accountable or able to make a change despite Maybe taking some actions but not getting the results. So all of those things that surround belief.
Brea: Love it. Great. This sounds like a really interesting conversation. Where should we start?
Lisa: Well, I know we have all kinds of strengths angles we can take as well. What if we start with an example? This person has been a chronically late person. I know we're calling back to your Woo-monk who couldn't show up, right?
But this person is having trouble showing up to meetings on time. And it was never a problem because I'm just going to make this person a he. He never had trouble with it before because he worked in a work culture where it didn't matter. They always started meetings five minutes, ten minutes late. No one cared. Goes to a new job and is chronically late and it is not going over well.
Trying to identify with this thing this concept. I show up on time was Really making his mind explode. He's like I'm always late. I am an idol. I'm a hot mess I I'm not structured like that and he really resisted being that person but he also was coming to to realize he needs to believe something different about himself and show up differently and get different results or it's not going to go well in the career
Sometimes belief is “forced” and sometimes you want to believe in yourself because you want to believe you can continue to grow in a certain way but this one's feeling a little more Forced so to speak like oh, I better I better do this or else. I'm gonna have some trouble so Let's go there You're trying to believe in yourself, but you don't identify at all with this future you that you've established isn't it's important
Where do you start with people Brea?
Brea: Hmm Well, what it's making me think of is where do those beliefs come from? I think that's maybe where I would start is why do you believe what you believe? And is what you believe true? That's usually in coaching where I start is what is the truth here, right? And sometimes we look through the talents, you know, you know, I believe that I'm a late person because I am always late, you know, like, okay, so that And that's true, that I am always late.
Or do I feel like it's always? Is it just at this job, people are commenting on it, and I hear it a lot, but is the reality that I'm always late? Or is it just I have this meeting once a week, every week, and every time people remark on it, so I'm hearing it a lot, and it feels like always. I have lots of other things in my life that I'm not late to, so is the belief true? That's, I think, where I would start.
Lisa: And really getting down to dissecting it. I think for so many things, we consider it true, we think it's true, and then it's not. I love to get down to the facts with people. and it might be just really defining the circumstance. Like you said, that meeting.
Is it this one meeting, and that's the one that we're talking about, and you're late 50% of the time, and is this something that everyone would agree is factually accurate? You're late 50% of the time. So you could go down that path, but you could also go down the one that you said, which is like, I'm a late person. Is that true? Or do you just decide to act like a late person?
Brea: If even if it is true that you're consistently late to let's say that particular meeting, right, or a particular thing, you're always late to it. Is it because you are a late person, you know, where, or is it because there's something right before it that just always goes over and it's out of your control?
Is there a reason that you're late? more often than not, you know, and can you do anything to change that? You know, is it who you are as a person, your identity, or is it just a circumstance, you know?
Lisa: Yeah. And if it is a circumstance, what do you do to address the other one it's impacting if that's getting in the way of your results like yeah changing the one that is the thing that's happening before it if you identified that yeah there's this thing that runs over and that is what's going to happen okay if I have to deal with that circumstance how do I address that and continue to move on and then that part's pretty It's factual. It's simple. Most people skip over it.
I think it's really important that whole idea of getting down to the real results. What is actual fact? What what seems like truth? What is truth? And then when you get to what result do you want that you're not getting? This is for me the crux of it.
And I think people make things an identity problem like this one. I am a late person. You're making that you're taking it on like it's DNA that can't be changed. So maybe they can't go from I'm a late person to I show up on time. That feels too far. You need a bridge thought. So, okay, with this result you want to get, what are some thoughts you could have that feel like that person?
Let's just embody the belief, “I am a person who shows up on time.” What other things are true about you when you are a person who shows up on time? and they come up with a list. It might be things like, when I start meetings, I start them on time. I value people. I respect other people's times. I create buffer spaces in between my meetings because maybe the thing that keeps getting them is something as simple as, I have to go to the bathroom in between and this meeting ends and the next one begins and there are zero minutes in between.
It might just be a logistics problem. But really getting in the mindset of future you. If you're going to believe in yourself in the way that is like, I am this person, I show up on time. What actions do you take when you are a person who does show up on time? It's just a simple process, but you have to take the time to sit down and think through things.
· How do I behave when I'm a person who shows up on time? · What do I do for myself? · What do I do for my calendar? · How do I interact with people? · What does it look like to begin to shut a meeting down five minutes early, 10 minutes early, whatever it might take? · What kind of experiments do you need to run in the meantime?
Brea: Yeah, these are all so good. I think it is, it's really fascinating how we can, and we do often, I think, connect our identity, you know, who we are as a person to these types of things. It, that's not who you are. A late person or an on-time person is not your identity. But we have that self-talk all the time of, I am a blank or I'm not an on-time person, you know?
So again, I think that's where the language of CliftonStrengths can be so helpful because If you lead with adaptability, instead of saying, I'm a late person, you might say, when I meet people as I'm walking to the next meeting, I'm the kind of person that wants to engage with them. I honor them. I respect them. I delight in them. I am curious about them.
You know, whatever, whatever your talents bring, like. really settling into who you are instead of who you aren't and then figuring out how do I use that, how do I use the talents that I have to accomplish this outcome or this goal of showing up on time, right? That the outcome is difficult for me to do from a natural place. So how do I use who I am to help me get there, you know? Yes.
Lisa: Yeah that's such a beautiful tie to strengths the idea of who you are that you love and appreciate versus who you aren't. Now I started with one that was a little it almost feels like a logistics problem to solve so it seems a little bit simple. Now let's get into one that's a little complicated and wrapped up in a little, a little juicier way in someone's life.
So I was working with someone recently who is trying to live alcohol free. Okay, so now you're trying to identify with a phrase, I am alcohol free. You haven't had major problems. You're not an alcoholic. It hasn't gone to a rock bottom situation, but everything in your life feels intertwined in this. Every social situation, girlfriend mimosas, dinners, every time you go out anywhere, it feels like everything is centered around drinking.
And now you're the person who doesn't drink, and all these people have expectations of you. Because they've been around you for the last 15 years with a drink in your hand
Now you want to make a switch and you're like, okay, I see future me and I'm good with it I feel good in this body My body feels honored because I've been taking care of it and you can get into all these positive things about it But then you show up to your Sunday morning brunch that you've had for the last 15 years and people are like, “What's up with you…no fun zone?” Then what? How do you continue to believe in yourself and who you've decided you're going to be, who you're going to grow into?
Brea: Yeah, I think it all comes back to focusing on the good. What is your motivation? Why have you decided that you're not going to drink alcohol? And let that lead you. Be confident in that, you know?
Maybe for some people it might be helpful to not use the words, I am, but to say, I choose not to drink alcohol or to focus on the good or the positive and say, I choose to be alcohol free, right? I choose to only put healthy things in my body or I choose to, you know, whatever the case may be.
Maybe for some people who struggle with the future aspect of the future me, the aspirational, bring it to the present and just say, what am I doing right now, right? What am I choosing today in this moment? And remind yourself why, why you're choosing that. Maybe that could anchor you.
Lisa: I think that's good. That made me think if you combine the meeting person with the alcohol person, it made me think about those bridge thoughts where the person who couldn't get to meetings could really get to, I respect other people's time. That felt true. That felt easy. That felt like, okay, if I'm a person who respects other people's time, this is how I'll act.
And that's an easier guidepost at this point in the journey. And for this alcohol free person, it might be when you said I choose I was imagining this person saying, I choose water today. And that's it. I choose water. And that can feel more true for them, more grabbable for them in the moment.
Sometimes you can't leap all the way from one to the other without taking these backslides. And if you grab the bridge step, you can build the confidence. You can believe in yourself for the moment because you believe you can choose water the next time you have a choice.
Brea: I really like that bridge step. I think image is so powerful because you don't just jump from one side of the bridge to the other. It is a journey, you know, it's a series of steps. And to go from one side of the Grand Canyon to the other, I mean, that's a big leap. It's impossible for anyone. So to go from being someone who has drank, drunk alcohol?
What's the right word? I don't know. who has drunk alcohol, you know, especially in social situations, especially at this particular party that happens with these people. To go to the completely other side, yeah, that can feel so far and so unattainable.
So, to just take it one step at a time, I mean, that's how we make change in life is one choice at a time. And it reminds me of the CliftonStrengths the talent of belief. I think for people that lead with that talent, this comes so naturally because they have that, just that inner knowing, that inner belief, that inner grounding is ingrained in them so much that every decision just naturally flows from that.
Whereas other people, we have to maybe do some work to identify what those core principles are so that the decisions that we make, you know, aligned with that. We have to be more intentional about that.
Lisa: Yeah, totally. I think I see this with people who lead through responsibility. I have an example where my dad believes that Hawaiian rolls are poison because they're full of sugar and he will not buy them for my sister and her family because why would I buy them poison? That is responsibility.
Brea: Oh my gosh, that's so awesome. My dad loves Hawaiian rolls. Oh my gosh, love that.
Lisa: I mean, it's like dessert. So, you also, do you have, I think you leaked your self-assurance. How does that one show up with believing in yourself?
Brea: I always believe in myself. You know, I have the other problem of, yeah, believing too much sometimes. And I also have an internal belief that other people believe in me and that other people should believe in me. And that is something that as I've grown older and lived a little bit more life that I've realized not everyone believes in me the way that I believe in myself.
I believe in myself so strongly and I believe in others really strongly. I mean, hi, I'm the hype girl, you know, the strength type. Like I love believing in people and cheering them on and holding their hand or giving them the tools and resources they need to like take the next step. Like that's, that really is not just what I do, that's who I am. To realize that other people don't believe in me as much as I believe in myself, they may not believe in themselves as much as I believe in them. And that's been something that I've learned, you know, through the years. So that has been a challenge from a different, a different perspective, you know,
Lisa: And this makes so much sense. This is insider info for all the listeners. But when I first brought up this idea,
Brea: Oh, no. What did I just divulge?
Lisa: I mentioned the concept of believe in yourself? And you're like…mmmmm….you weren't feeling it. And this makes absolute sense.
Because you're like, well, self assurance. I just believe in myself. I'm hype girl. I believe in everyone else. What seems to be the problem? What is there to talk about?
Brea: Yeah, it's funny when you threw that out on Voxer. I was like, I just don't know that I have anything to add to that conversation. You know, like, I don't, I don't even know what I would say. And I guess I should never worry about that. I always have words to say.
Lisa: Thankfully, communication is in your lineup as well. So it's not a problem.
Brea: Yeah, it is interesting, though, how our talents, you know, really affect everything about us, how we approach everything comes back to what are the patterns that are naturally occurring in you? When we look at the definition of talent, Gallup defines that as patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior.
So how you think, which is where these beliefs come from, is how I think about things, how I believe, what I believe, how tightly or strongly I hold those beliefs, everything around this topic. We could talk for hours about it because it's so deep and rich. It all comes back to your talent.
Lisa: And probably depending on the thing you're trying to believe for yourself or about yourself or the future, it might create different issues with different talents. Like when you say, I choose water next time. What pops up for you as a, but what if this, Oh, and this person's going to say that, Oh, and then this is going to happen.
What are those obstacles that come up? Because they'll give you insight into the things that are going to foil your plan. But also they, they show you your patterns because if we have 65,000 thoughts a day, we don't know what all of them are. There's a lot of unconscious stuff going on.
If our strengths represent our thoughts, feelings, actions, these things that are just in us, this thought process about the obstacle, like, ooh, what pops up then? Ooh, where is the resistance? What is that resistance about? We can start to become a little more consciously aware of the thoughts that are in there that are going to get in the way of getting this new result.
Brea: Oh my gosh. Yes, this is so, so true. And the alcohol example is really a good one, Lisa, because it's relatable, I think, to a lot of people. Here's how I might respond. If you've listened to the podcast or you know me at all, you know that I love wine. Okay. So if I were to go to a party and just say, I'm not going to drink alcohol, I'm choosing water, we would wonder, what are people going to think?
And in my head I'm like, well, they could think I'm pregnant. They could think I'm, you know, they could think a million things. So if you want to make sure that they still like you and that you're still fun, maybe you drink a non-alcoholic Cocktail that looks like it could have alcohol in it and you just don't even talk about it, right?
If it's the perception that you're worried about, then make a choice that upholds that perception that you want people to you know, have a view or whatever and and move on and it doesn't have to be a big deal You know, if it's a different talent, how can you give it what it needs or what it wants, you know, while still honoring this new choice?
Lisa: I love that. I don't know what made command come to my head, but I was imagining all the strategies you just came up with for Wu. and then contrasting it with command. Now they might say, if someone asked me, who cares? And when they ask, I say, my relationship with wine is over. That's the whole story. And they lead through command and that's all they need to say. And they don't care what the other person thinks about it.
They took a totally different tact. But it was honoring their strength, their pattern, what they needed to feel really solid in their decision and living into their future self, really doing that thing. Believe in yourself. Believe in your choice because you aligned it to your strengths and it felt good. It felt natural. It felt grounded.
Brea: Yeah. And maybe you don't have an influencing talent at the top. Maybe you're leading with input or learner and you just read something about alcohol where you're like, this is the tipping point for me. I'm not going to do it anymore. Then lead with that. It doesn't have to be this big, like, I believe in myself or I don't believe in myself. It could just be, I just learned this thing about alcohol and I just decided I wanted to take a break, you know? Like, there you go.
Lisa: You lead through Analytical and you're like, look, I've been watching my Oura ring and the stats and when I drink, It tanks my sleep for the next three days and I've been watching the data and I decided I'm not going to do that to myself any longer and you led through data. It could be any strength could give you information about the way to step into a belief.
Brea: Yeah and the whole non-alcoholic cocktail option that looks like it could have alcohol in it, that might be your solution because of Other non influencing themes where you're like, I just want to hide in the background. I don't want anybody to like ask me about it So I'm just gonna drink something that doesn't bring attention. So I think that's the interesting thing about talents is Several different people can make the same choice can do the same thing for different reasons
Lisa: I can see the person with you leading through it all the way where they're like, and I could become the non-alcoholic bartender at this party and I could be like, I'm into nootropics, y'all. I brought all these ingredients. Check out this new thing I've got going on. Who wants one? And then you make it the exciting thing to try because that's what sounded fun to Wu that day. That's right. That's right.
Brea: Yeah. Yeah. The other thing that's coming up for me about this is the idea of change, especially in these epic proportions of changing how we perceive ourselves at an identity level, right? that chasm of the Grand Canyon inside of us of, how am I ever going to get to the other side? That feels very stressful.
When we encounter stressful, challenging situations like this that require not just one big, oh, I'm going to muster up my courage and jump, And then, ta-da, I'm like this whole new person. But it's a series of tough choices, right, that will get easier over time. But we have to continue to do the hard thing time and time again. when we're in stressful, challenging situations, our talents are going to kind of default to the raw state, to the maybe not as healthy, not as helpful state.
Keep that in mind as well. And I'm being a little bit vulnerable whenever I talk about my woo in this way because I'm actually not always worried about what people think about me. And in a moment where it's difficult, it's hard, it's new, or you have to make a decision quickly, or there's some kind of stress about it, our talents will often likely default into that place of before they became a strength, before we learned how to really be strong in that way.
If that happens to you, give yourself a little bit of grace. It's okay, you'll get through it. And be intentional going through this thought process of, you know, how can I lean into my talent to help me get the outcome that I desire? I think you just made it. Make that bridge stop.
Lisa: Yeah, you made it so relatable for listeners because You're talking about how to believe in yourself simultaneously while having self-assurance as a talent theme at the top that makes it easy for you to believe in yourself and woo that makes you care about what other people think enough that it might give some sway in there and it depends.
That is a beautiful way to describe the dynamics that happen in our lives and our brains as humans we make things complex and we have a lot of layers to us and it all depends it all depends okay now back to hype girl if someone wants to work with you Brea the hype girl because they need someone else to believe in them. They need to borrow your belief while they think through their own. Tell them about working with you.
Brea: Oh my gosh. Just the thought of being able to meet you, listener, when the negative self-talk gets in there or when your own beliefs in yourself are challenged, like that is not the truth. So if you want someone to speak truth and goodness and beauty over you and help you see what's awesome about you, that would be my privilege, my joy, my honor, truly. So come to the website, BreaRoper.com, and schedule a call. I will shower you with belief and give you all of my influencing talents so that you can take the very next step, no matter how hard it is.
Lisa: I know it. You do it naturally. Even in our friend conversations, you shower with this belief and this positivity and it's such a cool part of you.
Brea: Thanks, Lisa. You too. People should work with you. How can they do that?
Lisa: If you want some coaching from me on how to believe in yourself, come over to leadthroughstrengths.com and go to the Get Coached link and That's all you have to do.
Click on it, take action, and we will do it. We'll find the belief, we'll find the bridge thoughts, and we'll get you there. Love it. Okay, Brea, take us home. Between self-assurance and communication, I know you have a closing thought that will tidy all of this up.
Brea: To me, it all comes back to the theme that we continue to talk about episode from episode is when you know better, you feel better. And when you feel better, you do better. So if your goal is to become a better version of yourself, the more you choose to believe in yourself, the stronger you'll feel in that new you, and it'll be easier to live out that reality. So you can do it. Start with your talents. Lead from strength.
Lisa: Lead through your strengths.
Brea: I love it.
Lisa: Thank you, Brea.
Brea: Thank you, listeners. Thanks, Lisa.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Appreciation and Recognition | 20 Oct 2024 | 00:24:11 | |
We all know how good it is to feel valued at work… but, as a manager, is it worth the time and expense? And how can we ensure that our recognition resonates? In today's episode, we dive into the powerful world of appreciation and recognition! We chat about how everyone loves to be recognized, but not everyone enjoys the spotlight in the same way. You’ll hear us share our personal experiences with recognition. We emphasize the importance of understanding individual preferences when it comes to appreciation, because what resonates with one person might not connect with another. We also discuss some practical tips for recognizing your team or peers without breaking the bank. You’ll learn that simple, genuine compliments can go a long way, and how being specific about what you appreciate can amplify someone’s performance. Plus, we touch on the idea of the "platinum rule"—treating others the way they want to be treated. So, whether you're a manager or just someone looking to spread a little positivity, this episode is packed with insights and actionable ideas to help you create a culture of recognition in your workplace and beyond! 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways on Recognition and Appreciation
Take Action on Recognition through Strengths ● Start Recognizing Immediately: Recognition doesn’t have to be a big to-do or include expensive gifts. It can be as simple as a verbal acknowledgment, a note, or an email. You can start small. The key is to just start. ● Be Specific in Your Praise: Instead of generic compliments like "good job," focus on specific actions or results that you appreciated. Highlight what the person did well and how it aligns with their strengths to encourage them to repeat that behavior. ● Utilize CliftonStrengths: If you have access to the CliftonStrengths reports for your team, use the language and insights from those reports to tailor your recognition. This will help you appreciate team members in a way that resonates with them personally. ● Create a Recognition Culture: Encourage a culture of appreciation not just as a manager but also as a peer. Look for opportunities to recognize small acts of kindness or effort in your daily interactions, both at work and in your personal life. ● Download Lisa’s free resource: “127 Ways to Recognize Your Team" to find various methods of appreciation that go beyond simple praise. Let's start appreciating each other in ways that truly resonate! Because people are good. And the numbers will follow. 🎧✨ Further Reading on Appreciation and Recognition ● Profit from the Positive by Margaret H. Greenberg and Senia Maymin, PhD. ○ Forward by Tom Rath, who we all know and love as the author of StrengthsFinder 2.0. ○ Whether you lead three employees or 3,000, this book shows you how to increase productivity, collaboration, and profitability using the simple yet powerful tools from the field of Positive Psychology. ○ Features case studies of some of the most forward-thinking and successful companies today―Google, Zappos, and Amazon ○ Provides over two dozen evidence-based tools you can apply immediately, and are completely free! ● 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman & Paul White ○ This book gives you the tools to create a more positive workplace, increase employee engagement, and reduce staff turnover by teaching you to effectively communicate authentic appreciation and encouragement to employees, co-workers, and leaders. ○ BONUS: Each book contains a free access code to take the Motivating By Appreciation (MBA) Inventory, so you can learn your language of appreciation.
#Podcast #Productivity #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #Appreciation #Recognition #WorkplaceCulture #TeamEngagement
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript of the Appreciation and Recognition Episode Lisa: Hey, I'm Lisa.
Brea: I'm Brea.
Lisa: And today's topic is appreciation and recognition.
Brea: I love to be recognized.
Lisa: Well, I think most people love to be recognized. And just like we have different strengths, we have different styles for recognition, too. Especially at work. So let's talk about that element. How do you even know, say you are in a staff meeting with 100 people and you want to call them up to the stage so you can shine the spotlight on them and you see them shrink? How do you even avoid that?
How do you know what someone likes and how they want to be appreciated?
Brea: All I can think is, I've been that person. As much as I love to be in the spotlight, I love to shine the spotlight on other people. I love to just spoil and make people feel so special. I mean, hello, I'm the hype girl. You know what I mean? This is what I do. And so I've been in that position so many times, Lisa, where I have put so much thought and effort and time, money, all the things into creating this super delicious moment to really celebrate this person. And then it doesn't go as I planned. I missed the mark in some way. And I think it comes from not always really understanding what it is that they want. Just because I want the spotlight doesn't mean everyone does. Right. So yeah, it's such an interesting conversation. Yes.
Lisa: I mean, I know recognition and appreciation, at their best, they require some specificity and the person to know what the thing is, but also just the idea of praise and attention in general can be great. I saw this McKinsey research that said, praise, attention from leaders, and opportunities to lead to projects are more effective motivators than performance-based cash rewards, increases in base pay, or stock options.
Brea: Wow, that's pretty powerful. Yeah, I mean, all I hear is Jerry McGuire, like, show me the money, but like, that's not always true, you know? It's not always true.
Lisa: And how many times do we have leaders, we're working with them to build their cultures, we're doing workshops with them, And they're like, I don't have the budget to just be throwing money at people for everything they do that's great. And that's the good news here. You can appreciate and recognize employees without it.
So what do you do, Brea? They come to you and they say, where do I start? I don't have any money to give. I don't have budget for this sort of thing. What are some things I can be thinking about when I want to recognize my team or appreciate good performance?
Brea: Yeah, so just start doing it, okay? Let's not worry about the best or the ideal or the perfect way to appreciate or recognize. Just start, a quick compliment, recognizing something good that someone has done. period and say it out loud. You can write it in a card. You can tell them in passing. You can just make a quick trip to the cube, you know, and tap them on the shoulder and say, hey, I noticed this. Even an email.
I mean, anything that is more than what you're doing now, will it be appreciated? And then look for the shining eyes, look for the change in posture, the chest kind of puffs out a little bit or they sit up a little bit taller. Notice those signs of reception, of the recognition. And look for the shrinking people, you know, look for the people who are like, oh, no, please don't recognize me out loud in this team meeting in front of everybody. Pay attention to how they respond and you'll get better and better at appreciating and recognizing them in the way that they want to be recognized and appreciated or for the things that are most meaningful to them. I love it.
Lisa: I love hearing the simplicity of just get to the doing and don't worry so much about the details. I find myself often giving the do's and don'ts so I like how you said it better to get someone to just get over the hump and go. I mean go beyond time spent because it's really easy to Make your first foray into recognition.
Like, “I know everyone's been working so hard. Everyone's been staying up so late.” And it's not like you want to non-recognize people for putting in extra effort. But it also doesn't give them any information. One of the things I bust people on all the time is saying, Oh, “good job, buddy.” Good job, Brea. Good job. But there's nothing. There's no substance. It just feels like a platitude.
I mean, if it's genuine and you did think they did a good job, I think that is better than saying nothing. However, if you can really get focused on the results you love seeing, What is the specific thing they did that they could repeat? So could you add on, I loved how this, I really appreciated this element of it.
And remember, if somebody already created a result that you want, and you tell them about it, they can do it again, because they've already done it. So it's easy to repeat.
And if they're using their strengths, it came naturally to them. So calling out the result part, and if it aligns with their strengths, and it got a result, you're going to amplify their performance. So you get something out of it, too, even if it feels like it's taking up your mental time and space to come up with the words to recognize them. It's worth it. It's worth it for them, for their engagement, for the performance of the team. I mean, all the way around.
Brea: This is so good. So many little truth bombs that you mentioned there. Another thing is, you know, we talk a lot about CliftonStrengths on this podcast, and that assessment can give you the words that will really resonate with the specific person.
If you're a manager of a team and you've got your CliftonStrengths reports of the people that you lead, go pull out words and phrases from that individual's report. It will tell you what they want to hear. It will tell you what they value. It will tell you where their strengths lie. And they want to be appreciated for that. They want to be recognized for that. So you don't have to come up with the words on your own. You've got that tool at your disposal.
Lisa: Yeah. I mean, seriously, if you're the person who says, good job, buddy, and you want some specific words, when you look at it, you'll see the difference between somebody who leads through analytical, and you can say, wow, you really cut through all of the noise we've been faced with all this complexity, we couldn't get to the real answers, and you gave us the actual leading indicators to make some business decisions that change the course of our business in the last two quarters.
Wow, that would be really meaningful to somebody who leads through analytical. But if you lead, have somebody lead, yeah, but if you lead through empathy and then you said something completely different, like, ooh, you caught that moment in the room when Jim was not having it, but we were all about to conclude the meeting, assume everyone was off to do the work, but you stopped and said, Jim, where are you on this? Because you saw it and no one else caught it.
That kind of recognition goes a long way because it makes them want to use their talents. And those two examples are on a different planet from each other.
Brea: Totally. This is making me think of how often as managers and leaders, we give what we have and we treat other people the way that we want to be treated. So we're leading from our strengths. And this can be a little challenging when it comes to appreciation and recognition, because that's just my language. So I recognize it easily when it happens. I appreciate it when it happens. So it's easy for me to appreciate that in others. but I don't lead with empathy. Let's imagine empathy is at the bottom.
The people on your team with empathy are not ever going to hear those types of recognition and appreciation come from you unless you're intentional about it, unless you learn their language, and unless you're intentional about looking for those types of things. It's just not naturally going to come from you if it's not in your talents.
So that's another place that having the language from the assessment is super helpful to understand where it's easy for you to appreciate, recognize, and give that to others, and where it's not. And to know that even if it's not natural for you, there is still hope. You know, you have this tool that can help you to make sure that everyone is included in being recognized and appreciated for what they bring.
Lisa: Yes, absolutely. And this reminds me of something that you said in a conversation we had earlier. where you said, this is all about platinum rule. It's not about treating them the way I want to be treated. It's treating them the way that they want to be treated. And that extra step of me trying to think of their strengths, their motivators. their preferences, watching their eyes shine and repeating things in that area. That took effort on my part to care about them and who they are and what they bring.
So it means that much more if you can recognize them for how they want to be treated, not for how you want to be treated.
Brea: Yeah, it's interesting and a little fascinating to me that the idea of the golden rule, the idea of treating others as we want to be treated, is kind of already a stretch for a lot of people, you know, because there's just so much negativity in the world and the temptation is always to be focused on what's wrong, where do we need to fix something, what's broken, how can we make this better, and our brains have just kind of been trained in that way.
You know, as we've grown, being kids in school, when we brought home the report card, the attention was on where we were lacking, you know? It wasn't praising the A's and the A pluses and the B's. It was: where are you struggling + let's fix the problem. And so just this idea of looking for what's good in people, looking for what they did well, And taking a moment to recognize that is a strengths-based approach.
It's actually not only countercultural, but I think it's just kind of counter to the way that our negativity bias naturally works, you know, in our brains. And so we have to be intentional about this. What I mean by have to is we have to do it because it's not natural for us. So we have to be intentional. And also, we have to do this because people need it. I think it's a responsibility that we have to really shine the light on what is strong and what is working. And the irony of it all is that when we do that, when we appreciate what's working and recognize what's working and celebrate it, then we get more of it. Right. Because people feel valued. They feel appreciated. They feel wanted. They feel like they make a difference. And so they want to keep doing more of that. So your numbers will follow. Yes.
Lisa: The numbers do follow. Yeah. And I like it because you're being like the you're being the appreciation hype girl. in a great way. And for those who are, yeah, you know, those who are like, yeah, this is the right thing to do, or this is what a leader would do.
Some people are going to be totally motivated by it. And I can also see the people in our workshops who fold their arms, take a deep breath and say, that all sounds like a great rainbow land. We're all really busy and I don't have time to be giving everybody a trophy for just showing up and doing their job. And I will say, if you were the arm folder as you were listening to Brea, by the end, you caught her talking about how this does come around and serve. profitability, productivity. We have real metrics from strengths research.
There's a book called Profit from the Positive, and she had a stat in there on managers giving frequent recognition and genuine encouragement, seeing a 40% increase in productivity. So, I just say, I encourage you, if you find yourself in the arm folding phase, because many of us find ourselves in and out of moments like that where you're like, I'm just too busy. I cannot pull my head up and start thinking about how people need praise from me.
I feel like leaders experience that often where you are in a frazzled place and it feels difficult. to pull yourself out to do it. But this is a motivating metric to show that it is worth doing it. So you can't afford to be the arm folder. You can't afford to be the one saying you are too busy to do this. The team needs it.
Brea: So your numbers will follow. There's a stat that comes from the Business News Daily. They say that more than 80 percent of employees say they're motivated to work harder. when their boss shows appreciation for their work. More than 80% of people are motivated to work harder. Your numbers will follow. And it's not hard to do this.
And like you said, it doesn't even have to cost a lot of money. You can change your culture by just starting to appreciate and recognize specifically. Look for the specifics and look for what's good. And I think if you can focus on both of those things, you will see the change. And it can be immediate. And it can be dramatic. It can really transform. Absolutely.
Lisa: And there are people who are listening who are not managers. There are also people who don't work in a corporate environment, and they might even be saying some of this applies to me and some of this doesn't. This matters for peers. This matters for you out in the world, just out in your life. If you take this on as something you're set out to do, I'm going to appreciate small things that people do for me in my regular life. We all have the power to do this.
If you want to have a culture like that, that you work in, be part of creating that culture. There might even be a few listeners who are like, oh, my manager needs to hear this episode. But if you catch yourself… Send it to him. Share it with him. Yeah, sure. Definitely. Always share. Five star review. Share the episode. But also be the change you want to see. Start doing this recognition yourself.
Brea: Oh, I love it. I love it. I'm inspired listening to you. It makes me think of how this breeds trust. It's not just a rainbows in the sky mentality. It's when you start to appreciate people, when you start to shine a spotlight on what other people are doing, you're building bonds, you're establishing trust, and it's breeding a culture of collaboration, whether it's in the workplace or in your families.
There's this story from the Five Love Languages book by Gary Chapman that's like a million years old, but it's such a Such a good story. He was a psychologist and he was counseling a married couple and there was this room in their house that needed to be painted. And it was the husband's job to paint it. And the wife was getting so frustrated. Just, you know, week after week goes by and he's not getting this done. And so she's nagging. And so obviously there's conflict.
So they're talking to Dr. Chapman and he says, look, what I want you to do, he says this to the wife, what I want you to do is ignore it. Don't talk about it at all. Don't bring it up one more time. And of course, you know, she's like, what? Like, no, I can't do that, you know? And he's like, just trust the process, right? And he says, what I want you to do instead is every time you see your husband do something helpful or something nice or something kind, I want you to praise it. I want you to recognize it out loud and say thank you.
And she's like, oh my gosh, this is never gonna work. And he was like, just trust me. They came back the very next week and the room had been painted. And I think that's so telling of just how we just want to be seen. We just want to be heard. We just want to be understood. We want to be valued. We want to be wanted. We want to feel safe. We want to know that we're good enough. And when there's so much negativity around us, intentional or not, it's so easy to just go to the negative places in our mind, you know, the negative self-talk, to put ourselves down, to believe the lies.
And that's so easy to do. That happens so fast because there are so many voices out there in the world telling us we're not enough or that we're not good enough. And we have to be the light. We have to speak the truth over people that we're good. You are good enough. So I think that's such a beautiful story to illustrate how it's something you do and it's something you don't do, right? By not nagging, by not focusing on the thing that- The lack. The lack, yeah. And focusing on all the good things that are happening, it really inspires people to want to do more good.
Lisa: Yeah. You sparked for me a thought about another version of that book. There's a workplace version of it. I can't remember how the title goes. Yeah. It's called Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace. Okay. Appreciation. Well, how apropos for this episode title. Yeah. Okay. So when I read that, I was like, oh my gosh, there's a thing on high fives. I am 100% a hugs and high fives person. I love them. You could say zero words to me, just high five me for something or fist bump me for something. And I am getting a positive jolt out of it that is so great. I didn't express that to anyone.
No one around me would know it. I just got excited if somebody put their hand up. I'm not sure why I never made a thing out of it. But after I read that book, I so freely offer them. When I was a leader, I would create these intake forms when I had a new hire, and I would just ask them questions on their first week. You could do it at any time, but I think first week really goes well. little things.
For example: what's your favorite thing under $5 that you buy once a month? I just came up with these little quirky questions. I think it was, tell me about your favorite way you've ever been praised for something. Tell me about the best recognition you've ever received. Just a little different way of asking the same question a few times, but also about things like, what's your favorite drink? What's your favorite this, that?
I remember once I gave a person a six-pack of Diet Dr. Pepper because it was his favorite drink and he had a busy week and it was kind of like, here's the go juice, you've been crushing it. It was just silly but it was also an acknowledgement of what he was putting in and he lost his mind over it.
Brea: It's amazing. It's amazing how big of an impact that can have and if you're sitting there thinking, oh well it's not the same if you've filled out a form and you've told them, you know, it's like It kind of takes the magic out of it. It's amazing how many people forget that they give you that information.
Lisa: They forget every time.
Brea: Every time. Every time. So they're like, oh my gosh, how did you know? And the thing that I think all of this comes back to is that innate desire for us to be seen, for us to be known as humans. It's just such a foundational core need. And a six pack of Diet Dr. Pepper, that's your favorite drink, like showing up at your desk, is a way that you feel seen, you know? And so that's beautiful. I love it, Lisa. Will you be my manager? That's amazing.
Lisa: Yes, that would be amazing. Okay. Well, you know someone else is listening and they're like, Brea, will you be my manager? Brea, will you be my recognition coach? Help me appreciate my people. So tell them a tip or a way to work with you or something that would be valuable along the lines of appreciation and recognition and working with you.
Brea: Yeah. Well, if you’ve ever wondered what we mean when I say I’m the strengths hype girl. I mean, this is it. I love using the language CliftonStrengths gives us to better understand what’s good about you and your people. So, if that’s something you’re looking for, just find me on the website. It’s brearoper.com. We’ll hop on a call and co-design a solution that makes most sense for you.
Lisa: Totally. And I challenge anyone listening who has a team member, like a direct report that is really frustrating you and you're having a tough time thinking of anything you could appreciate them for, get with Brea. She can hype anyone. She will find something amazing and valuable that you will genuinely agree with because you will be the one who comes up with it. But you won't believe how great she is at bringing this up.
Brea: Thanks, Lisa. Yeah, my woo is ready. Bring it on. Yes.
Lisa: I think this episode, I am just going to leave them with a resource. So one of our freebies on the website, LeadThroughStrengths.com slash Recognition, is 127 Ways to Recognize. And we always talk about how great managers notice what works. And this gives you ways to go beyond, good job, buddy, and get into some other specific ways. Some are silly and kitschy. I will warn you, I was a little bit of a goober in a few of the examples.
But then there are also really serious ones and even formulas for those of you who are like, Just help me formulate this in a sentence, in an email, so I can put it together, but also be genuine with it. So it's 127 different ways to recognize people. Leadthroughstrengths.com slash recognition.
Brea: Yeah, and I'll also put a link to that book that Lisa mentioned, Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, because that's another great resource as well.
Lisa: Excellent. Okay, well, Brea, you should bring us home because you've got your phrases on this one.
Brea: When you know better, you feel better. And when you feel better, you do better. So if what you want is your people to do better, then you need to help them feel better. And the best way to do that is to know and understand how they feel appreciated, how they want to be recognized. If you can know that, you can help them feel better. And when they feel better, they will do better. And then the world will be a better place.
Lisa: See, we are solving world peace. We're making people, I mean, it's free. It didn't cost any money to do it. It just requires a little extra thought. Beautiful.
Brea: And a little bit of sparkle fairy dust.
Lisa: Brea's fairy dust.
Brea: People are going to be like, I'm done with this podcast. This girl needs to be gone.
Lisa: Away with your fairy dust, Brea. I am not walking around with my dust. And it's like, yep, Brea can be kind of like the Tinkerbell flying over your shoulder. So you don't have to do the actual dust.
Brea: Oh my gosh, we have got to get out of here. See you guys next week.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| How to Get In Flow | 06 Oct 2024 | 00:31:17 | |
In today's episode, we dive deep into the concept of flow, that magical state where time disappears and creativity flows effortlessly. We share our personal experiences with flow—what it looks like for us, and the unique ways we prepare for those moments. You’ll hear us discuss the importance of creating space in your life, whether that means blocking off time in your schedule or setting the right environment with candles and epic soundtracks. We also explore the difference between being in flow and simply being focused, and how understanding your own strengths can help you find your flow more often. So, if you’ve ever wondered how to get into that sweet spot of productivity and creativity, this episode is packed with insights and practical tips to help you discover your own flow state. Get ready to embrace the freedom to flow! 🌟
Work With Us and Help Yourself Get In Flow BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways on How to Get In Flow ● Flow vs. Focus: There’s a difference between being in a flow state and simply being focused. Flow is characterized by effortless engagement and losing track of time, while focus can be more about forcing yourself to complete tasks. ● Create Space for Flow: To get into flow, it's essential to create space. This could mean blocking off time for specific activities or ensuring you have a relaxed environment free from distractions. ● Personalize Your Approach: Everyone experiences flow differently. Identify what works for you by reflecting on past moments of flow and recognizing the conditions that helped you get there. This could involve specific activities, environments, or even mental states. ● Embrace Freedom: Finding flow often requires a sense of freedom. Maybe it's the freedom to let your mind wander, the freedom to eliminate distractions, or the freedom to color outside the lines and approach your work in a new, innovative way. Recognize what kind of freedom you need to tap into your flow state. ● Leverage Your Strengths: Understanding your unique talents and strengths can help you create opportunities for flow. By aligning your activities with where you find natural yearning, learning, satisfaction, ease, and excellence (the five clues to talent), you will greatly enhance your chances of experiencing that effortless state.
Take Action as You Explore How to Get In Flow ● Identify Your Flow Moments: Reflect on past experiences where you felt completely immersed and lost track of time. Write down these moments and analyze what conditions or activities contributed to that flow state. ● Create Space for Flow: Block off dedicated time in your schedule for activities that allow you to enter a flow state. This could involve clearing your calendar, finding a quiet space, or eliminating distractions. ● Prepare for Flow: Before engaging in tasks that you anticipate will require flow, take time to prepare your environment. This could include setting the mood with lighting, music, or other elements that help you feel comfortable and focused. ● Practice Presence: Work on being present in the moment by minimizing distractions and allowing your mind to settle. This can involve mindfulness techniques or simply taking a few moments to breathe and center yourself before starting a task. ● Leverage Flow Experiences: After experiencing flow, take time to reflect on what worked well and how you can replicate that experience in the future. Consider creating a plan or a list of topics to explore during your next dedicated flow time. If you're looking to enhance your productivity and creativity, I highly recommend tuning in to this episode! Let's explore how we can all get into flow more often and make the most of our unique talents. 🎧✨
#Podcast #FlowState #Productivity #Creativity #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript on How to Get In Flow Lisa: Hey, I'm Lisa.
Brea: I'm Brea.
Lisa:
Brea: How flow can you go?
Lisa: That's such a good question, where you're like, really, how much flow can I get? How often can I get it? I want it all the time.
Brea: All the time.
Lisa: Yeah. How often do you think you are truly in flow in a given week?
Brea: Not as much as I want, that's for sure. I mean, my flow comes when I'm on a stage with thousands of people around me. So that rarely ever happens. Yeah, thanks for being real. Not even once a week.
Lisa: Excellent for listeners to hear stuff like that because they think I'm not in it enough. I'm not doing it right or something is wrong with me, but really it is a unique state. Let's say it happens once every two weeks, once every month, and then it doesn't always hit you in the moment you can ride the wave. What do you do to try to give yourself space to actually get in the flow?
Brea: Yeah. Yeah. I think this is such an interesting question. So I think back to the times when there's an opportunity for me to go jam with some friends. I clear that night. I'm not back to back, you know, running from thing to thing and squishing that in like I might during the workday, you know? So it's just, it's an interesting thought experiment. Are there opportunities in my workday to approach it like the off hours instead of just crunching things back to back? Can I just clear some space and say, you know what, I'm just going to block off these several hours so that I have freedom to flow?
Lisa: Ooh, yeah, freedom to flow is a key piece of how to get in flow. Let's just do the everyday work. What are things you do to get yourself closer to flow state when you really need to be in that energy or you would love to be in that energy of flow?
Brea: Yeah. Well, I think if I know that the upcoming task or meeting or opportunity, whatever is on the calendar, if I know that it's going to be a flow experience, I know that I'm excited for it. I know I'm going to enjoy it. that there's going to be excellence there in all the things, all the clues to talent, then I want to do whatever I can to prepare myself for that, to set myself up for excellence.
So, it's time blocking before and after to get all my ducks in a row. I'm a lot of a planner and also a lot of a go with the flow. I call this planning to be spontaneous. You know, like get all the things that I think I might need, create the environment. You know, maybe it's lighting a candle. Maybe it's turning on. I have an epic movie soundtrack playlist that is perfect for helping my brain focus because there are no words.
And with the Communication strength, I get so distracted by words, you know, like that will take me to a totally different place of flow that I don't need to be if I'm editing a podcast, you know. No lyrics allowed. No lyrics allowed. But I need that energy. You know, I need the epic soundtrack is a lot different than classical music, which I love. Or I listen to Gregorian chant, you know, like I'm a weird Catholic homeschooler, you know, so those have their place.
But the epic movie soundtrack is perfect for when I want to get into admin flow. But Lisa, I'm going to throw it back to you because I don't know that we define flow in the same way because even saying that out loud, I'm like, admin flow? Like it's just… The best that I can do is to light a candle, to open up the windows, let some fresh air in, but it's not real flow.
Lisa: Yes. It's this segment where we're doing the side-by-side. How to get in flow…real flow versus fake flow. Fake flow isn't the greatest terminology, but it is kind of what it is. We're trying to borrow elements from real flow into things that we actually wouldn't get into true flow on. So yes, glad you acknowledge that. Okay. A friend of mine, Col Maggs, he's a fellow strengths coach. So shout out to Col.
Brea: Yeah. Hi Col.
Lisa: Yeah, he was thinking about how to get in flow versus how to get in focus are really different because you might have the ability to have focused energy on a task or many tasks and we Make ourselves get in that state because we need to get stuff done and that happens on the regular that probably happens Every day at least for a little smidge of time.
Yeah, but and that is an element of flow. I think you have to have focused energy inside of flow, but flow is more. It's that effortless, I lost track of time, often in a creative zone. And it's a wave that comes that you can really ride if you'll allow it. So yeah, you're very much a vibe scout, like with your candles and the things that you do in all your environments.
That's cool. And I think for some people, it happens when they're journaling. For some people, it happens with morning pages. Sometimes it needs a little stream of consciousness to get some juices flowing at the beginning, but sometimes the brainstorm just starts dumping instantly. For me, I will do a little bit more like brainless tasks for the first 15 minutes to get into task mode, because that's not my favorite mode, and I kind of need to shift into that.
That's very different from other people who are like, eat that frog first or do the most important thing. Just get it right out of the way, straight up. I will just stare at my screen. So I will do warmup activities. I will also focus on what I don't do. So I love to be efficient. I think Maximizer, Strategic, I have a lot of talent themes that are very much into efficiency.
So I'll try to cram in things like, ooh, I have a five-minute slice of time. I'm going to leave messages for people. I'm going to have a podcast playing so that I can be learning on this next topic I'm working on. and I overcram my brain, it's kind of overstimulation. And that does not put me in an environment where I can be in that flow or fake flow.
I think that's a big one for me as well. It's what I'm not doing. But I think to switch gears off of fake flow, we should compare real flow. What is a flow state? What is effortlessness? Where do you lose track of time?
Let's go over to that side. What does that look like for you? How do you get into it? How do you come out of it? What does it feel like for you? How do you get into real flow?
Brea: Yeah, I wish you could see me. My whole body posture just changed. I'm smiling from ear to ear now. This idea of real flow is so good. This is one of the main reasons why I do strengths. Why we're talking about clues to talent, because if you can clue into your talent, then real flow is possible. It's the best. Isn't it the best? Yes.
I forgot the question because I just was like so excited to talk about it. The thing about flow that I love the most is that when it's real, when it's authentic, when it's truly flow, it's not manipulated. It's not something you have to strive for. It happens. It's natural. You don't have to try to get into flow. It will just happen. And so I think it's important to think about how we can generate more opportunities for us to be in flow.
I think that's a very important conversation. And also, it's important for us to be more intentionally aware of when this might be happening or when we might see glimpses of this happening in our everyday life so that we can get more of it because it is happening. Flow can happen when I'm editing a podcast. I get into that zone of communication and crafting the message and refining our communication in the recording and I can slip into that place
Lisa: Yeah, and I love that you brought that up. When you lose track of time, when you lose yourself, I can get into flow state easily when I'm making something. And that could be anything from songwriting to making a deck for a presentation. But if I'm making it and it's just a new thing that didn't exist before…those are elements where I can really get into it.
I also notice I can't force them very well I can tell when I'm making myself do the task or melt making myself put in practice and the difference in the days when I Am just like oh I could do this all day long I could do this for seven hours and not realize all that time has ticked by and I I don't know if you're as keenly aware when you're in it, but I tend to notice, oh, I was just in flow when it's over and I pull my head up and I'm like, whoa, six hours just went by. I was just in flow.
Brea: That's right. Yeah. I have to catch myself when I'm facilitating workshops. where I'm totally in flow. My energy is off the charts. There's so much adrenaline coursing through my veins to probably the point of being unhealthy, you know, for my body to sustain that much adrenaline for so long. But it feels so amazing. And because it is such a flow state for me, it's almost like the flow is taking over me. I kind of have to control the flow.
Lisa: I could see that because if you're doing something like you're in a workshop and you forgot you didn't give them a break for three hours and they just really need to go to the bathroom right now or you're not as tuned into them because you're so lost in the moment, you lost the timing that you wanted to use for a given number of exercises. I could see that being a thing.
And also, I think there's something to the lead-in. At least for me, this is very important. Even though I may not know that I'm about to get in flow, I can't say for sure it's about to happen because it's a whole orchestration of things. So even though the episode is about how to get in flow, there are probably nuances to it for me that are more like how to set yourself up for the opportunity for it to happen. Because some days it just doesn't happen.
For example, if I'm going in to lead a retreat for strengths with a group, I need to make sure there's adequate time blocked off before and after that everything is prepared and settled that I don't feel frazzled in any way about the logistics or where to show up and I mean this could be something as tactical as driving by the venue the night before so that I've laid my eyes on it and I know what building I'm headed toward
Those are things I do to make sure I can be in the right state of mind for them and be of total service to them the next day. And then the day of, getting up an extra hour early so that I can have some intentions and just get myself in the space.
· How, how do I want to show up for them? · What environment do I want to create? · What are my hopes for them and what they'll experience?
And really getting my mind oriented to how I can be of service to them instead of hurry up, hurry up, hurry up. Oops, room service didn't show up. Oh, I'm running late. Oh, the Uber didn't come. You know, those kinds of distractions are bound to harsh the flow – to make that thing not happen as easily or as naturally or might even block it. So I think in the notion of how to get in flow for me, it's a lot about how did you set yourself up for the opportunity for it to happen and then you can't force it to happen. It may or may not.
Brea: Yeah, I think it's so, it's just so fun to listen to you describe your flow and it's different than mine and it's different for the listeners based on our talents, right? I can be a planner too in certain situations, but that usually doesn't feel like the flow. It's like I'm preparing for the flow. But I think that's so key.
Again, why we're talking about all of these clues to talent is because if you can think about your talents and how do they get into flow, That's really what you need to do. You know, listen to us. That's fine. Thank you. Thank you for listening. But I hope that you take these a step further. And instead of just trying to replicate what works for us, think about what works for you through your talents.
Lisa: Yeah. And if I add on to what you said, I think that there's a key element of how to get in flow and the moment when you're actually trying to get in it right now. And I think that is presence. And I say that to bring up a contrast between you and me. So I think I have fewer talent themes that put me easily in presence, the right here, right now with people.
I mean, you lead through Connectedness and things that are that is what they are. They're here, they're in the moment with the person. So I have a lot of thinking themes that are thinking about thinking and about where we're headed and how to make that happen. And I can really be in my logic brain And that is not flow.
I am not in flow when I'm in my logic brain. And I have to do that planning stuff I was talking about in order to put myself in an environment so I can then release it, let that go, and be there with them. And then I can turn on things like individualization and say, ooh, I'm curious about you. Let's talk about how this one applies to you.
I can ask them really pointed questions about what's going on based on things they just said in the moment. But my brain won't go there. It won't let go of the logic stuff if I haven't prepared myself so that it can settle down and hang out in the background. So I think that's another element. I don't know how that strikes you, but for me, my talents aren't as present. And I think those make me fight to get into flow.
Brea: Yeah, that's so… Actually, I think it's really… I'm really self-aware and really insightful. Insight. Insightful insight.
Lisa: Like, okay, have you ever read Deep Work from Cal Newport?
Brea: I don't think I have.
Lisa: He doesn't specifically talk about it as “flow” but it is pretty much that topic. But he goes really extreme and he talks about this thing that He calls it, I believe he calls it monastic work, literally like monastery or monk kind of work, where he is gone from the world.
It is like, “I am in my zone and it has boundaries and you can't get in. I'm doing my monk work today for the next eight hours.” That is so difficult for me to imagine being gone for huge chunks of time. He talks about it long-term. weeks at a time or more. I can block out a day and I do do that.
For example, if I need to create something for an event, I will block an entire day so that I don't have to get on calls that interrupt it because that will totally interrupt my flow and just jolt me right out of it and I can't get back. The only thing I'm going to be that day is a thinker or a tactical person. It's not going to be like the flowing creative.
I can take little moments like that and the moments might be a full day, but I think that feels so indulgent for so many professionals. to read a book like that and think, oh yes, I'm going to be monastic for a week or a month at a time. Well, what does that mean? Quitting my job?
Those things feel so out of reach to so many people if they don't have a life they've already crafted around all of this. So that's why I like talking about- That is so interesting. Yeah, things like, for me, I just need to figure out how to allow myself to be present for that day, not for taking off an entire month.
Brea: Well, this is so my Connectedness is connecting. So I. I love what you were saying, Lisa, about your experience. You have to kind of eliminate the obstacles or get rid of the distractions or allow your logic brain to move through what it needs to move through so that you feel more free to be in flow in the present moment. When I think about what I know about true monasticism and monks, and I have some experience, with monks. I went to a small Catholic liberal arts school where there were monks living on campus and teaching us and their monasteries on campus. They didn't live.
Anyways, so like the thing is, is that it's not a retreat. It's not like I'm going to go away for a week or two weeks and focus on this thing. The real beauty of the flow that I've observed in them is it's 24-7. There's like this interior place of freedom that allows them to kind of stay in flow no matter what they're doing.
So it's not like you have to sustain the flow, you know, for an eight hour work day or a week or two weeks. You know, it's it's like when they're gardening, when they're praying, when they're, you know, like walking, they're just kind of always plugged in.
Lisa: Yes. That's what I mean by that presence thing. Yes.
Brea: Yeah. So I really think it's good to ruminate on this idea of like real flow can't be created, can't be grasped for. We can do our best to create an environment where it's likely to happen. We can look at times where it's happened in the past for us and try to recreate opportunities that are similar.
But I think that there's something about staying plugged into the truth of who we are and how we operate at our best, staying in that place, you know, no matter what we're doing instead of What we've learned to do in life is to do it like other people, you know, to look at how someone else has been successful and let me try to replicate what other people have done instead of just being really calm and, and steady in our own operating system, you know, and in our own, our own talents and our own strengths and leading with that.
Maybe I'm over philosophizing, but that's where I am.
Lisa: That's good. And if you just want to twist a little bit of practicality in there, I think that as we kind of close it up and imagine someone listening and wanting to apply this in their lives and get into that experience a little more often, You can think of it like a remembering, where these moments of total immersion, just think back, close your eyes, take those moments. · Where were you totally immersed? · Where did you absolutely lose track of time last time? · Where did you have full energy (and you didn't have to generate it), it was just there, or it was being generated by the activity you were in?
Remember those things because there might only be a couple of them in your life that pop up in your mind like you might have just come up with one memory and that one memory might not even be related to something you could apply to work or your everyday life where you're in here listening to how to get into flow and you're like, “yeah I want to get into flow for work”… but what I personally just thought of going through that exercise was hiking
So how does that help me? And then it just takes you through a similar process. What is it about hiking? What could I learn from that? What can I apply to that? And then keep asking the question and get two or three examples and find the trends in those and you'll start to find things you can apply to your workday and you can apply to other elements of your life that you're trying to get into flow for.
Brea: Yeah, it's so good. It makes me think of I still maybe am a little bit stuck on what you were talking about earlier, the obstacles to flow. And I wonder if sometimes, well, I'm thinking of someone that I know who was just always late. to everything. And it was because as he was walking from place to place, he would see people that he wanted to talk to. And so he would talk to them.
And then the five minutes that he had to walk from where he started to where he was supposed to end up turned into 30 minutes. You know, I mean, he was always really late to where he was going. And so there was an obstacle, but the obstacle was coming from his place of flow or his place of talent, right? He was in flow when he was moving. He's definitely a mover. He always likes to be going.
So the physical action of walking was, was warming him up, you know, or like getting him into that flow state. And bumping into people as he's walking across the campus, it was his talents that were the obstacles to him getting to the place that he needed to go and being on time because that was not his talent, right? So the flow was actually like getting in the way of what he actually needed to be doing.
So he started building in buffers. He said, OK, look, if it usually takes me 30 minutes to walk a five minute route, then I just I'm just going to set that time aside. And so I hope that's helpful for people as you listen and you think about how this applies to you. Where are your talents helpful for getting you into flow? Or what do your talents need to be in flow? And also like How do you create the time, create the space for that? And then we didn't really talk a lot about getting out of flow, but that's another thing to consider.
We're thinking of flow like water in a hose, for instance, right? We talked about turning it on, letting the flow kind of build up, then you're in full flow, then you turn it off. And after you turn it off, there still is that amount of water in the hose, right? What if the thing that you're planning after you've been in flow, what if there's a hard stop?
You have a meeting coming up and so you gotta get out of flow real quick. So you turn off the hose. There still is gonna be a little bit of that flow left. How do you maximize that or optimize that or leverage that going into your next thing? I think those practical applications help us to get closer to that monastic experience of like staying in flow all the time, you know, that he was talking about.
If we can see how there are not just these moments of flow, but also how the moments can flow into each other. I mean, that's the goal.
Lisa: You’re giving me a personal insight on this one, it made me think about how when I am flying, I do have flow state relatively often when I am on a plane. And I think it's because the Wi-Fi is so bad, I just give up on trying to get something done that is digital when I'm on a plane. So I bring blank sheets of printer paper and it becomes mind wander, brainstorm, strategize. It just flows.
Oh look, we're landing. We'll get the touchdown and then I'll fold it up and put it in my backpack and the next time I fly, I'll pull that out and I'll be like, oh yeah, I remember that thread. That was going to be really good. But I literally just fold it in half, put it back in there, and that's where it goes to die because I didn't have it planned out.
What I could do with the ideas or with the momentum, and that would be easy enough. I would just need to block some extra time anticipating that this happens often, and I don't. So thank you for that insight because it would be leveraging the flow that already happened if I would just give it a little time for those ideas to get closed out on.
Brea: And also going back to what the question that we asked earlier is, you know, when was the last time you were in flow? So now that you're thinking about that, you can say, oh, wow, like I get into flow when I don't have the distractions of Wi-Fi or all the other things that are normally around me.
I have this time, I have this space. So can you create that time and space? When you're not on a plane, would it be helpful to you to be like, I'm going to go somewhere and pretend like I'm on a plane, you know, and just pull out these white sheets of paper? Like, do you think it would be the same? What do you think?
Lisa: I think it might be better. I could say, OK, what's a typical flight? Two and a half hours. Instead, go to a beautiful park bench in nature where I also don't know people that I can talk to. because that's where I would get distracted. I think that would be a better environment.
I don't love the act of flying outside of the mental stuff that goes on when I have the space. So yeah, I do. I think I could leave the phone in the car and replicate it Yeah, brilliant. What a great way to make it practical and say, Oh, look, you remembered how you get into it. So how else could you create that in your life in a different environment?
Brea: Yeah. So then to go one step further, let's say you did do that. You blocked off two and a half hours and you go to the park and you, you sit on the beautiful park bench. What would you use that time for? What would be the best use of that time?
Lisa: I think I would get the most out of it and it would be the most fruitful if I thought of something the day before because it has to be really relevant to what is going on and I just give myself a mental direction for what the printer paper.
Now my pen and my brain are conspiring to do a specific thing. I just get that topic and before I would go to sleep the night before I would make sure I have that topic in mind and then when I show up that's it because I don't give myself parameters like that before I get on the plane outside of a topic area or direction and I just let it flow.
I would be perfectly content sitting on my park bench looking at birds for a bit until something plops in because I know I don't give myself enough white space for my brain to have that free time, and that's what the magic of the plane is for me. I would just know it's okay if I haven't done planning beyond that. That's really all that would be required to replicate the experience. And then when I'm in it, just having the patience to be present and let it come or not come or come 10 minutes later.
Brea: Yeah. Thanks for sharing that, Lisa. What I'm hearing as the thread throughout this conversation is freedom. For you, it might be the freedom to not do things that you would normally do, right? To not pack your schedule, to eliminate different things, to create that white space for your brain.
For me, it's the opposite. It's what can I do to create the space, like lighting a candle, opening up the windows, setting the vibes. So for our listeners, what kind of freedom do you need to find that flow?
Lisa: Beautiful. So this is great, because this leads to the call to action of working with Brea as a coach, because this, to me, feels exactly like what it would be like. Bria coaching me right now, asking me the questions, taking me through. I think it's a great trial experience. They get to hear someone thinking through.
And just a shout out to another friend of the show, Ricardo, since he recently put our names together, Lisa and Bria, and made LIBRE, and said, that means free.
Brea: Perfect. Thank you, Ricardo. Libre. I love it. We've got our celebrity couple name. Look at us. That's right. Well, Lisa, you so generously told everyone how they can work with me by going to my website, BreaRoper.com, and scheduling a call. How can they work with you?
Lisa: LeadThroughStrengths.com. Go to Get Coached in the main menu, and we can step through any of these kind of exercises, conversations, and focus on the strategy of how to get in flow for you based on your strengths, your preferences.
Brea: Well, I guess that's Libre signing off for this week's episode. Go be free! Free bird! I love it. See y'all later.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Discovering Strengths at Home | 29 Sep 2024 | 00:20:25 | |
Whether on a trip to Vegas, family reunion, or navigating the mountain’s edge, our strengths are there every step of the way. The question is, are they guiding, protecting, and supporting you? Or are they getting in the way, causing conflict and confusion?
In today's episode, we dive into the fascinating world of applying our strengths beyond the workplace. You’ll hear us share some hilarious and relatable stories about how recognizing and celebrating each other's strengths can help you move from frustration to fascination, transforming everyday interactions into opportunities for connection and appreciation.
If you're dealing with a frustrating situation using strengths at home, or just want to bring a little more joy into your relationships, this episode is packed with insights and tips to help you embrace your strengths in every aspect of life! 🌟
Work With Us to Discover Your Strengths at Home BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways on Strengths at Home
Take Action as You Apply Strengths at Home ● Apply Strengths in Everyday Life: Reflect on how you can use your strengths outside of work, particularly in family and personal relationships. Consider moments of frustration and think about how your strengths can help you navigate those situations. ● Communicate Openly About Strengths: Have conversations with family and friends about your respective strengths. Discuss how these strengths manifest in daily life and how they can complement each other, enhancing collaboration and reducing conflict. ● Practice Appreciation: When conflicts arise, take a moment to pause and appreciate the other person's strengths instead of reacting negatively. This shift in perspective can lead to more constructive conversations and a better understanding of each other. ● Engage in Strengths Coaching: Consider seeking coaching for yourself or your family to better understand and leverage strengths in your relationships. This can be done individually or as a group to foster a deeper appreciation of each other's talents. Join us as we explore these themes and more! Let’s embrace our strengths in the wild and see how they can transform our relationships. 🎧✨
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript on Using Your Strengths at Home Lisa: Hey, I'm Lisa.
Brea: I'm Brea.
Lisa: And today's topic is Strengths in the Wild.
Brea: I feel like we need some kind of like epic like MGM Grand.
Lisa: A lot of deep reverb on that. Yeah. Strengths in the wild. Yeah. Let's talk about beyond work – strengths at home. We always talk about the workplace. We have a lot of clients that we work with in the workplace, but you know what is interesting about people who work and people who don't?
Brea: What's that?
Lisa: They both have lives outside of work.
Brea: Stop it. What? People don't just work every hour of every day. I mean, what are you talking about?
Lisa: There is life outside of work and there's an opportunity to apply strengths outside of work and especially, let's think family time. I hear people talk about my significant others getting on my nerves. Oh, I'm in a fight with my mother-in-law. Oh, my kid has been just insufferable this week. Yes. Those are also things you could apply your strengths to.
Brea: Come on! Oh, I love this. So what you're saying is there's not just a work me and a home me. There's an all of me, all the time, like who I am as all the things, all the time. Yeah, okay.
Lisa: Pretty much. And I know we've both said it before, maybe every single time we've ever delivered a workshop in the workplace, when we've been like, hey, this report, it's not just about work. We are one whole being. This applies strengths at home - this applies in all the places, but we get really focused on workplace often. So we're dedicating this episode to strengths beyond the workplace.
Brea: And this is one of the reasons why strengths is the best assessment out there. In my opinion, I love it so much because so many of the other assessments are focused on just the workplace. And even though Strengths was designed just for the workplace.
I mean, it does such a good job of really getting to the core of not who we are as human beings. It's not our identity, but but how we show up, how we work, how we live, how we think, how we feel, how we act. It's all those patterns that are just so central to how we move throughout the world, you know. So let's dive in.
Lisa: Well, I have the perfect example about using strengths at home. And I don't know if this is a great thing for me to do or not. I'm tattletaling on my parents.
Brea: Well, it's all from a place of love, you know?
Lisa: It is. Okay, so they took their CliftonStrengths assessments recently and came to visit. And as they arrived at my house, they were squabbling with each other. And what happened was they came up, my driveway is on a mountain and the parking can be a little bit, a little bit precarious.
They had just taken a two day road trip and had done all kinds of driving. And my dad was trying to navigate this truck, pulling up. There are all these different trailers in a tight space, so he didn't want to hit the nose of one of the trailers. So apparently he had asked my mom, can you get out and tell me how close I am?
Brea: Yeah, sure.
Lisa: And maybe road-weary, she made a snide response. Oh no. Like, how long have you been driving? 70-something years? And he said, you are the worst wife.
Brea: Oh my gosh! Dad! Come on!
Lisa: He said, I've been driving for two days and I haven't asked for any help. And he asked one little thing and she made fun of him for not being able to drive.
Brea: Oh my gosh.
Lisa: So this created a whole fight. So we talked about it through the lens of strengths. And when you're having those moments, and this would go for either of them, if they looked at this as appreciation instead of being annoyed with each other what would it have looked like.
Let's just give a for example and now this is my words not not theirs but if she had said what is it about him that really wants to get the extra eye on this well one he wants to make sure he's not falling off the mountain because you truly could fall down a switchback. I mean reasonable. He leads through deliberative. Risk manager.
Brea: I was just going to say, where's the deliberative? Number one. It is number one. What's the absolute worst thing that could happen right now? We could literally fall off the side of the mountain and die. Okay, great. Don't want to do that.
Lisa: Okay. How about also number two, responsibility.
Brea: I was just going to ask, where's his responsibility, right? I got to do it right.
Lisa: I'm going to do it right. I don't want to dent my truck. I don't want to move their trailer. I don't want all of these things that you would do if you were being responsible about showing up to this tight space. Also, am I parked appropriately and not too crooked because someone else is about to come up the driveway and I don't want to block them in. There needs to be turnaround space. Yes.
You know how it is. If you're frustrated with somebody, do you take a 60 second pause before you answer so that you can be in fascination and appreciation? No, often we don't. We make a little comment and it offends someone. And if there was a little bit of pause there, she could have appreciated. Why? he was asking for this extra help. And then instead of him saying, you're the worst one.
Brea: Which is obviously not true because they have been married for so long.
Lisa: Well over 50 years. So yes, then he could have been looking from her perspective…what she might have cared about in that moment. And we had a great conversation over the next few days about appreciating each other's talents.
One we all had in common, the three of us, is Strategic. So we talked a lot about what that looks like. And it looked very different on each of us, because you can imagine if my strategic is mixed with focus and activator, but my dad's is mixed with Deliberative, making a quick decision may not look the same. He doesn't make quick decisions. He can see all the options really quickly, but he wants time to think on them.
So we talked about how sometimes we have these similarities, but then in the daily life, it shows up. really differently on a person. And then sometimes you have opposites, like his deliberative is number one, it's at my bottom, it's at my mom's bottom. So being able to see some of those areas where they could cause total conflict, but they could also be amazing, because if you don't want to spend your headspace in that area, then how cool that your home teammate is, and now you don't have to.
Brea: Totally. I've learned it the hard way, but it's so important to have that perspective, especially when big life decisions are happening. If that's a blind spot that you know that you have and it matters, partner up with someone.
Lisa: Yeah. I mean, we're talking about everyday strengths at home. This is totally something my husband does as well. He walked around the house and saw that the toilet hoses were made of plastic instead of the braided stainless or whatever the good ones are made out of. Oh no. And came out and said- Of course he just noticed that.
Brea: Yes. He's just walking around and he just sees it because of his talent.
Lisa: Yes. And when he brings it up I'm like, is there a leak? What brought this to your attention? And he's like, no, because these are the things you have to catch so that you don't have an insurance claim. So you don't. That's right. That doesn't happen. Yes. And I'm thinking, never, literally never would I be examining behind a toilet unless there was water under my feet. And this is beautiful. I get the benefit of now having all the hoses replaced and no insurance claims.
Brea: And really you get the benefit of there never being water under your feet, right? Like that won't happen because he's done the work. Yeah.
Lisa: Yeah. I think it's a really good use of strengths at home because these are the exact things that could cause conflict in relationships, but also they're the exact things that make you so valuable to each other and they're so easy to appreciate if you're not in the moment of a conflict, but you're just in a moment of thinking about what you appreciate or where you need someone to complete you. Right, right.
Brea: Well, don't get me started on that, but that can be another podcast, the whole you complete me thing. But here's what I think is super interesting is the idea of frustration and the connection to talents. I think two things come to mind.
Number one, when we feel frustrated, it might be coming from someone else's talents. We can feel frustrated by the way that other people act, right? We can also feel frustrated when our talents are not being seen, heard, met, fed. When our talents are not able to do what they're meant to do, that can feel very frustrating to us.
Sometimes it's what we have and sometimes it's what we don't have. Like someone else is deliberative, being number one when it's my 34. That can feel really frustrating to me because I'm like, I don't think like that. So the frustration that we feel can clue us into the talents of others and to our own talents.
Lisa: Well, another example just popped in my head. Shout out to my bestie, Christine. We went to Vegas this summer to go see the Beatles love show before it closed out. And so fun. Yeah, it was so fun. And we really got to explore our strengths just in an everyday-life-strengths in the wild. We both lead through Individualization in our top five.
An interesting thing there is we're both very tuned into what the other person would want. And it almost kept us from getting some cool progress. So she leads through a ranger and that one is not high for me. We both like to be organized. I'm definitely a planner, but she's like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. If you talk about a thing, it can be just done. And she was hesitating to do things like suggest hotel and where the seats would be and all of these things you could optimize to get all the tickets purchased and all the things done.
Finally, we started talking about it through strengths. And she's like, Yeah, if you're down, I can just get it all done. And I was like, Yes. And when anything automatically happens, and I don't have to do the work, I think it's the most exciting thing ever, even if it would have been my third pick for a hotel, even if it would have been my fourth best seat, which was not the case.
But I was just so stoked that it was getting done and getting done so quickly. And all I had to do was log it in the calendar. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. But we actually had to have the conversation. because she was excited to get it done. And I was excited to have her get it done. But I didn't want to abuse the relationship and put it on her because for me, that feels like a ton of work to do all of that coordinating of those things… the flight, the hotel, and all of that.
So we had this cool strengths conversation where it felt good to her to knock it out, get it done. And then it felt good to me that it was done. It felt so smooth. And she got energized by doing that. And I got energized by her doing that.
Brea: Gosh, it's such a good example because how many times, spoiler, every day, all the time, how many times do we project our own biases onto other people? We think, oh, because this is hard for me, it's gonna be hard for her, so I don't wanna subject her to that. And gosh, it's just such a gift when we have this language of strengths because it gives us the permission to just show up in our strength and to say go for it, like you do your thing and I'll do my thing and together we're all stronger. I love that.
Lisa: And also I think it brings out this good example of how you do often have to talk about it out loud with a person in your family or your friend. You have to, yes. Yeah, because she assumed, actually, because individualization, she thought I would want more say. She thought I would want to have a little bit more control or input over what the trip looked like, and I didn't. I didn't need that at all.
It was magical that I didn't have to worry about that. So just think about that. She could have been using her individualization strength to honor that I had input and I would have liked that less. And that is exactly what would have happened if we hadn't talked about it.
Brea: And this is such a good point that the assessment is just the beginning. How many times have we said that? We can't put people in boxes. I can't look in my magic crystal ball and say, well, because you have this profile, I know exactly how you're going to respond or what you're going to want. It's the beginning of the conversation, right?
We have to have communication with each other and communication with ourselves as to say, what is this assessment suggesting that I look into? Can I dig a little bit deeper? Um, it's not, oh, it's just, it's not prescriptive like other assessments that are out there. It doesn't put you in a box. It really opens so much more room for you to grow, to grow in relationship with others and appreciation for others and appreciation and relationship with yourself too.
Lisa: Yeah. So much of what happens with strengths comes on the inside motivations, not like this prescription that says you will totally behave this way and this is what this one looks like. You could name an action and we could probably give you three to ten different CliftonStrengths that might describe why someone would be motivated toward that kind of action because of a strength. That's why the conversation is so important.
Brea: Yes, don't put labels on people. Strengths are not labels, right? This is an opportunity to show up and have those conversations and I just think that's so important when we are having challenging conversations. There's a difference when we say a talent theme name versus the person's name, right? It really changes the conversation to be able to to separate someone's action or something that we're observing that we want to talk about, to separate that from the person themselves is, it's just, it's such a gift.
Lisa: It's such a gift. You're making me think of one more of my best buds, Anne. She gives this example of a code word they've come up with, and it's Penelope. And they'll be like, Penelope! So how much nicer would it be if she's in the middle of something and he says, Penelope, instead of, you're being really bossy right now.
That comes across totally differently and keeps you from being defensive. And I think those kind of code words and or open conversations come out from these strengths discussions with family, friends, relatives, in ways that you never would have if you only kept your strengths to the workplace.
Brea: Yes, having 34 words help us move from frustration to fascination really quickly. If you understand what each of the 34 talent themes are, or at least the top five or the top 10 of the person that you're in communication with, if you can understand what they are and how they can be good, how they can be helpful, productive, fascinating, right? All those things. even if in the moment, they're not fulfilling their fullest potential, maybe they're in their shadow side of their strength, we can still understand coming from a good place.
Without that language, we don't have that understanding and it's very difficult to have that appreciation. So use the words, get to know all 34 talent themes so you can spot them in the wild. You can appreciate them in the wild, in your family, in your home, in strangers, at the natural grocers, everywhere you are. Spot strengths and celebrate strengths at work, at home, and everywhere else.
Lisa: Yes, mic drop. Okay, Brea, if someone needs your help because they cannot see the positive intent in somebody at home right now and they do want to use strengths at home and they want to coach with you, tell them how to work with you.
Brea: To be honest, I love working with teams and Couples and families are some of my favorite teams to work with because this is your reality every day. It's the most important team that you will ever, ever be a part of.
If you have an interest in doing some coaching with your spouse, with your kids, one of my favorite things ever is to come to your family reunion and do this with like your whole family. I know one client did that once and it was so great. So yeah, if you literally want to bring strengths at home (or to your home), I'd love to do that. Come to my website, schedule a call. We'll make it happen. Yeah, what about you, Lisa?
Lisa: Oh my gosh, who would ever know when I said, bring it home, Brea, you'd be like, yep, bringing it home all the way, literally.
Brea: Literally, I will come to your home if you want. Yeah.
Lisa: So for me, Lisa at Lead Through Strengths, You can go to the Get Coached link. We can do multiple people together on a call if you want, or if you want the confidential individual not shared with the other person version. Sometimes we need to start there as well. That is absolutely fine. We can honor the confidentiality fully while you get through the exploration and finding the fascinating, appreciative kind of part of things with someone.
Brea: Love it. All right. We're awesome. Work with us.
Lisa: Bring it home, Brea. Bring it home. Let's do our strengths. Strengths at home. Let's go. Let's go.
Brea: I'm still thinking about that, that family reunion. It was so awesome. They all got t-shirts and everybody put their number one strength on the back of their t-shirt. We did a big team grid that I blew up like super big.
Lisa: No, you didn't. Oh my gosh. I'm imagining family picnic vibes with games and things that we would do as team building events when they're out there with kids and balloons and Lego activities. Oh my gosh.
Brea: So fun. It's so fun.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| Rethinking Time Management | 22 Sep 2024 | 00:18:54 | |
"Where did the time go?" "If only I had more time!" If you're looking for productivity hacks or time management tips – this episode is for you. We've all been there. We believe time is our most valuable resource. Unfortunately, this often leads to overwhelm and guilt when our expectations don't match reality. We don't accomplish as much as we thought we would, our "to do" list keeps growing, and discouragement creeps in. What if there was more to time management than meets the eye? Is time truly our most valuable resource? Listen in as we rethink time management. 🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways on Time Management, Energy Management, and Productivity
Take Action as You Rethink Time Management ● Assess Your Energy Levels: Regularly check in with yourself to determine your current energy levels. If youAsk yourself, "Given my energy level, what is the best use of my time?" ● Identify Energy Drains and Fuels: Make a list of tasks or activities that drain your energy and those that fuel you. Schedule draining tasks during times when your energy is naturally higher, and plan to engage in energizing activities when you feel low.. ● Create Flexible Time Blocks: While time blocking can be effective, allow for flexibility in your schedule. If you find yourself in a productive flow, consider extending the time for that task instead of sticking rigidly to your planned blocks. ● Leverage Your Strengths: Identify your strengths and find ways to incorporate them into your daily tasks. Engaging in work that aligns with your strengths can help maintain your energy levels and enhance productivity. ● Further Reading: Check out the book Soar With Your Strengths by Dr. Clifton to learn more about the Five Clues to Talent.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript on Rethinking Time Management Lisa:
Brea And I'm Brea.
Lisa And today's topic is time and energy. More specifically, this question. Is your time your most valuable resource? What say you, Brea?
Brea No, absolutely not.
Lisa I asked you knowing your answer. ;-)
Brea Also, hi everybody. How's it going?
Here's the thing. I'm going to tell you how I really feel about time management because I feel passionately about this. I hear it all the time from people. Time is your most valuable resource. I just don't think it's true. I just don't think it's true.
Lisa You know, I'm guilty of even feeling time management or perceiving it and thinking those thoughts where I'll be like, Oh, I wish I had more time. Oh, I'm out of time. Oh, there's I just need more time. Or I'm so overwhelmed. If I just had more hours, that feels like the solution is time.
And if I asked myself the question philosophically, like we're doing on this podcast, I would tell myself, It's not. There are better ways to manage because ultimately, we're talking about time management, energy management, productivity, goal management. Those are usually the topics that surround this conversation about time.
It feels like a time management thing. And it feels like a solution for overwhelm is to magically get more hours.
Brea Yes, I think we all fall into that trap of thinking that we need more time. If I only had more time, then I could fill in the blank. But Beyonce only has 24 hours a day. The president only has 24 hours a day. We all only have 24 hours a day.
When you're sick, especially when you're sick as an entrepreneur, an hour is very, very valuable resource. Yes. But if you're sick and you don't have the energy to maximize that hour, that is such a huge detriment.
Lisa I could just make a proof point with your energy management point. I've been sick lately and this sinus infection cold something or other has been getting me down. And I about, you know, two to three o'clock every day, I am getting extremely tired where I feel like I need to go to bed for the evening. I'm like, oh, don't take my hours. I need more hours.
It absolutely proves your point. What is the problem when this is happening at two or three o'clock? I have no energy. And when I have no energy, everything moves at a different pace. And it is like Time is well, it's sort of like it's flying by because I don't have it to work.
But the truth is it's just energy if I had high energy and I were totally in flow I could get a ton accomplished and I would look up and be like, whoa I didn't know six hours passed by and I just accomplished the 40 things on my list But in when my energy is low or off it just brings this perception of time. That's totally different. It's like, oh, I wish I had more time or time feels so scarce.
But how is it for you as far as time and energy and the way they might play with each other?
Brea It's interesting to think about how just about how energy affects the quality of our time, right? Not just in managing our time well, but in how we approach that. So if we're in the flow, like you said, it's easy to lose track of time. That could also be a detriment to us though. If time management is our goal, right? If we lose track of time, then we're not really managing our time very well.
Lisa Right?
Brea So, yeah. So there's an element of, like, it's good when we've got a lot of energy, we can maximize our time, but only if we pair that with intentionality and good time management skills or whatever. So it's not just as simple as saying, you know, there's one solution.
Lisa Yeah. Oh, quality. You just hit on the number one item. But then when you said flow, but what if you disrupted your flow because you were so intent on time management, and that you had only blocked 20 minutes for a given thing, that you disrupted the energy that you had for something, like sometimes it's actually great to clear your calendar and say, I am so in the flow and my energy is so directed positively toward this thing right now that I'm just going to give it the next eight hours because it's more than I could accomplish in six days combined. Because sometimes you're just feeling it. And when you are, you're riding your energy management wave intelligently. And that is a way better way to look at productivity than totally time management. Yeah. Oh, so smart.
Brea Well, you know, that's why they pay me the big bucks. Come on. Here's the thing about paying attention to the quality as well. When we don't have the energy, when we're feeling sick, when our energy is lower, we can get in our head about that, right?
So our quality of time comes down, our productivity is lessened, it's challenged, because the whole time that we're doing the thing, we're thinking, oh my gosh, I just really don't feel good. Just go take a nap, just go take a nap, okay? Do whatever you need to do, Because otherwise, we're getting in our own way. And so I think when we feel better, we do better, right? Isn't that what we always say?
Lisa Yeah, there's the Brea-ism right there. And I think it makes your point really well to the energy management, time management conversation. Because if I were thinking through the lens of time management, which I am guilty of having done in these last days of feeling like this, I am like, ugh, I just need to get through two hours of work to get the bare minimum accomplished to answer customers' questions or whatever.
But actually, if I would stop and think of energy management, I would go take the nap. And then maybe 30 minutes later, I would have rejuvenated myself so that I could get three, four more hours of time where I'm feeling decent, and my brain's working better. And it is always a worthy thing to stop and look at and say, am I only managing time?
What if I managed energy? What would it look like right now? And if you're aiming toward a certain goal, certain productivity, or just literally, like, what are those four critical things that have to get done? If you ask yourself, I look at this through the energy management lens, what would happen right now? You're gonna have solutions that you wouldn't otherwise.
Brea So this is so, so interesting what you're bringing up. You know, the coach in me asks the question, well, why do you think you need two hours to do these things? And I'm going to do the non-coach thing and I'm going to answer my own question. I think it's probably because in the past, when you've been at full health, It has taken you about two hours.
You know, you know about the time that it takes to do the emails or whatever it is that you need to do for your customers, but you're not in good health. you're not the same as you were yesterday or, you know, are usually. And so it might actually take longer. So are we expecting things of ourselves when when we're not setting ourselves up for success by filling our energy tank? Right.
We're setting us up to fail because we're expecting things of ourselves that we can't deliver and we know we can't deliver. But we're allowing the past to dictate now. And it's just so sad. Why do we do that to ourselves?
Lisa This is so true. I was feeling guilty yesterday for the lack of productivity and it's exactly what you just said. I have an expectation of myself of what it could take, should take, normally takes, and it isn't taking that. And then I am feeling guilty because I'm not getting it out in the time that I expected.
Now I'm not meeting my own expectations. And I always talk to people about conflict where the lack of alignment with expectations is what is a root of conflict. And now you just explained it in a way where it's like, yes, this is the conflict you're having inside of your brain with yourself because you're not meeting your own expectations.
Brea Totally. And I think it stems from the days when I know I've worked in positions where I'm compensated on an hourly rate, right? I have to account for my time because that's how I get paid is by the hour.
Lisa Oh, interesting thought. Like a root. Like goes back to the first jobs you have often are hourly and therefore you train yourself in this way from the beginning.
Brea Right. I mean, I have not worked an hourly job, you know, or been paid an hourly rate for a long time. But there is, I think, still that root in many of us that it should only take one hour or it should only take two hours because we we have to move fast. You know, we have to get so many things done. We have to, like, fill our hours.
You know, Lisa, I know this about you. I know that you try to work a three-day work week. as much as you can. And that is so amazing. And so I can imagine it would feel very challenging to see, gosh, I just can't work as fast or I can't work at my capacity that I normally do because you have such a limited number of hours that you're working anyway, right?
Lisa Yeah, not to mention, if you take what you just said and then add on the fact that if you are ill, Adding each of those three days and turning them into 12-day work, 12-hour work days is not going to happen because your body is going to say, no, thanks. And then also that I am a time blocker.
My time management style is time blocking. And I typically account for every waking hour of my day with things on my calendar blocked out, usually three weeks in advance, what I'm doing every hour of every day, not on the weekends, but I block out big chunks of time for things. Like if we're going on a camping trip like we are this weekend, it's not going to break down the activities inside of it, but it is one giant chunk already taken.
So when I manage my time like that, it doesn't give me a lot of movement with energy flow. If I need double the amount of hours for something, I've kind of put myself in a box for those next two or three weeks where my time is already accounted for. So then I have to go through those future couple of weeks and push things that are non-critical. And then I get sad that I'm doing that. So that's the reality of how it shows up for me.
Brea Yes. Yeah, so, okay, so this is all great in theory, you know, we're shining some light on some areas where we can improve. Where do we go from here? What are the answers?
Lisa Well, some of it is just a realistic question, like the one you answered. Like, even if I said to myself, given the energy I have, or am likely to have today, what is the best use of this time? That's one question I asked myself yesterday and reprioritize the order in which I was doing things.
So it was kind of like energy management in a way that was Hey, I've been getting really tired at 3 p.m. So, well, it's noon. I have three hours left. What is most critical? And what can I do while I'm riding this energy wave? So, that's one thing I would offer. Another one would be looking at drains. Like, we've talked a million times about our strengths and weaknesses theories here where,
If you're working out of your strengths, they make you feel stronger. If you're working out of your weaknesses, they weaken you. And that corresponds with energy. Strengths work feels strong and energetic. Weakness area work feels weak. weak and de-energizing. So if you find things that are, that you're procrastinating, that you don't want to do, noticing those and not trying to do them when high energy is called for.
Brea Yep, I love it. So what is the best use of this time? I think that's such a great question, and I love this question because it's so simple. It aligns with the way that we typically approach time management, right? We say, what is the outcome, right? What am I trying to do? And then how do I best use my time to make sure that I get there, right? That I can accomplish the task.
So what if we think about our energy in the same way where we say, okay, what is the outcome that I'm looking for? And where's my energy level right now? So what's the best use of this time? not just from a productivity time, but from a time perspective, but from an energy perspective as well. I think adding that lens is so key. Great. And then what are your energy drains? If you're feeling drained, being aware of that, and then also being aware of what fuels you so that you can either fill up your energy before you go into a draining task or a draining time of day, right?
If you know that you know, come three o'clock, you're tapping out, then either plan to be tapped out and go to the gym, right, or go do something that fuels you. But definitely, if you know that you're drained at three o'clock, why are we scheduling meetings or saving our boring, like, emails and admins for that time? Like, That's a misalignment of managing our energy and managing our time, right?
Lisa So there's another kind of physical element to it as well. If I can work outside and sit outside, I'll have more energy than being under LED lights inside of an office space. So a lot of those physical elements can come into play too.
Brea Totally. So now you're tapping into different types of energy, different sources of energy, right? are physical, are spiritual, are intellectual, relational, and emotional. Those are all five areas where we can gain and drain and it's important to be paying attention to all of them.
I mean, this is Lead Through Strengths podcast. We are talking about, you know, strengths and talent. And the reason that we're talking about energy management through that lens is because our talent clues us in to how we are energized or how our energy is drained. And so if you can stay plugged in to your talents all day, then you have that juice. You're plugging into your talents, even in times where the task itself might be draining, or the person that you're with is draining for you, or the environment, the place that you're in is draining for you.
If you can plug into your talents, then the juice is still flowing. Even if it's draining faster, it still is plugged in, so it'll drain a little bit slower. And I think that's a huge mindset shift when it comes to how we look at energy, because most of the time we wake up in the morning, we expect that our little energy batteries are going to be full because we've just slept.
I don't know about you, I don't always wake up with a full battery. But even if we did, we kind of walk through life thinking we'll wake up full and then we just allow ourselves to drain all day. And then we sleep and fill up again and then we do it all over. But why? When we can stay plugged in to the source of our energy. And that's what knowing our strengths helps us do.
Lisa Mm hmm. I think that's a beautiful way to wrap it up. I mean, you brought all of those elements of energy into focus for people that they probably haven't thought of in ages. So I think that tees up perfectly if they want to work with you and explore more of those kind of elements of their energy. How would someone coach with you?
Brea I'd love to coach with you. I'd also love to share my energy. I think that's another thing about strengths is that when we are living from our places of strength, we are energizing to others. All the hot coals, they burn hotter when they're together in the fire. So come to my website, www.brearoper.com. Schedule a call.
Lisa Beautiful. And if you'd like to work with me, Lisa, go over to www.leadthroughstrengths.com and you can go right to the Get Coached link and book a session there. All right, I'll go off and hopefully you can leave this podcast episode and go get that energy recharging up so that it gets to be 2X powerful.
Brea It's so funny. It's like the more it goes out, the stronger it becomes. If we can look to our talents, we'll recognize that the more you pour out of your strengths, the more full you feel, you know, the more fueled you become. So live your strengths, people. Let's do it.
Lisa Yes, rechargeable batteries. Beautiful.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper. | |||
| You're So Good At That | 15 Sep 2024 | 00:18:35 | |
You’re So Good At That Receiving compliments is difficult for most of us. But what if I told you compliments could be clues to your greatest talents? Areas where you see natural glimpses of excellence are actually your greatest areas of potential. So, the next time you hear someone say, "You're so good at that!" or “You’re a rock star!”, stand a little taller. Let your strengths shine in the spotlight! ● how easy it is to overlook our own strengths because we’re so close to them. ● the difference between skills and talents ● the importance of feedback
So, get ready to embrace your inner rock star! It’s time to let your strengths shine.🌟
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways
Take Action ● Identify Your Strengths: Reflect on moments when people have complimented you with phrases like "You're so good at that." Take note of these instances as clues to your talents and strengths. ● Explore Your Skills vs. Talents: Consider the difference between skills and talents in your own life. Ask yourself if you enjoy the activities that people recognize you for, and whether they energize you or feel like a chore. ● Seek Feedback: Don’t hesitate to ask colleagues, friends, or family for feedback on what they think you excel at. Use this feedback to gain insights into your strengths. ● Utilize Resources: Visit leadthroughstrengths.com/moreof to access a list of potential strengths and talents. Look for items that resonate with you and explore how you can incorporate them into your life or work. ● Consider Job Shaping: If you find that people frequently ask for your help in a specific area that you enjoy, discuss with your manager the possibility of incorporating more of that work into your role. This can help align your job with your strengths and passions. ● S.T.O.P.: When faced with tasks that drain your energy, consider the STOP method: Stop, Trade, Offer it up, or Partner. This can help you manage your workload while still contributing effectively. ● Further Reading: Check out the book Soar With Your Strengths by Dr. Clifton to learn more about the Five Clues to Talent, including the topic of this podcast: Excellence. Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa:
Brea I'm Brea.
Lisa And today's topic is, you're so good at that.
Brea You're a rock star.
Lisa Cues up the Smash Mouth song for you.
Brea Hey, now. you're a rock star.
Lisa Get your game on, go play.
Brea There you go.
Lisa I think this phrase that we picked You're so good at that. This is one that anyone in the audience can listen for. It's not like you hear it all day, every day, but there are things that people comment on. And maybe small, like, you know that I love the word dang, because it's the Texan in me.
I've been at work where another person does something and they're like, daaaaaang. It's just, it's those little comments. It doesn't have to be formal. But it could be, it could be that they call you out and they write a kudos note to your boss, but it can also just be when someone's like, oh, you know, making the sound effects on something that you're working on.
And those are the clues. Those really are moments where you should take stock and go, Oh, people really like this one. What was that? And that was easy for me. I should do more of this.
Brea Yeah. And I love how you're bringing up, we're just so close to our talents. When people say that, when they're like, Oh, dang, you know, that's amazing. You're a rock star. Like what? Like it's hard. Wait, that's a thing. What are you talking about? I mean, I know sometimes I don't even hear it, or maybe I don't realize that they're talking about me because I didn't do anything that would prompt that response. Right. It's like, wait, Me?
Lisa Yes. You are so good at so many things. You're going to have to brag about some things today because this is the episode topic. It's required.
Brea All right. But I'm going to put you on the spot first. Can you think of a time recently maybe that someone said that to you? Gosh, Lisa, you are so good at that.
Lisa Well, today I held one of our monthly tools for coaching calls and they were like, oh my gosh you're so good at this how do you connect all the things you make you have to make the thing but then you have to link to the thing and then you have to have an e-commerce and you have to have a payment processor and you have to put it on your website and there are all these parts
It just seems so overwhelming and as I was breaking it down they would be like oh my gosh I'm a head-splitting emoji and those moments feel really good Because if you're good at something, and you just think it's no big deal, like I actually didn't start tools for coaches for a long time, because I didn't realize how helpful it would be to people because that stuff isn't difficult for me. And it's pretty fun.
Brea Yeah. Too easy. It's just sitting right there.
Lisa Yeah. So it just didn't seem like a thing. And now I realize when you can do something where people are saying, you are so good at that. Oh, this is so generous of you. Oh, my gosh, you're blowing my mind. It's just the perfect alignment for anyone in life. If you can do something for work that other people really are loving receiving. It's it's so cool. So, yeah. Thank you for asking.
Brea Thanks for sharing.
Lisa Yes. You're making me think of the difference between skills and talents. And I think because you, Brea, are such a good singer and you have the skill of it, then is that a natural talent? Is that a God-given thing? Is it something that you nurtured? Is it a talent plus skill because you actually worked on it and turned it into something?
Do you like it because you're good at it? Are you good at it because you like it? Can you break that down for us and take your singing example and just walk us through how you feel like that relates to talents and skills and all the elements for you?
Brea Interesting. Interesting. To borrow one of Lisa's words. It's so interesting. Yeah. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Yeah. So with singing, you're right. There is a skill of singing. Anyone can learn to sing. You can learn how to match pitch. You can learn how to breathe. You can learn the proper posture. You can learn how to read music. I mean, all the things are skills that can be learned. And you can practice it. You can practice in the shower. You can practice in the car. You can join a choir.
There are so many different ways to invest and practice that skill. But when we look at the formula that Gallup gives us for strength, we talk about talent multiplied by investment. That's all the practice. That's the knowledge and all that equals strength. So talent is really like literally the X factor. It's the multiplier. Talent times investment equals strength.
I think that when people remark about my singing, I don't think they're remarking about my skill, to be honest. I think they're remarking about the talent, because, I mean, we can all imagine, everyone listening, just imagine you are at a concert, you're at church, you're somewhere where there are two singers standing side by side on the stage, and they both sing on their own, one at a time, they sing the same song, The exact same notes, the exact same everything, right?
Everything is the same. But it's different because it's two different people singing it. Literally, their voice sounds different. There could be excellence in the skill. They could both, you know, put in the same amount of practice and both be very, very excellent. They're on pitch the entire time and all the things. But if one has a communication talent,
There's something that draws you in, you know? And I think most of the time when people comment about my singing, it's at church. And I think the reason is because I'm praying. I'm like in conversation. My communication is literally communicating. Or the church songs, they're stories. They're just perfect for the communication talent. I think that's the difference is talent is the X factor.
It's the secret sauce. Sometimes coaches will say it's not the what, it's the how you do it. I think that's so true when we look at musicians or when we look at athletes or we look at artists, it's apparent. Two people can draw the same thing or paint the same thing or do the same floor routine at the Olympics, but the way they do it is different.
Lisa You're also making me think about how this happens at work, too, because you see someone who's so into it. I mean, it could actually be someone who works at natural grocers and they're just into it in the cashier line.
And so someone who's really feeling it, you can't help but be drawn in by them and thinking, oh, you're so good at this or you were born for this. When you were describing singers instantly, I was thinking of my favorite Chris's Chris Stapleton for country and
Brea Come on. Love Chris Stapleton.
Lisa Okay, take him. Stapleton, there's so much feel in his voice. I actually remember one of my music teachers once was like, this song is not the incredible masterpiece you think it is. It's actually Because his voice is so good and he's selling it so great.
You're invested in it and you don't even realize it's a basic song. And that totally just resonates with what you were talking about with the communication talent thing. You are in the story with him. He is pulling you in. And if I got to hear you at church, I imagine it would be the same thing. You're so invested in it that I am feeling it through you, you're you become a vehicle for me to do better.
Just because I'm watching something that you're so good at. And now I'm able to up level my game because I'm around you. And I can experience something or understand something that I couldn't if you weren't in the room.
Brea That's why communication is an influencing talent, right? Because it spurs you to action. It evokes emotion. There's an influence there. And it's not just the talent of communication. I think every talent can have influence when there's this excellence, when you're in the flow, when you're enjoying it, when you've invested in the talent and it's mature and it's just rocking. It is a rock star. Every talent can at its best have that effect of influence.
Lisa Yeah. Actually, you just sparked for me another example, a customer example. I had this guy that in his organization, he was known as the bubble chart guy. And he led through analytical and he loved making charts. I mean, a chart about everything. And he was really proud of the fact that he could figure out how to show things that others in the organization couldn't really figure out. Yeah.
In every meeting they were like, Oh, is he coming? And there was a time when he didn't even have a name. People just knew him as the bubble chart guy. And he's like, oh my gosh, I need to work on my branding. Everybody only knows me for my bubbles. But that was a great example of something so different because I think people could hear communication and say, oh, well, this sounds like a special gift, but mine are all thinking themes or mine are all something else.
Well, there you go. Analytical. It's a strategic thinking theme. And he was beloved, well known, respected, and people absolutely use those words. You are so good at that. Then once he realized how much people loved it, it became a thing. And then it got built into dashboards and other people were able to do the same kind of great predictions because he created a system that somebody else could draft off of.
So I love how talents are like that as well, where when someone says, you're so good at that, you actually can then make a big contribution to your life, to your organization, to the people around you, if you'll stop and take notice and realize that means people want more of that. And if you offered it to them, you're giving them something they couldn't have without you.
Brea Yeah, that's a clue that you can look for. What do people come to you for because you do it so well?
Lisa Sometimes if you're in the right environment, when people come to you and say, I really need your help with this because you're so good at it. And if you're overwhelmed, you could even resent that.
There are times when people say, I don't want to be known as good at things, but noticing the ones that people ask for your help on and you're thrilled to give the help and you realize, oh, I just offered my help for two extra hours and now I need to work even later, but I lost track of time during those two hours because they were so fun. Those are all good things to log in as clues.
Brea It's so true that sometimes people come up to you and they say, hey, can you do this for me or can you help me with this because you do it so well? I think we respond both ways. Like you said, we might be so excited to help them with that. Sure, no problem. I got it. Or, oh gosh, I just feel so overwhelmed and I don't want to be known for this because I don't want to have to do it all the time. your response to that question is a clue to talent.
Because if you're known for it, if you do it with excellence, but you don't enjoy it, right? You're like, I just don't want to be known for this because I don't want to have to do it all the time. Even though I'm really good at it, I don't really love it. It doesn't bring me energy. It's not something that I want to fill my plate with. Then it's probably a skill. it's probably something that you've learned how to do well, and it may not be a clue to talent.
And so with all of these clues to talent that we've talked about in the past several episodes, it's important to not look at them in isolation only, but to see when are they converging? Like in your example, Lisa, about the tools for coaches, there was ease, there was energy, there was excitement, there was excellence. They were all present. So that tells us Yes, there's talent here and this is not just a skill that I've learned.
Lisa What a good nuance you just brought up. I think also there are a lot of people who would say if people keep asking me to do a certain thing and I do like it, Yet I don't have time because if I add those two hours to the day, now I'm in my family flow time. I'm in trouble with my family. That gives you another element to be considering for job shaping. Can you talk to your manager?
If you're saying, Hey, people are coming to me for this. There's something I want to provide that other people need. I would love to expand this area of contribution in my role. Can we make room for this so that it could be a thing? Because if you let that happen and you get known for a thing you love doing and you can build it into the job description and get it sanctioned, if you will, or build the time in for it, now you're starting to craft your role more and more towards strengths every day. That could be another way to work that situation.
Brea I love that. And also, you're reminding me of of the acronym STOP. So this is something that you can use in talent development with all the clues to talent. If you don't want to do it, then you just either stop doing it.
S stands for stop. But sometimes we can't. Sometimes we have to do things that we don't want to do. T stands for trade. If someone comes to you and says, hey, can you do this for me? Well, sure. But can you do this for me? Can we trade tasks? Right. I think that's a great a great response at times. O stands for offer it up. Sometimes you just got to do it. You just got to like go for it. You know, you just got to put your head down and make it happen. P stands for partner. So sometimes if you're feeling overwhelmed, if the excellence isn't there, maybe this isn't an area of talent for you, then partner with someone who does have that talent.
If you can't trade it because it is something that you have to be a part of, then find a partner with the talent that you need to come and do it with excellence. And then together, you're gonna be stronger and you'll get a better result.
Lisa That's a good one. All right, I'll give a final tool or resource if you are listening and you're like, Okay, I still don't know what I'm good at. No one has said you're so good at that to me lately. I have a list for you at leadthroughstrengths.com slash more of And it is just a big old list of things that might call to you that you might want more of that you're really good at. And why just go to this list and look for things that pop out at you.
It's everything from: I would love more of suggesting solutions. I would love more of poking the bear. I would love more of finding truths. I would love more of assuring quality. It's a list of all kinds of things. And look for the ones that really jump out at you, that are screaming at you saying, yeah, go get more of this. And that will give you some direction to explore if you don't feel like you're getting the feedback from the people around you.
Brea And don't be afraid to ask for feedback. Feedback is not a four-letter word. Feedback can be very positive too. So don't be afraid to… to ask people what you're good at. Let them hype you up. And if you've taken the CliftonStrengths assessment, go and read through that report. It is your personal hype person on paper. Paper hype.
Lisa We know people are going to want an in-person hype girl. So we're going to have to tell them how to work with you as well. Definitely go to your paper hype person. And then if you decide you want to work with a real hype girl live and in person, you've got to go to Brea. So Brea, tell them more about working with you.
Brea Yeah, so brearoper.com is my website. Schedule a call and I will for sure remind you what is good and I promise to see things in you that you don't even see in yourself. I know you will. Lisa, how can they work with you?
Lisa Let's go this show with a link to the Tools for Coaches membership because we were talking about it earlier. So, leadthroughstrengths.com slash tools You can also just go to the website, click on Tools for Coaches right in the top navigation.
But if you're a coach, speaker, trainer, author type and you have an independent business and you want to do all those things that I was talking about earlier that are easy for me, the building the templates and the tools and the connections and the software. Holler at me. We have a really fun membership where we get together every month and I share all the things that I've built in the business so that you don't have to spend 10 years doing it like I did.
Brea Amazing. Wow. This is a long conversation, but it was, shall I say, easy and enjoyable. energizing and maybe even some glimpses of excellence.
Lisa I mean, you're so good at that. That's why.
Brea I love it. All right. Well, how do we get out of here?
Lisa I'm going to go back to the Brea line. Hard work doesn't have to be so hard. That is what we were talking about today. That thing that is you're so good at that you can be excellent at it and other people can want it and even want to pay you for it.
Brea Oh, and with that, folks, we are out. Have a great week, everybody.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper. | |||
| Doing What You Love | 08 Sep 2024 | 00:18:30 | |
“They” say we spend over 30% of our life at work. For some of us over-achieving, work-a-holics burning the candle at both ends, that percentage is likely even higher. If we’re spending over a third of our lives working, shouldn’t we love what we do? We think so. That’s why in this episode we talk about another one of the “5 Clues to Talent”: Satisfaction. Come join us! Work With Us! BREA Roper Talent development shouldn’t be “one size fits all”, because each person is uniquely talented! Unfortunately, most leaders struggle to find and fuel the unique talent in yourself and others. If you’re ready to find hidden talent and realize untapped potential – let’s talk! I’m ready to customize a solution for any need, any budget. Connect with me at brearoper.com! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways for doing what you love…this week!
Remember, hard work doesn’t have to be hard. Align it with your strengths and it actually feels easy. 🌟
Take Action – find simpler approaches to doing what you love ● Identify what you enjoy, and why. Pull out your calendar/planner and review the past two weeks of tasks. Identify the things you particularly enjoyed, experienced deep satisfaction, or were just plain fun. What specifically did you enjoy about these activities? Why did you enjoy those things? Reflecting on the reasons why certain activities or tasks bring you joy to apply that knowledge more broadly in other areas of your life. ● Make it fun! When looking at your present or future tasks and opportunities, practice the self-coaching question: "How can I make this more fun?" or "What could I do to enjoy this task a little more?" Your answer should help you align your talent with the task, resulting in a stronger outcome. Don’t limit yourself to challenging situations. Things that are already enjoyable can always be more fun! 🙂 ● Further Reading: Check out the book Soar With Your Strengths by Dr. Clifton to learn more about the Five Clues to Talent, including this week’s topic: Satisfaction. Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript of the “Doing What You Love” Audio LISA
BREA And I'm Brea.
LISA And today's topic is doing what you love, living your best life, having some fun.
BREA Having lots of fun. Life is too short to not have fun, isn't it?
LISA Absolutely.
BREA You know, they, the proverbial they, say that we spend over a third of our lives at work. That's crazy, Lisa. A third of your life?
LISA Well, and likewise, you get a third of your life in your sleep. So what's left over?
BREA Well, laundry is left. Grocery shopping is left. Chores are left. Cleaning, you know, and that's what we squeeze into the early morning hours or the late night hours or the weekends is not necessarily stuff that we enjoy. So if most of the time is at work, why not enjoy it?
LISA Yes
BREA I think this is so foundational what we're talking about today, the clue to talent satisfaction. So what do you enjoy? What makes you happy? What? What satisfies you and why? Why is that satisfying for you? Is it the process or is it looking at the finished product? And what about the finished product is satisfying?
Is it that it's done? Like Achiever loves to finish the thing. Or is it satisfying to look at the finished product because it's aesthetically pleasing? Or what is it? What is it about that finished product that's satisfying?
And that's what clues us in to our talents. And when we can get that micro in understanding how our talents are working and how they're showing up, then we can start applying that intentionally in all the places. And that's when we can really change our lives.
LISA Yes. And I think that it's easy for people to call out what they don't want more of. Here's what I dislike. Here's what I wouldn't like to do more of. Here's what I want to get rid of. Yet we're really missing this clue to talent of doing what you love.
What did you find attractive about that thing? what was satisfying about it for you. And then anytime you can make a connection to your values, preferences, motivations, CliftonStrengths talent themes, all of it, they just help you process why you love it so you can get more of that. And I think the reason you want to get more of that is because it makes you feel alive, because it allows you to show up at your best, because it unleashes your contributions to the world. Brea, do you view that similarly or differently?
BREA 100% yes. Yes, yes, yes. You're right. It's so easy for us to just focus on what's wrong or what we don't like or whatever. And so it does take a little bit of hard work to figure out what is it about this thing that I do love But when we do that, gosh, that's what strength focused development, positive psychology, that's what this is about, right?
Because when we look at where we messed up or if we look at what we didn't love, we could make a list. Easy, easy. of a hundred different things that we didn't love about it. And how does that help us? Well, it helps us avoid those in the future, but it doesn't direct us to what will make us happy.
And it's so much easier to just take a few minutes and figure out, well, what did I love about that? and then you identified it and then it's like, okay, well, let's go get more of that and problem solved, right? Then we're not living in this life of just avoiding things that don't make us happy or that we don't do well, but we're focused on what does and then we get all of those positive benefits for ourselves and for others.
LISA So agree with that. And it really does take conscious effort. I mean, that's clearly why it doesn't happen, because we tend to be overstimulated, overscheduled. We're so busy. Well, why we why we're the boss of our lives. And we're also the literal boss of ourselves.
We get to choose. We all have that agency over our lives. If you’re not doing what you love, you’re choosing to not be doing what you love. All of us, every person listening, including the two of us…you can do more of what you love than you did yesterday.
BREA Yeah, and it's not selfish. We're not focusing on what we love just so that you can focus on yourselves all the time and make it all about you. It really does impact those around you. And when you show up at your best, then you're contributing more. You're giving your best self to the people around you, to the workplace, to your customers, to your clients. And people want to be around you.
You're strengthening your relationships with other people because I mean, if I had to choose between being with someone who was happy and someone who was just grumbling all the time, I would prefer to be with someone who's in a good mood and having a good day.
LISA Oh, I thought of two things that sparked off of that. One is, how many times when I was in talent development departments in big corporate and we used to do these annual talent reviews…and how often a person would come up where they're like, oh, he's just a really good guy, really good to be around, really good to work with.
Does that say anything about that person's results? Nope. But it got noted that that person's easy to work with, fun to work with, great to be around, probably because they do more of what they love. And so that whole energy that you feel from that person has a ripple effect on the culture, on the team, and people notice it even when they don't want to.
BREA Yeah, I love that.
LISA And then also I thought of this person. Her name is Jckie. Shout out to Jckie if you're here. She is somebody that I met way back when, when I was going through my MBA program. And I remember when we graduated, she landed her dream job in a compliance role. And it was one of my biggest insights about doing what you love because as she described her compliance role, I was literally thinking in the inside voice, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew.
But I was like, you know, what's so great about this is that if other people do what they love, we're all contributing things that the world needs. And a lot of times, other people want that from you or need that from you. And they'd prefer to not be the one doing it. Like I'm so happy that I don't need to be in a compliance role because there's a Jackie out there who loves being in a compliance role.
So that gets to the lack of selfishness thing that if you really tap into what you're great at, how you live your best life, doing what you love, showing up at your best, You're contributing something that somebody else doesn't want to do.
BREA Oh my gosh. I love this so much. When I was in grade school, I remember so clearly being in class and the teacher would always ask for volunteers to read aloud. You know, we're in the textbook and they're like, who wants to read paragraph, whatever. And of course, I mean, communication is my number one.
It always has been my number one. It is It's how I show up in the world with my mouth wide open. And so of course, as soon as I hear her saying, does anybody want, I mean, I know what's coming and my hand is just straight up in the air. I'm like, I want to read out loud. And over time, as I grew, I realized, no, Brea, you should let other people have an opportunity to read out loud, too, because it's so fun.
Of course, everybody else wants to do it and you shouldn't, you know, hog it, you know, like give everybody else a chance. Isn't that how we think?
LISA Oh my gosh, yes. This is such a great one. The one where you actually feel yourself in your inside voice as an adult. You would be feeling that feeling of the little kid raising the hand going, pick me, pick me, pick me. Oh, I hope they call on me. That's doing what you love.
BREA Yes, but I learned to silence the voice because I told myself because it's so fun for me, it has to be so fun for other people and I should let other people get a turn. But what I didn't realize is it could be fun for me and not be fun for other people. Like most of the people in the class didn't want to. And so I'm just sitting there letting other people take a turn, but then no one else volunteers. And so it's a lose-lose for everybody.
LISA That is another great way to look at clues to talent. Okay, Joe Darin, as a fellow strengths coach, and I remember him saying, I remember him saying something about seeing the shine in someone else's eyes. And it's either that it's like that sparkle that was in your voice when you were reading, because you're like, I'm going to make this colorful, and it's fun. And they could see that pop in you.
I think that is a way to catch it in yourself. It's a way to see others when they're doing what they love to notice it and say, Oh, you're so good at that. And. I also think simultaneously that it was mature of you to notice you might be hogging it.
This certainly happens at work where someone doesn't want to sound like the one who's always talking over people in meetings. And there are ways to still work around that. So you can maximize doing what you love.
BREA Yeah, and I think it bears repeating that learning about our talents and just even learning language from an assessment like CliftonStrengths, learning what talents there are and what the talents do and what the talents enjoy is so helpful because we don't know what we don't know. And until I understood that it was fun for me to read out loud, because of my talents. That's my strength.
And other people have different talents. Until I had that awareness and understanding, I didn't have the freedom to really engage with them or to hold them back. Holding them back was from a place of fear or from a place of negativity of some kind, instead of the freedom to say, look, I really want to make this contribution.
It would be really fun for me to be the one to read out loud. But I also know that Lisa loves to read out loud. And so I'm going to invite her to do that. Then we're we're holding back our talents from a positive stance, you know, from a place of strength. Yes.
LISA I think you're picking up on this thing that you and I have talked about in the past about the why being such an important exploration of this, not just the surface level, what you love, but why you love it, because we could both love reading out loud and for completely different reasons.
So understanding why can really, can really shed some light on how you feel. Okay, now this isn't work related, but earlier we discovered we both liked board games and we didn't take the conversation any further.
I wonder if we could pick out some differences about what you love about a board game and what I love about a board game and use it as a way to shed some light on how different people's talents and values might color what they love, even though the outward end result, I love board games, being the same.
BREA I mean, for me, my absolute favorite game to play, absolutely hands down, is Taboo because it's all talking. That's it, right? It's just words. But in general, word games are attractive to me, right? That's much more attractive than, oh, like, don't ever ask me to play Settlers of Catan or Risk. No thanks.
LISA Okay, now we both lead through Communication in our Top 5 talents, so we are going to have some similarities here. I do love the word games. I love Taboo. I love Balderdash. I love this or that games, but I always want to make up my own rules and be like, but why? Say more about what your preference is.
BREA Hashtag individualization. We love it.
LISA I love board games. Most of all, because I'm doing something with a group. I like the human element of board games a lot. If there's a structured activity that gets conversation flowing and gets something going, especially if there's a physical element, I'm totally in.
BREA So I'm hearing some similarities. I think Relationships, definitely any game that allows us to come together and play. If it's a getting to know you type of game, a party game or something where I get to learn more about the people and the game is just kind of the vehicle, you know, to enjoy that experience.
A hundred percent favorite. I'm just playing the game. You know, I'm also not competitive. We're just playing it and and talking, you know and sharing life while we're we're playing the game
LISA So I think you're bringing up another one for me that I hadn't thought of. Duh. Competition is high for me and I like to win and like winning and hyping but I also like cheering people on and it's like I'm fine. I'm not a sore loser at all with games. I just love cheering on a person.
But if I'm not good at Euchre and I'm not good at Trivial Pursuit because I'm a bad memorizer, I don't really want to play it as my first choice because I'm not going to have a chance of winning.
BREA I would also say maybe that's a little bit of your maximizer, don't you think? Heck yeah. Yeah. Yeah, like you know what you're good at, you know what you can win. I always joke Maximizers are always good at everything they do because they don't do anything that they're not good at.
LISA Hey, we're talking about doing what you love, getting more of the good, getting less of the bad.
BREA When you played sports, did you enjoy team sports or individual sports?
LISA Both. Both. Totally. And I also didn't get into things that I wasn't good at. If I knew I had no potential in that area, it was just gone. Basketball, when I was in sixth grade and I was the tallest kid in the whole class, great. But when I stopped growing in sixth grade, by eighth grade, I was like, oh, basketball's not going to be my thing. Let's move on to areas I have better potential.
BREA And I think that that's, again, clues to talent, right? So a lot of times people don't understand that competition as a CliftonStrength is not the only competitive talent. There's actually three of the 34 that are very competitive. And I think you have all three in your top 10, or maybe your top five, don't you?
LISA Tell more. Tell more. Everybody wants to know what your list is going to be.
BREA I know, here we go on a tangent. So competition, obviously, and Maximizer is competitive, but more competitive with yourself. And then Woo, it literally has win in the title, right? Winning others over. So three influencing talents that are motivated, that enjoy, that are satisfied when there's a component of winning.
LISA And even though it was a seemingly a tangent, it wasn't because you tied that into doing what you love and picking up those things that you love. And yes, by the way, those are all in my top 10. And let's see. So if we tie this all together, how would you send someone away with their homework of how to identify a little bit more of what they love, how to have some more fun or how to live their best life?
BREA Actually, I think one of the best coaching questions out there, or at least one of my favorites, is how can I make this more fun? Or what could I do to enjoy this task a little more? That's a very easy self-coaching question that you can immediately start to practice today. And it doesn't have to be only when things are challenging.
It can also be when things are going well. Add another layer of talent. That's really the best case to not just have one of these clues to talent shining, but if it could be easy for you and if you can enjoy it, you know, gosh, that's bonus.
LISA Yes. And since you went specific and in the moment, I'll give a homework that is more retroactive, where you take a glance through the last two weeks of your to-do list, your calendar, and go through things you've already completed and pick out the ones that spark for you like, oh, I really liked that. I was really doing what I loved in some way when I was operating in that thing.
And then ask yourself the why question or what, what did I love about that? Why did I love it? And see if you can get a little deeper to understand so you could apply that more broadly to other things. Now, if they want to work with you, Brea, and they're like, yeah, yeah, homework, but I want you to ask me these questions and walk me through it. Tell them best way to work with you.
BREA Yeah. If you want me to coach you, go to my website, brearoper.com, then schedule a call.
LISA And if you want to work with me, Lisa, on leadthroughstrengths.com, there's a link called get coached. I would love to step you through any of these kind of questions and thoughts that you might have for yourself. With that, I would end with this thought.
I believe this came from Brea, by the way, but I'm totally stealing your line because When you're operating at your best, when you're doing what you love, you feel better. And people notice that you feel better and your contributions are bigger. So I'm going to steal the Brea line as a closer that is, feel better, do better.
BREA Yes. You don't have to steal it from me. I'm sure I stole it from somebody else. It's just the truth, right? When we feel better, we do better. Go enjoy your life. Go enjoy your life. And always remember that hard work doesn't have to feel hard. When you work from your strengths, you get to be doing what you love and loving what you do.
And that's the life that we're meant to live. So let's do it.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper.
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| How Did You Do That? | 01 Sep 2024 | 00:20:22 | |
Have you ever had someone say, “Wow! How did you do that?” or “You make that look so easy!” and think, ‘What? Like it’s hard?’ (I see you, Elle Woods!) Or maybe you’ve recognized how others seem to be able to pick up or breeze through certain tasks with an effortlessness or ease you only dream of. So, grab your metaphorical "easy button" and join us for this episode on the 2nd “Clue to Talent”: Rapid Learning. We’ll answer, “How did you do that so easily” with a lens of strengths.
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways on Rapid Learning (AKA How Did You Do That?)
Remember, hard work doesn’t have to be hard. Align it with your strengths and it actually feels easy. 🌟 Take Action on Your “How Did You Do That” Moments ● Identify Your Natural Talents: What comes easy to you? What are you doing when you hear others say, “Wow! How do you do that?” or “You make that look so easy!” ● Invest in Your Talent: Seek opportunities to grow your talent with knowledge, skill, and practice. For exponential growth, make sure your investment is directly aligned with your talent. For example, if you have a gift for gab, consider taking a Toastmasters class or reading up on storytelling techniques. ● Spot Talent in Others: When you notice someone excelling with ease, acknowledge their talent and ask them about it. Show appreciation for their abilities and learn from their approach. ● Further Reading: Check out the books Soar With Your Strengths by Dr. Clifton to learn more about the Five Clues to Talent, and Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to deepen your understanding of talent development and rapid learning.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa
Brea And I'm Brea
Lisa
Brea How did you do what?
Lisa I know, that's what they're thinking when they clicked on the title. It's that thing that you watch someone else doing and you're like, how do you do that so easily? How do you make that look so smooth?
Brea So this is one of what Gallup calls the five clues to talent. I call it ease. You know, what comes easy to you? Gallup might use the words rapid learning. You know, what's effortless? You said what's smooth, right? What just kind of feels natural.
Lisa Yeah, when people actually ask you, how did you do that? Or how do you do that so quickly? Or how does that come so naturally to you? Those are the things that other people notice, usually before you do, that something is really great on you, but it's so easy to you, you don't think it's special, so you don't even know it's a thing.
Brea Yes, I think is so helpful for people to know these clues. Number one, if you don't know what your talents or your strengths are, and you want to try to figure out what are you naturally good at? Where are your natural talents? This is one of the clues to kind of clue you in to where those natural talents may lie.
Lisa Yes, because not everybody has done CliftonStrengths. Not everybody's heard of CliftonStrengths or the book StrengthsFinder 2.0. So when you see something in someone else and you're like, hey, how do you do that so easily? These are just really easy things to actually say it out loud.
Brea And also, if you already know your CliftonStrengths, this will offer a little bit of a nuance and a layer to help you better develop that by saying, OK, I know I lead with Activator. How does Activator help me do something easily?
Lisa Yeah, you feel those instincts, like, oh, I have this sense of urgency about everything. Why? And then you realize, oh, that's why that comes easily to me, moving fast, making decisions, because I want it to get going because of Activator. Does anything come to mind for you, Bria, when you think about something someone's noticed in you that just comes really easily to you?
Brea Wow, thank you so much for asking. I was not reflecting on my own talent. I'll put you on the spot on that one. I mean, the first thing that comes to mind is singing. That's usually what people will remark on. I also love when you call me the strengths hype girl. And I think that that does come so easily to me, you know, hyping people and finding what's good in them.
Lisa This is a great element to Clues to Talent where when someone compliments you and says, like the first time I said, Oh my gosh, you are the strengths hype girl. And you were like, Oh my gosh, thank you for saying that. You know those feelings when someone compliments you on something and you're like, oh, I love being noticed for that. Oh my gosh, how cool. Those are great moments where they're clues to your talent and you want to give that contribution and you're so excited that someone else cared about it.
Brea I think that's something with this clue to talent, people respond one of two ways. They say, what? Like, that's a thing? Like, what do you mean? Like, it's just so easy for me to do it. And you think that's special or you think that's cool, right?
Or their eyes shine, you know, and they're like, oh my gosh, thank you, like, for seeing that in me because it is so natural for us. It is so easy for us to do that thing that we don't really think anything of it, you know, or we don't think that people notice. Or they say, what? Like, that's a thing? Like, what do you mean…it's just so easy for me to do it.
Because it is so natural for us. It is so easy for us to do that thing that we don't really think anything of it, you know, or we don't think that people notice. Like, I think of the weird people out there who can just put together an Ikea piece of furniture, you know?
They don't need to follow the instructions. They can just put it together. How did you do that? Right? How did you do that? That's so hard for me. I can't even imagine putting together something from Ikea, period. And the fact that you did it, and you did it without instructions, that's pretty amazing. That's a clue to talent.
Lisa Mm-hmm. Yeah, I remember there were some people who were like, people always talk to you and it's like you know people everywhere you go, but they're actually strangers. People would be like, why do they always talk to you?
Finally, I just started saying, “because I'm approachable.” I mean, I am genuinely on the inside, so receptive to anybody I don't know talking to me. And they can feel that apparently, because they will do it. But that's your talents working, even if you don't realize it until someone else points it out.
Brea So Lisa, what you're describing is such an interesting nuance and a really cool perspective to this. It's easy for you to respond to someone who just starts talking to you, right? You know, that's easy for you because of your talents. What I'm also hearing from you is that it's easy for others to approach you because of your talents, right?
Your positivity is giving off this vibe that like, hey, come on, you know, your woo's like, come and talk to me. So they feel it and it's easy for them to approach you. And I think that is so true when people notice that someone is at ease when they're working or when they're talking to you.
I notice, especially for things that are hard for me, naturally, like cooking. I don't love it. I'm not very good at it. I love to eat. So I appreciate someone who can cook. And when I can see someone like in the kitchen and they're just chopping away and throwing in a dash of this and, you know, a little drop of this and a glug of that and all I have to do.
Lisa That's how she is.
Brea Oh, come on. Oh, does she have Arranger?
Lisa: I don't think so. It's just like, if it just had a little dash of a shallot and I'll be like, what's a shallot?
Brea Her cute accent too. I love that. Shout out to Ty. We love that. And I want to be around that because it's attractive when someone is at ease. Right. So that's another reason for us to exist in our talents.
Lisa Right. Because it's a vibe. It's good for us and it's good for them. Yes. That's interesting. You know, this topic makes me think of this workplace example. And if I put it in the context of the vibes you just brought up. Okay, so this is a classic me not in my clues to talent discovering someone else's talent going on something that's easy for them. I was back in cube-land early in my career and I had this leader…
She used to come by our cubes and make these requests ad hoc throughout the day now I lead through focus It's the only way I get things done, which is heads down focused on one thing Don't interrupt me or I'll be totally messed up. I just want power hour sort of thing and she would come around, interrupt you, and be like, hey, can you slice and dice this data? And it would be this new way to display a thing on a chart. And I learned how to do this in Excel.
I could do it. It's a skill that can be learned. But every time I would feel her feet coming by, I would be like, here comes a slice and dice request. I felt interrupted, frustrated. I would be like, And these are things that would have taken five minutes if I felt that ease. So then I would take a break. Then I would check in on my email and make sure I'm updated before I started. Then I would go grab a cup of coffee downstairs so I could get myself mentally prepared and focused to do this thing.
40 minutes later, I've finished this pivot table and I'm back into my other work. And it's something that should have been very fast. So I noticed this colleague over the cube, how he reacted totally different from the way I did. He'd be like, oh, yes, and what about this way? And what about that? And they would bubble off of each other about these charts.
It's all clues to talent. You start to see where someone just feels ease and it's no problem and it's fast and that somebody else can do the same thing and have the same skill level. But it comes off totally different. And that's all about whether it's just a learned skill.
Brea So, I love this and I'm gonna shine a spotlight on that word learned. That's what we're talking about. When it's truly talent, you can't teach talent. You can't learn talent. You've got it or you don't, right? It's easy for you or it's not. You can learn skill. You can teach skill. But it's not the same, right? The outcome isn't the same.
If the skill is not aligned with a natural talent, it feels different. It feels different to you and it feels different to others. I think that's so good, Lisa.
Lisa Like, let's talk about the implication of what you just said, because one person could look at what you just said and conclude, well, then we can all get the same result. It just may be a little more ramp up time for somebody else who has to build a skill.
But if you look at it like, could you maximize this? Could you give that guy I'm talking about, if he had three times as many pivot tables, and I had three times as many PowerPoints, we might be able to be twice as productive instead of someone saying, but everyone needs to know how to do everything. Also, think about the culture.
I think implication of the culture are even bigger because what if you get to love what you do? What if you get that reaction that he had where he was like, oh yeah, and what about this way to slice and dice it? Oh yeah, and what about this way to tell the story? Meanwhile, I was just like yeah get done the minimum thing so I can move on to my next and so I think there is a huge performance implication that a lot of people don't think about because a lot of Huge yeah, it seems like on the surface.
You could just say just get it done suck it up do the thing and and don't complain about it, which is what I was doing, but it wasn't the best thing for the culture or the results or the creativity or our extra, you know, people talk about discretionary effort, things like that. So that is where I think this idea of rapid learning and ease, like if it's easy for you, you're going to give such a bigger contribution compared to if you just have to get it done.
Brea And I want to be clear when we're talking about ease or when we're talking about rapid learning, when we're talking about this, this clue to talent, let's be clear. I'm not promoting a hundred percent lifestyle of ease. I'm not promoting laziness. I'm not here to say, don't do anything that's hard. Don't challenge yourself. Okay.
Lisa Let's just be clear. Good clearing.
Brea Brilliant. Challenge is good for us, right? Not an excuse to be lazy. But when it comes to work, when it comes to performance, when the outcome matters, Why make it harder for yourself? Life is already hard. Why make it harder? You know?
And if as managers, as leaders, as parents, as friends, as spouses, if we can look at ourselves and the people in our lives and set them up for success by saying, how can we work together to let you do what comes naturally for you and I'll do what comes naturally for me and together we're stronger. That sounds like a good world to me.
Lisa And it's efficient. I think it's really telling you have the natural tendencies, you have these instincts and these talents that might lead you to be good at a thing. And then when you add the skill on top of it, the way it exponentially helps compared to how it would help someone else is an incredible thing because there are all these elements of it that feed together both the talent and the skill when they map up. That's when the performance is so incredible.
Brea I love that. Yes, it's that alignment that really makes the difference. Hey, can we talk a little bit about this idea of rapid learning, how we learn, and how that relates to our talents?
Lisa Yeah, that's a great way to close.
Brea Some people learn quickly by themselves, maybe by reading or researching in a book or watching a YouTube video or whatever. I'm very much like high relationship building, high influencing. So if I have to learn something, I want to learn from people. You know, I want you to tell me how to do it. I want you to teach me. I want to like learn with you. So even the the way that we learn, not just how quickly or slowly we learn, but the way that we learn can also clue us into talent.
Lisa Oh, yeah. That is a really cool nuance. I've heard you do that so many times because you, well, take your communication and you'll talk through a thing to learn the thing and even learn what your perspective is on the thing. I've absolutely heard that in you.
I think about how to explain, I'm trying to make connections with the talents before ever having thought about this, but I tend to learn by getting going and doing something I'm very kinesthetic and whether that is I'm learning while moving like I would rather talk and be moving in order to Think it through better with body movement or actually just doing something like if somebody says “Learn new software” back in the old days when you would have a manual to do it I would be the person who would be like Just let me open it up and click around. I wanted to do it more through feeling or like the IKEA example you gave. I would rather see if I can spatially figure it out by getting the parts out and beginning to do it. I would prefer that. There's the movement element that really calls to me.
I don't know if I can map that to my CliftonStrengths specifically, but it's definitely a clue to where I'm good.
Brea Yeah, it's such a good example. You know, what pops out for me is you're strategic, very adaptable in that way. It starts kind of thinking forward, moving forward, and then, you know, we could go this way, we could go that way, so let's just try it, and then we'll, oh, that didn't work, so we'll go this way instead, right? And I hear a lot from Activator, too.
I don't want to project because Activator is high for me, but I hear this from people, not just myself. that activator learns by doing, right? We're sitting in a meeting and we're like, oh my gosh, can we please stop talking about it? Let's just try it. Let's just try. So maybe they're, you know, those are maybe contributing, you know, to that, but yeah, it, again, you don't need the assessment, you know, it's, it's another layer to developing your CliftonStrengths.
And if you don't have an assessment or if you're just out in the wild, if you're at the grocery store or you're on a run or whatever and you're around strangers, look for this. Look for rapid learning. Look for what comes naturally to people. If you think to yourself, wow, how did they do that? Flip it from the focus being on you and like, oh, that's so hard for me. How did they do that? I must not be as good, right? That internal self-talk that can be negative sometimes.
When you catch yourself saying, wow, how did they do that? Realize, wow, that's a clue to their talent. Say that to them. Gosh, that's amazing. That's amazing. can you teach me how to do it? They'll probably say no because it comes so easy to them. They're like, I don't know how I did it. I just did it. show them that what they're doing, how they're doing it, something about the way their brain is working right now is really, really special. What a gift, you know, we can give to others.
Lisa That's such a perfect way to end the episode thinking about helping someone see their contribution. Before we move to the close, do you have any favorite resources that you would share on this topic if somebody wants to go a little deeper? Yes.
Brea There's a book out there called Soar With Your Strengths. It is by Dr. Clifton. He's one of the co-authors of the book. And it goes through all five of these clues to talent. So pick it up. It's not just for rapid learning or, you know, ease, but it goes through all five and it is an excellent place to start if you want to kind of explore these five clues. A classic. What about you?
Lisa I would add Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. And we'll link that up in the show notes because you might not be able to spell that name if you're listening.
Brea Oh, my gosh. I have listened to so many different people say that name because it's a great book and I want to know how to pronounce it correctly. I give up. You did that perfectly, Lisa.
Lisa I think this was just the collection of the Dozens and dozens of people I've heard say it from podcasts and audiobooks over the years. If I look at it, I cannot say it. But if I remember what I've heard because I'm such an audio person, then I've got it.
Brea I love it. Yeah, we'll put those in the show notes so people can go and grab it.
Lisa Okay, so if someone wants to work with you on these clues, either spotting them in themselves or getting better at spotting them in other people in their lives, tell them how to work with you, Bria.
Brea Look, come on, come to my website, BriaRoper.com. You can schedule a call. I'm just very relational. That's how I like to start everything. So if you want to do a workshop for your team, if you want individual coaching, if you want to bring me in to do the keynote, whatever it is, if you want to work together or explore that, just come to the website, set up a call. We'll talk about it.
Lisa And I'm Lisa, if you want to work with me, leadthroughstrengths.com. There's a link called Get Coached in the main menu if you want to do one-on-one coaching on this. There's a link that says StrengthsFinder Workshops if you want to do this with your team and get good at spotting these and each other. And my newest product line is a membership called Tools for Coaches, where if you're trying to tap into your business side on being a coach, these will be some of those like grabbing other people's talent so you can spend your time where you're at your best.
Brea I love it. I also want to encourage everyone, your take action for the week is to learn things, learn skills, learn knowledge that aligns with your talents. So if you've taken CliftonStrengths and you know that you lead with the communication talent, Maybe take a Toastmaster class or read up on the storytelling arc. Learn something that aligns with your talents to really align your natural talent with those skills to achieve the outcome that we're talking about here today.
Lisa It's like that closing idea, hard work and skill development. It doesn't have to be so hard. Align it with your strengths and it actually feels easy. All ties back to your word, ease.
Brea Easy buttons. Let's go. Let's go. Awesome. Thanks, Lisa. See you all next week.
The Fine Print: This podcast is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths© are solely the beliefs of Lisa Cummings and Brea Roper. Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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| What Do You Really, Really Want? | 25 Aug 2024 | 00:19:59 | |
About This Episode on Getting What You Really Want Out of Life What do the Spice Girls, double rainbows, and pursuing our dreams all have in common? Yearning. If you're someone who is looking to tap into your inner desires and explore what you really want out of life, this episode is for you. Inspired by Gallup’s “Five Clues to Talent”, Lisa & Brea explore how our dreams and desires can clue us in to our hidden talents.
We discuss how yearnings can: ● arise in personal and professional settings ● impact daily tasks and long-term goals ● be a powerful motivator
We also discuss: ● how different talent themes yearn for different things, and in different ways ● what might keep us from discovering, embracing, and pursuing our desires
We also share practical tips and exercises to help you uncover your yearnings and start working towards making them a reality.
Work With Us! BREA Roper If you need a Strengths Hype Girl, for yourself or your team, connect with Brea at brearoper.com. She’s ready to deliver an inspirational keynote, empowering training, or transformational workshop. If you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts, reach out today! LISA Cummings Strategic | Maximizer | Positivity | Individualization | Woo
To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways
Yearning, longing, and dreaming are innate to the human experience. It's good to identify what our hearts truly long for and what we aspire to achieve. Whether it's a long-term dream or a simple desire for a change in our daily routine, yearning allows us to strive for something greater and live with purpose.
Yearning doesn’t only involve looking toward the future. For individuals who naturally focus on the here and now, being present and embracing what brings us joy and fulfillment in the here and now can be a powerful way to live out our yearnings on a daily basis. Remember, it's never too late to start dreaming and working towards your aspirations. Let's embrace our yearnings and strive for a life filled with purpose and fulfillment. 🌟
Take Action on What You Really Want Out of Life ● Reflect on your yearnings. Take five minutes to ask yourself, "What do I want? What do I really want?" Repeat this question over and over again to unlock your deepest desires and aspirations. ● Create a bucket list: Make a list of things you long for or dream about, without placing any limits on your aspirations. Allow yourself to dream big and explore what truly matters to you. ● Check out the replay of Lisa's virtual workshop where participants crowdsourced a bucket list. Use this resource to gain inspiration and clarity on your own yearnings. ● Seek coaching or support: If you need guidance in exploring your yearnings further, consider working with a coach like Brea or Lisa. Visit their websites to learn more about their coaching services and how they can help you uncover and pursue your desires.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript on What You Really Want Out of Life Lisa
Brea And I'm Brea
Lisa And today's topic is yearning for something…figuring out what you really want out of life.
Brea Yearning for something. What does that mean, yearning?
Lisa What does it mean? What does it mean? You know, this was inspired, like the rainbow guy on the old viral video. What does it mean, the double rainbow?
Brea Oh my gosh, it's so funny. Well, it makes me think of the five clues to talent that Gallup gives us.
Lisa Yeah, they have five clues to talent and we just picked one of them. This is actually the first one. They call it yearning. And Brea, I remember when I said the word yearning, you were almost like, and tell us more about that.
Brea I don't know. I don’t love the word yearning. I think the word longing really resonates with me more. What does my heart long for? You know, what have I been longing for? I think when Gallup talks about yearning, It's a similar thing.
What is something that has been on your heart or in your mind for a long time that you're yearning for, pining for, looking forward to? That's what comes to mind when I think of yearning through this lens.
Lisa I don't think you're alone with not loving the word yearning, because if you bring this up in a corporate workshop, people are like, that's kind of sappy. And then yeah, longing or dreaming, you know, like, that's impractical.
So what do you do with that? What is the use case for this?
Like, what's the problem with not ever allowing yourself to long for something or pine for something or dream about something? Why is it so important to explore what you really want out of life?
Brea I don't know is the short answer because futuristic is in my top five, so I don't know how not to do this. But I do think that there's something about the human experience that yearns for something more, that longs for something more, that wants to wake up every day and live for something more.
I think it's so beautiful to, and this is my connectedness maybe coming out, but like to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, you know, and to see, to see the future. So again, this is in my talent DNA. What are your thoughts?
Lisa Well, it's totally in my top 10 as well. It's right up there, just right behind the top five. I think it's seven for me, futuristic. Not that futuristic is the only dreamer, but it definitely looks ahead.
I think in a workplace, people fear that it's impractical, but I also believe that striving is a human need. If you're not looking forward to something, even if it's really simple, like, what if you just dreamt of a different morning routine, where you gave yourself the chance to eat breakfast outside, have a warm cup of tea in your hands and wake up in a relaxed state where you're deciding what the vibe is of the rest of your day.
And that sets you up for success. That’s part of defining what you really want out of life.
Maybe that's only a 15 minute tweak to your day. And that might be a big deal for people to change 15 minutes of every day. But that's something like if you say yearning or dreaming, people are like, Oh, that's so big. And I don't have time to create world peace right now I've got I've got a task list to do. I think that's what gets in the way of people stopping to dream or long for something.
What do you think gets in the way?
Brea Yeah, I think that's really insightful, Lisa. I think long-term yearning gets in the way because, number one, it's vulnerable. To say, gosh, this is a deep-seated desire of mine that hasn't gone away for my whole life. I know this from my own experience and I've talked to other people about their childhood dreams or things that have been percolating for 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, and we haven't had the courage.
We're afraid of failure. We, for whatever reason, don't pursue those dreams. I think sometimes we're afraid of our own greatness, you know? And when we're talking about five clues to talent, and we're talking about this clue, that's really what it is, is it clues us in to our talent, our innate ability to be great, to do something great. And sometimes that's scary, you know?
Lisa Absolutely. Yeah, and I think it's really interesting. I held a workshop recently where people talked about their dreams and aspirations and we crowdsourced a bucket list while we were live and looking at the variety of things that came up because we didn't put constraints on it about, you know, what the bucket list type had to be.
And we had everything from specific training and development type of programs that someone would develop to, I'm looking at an item right now, someone said, smile at someone who gives me a dirty look. Wow. And that one just grabbed me like, okay, so as a bucket list item, now does that count as a yearning?
Maybe it's like an inside thing where I am totally making this up about the person because I don't know who wrote it or where it was coming from. But maybe they tend to react in a way that is defensive, or they make assumptions about what somebody else is thinking.
And maybe there's a yearning in them to build rapport with people and have really deep, meaningful relationships or to not be affected by the temperature that's already in the room. Maybe what you really want out of life is to connect with others.
There are so many things you could guess about why someone really wants that in their life. But how cool to say, They just thought of something they want about who they want to be and how they want to show up. But it's not the way they show up every day currently. And so I think that sometimes when you hear words like longing, yearning, dreaming, they sound so big.
But this really simple one where someone could just say, I want that. I want to be this, I want to live this, but I just haven't asked myself to do it yet, or haven't given myself permission or courage or whatever angle. And I think that's a nice way to look at it as well, because there's a reason that's bubbling up in you.
Brea Yeah. And through a strengths language, we can say, OK, let's say some of my, my natural talents, my natural disposition, the way that I might naturally react to someone who gives me a yucky look, might not be to smile at them.
OK, so how can I connect with my talents to be able to respond from a natural place instead of just willpowering my way through, or every time I don't return a bad look with a smile, I give myself a negative point, you know, or I tear myself down, like, why can't you ever do that, you know?
So to look at our talents and to align them with this desire for goodness, to respond in a good, positive way, I think is really, really powerful.
Lisa Yeah, I love that because when I've heard other strengths coaches talk about five clues to talent, and this topic of yearning comes up, often we're characterizing it as if your strengths or these natural talents, like anything from your top five or top 10, are probably speaking you know, in your yearnings, they're, they're going to show up in there.
Then in the example that you gave, I'm seeing a completely different angle that a lot of people overlook, which would be, Hey, here's something you want for yourself and you want for your life. How could the ones that you have support you in this dream that keeps popping up and mapping them together? What a cool way to look at it. That just seems to not get used.
Brea Well, the truth of the matter is, is that every talent is neutral, right? It's not good. It's not bad. It just is a pattern. It just is what it is. It's a pattern of thought, feeling, and behavior that can be productively applied. But that doesn't mean that we always apply it productively, right? There are shadow sides to our talents as well as the, the greatest potential. And so sometimes, yeah, like our talents show up in a way where it can, can get in the way and it can also really, really help.
And so that might be maybe judging the person who's giving you a hard look or a bad look, you know, maybe it's positivity, who didn't like it, you know, and is, kind of brought down by it. Maybe Woo responds more naturally to negativity with a smile, with an effort to, you know, to win that person over. That doesn't mean that Woo is better than Positivity. It just means that maybe they responded differently. So how do you use your talents to get what you want?
Lisa Yeah, you're making me think about something I've been playing with lately, is giving one that is acting like a troublemaker talent, giving it a different job. So for example, Maximizer is one that acts like a troublemaker talent for me often where it yearns to tweak things. It is like, Oh, we can make that better. Oh, we could change that. Oh, I could fiddle with this.
Oh, I can make that better. But my focus talent theme is the one that usually has to say, Hey, hey, no, no, no, no. Priorities over here. Hello, that was a squirrel. And so when my maximizer is misbehaving, what if I say I'm going to give my maximizer a different job. And so instead of tweaking everything, I put it on the thing that I've actually been longing for. that the thing that I have that little dream in the back of my head, but it doesn't get airtime because I've been too busy with my tasks.
So you could redirect that same talent in a different angle and get the result that would allow us to be living out the dreams, living out the things we're longing for. These talents can help you figure out what you really want out of life. Yeah, it's so good.
I love where this is going. Yeah, what a fun one. So then what if you're a person listening to this and you're like, I don't really yearn for anything. I don't have dreams. Yeah, I have some goals, but those are my work things.
And that's what I'm after. I just am out there attacking my work objectives. Like if someone doesn't feel like a person who can dream or long for something, what are things you've done to be able to begin to open that up for people?
Brea Yeah, I think, again, having the awareness of your CliftonStrengths language is super helpful because often what I see is that people who may not resonate with yearning, longing, dreaming, these long-term feeling words, it's because they're high in adaptability or they're high in talents that are here and now, right? They're not thinking about the future, they're not really inspired to sit here and say, what do I want out of life? Because what they want is to be responsive in the moment. That's where they thrive.
Right. And so I I love how you started this episode, Lisa, reminding us that yearning doesn't have to be long term. It doesn't have to be, you know, so far out into the future. It really is as simple as why am I attracted to this thing? Why do I like this type of movie instead of that type of movie? Or why am I attracted to this person or this type of humor or fill in the blank with anything? You know, what is it that pulls us toward certain things and certain people and certain ideas and certain topics and not others? That's what we're talking about here. That's what gallop means by yearning.
Lisa Yeah, that's really interesting. You're making me think of a person I know who leads through adaptability, connectedness, and I think a ranger. So very much present right here, right now, talent themes. And I remember one day she was talking about how she lived at the beach in a place where she could have the windows open most of the year.
Just being present, hearing the ocean, having the waves, having nature kind of envelop her even when she was in the indoors, all of that is no surprise when you think about why she ended up buying that place where she did.
And it was those yearnings turned into a manifestation of her life…her actual physical life…because she wanted to be right here right now with the sounds of the birds and the waves. And those represent adaptability, connectedness, arranger.
Her, being present in the moment, is living out a yearning.
Brea That's right. So if you go up to someone like that and you say, what do you dream of? What do you yearn for? They're like, this is it. Like, this is my dream right here. I'm living it, you know, right now. And I think that's so beautiful.
The whole point of recognizing this clue to talent. and identifying the yearnings in our hearts is to make them come true. And so for those who have maybe a shorter timeline and are happy living out that yearning every day, just really leaning into the moment, I think is such a beautiful expression of that talent.
Lisa It really is. It's interesting because it almost sounded like at the beginning we were saying, if you lead through the future thinking talent, you'd be more apt to live out your yearnings. But we're totally making the point right now that you, you're absolutely likely to do it if you live it in the moment.
Before we close, I want to make sure we dip into the workplace for a moment, because I also think these yearnings are true at work. Like, for example, if you lead through belief, you yearn to understand the values and where someone's coming from and get your belief in the thing. Because if you don't understand it and believe in it, you might not be able to execute on it with gusto.
Or if you lead through intellection, you might find yourself really yearning to be a deep subject matter expert on something. So they also show up in the things that you're attracted to in your roles and I see it all the time.
People have heard my example over the years so many times of a guy who said he loved the escalation calls from customers because he yearned to solve their problems.
Brea that are natural for you, you want to do them. So knowing what your talents bring is so important. You can look at, you know, what is it that I want to do? What are the things on my task list every day that I do? No problem.
And what are the things that I procrastinate? What are the things that I don't want to do? That also clues us into our talent or lack thereof, right? That's right. Which if we look at that from that angle, then we can start to see the patterns of, okay, I don't want to do this. You know, maybe that is dreaming, you know, a vision board or at work, it's just a specific task that you're always putting off or you're always trying to delegate or you're always trying to get off your plate.
Why is that? Well, it's because the talent isn't there. So how can we identify where the talent is? Well, look to your yearnings. What is it that you really desire?
Lisa This is funny, but you made me think of the totally corporate thing that we've done so many times over the years of making a stop-start-continue list. And those stop items are going to be the non-yearnings. And then the start and continue are probably some clues to talent. They can bring you inspiration for clarifying what you really want out of life.
As we end the show, I'll offer to include a resource, which is a replay of that event that I did. It's just an hour on dreams and aspirations, and we crowdsourced a bucket list while we were on there. So if this is something that has grabbed your attention and you have not been in touch with your own yearnings, then in the show notes, we'll have the link out to the replay of that and to that bucket list we created. How about you? What's a favorite resource?
Brea Yeah, so the thing that comes to mind for me is a little exercise that you can do on your own, but it's better to do with a coach or a friend or someone that you trust. And it's very simple. It just goes like this. Put five minutes on the clock and have whoever it is that's leading you through the exercise, or it can be yourself if you need to.
You just ask the question, what do you want? What do you want? What do you really want? And you ask that question over and over and over again for as long as you can stand it. It can feel like a long time to keep asking that question, but it will help you to just create that space to enter in and like the bucket list exercise.
I love that. Don't put any limits on it, right? You just let your little heart dream and see what comes up. What do you want? What do you really, really want? And And then, yeah, I'd love to hear. If you do it, send us a message or let us know what you come up with.
Lisa Love that exercise. OK, now, if someone wants to work with you, Brea, and they say, that sounds cool, but can you, you know, can you walk me through, can you coach me through this? How could they work with you on this topic?
Brea Yeah, coaching, I'm always open for at my website, briaroper.com. And I'd love to meet you and connect with you.
Lisa Beautiful. And for me, Lisa, if you're a team and you want to get the team into dream mode, we do team retreats, off-site summits. It's a great place to step back and really think about what people want in their careers, how they want to behave with each other, for each other. Those can be just amazing workshops. And then if you are a coach, go to leadthroughstrengths.com and click on tools for coaches.
If you wanna dream about the kind of business you could create as a trainer, coach, speaker, I have a membership for that. Awesome. Okay, as we leave them here, I feel like the outro should be the Spice Girls song and I hear like the dum, dum, dum. Tell me what you want, what you really, really want.
Brea [singing] if you want to be my lover I’ll tell you what i want what i really really want i love it i love it so much oh my gosh see you later
Let’s Connect! | |||
| What to Expect When You Take The CliftonStrengths Assessment | 18 Aug 2024 | 00:20:16 | |
About This Episode Are you getting ready to take the CliftonStrengths assessment? This episode is for you! Between the two of us (Lisa & Brea), we’ve facilitated tens of thousands of these bad boys. So, we share the ins and outs of ‘what to know before you go’ - CliftonStrengths edition.
In this episode, we answer questions like: “How long will it take?” “Is this a test?” “Will it put me in a box?” “Top 5, Full 34, Managers, and Leaders…oh my! How do I know which one is right for me?” …and plenty more!
As always, you’re in for lots of laughs, personal anecdotes, and practical tips. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in!
Work With Us!
If you’re thinking about introducing your team, department, or organization to the CliftonStrengths assessment, BREA is ready to help you every step of the way. Don’t get tripped up in the details. From purchasing codes and distributing codes, to facilitating the assessment, collating reports, and leading a workshop to help you understand what it all means…she’ll take care of it all! Visit brearoper.com to schedule a call today!
To work with LISA, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership.
Takeaways
The CliftonStrengths assessment is not a test with right or wrong answers. It's an opportunity to discover what makes you unique and special. By entering the assessment with an open mind and embracing your natural preferences, you can uncover your innate talents and strengths that can help you thrive in both your personal and professional life.
Rather than overthinking or trying to fit into a specific mold, trust your natural reactions and preferences. By tapping into your instinctual responses, you will uncover your greatest areas of potential - your natural talents!
After taking the assessment, many individuals are pleasantly surprised by how accurately it reflects their strengths and talents. The CliftonStrengths assessment can provide valuable insights into how you work best and what comes naturally to you. By leveraging these results, you can align your strengths with your goals, whether in the workplace or at home, and unlock your full potential for success.
Take Action ● Download the checklist for “How To Take the CliftonStrengths Assessment” at brearoper.com. ● Do it! Take the assessment! Click here to buy a code.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa
Brea And I'm Brea
Lisa And today's topic is taking the CliftonStrengths assessment.
Brea Woo-woo!
Lisa All the things to expect. Brea, do you want to start with just kind of going back and forth, almost lightning round style, where we share with people what to expect when they open this thing up?
Brea Totally. So first of all, it's not a test. This is not something that you can fail. This is not something that is graded, okay? So it's an assessment that is looking at what's good in you and there are no wrong answers. So I think first off, that's where I'd love to start is just enter into it knowing that there are no wrong answers. You can't do it wrong. There's no way to mess it up. Just go in and just be your lovely self.
Lisa Agreed. And if you are a strengths coach, or you are internal inside of corporate, and you're doing this with your team, and you think people might even find the word assessment scary, like, Ooh, there is a right answer. They're assessing my, whether I'm good. I also have had plenty of clients use the term survey, and it goes totally fine. So yes, call it what is going to make sense to the person taking it and not feel like an evaluation of good or bad.
Brea Yes. Love that, Lisa. Just don't use the word test ever. It's bad. Love. Don't do it.
Lisa Yeah. You're going to turn the team off and they're going to be like, I don't want to take a test. Thank you very much. No thanks.
Brea How do you recommend people start approaching this, Lisa?
Lisa Well, one of the most important things, in my opinion, is just to give people an idea of the time it will take so that they can carve out the right amount of time. I think asking people to be sure they have an uninterrupted 45 minutes. I know some people will say 30 minutes or something shorter, but I like to go for 45 because you might have people who take it a little bit slower, and they might read the opening screens a little more slowly. And that way you've covered it, like they block, then they're going to probably block off an hour. And that those are uninterrupted minutes, because you can't pause it. And If you let them tick by, they're going to be counted as neutral. Those answers are going to get thrown out. And Brea, what's going to happen if they get a bunch of neutrals?
Brea Well, if they get a bunch of neutrals, it's, I mean, they don't even show your results. You know, it's kind of nullified and void. So not only do you waste your money and you waste your code, but you've put all that time into it and you didn't even get what you were looking for. So, you know, it's hard because a lot of people like, well, it depends, you know, I don't know if I'm strongly like this or not strongly like this. It depends on the situation as much as you can try to err on one side or the other of that median. And that will help your results so much.
Lisa Yes. And like, if I think of an example, here's what it's like. It's a bunch of questions. Actually, there are 200 questions. So you can imagine, in 45 minutes or less, zipping through 200 questions. They only give you 20 seconds each. And And it's a this or that. It's like, do you like cats or dogs? Now, those are not actual questions. You're not going to be asked things like cats or dogs, but I'm just doing it so that you can see an example of how you might be like, well, yes. And yes, I love both of those. I have to be neutral because I can't pick a cat over a dog. Other people are going to be like, dogs clearly are winners. And then you're going to strongly agree with that. And there are a couple of notches that you can do the strongly agree. The main point that I want to get out there is in this this or that exercise 200 times, you might feel like yes and yes or no and no. And you might feel so strongly that I dislike them both equally. That's what the neutral is for. But it really would need to be absolutely equal. Try to give it a weighting. on one side or the other. And just go with instinct, not what you're supposed to say, not what your role calls for today in the job, not what it's like at home versus at work. Just at your natural preference or instinct, what is the answer? Go, and don't overthink it.
Brea Totally. And I think if you get stuck, a good way to approach it is to think about when you were a kid, how might you have answered the question? Maybe not literally in your childhood, but the idea is it's not looking for skills. or knowledge or things that you've acquired as you've, you know, aged and grown and gone through life. These are natural patterns of thought, feeling and behavior. So when you're stressed, how might you, you know, if you're stressed in some way, you have to make a quick decision. What's your first instinctual, emotional reaction, don't answer as you think you should or as a good person or the right thing to do. How do you want to respond in that moment, in that situation? What feels most natural for you? And that's the right answer. That's the best answer.
Lisa Yeah, and I will add to that in the kind of team or corporate environment, every once in a while, people are like, well, I've done these before. And you know, I did, I did disk with my team back in the day. And if you were an S, then you were not the good group. And so people have had some experiences with something. I don't want to beat up disk because it can be really amazing if done well. But they've taken other assessments and they've had a bad experience. And when they do the workshop, as it unfolds, there becomes a good answer and a bad answer for that corporate culture or for that team. And that's really not ever something I've seen happen with strengths. So the thing is, if you do what Bria just said and you pick what naturally feels good to you. You pick your preference. There's not going to be a good answer or a bad answer. Every result that comes out is going to be something good that the team wants from you. So I love how the results show your success factors. And not good behavior, bad behavior. I have never seen teams demonize a theme or a group of these themes that come out. So I feel like you can rest easy knowing, no matter what your results are, they're going to show your easy buttons for success. they're not going to put you in a good crew or a bad crew. Not to mention, there are 34 potential talent themes that come out on the Strengths Report. So it's not like you can say, Well, No. 1, these 10 are great for our team. These 2 are not. There are just too many of them. So it is totally in your best interest to answer with your instinct.
Brea Totally. And just remember, what is all this for? Well, it's to discover what you naturally do best, how you naturally work or live as your best self. So to hide that because maybe you've learned to play smaller than you are or you've learned that people who have certain behaviors get ahead, you know, or whatever. If you're fitting yourself into those boxes, CliftonStrengths is your opportunity to just break down those walls and break down those barriers and really, really discover and celebrate what makes you unique and special. in a way that allows you to thrive. So one of the common objections that people have are hesitations to taking this assessment is I don't want to be put into a box. This really is as opposite of that as possible. This is breaking those boxes and it's saying you are one of a kind and we want you to be able to show up at work as your best self. So let's figure out what that is and then let's leverage it and use it for your success and for the success of the team.
Lisa Yes, well said. Oh, I think there are a couple more things that I would want to move back toward the beginning. Before they ever start answering the questions, there are two things that I just thought of they might want to know about. As we were talking about, Hey, it's timed, it's 20 seconds, give your instinct, be ready to zip through this uninterrupted time. If you are a person who says, oh my gosh, but all through university, I had an accommodation. I had the timer taken off all of my tests. This is an actual thing for me. You can call Gallup's help desk and get the timer taken off if you have a reason for accommodation. So that is a thing. Just wanted to make mention of that. And it does tell you that when you redeem your code, if you pay attention to the first couple of screens, And then the other thing is there are multiple languages. There are actually dozens of languages you can take the assessment in. So if English isn't your first language and you're more comfortable in another, that is available for you. And it's a question that some people want to know before they get into this thing.
Brea Yes. Great practical tips. That's why you're a pro, Lisa. I love that.
Lisa Thank you. Well, it takes away from instinct, right? Where you're like, wait, I'm translating in my head for the whole 20 seconds.
Brea Yes. And if you are planning to take it in your native language, there's no worry about how that affects the overall group. Your manager or your team leader or whoever will be able to see your results in English or in their primary language. So even if you take it in a different language, they'll be able to see your results in their native language.
Lisa Yeah. And I think depending on the type of assessment you take, so you can choose a top five report, which is the basic standard. You can take a full 34 report or get the full 34 report, I should say. Taking the assessment is the same no matter what. It's which report you've paid to see. So the top five is the standard basic. You can also do versions that are role specific. There's one called CliftonStrengths for Managers. There's one called CliftonStrengths for Leaders. And there's one called CliftonStrengths for Sales. And those are all Top 10 reports. They show a little bit more to you. And then there's a full 34, where you can see the stack rank of all of the 34 talent themes from 1 to 34. No matter what, Gallup knows your stack rank from top to bottom. And And then if you pay to unlock, you can see the greater amount. So I think that's nice to know, because you'll see in your own personal intensity order from top to bottom, it doesn't mean your strengths are at the top and your weaknesses are at the bottom. But it means you'll get your strongest through supporting through lesser. I think that's nice to know, because when you're when they're taking it, I experienced from my corporate clients, sometimes they're like, Well, is it going to show what I'm terrible at? And then I'm going to get exposed at work." No, it's going to show what your top easy buttons are. It's like a showing of your top success factors, which things should you lean on in order to most easily leverage what makes you great. And that's what this list of talents is showing.
Brea Yes. So this is so good, Lisa. I just want to reiterate and maybe clarify a little bit the difference between the assessment and the report. So this is such a great point that you're making. The assessment is the survey that you take, the 200 questions that you answer. There is only one CliftonStrengths assessment. It's put out by Gallup. There are no free versions of this. Anything else is an imitation. Gallup has one assessment. Everybody takes the same assessment. then you have the choice of which report you want. I think the full 34 is the best place to start. That's just my personal opinion because it shows you your full 34 profile, which there are 34 total talents. So like Lisa said, you get to see that full ranking, but you can choose to do just your top five. You can also choose to do a different report that's taking your results and describing it for your role as a manager, or for your role as a leader, or for your role as a salesperson. All the reports, all the results use the same data from the CliftonStrengths Assessment.
Lisa Yes, that is a great distinction. And also mentioning the free imitations and some of those things. That's great to know about. You also made me think about things that they say after taking the assessment. I don't know if you've heard of any kind of trend quips, but I have a couple that I hear people say over and over. And one of them is, I'll show up in a large workshop, and somebody grabs me beforehand, and they're like, Hey, Is this some sort of, like, try-to-catch-me-lying thing? Because it asked me the same question, surely, it was 10 times, and I thought that was so weird. Why does it keep asking me the same question? Am I lying? That's so funny. No, it's not any kind of lie-catching algorithm. Think about the this or that. Do you like dogs and cats example that I gave? But what about if you say, I don't know, I'm kind of neutral. I absolutely adore dogs and cats equally. I cannot decide. You click neutral. But then if it says, what about cats versus snakes? And you're like, oh, I love cats compared to snakes. Well, see, you didn't give cats the vote before, but now you gave cats a high vote. And so that's what it's doing. It's taking it and putting it next to something else. Because how else is it going to make a stack rank if it doesn't give you multiple scenarios with the same thing? You're not in a trap if it keeps asking you the same question. Do you have anything like that you have heard?
Brea I've never heard anybody say it quite like that. It's just making me giggle.
Lisa Yeah, this is good. There's one other one I've heard several times. People are like, how does it come up with those questions? It's funny because some people are like, yeah, it's just really transactional. It gives you just a bunch of preferences. And then other people are like, it's asking me about whether I'm sensitive or I like history movies or something and there they have a little bit of an interpretation memory of what the questions were. But again, it's just asking you questions that get to these themes of talent that reflect how you think or feel or act when you're at your natural best. Most of the questions from workplace standpoint don't surprise people but there are a couple in there where they're like whoa this is like deeper life stuff and I think that gets to the theme of just this is you as a whole person don't try to answer it as the work you and separate it and say well the home me would be like this and the work me would be like that because the truth is You are a person, and you might reveal more of yourself at home or work. But back to Bria's point about just, like, give your instinct answer. That is a key part of what to expect here.
Brea I love that. Yeah, I think what I hear most from people is just, wow, how did that know me so well? You know, like it totally nailed it. So not always, but most of the time people just love their results. Maybe that's just my positivity that remembers those comments more, but most of the time that's, you know, what I hear is like, wow, is this a crystal ball, you know?
Lisa Yes. Well, now I lead through positivity in my Top 5 as well. So maybe we're introducing a bias here. But I will say I, I know that I hear that often. And they'll say, Gosh, based on the questions, I'm so surprised at how it came to this and how it describes me. I've had people say, Whoa, this report, it has said the nicest things about me than anyone has ever said about me. And then I have a lot of people say, Wow, this really nailed me and brought some unique perspective into the way that I work or think that I've, I've never been able to put into words. And then we, of course, can put it into their career brand and team assignments and all kinds of useful things. But it is always a surprise to a good handful of people how those questions translated into the outcomes and the, the talent themes that come out in the report. So I love that you brought that up.
Brea I love that and I want to squeeze one more quick practical thing in. A lot of times people take this at work and then they're like, wow, can my spouse take this? Can my kids take this? Can I use this at home or can I take this to a more personal place? And the answer is yes and absolutely. If you're thinking about kids, Gallup recommends adults take this CliftonStrengths assessment, which is usually like juniors and seniors in high school. and up. So if you have little kids, this is not the assessment for them. Gallup does have another assessment for them, but 18 and up or, you know, a junior who is just maybe a little bit ahead, I think I've used it with some juniors and seniors. Beautiful.
Lisa Yeah. Great mention in that CliftonStrengths for Students. And what's the book? Strengths-Based Parenting that Gallup put out, where there are some codes that you could use with your whole family?
Brea Yeah, it's amazing. I think Strengths-Based Parenting actually includes two codes, one for the parent and one for the child, which is cool.
Lisa Exactly. Beautiful. OK, so if somebody wants to work with you, Bria, on any of the aforementioned CliftonStrengths. How would they go about working with you?
Brea Yeah, so my website is really the best place to connect with me. It's BriaRoper.com. That's B-R-E-A-R-O-P-E-R.com. And you can schedule a quick little chat. We'll meet each other and see if we're a good fit. And if not, no big deal. No pressure. What about you, Lisa?
Lisa Well, LeadThroughStrengths.com is where you can find the website. And in the context of the conversation today, I would point people to the link in the top navigation called Buy Codes. And that way, if you want to buy a code and you haven't yet, now you totally know what to expect and you will be ready to go. You can just grab one on your own and then pick up the phone and find yourself a coach from there. And that's a future episode that we'll cover. What do you do after you get this report? What could you do with coaching and what could you do with it on your own?
Brea Yes, I'm so excited for that conversation.
Lisa Amazing. All right. Well, with that, we are so happy that you're interested in your strengths and love that you now can have a greater view into how your strengths can act like your easy buttons for life.
Brea Awesome. Go live your strengths, people. Go take the assessment if you haven't already. Take it. Discover your strengths because you are awesome.
Lisa You are. Go do it as soon as possible.
Brea Right now, just go right now.
Let’s Connect! ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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| How to Pick a Coach | 11 Aug 2024 | 00:24:34 | |
About This Episode This episode is all about how to choose the coach that’s right for you, right now. Listen in as Brea & Lisa discuss what to look for in a coach, the different types of coaches available, the importance of finding a good fit, and more. If you're considering working with a coach, this episode will give you some great insights and advice. Check it out! Work With Us! If you need a Strengths Hype girl, for yourself or your team, connect with BREA at brearoper.com. Whether you bring her in to deliver a keynote, training, or workshop… or, you’re looking for an expert guide to support your internal Strengths efforts… Brea’s ready to create a custom solution for any need, any budget. To work with LISA, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership. Takeaways Not all coaches are created equal: For as many different reasons you might hire a coach, there are different types of coaches out there. Just like an athlete might have several types of coaches for different needs, understanding the different types of professional coaches will help you pick the one for you.
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Let’s Connect! LISA Website | LinkedIn | Facebook BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
Remember, you already have everything you need to succeed! Sometimes, you just need a coach to help you see it. 🌟Reach out to a coach today!
AI-Generated Transcript Lisa Hi, I'm Lisa. Brea And I'm Brea Lisa And today's topic is how to pick a coach. Brea How do you pick a coach? Oh, man. What a great question. Lisa I know it makes it makes me go in a lot of angles. And the first one is so many people I run into don't even know what a coach is. Of course, they know what a basketball coach is. And when you get into our world of strengths coaching, they're often thinking strengths and conditioning coaching for sports. And then what about the rest? And I want to hear your opinion, Brea. For me, I think there are a lot of kinds of coaches. Of course, people have heard of a life coach. Maybe people have heard of a CliftonStrengths coach because of our world. But then also, I think of other categories like a position coach would be in sports. So if you were on a basketball team, would you have a position coach for a forward? Or would you have a strength and conditioning coach more for other elements of the game? So I think that is important. You could have a business coach, you can have an entrepreneurial coach, you could have a position coach who's actually been an expert in a role that you've been in, then you can have a mindset or growth coach kind of person who helps you observe your brain. You could have an accountability coach. You could have a mentor coach who's been there, done that, and they're more advicey, whereas most coaches are going to be asking you the questions so that you can make the self-discovery. But that's not all there is in coaching. So once your experience, when you think about things like, what even are the genres of coaches that are available out there to people in the world beyond sports. Brea Yeah. Oh my gosh. I'm imagining myself as the person looking for a coach and I'm already scared. My head is already spinning. There are so many options and I don't know where to start. And what even is coaching and what do I expect? And it's a lot of money and is it going to work? I'm excited that we're having this conversation. I like the role coach. I see a lot of people that come in for that. They're in a new position at work. Maybe they just got a promotion or they're trying to get a promotion or they are in a managerial role, let's say, and so they want to be coached on how to be a better manager. Or maybe it's a parent who comes to me and says, hey, I have been pretty good at parenting up until this point. And then I had this other kid and like, wow, they are very different than me. And I just like the way I've disciplined the other kids not working anymore. What do I do? So whatever the role is, I think I see a lot of people that that come for that. Yeah. Lisa Yeah, I think that's great. And the same thing that you just described with parents, it happens with managers all the time where they say, Hey, I had this team and we were amazing together. And then these two people came in or something happened to someone on the team and everything changed. And I just can't get that feeling that I'm a good leader anymore. What's going on and taking that next level. And your growth. So I think what that brings me to is the idea that if you can pick a problem to work on, or a challenge to work on, even if that challenge is, Hey, I want to become a great leader. Or let's say you have something in your mindset - there's some narrative that comes on replay. I had one recently where a guy was like, “I'll never make over $100,000.” And he, he caught himself and said, “I don't know why that story replays in my head.” Those are great things to get a coach for, because they can help you get in there and get that out of there. But they help you observe your brain like that. Or something really specific you want to do really well at, like you said, come into the new job and do really great and get results. Anytime you have that challenge, obstacle or that next level you're trying to reach, aiming the coaching experience at something specific, I think, to your point about it being an investment, that's where you're going to tell the coach what you're wanting to get out of it so that you're aiming them at where they're taking the questions and the process. And then also, you're more likely to know whether you got something out of it, because it's not just a nebulous conversation about nothing. It is really directed at something you want to achieve. How do you view that when it comes to picking a CliftonStrengths coach? Brea Yeah, I mean, you're right. So many people think of life coaching. It's such a vague place to be. What are we going to even talk about? How are they going to help me? And yeah, so bringing your own problem or just your aspiration. I love working with people who have a specific challenge that they're trying to hit. How can we use your strengths to do this and do this successfully and with excellence and ease and enjoyment and all the things. I also really, really love working with people who are absolutely crushing it at work and at life or whatever. And they're like, gosh, this is going really great. How can I get more? How can I get more of this awesomeness? And as strengths coaches, we can do that. And I think there are many different kinds of coaches out there who can do that. So yes, it might be a problem. It also might be that you want to continue to grow in whatever way. Lisa Yeah, I think that's big because those are also people who are more likely to want to hire a coach, the ones who are always trying to uplevel, always trying to grow, always trying to become a better person or more of who they can be. Or even just the dreamers who say, I have this big aspiration and no one around me gets it. And either I get made fun of or no one understands. I just need someone to talk these kind of things through so that I can be my own compass instead of getting kind of slung around by the people around me and the reactions of people around me. I think it's a nice way for people in that situation to upgrade their peer group, so to speak, by finding a CliftonStrengths coach and having someone around them who really believes in them, often more than the coachee believes in themselves. Brea I love that. Earlier you were talking about limiting beliefs. We all have them. We're all working to overcome them. But to have a coach who actually has your best interest at heart, they really want you to win. I think that's what the best coach brings is they want you to win - whatever that means for you. That's all they want. They're not there with their own agenda. I've had some people come to me and they say, what can, what can I expect from coaching? You know, what's the outcome here? And my answer is always, well, what do you want? What do you want to get? Where do you want to go? That's for you to decide. If you can ask yourself that question and get really clear and bring that to your coach and say, look, Here's where I am today. Here's where I want to go. Then it's the coach's job to help you get there. That's it. And a lot of times what ends up happening, at least in my experience, I don't know, Lisa, if this is how you coach as well, but sometimes what people come in with we discover is not actually the real thing. There's usually something underneath the thing that is getting in the way or a limiting belief they may not even know they have. And so a good coach is, of course, going to be listening to what you ask for and also listening to what you're saying that you may not even know yourself and be able to reflect that back to you. It's good to have that expectation up front and to be open to there being something more - that maybe neither of you are seeing at the beginning. Lisa I love that point and how what it makes me think of is how so often, they'll come in with one thing. And then they're in the middle of the third call in, and they say, “Oh my gosh, I'm so frustrated with my mother in law right now.” And they're, they're talking about something that is totally off the path of where you've gone before, and they've come to you to help them get promoted in their leadership position. So they think it's off the table and they come in and they're saying, “Oh, my mother-in-law.” And then you say, Okay, and you help them step through what they can control, and how they're showing up in the situation. And they realize they can't change another person. And they would never expect that through your coaching conversation with them, where you can't coach the mother-in-law who's not there, and you can't control a third person's behavior. So if you help them see how they can show up in a situation and potentially change everything, both about how they view that person, how they decide to show up, and then they realize, Whoa, a coaching relationship, this could be anything, my mind's exploding. It doesn't have to be the thing I hired you for. It doesn’t have to be CliftonStrengths every time. I can change my mind three minutes before our call. I can talk about anything in life and you can help me up level and observe my own brain and see my patterns that affect the way my thoughts and feelings and reactions cascade through all of that. I think that's such a cool element of coaching that a lot of people discover. But now I'm going down a rabbit hole of what happens after you pick a coach. Can we back up to where you were going? Okay, you were getting down the idea of fit. And I would like to bring up the fact that most coaches will do discovery calls with you. So you can assess the fit with each person before you ever engage in the the money exchange - before you're ever actually engaged as a coach. As a professional coach, Brea, they're calling you. What do you hope they'll ask you? What would you advise them to be thinking of and going through when they're assessing fit with someone? Brea Well, gosh, this feels a little bit like one of my favorite movies of all time, The Wizard of Oz. I feel like the wizard, the man behind the curtain. I'm going to lift the curtain a little bit to what it's like on the coach's side. I'm actually assessing fit with the person on the other end of the call as well. So, I think the fit goes both ways, and personality is a huge part of that. Just like when you meet someone on the street, you're going to know how you feel with that person. Can you communicate easily and freely? Are the questions that you're asking being heard? Are you being listened to? Sometimes there are really great coaches out there that just have a different personality, different communication style, or for whatever reason, it's just not a good fit. And communication is key in life, but especially when it comes to coaching. So find someone that you feel safe with, someone that you feel like, I can talk about anything, right? You feel free and safe and heard. For me, that's, that's what I look for in a coach. And that's what I hope to provide to the people that I coach. Lisa Yeah, I mean it really does say it all. I think of it pretty simply too, just do you like them? Yeah. Do you respect them? If you totally don't respect them and they're saying things or even asking you questions, And it's in a way that you can't receive them, even if they're good questions for someone else, but they're not for you, then maybe you're not for each other right now. So that “style fit” to me, it's absolutely so important. I think that fit is important in all the ways. Even my replacement for the concept of selling is just like assessing fit. It's same goes for workshops, the same goes for coaching for any of those. Relationships, are we good for each other? And you want both parties to get something out of it. You want the person making the investment, the coachee, to say, Oh, my gosh, these hours change my life hour by hour, this is more than worth it. And you want the coach to feel enriched and growing and invested. And you want that to be mutual, a mutual benefit. And I love exactly what you said. And I also think that once you choose, it doesn't mean you chose. We said in the title, how to pick a coach. And I really specifically didn't say how to pick THE CliftonStrengths coach, because you might have a lot of coaches over time. You might go for a group coaching versus a one-on-one at some point. I'm a variety gal. I've had lots of coaches. I love having lots of different coaches. I don't think I've ever had more than five sessions with the same person. And it's not because a single person isn't adding value, but I guess in a group program I have. But outside of that, as in a one-on-one, I like the variety of how other people can observe my brain and bring different things to me. And then I start to see trends like, oh, this person's reflecting it back to me. So did two coaches ago. So did one coach ago. And they've said it in really different ways. And it helps me personally grasp it more deeply. And I think if I had the same person, I might not have understood it in a way that I could actually make the change. So I happen to be a variety gal, and I'm not in it looking for a marriage. So how do you handle that, Brea? Long-term, group, one-on-one, how do you look at all of that? Brea Yeah, I think same. I mean, I've had so many coaches over the years, and even at the same time, it's kind of like the friends that are in my life. I go to certain people for certain things. If I need someone to tell me exactly what's up, I want them to hurt my feelings. I don't want a yes man. I know who to go to for that. If I need someone to help me think creatively, then I might go to someone else. And I have coaches that fit those different boxes. So again, begin with the end in mind, right? Know what it is that you're looking for, know what it is that you need to grow, and that will help you choose which coach you want. But also, maybe you're high in CliftonStrengths Relator and you need to build that relationship over time. Maybe you want someone who you can build a coaching relationship with. Then there are coaches who also love to do that, and they want to stick with you for the journey. There are other coaches like Lisa and myself who are like, Hey, show up for one time, and we'll just go with what we've got and see you later. Bye. You know? So again, knowing what you want to get out of it, I think is super important. Lisa Yeah, and what you just brought up, that's another fit element. I do that often. I have this get coached link on my site. I don't require a discovery call. I don't require a bunch of backstory. I don't require an ongoing relationship. I'll just do a one off and a whole lot of coaches don't or won't because there's a whole relationship thing that can go along with it that really enriches it. That that's a unique thing that you just drop in and get a coaching session. And a lot of CliftonStrengths and life coaches wouldn't like that. And a lot of coaches wouldn't get out of it with what they're hoping for. So that's another one, just the offering. You know how I was talking about genre of coach - position coach, mindset coach, accountability coach, mentor coach…and then you layered in this thing about how you want that person to help you think. You know, do you need someone to take you in a creative angle? Do you need someone to be straight with you and call you on your BS? I love that angle as well. There are all these filters and questions you can ask yourself. And sometimes even what you might prefer isn't what you need. And I thought that was interesting, as you were talking. Yeah, so okay, sometimes what I prefer isn't what I need. So what I prefer isn't someone who is slow and present, but is what I need, and is how I grow. When I'm in the vetting process as a coachee, I try to make myself aware of that - where the person I need isn't necessarily the person I love being around the most. I love when coaches are super direct with me. I enjoy a quick answer, a quick-witted person. I appreciate advice. And then also, that may not be what I need. A lot of times I need a coach who sits there with a lot of silence and asks you a question. And if you sit for 15 seconds, not answering. They will just sit there with you. Let your mind work. And let me get present with my challenge. Let me get into it instead of the surface level responses that we want to give. I mean, it's probably a coach joke at this point that people say, well, I don't know. And then coaches will say, if you did know. Brea Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That was, oh man, the worst fit for me is to go to a coach and be like, I'm stuck here. I don't know where to go. And they're like, well, what do you think you should do? And I'm like, I don't know. That's why I'm here. Lisa And those are sometimes things like, could you figure that out before going in? Well, now that you heard Brea and I say that example, maybe, maybe, you know, and that'll be part of your question and your discovery. But those are all different styles. Sometimes it just unfolds after you've had a call or a few with a person where you understand their questioning techniques and how they help you observe your brain. So just know those things about yourself: · What do you like? · What's your approach? · What do you value? · What do you jive with? · Are you willing to make an investment in one or three sessions to see what you think? How do you approach all of that? Brea I think this is a really good, really good point is how unregulated, is that the right word? This industry is. And the word coach means something different to every coach who calls themselves a coach, okay? So it's important to get good, clear communication before you enter into that coaching relationship just to better understand what it is that we're talking about. Because, yeah, maybe someone calls themselves a coach, but they approach it more as a mentor, where they're saying, I've done this before, you know, I'm a little bit further down the road, let me help you and mentor you in your journey. Or they're a consultant or an advice giver, right? And they want to come with suggestions of what to do, and they're going to tell instead of ask, you know? And all those things are fine, right? Maybe someone wants to teach, you know, there's so much teaching that is possible, especially when it comes to strengths, you know, that understanding our strengths and bringing awareness, maybe that's the coach's specialty. So just know that the word coach doesn't always mean the same thing. And it's good to get clear on what you want and also what the coach brings to see if there's there's that fit. Lisa Yes, I love that. As you were describing that, it was making me think of, now I'm not a golfer, so hopefully I won't get any of this wrong, but I imagine how growing up in sports, we always watched film. So you watch the videos back of yourself playing. And it's a way for you to observe yourself the way the coaches did. I mean, coaches would come to you and they would see trends in your biomechanics or in something about you and they could come back and raise the issue, whether it's causing an issue in your performance now, or maybe it's going to create an issue in your body later if you keep operating your body with that motion. So I think about something like a mechanics review that would happen in golfing. And this idea of watching back video of your swing is kind of like what happens with a coach in our world because a coach is being the video. They're hearing things replayed back. They're hearing patterns in your language as the coachee. They're hearing narratives that you can't see because you're so close to them. And then they can replay the video back for you, metaphorically, because they're just reflecting it back to you with a different light and a different lens. They're helping you see your brain in action. And I think people can really relate to that. So if you're a listener and you've never had a CliftonStrengths coach or a coach of any kind, I think that's a good way to view it. That is a role that a coach plays that you really can't play on your own. I mean, you can be very self-aware. And we do some self-coaching, of course, as humans who are trying to grow. But you get a third party in there who can observe your brain and believe in you and your potential. You put those two things together, and you bring the questions that come forward and the conversations that come forward in those coaching calls. And that's where your life can really start to shift in big ways and much faster than you could ever do on your own. How does that resonate with you, Brea? Brea Totally. I actually have a client and a friend who, a client who's become a friend, who always says, if you want to get there fast, go alone. If you want to get further, go with someone. I think a coach can help you get further faster. Lisa Now, Brea, if they want to go further faster with a CliftonStrengths coach and they want to work with you after hearing all this today, tell them how to work with you. Brea Well, go to my website and schedule a call. I'd love to hear more about what it is that you're looking for and, and see if we're a good fit. Lisa And this is Lisa. If you are interested in working with me, if you go to leadthroughstrengths.com, on the main navigation, you'll see a link called Get Coached. And you can just book a single session straight away from there. And also, if you're interested in just looking at different coaches and what their styles might be at leadthroughstrengths.com slash about, you'll see some of the coaches that are on our team directly, and also some referral coaches who we really believe in, who are listed, so you can get a sense for different coaches, what their specialties are, and who might be a great fit, just by reading some things about their descriptions. So with that, We love that you're here and you're exploring coaching in your life and this idea that if you're suffering, it doesn't have to be a habit. Coaching can help you through that. But also, if you're just doing well and crushing it, hard work doesn't have to be so hard. And those are other things coaches can help you with. What would your closing thought be with finding a coach, Brea? Brea You have everything that you need to succeed. It's already inside of you. reach out to a coach to help you see more clearly what it is, the awesomeness that's already inside of you that you're working with, and just reflect back to you what is good and also maybe what you may not be hearing, but you already have everything that you need. Lisa Yes. And I'm just going to hype Brea because Brea is your strengths hype girl. I mean, if you need somebody to be like, I see it all and I'm going to get it out, go talk to Brea Brea Thank you so much. Lisa All right. We'll see you next round. Brea Bye.
Let’s Connect! LISA Website | LinkedIn | Facebook BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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| Getting Coached | 04 Aug 2024 | 00:23:30 | |
To work with Brea, connect at brearoper.com. She helps with talent development for teams and also does 1:1 CliftonStrengths coaching for individuals. To work with Lisa, check out team workshops and retreats at the Lead Through Strengths site. For 1:1 strengths or life coaching, check out the Get Coached link. For independent coaches, trainers, and speakers, get business tools support with our Tools for Coaches membership. About This Episode If you're curious about coaching or looking to make a positive change in your life, this episode is for you! So, if you're feeling stuck or curious about exploring your strengths further, don't hesitate to engage with a coach or seek feedback from those around you. Remember, awareness from assessments is just the beginning. Coaching will help you apply your strengths for more ease, energy, and excellence every day. Takeaways
Take Action ● Engage with a Coach: Take the initiative to reach out to a coach, like Lisa or Brea. ● Share Your Strengths: Dust off your CliftonStrengths report. Reread it to remind yourself of the goodness inside of you. Share your report with someone close to you and ask them to reflect on how they see your strengths showing up in your life. This external mirror can offer valuable insights and perspectives that may help you better understand your unique talents and behaviors. ● Create White Space for Reflection: Make a conscious effort to create white space in your daily routine for self-reflection and self-coaching. Avoid overfilling every moment with distractions and allow yourself the time and space to ponder on questions about your goals, aspirations, and areas for growth. By giving your mind the opportunity to wander and explore, you can tap into deeper insights and clarity about your path forward. Let’s Connect ● LISA: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook ● BREA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Listen to the full episode for inspiring stories and insights from the impact of coaching in our lives. If you're ready to explore the world of coaching and self-discovery, don't hesitate to reach out to us for guidance and support. Remember, investing in yourself is one of the best investments you can make! 🌟 AI-Generated Transcript Hi, I'm Lisa. And I'm Brea. And today's topic is getting coached. And more specifically, we're going to start with our first times getting coached and getting experienced with coaching and what this world even is. Brea, tell us about your opinion on this. The first time getting coached, first time doing a, an assessment like CliftonStrengths. Where do we go wrong? Where do we go? Let's dive into this one. Let's dive in. Oh man, my mind is spinning because for 15 years thought that “doing strengths” was taking the assessment. I've got my top five and I know my strengths. I took the assessment for the first time in 2001, 15 years later is when I talked to somebody about it for the first time. When I brought in a coach and that's where the transformation happened for me. So, yeah, I love this. Same. I waited a long time. I didn't know what a coach was. I was no idea. I knew what it was for sports. I knew every athlete needed a coach. I definitely saw the power of coaching. Someone observing your performance and talking to you about things you couldn't see for yourself. I had no idea in terms of our mindsets or business. There are so many types of coaches you could have. I didn't know it was a thing. In fact, the only perception I had of it was around performance issues in corporate. A lot of times people will talk about performance coaching when someone's on a performance improvement plan and they have issues. I actually had a little bit of a negative connotation when someone offered me coach in my first manager job. I was like, Oh, that's. Does that mean I'm getting noted for doing something wrong? And then luckily that's not what it was for. And also that coach really changed the way I was able to see myself. I absolutely agree with you. And I think that idea of having another human who can help you observe your brain in a way that you can't, can absolutely transform the way you operate in the world. And so many people don't know. That this thing even exists. They don't even know what a coach is. Oh my gosh. This is exactly what happened. I remember it so clearly in 2015, I had just moved from Kansas City to Dallas for a new job. And the president of this marketing company was bringing me in to essentially exit the company. He was looking to retire. A couple months into the job I bump into him in the hallway. He's usually out of town because I'm there now to run the day to day, but we bump into each other and I was just like, Hey, how am I doing? And he was like, Oh my gosh, it's so great. I feel so good. Being able to travel and knowing that Brea's got it taken care of down in Dallas. And I was like, oh, that's so great to hear. Thank you so much. He said, yeah, we should probably even talk about giving you equity in the company. And I was like, okay, I guess I'm doing pretty good, right? A couple days later, we have our scheduled weekly meeting where we just sit down and touch base and it's just He walked into the room and he fired me on the spot. No explanation. No, obviously no warning. It was very different than two days before, offering me equity in the company. I went home and I was just in tears and I was on the floor because I didn't even have furniture yet. It was still on order. It hadn't even arrived. So I'm in this puddle of tears on my apartment floor. And I just, I'm like, Oh my gosh, like what? What is happening? It has to be my fault, right? So that's what comes into my mind is what is wrong with me? And I had taken strengths before of course I didn't know where my assessment results were because you know Just like everybody else I put it in a drawer or trash can or whatever But it came into my head and so I get on the computer and I googled is strengths coaching a thing Wow honest Honestly, Lisa, just like you, I had no concept of professional coaching. I really have no idea where that question came from, but I Googled it and I found it. Hand to God, this LinkedIn article came up, the top 10 strengths coaches in America, which I've Googled is strengths coaching a thing several times since this experience. And every time it's strengths, like weightlifting, right? Yeah. So even the fact that I got what I was looking for, I think it's just a miracle. So of course I read the article, listen to this, Lisa. The number one strengths coach in America lived 15 minutes away from me. Oh, I went to her LinkedIn profile. This is how I know this. We had mutual friends on LinkedIn. She went to my church and. Her LinkedIn profile said that she was looking for pro bono coaching opportunities. And I was like I just lost my job. Pick me, this couldn't be a better timing. Yes. I have no idea what coaching is. I have no idea what I'm asking for, but my connectedness is like, ding ding ding. Like obviously I'm supposed to be a strengths coach, but I've, I have no idea that there was anything beyond the assessment. So that was a very long-winded response to, yeah, I get that coaching. What's coaching? Whoa. Now I want to hear what you thought of. So you obviously had to have engaged this person as your coach, right? I did. Yes. Then what did you then think coaching was? I didn't even know that I was asking for coaching or receiving coaching. Like I, I didn't even have that awareness, but I just knew that this feeling that I had retaking the assessment and seeing, rereading my strengths on the paper, it took me right back to my first experience in 2001 of I'm good. I just knew that I was supposed to be a strengths coach, but I had no idea what that was. So I thought I was asking her for an informational interview. How do you get clients? How do you make money? Do you make money? She invited me over to her home. She sat me down on the couch, poured me a glass of wine and five minutes into our conversation. She was like, Brea, have you ever been coached? Because it's apparent that I have no clue what the heck is going on. So she said why don't we start there? So I didn't even know that I. needed a coach or that, talking to someone isn't the same thing as an intentional coaching conversation. Because when she said, let's start there, we literally picked up our wine and we moved from the comfy couches back to the back of the house where her dining room table was. She pulled out her computer, she opened it up and we had a very different conversation. The energy shifted. Like I could tell, like we're doing something right now. She knew how they were getting in the way. And how they were controlling me instead of me being able to lead from my strengths. They were leading me, but not in a good way. And she recognized what I could contribute and what I wanted to do. She recognized that I love to start things and I love to come in early and get people moving and get people excited. What I remember most from that experience was one question. that she asked me. Tell us, what's the question? Yeah. So she said, what if that's your job to come in and start things? And I was like, what? You can do that? But that's the fun part. That's the easy part. My job is always to take it across the finish line - to do the hard work, to move it forward. That's what it had been in the past. That's what it had been. Yes. Who has a job where they don't actually have to do the whole job? We do. It was just, it was amazing because. How this translates to everyone listening is what if fill in the blank with the thing that you love to do the most, right? Fill in the thing that you would do for free, all day, every day, fill in the blank with the thing that just energizes you, that you find so much excellence in and enjoyment in. What if that was your job? Yeah. And that sets up coaching so perfectly because that problem we set up about how you can't observe your own brain. You can't see those connections she was making. And then in the solution of all of this, she's helping you remember. What you already know, if you just listen to your innate wisdom, if you just get closer to who you are, if you remember your awesomeness, this is, in my opinion, what coaches do that is so powerful. They help you observe what you can't see, and then they help you remember for yourself where you're headed, where you want to go, how you can align. You have so much power and potential in you that we just forget about. And they help you see it, but they help you come to it on your own. If they're incredible, like those questions, there was something that just clicked, and you're right. Coaches can help us see things that we don't see in ourselves. But most of the time, the reason we don't see them is because they are just so close to us that it's just so natural for you, to act in this way or to think this way that. We can't see it. We will never see our own face…ever. The thing that is closest to us, the very part of our body that sees, we will never see it. We will only ever see a reflection of it in a mirror or an image of it, in a photo. Or we can. Maybe have someone else reflect to us what they see on our face, like a booger or, a piece of spinach in your teeth. But we depend on something external to reflect, to give us feedback because it's so close to us that we will never see it. And I think that is True. Also with our behaviors and like you said, our brain and all those things. Yeah. And then a coach, because they have another brain, they reflect something to you that you already know if you had paused or if you really stopped to observe yourself, maybe you could pick up some of these things, but you get it from a different perspective. They asked the question in a way you wouldn't have asked it of yourself. They process it in a way they wouldn't have processed it. I remember when I had my first coaching experience, it was for this manager program. They assigned one to all of us. And I remember her saying, “Lisa, you can get your messages with a feather or a hammer…” “…And it seeming to me like you're choosing the hammer repeatedly.” And that's really stuck with me because it was about the same timeline, probably as yours. It's been a long time, but I remember those words because they struck me like a hammer. But they struck me because it's true. I was having this tendency to discard anything that felt like intuition, anything that felt like a gut feeling I would be like, Nope, that needs to be validated by logic. So I'd go through my logic process and make sure it felt good. Or I would work harder and harder and harder because I think there's some, something about the value of hard work because it felt hard. I thought that was more valuable. I would keep like brute forcing my way through things. She was talking about these feathers where she's the signs are there. The message is there if you'll tune in and listen to it. But when you start to get those messages, you shut them off and decidedly say, no, I'm gonna run it through this other process over here to make sure it's right. It's still something that I'm working on, letting in, and now I get my messages with something in between. I'm not now waiting for the hammer to take me down, but she's if you'll listen to the lighter voices, if you'll listen to the feathers, they'll guide you in the right way. Now those aren't words I would ever use. At the time that just felt so woo to me, the way she presented it, but she could ask these questions of me. About a time when I did listen, about a time when I did live a life aligned. With the way I imagined it. I remember her taking me through visualizations of a perfect morning and things like that, where I was like, wow, no one's ever asked me questions like this, and they felt so out of sorts for me, but also intriguing, but also not real life. It was just like, she's taking me through imaginary land, but I'm totally going to go there and imagine it. Yeah. At the same time. A handful of years before I used visualizations for sports all the time. And just because it was in another environment, I thought that's what you do, coaches do that sort of thing, or that's what I do to prepare myself to visualize how I want this game to go, but why not the game of life? I didn't. No, that was a thing. And I had to have a person take me through the experience before I ever knew what it would be like to coach someone else. You have to get coached and you have to experience someone else observing your brain and asking you the questions so you can remember your own awesomeness. Isn't that so true? And it's so funny how with things like sports, things like art, music. We don't call them coaches, but you get a music teacher. Maybe there are so many places in our lives where coaching or having that external feedback is applauded, sought after it's necessary even for growth, and when it comes to talent. It really breaks my heart to know so many people who over the years have told me, gosh, Brea you're so lucky that you have such great musical talent. I'm not talented. I'm just Joe Schmoe over here. For us to limit talent to athleticism or music or art. It's just so sad to me because everyone has talent and everyone will improve. There's exponential growth opportunity when we lean into that, when we invest in it. And coaching is one of the best ways to do that, to get that outside perspective. I just, I love it. It's there for everyone.
Yeah. Accessible for everyone. I like how you proved that out with the pro bono experience that you had. So let's say if we ended with a favorite thing that could be a resource, a technique. Let's say someone's in the position you were in when you got fired, you're in the puddle on the floor, and you're like, thanks, I'm listening to this episode and I need a coach. And how am I going to get a coach? Or What am I gonna do with this info when I don't have the money to invest with one? What is something that would be. place. What's one of your favorite things? Yeah. My favorite thing is engaging with a coach and you never know until you ask. Reach out. There are coaches, there are so many different places and opportunities for you to connect with coaches. Don't be afraid to ask. But I think even before that, just talk to somebody about. If you can pull that out and just have a conversation with anyone, share it with your partner, share it with someone who knows you well and just say, Hey, do you see these things in me? Especially if there are things in your report that don't really resonate with you, either you read the words on the report and you're like, Ooh, that's not a strength. Or maybe there's something on there where you're like, I just, I don't know that's me. I don't really see that in myself. Give it to someone who knows you well and who sees you regularly, show up in your life and ask them, let them be that mirror back to you and say, yeah. I see this in you all the time. And let me tell you exactly when, I saw it last, allow them to be that mirror, even if they're not a trained coach, that feedback is still so powerful. That's a great one. It doesn't cost you any extra money. You already have the report and…bonus…they get to read all these nice things about you and then tell you about times when they show up. That's perfect! Bonus. Love a bonus. Love a bonus. I'm going to play off of your mirror theme because you were talking about how that self-awareness the most you're going to see is your own reflection. And something I see, especially with our corporate clients, but just anyone who lives that very busy life where you're always trying to cram in more and more. It's such a thing. To fill every crack, every moment that you can with something else. So if you're that person who does maybe right now you're listening to a podcast while you're out for a walk, while you're doing the dishes, while you're doing other things, I would actually say one technique that's worked very well for me for self-coaching is to require myself. To not fill those cracks with extra things, because if your mind never has the white space to consider, and you're just thinking on some of these things you want to think on, like when you asked yourself, is coaching a thing? And then you decided I want to change my career. What would it look like to change my career? Now, if you had just filled your ears, As many people do, fill your ears with learning. I'm going to take a class while I'm on a walk. I'm going to get all the information I can. The information isn’t as rich as if you would just sit with that thought and allow yourself to actually consider it on the walk while you're in nature. Asking. What would life be like? What could it be if I made it up? You are asking questions of the coach. Do people make money at this? What would the revenue streams look like? What would be fun for me? How could I add value to other people's lives? And just all those kinds of the way that your mind will wander with questions and thoughts and dreams - when you give it space. So my technique is to get yourself a stop doing list. Stop over filling every crack and crevice of every minute so that you can have that thoughtful, reflective time to do some of this self-coaching, self-reflection, and, self-understanding stuff that doesn't happen when you fill it up with constant learning or constant business, busyness. I love that. I love that so much. Okay. Now, if a listener is okay, this coaching thing, I'm going to finally try it. I want to work with you, Brea, tell them, how do they work with you? Yeah, go to my website, BreaRoper. com, B R E A R O P E R. com, and schedule a quick little call. There's no pressure. It's no cost. If I'm a good fit, great. And if not, I know a lot of other great coaches that I can refer you to. Beautiful. And if you want to work with me, I'm Lisa, and I'm out at lead through strengths. com. And in the main menu, there's a link called get coached. And I actually work different from decent amount of other coaches in that I'll do just one off sessions. If you are not ready to invest in a big package, you can just drop by, drop in, grab one coaching session whenever you Need one. That's such a gift. Yeah. There is so much power in coaching over time, but not everyone can do that, and not everyone needs that in every situation. So if you're in a situation where you just need to talk to somebody to get unstuck, right now, what a great offering. Yeah. Thank you. What would your action item be for someone as we leave them today? Yeah. Engage with a coach, however, that makes sense for you, whether it's, reaching out to Lisa, reaching out to me, do something for yourself, invest just a little bit more beyond the assessment because the assessment, it's just the beginning, right? The awareness does you no good if you don't act on it. And. And I promise you that there is more in the assessment results than what you can see yourself. A trained and experienced knowledgeable coach will be able to deepen that awareness and help you take the next step on your journey. So reach out to a coach. Yeah. Yeah. Reach out to a coach. The theme of the episode is getting coached. So go get coached at a minimum, do yourself. And. Then do what Bree was talking about, where you grab the assessment results and you show it to somebody else. What a great way to get coached, or at least get some vibes of coaching out of something that you might just have sitting around in a file folder somewhere, and you've forgotten about it. And even if you read it in detail a year ago or three years ago. You're going to pull something out of it. That sounds totally different in the context of what's in your life today. So yeah, with that, go get a coach. All right. See you all next week. Bye for now. Let’s Connect | |||
| Your First Strengths Experience | 28 Jul 2024 | 00:17:48 | |
To work with Lisa, head over to Lead Through Strengths To work with Brea, check out BreaRoper.com
ABOUT THIS EPISODE Lisa discusses how reading "First Break All the Rules" as a manager changed her perspective on her team members and led her to appreciate their unique strengths. Brea remembers how taking the assessment as a freshman in college provided her with language to articulate and appreciate her unique qualities that were often misunderstood or undervalued. The co-hosts emphasize the importance of understanding and valuing the strengths of others, even if they differ from our own. They encourage listeners to explore all 34 talent themes and appreciate the value each one brings. The episode concludes with the concept of strengths as "easy buttons" that can make work and life more enjoyable and productive when leveraged effectively.
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TAKEAWAYS:
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QUOTES "It's so difficult to change what you perceive as wrong with somebody, and so easy to leverage what is right." - Lisa “The assessment helped me value myself, and find people and opportunities and places that valued what I had to contribute." - Brea “You get what you focus on. If you focus on all the things people are not, or all the things you wish they could be, you're obsessing in the wrong area." - Lisa "Hard work doesn't have to feel hard. When we lead through our strengths, we get to use our easy buttons for more energy, happiness, and greater results." - Brea
AI-GENERATED TRANSCRIPT Hey, I am Lisa. And I'm Brea. And today's topic is...your very first strengths experience. Ooh, I love it. This is a great one, Lisa. Let's talk about ours. I think we could introduce our first experience with strengths and people could really relate to why it makes sense to bring strengths into an organization, to a team, or for their own self development. What? Two ladies that lead with communication telling stories? Come on. Who'da thunk it? For me, it was the year 2000. I was a manager for the first time and I read First Break All the Rules. It felt a little bit rebel. I found that book. I could, I was so overtaken by it. It was like, struck with the awesomeness. It resonated with everything I felt on the inside, but had never heard or read about in a business book and I brought it into my team. So I had all my direct reports do it and I did it. And it was so insightful for me because I had a couple of people on the team that. As you take your team on, whether you're a new manager or not, you often inherit a team. And so they're not necessarily built the way that you would have hired it. And they're not necessarily who you would have selected. In my case, that was good for me because what I realized after doing the assessment with the team was a couple of people who I thought were really high maintenance. I realized. Oh, they're really valuable and I have not been able to see their value because they don't act like me, they don't think like me, they don't get the job done like me. And I had been wishing for that. And what I perceived as slow or resistant to change. Or dragging their feet every time we would try to implement something after doing the strengths at the time it was called StrengthsFinder. Yeah. And after doing that with everyone, I realized the value that came from their perspective and I, it just opened my eyes so much to how I had really wanted everyone to just be a clone of me, even though I didn't consciously know that. And those who I thought were high maintenance suddenly could be the other part of my brain that I didn't have. And I needed that kind of value on the team and it, and I didn't have a facilitator. I didn't have budget for a workshop. I just led my own. Cut Q and a with the team and we spent a half a day talking about our results and how they affect our work and how we could use those to benefit each other and our customers. And it was absolutely career changing. So that was my first experience. It's what got me hooked. I used it with every team after that. And then eventually in 2015, started doing this full time, but it definitely changed everything about the way I thought. It changed all the rules. Is that what you're saying? Pretty much. Let us rewrite them and rethink them and realize it's not what you think. I love that your story makes me think I wonder how many managers, leaders are out there just like you were, and they're hiring for value or strengths or talent, or however you want to say it, they're hiring for it. Outside of their company, right? They're spending time and money and resources when. It might just be a perception issue. Maybe the value is already there in the people on their team and they're missing it. What an amazing gift that was for you to be able to not just change your perception, the way you feel about the people on your team, but also to be able to maximize what they're able to contribute. That's incredible. It's such a good placeholder for what happens in work. It's what happens in people's relationships. When you're coaching people one on one, you hear about their intimate relationships where they're focused on what the person is not. Yeah. Instead of who they are and what they appreciate about them. You get what you focus on. If you focus on all the things they're not, all the things that you wish they could be, you're obsessing in the wrong area. And if you could spend some time in appreciation, understanding what they do bring, where they are coming from. Even then I thought I assumed positive intent. I thought I had a good perspective on all of this. None of this was, a conscious effort to say, I want you to just be exactly like me, but it was still happening. And I think because we have that, Negative cognitive bias as humans. We're always looking for the outlier thing or the risk element. So you look at the thing you need to fix and it keeps you stuck in what is wrong instead of exposing what is right. And leveraging it because it's so easy to leverage what is right. And it's so difficult to change what you perceive as wrong with somebody. What you just described - it's absolutely - it's such a stand in for the perspective we have, some of these natural tendencies we have, and how powerful it is if you actually just consciously redirect your brain into what already works. About them, what already is amazing about them and how you can use that for benefit, for themselves and for you and for the team, for the world. It's so true. It is so true. And also it's so hard because we don't know what we don't know. And we can only. We can only see the perspective that we see until we have different language. And this actually connects really well with my story. I was on the other side certainly as an employee where I felt misunderstood. I felt undervalued. I felt like my manager, didn't understand me and I felt like I had more to contribute and no one that wanted what I had to give, no one valued me. But it actually started even before that just. As a teenager growing up in my house with parents who are fantastic and also very different than me. When I would talk back to my mom as a teenage girl, she heard it as talking back, as pushing back, as fighting. I just wanted to be heard. My high communication knew that what I was trying to share with her wasn't being understood. And so I would try to clarify and try to clarify and try to clarify. So her perspective and my perspective, there's a mismatch there. Yeah. I can just imagine as a communication, so you're so high in communication and you might be asking questions to clarify and understand and think it through. And she's taking that as, Hey, sassy pants, why don't you get back in your place as my child. I was grounded pretty much my entire life because of that, and if I had known if I had the emotional awareness or the language of this is a talent, it's called communication or it's called command or it's called, whatever. I could have approached that differently, but I didn't, and if she had the language, she could have approached it differently, but she didn't. And so I think whether it's in a personal situation or in, an employee professional situation, do we value ourselves? That's what I, I think. What I got when I first took the assessment, I was a freshman in college. My, my college paid for all incoming freshmen to take the assessment, get their top five. And I remember reading this piece of paper that described qualities in me that I knew were true. I have always known that I'm a precious little snowflake and love that about myself. Okay. Okay. But now I have this piece of paper, it says these things about me and the things that I had been punished for, disciplined for, now are being praised. Now this piece of paper says, these are good about you. And I'm like, I know. So I think that's what the assessment brought to me was it helped me to value myself and it gave me language to, to help me. Kind of refine that and and look for people and opportunities and places that valued what I had to contribute. Oh, that's so incredible. It's making me think of this time when I had a one on one coaching with a sales executive and it, his first strengths experience. He was like, Yeah. I think I'm near tears because no one's ever said anything this nice about me. And it was, he was reading the report. He's literally talking about what the report is saying about him. And I'm like, yeah it's your inputs just reflected back and how these things could be amazing for you. And somebody else. Actually now sees it, puts it in words, frames it up in a way that could be useful instead of these liabilities or overuses. It's so cool the way it's oriented to what you already know about yourself. You already knew you were awesome. You just needed the. Yeah. But isn't it amazing? And I've, I know that we're not the only two, everyone listening to this has their own story. Maybe someday we'll have a way that they can come and leave comments. Do you have a place like that on your website where people can share their stories with us? What I think would be fun is if people left it in the review, if you could be like, come tell us in your review, what your first strengths experience was, where did you get exposed? Where did you turn your mind on to the fact that you're listening to this episode? Because you're at least curious about what it could mean to think from a strengths lens. So yeah, come tell us in the review of the show. Yeah. I love that because also that will help other people find the podcast and maybe find strengths for the first time. So they can have their own first experience. So great suggestion. Exactly. A nice tie into first experience because they come around and they look at what people have written and say, Whoa, maybe I need to give this a shot. Yes. So big shout out to all the managers out there who are ready to break all the rules. Really encourage you to keep listening here. To learn how to apply strengths in your teams and at work every day. And also big shout out to all of those in higher education who are making this available to your students. I have such a heart for strengths, at the college university level, because it literally changed my life. And. Gosh, I just said the thing that I always get mad when I hear other people say it. The assessment didn't change my life. It helped me to change my life. There's no magic bullet out there. Let me just say that. But it is so powerful. So shout out to all the people doing all the good work. Absolutely. Yeah. And I like that because you're introducing that favorite things section and mine for short, just tied into this episode would be go read first break all the rules. If you never read that book, especially if you're a people manager, it is really an incredible thought that here we are 20 years later after I read the book, I still think we're just Back where we used to be in terms of break fixing all the time and only being in problem solving and perfectionist mode in the workplace. And we've come, a long way in many areas, but still it's not as far as I thought it would be. So reading that book and thinking about the rules and the narratives that are in your mind that you could. Reframe. I would definitely offer that as my favorite thing for this topic. What about you? Tool, app, technique, book, anything that strikes you? I think. I want to encourage people to spend some time looking at your number 34 to identify the value that it brings. If there, 34 or something that's at the bottom of your report, if there's something that consistently frustrates you that's what I was thinking when you were telling your story, Lisa. There are people. Who felt like wet blankets or people who would always say no to my ideas or, my positivity got hurt, like often came from what was at the bottom of my report. I couldn't understand what value they were bringing. I would encourage anyone listening to pick a talent theme that's at the bottom of your report and study it and learn talk to people who have that high, learn what the value that it brings and how it can specifically bring value to you, maybe in your work position or even just to the world so that you can appreciate it and be fascinated by it instead of being frustrated. Ooh, that's a really good one. So I know I put you on the spot, but. Talking about the assessment itself. What a perfect link to a first strengths experience. If you're a listener and you don't have your full 34, because so many people listen, they say, what there are 34. I only have five. Just go to lead through strengths.com and in the main menu, there's a link called Buy codes where you can buy codes. You could get an upgrade code if you haven't done CliftonStrengths yet with the full report. And then you can see that bottom that Brea is talking about. That is so insightful. I love looking at the bottom two and saying, who is someone I know that I really respect and love, and I just find. Absolutely adorable as a human who leads through this so that I can then transfer their intent onto other people, like maybe the person who's annoying you and say, but if they're coming from this other same place as this other person I love, why is it adorable over here? Cause it might just be used very maturely on the person you think is great. And then it helps you make that transfer so that you can also see the greatness in that person. And that person who happens to be annoying you that day. I love that. Especially when it's not, when the theme is not natural for you, it's not the way that you think, feel or behave at a, an easy button level, right? It's so hard to read about it. And fully grasp it, and love it. So making that a person, taking a real life person that you know and love. I love that. At least I think that's super super powerful. Yeah. It's a great suggestion. Thank you. So if someone wants to work with you, Brea, and do things like, Hey, I've got my 34. What do I do with this? Walk me through it. What do they do if they want to work with you? Yeah. It starts with just a quick little conversation. You can go to my website, which is Brearoper. com and click the button that says schedule a call and we'll hop on the call and talk about how we might be able to work together. Spell Brea for them just in case it's B R E A R O P E R. com fabulous. And if you want to work with me, Lisa, yeah, leadthroughstrengths. com specialize in team retreats and taking people through these first strengths kickoffs as a team. And then I also support coaches in launching their tools to be able to spread this to the world. With that. I think my closing thought on this is just realizing that this idea of strengths being an easy button for your life is such an incredible thing you can take away. You get your first strengths experience and you realize, Oh, I was making everything a little bit too hard. So that's my kind of closing visual is imagine it like having A top five or a top 10 set of easy buttons to help guide you through all the circumstances that pop up in your work and your love and your life. How about you? Hard work doesn't have to feel hard. When we lead through our strength, when we lead through our strengths, then we get to use our easy buttons for more energy, more happiness, and greater results. And you just heard it in action with Brea leading through communication command with the perfect like Hard work doesn't have to feel so hard. Strengths in action right there. So closed up with a bow. Can't wait to talk to you next time. See y'all later. | |||
| Meet Your Hosts | 21 Jul 2024 | 00:17:26 | |
To work with Lisa, head over to Lead Through Strengths To work with Brea, check out BreaRoper.com Finally, you can learn the answer to the riddle: | |||
| We're Baaack | 14 Jul 2024 | 00:02:04 | |
Woo hoo. The Lead Through Strengths podcast is back in action. In this quickie bonus episode, find out who my new co-host is. She's one of my CliftonStrengths besties. Weekly episodes re-start now. | |||
| Personal Branding Through Strengths | 18 Mar 2022 | 00:08:05 | |
If you want to register directly, you can find the next CliftonStrengths training at https://leadthroughstrengths.com/events/ To stay up on the latest quarterly training events as they're posted, I recommend joining our email list at https://leadthroughstrengths.com/challenge/ Other resources from the episode: Make your More Of List - https://leadthroughstrengths.com/moreof/ Hear the Ben Fanning Episode to tie your soul-filling work with your strengths - https://leadthroughstrengths.com/should-i-quit-my-job/
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| Free CliftonStrengths Training | 08 Jan 2022 | 00:04:29 | |
To stay up on the latest quarterly training events as they're posted, I recommend joining our email list here: https://leadthroughstrengths.com/challenge/ Or, if you want to register directly, you can find them at https://leadthroughstrengths.com/events/ | |||
| 3 Ways To Focus on Strengths In A Staff Meeting | 16 Sep 2021 | 00:12:13 | |
Also, come join our quarterly virtual training at leadthroughstrengths.com/events | |||
| New CliftonStrengths Manager Report | 29 Jun 2021 | 00:14:52 | |
CliftonStrengths for Managers Report See your Top 10 talents, and how they might help or hinder your personal leadership https://store.gallup.com/p/en-us/14216/cliftonstrengths-for-managers Attend our Open-To-The Public StrengthsFinder Training https://leadthroughstrengths.com/events Book a Private Training Event https://leadthroughstrengths.com/strengthsfinder-training/
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| He Refuses To Participate In StrengthsFinder — Should We Make It Mandatory? | 02 May 2021 | 00:09:32 | |
If Someone Refuses To Participate In StrengthsFinder, Invite Them To The Session Anyway Maybe it was a bad experience with another assessment tool, or the thought that another assessment is unnecessary. But if someone in your team refuses to participate in StrengthsFinder, it helps to gather insights behind the “why.” Chances are you can form or offer solutions that could win you into Team StrengthsFinder so everyone can experience the awesomeness of discovering one's true strengths. In today’s episode, Lisa captures the top reasons some people pass on taking the Strengthsfinder survey. Did they have a bad experience in the past? Can you convince them that you're using this to open up your understanding of each other - not to put them in a box? Is it possible to know your team member’s strengths without the assessment tool? Listen as Lisa answers these questions. Here’s the full transcript of the episode: You’re listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you'll learn to apply your greatest strengths at work. I'm your host, Lisa Cummings, and I gotta tell you, it's tough to find something at work that is more energizing than using your strengths every day. Now, in today's Q&A episode, I got a question that kind of challenges that opening statement. It's from a person who asked, “As a manager, what to do when someone on the team refuses to participate in StrengthsFinder? They don't like assessments, and they don't want to be stereotyped.” So, I'm saying, “Hey what's more energizing than using your strengths every day?” And this person is saying, “I don't know what to do. How am I supposed to use that person's strengths? They won't even participate." Now, and digging a little bit deeper, this person specifically said they don't want to participate because they don’t want to be put into a box. We've delivered training to over 20,000 participants. I think I can remember three people feeling like this, like saying, “These assessments are stupid.” Or, “I don't want to be put into a box.” Or folding their arms at the back of the room just not participating, showing up at the event but not doing the process. So, that is good news, and most people feel like, “Hey, oh you want to talk about how I'm awesome? Let's go for it.” But once in a while, you get people who don't want to participate. So first things first. I think that these kinds of tools and most training is best done in an opt-in kind of way if you're talking about personal and professional development. If somebody doesn't want to opt in to their own personal development, if somebody doesn't want to opt in to an event like this, trying to make them do it...“I just haven't seen that go well...” So, I always invite them in to the session, even if they haven't done the assessment. I always make it a point that they can decide later on, that they can take the assessment. I just tell them, “Hey, come on, try it and sit in the back. I won't bother you. See if you like the concepts. If you do, you can take the assessment later. There are some downsides to getting exposed to it before you take the assessment..." But the reality is they weren't going to do it anyway. So, let them come in. If they feel like it's a safe enough thing or it's an interesting enough concept, then most of the time they'll opt in later. Show The Appeal Of CliftonStrengthsOne of the reasons that they do change their minds is: if you think about CliftonStrengths, the chance that someone else will have your exact top 5 in the same order as you, it's one in 33 million. And I don't think it's lost on people that you do feel really unique when you're doing an assessment like CliftonStrengths. It definitely does not feel like putting someone in a box. The language is really easy. It's easy to understand and have conversations with each other on the first day that you're learning about it, but at the same time, when you know that it's one in 33 million that would have the same as you, 1 through 5 in the same order, that actually makes you feel like, “no boxes are being made at all.” So I do think it helps that “don't put me in a box” situation. And sometimes, just giving that proof point up front — because there are 34 talent themes that are potentially there, and then of those 34 we’ll usually focus in on their top 5 — that usually helps people not feel like you're going to put them in one of four categories and they're going to be in the corner of the room as the mean people or the weak people or the whatever people because usually that's where it's coming from. We're definitely not here to create stereotypes. What about when they've had a bad experience at another company? Maybe they've done Myers Briggs or DISC, or one where they're put into four colors, and maybe it was facilitated in a way where it just did seem like there were only four options and a couple of them were demonized. So I get it that people have some bad experiences and then they think it's dumb and they don't want to participate. Of course, the design behind those assessments is deeper than that, yet sometimes they get over-simplified in training events. Another approach to consider: if you have a solid relationship with this person, ask some questions like, "Tell me more about your reluctance." You will probably hear insights you didn't think about. For example, “Well, I don't like taking assessments like this. I don't speak English as a first language.” Well, great - you actually have a solution for them. You can do the assessment in many different languages. Maybe they’ll say, “Oh, the truth is I don't like doing assessments like this because I don't do well on tests.” Well, if you actually have learning disabilities or some other situations, you can actually call the customer service line at Gallup, and they can take it off of the timer. So I know that one can be touchy to talk about it. You likely don't want to get into medical issues with people, but if somebody does not like taking tests because of processing speed, it is something that you could offer up to them. Okay, so we've got the person who refuses to participate in StrengthsFinder because, “I don't want to be put into a box.” We covered that part pretty well. And you know that I like to do assessments in an opt-in culture kind of way. So invite them in to start participating at anytime. The second thing, we have different languages and different test scenarios that can be available for them. Although it's not a test. On the language part, I like to call it the StrengthsFinder tool or the CliftonStrengths assessment. "Survey" can seem a bit too informal, like it's not a valid instrument. Tool sounds useful and accurate (because it is). If you're talking to an HR team, the word "assessment" will ring true to them. It all depends on your audience. For me, "tool" is the most widely-appropriate descriptor. I know I'm nerding out on the nitty gritty words, but wow - the "test" thing can really wig people out. And then the last idea is, just let this person participate in their own words. So when we design our virtual training, we always take people out to tools that will say, if you have your top 5 focus in on XYZ — and when I say XYZ I mean, we've made tools for each of the 34 talents where they can look up their specific information. But if somebody hasn't, we have this extensive list of an inventory of words, where they can pick words that reflect how they get worked on when they are at their best. So we actually make the virtual training available so that someone could participate without having an assessment in front of them. We started doing that because people ran into budget issues and they were like, “Hey we want to run 100 people through this, but we don't have the money for assessments right now.” And then we could have strength-focused conversations, regardless of whether they had an assessment. So it's also handy for someone who didn't get to take the assessment because something came up. Maybe someone in the family died the couple of nights before your StrengthsFinder training. And now they're at the event, and boom, they don't have anything to go on, and I don't want to alienate them. So that's one solution as well. And one way that you could do this, if you go to leadthroughstrengths.com/challenge, you will see a page where we do this 12-week process. It's kind of like a team challenge for you to run a 12-week process of asking people about their strengths. Eleven of the 12 of those questions don't even mention anything specific about their talent themes. They are literally just thinking of what puts people at their best. So you can get them participating in the process, just have everyone on the team sign up for that, and have the discussions as a team and learn what puts people at their best. You don't have to have a language. CliftonStrengths is a total shortcut. It can be like a decoder ring. I would use it every time - it's almost like having a human instruction manual for each person on your team. You can get to this faster with a tool like StrengthsFinder, yet you can uncover similar things about each other with meaningful conversations over time. I love CliftonStrengths because it makes everything so much easier. It gives you a common language and helps you really understand who shares some similar talents, and that helps them understand how to apply them more quickly. I mean it's my favorite assessment by a mile. At the same time, we don't have to have a tool in order to have strengths conversations. So that's one thing I would do as a team, is get enrolled in that challenge. It's free, and that way you can start to have those conversations without the tool as a requirement. Guide People To Their Strengths By Recognizing Them At Their BestThe last thing is, especially if you are a people manager — but this would go for anyone leading an effort like this — if someone refuses to participate in StrengthsFinder (or any training you're delivering to get strengths-based conversations going), just start looking for their strengths anyway. You know when they're at their best, and if you've recognized it, you are now showing them that you see them when they're at their best. You don't need an assessment to tell you where they really rock. And they don't have to have a tool to figure out where they really rock. Sometimes it gives you a whole new filter for looking at things. It gives you a whole new set of language that maybe you haven't considered. So of course, the tool has benefits - yet it's not the only way to get there. Usually, I find that people are really good at describing what they know, kind of like the skills and experiences stuff they're really comfortable with. But when you talk about how you work, how you relate to people, how you make decisions, how you do critical thinking, those are the areas of these natural talents where people aren't as good at knowing their own. That's one reason I love the assessment because it brings it out and they're like, “Oh yeah I already know this but I wouldn't have said it.” So if you are on a strength-spotting mission as a manager, or a teammate who's trying to spot it in someone but you don't have their list of talent themes around you, just watch for what they do well and think of things like that.
Those are some really good categories if you go through. They'll help you spot their strengths, regardless of having any assessment. And the good news is, the likelihood is, once the momentum gets going in the organization, they're going to join you, because they see that it's being used for good and not for evil. So with that I will see you for the next question. Bye for now. Additional Resources To Help You If Someone In Your Team Refuses To Participate In StrengthsFinderCheck out this episode to help you articulate the best advantages of StrengthsFinder for your team, as well as the practical applications for your strengths. Far from putting you inside a box, Lisa's guest Adam Seaman thinks that as you access the tool deeply, not only will it confirm how you already see and describe yourself, it will also guide you on what to do with those strengths. But you may ask, is there proof that strengths-focused development works? See the data-driven proof points from Gallup research in this episode, which shows the difference in effects when you invest in your strengths versus when you invest in something that you’re just average in. That’s because strengths are easy buttons for better performance. When you focus on what feels easy for you (which may not come easy for other people), that allows you to be more productive and to contribute better to the team. The more these natural talents are consistently noticed, the more you are encouraged to cultivate them. Focusing on your strengths really works the magic. | |||
| Team Is Under 10% On Influencing Strengths — Is This A Weak CliftonStrengths Lineup? | 18 Apr 2021 | 00:08:20 | |
Influencing Strengths Not Part Of Your Top 5? Chill, You're Not Alone It’s totally normal for you or your team to hope for a balanced distribution of themes across all four domains of strengths: strategic thinking, relationships, executing, and influencing. You may think that you are not as productive and effective if you lack the talent themes from one or more categories. For example, being low or bare on influencing strengths could make you feel you are disconnected, unconvincing, or misunderstood. The thing is, CliftonStrengths assessment might surprise you. Ideal does not mean evenly spread. In fact, when you look at the database of all people who have taken the StrengthsFinder assessment, you'll see influencing strengths in 15% of the top 5. If you're doing the math with us, you've already picked up on the fact that each domain does not get a tidy 25% count. So no worries. If you have 5% influencing strengths or 20% on your team, the secret is to work with what you have. Here's Lisa Cummings to show you how (full transcript of the episode): You're listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you'll learn to apply your greatest strengths at work. I'm your host, Lisa Cummings, and I gotta tell you, it's tough to find something at work that is more energizing than using your strengths at work every day. Today we are in a season of the show where we are moving into question and answers from you, the listeners. Today's question: “We're just starting CliftonStrengths with the team, and we noticed a lack of influencing strengths." So she goes on to ask about how to address this as a team. They have already talked about how to address when you have a "deficiency." I'm putting that word in quotes, about when you're missing a talent as an individual person, but how do you address these ideas as a team? Now first, if you're new to CliftonStrengths or the book StrengthsFinder 2.0, when she's mentioning influencing themes, that is one of the four main domains of talent. Some people call these the four leadership domains. Sometimes I call them the four demands on our personal leadership. Beyond Influencing strengths, the other categories are:
So the first thing to know is — hey, good news, this means you’re normal! When you look at the whole database of people who have taken CliftonStrengths — more than 24 million people — that instances of influencing strengths (talent themes) in the top 5 is 15%. So it's not an evenly spread dynamic. So that is the first thing. If you are on a team and you're trying to make all four domains have a nice tidy 25%, stop trying that. It's not how the human population looks — at least the population inside of this database, which is quite large. And spend a little bit more time learning to work with what you got. Work with what you got. You know what I mean? Let Desired Outcomes Guide You On How To Apply Your StrengthsSo, as I think through that, my answer is really to get a little bit more focused on the outcomes at work, rather than obsessing over the strengths. So one of the things that I see teams do is they do an assessment like CliftonStrengths, and then of course all you want to do is talk about the strengths language and do things like, “Oh, I have the Focus talent, how can I go use Focus as talent? Or you lead through Relator — "How can I go use my Relator today?” That's totally natural and there's not really anything wrong with doing that. But in a workplace and in a team setting, where I think you'll get extra bang for the buck, is to think about the outcomes you're trying to achieve as a team. And then think, “In order to reach that outcome, how can I use the talent themes that I have?” So we're coming at it a little different way, and it's using the themes as your easy buttons to get the outcomes done. So if I make this a little bit more practical, let's say you have a goal as a team to improve customer satisfaction by 10% in the next quarter. If you were coming at this from the outcome perspective, now you have something to apply your strengths to. Now you have something really practical. "Okay, I'm going to improve my customer experience. So, if I'm going to improve my customer experience, and I see that I have Activator in my top 5, I think this means I should be able to take action quickly. I can make phone calls to them really responsively. If they have some feedback that we should jump on and make part of our process or operations, I can get on that really quickly." This influencing strength is going to come in handy when I want to create momentum. Let's say you lead through Empathy (a relationship talent theme), and you actually have a customer going through a tough time, you could apply your talent by really helping them see that they've been heard and understood and that you are fully feeling them out. You're not trying to blow off their response or their complaint. You know when you lead through Empathy, there's something really deep there about the spidey-senses of you understanding what they're going through. So on those two examples, what comes first is the outcome, not the talent. If instead, you're out there saying, I lead through Discipline, what are all the ways I can whip that out? It makes it actually a little bit tougher. It sounds like it would open up the world to you but then it just seems overwhelming and you're not really sure what to do with it. So instead, when you're getting started, think of the main outcomes as a team, and start to drive conversations around that. The outcomes you're trying to achieve, and then use the strengths like they're tools, or the talent themes like they are tools, like they're your easy buttons for getting it done. The other benefit is that talent themes from any domain can be influential. So - remember that we were worried about not having enough influencing strengths? In the examples above, both Activator and Empathy were influencing the customer experience metrics. One is technically an influencing strength, and one is a relationship strength. Yet, as you can see, they're both influential when you look at them from the outcomes perspective. Now when this question started, you were asking a little bit more of a team level, not just the personal level. One thing you heard in the answer that I just gave, is that it's more of the personal action that you would take. And I do believe personal actions roll up into team outcomes because you started the conversation with team outcome. But the other thing is, if you want to look with the team and say, “Okay well what are the vulnerabilities that we have as a team? What are the opportunities that we have as a team since we appear low in influencing strengths?” And though it is more of a rolled-up conversation, you can still apply the exact same process. You will get the talent themes that you have and apply them. To Bridge A Gap In Influencing Strengths, Think Chain-Link FenceIf you find, for example, “Oh, well, we're still feeling the pain that we don't have that many influencing strengths. And we do feel like we need to be able to influence and really move...create momentum in our organization; maybe be more persuasive - be more out front of things. We're leading a lot of change. How are we going to get our ideas heard without influencing strengths? Do we need to go hire a bunch of people and look for influencing strengths?” Well, no. Instead, what you can actually do is look at the ones you have and see how could you create a way of a conversation where you're partnering up a couple of the talent themes to act like they're influencing, or take the angle of it, that is influential. So for example, if you take the Analytical theme, it is technically categorized in the domain of strategic thinking. But if you're the one who slices and dices data and makes it really interesting, the way that you put charts in front of people, and it suddenly changes their behavior because it makes them buy in when you show your proof points, well, you're being influential through your thinking. It might not be an influencing strength on paper, yet it's an influencing strength in your actions and results. If you lead through Developer, and you've really watched a person grow and you've made each of their steps really acknowledged in front of other people, and now they are out doing big things in the world because you've unleashed their potential through your Developer — now this relationship theme has created a ripple of influence. They seem like influencing strengths in those examples, right?! So, don't think of domains like they have really hard lines delineating them. One coach that I know says, “Think of them like they have a chain-link fence between these categories, not like they have a brick wall between the domain categories." When I say categories I mean: relationship talent themes, the thinking themes, the influencing themes, and the executing themes. And that opens it up as well, because then you can think, “Oh yeah, I really create momentum because I get stuff done when I lead through my Achiever.” You can suddenly now open up and categorize them however you want based on how you see them actually getting results in the organization. In the example I just gave, the Achiever talent theme, which is technically an Executing theme - it's now operating just like the influencing strengths. Okay, with that, if you want to explore the themes in a little bit more detail with your team — go over to leadthroughstrengths.com/resources. And right at the top of that page you'll see a free webinar where I recorded a mini training for you. You can sit down with your team and have a really rich conversation about how to apply these strengths in practical situations on the job. With that, I look forward to hearing how you've claimed your talents and shared them with the world. A Few More Reassuring Resources If You're Still Worried About Being Low On Influencing StrengthsRevisit our episode where we answer the question: Is IT Bad If I Only Have 2 CliftonStrengths DNA Colors? Find out why having just 2 out of 4 CliftonStrengths DNA Colors (or strengths categories) is actually also cool. And if you like solving puzzles, this situation should excite you! Our Honored And Insulted episode is another great reminder that your experience at work should feel totally aligned with your values if you want to feel driven and motivated. While strengths are not an excuse to avoid weakness zone at work, you may not feel as energized if you equally give time and focus on your strengths and weaknesses, just to satisfy the 4 strengths domains. Again, focus and work more on your top strengths. You — and those around you — will thank you for it. See you on the next episode! | |||
| Strengths Based Conversations – Get ROE (Return on Effort) Today | 04 Apr 2021 | 00:14:43 | |
Team Questions and Active Listening Impact Strengths Based Conversations At Lead Through Strengths, our StrengthsFinder events are designed to help you dial deep into your strengths so you can understand yourself better and strengthen team performance. What better way to launch this goal into action than through meaningful activities and strengths based conversations that are grounded in your natural talents! But how do you keep the value of these conversations when your reality hits? Maybe these conversations feel weird to you over Zoom or MS teams. Maybe you don't know where to start, and you feel a little too woo-woo kicking off strengths based conversations when you're usually the person who gets right to business. Or maybe you prefer to leave the CliftonStrengths kickoff to the experts, so you're waiting for that to happen. In yet another idea-rich episode, Lisa Cummings and co-host Joseph Dworak will take you through fun and engaging ways you can create strengths based conversations, whether in full-length or “bite-sized” sessions, in-person or virtual. Even the popular online game World of Warcraft was an important part of their conversation, so join in. Lisa: You're listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you'll learn to apply your greatest strengths at work. I'm your host, Lisa Cummings, also joined by your other host this week, Joseph Dworak (claps and cheers). Joseph: Hello, hello. Lisa: We're going to talk to you about Strengthsfinder activities and strengths based conversations that help you go deeper as a team over time. Now, of course, in your ideal world, you hire Joseph to come in. He's your facilitator that you request. It's easy, because he has a bag of great tricks, because he's been doing CliftonStrengths for 20 years. But sometimes people come to us and say, “Oh, gosh, you know, I don't have the budget right now, but I can buy everyone a StrengthsFinder 2.0 book.” So Joseph, if we were going to share some of our favorite kinds of things that might give someone a path to have solid strengths based conversations, what are some of your favorites? Joseph: Yeah, I have to give credit to Chip Anderson, who was one of the founders of the StrengthsFinder movement with Don Clifton back in the day. I saw him do this in 2001... I just started going through my own strengths and I was at a retreat with a bunch of USC and UCLA students that we were with, and I was kind of getting into their groove and Chip Anderson had everyone take our glasses. And he did this whole thing about strengths being the lenses that you see the world through, and we all have unique glasses. And so then he had people divide up into the four quadrants, so people who have strategizing themes over here, and people who have Influencing things over here, and people who have Relating themes and so on. And then he would have a little bit like what you and I talked about before with a strengths mixer, where he would say, “What's the strength that you really like of your Top 5 and talk about it.” The other person has to actively listen for a minute and the other person can't interrupt. They actually have to actively listen, which is his own skill in this day and age. And they would talk back and forth. And he would do that for two hours. And he would just, "All right, switch partners. Okay, what's the strength that gets in your way sometimes, and why? “What's the strength that fits you best, and why? “What strengths combinations do you see working together?” And he would just keep rotating and rotating and rotating. And I took that one. And when I became a strengths facilitator about a year later, I'd be some version of that for, as you mentioned, 20 years now. And that's a great way where it's one-on-one, because some people do well in the group setting, some people do well one-on-one... Some people will do well just reading the StrengthsFinder book on their own and doing it. But that strengths mixer, that's what came to mind when you asked that question about a good strengths based conversation to get a team started. Lisa: I love that. One idea that I used recently for Zoom meetings, courtesy of Charlotte Blair — thank you, Charlotte — she had this idea of renaming yourself in Zoom with your talent themes. So say, for example, I renamed myself Lisa - Strategic, Maximizer, Positivity, Individualization, Woo, (do as much as you can fit). You might have to truncate a little bit, so it helps to leave your surname off. That works great, because as you're in chat, you can have conversations about your activities. As you kick off these strengths based conversations, you start to see people's answers. And because that's the name label, you can see how that strength showed up and colored their answer. For breakout room purposes, what I've been thinking about doing is: if you want someone in that mixer idea to be able to go in the same breakout room, then you pick a strength where you'd like to be matched up with somebody. You'd have to have a pretty large room. I would imagine it to be a 200-person kind of event for this to work. But let's say you want to find all the other people who lead through Learner. So you rename yourself Lisa - Learner, or I think you'd have to put Learner first so that'd be alphabetized: Learner - Lisa. And then the person who's facilitating could use those to make the breakout rooms because then you could quickly grab anyone who is listed by Learner first, and it would be in order. So I think it could be done. And if you had the team's reports in advance, and you wanted to pre-place people in breakout rooms, you can do that in technology. Pre-set-up your breakout rooms. Bite-Sized Activities: Keep The Strengths Based Conversations Short But EngagingJoseph: Yeah, and just a take-off on what you talked about where you have the common strengths: there's also the activity that I've done over the years where you have a certain amount of time and you have to find people who have strengths that you don't have. You ask them: What is that strength? How do you use it? What good is it for you? Maybe it's a strength that you're like, “Well, how is that even a strength?” But you can do the same in breakouts. You can even just be with 5 or 6 people and say, “Okay, I have these strengths. You have these strengths. I don't have Connectedness. Let's talk about that one. And how's that strength strong for you?” So that was an old Gallup activity from way back, probably when I first started, and I think you could do that in a virtual setting as well. Lisa: Yeah! There's one that I used to use in in-person events. Let's see. I would use this. It's like the spin-the-wheel sort of thing, where I would have the team brainstorm some challenges or questions that they're going through. And then you list the challenges as all the options, and then you can spin the wheel. And then you have to get into groups and really quickly say, “Alright, which strength could you lean on to solve for that issue? And how would it help you get through the challenge?” And so to translate it in a virtual environment, there are actually spin-the-wheel apps, so you can share your iPad on screen, or whatever device and have the spin-the-wheel going and replicated in a virtual. Let's use this to kind of take the arc towards something that you said to me in the past, which was, that you've been really thinking a lot about how to introduce this stuff to your team in bite-sized pieces. You want to have strengths based conversations, but you don't have time for an hour long meeting every week. As we were just talking, I was thinking, “Yeah, we're stuck in an old-world thinking of what training activities are. We matched them to a time when we had 4 hours to spend together in person in a room.” And if that's not our reality, and we need to get down with the new plan, which is, “Hey, bite-sized! What can we do when we have 5 minutes to do strengths together and it's remote?” So what are some of the strengths based conversations you're having in that bite-size? Joseph: Yeah. That takes me way back to when I was working with some different collegiate teams. I remember I had a great partner-client, University of Maryland. I had the pleasure of working with a couple groups there. And they would always ask that question, because they were bringing me in more than once a year, which was great. But then they wanted to know: how could they keep the strengths based conversations going? I would often give them 50 strengths based questions. They would typically choose one to use at team meetings. Ask just one question, and have everyone give a 30-second answer. So it might be 10 minutes, but they didn't need to be the expert StrengthsFinder facilitator just to ask those strengths based questions. And one of those questions a lot of times would be, “Where have you seen a teammate’s strength that works in the last week or 2? Give an example of that.” “Oh, I saw your Empathy here, and you did this there.” And so those can be really short and sweet and keep people engaged. But I just think about that for how clients could keep the conversation alive, post the engagement of strengths. Lisa: Yeah, that's a big one - remembering to keep the strengths based conversations going after your CliftonStrengths kickoff meeting. It's reminded me of something that just popped in my head, facilitating last week on Microsoft Teams, where I said, “Post a GIF that demonstrates how your strengths are serving you this week.” That is a fun one. It gets the team energized, and it takes about 2 minutes. And if somebody posts some random thing, like a guy sliding on a banana, and you say, “Hey, Sally, tell us more about that one.” And then when she explains it, that becomes the piece that you expand. So you get a bunch of funny ones, but then you also got that one little deep strengths snippet that opened it up for that person. Joseph: Yeah, and, and that stuff is happening in instant messages between people anyway, so, bringing that out into the meeting is fantastic. And I think the image piece on that is so powerful, too. Because, for those who are visual learners, it can click in a different way than listening to you or I talk about the strength, or even the teammates talking about it to think, “Oh, I see that. I get that.” And that's something we tried to do over the years, is get into the image. We'd ask, "what image would you think of with your strengths?" And then you combine that with narrative and you combine that with experience. That's where you start getting more powerful and it gets deeper and it sinks. It's where the fun really starts. Virtual Meetings: The Creative Ways You Can Strike Up Strengths Based ConversationsLisa: Oh, I think you just brought up something else just by virtue of talking about what we used to do. So if you think about the old activity where we'd bring in an image, (select the picture that best represents your strengths) as you're getting started, if you actually said, “Everybody on the team is going to be on a camera, and go around your house for just a minute and find something that represents your themes to you.” And then people come back with props where you have the real-life object where I'm holding a pig that's flying, and I'm talking about how that seems like my Maximizer because somebody else may have thought, “When pigs fly, we’ll do that.” But I can see the quality steps from here to there, and the description of it makes it all come to light. Joseph: Well, what's interesting, you just reminded me, I have a friend who leads a faith community in north of San Francisco and he was talking about how they've been doing all virtual church for Covid times, and there's been a lot of debates saying, “We want to get back in person..." and all of this....that's a whole different conversation... But he was saying that they've actually connected more with their congregants more than ever because people are actually doing that, whether they're walking around their house and they're in their house where they were used to be in church together. And now they do time of sharing and they can see what's going on in the person's house. So it's interesting. It's not even a fully-formed thought. But what you were just saying is really important. And then people are opening their houses up to connection. And that's a whole different level. So I'm still thinking about that one. But that's really powerful to have people walk around and kind of show that imagery piece. Lisa: Well, the lesson I'm taking away from what you just said is, many of us who facilitated in-person for years, our first thought is, “Okay, I had all of these great exercises that I did in person, can I retrofit that into a virtual environment?” And it may or may not work to translate old activities into a new environment. Instead, why not take the thing that seems like a disadvantage and turn it into something you only get when you're remote and you only get when people are in their own comfortable environment? Or the things that maybe in the past we joked around about seeing moving boxes in the back, because it's your real life. You just moved. So now we have a conversation piece. Oh, where did you move? Are you still in Denver? Did you get closer to the mountains? I have 100 questions I could ask you prompted by the U-haul box that I never would have seen if we were in the office. So I think going native for the platform and letting it create a new set of activities, conversations, the way that we're thinking - even the cadence getting down to the small bits instead of, “Don't torture people with the full-day on virtual trying to do one CliftonStrengths workshop for six or eight hours virtual. Don’t do it. Don’t do it.” Joseph: And yeah, so interesting. And the thing that you made me think of was, I remember a number of years ago, and I think this game still exists, the game, the online game World of Warcraft. So you're a character, and to get things done, you typically have to work with other people as a character in this game. At some point, I read an article in, Harvard Business Review and that said, “If you can do well in a World of Warcraft, you can lead the teams of the future, because you're able to get people.” And it was people who you have no rank on. It might be a 12-year old and a 40-year old playing at the same time, and you don't know who people are. And you have to get these people on, online, to work together. Wow, I hadn't thought about that till right now, but how prescient, based on where we are now, because now we're fully into that. We're fully virtual, and that in some ways those massively online games were 10 years ahead of what we would hit with Covid. And it's even more true now in terms of how you lead with people. And how do you work with people? And how do you get up, especially in a flat organizational structure where you need to be collaborative. And certainly, the generations coming behind you and I, collaborations are just a given. It's different. It's not as hierarchical. I don’t like to be too “generation this is that” and others. But in general, they do prefer to be collaborative. So lots of good stuff here. Lots of stuff that tie in with strengths. Strengths help, so we use strengths. Lisa: Yeah, and I think even using the game example and relating it to workplaces that are complex, they're matrixed, they're global... You're on all different time zones, working with all different people in the organization at different levels in different departments and business units with different priorities... And if you can figure that out — and oh by the way CliftonStrengths, it gives you a lot of tools to figure out how to navigate that world — then, yeah, then you're on the right path to figuring out how to navigate work in the years ahead. Joseph: Who knew that online games would give us a glimpse of the future? Lisa: Yes, so if you're listening to this and you need a CliftonStrengths facilitator or a World of Warcraft... I just got it all wrong. What is it? Joseph: It's World of Warcraft. Lisa: World of Warcraft. Okay, that's what I was about to say. But as the tongue twister was coming out, I was thinking I'm getting this wrong. Then, yeah, Joseph is your consultant. He's ready for you. Whether you need strengths based conversations or a World of Warcraft leader So be sure to go over to the leadthroughstrengths.com/contactus form and make the formal request that he'd be your facilitator. And he can bring some of these cool strengths conversations and activities to your team in bite-sized chunks, of course. With that, we'll leave you for now, and this has been Lead Through Strengths. Good luck to you as you claim your talents and share them with the world. Bye for now. Additional Resources To Help You Engage In Strengths Based ConversationsIf you missed our previous episode with Joseph, First Step: Talking About Strengths To Get In The Zone, check it out as it articulates how talking about strengths beyond mere definitions results in quality interactions and higher productivity in their strengths. The same idea is echoed by Adam Seaman in another episode when he said that relationships with a team are optimized better when you understand not only your strengths but their strengths as well. He offered the German word “umwelt” and the Freaky Friday concept, where you get to inhabit someone’s head and understand what they care about, how they make decisions, or deal with the world. In the world of strengths, this can obviously be activated when you get people talking about their strengths. Strengths based conversations also lessen the risk of missing people’s assumptions and expectations, which could be a source of conflict in the team. Here's a conversation guide that will help you prevent conflict. This one calls for an open conversation with each person on your team in a one-on-one meeting. | |||
| Using Strengths For Sales Teams | 21 Mar 2021 | 00:13:47 | |
Applying Strengths For Sales Teams Can Boost Performance If you look over those moments where you closed a deal or knocked out a killer proposal, you were likely in the zone. That whole idea of "flow" or being in the zone - it's a clue to your greatest strengths. Work feels effortless because either you were at your genuine best or you were dealing with a seller who was. In this episode, Lisa Cummings and co-host Joseph Dworak reveal how voracious learners study up on a bunch of popular selling methodologies. Yet, sometimes they fail because they're implemented as if each person leads through the same strengths. You'll find out more about using strengths for sales. It's an individualized approach, yet it's easy to do because you're amplifying each person's good spots. Here’s their conversation: Lisa: You're listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you'll learn to apply your greatest strengths at work. I'm your host, Lisa Cummings, joined today by Joseph Dworak, another host, Lead Through Strengths facilitator, and sales extraordinaire. Joseph: Hello, thank you. Lisa: Well, today I would love to talk to the audience about using strengths for sales teams - in the context of selling. So you have this unique position that I haven't seen in too many people, which is you've been a CliftonStrengths facilitator full-time, you've been a seller full-time, you've been a leader of sales people full-time, you've had a really wide array of these kinds of roles that allow you to know the philosophy behind strengths but also know how to put this into really practical application for a team. Now, of course, not every listener that we have is a salesperson or on a sales team. So as much as we can today, we're going to apply this and make it functional and useful for somebody who might be able to pitch an idea in a business meeting, make a business case, do some influencing, because everyone is selling ideas. But when you think about using strengths for sales, let me just kick it off and say, "Say more about that." How do you see this benefiting a sales team? Joseph: I mean, so many ways. I think, people buy from people who they like and trust. And that's debated in the sales world but I would stick with that. And I think, at a really baseline, if you know who you are, you know how you're wired and you enter into a relationship with people in a way that's authentically you, that will differentiate you as a salesperson. So if you're not authentic, I don't trust you, I'm not buying from you. Even if you have the greatest thing in the world, I'll find someone else to buy from. And one of the things in my current setting, which, I just absolutely love my company — they're fantastic, great culture — we from the top have been modeled to say, “We may or may not be a fit for you. If we're not, there's no drama with that." "If we are a good fit, great, let's keep talking. We know you have options. You could build something yourself. You could outsource, you could look at a solution like ours.” And we try to do that up front to say, “We're not here to push anything on you that doesn't work.” Our products take sometimes a year, sometimes four months, sometimes a year, and they’re with multi-billion dollar companies, and so it's very un-transactional that way. And if we're in a competitive situation, which we often are, if other people are selling in competition with us and they are not those things, we will stand out. And so I think the baseline “I know my strengths. I'm authentic in that. And I'm really upfront,” that can help. And I think, obviously, like you mentioned, that can apply to people who are not in sales roles — just being authentic and being you. So I hope I answered your question, Lisa, but that's what I think about. Lisa: You did, and you were taking me back to memory. So being in sales roles early in my career, where you had to memorize a script, and you were supposed to walk in and do a cold call, by opening a front door to a business and then launching into some scripted thing that doesn't sound like you at all - I remember, it felt so awkward until I decided to just discard that and do my thing. I was figuring out how to use strengths for sales before I knew it was a thing. Before I figured that out, it was awful. I worked next to a mall, like old-fashioned indoor malls that you could walk into all the stores. There was a Franklin Covey store in there and they had all these inspirational planners and quotes and. It was my tool to revive my energy. After cold calling all day and just feeling so horrible because I was acting like someone else, I would start in the car, reloading on Zig Ziglar audio. And then I would go to the Franklin Covey store to try to re-energize myself with quotes and inspiration because it was such a draining effort. But of course, it's all misplaced, like looking back on it from the future, I can see, oh of course it was really draining because I was using someone else's words, someone else's approach. Nothing about it felt right for me, and when someone receives you being disingenuous, I wasn't being that in a skeezy way but just like not me, they felt it. They felt my awkwardness. It makes them not trust me. Everything goes wrong about it. It wasn't strengths for sales. It was a template for sales - and it only worked for 2 or 3 people out of thousands. Use Your Strengths To Formulate Your Own Effective Selling StyleLisa: How do you help someone feel genuine when there are targets and quotas they have to cover? And, different companies have different types of requirements, but how does that come in where they can still honor who they are but they can also honor some of the requirements that the company might have with them? Can you use strengths for sales teams to align both sides? Joseph: That's a really good question. I think I would answer it two ways. One, I think if you hire the right people, that's not super hard. So I think Marcus Buckingham talks about...if you ever have to warn someone, you've made a casting error. So I always think about that, like, the best people that I've hired and the people who have done well, it's just directing them in the right way and helping them be who they are in the thing. But typically, like you've thought about that role, and you've made a good hire. And hiring is hard, but I love doing it. It's one of my favorite parts of the job. The second piece is, I think, and I have to go back as you were talking before... I think I remembered a story, when I ran an admissions office at the university as you know, I've been kind of a career tourist and I'm always like, where we'll end up next, but it's been a fun ride — but when I was working in the admissions office in the university, I remember one time, my associate director was trying to get a lot of calls made to invite people to an open house. And she was enlisting people who normally didn't help us with more client-facing things. She was asking one of our office interns who was really introverted and really not wired for influencing people. She was more of the really organized, really productive kind of person. But she was like, “Hey so and so, you're going to make these calls." I remember I came back and this person was doing their darndest to make the call that they're reading a script. They did it, but it sounded terrible. And I remember talking to my Sales Director, and I’m like, “What are you doing? So and so shouldn't be making calls.” “Why not, I gave her a script.” And I'm like, “If you've given a script, you're probably a little bit off.” And I'm not dissing scripts. And I'm lucky too, I have enterprise sales folks who work for me, so they're pros of pros, and they're selling billion-dollar accounts like, they are at a certain level of functional expertise, where they do not have a script, typically. They may think about things that they want to say and hit, but I think the short answer to your question is, I think a lot has to do with hiring, and then I think you need to get people... I'm very results-oriented as a manager, so I give people different paths that they can choose to get to those results, where it doesn't have to be a formula that they follow. And I think not everyone does that. But that's my, kind of where my background helps. It allows for their strengths in those different paths to get to the results. Lisa: Yeah, interestingly, that is a perfect way to sum up the strengths philosophy. It's not going to be that every single rep must make this many first calls on Monday, and take this many steps on Tuesday. Instead, using strengths for sales teams is giving them the performance outcomes and then working from that point of view, not working from the point of view of a one-size-fits-all. And I have heard people go down that path with something like, “Oh, well, our organization uses the Challenger approach.” And then they're like, “Well, anyone who acts like a lone wolf is bad, and anyone who acts like a challenger is good, and anyone who has a relationship sales is bad, because here, we are challengers.” And they kind of bastardize the philosophies, and then make it sound like the only way for you to be successful in this organization is to use this one stereotypical way to talk to someone else. And it's just the opposite of strengths for sales teams. Joseph: Well, yeah, and I'm really fortunate again. At my organization, my boss built a culture before I got there of, we look at… I mean, we're trained at Sandler, people have read Challenger, like, we're going through all of Jeb Blount’s cascade of books that he has in trainings, we worked with a gentleman called Joe Thomas out of Utah. And my boss is very much like, “We're going to provide you a lot of different methodologies, and we're going to combine them to be the unique best one for your talents. But it's definitely the strengths that's in with that, because it was already like, we're not just Challenger, and there are people who use Challenger, but there's also people who are really Sandler-based, or there are people who are Impact Advantage based. And we like to joke that my boss is like a ninja of all of those things, so he can pull out like the right one at the right time. It's truly amazing to watch someone who's done it for 20 years, and he studied, like, this master's level of sales because different situations call for different methodologies. So it also allows you to be flexible when you're in that moment. Strengths For Sales Is All About Being Authentic And Focusing On FitLisa: Yeah, that sounds very much like using someone's natural talents to honor their style. I remember being sold to as a business leader by someone who I knew personally. And when he was leaving the room, he did the old-fashioned Columbo technique on me, like - go back to the door, and you put your hand on the doorknob, and as you're leaving you, you have a thought, “Oh, one more thing.” I mean, it was totally obvious that I was getting techniqued. There was a tactic being played like so clearly in front of me. And it lost so much credibility, because I'm like, “Hey, man” (I won't say his name here), I know you,” like, I got that moment, what that moment was. It kind of undid everything that he had done before because it felt like a lie. And if I circle that back around to the way that you opened this up, it's about honoring who you are, what your talents are and how those show up to set you up to be at your best. The person who leads through Empathy and Connectedness and Developer and Harmony, they're going to approach sales differently from the person who leads through Analytical and Deliberative and Focus. It's going to look different. And it should, because it's going to feel right to them. Using strengths for sales teams is simply letting each seller do what puts them at their best. Joseph: Yeah. And, and one thing that I've appreciated getting back into in the software world is, sales is one of the hardest jobs. It's one of the most complicated jobs because you're being a consultant, you're being a project manager, you're being a coach. Sometimes you're being a sounding board, like, especially with the enterprise-level sale, where you're dealing sometimes with 50 people in the course of the sale. You have to be a politician, you have to be a diplomat. There's all these different things. It's interesting, the older I get, the more I realized, yeah, someone sees your technique, and then, “oh, no, that's a killer." You just have to be you. I can think of someone who I ran into who was like that. They were really good at taking all the pieces, and they could put it into play. And they would say it and it just felt really inauthentic and rigid. And it was interesting, because after I didn't work with that person anymore, there was feedback from prospective clients who articulated that to me, kind of like what you just did, with the Columbo technique. And it's like, “Oh, no, we don't want that. We want it to be seamless. We want it to be helpful.” And ultimately, it's about people, going back to, “Do they like and trust you?” And so you have to start there. And so if you... they start being like, “Are you using like some Jedi mind tricks on me?” That's not gonna go well. But I'm still learning a ton. And it's been great to be in an environment where they support learning that way. Lisa: Yes. Well, I think this is a great way to end the episode and broaden it. Because, number one, you started the episode talking about focusing on fit, and that is a brilliant way to apply the concepts that the best sellers use. Even if you're just trying to influence somebody in a meeting, and you're in an operations role, and you have nothing to do with sales, if you're talking to an audience and you're trying to offer an idea that you hope they will consider, If you focus on fit, it puts you in the other person's shoes, and it makes your message more palatable for them. So I think that you offered a lesson that anyone could use in any role, even with your kids or your significant other. It's making an idea of something that fits both people. Joseph: Yeah, that's harder with family. I think my significant other will say like, “You need to parent that way too.” So I'm like, “Oh, sales is easy compared to parenting. That's a whole another conversation.” Lisa: We'll save that for another episode. Well, with that you've been listening to Lead Through Strengths, getting some great ideas about how to use strengths for sales, and how to not get stuck in that world of just being a user of tactics but instead coming forward with the genuine you using your differences to be your differentiators on the job. If you would like Joseph to come in and do some team building with your team related to CliftonStrengths for sales teams, then be sure to request him over on our Contact Us form. Alright, with that we will see you next time as you claim your strengths and share them with the world. Bye for now. Sell More Of What You Offer Through These Additional Strengths ResourcesThe idea of ‘easy buttons’ supports this episode’s topic, as it encourages teams to tap on their natural talents, or whatever comes easily and enjoyable for them, instead of what drains them (such as following a script in selling or focusing on their weakness zone). If you want to sell better or have better influence, use strengths as easy buttons for better performance. Or listen to Andy Sokolovich as he shares tips on influencing audiences through strengths. These include identifying your talents and spending 80 percent of your time doing what you naturally love. So in the context of selling, that could be storytelling or just meeting people and talking to them. Again, it’s about being authentically you. Finally, in the episode Use Strengths To Create Customer Moments, Mike Ganino underlines the importance of creating an environment that helps each person bring their best performance to work. It’s about using individual strengths to get the experience you want for your customers and employees. | |||
| First Step: Talking About Strengths To Get In The Zone | 07 Mar 2021 | 00:15:22 | |
What's the first step after the CliftonStrengths assessment? The StrengthsFinder Test, StrengthsFinder training, and the StrengthsFinder 2.0 book are all a wealth of resources for uncovering what your top talent themes are, and how you can apply them. After your team gets their results, the next step by many teams is to focus on learning about each of the 34 teams. They pour over the definitions, and want to learn about the tool. Yet actually, there's a better way to kick off this process. In this episode, Lisa Cummings and guest co-host Joseph Dworak emphasize the importance of having strengths-focused conversations with your team. If you're getting started with strengths and you're wondering what the next step is, well..., it's simpler than you think. The most important step is to get them talking about their strengths. They already know themselves pretty well. This tool gives them a lens to think through, yet the wisdom is already inside of each person. The CliftonStrengths assessment is more like a prompting tool to help them remember what they're like when they're operating at their best. Learn more from their conversation in the video version. Here's the full transcript: Lisa: You’re listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you’ll learn to apply your greatest strengths at work. I’m your host, Lisa Cummings, and today, we have a co-host here. Joseph is here with me to talk to you about getting the team talking about strengths. Joseph: It’s so good to be here Lisa. This is super fun. Lisa: So good to have you back. Now I want to shower some praise upon you. You actually changed the way I think about training and facilitation. So years ago when I met you, we were with a bunch of other strengths practitioners, and you said something... We were just kind of talking about our approach and you said something in a way that wasn't intended to be an earth-shattering moment, but it struck me and it hasn't left, which is: when you get people started with strengths, one of the things that you think is really important is to get them talking about their own strengths, or their own natural talents, straight away. And as you were saying it I was kind of auditing myself and at the time I was thinking, “Ooh, you know, I was doing a lot of virtual training — this was probably five years ago I bet when we first had this conversation and I was doing a lot of virtual training — but because the time was short, it was 90 minutes, I remember thinking, 'I need to do a lot of output. I need to get people to answer quickly but move on to the next point.' And it was not getting them really thinking on and talking on their strengths in the way that I had in an in-person session." So talk to us about that approach. Why do you think it's important to get someone talking about strengths from the get-go? How can they talk about their own natural talents before they know all the definitions and they know all the nitty-gritty details and philosophy? Joseph: Oh well, first off, thanks. I'm glad that something I said resonated. Never know when something will hit, so that's awesome. I remember when I first started facilitating strengths discussions and introducing people to the tool, it was around 2001. I remember specifically, I went through the tool myself in 2000 and then I was certified and started doing it. In those early years I did a lot of, “I have to get through the material.” And I realized, over time, even in 5-6 years of doing it, it was like, it was less about getting through the material than actually having quality interactions. It was more about getting participants talking about strengths first. And just because we're getting through the material, that doesn't mean it was quality. And so I think I realized that as I was maturing as a facilitator/consultant of the tool, I started realizing that the more people were letting their guard down, and just even at a really basic level talking about how they were wired and what they preferred, it just made it easier for them because, if they don't know themselves, it's hard to know the team. And almost every situation that I was in, they wanted to get to the team stuff like, “Okay I've mastered my strengths." And it would be like, “No, you haven't really mastered your strengths, like, you don't even know all 5 of yours backwards and forwards." Knowing them doesn't mean knowing the definitions, it's more about processing the stuff on the report. And that happens by talking about strengths. So I think, just getting up that talent piece, the building blocks of all strengths and themes, the talents of, you know, I like checking a box off when I do a task and eventually that leads to some form of Achiever right? And so I think it was just moving away from trying to get through a number of strengths activities that I had to do, and worrying more about the quality of the experience for that individual and that team. The other thing is that you know we have assessment or psychometric du jour and it's, you know, everybody wants to try the next one. They say, “Oh, we already did Strengthsfinder, we want to do Myers-Briggs, and we did we did Myers-Briggs, now we want to try DiSC." Or whatever it is. And I would say, “But you still haven't gone deep on strengths. And so, look, if you don't want to use StrengthsFinder, that’s fine. Then do Myers-Briggs but whatever you do, really stick with it. That's where you’ll really know it, and you'll learn surprising things about yourselves.” And people don't like that. They just want to take a new test and go on with new things. To do the work and stay on it takes a lot of effort. So I think that's the other pieces that ties with not so much just getting through but really getting into that quality interaction. So, yeah, I want to get them talking about strengths because it's how you go deep with a tool. Rather than doing another assessment, when they're talking about strengths regularly, they're actually doing more to be more productive in their strengths. Same Strengths + Different Perspectives = Endless PossibilitiesLisa: I fully agree. I think it's added a lot of benefit in terms of people being able to understand one of the natural talents that they may have seen on the list but they weren't identifying with in a workplace setting. Before they start talking about strengths, they had one sitting there. It was for "home use only" - and then as they're talking with the team, they see how it can be a differentiator at work too. I have a couple of examples of that happening. One with Connectedness is popping in my mind where getting them talking about strengths with other people made it all make sense and then suddenly they love this thing that when at a glance, if they just left it at that surface, they would have been like, “Yeah I use that one with my kids but not at the office.” And then you also get the nuance of you, and how it looks on you, and your unique other talents that it's combined with versus how it looks on me, like maybe we can do our own little workshop-py moment here. So, you and I both have Focus right up at the top. So I'd be curious if we get you talking about your Focus and then we get me talking about my Focus, let's see how it shows up differently in us. Joseph: With Focus for me, I'm constantly reprioritizing throughout the entire day to figure out what's most important about that day. Now that can lead to me procrastinating on things that I don't see as very important. But I'm always like, "What's most important?," and then I start working on it. I have a list as an Achiever but it's constantly getting reprioritized. So that would be a great example of Focus. Lisa: That’s big. I would say for me, first of all, of my Top 14, Focus is the only executing talent theme. So I lean on it, like you wouldn't believe, to be able to get things done. And when it's time to buckle down on something. I am impervious to the world. I literally talk to the team and say, "I'm going in my cave. You can't get to me for a couple of hours." That's the Focus-approach of just doing one thing until it's done. It's my myself creative space or get-it-done space. And then the other way I see it coming up a lot is — I don't want to bring it to the shadow side of it but for me it does turn into a shadow side sometimes — makes me a little bit OCD. Whether that's keeping the house tidy and keeping everything put away and where it goes, or being organized. Often, it's getting this one priority and making it number one and making sure that everything is aligned to number one - that terminology that Gallup puts in there about monomaniacal, that one’s definitely true for me. Joseph: I think that's a new word for me, Lisa. I don't know but I've thought about monomaniacal in Focus, but I could see that. When I was in the office I'd have to tell folks, "I may seem a little aloof, but really I’m just focused. I’m not aloof. I don’t not care about you. It’s just…" And so I used to have people on my team say, “Can you please ask me if I'm focused or not?” And so that was a management of that strength. It worked great, and you can only get them into that boldness if you've been talking about strengths openly and regularly. Lisa: Oh wow. And you're bringing up management of the strength and then if you translate it into management of a team and how the perceptions of you come off and what a big deal that could be. Let's circle back to the focus of the conversation originally: how do you get people talking about their strengths? How do you get people talking about their talent themes and why is that important? Well, imagine if you're a manager, and now you're talking about your strengths in a team building, and now I know that about you. Instead of thinking that you're an arrogant jerk and you ignore me every time I walk by, I think of, “Oh, okay Joseph is in Focus mode. I need to make sure that we have time booked. I don't want to be an interrupter.” It makes me want to honor the interactions that put you at your best. It helps me not tell myself stories in my head about you being aloof. Joseph: Yeah, talking about strengths is huge. There's so much misconception of how people are wired. And you know I talk to people sometimes, like who are frustrated with somebody else, and I'm like, “It might not be about you at all.” It probably isn't, most of the time, right? And I had to learn that for myself over my career. You are a really small thing in their world. Now, some days it is about you and you have to work it out, right? But a lot of times it's not, and you know we always talk about strengths are not an excuse, but you do need to be aware of other people's strengths, and your own strengths, and how they might be interplaying with the world. So I think you and I will always be busy with some stuff with strengths in it. Talking about strengths sounds easy, yet it's not done so much in practice. Listening To Others Talking About Strengths Is Key To Deeper UnderstandingLisa: Absolutely. Okay, so as we close this episode, I'm going to think about what my takeaways are if I'm a listener — what I could be doing with this and how I could be using this approach of getting people talking about strengths. So I'll go first. I would say, it doesn't matter, even if you don't have the facilitator in with you, and you're a manager, you just bought the book Strengthsfinder 2.0 and you're trying to do this with your team... If you were to go into a session and try to focus in on the definitions and the technical aspects of it, it would be far less meaningful than it would be if you just got people talking about what makes them feel like they can show up at their best. So that's big. It's just the personal meaning and attachment and interest that people have to the topic. The second big takeaway I get from this is, you're telling people what to expect as a team. When you're talking about strengths, you’re telling people what to expect of you. It explains some of your actions and behaviors and it takes the mystery out. And even when people are making up stories about each other, it gives them the language and the ability to say, “Is that the Focus-based thing that you were talking about?” instead of just making the assumption. So, those are the two biggest ones I'm pulling. How about for you? Joseph: Yeah, I think I have one bigger one. So I think along the lines of what can someone do that has the books or has taken the StrengthsFinder test, or as a follow-up as you know, one of the things that we've done a lot of over the years is just going through all the strengths in a training session. And that can be, sometimes it can take 3 hours total. Maybe you break it up into three 1-hour sessions. And you just say like, “Who has Achiever?” and people raise their hand and you know you define it quickly to say these are go-getters. You bring up a topic, like "Every day starts with zero when you lead through Achiever," and ask them about the topic. I'd say, "how do you see that playing out?" and let them run with it. That's what it means to get started by talking about strengths. It's simple. You give a prompt and let them fly. Just like we were both talking about Focus earlier - where the real power comes in - it's where other people in the room can say, “This is where I see that in you.” So if you can get co-workers to affirm those talents in them, that’s more powerful than when they realize it themselves. When other people start talking about strengths that are in you, yet you never thought of them as anything special - that's when you decide to let them out. You think, “Oh people see this in me. And it's a good trait. I should let it out." It takes some skill to get teammates to fully acknowledge these things about each other, but you can just try it and see what depth you can get out of it. Lisa: Absolutely. And you just made me think of one more that plays off of that. I remember a training event with an organization where a few people led through Connectedness. Two of them had to pull me aside on a break, this was in an in-person session. and they said, “I don't really get this. I don't really resonate with this one. I'm not so sure that this one is me.” So I did this thing, we call it the "strengths mingle" and we just get people to hold up these cards, they could find a quick match and they in person met up with the other four or five or ten people in the room that had that one. And in this moment there were two people who thought, “This just isn't me. I just think this one's wrong.” And then they got in this group and they started giving me examples, just like the couple that we just gave, and suddenly they were like, “Oh yeah, that's totally me.” “Oh yeah yeah. It's not just all about this mystery thing.” “Oh yes, I'm, I have a big network.” “Oh yeah, I see downstream effects and ripple effects of the actions.” “Oh yeah, I'm always thinking like this.” So then they see it modeled in other people that they admire, or in other words, and then it's like, because it's being modeled in someone else, reflected in a different setting, suddenly they're able to grab a bunch of examples they couldn't see in themselves but now they can. This is what talking about strengths is all about. You can learn a lot about yourself by hearing someone else apply it in a different context. Joseph: Yeah. People sort of get stuck in the label or the name of the strength versus the talents that are actually making it up. I have a person on my team right now who has Connectedness, and it took him a little while. but now I can, be like, “You're doing that Connectedness thing right now.” And he’ll go, “Okay, I get it. Making a connection, seeing the big picture." Talking about strengths regularly makes all the difference. Lisa: Yeah. I love how you also just said you're doing that Connectedness thing right now. And it brought up for me how often the habit for people is if you were saying, “You're doing that thing right now,” it would be a negative feedback. But that's actually… there's that positive reinforcement. “See you're doing it right there.” “Oh yeah, that's good. All right, nice.” It didn't really take you any effort. Took you 15 seconds to acknowledge that as a leader. Joseph: I think one of the things that I tried to do to differentiate myself as a leader is that thing that we talked about earlier, which is just really, if you can manage and lead to who those people are...you're helping them be at their best. I don't think a lot of people have experienced that along the way. I'm not saying I'm perfect at it by any means. I'm still learning and trying to get better at it. And when you do any of that, people are like, “I've never had this before.” So I think what's important for that manager who's just trying to do strengths on their own is to say, even if you just acknowledge people have these strengths and you're going to try to pay attention to that, I think that that still is a 10% or less thing in the workforce and that's a powerful piece for managers. Just start talking about strengths any way you can. Lisa: Yeah. Oh what a powerful gift to leave someone with a memory of a manager who affirmed them - a leader that saw the things in them that put them at their top performance. It's a beautiful thing. I think that's a great way to wrap this episode. So for the listeners, as you are out there helping people claim their talents and share them with the world, get conversations going about strengths. See them in action. Spot them in action. Say it when you see it and get these conversations going about strengths in action. Just do it. Start talking about strengths regularly. So instead of strengths being an abstract definition, it becomes your approach. It's how you get to know yourself, and how you get to know each other. With that, if you want someone to actually facilitate like this for your team, be sure when you go out to our Contact Us form, be sure that you request Joseph Dworak for your event. With that, we will see you next time. Bye for now. More Resources To Get Your Team Talking About StrengthsIf you missed our previous episode, Managing To People’s Strengths, go check it out. You'll hear Lisa and Joseph talk about including meaningful conversations in virtual meetings. These are conversations that can give you a peek into each other's natural talents. As you get people talking about strengths, some of them might come off as cocky that others might not respond well to it. Thankfully, there are ways to not sound arrogant while building a career around strengths. Remember that talking about strengths not only deepens your understanding of your own strengths but is an opportunity to share your insights about how you see strengths in others. So keep the conversation going — you never know what surprising insights you'll pick up! | |||
| Managing To People's Strengths | 21 Feb 2021 | 00:12:42 | |
Managing To People’s Strengths, A Simple Path To Better Performance This topic opens a series of interviews featuring Lead Through Strengths facilitator Joseph Dworak. Now this particular episode looks at the value of workplace conversations, especially when the team is remote. People have never been more hungry for human connection than today. In response to this challenge, Joseph models how a keen and intentional manager ensures that team meetings seamlessly incorporate business updates with open-ended questions about work or life — the answers to which become a goldmine not only for human connection but also for deeper insights into people’s strengths. Pick up some great ideas, such as examples of these open-ended questions, and see if you can apply them in your teams as well. Here's a full transcript of Lisa's conversation with Joseph: Lisa: You're listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you'll learn to apply your greatest strengths at work. I'm your host Lisa Cummings, and today we have another host here with you, Joseph Dworak. Joseph: Hello, how are you? Lisa: Wonderful! And we are so stoked to have you here because in this series of having other facilitators come in and do strengths interviews, our customers are really loving this extra perspective from our CliftonStrengths facilitators so that it is not only my voice on the show. We've been talking a lot lately about remote work, and how all of our spaces are combining work and life. Some of us miss workplaces and some of us love working from home. Some of us get in these awkward situations...you pointed out the fact that if somebody is looking at the video version, they see a U-Haul box in there. Because we're alive. Sometimes you move to a new house the day you have an interview. So how has it been for you as a leader hiring people remotely, not meeting people that you work with? Talk to us about strengths and how you even try to incorporate that into a workplace when you don't see each other. I know you value the idea of managing to people's strengths, yet it's tougher to do when you don't have any "incidental strengths sightings" around the office. Joseph: Yeah, trying to find that connection piece between teammates who are completely remote and virtual. So the team that I lead, we have people all across North America and some of those folks have never met. Some haven't seen each other since last January in person. And so when we do have precious time together, we're trying to find ways to make a human connection. And you know what doesn't do the greatest job of trying to find a human connection: just going through bullet points of announcements and things like that. It's fine, but to get people really to share and open up, I try to do something a bit different. So yeah, back in a management leadership role in 2020, I did not know that COVID would hit, but then I took that job and so... I remember one of my coworkers saying, “Well, now you're going to see how it really is to be back in management leadership with this kind of challenge.” And we didn't even know what it would look like. That was like in March. And I had this sense that we need to stay connected throughout this time. And so we've been asking those kinds of open-ended questions to start meetings. You know, simply like, “What have been shaping events in your life?” And I always go first with my team to try to like, say, “I can do this so hopefully you can do this as far as you're comfortable.” But then as they do it, other people will share and whatnot. And then as you mentioned earlier, like adding people to our team throughout the year, I think by the early January, we'll have hired 6 people to the team, so the team almost doubled in size or a little over doubled in size. And trying to incorporate those folks and making them feel part, and some of them have never met everyone else. And so they're coming on and they're totally new. And they're trying to figure out their teammates and the system and doing it a virtual way. It's been challenging but really fun. Lisa: It's a great way to make the best of it. Okay, I have heard our customers ask questions a few times when you talk about holding these meetings that feel a little different. Many of our listeners are already on board with using natural talents. They want to manage to people's strengths, rather than obsessing over weaknesses. They also want to do more. They don't simply want to have people listing off natural talents. To focus on people's strengths - it sounds like a simple concept, but when it comes to implementation, leaders start to feel dorky and awkward about how to incorporate these conversations. They meetings that aren't boring, that aren't just a bunch of updates. But then, when you're trying to lead a meeting and say, “Oh alright I'm going to incorporate strengths into the meetings and we're going to learn about each other,” how do you go about introducing that? Because it has to be this thing that makes team members almost feel disjointed or like, “What's going on here?” Or do they raise up one eyebrow and say, “Who is this guy?" Or, “What's he talking about? Did he put something funny in his coffee this morning? Is he for real?” So, obviously, there's a process of normalizing people to these kinds of conversations because that's going to be a different kind of meeting. But how did you set it up for the first time and get this thing going? Joseph: That's a really good question. I think I had some credibility with the team because I was a member of the team before I became their manager leader, so that helped. There was some trust there to be able to say, “Let me try something. Let me take you somewhere that we really haven't been before.” And then I did kind of go over, “Hey, there's this thing I've done for over 20 years. It's a tool called StrengthsFinder to help understand how people are wired and for what purpose, and how they can work better. " I've used it in lots of different settings and one of the things I would always talk about is, I want to manage to who you are, not just manage to just a general expectation, but really like, how are you going to get there and how can you thrive in your strengths. So I tried to tee it up with all of them to say this isn't just a random personality thing. This is something that's really part of who I am, and kind of what you get whether you like it or not as your manager leader. And so we did an initial session, StrengthsFinder overview, which you and I have done a lot of over the years, and then to try to use it in bite-sized ways over time where we'd just ask a strengths question at a meeting. Now what's happened is the team has grown. It'll soon be 13 people. And so, it typically means I can't ask everyone to share StrengthsFinder nuggets in every meeting. It would take up a lot of meetings. So I'm having like three or four people in each meeting share different things on different topics, and it's not always strengths-based. So then I think they actually look forward to our bi-weekly meeting. And certainly we do update stuff and we do like, “Hey, here's the sales plan for the year” and things like that. But I actually told them, today in a meeting before I got on with you, "I really value the fact that you all play ball and you ask these questions.” And now new people are getting assimilated in. They just kind of go, “Oh, this is normal.” And they haven't really said much, and I think they just go along a bit to get along probably, but they're also like, obviously different. We're not just talking about quarters and targets. We're actually talking about who we are and how we work. We're actually managing to people's strengths so we can hit our targets better. For Open-Ended Strengths Questions, Go First As A ManagerLisa: Right. I bet it feels really enriching after that. And then the way that you set it up, I'm imagining myself in their shoes, and if you're telling me as my manager, “Hey, I really care about managing to you, and who you are," I'm thinking, “Ooh, there's something in it for me to go here and see what this thing is all about.” As a way to give people a practical application for this episode, I know I'm putting you on the spot a little bit to ask for example questions, but could you give us an example of the kinds of questions that you might ask in a meeting? I think it will get the creative juices sparked for our audience. Joseph: Wow. That's a really good question as well. One that we used in consulting when I was doing StrengthsFinder consulting full time was, “What's a person that has shaped you along the way, and why?” Or like, today at our team we actually asked people to share like, “What's a place that has shaped you?” And so, the team that I used to work with, we would use that as a way to get people to go a little bit deeper. And one of the things we always did was to go first. And so today I said, “A place that shaped me is growing up in the Chicagoland area. What you'll experience from me is really straightforward. I say what I mean, I mean what I say. And that isn't the same way across the United States. There are different cultural differences in how people act and operate. And I use an example of when I moved to Minnesota. People are very Nordic up there and they are very polite and they don't always say exactly what they think. And so that took me years to understand." So that was a question we have today, is like, “What's a place that shaped you and why?” And I think for the leaders who are listening to your podcast, I think it's important for them to go first before asking employees on the spot to do that. And I think you'll get a depth of answer depending on how comfortable people are. But then once they start doing it then, the next person will go a little bit deeper and so on and so on. Whenever we ask questions like that person or place or just share your story, I always learn things that.. I've only known some of these folks for three-plus years, now I'm still learning new things about them and how our teammates are. And so that's one really easy way to do it, Lisa. It's really not rocket science but it works. Lisa: That's wonderful. And one thing I've been trying to incorporate in personal life that sounds sort of similar to what you're doing with the team is Becky Hammond from Isogo Strong. She's made these conversation cards, and I've been using one of the questions from the conversation cards with my family. And since everything has been remote, it's been a way to stay connected, and we answer one of these questions, and for workplace purposes, you can filter in or out the ones that are a little more personal. But that would be a nice way for someone to have like a cheat deck to get started with as well. It helps you manage to people's strengths without it feeling like a big mountain to climb. You're already busy as a manager, so no need to create the friction of learning how to be a StrengthsFinder trainer on top of your day job. And your point about leaders going first to model an answer — I think it's big. I think as a trainer or facilitator, if you can share with someone what an answer might sound like, they understand the direction because these questions — although they're simple and clear — they're just not normal meeting. They are not normal workplace conversations, although I hope it can become normal. Joseph: They really aren't, and I think that's why sometimes people will give you that eyebrow raise or they'll kind of go, “What's going on here?” Because I think other questions that we've asked in different meetings are only focused on quarterly targets. I've asked like bucket list questions like, “talk to me about 2 or 3 things that are on your bucket list that you still want to do in life.” We've had things where people have said, “There's this island in Russia that's very remote, and it's almost like Russia's Alaska. It's just very remote, I forgot the name of it. But the streams are overflowing with trout and there's kodiak bears and all this stuff going on. And one of the members on a team talked for about 5 or 7 minutes on why he wanted to get there. And it's like a multiple-day journey to fly to Russia and then charter a plane to get there. Everyone's riveted by the story. They're leaning forward to hear it. I'm always looking to see, are people doing email while someone else is talking? Are they actually paying attention? Are they locked in? And when someone starts talking about going to a remote island in Alaska someday, people listen. You know, like this is different. So it's fun to do. It's really fun. There’s Power In Blending The Language Of Strengths With The Stories You ShareLisa: Yeah, it sounds excellent. And I can imagine the nuance that you learn about a person when you get 5 to 7 full minutes. This is a really cool insight for me as well. I'm learning from you as a facilitator because I'm thinking about... My tendency is to get people on the chatbox, have 100 people ask the question and then see the chat go brrrt with all of these short answers but they're more surface-level answers. And then your approach here, if you're doing it with a tighter-knit team, you're really going to get some depth that helps you learn about what makes that person tick. And of course, the magic is that you pick out nuances that help you manage to people's strengths and motivations. Joseph: Well, there's that piece certainly and then, what we always try to do in the past was that when we started talking about strengths, often you could hear strengths in their answers, right? And so you're like, “Well when you talk about that, I could really hear your Achiever saying, ‘I have 20 things on my bucket list that I want to check off’, or, ‘How are you doing Woo in this virtual format when you're not meeting people?'" And I even said to my team earlier today, one of the things that I promised them was that I would help them with networking referrals, and I don't know that I've done great with networking referrals virtually this year. I really relied on face to face, and that wherever I go, whatever city, I would say, and if I was in the Boston area I'd be like, “We should hang out.” You and I did that virtually at one point, as a phone call, but it's just better if you can be in person. But you definitely will hear their strengths in some of those open-ended questions, and they don't really know what you're doing at that point. But if you're a trained facilitator, or if you're a manager who has a lot of experience in strengths, you can start hearing strengths in people’s answers. Lisa: Right. I think that's just the perfect way to end the episode because it's not just the question itself but what the answers and what the listening and tuning into each other allows to happen in the future. Because now you can spot their strengths. Now you can begin to manage to people's strengths and assign clients based on their natural talents. Now you can notice what works about them. Now you can mix the language of strengths that you have with the stories that they tell, and it makes it concrete for them so that they want to unleash that more in the workplace. Beautiful. Well, as a listener, if this prompted your interest and you're like, “Man, I need to get that Joseph Dworak into my organization to do a team builder. I want to get this going,” then be sure in our Contact Us page, when you're filling out that form, make sure to do a specific request for Joseph. And with that, we wish you the best as you unleash these questions and help people claim their talents and share them with the world. Bye for now. More Resources About Bringing Out And Managing To People’s StrengthsIf you are high in Connectedness, Communication and/or Relator, chances are you’ll crave for workplace meetings where you can maximize certain conversations for relationship-building and human connection. You are most likely a great storyteller and an active listener. Especially if you are a manager who is trained on strengths, you’ll easily pick up a team member’s strengths through planned and random interactions with them. For example, in the episode Engage Employees Through Strengths, marketing consultant Grace Laconte immediately identified an Achiever from a team member who shared a morning process that goes, “Every morning at 8:32 I do this. Every day I have to do these things in order.” But managing to someone’s strengths doesn’t stop at spotting who they truly are or how they work. In another previous episode, Lisa explains how to Prevent Conflict By Knowing Your Talent’s Needs, Expectations, and Assumptions — a great guide to help the team get along better at work. | |||
| Stop The Soul Suck — Get Assigned Work In Your Strengths Zone | 07 Feb 2021 | 00:20:48 | |
Work In Your Strengths Zone To Make Work Enjoyable How often you work in your strengths zone has a lot to do with living your best life. Here at Lead Through Strengths, we believe that choosing easy doesn't equate to choosing lazy. It means choosing efficiency and getting more of what works for you and what you enjoy focusing on. This may sound too good to be true. But what if the gap between you and your own strengths zone is actually shorter than you think? In this episode, Lisa Cummings and co-host TyAnn Osborn will walk you through some of the ways to get there. Read on and listen as they share stories and lessons that shaped their "work in your strengths zone" concept. Another spirited, inspiring and important discussion that you wouldn't want to miss. Here’s a full transcript of their conversation: Lisa: You're listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you'll learn to apply your greatest strengths at work. I'm your host, Lisa Cummings, and you know, I'm always telling you — it's hard to find something more energizing than using your natural talents every day at work. Well, something that's just about as energizing is when I get to hang out with my other host here in the room, TyAnn Osborn. TyAnn: Hi. Lisa: So today's episode is all about using your strengths to make things easier, to make life easier. It's about doing more work in your strengths zone. There's actually a very high return on effort from using your strengths to get things done. However, many of us do things the hard way. TyAnn: So true. Why do we do that? Lisa: Maybe we don't know we are. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: I know that I've done it in my career or out of habit... TyAnn: Me too. Lisa: … where as a younger performer, and I wanted to prove myself, I would work the longest hours, I would, you know, you have the stuff to learn so you have to go through the learning curve part. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: But then you get in the habit of doing everything through brute force. And there comes some time when it doesn't matter if you work 72 hours a day. That isn't the thing that is going to get you to the next level. If you work in your strengths zone, you're way more likely to crush your performance goals. You have to figure out how to not do it through your hours... TyAnn: Right. Absolutely. I think you have to really keep an eye on: What's the end goal here? What problem am I trying to solve? Am I trying to solve for “I need to work a lot of hours," or am I trying to solve for actually getting an end product done? But you know, this kind of reminds me of when we were in school and we were learning math, because I don't know if your math teacher was like this, but mine was where anytime you learned a new concept, you would learn it the hard way where you had to do it all by hand and write it all out. And then the next day when you came in, the teacher would say, “Okay, and here's the formula." Or, “Here's the shortcut.” And then invariably, you're like, “Why didn't you teach me that the first time?” And then there was always some answer about, “Well, you might be out without a calculator one day and…” — which no one's ever out without a calculator now. So anyway, but it's just one of those “We can get to the same place, and you can get there the hard way or you can get there the easy way.” And it's interesting that as adults or are in our corporate world, we tend to think that the easy way, that there's something wrong with it. And it's funny how many times someone will kind of fight me on this concept, or say like — “That's cheating. I have to do everything the hard way." Or, you know, "Go uphill both ways, little brother on my back, in the snow with no shoes, or else it doesn't count.” Like, where do we get that message? Lisa: It does make people feel awkward. There was a time when I was talking about strengths, making you feel like work is easier, that you could enjoy it, that you could be energized by it, that it makes you feel excellent with less effort. All of the E's you get when you work in your strengths zone. TyAnn: Right. Ease, enjoyment and effort. Lisa: Yes. And they're like, “So, making work easy?” It was this kind of cheating response, like, “So, where the goal is to make everything easy?” As if it's a shortcut that brings low quality. TyAnn: Isn't that funny that it can only be work if it feels like it's awful or hard, or like I have to trudge off to the salt mine every day and... No, that that's not how it's supposed to be. And frankly, if it feels that way, I would say maybe we ought to take a pause and look at what's going on because it doesn't have to be that way. But this is a concept you and I talk about all the time. And I use this almost daily in my conversations with clients and other people and even kids. It doesn't have to be that hard. And you're making it too hard. And so here's where I think having like a spirit guide or a trusted person you can talk to can really help because when you're the one making it hard, it's almost impossible to see that you're the one making it so hard. Lisa: Yes. TyAnn: It can be really hard to get yourself out of that. Lisa: Yes. TyAnn: Yeah. Because it makes sense to you at the time. Lisa: You even did it to me as an accidental coaching one time. I remember I was like, “But I need to do more of this because I want this on my resume. I need this credibility.” And then you said, “It's already on your resume. And it will still be on your resume if you don't do it anymore.” And I had this moment where I was like, “Oh right, it's draining me. There are other ways to build this career…” TyAnn: Right. Easy Doesn’t Mean LazyLisa: And I don't have to continue that one. Somehow, I got convinced. And I also think with people like Gary Vaynerchuk, and there's a lot of messaging about hustle, and I'm not saying that hard work isn't good. And I'm not saying that there isn't a time in your career or when you're new to something like in startup mode for something, a lot of times, it is a glut of effort at the beginning. So I don't poo poo the idea of hustle because I don't want that to mean, “Well, then I believe in lazy." But I think that's part of the problem. It is easy doesn't equal lazy. But for some reason, we tell ourselves it does. What seems to be missing is the idea that finding work in your strengths zone can really step your game up. TyAnn: Yeah, I think that's baggage associated with that. Or yeah, that if it's not a struggle, it doesn't count, or something like that. I think that's kind of an American thing, too. I don't know where that comes from. But I would just say, let's revisit that. I don't think that is the way it has to be. Lisa: Mm hmm. TyAnn: I don't think you have to work 28 hours a day. Lisa: How do you know when you're making it hard? So let's say I hire you as a coach, and I'm like, I'm totally overwhelmed. I'm working late into the night, I'm not seeing my family. It's just too much. And you're going to be assuming that I'm probably making something tougher than it needs to be. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: How do we even uncover what it is? TyAnn: I would say, the first thing you've done well is you've brought somebody else to help. So, spirit guide! Again, you don't have to hire somebody. But do ask for help, because being overwhelmed, and then just trying to muscle through — here's what I know to be true: More of what's not working is going to get you more of what's not working. Lisa: Oooooh. Tough truth. TyAnn: And I put that on a t-shirt. And so, and that's often what our natural response is — when something's not going well, like, “I'm just going to double down." Well, guess what? That's going to get you twice as much of what's not working. So good on you that you could recognize “I need help.” But after we don't know where we need help, so here's what I have people do. Just where's the crunchy? Where's the frustrating part? So here's a true story. I was working with an executive at a high-tech computer manufacturing place that we both worked at one time. And she was very frazzled, very frustrated, and you could just see it. She exuded this kind of hot mess energy, you know what I mean? Have you ever met somebody like that, just sort of, it was sort of repellent, honestly. It was sort of like, “I don't want that to get on me.” And you can imagine how that made her team feel and how that made her clients feel. And so I was asking her, like, “What is going on?” And the first thing she said to me was so funny. She said, “I can't get to work early enough.” And I thought, “Oh, maybe we're just looking at ’I work all the time.' Something like that." “So tell me more about that.” Which by the way is one of my favorite questions. “Tell me more about that.” Because never assume you know what they're going to say. I have to tell myself this all the time. "Tell me more about that." And she said, “Whenever I get to work in the morning, people are waiting for me in the parking lot. So they pounce on me when I drive in. I can't even get in the building and set my bag down before people are all over me and everyone is wanting a piece of me like there's nothing... I can't even get in the door and I've given myself away.” And then I, “Oh my gosh, wow." Whoa, I can write a whole book about that. There's so much there. And so we talked about that. And then I just asked her, “What would make your life better?” And she said, “I would just like to walk in the door and put my bag down and get a cup of coffee and have a few minutes to look at my calendar, plan my day, and then start.” And I said, “Okay, why don't we do that?” And so it was a little bit like that kind of doing it the hard way. Her solution was, “I'll just get to work earlier." And so literally, she had backed her work up to where she was showing up at 6 am. But then people kept showing up at 6 am. So whatever time she got there, that's what time they got there. Like, you're gonna start having a cut, you know, in the parking lot. This is crazy. "Why don't you just set a boundary and tell people what you need? And all you need is an hour or 30 minutes or whatever. So that's not unreasonable. Just tell people.” And she couldn't see it. But, so it was so easy for me and so “Aha” for her. So again, she was doing things the hard way. And like I was, “Just make it easy. Let's just set a real easy boundary.” Totally changed her life. Lisa: Hmm. It's amazing one thing — this might be one of your magic powers, because you did it for me, you did it for her... There are a lot of these conversations where you just need another person to help you see how simple it can be to shift into work in your strengths zone. TyAnn: You've done that back to me too. So I appreciate that. You’ll Never Know What’s Possible Until You Try To Work In Your Strengths ZoneLisa: You also have this other great, favorite question. So besides, “Tell me more about that,” one that I think that you've asked very well on this theory of seeing where you've made a barrier between getting to the life that you want and the one that you're in, where you're just like, “I'm making it all too hard and can't do it all," your question of: “What would you do if you were brave?” Now it gets, you have to get in reflection mode to really answer the question. TyAnn: Yeah, don't you love that question? Lisa: Yes. Because even for her situation, this isn't like... A lot of times when we're talking about this brave question, it's more like the “I'm self-actualizing and I'm trying to come up with ‘what would I do with my life if I were brave?’” TyAnn: Right. Lisa: That's deep and it takes a lot of reflection, and there are probably five great answers to it. But what about her scenario, if you just said, “What would your solution be if you were brave?” TyAnn: Yeah. And what's fascinating is, you know, we've talked before about fear, and I think she was afraid to set a boundary, because it was so easy when I asked what would make your life better. She's like, “I just want to put my purse down. I would like to have a cup of coffee. I would like to look at my calendar.” Okay, well, that all seemed super easy. None of that is crazy at all. She wasn't asking for a personal driver and, you know, a corner office or anything crazy. She was just asking basically for boundaries. And okay. Well, what was holding her back from doing that? Fear. Fear that if she told somebody no, what would happen? She would be seen as a bad leader. She would be seen as a manager who didn't really care, that a good manager gives everything to their team. And you know, whatever, all these things, all the “shoulds” she should be doing. And so I love that question. I wish I could take credit for it. I'm sure I heard it somewhere, though. But the “What would you do if you were brave?” because often again, your body knows the right answer, but your brain won't let won't let you go there because of fear that holds us back. So what would you do if you were brave? You're like, "You know what, I wouldn't even do this project.” “Okay, well, why not?” “Because it doesn't matter. This isn't really what we should be doing anyway. This thing is a waste of time. Our customers don't even want this. What would I really do? I would explore this other thing.” “Okay, well, how come we don't do that then?” “Ah, well, because we tried that once and it got shot down.” Or, “Well, you know, we're so far down the path now that we've expended all this time and energy. So I can't. I can't say no." Or whatever it is. And so we don't even let ourselves go there. That's a great question. Lisa: Yeah, it is. And you may not always use the answer, like, that's another really great practical example: "I would scrap the whole project." Well, we go back to this concept of where your personal preferences and your business priorities are that it may or may not align. But if you don't ask yourself the question, you can't discover the action that you could take to explore it. And even if the business decides, “no, that project is going to continue," what if by expressing it and thinking through it in a way that is mature and well-thought-through. Who knows, maybe you end up having a conversation with your leader about that project and they go, “You know, but Jane's been dying to work on a project like that. So if you want to just get reassigned, if this thing's dragging you down, I'd love to get you over on this one.” TyAnn: Right. Lisa: That's a possible outcome. TyAnn: There's always possibilities, right? And I think sometimes we're afraid. Again, fear underlies all this stuff. We're afraid of what the answer might be. By the way, the answer might be, “You know, we just got, we just got to finish.” Which by the way, is always going to be the answer if you never ask. Lisa: Oh, this is like the ultimate sales question. If you don't ask, the answer is no. TyAnn: Right. How Can It Make Things Easier For You? For The Team? For The Business?Lisa: So, you can always ask. Now, there are high-risk requests and high-risk things to put out there. But I think if you've thought through a process like this, like: What am I making too hard? Think about business terms. If I'm going to justify something in business terms, what would resonate with my leaders? What if work in my strengths zone actually translates into more revenue or more productivity (which it likely does). Well, being efficient. Getting a high return on our energy or effort or spend. TyAnn: Yeah, absolutely. Lisa: So if you can find a way to express that, you're more likely to get this new path. TyAnn: Is this something that can help us scale? Is this something that really drives internal productivity? Could we decrease noise in the system? Could we increase market penetration? Could we increase customer retention? And there's all kinds of things out there that could be helpful to you. And again, the answer is always going to be “no” if you don't ask or if you don't think about it. But I think this is actually a really fun, creative question too that I've seen some teams use as, you know, in a team meeting, not every time but maybe once a month. Ask as a team: What would we do if we were brave as a group? And see what comes up. And you know, usually, there's a big silence at first because it's always hard to be the first one to be like, “I think we should ditch that project,” Or you know what. But once you kind of get the ball rolling, it's fascinating. And it's a really cool creative thinking activity. Lisa: Yeah, it really is. And you could take that thinking activity and layer in strengths very literally as well, where you could say: How would you apply one of your strengths if you were brave this week? TyAnn: I love that. Be brave and work in your strengths zone. Lisa: That's like, real practical. TyAnn: I love that. That would be great. Lisa: And then I might say, “Oh, well, I would reach out to that colleague in Latin America, who is on a team and does a similar role. And I've been wanting to get to know him but I just haven't taken the initiative and felt a little awkward... Okay, I'll just… I'll do that and make that thing happen.” TyAnn: You know, it's interesting, and I'll bring up the Relator theme. And that one's a fairly common one, we see that a lot in team Top 5s. It's one of Gallup’s Top 5 for their overall database, and that is a particular theme that tends to get shoved aside because it's not an urgent theme, right? You’re usually not graded on your performance review for how your Relator skills are today. But that one tends to show up high in terms of personal needs, in terms of satisfaction for you. So that could be one of those things that — “You know what, it's not my job description to reach out to the guy Latin America, but that would actually kind of really be satisfying for me, and that would really help me build that relationship. And yeah, it's gonna take a little time and frankly, might feel a little bit awkward at first, but that's what I would do if I were brave.” Lisa: Yeah. And what a great way to circle back to this concept of, “Okay, you're making things too hard.” So I can imagine a scenario where that Latin America team you've been trying to pass your work off and say, “Hey look, we've localized it.” And they're like, “No, you're not localizing anything. You've made some poor translations into Spanish, and it's awful.” And they think you're terrible to work with. And the team is resisting everything you hand off to them. And meanwhile, you have this nice little talent theme, Relator, sitting there waiting in the wings for you to say, “Okay, what would make my life easier? Where am I making it too hard? Where I’m making it too hard is I'm trying to shove the way everyone else has already done it, and I'm not stopping to say, 'I have tools in my tool bag right here.'” TyAnn: Right. Lisa: My Top 5. TyAnn: Right. TyAnn: You’re trying to lead with execution as opposed to a relationship theme when that's your jam. So lean into that. Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: And you can even, you know, blame it on us, blame it on the podcast. You can say, “Hey, I was listening to Ty and Lisa, and they said, you can kind of lean into one of your themes so I'm going to try that even though it feels a little weird.” You can use that. And that's a really good intro. And you can be like, “Okay, it didn't work so well.” Lisa: You're probably going to be at least back to where you were before. It rarely goes bad where you should at least ask or try. Just use it. TyAnn: You should give it a try. Again, first thing that can happen is you're back to where you were. Lisa: Yeah. When Work And Life Gets Hard, Lean Into Your StrengthsTyAnn: And again, you know, you get better at things you practice. And so just, I would keep trying, but I would just say if something feels hard in life, or crunchy, or you really just feel like, “Man, why is this so hard?” And you hear that oftentimes on teams. I say that, like, “This shouldn't be this hard. Why is it this hard to get a decision made? Why is it this hard to get this thing approved?” That's a really good time to kind of stop and think, “Yeah, what is going on here?” And there is another way to come at this thing, where we can lean into our ease, enjoyment and you know, effort on, and have it just better spent. So that's a really good verbal clue to pick up on. Lisa: It is. Every time I talk to Ty, I think of song lyrics. So now I'm thinking of this Cake song, I think it's Short Skirt/Long Jacket, where they say “she uses a machete to cut through red tape.” And I'm thinking about your talent themes as your machete. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: And now you've got some red tape. You've got like, “I can't get it. Why is it taking so long to get this approved? Why is there all of this bureaucracy?” Yeah. TyAnn: There you go. Lisa: Start getting your strengths out. Start looking for ways to work in your strengths zone. TyAnn: When you talk about it, your easy button all the time, you have one lying around here somewhere, I mean, that's it. That's your way forward. And so if life feels hard, if projects feel hard, if communication fails, or whatever it is, go back to your strengths and like, “Okay, there's got to be a better way to do this. It doesn't have to be so hard.” There's no medal for hard. There's no giant report card in the sky, that it's going to be like, “Gosh, Lisa did everything the hard way. Well done.” That’s not how life works. Because if you spend all of your energy on things that don't matter, getting things done the hard way, you're not going to have energy for the stuff that does matter. And we're never going to get the best of you out in the world because all of your goodness has been sucked up on junk. Lisa: Hmm. TyAnn: Makes sense? Lisa: I mean, it's the end. TyAnn: That's it. Lisa: If you want the best of you, bring yourself the things that bring you ease, energy, and enjoyment. Remember to ask yourself that question: What would you do if you were brave? And we'll leave you for now. If you feel like you're getting sucked into the junk — I don't know, I just totally botched your saying right there — but that this is the way to rethink it. Ask those curious questions, and ask yourself, “Why not me and why not now?” And give them a try. Alright, with that, we'll see you next time. Bye for now. TyAnn: Bye. These Additional Resources Should Inspire You To Work In Your Strengths ZoneWe hope you enjoyed this episode with Lisa and TyAnn. Indeed, life can be draining when you don’t work in your strengths zone or not doing the things that you love. In the episode Can Working In Your Weakness Zone Lead To Burnout?, Lisa uses a plant that turned yellow as a metaphor for the poor attention to strengths. This important episode will especially help managers to detect the telltale signs of burnout in a team, and to discern their root causes, in order to address them ASAP. That comes with a caveat though, because life is not perfect, and in reality, work comes with some tasks we love and some tasks that live in the draining weakness zone. In the Strengths Are Not An Excuse To Avoid Weakness Zone At Work episode, Lisa points out that you can’t use your strengths as a reason to have bad performance or low accountability — by neglecting something you don’t like doing. There are results that still need to be achieved, but your talents can help you get them in a strengths-focused way. | |||
| Save Time At Work With Your Strengths — It's Easy, Not Lazy | 24 Jan 2021 | 00:27:36 | |
Take The Path of Least Resistance To Save Time At Work One of the best things that happen when you are aligned with your natural talents is that work ceases to feel like "work." This is that sweet spot where you accomplish your tasks feel like you're in a state of flow. This is when things on your to-do list energize you, rather than drain you. Since the work is easier and the results are more excellent, you save time and precious energy at work. It's totally different on the flip side when you work out of your weaknesses. You feel this inner resistance, which can lead to self-doubt and early exhaustion. As your energy dips, you feel like you have nothing to give. Which is not the truth, because you have it in you all along. Here at Lead Through Strengths, we want you to drive towards what you want to have more of, such as work that gives a sense of meaning, while managing all other tasks at hand. The more you use your strengths, the more you're able to offer your best to the world. But how exactly do you get more of what you want when your plate is already full of soul-sucking tasks, and for which you think there are no takers either? Certainly, you don’t have to get stuck in this situation for long. So, listen up as Lisa Cummings and TyAnn Osborn put together and share great insights that will help you build a career centered on strengths that you love. Here's their conversation. Lisa: You're listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you'll learn to apply your greatest strengths at work. I'm your host, Lisa Cummings and you know, I'm always telling you, it's hard to find something more energizing than using your natural talents every day at work. Well, something that's just about as energizing is when I get to hang out with my other host here in the room TyAnn Osborn. Today, the topic is, you know, stuff that happens at work, that is, a little weird or awkward "things that make you go, hmm." And that thing…. it's a ridiculous call back to Arsenio Hall. It was way back. No really, it's those things that make you go hmmmm because you can't figure out how to quit making work feel so hard. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: What if that thing is, “Hey, Ty, why is my manager keep giving me all the tasks that I hate? Hmm.” TyAnn: I think it's because they hate you. Lisa: (eyes widen) Hmmm. TyAnn: No, they don't hate you. That's what we're going to talk about today. Lisa: But this is a real thing. TyAnn: This does happen. This happens all the time. Lisa: I actually have an uncle who said from his corporate experience (shout out to Alan) he said that if you are doing a task that you can't stand, but you're the one who does it the best in the office, he's like, “Well, the next time they need to get that thing done, who are they going to come to to get the thing done? You, the one who did it the best.” TyAnn: Right. Doing A Great Job? Best If It’s On Tasks That You LoveLisa: So I do think this can happen because people get known for things that they don't even like, but they haven't worked on their career brand. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: They haven't talked to their manager about what they do like or hope for more of in their development. And I think that is one of the reasons you can be really good at something that you don't like. You're masterful because you keep getting it assigned to you. TyAnn: Absolutely. This happens all the time. This has happened to you and me. This happens to our corporate clients all the time and in a very innocuous way. There's no diabolical plot behind this. And especially when you're more junior in your career, where you might not feel like you can say, “I don't really want to do this, or, I don't really like this.” And so, here's what happens: Oftentimes, when you're smart, you can do a lot of things, and do it in a very proficient way. And actually, your product can be pretty good. And then guess what, because you did a pretty good job at that, next time, they have that horrible spreadsheet that needs to be done — “You did a pretty good job so you're gonna get known as the horrible spreadsheet fixer.” Lisa: And you don't want to be the one... I mean, if you're a hard worker... TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: ...yet you don't want to be the whiner, complainer... TyAnn: Right. Lisa: The purpose of this episode isn't to say, we're going to empower you to go tell your leaders all of the things that you just don't like. TyAnn: Yeah, don't don't do that. That’s not the takeaway from this section at all. That's a career-limiting move by the way. Lisa: High-risk conversation. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: It would be less risky to figure out a way to describe the stuff you do want more of that you would like to grow into. TyAnn: Yeah. So Lisa's got a great term that she uses about career crafting. She calls it "job shaping." So we're going to talk to you about how to lean your job more toward the things that you do like, and how maybe to get away from some of these legacy things, that kind of seems stuck to your shoe that you can't quite shake. Lisa: Oooh, that's a good way to say it. TyAnn: Or how to, how to avoid that thing you don't like. So, we'll give you some tips both ways. So how to lean more toward the stuff you want, and how to get out of this position of some stuff that you don't like. Lisa: Yeah. And I mean, I think the simplest concept for the gum on your shoe, (that's a good one), is like, it starts to fade away from assignments if you continue to get known for the things that you *do* enjoy. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: I call this concept, “don't expect your managers to be mind readers." Because it's easy to think, “They should know that that's a horrible thing, the horrible spreadsheet task, like they should know, I hate that. Why do the give the junk tasks to me? Yes, I might save time because it can turn into a mundane brainless task, but that's now how I want to save time at work.” TyAnn: How would they know? And what do you... Lisa: You call it something else, don't you? What do you call it? TyAnn: I call it "the psychic method doesn't work." Even though we might try to prove this over and over? Yeah, so and here's the deal, too. We see the world through our own eyes, because that's the lenses we were given, right. And we tend to think, "everything I hate, everyone else hates." Or the opposite: "everything I like everyone else likes." But that's not how the world works. And certainly in the strengths world we find there's all kinds of different things. So just because you like something or dislike something, somebody else has a completely different set of likes and dislikes. So if you secretly hate that thing you're working on, and you don't ever say anything, guess what? How would anybody know that? Especially if you keep doing a really good job at it. And the other factor is that if you're working in your weakness zone, it's not going to be as intuitive. It's going to take you longer. The way to save time at work is to spend more of your time in your strengths zone. Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: And you never say anything. And then they're like, “Hey, Lisa, good job on that spreadsheet.” You're like, “Okay, thanks.” Lisa: Hey thanks. Hey, I'm a hard worker. And I keep getting more of this stuff that I don't like. It feels soul-sucking and time consuming. TyAnn: And think about this. What if you have a lot of Achiever and Responsibility in your top themes? Lisa: I had it. I had a client, example, recently where she led through Responsibility. And she was on a big global project, all people in all time zones, and she thought it was really important to get people synched-up that someone would capture the initial conversation. This is basically a note taking thing. TyAnn: Ahh Lisa: So she asked, “Who would like to volunteer?” TyAnn: Okay, usually the answer is going to be, “no one.” Lisa: That is pretty much what happened. Podcasts don't go well with me demonstrating the long cricket-silence she got in the meeting. But that's what happened. She asked, and all she heard was crickets. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: *no answer, *no answer. TyAnn: She probably felt like she had to do it. Lisa: She did. She leads through Responsibility. She can't let a ball drop. She was like, “I'll take it.” So she takes it. And she said she found herself time after time after time taking it and she was new to the company and new to the role and six months in, she said — “Do you know my career brand here is I'm the team secretary?” Oh, and she feels like it was that one decision that led to the next one, to the next one, to the next one. And now that's how they see her. So now work feels slow and clunky. She drudges through it. She's dying to save time at work because she's bogged down in tasks she hates. TyAnn: And now for her branding exercise, she has to undo all of that, which is a, you know, a much more difficult spin. Lisa: Our career-memories are long. TyAnn: Yeah. So that's going to be a whole ball of work just to undo just to get her back to neutral. Because then we have to replace all that with something else. Lisa: Mm hmm. Yeah. TyAnn: I mean, it can be done but that's just a harder way to go. Lisa: I think that's actually a good one for the example of what you were talking about. Like there's the how, how do you unwind from what you don't like and then build into what you do like? Now if you imagine this person walking around declaring: “By the way, I don't like note-taking.” “By the way, I’m not a secretary.” “By the way, that's not really what I want. I'm, I'm so much more.” "By the way, I'm actually trying to save time at work and be efficient here!" That would not go well. That would be awkward, whiny and bizarre. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: But if instead, she starts really knocking it out on these other three things that are a big deal (the ones that are in her strengths-zone), then over time, it doesn't take that much time. She gets known for other (good) things and the draining things fade away into a distant memory. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: And that is a path that is much more doable. And I like to give clients a script that is like a starting place for a career conversation with their manager. For example: “I just listened to this podcast episode and it got me thinking about what I would love the most to grow into next in my role. And so it made me think...I'd love to have more projects that require a person to create momentum on the team. I'd love it if you'd consider me next time a big change management effort comes up. (To TyAnn), give me another talent theme that she has besides Responsibility. TyAnn: Okay, let's say she also has, um, Communication. Lisa: Okay, so she also leads through Communication. And the team's doing a project where they need to roll it out to a bunch of end-users who aren't really going to love it. And it's going to take some real change management effort. TyAnn: What clients don't always love what you have to roll out? Sometimes there's change management? Lisa: And imagine how many people wouldn't like that? You know, I have to go out and convince a bunch of other people to do a thing, like most people go, “I don't want to do the dog and pony show. I just want to make the great thing.” And then if you build it, they will come, right? No, you need people who lead through Communication, who can spark momentum and get other people excited about it, and communicate the benefits of it and get out there and spread the message and recruit other messengers. This kind of stuff that would be really fun to her would be loathsome to other people. TyAnn: Absolutely. Lisa: So if she comes around now and says, “I just listened to this podcast. It got me thinking about things I'd like to grow into. I know we have this problem right ahead of us. If you see a part of that project, where I could contribute my Communication talent theme to to be the spark of momentum, I would love to help with that. So I just want to put it out there. If you see this opportunity, I hope you'll think of me.” TyAnn: Absolutely. Lisa: Any manager would love to hear that. TyAnn: They're probably, “Oh my gosh, thank you so much because I was cringing inside thinking how are we going to get all the engineers on board, or whatever it is. And hey, now that you've been working, you know, Pan Global, you've been, you know, all these people in all these different regions. You know, we can really tap into that.” So what she didn't do was go around and whine about it. So I would say from personal experience, not the best approach. So she didn't put on her t-shirt, “Here's all the things I hate about my job.” Again, not the best approach. And she didn't go to her manager with an ultimatum, “If you don't give me this I'm gonna fight.” You know, be, “I'm gonna quit” or whatever. That's not also good. What she did do is offer up something that she would like to be known for, she would like to lean into. And even in this case, she might not be saying “I have all this experience in this area.’ It sounded like she was saying, “I would like to get experienced in this.” And now she's getting assigned work she loves. Those lovable tasks feel like they save time at work because they do - they're easier. They're your space to get in flow. Lisa: Yeah. Sharing Your ‘Trash And Treasure’ List To The Team Could Fast-Track A Career You LoveTyAnn: So that means I'm going to be great at it. First, right out of the box, I might need to partner up with someone to try to offload some of the trash-tasks. But it's a great way for her to lean into something as opposed to just leading with, here's what I hate about my job, which would be great. Here's what's funny: because here's this task now that she loathes, but there is someone else out there, I promise you, who would love the opportunity to do the thing that she hates. This is what's so hard for us. Remember, everything that we hate, we think everyone else hates too. But there's someone else out there who maybe you know, funny enough, maybe they also have Communication, but theirs show up in a written form. Maybe they are not the extroverted person out there, in terms of extroverted catalytic change. Maybe they are, you know, they are more introverted. They like the details, they want to keep everybody abreast through this great written form. It could be all kinds of things. But there's somebody else out there who would love this. And so a great, you know, really well-functioning team is able to talk about these things. You've got this great trash-to-treasure team activity, where again, it takes a little bit of vulnerability, but we can say, here are the top three things I love, or I'm looking forward to. Here are the things that I'm kind of ready to pass on to somebody else. Lisa: I mean, look at that, like we, we love talking with each other. And we don't get to the actionable takeaway this fast usually. This is, this is great. That thing that you just described, where if you share it as a team…. Here's an example the other day. A guy goes, (I introduced trash and treasure sort of things, like, what are some things that you really enjoy?), and he said, “I really like escalation calls." TyAnn: Which is funny, because a lot of other people are like, “Oh, my God, I would hate that.” Lisa: They thought he added in the wrong column. And then and you know, you just get a lot of that. “Why? Why?” TyAnn: Why? Lisa: “What are you talking about?” Like, “surely he wrote that on the wrong side.” And he's like — “I, I am a deep subject-matter expert. I love when there's a big challenge. It's gotten.... I don't love that customer services are flustered, but he's like, “I love that it's been too big and hairy for anyone to figure out, and I can come in and I know when they talk to me, it is over. Their frustration is done.” He said, “It's so satisfying to know that there is no escalation after me. It is always solved.” TyAnn: Wow. Lisa: And that thing just made him feel so alive. And instantly, in that moment, people are like, “Can I give you mine? Can I give you mine? Can I give you mine?” And he is like, “In fact, yes. If other things can get off my plate, yes, I would love it if my day were filled with that.” Imagine. He feels more productive doing escalation calls. He didn't study a time management book. He didn't even have to apply the Getting Things Done (GTD) method. He saved time at work because he loved it and that is a responsibility that lights him on fire. TyAnn: That's brilliant. Lisa: Now, it's not always that clean and easy. I mean, you can't just be like, “Yes, let me give you my worst tasks ever.” For many on the team, that's their worst well ever. But it works. There are moments. TyAnn: I love that like that. I love that. Or if we could find, usually there's somebody on the team who maybe highly Analytical or they have whatever skill, like the Excel skills, or the Microsoft Project skills. They love, you know, a good Gantt chart or whatever. Usually, there's somebody who, that’s their jam. And someone else wants to poke their eye out if that's what they have to do. So wouldn't it be great if you could just shift a little bit so that, you know, “Hey, maybe I can't just unload this task? Maybe I'm still responsible for it but hey, Lisa, can I go to lunch with you? And you could just give this thing a once over and you know, make sure I'm on the right path?” You know, and you're probably like, “That's awesome. Yes!” And I'll say I’ll buy your lunch. And you're like, “You don't even have to do that, I'm excited to help.” Lisa: Mmmm. TyAnn: I'm like, “Why would you be excited to help about this loathsome project?” But so you know, those kinds of things are easy ways you can ease into it, even if it's not possible for me to be like here at least. So you take it up. Lisa: And I think you're bringing up a nuance that's important is that you don't just want your manager, the person you report to, to be the only one who knows what you want to grow into. Now, your teammates know new things about, you and you know things about them. Maybe then you share with the leader like, “Oh, wow, he was so helpful to me in this way.” And now he's getting known for the thing that he likes. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: And he's getting more of it. And it really does have this virtuous.. TyAnn: ...virtuous cycle — my favorite thing about Significance, right. Uhhmm, share with each other, what is the thing you love best about your job because, in the words of my friend, Lisa, notice what works to get more of what works. And so if I don't know what works for you, I can't ever help you get more of that. Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: And I can't ever point out because if I keep pointing out your spreadsheet looks really good, and you're like, “Oh my god, I hate that thing. I am going to go to my grave and have that spreadsheet etched on my tombstone.” And you never want to say, “Ah, I'd really like to do this other thing.” So again, coming back to the idea that your manager doesn’t automatically know what you want, and the psychic method doesn't work, and it doesn't work for your teammates, either. This is where I think being vulnerable, having that psychological safety, and I think also having that concept of, “just because I don't say, just because I don't love something doesn't mean I'm saying, “I hate this. I'm not going to do it.” Or, “I'm going to do it poorly.” Because again, I don't get to run my unicorn work. I don't only get to do the things I want to do all day long. I'm going to approach my work and always do everything with as much integrity as I can. But there are some things I would like to do more of, and probably have more of an act to do. Attract Opportunities By Striking A Conversation About Your ‘How’ SkillsLisa: Yay. Good luck on that, Ty. And don't make your take away, the refusal of the job... TyAnn: Don't do that. Lisa: ...or the excuse to get out of work or... TyAnn: Don't do that. But as you know, as we tell children, you got to use your words. So you've got to put it out there. Whether you call it the secret, or the universe, or using your words, you've got to put out there what you're hoping to do more of. Lisa: Oh, and you have to first decide what you want more of. If you're going to save time at work by doing work that puts you in flow, you have to reflect enough to know what responsibilities put you in the flow state. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: Strengths, reading the book StrengthsFinder, doing the CliftonStrengths assessment, these are all helpful things if you've never even thought of, “Oh, it's not just that I would like more of this skill, TyAnn: Right. Lisa: … but also, how I interact with people. Or like, in the Communication example, that was more of a ‘how’, not a ‘what’ skill thing” and... TyAnn: Right. Lisa: ...like, “Oh, I like to build momentum. Aha, I can ask my manager for things that require momentum building, that's not something that they've probably ever thought of using, as an assignment criteria.” And now they have a whole new realm of things to offer you instead of like that one specific job that you were hoping to move into next. TyAnn: I think that's actually a really good point because if you just look at, you know, let me find the magic job title, well, I'll just tell you, that's going to be a long hard search. Because that often doesn't exist. But these “how” skills exist in a lot of places that you might not even realize, right? But that's where you can, the more you put out there what you want, the more other people will start to help you and say — “You know, there's actually the thing you didn't even know, but they could use you on that project team.” Like I didn't even know that was a thing. And then, you know. But again, if you just sit there at your cube, or now you know, at your home office, hoping that the magical assignment comes your way and bluebirds into your, to your window, you're going to be sitting there a long time. So you can, you can have a little bit more control in your life when you do the right thing(?) Lisa: Yeah. So if we bring this all together, I would say one action is, you want to have a conversation with the person that you report to. TyAnn: Absolutely. Lisa: And and try to find a way to express, “Here's this thing I would love to grow into. And I would love it, if you would think of me next time you're considering assignments that relate to x, and if you use those “how” skills. TyAnn: Absolutely. And by the way, it's perfectly legitimate feedback for your manager to say, “Okay, I hear you saying that, but you know what, you don't have any of those skills today.” That might happen. And then you can have a conversation about, “Okay, how might I be positioned to get those skills? What would a path look like for that?” Lisa : Yeah. TyAnn: That is completely legitimate. Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: Or for you to look up in the organization somewhere, and then just go talk to someone and say, “how did you get here?” How, and, you know, that's what, I kind of interview internal people all the time. Have, you know, and just have kind of an informational one-on-one. By the way, people love to talk about themselves, little tip, and people will meet with you all day long, for 30 minutes, just to tell you their story. And so that's where real growth happens. So I love that. So talk to your manager. Again, second method doesn't work there. So that's the first tip, communication. Lisa: I'd say, volunteering the talent out. So let's say for example, you lead through Learner and Input. And now your company is implementing Microsoft Teams, but no one knows how to use it, and they're resisting it. And you're like, “we're gonna have to get down with this program, because it's going to be the way of the world. Microsoft is embedded in everything we do, we need to figure it out.” And so you decide, “I'm going to turn on my Learner and Input. I'm going to find all the cool features and things that could make life easier for teammates and then I'm going to share it with teammates. So then you get an opportunity to get known for what you want more of because you've decided, “I'm going to do it anyway. I can tell it we'll have to figure it out. I'm going to turn on my Learner and Input which would be fun for me because those are in my top five. And then I'm going to use those, volunteer them out beyond myself to help the team." By virtue of volunteering it out, you can see where using the talent makes you feel more productive and efficient. It's an experimenting process. It is a process, yet the compounding effect can save you a lot of time at work over the course of months or years. In fact, the job itself can be totally different as a byproduct of these experiments. If the team does StrengthsFinder as a team thing, then they know the words Learner and Input and you're able to say, “Okay, you know, Learner and Input. I nerded out on this. So I thought you might find this helpful, here are all the things that I've picked up.” And you give them the tip sheet. TyAnn: I love that. I mean, that's so cool. You've made yourself the super user. You've... and it's not just about you, you've created, you know, you've positioned yourself in a way of service to other people. So by the way, anytime you're helpful to other people, they tend to want to come back to you to get more help, which is great, because you've, you know, you're killing kind of two birds with one stone, this is great. They're gonna be like, - “Oh, that you did such a great job that last time we had this thing. Now we've got to have this. You know, we're gonna put this in Slack. Nobody here knows anything about it. Can you help us with that?” And yeah, you would be the person. So I love that. It's volunteering your talent, not again, sitting at your desk quietly with your head down, waiting for someone to come tap you on the shoulder and say, “Hey, Lisa, I know you're a high Learner Input. So I was thinking maybe here's an opportunity, you could, you could do.” That, that's rarely going to happen. It's rarely going to happen. So you have to really keep your eye on the landscape and think, “How could I apply my top themes to what's going on here?” So... Lisa: Those are big. TyAnn: I know. Lisa: Okay. I have a third one, which would be, listen for what people kvetch and complain about. TyAnn: Hmm. Lisa: Not to join it? TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: Again, more career limiting. TyAnn: Yeah, don't do that. Lisa: But if you listen, you can hear like when Ty was explaining the spreadsheet with doing the VLOOKUPs. She was good at them but when she remembers this role that she had where she had to spend all day in the spreadsheet doing Vlookups, her nose crinkles up when she says “Vlookup” like there's an uhm! TyAnn: Yeah, there's a physical response when you don't like something. You're basically or even your body might hunch down a little bit. Lisa: Yeah. So watch for that because let's say I were the teammate, I lead through Analytical and Deliberative and I love slicing and dicing data and living in Excel put me in Excel all day long as my favorite job, when I see her react that way, if I'm listening to other people's responses, both tuning in... TyAnn: Yeah, Lisa: ...even just to watch, but I'm watching, “Oh, saw your reaction in the Vlookup there.” TyAnn: ‘Saw the nose crinkle. Lisa: “Not your BFF, huh?” She's like, “NO!” And then I go, “Ah, I start to get ideas. I could, I could take that on for you. And maybe you could swap something out with me. Or maybe I could give you a shortcut template or something like that, where I'm just volunteering it out.” She's thinking, yeah Vlookups are slow and cumbersome and awful. Meanwhile you're thinking that Vlookups are such a great way to save time at work and get really efficient. But beyond watch for things you could swap with others. And when you see others kvetching and complaining, you're often able to see — “Oh, that thing that I like, not everybody likes that.” “Oh, that thing that I'm good at, not everyone else is good at it.” TyAnn: Right. I think that's huge. And just thinking about that person with a spreadsheet, you know, maybe there's a meeting they have to go to every week where they have to report out on that spreadsheet. And that meeting causes them no end of angst. They get the pit in the tummy feeling, they get the flop sweat, they go in and even though they know it front and back, they can't communicate that to save their lives. Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: And it's miserable for everybody. And you're like, “I could talk to those people cold.” Lisa: That is perfect. TyAnn: You're like, “How about I, you do the back end, I'll do the front end and together we are the Ty and Lisa show? Only if it was the two of us. There really wouldn't be a back end, we would only be to the front. Lisa: We’re going, “To the back. To the back. To the front. To the front.” It would be stuck — a skipping record. “To the front. To the front. To the front” TyAnn: We need to have a team. We would need Deena a lot with this, to help, to help round us out. Um, yeah. So again, the psychic method doesn't work. So you got to have that, those conversations, and I think that will really serve me well. Lisa: Yeah. So let us know, how did your conversation go? How did you bring it up? TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: And when you were thinking of the talents that you're trying to lead into, how did you phrase it with your manager. This is a scripting thing that I find a lot of people get stuck on. And that's why I like to give that thing where it's like, - “Hey, I've been thinking about what I want to grow into next.” Or even using this podcast because at least it's less awkward to say, “Hey, I was listening to this podcast. I was trying to learn more about being awesome at work," you know, in something that makes you sound like you're continuing to grow. TyAnn: Right? Lisa: “I've been putting a lot of thought into this and it gave me this idea.” And then you can offer it out. TyAnn: And then let us know and we'll talk about it. Let us know if you tried it and it doesn't work either. We'll come up with something else for you. There's more than one way here. Lisa: We can have the failure recapture. “Okay, here's a scripting idea that doesn't work. Don't try this because this goes back into that high-risk category that sits right along what... TyAnn: Lisa and I laugh about this because we have tried a whole bunch of things that haven't worked before. So we, you know, we can, we're right there with you on that. We can help prevent you from having those same experiences. Lisa: Yes. And although my stint in HR was very, very short, yours was much more significant. And the time that we got to spend with leaders saying, “All right, fire me.” Like, “We’re doing the roleplay. It's going to be an awkward conversation. I am now the person.” And then getting them to go through…. Scripting things out is tough. And there are so many hard conversations in the workplace. So even these when you're, you're trying to talk about yourself without sounding braggadocious. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: That's tough too. TyAnn: Right? Lisa: And it's not even awkward, and you're not telling someone they're about to… TyAnn: Right. Lisa: ...lose their job or be on a performance improvement plan. It's just simply like, “how do I describe something that I might be good at without sounding like an arrogant jerk? TyAnn: Like a braggy jerk. So it's fine. We, again, it feels a little uncomfortable, because we don't have these conversations all the time. So that's where you're just, you know, you can get a little index card and just literally write this out. And then kind of practice in a mirror saying this. You can practice with a friend. You can call a spirit guide to help you out. And the more you do it, the easier it will become. And again, we're not trying at all for you to say, “here's the list of things I'm not going to do.” This is just how can you lean your career, how can you steer it a little bit more toward the things that bring you energy, and a little bit less towards the soul sucker parts of the job. Lisa: Yeah. And if you do decide that you want to do this as a team exercise, where you're talking about it and you want a facilitator, Ty would be a great one for this. She can come into your organization and walk you through that trash and treasure exercise. She's great at helping you figure out what fills you up - even a personal branding exercise for each person on the team. We have one where you walk away with three words that describe how you would love to be known and describe how you want to show up in the organization so that you can actually take the time to reflect because it's hard to carve the time out, and then your teammates can know how you want to be known, and your manager. TyAnn: That's a cool exercise too, by the way. People feel really good about that. Lisa: Yeah. And it feels so good to hear them about each other. TyAnn: Yeah. Very affirming. Lisa: And it takes away that... TyAnn: Very affirming. I love that one. Lisa: Yeah because you're not being awkward or arrogant when some facilitators ask you to do the exercise. TyAnn: Yeah, absolutely. Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: So give us a ring. Let us know what works for you and if you need help on this process. Lisa: All right. With that, we will see you next time. Bye for now. More Relevant Resources To Support Your Strengths-Focused Career GrowthThe previous discussion on strengths as easy buttons for better performance truly supports today’s episode. You turn on your "easy buttons" when you go for tasks or projects that you find enjoyable and energizing. This leads to a better and well-recognized performance at work. But going more for these tasks that you love also means ensuring you don’t end up sounding braggy. Not all people around you might respond well to it. Here’s Lead Through Strengths Facilitator Strother Gaines sharing tips on how to not sound arrogant when building a career around your strengths, so you can review your script before you talk to others about yourself. If you’re a team manager, you can help and guide your team members realize their full potential in whatever roles they express to lean more into by assessing their top strengths, along with their trash and treasure list. Revisit Lisa’s interview with Adam Seaman to pick up more tips. | |||
| Not Feeling Very Worky Today? Get To The Truth About Why | 10 Jan 2021 | 00:26:10 | |
If You're Not Feeling Very Worky Today, Your Feeling Is Valid If you woke up not feeling very worky today, you're not alone. All around the world, this happens for reasons that are either obvious or hard to dig. Being in a funk is a real struggle that can last from days to months and can impact many important decisions that you make. It happens in the workplace and beyond. Being in this situation may lead you to deliberate whether to stay in a job or not, to stay in a relationship or not, to adopt a certain lifestyle or not, and so on. This feeling is valid, but when it does happen, do you usually deal with it from a place of fear, or from a place of strength? In another fun and insightful episode, host Lisa Cummings and fellow StrengthsFinder facilitator TyAnn Osborn share their personal and professional take on what it means to be in a funk, and effective ways to turn that "funky monkey" situation around. (Expect some hints of Beastie Boys along the way too.) Here’s their conversation. Lisa: You're listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you'll learn to apply your greatest strengths at work. I'm your host, Lisa Cummings. And you know, I'm always telling you, it's hard to find something more energizing than using your natural talents every day at work. Well, something that's just about as energizing is when I get to hang out with my other host here in the room, TyAnn Osborn. Today, we are going to talk about being in a funk. So very often, we go to strengths events, we get invited in to deliver training, and often it's from an inspirational standpoint. We want to get to know each other better, we want to communicate better, we want to get to know a new team... TyAnn: Right. Lisa: Team building... TyAnn: Very positive. Very fun. Lisa: And then the reality of the world is we have days when mojo meter is level zero. We have seasons, times, months, weeks, where sometimes you're just in a funk. Once, I had an entire, probably six months of a job where I was in a funk and I was like, “What is wrong with me? I like the people, I like the job, the pay is good. Life is good. Everything on paper sounds so right. What is wrong?" And almost never do people think, “Well, this would be a great opportunity to use my strengths!” It just doesn't come up for people. But I know that you have ideas for this, and you've talked about them being one of the best things you could do for yourself when you find yourself in a funk or you think someone else might be in a funk. Step 1: Acknowledge When You’re Feeling FunkyLisa: So, if you are going to even begin applying strengths to this concept, what would you start with? TyAnn: I think that's so true. And like Lisa said, often when we come in, we've done a big team building event, everyone's all jazzed up, this is exciting. And then you go back to your desk, and work happens. Or life happens. And you're like, “Oh, that was fun.” But meanwhile, Now my customer is upset with me. My kid’s upset with me... My spouse is upset with me... I have to make dinner... Whatever it is, and life just happens. Or, like she said, sometimes you can't really put your finger on it. And for whatever reason, you're just like, “Oh, I feel like a funky monkey, I don't know why.” That sounds more cute than you might actually be feeling. Lisa: Sounds like Brass Monkey. Makes me think of Beastie Boys. TyAnn: ‘Love Beastie Boys. Yes, that's my jam. Lisa: (sings) TyAnn: So I think it's really easy to use strengths when things are going well. But I think really a powerful application is when you're not feeling that great. And so what do you do? So I would say the first thing is, be able to recognize when you are feeling funky. And sometimes we don't want to intellectually allow ourselves to even go there. Or like you said, “I shouldn't be feeling bad about myself. I'm getting paid good money!" Lisa: "My thinking skills tell me that does not make sense and therefore I must feel great!" TyAnn: "This must be a first world problem because look at me, I have a job and on paper, everything looks fine... I'm not hungry. I'm able to feed myself, I'm able to provide for my family..." And whatever. And here's the deal. Lisa: "You just feel like you're being a baby!" TyAnn: "You feel like you're being a baby." And again, you might say like, "Oh, this is a first world problem." But here's the deal: feelings are valid, because they're your feelings. And if you're feeling funky, you don't have to explain that away to yourself. It's okay. It's okay. I mean, nobody can discount your feelings because they're your feelings. It's okay. So I would say the first thing is just to put that baggage aside for “I shouldn't be feeling this way,” because that's the quickest way to really start some problems internally. Lisa: Let's break that piece down, like you're saying, Step 1 is to figure out that you're feeling like a funky monkey. And then what actually is it. Well, if our client base is representative of many more people in corporate, which I think they are, like, if you're feeling wimpy about it, or feeling like you're being a baby, it's easy to want to discard it, push past it pretty quickly, or to not really spend any time going, what is it actually? Lisa: When I ask people, “What do you think you're really feeling about the situation?” And people will be like, “Well, I'm anxious about it, it's stressing me out.” Those are the two... I think they're the easy words: stressed, anxious. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: I know you can tell me if you hear others are saying like anything past it. TyAnn: They're socially acceptable to say. You know, what is not socially acceptable, is to say I'm scared. And usually, if someone's angry about something, almost always fear is underneath that. And anxiety? Fear is almost always underneath that. And so when you peel it back, you're like — “What's making you so stressed about that?” “Well, I'm afraid I'm not going to do a good job.” "Okay, so what if you don't do a good job?” And so you can kind of follow this line of thinking. “Well, if I don't do a good job, I'm gonna get a bad performance review, right?” “Okay. So what if you get a bad performance review?” “Well, then you know, I'm not going to get a raise.” “Okay, so what if you don't get a raise?” “Well, then, you know, this might happen.” And we tend to have an irrational fear. And sometimes I call it like the “bag lady” fear — that you're going to end up as a bag lady sort of pushing the shopping cart living under the overpass. Lisa: This is a real fear. TyAnn: This is a real fear. Lisa: I had a situation where I took a wrong job. I took a job that was a bad fit for me. TyAnn: By the way, this happens all the time. I have also done this. Lisa: Yes, and you've also written blog entries about the Mondays, the case of the Mondays that you get. TyAnn: That's right. This happens. Lisa: Yes, this happens. So when I picked that role, and I thought, “I think that the answer is to leave.” But then there was so much baggage hanging on to the leaving. So I was in a funk because I got myself stuck in a thought circle. And we actually went through a process, kind of like what you described. "What is the worst that could happen there? And then what would happen there? And then what would happen there?" So I just played it out off of quitting. And what would happen? "Oh, well I just, I would disappoint people because I put them through an interview process. How could I do that to them? They went through this whole thing. They picked me!" TyAnn: They would be mad at you. Lisa: Yes! I didn't want to be viewed unfavorably. I didn't want them to be angry with me. But also, I didn't want to be a jerk to them. I thought what if I'm not giving it enough time? TyAnn: Hmm. What if you're a quitter? Lisa: What if I'm a quitter? What if I'm a poor decision maker? TyAnn: [7:05] ***You're branded with the scarlet Q that you'd have around for the rest of your life.*** Lisa: Yeah. I mean, these are things. And then it was... Okay, and then what? Let's say I quit. Well, normally, I'm a planner. I think ahead. I think far ahead. I would have been deciding what I am going to do next. And then I would get myself lined up for it. And then I would have it all lined up, and I would have an acceleration lane all planned up. I didn't have any of that. So this would be all new territory. I decided, well, this would be a good time to start a business. Not this business but it was a different one. But I was like — okay, what if I don't get any customers? What if I have no revenue? What if I… TyAnn: And now I have to make a business plan. And now that's a huge project. Lisa: Yeah. And I was like, “Oh, we had just purchased this land that we wanted, that was the forever plan. What if I ruin, what if I single-handedly ruin the forever plan because I took one wrong job?” TyAnn: Oh, that's a lot of pressure. Lisa: But you know, even when you go through the worst, when I realized I was really just being a chicken, and that the worst that could happen...you know what we came to when we stayed up really late that night, just talking about, “No, seriously, what is the worst?” TyAnn: What was it? Lisa: We were going to live on an RV and be camp hosts in a lovely State Park, and it was like, “Oh, this is okay.” TyAnn: Which by the way, I have not one but multiple friends who are doing that right now. Lisa: On purpose? TyAnn: That is their dream. Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: Yeah. Like that's the thing. Lisa: Yeah. And at the time, it was just like, “Well, we had an RV. So we literally wasn't something to purchase. It was just like we take the thing that we have while we lost the house, because remember, I lost the whole dream farm. We lost the farm. TyAnn: It burned. It burned up overnight. Lisa: Yeah. I brought it crashing down in flames. And then it was right there. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: So the answer was there. I'm not saying it made it unscary, but that was a funk breaker. So I know it was a bit of a long story to support your point, but I was in a funk — because I was stuck in a decision. TyAnn: You were afraid. Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: It was fear. Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: But you knew the right thing to do. Lisa: I guess so. TyAnn: You wanted to leave. Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: You were just afraid. Lisa: But we fire ourselves on that often. I know. I do. And I know that a lot of customers do... And many smaller things because, well, you know, we work with plenty of people who are not in a funk because they're making self-actualizing giant life decisions. That does happen as well. You know who you are. If you're listening to the show and you stayed after one of the sessions, and we’re like... TyAnn: Right...which we love by the way. Lisa: Oh my God, this made me realize... TyAnn: I made the complete wrong job. Lisa: But also it happens in the everyday mundane. TyAnn: Yeah, absolutely. Identifying The Root Of The Funky Feeling Is Not Magic But A ProcessTyAnn: I hear this a lot. And believe me, this is kind of what keeps coaches in business, is working with people who kind of get to even like the 40, 50-plus category who are like: “You know what? I've worked all this time, and I've sort of made it. I've gotten to wherever it was in the career in the company. I've gotten to whatever level job that I thought was the place I wanted to be, and kind of, is this all there is?” Or like, “I thought somehow I would be riding my unicorn to work and playing with puppies all day. And you know what? I don't. I don't like it. I don't like what I do... I don't really like who I've become.” Or, “My kid drew a picture of the family and I'm not in it.” What we've heard from a colleague of ours... Or something else happens. This is why people have a midlife crisis or a complete breakdown. Talk about a funk. And that's something where you know that there's that little voice whispering in you, of discontent, and you have shoved it down. And you know, when you push that bad boy down, just like feelings, it is like your jack-in-the-box analogy — that thing will shoot out in a very ugly and untimely way. Lisa: That's true. And you know, it's like, once you've been shoving it down, long enough people know. And you're like, I have the pit in my stomach. I know it's off, but I don't know what is off. I can't put my finger on it. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: And then boom, Jack in the box jumps out. TyAnn: Or people feel scared because “I have set up my life now where now I have the big house, or I'm supporting my whole family.” Or I mean, whatever it is. And we kind of make it bigger in our head sometimes. Lisa: Oh, I had one of those recently in a Strengths session. She said, she called it her "big kid bills." And she was like, “I have the house, I have the car, I have the stuff, I have everything. And I've got my mind all wrapped up in keeping with the Joneses.” And she's like, “All I want to do is just go buy a Honda Accord and live in a one-bedroom apartment and unravel it all. And I can't even do that.” TyAnn: So like, “more money, more problems.” And I mean that's why I think there's such a pull right now for downsizing, for minimalism, for “let's chuck it all and go live in that RV and go be the camp host...” And there's a huge movement for that right now. I mean, even in the design world, there's you know, “Minimalism is in!" Not "Rococo is in.” You know what I mean? Lisa: I don't even know what that is. TyAnn: "The heavily layered look is out!" So you see this, there's a real pull and desire for that. And so it's real. It's a thing and it's okay to just sit back and think, “I've worked and maybe I've been the one pushing this, and I feel funky. I don’t know if I want this.” Lisa: Okay, so I'm your client. We've been talking Strengths. TyAnn: Okay. Lisa: I do the CliftonStrengths assessment. I am in fact, in a funk and I did do my assessment. I know my top strengths. I think I'm gonna talk to Ty as my coach. So I'm going to start to open up to the concept and kind of like, talk through what's going on, so I can figure it out because I can't put my thumb on what is making the funky monkey situation happen. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: So what do you do, like if you're in a corporate office, you know, most of our customers are, and they're like living through the funk, and they've acknowledged the funk isn't gonna go away in a one conversation sort of thing. This isn't a magic dust... TyAnn: And I wish it was. I would charge a lot more. Lisa: No kidding! Poof! Life is amazing! TyAnn: For $20,000, I will solve your funkiness! Lisa: 1 hour! TyAnn: Shazam! Yeah, sadly, a little bit more of a process. Lisa: So I know like in one podcast episode, we can't end it and say, “And here…” TyAnn: Here's your 30-second easy answer. Lisa: It will be jerky if I'm like, “Go pay Ty $20,000 so she can get you the answer.” That's not the most fun. TyAnn: But there are some things you can do, for sure. Lisa: Yeah, So getting a coach is a great one. But what else, like what actions can people take away when they're living through the funk, they're in the middle of it, and they're getting to the other side? Look Up To A Coach Or Your Strengths Report As Your 'Spirit Guide' TyAnn: So one thing you said, getting a coach.So I would say absolutely. I'm a huge fan of that, not just because I'm a coach, but because I believe it works. So if your company supports that, awesome! But if they don't, see if you can reach out to a trusted person, because often when you're in it, it can be really hard to see. You know what I mean? So it can be helpful to have spirit guides — somebody to walk beside you on that. So that's a) if you can, you know, put your hand up, and that takes being a little bit vulnerable. But it's okay to just say, “You know what, I gotta get some help here." Because there's no prize for doing that hard and by yourself. Just a little clue to life here. And something too that when you can pull out your Strengths — and again, I realized when you're feeling funky, you might not be thinking Strengths, I mean, that might not be it — but I encourage you, like reach back in your desk and pull up that report. And there's going to be a piece in there about Brings & Needs, that I really like. And you know, often when you first read it, you kind of blow through some of that. But oftentimes, when we're feeling funky, it's because we have a need that's not being met. And each one of our strengths themes has a really specific thing that we need in order to feel fulfilled in that way. And so almost invariably, when I find myself in a funk, I can go back and like literally put my finger on the thing that I am not getting. And it is illuminating to be able to give language or a word to, “Oh my gosh, I thought it was just me. I am not getting this. This is what I need.” And life isn't about putting your needs on a shelf and doing it, again, the hard way. You are at your best and the world needs the best of you, not the most mediocre funky version of you. That's not helpful to anyone. Does that make sense? Lisa: Yeah, absolutely. And if they have the full 34 report, the version that you get the lesser themes at the bottom, you might look at the bottom 5 to 7. And you might notice, if you don't think of these as weaknesses, you think of these as potential energy drainers. Well, you look at that list. And you might think, “Oh right, look at that one. It's number 33 of 34. And I'm using that all day, every day. It's taking a lot of me to give it.” TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: Because you can be totally competent in those areas. By the way, if you're new to Strengths, it can be at the bottom of your list in the stack rank of 34. You can get competent, you can do the thing, but it's sucking it all out of you and you're empty by giving it. TyAnn: Right Lisa: And it can really make you feel funky if you're having to do that over time. TyAnn: Absolutely. And you know, Gallup’s got these engagement metrics that we talk about with our clients. And you know, the data shows that people who are able to use their strengths during the day — six times as likely to be engaged, three times as likely to have a better quality of life. And as I tell my clients, this doesn't mean I only get to work on fun stuff all day long, that really, you know, it is the Ty land. That's not life. But what the research behind this shows is that something in my day brings me energy. And because it does, it lifts me up enough so that then I can get through that noise and deal with some of that stuff that might be pulling on my themes that are at the bottom of my stack. Does that make sense? Lisa: Yeah. So gas in the tank. It gets you back up there so you can get through the day doing things that you're paid to do even if you don't like those things. TyAnn: That's just it. Because sometimes clients are like, “Oh, well, this means I don't have to do those other parts of my job I don't like.” I'm like, “Yeah, no, it's still work.” Now if 100% of your job you don't like, that's not something. But there needs to be something every day that kind of fills your tank, and then you can get through that other stuff. But I think that's where you can start to kind of put some analysis around the funk and then say, “Oh, my gosh, I didn't realize 75% of my job is doing that thing that takes so much energy. I can do it because I'm smart, I'm competent, I mean, I got to this point, I can do it. I just don't want it to take so much of my energy." And then, "Frankly, I don't even have enough energy left to do the things that do excite me." Which then, that becomes sad, you know. I don't even have enough energy to play the drums. Or, I found this happening with me. I love to read, that's kind of my thing. I found if I get in a funk, I'll stop reading. And that's when I've noticed that, man something's really wrong with me. Because I love to read. So if I don't have enough energy to read... Lisa: Okay, you know, we're into these analog tools in the list, this would be a good list like, "Can you remember back to times when you were in a funk and what might the signs be?” And some things like that. You stop reading. I might skip my drum practice for the day I notice. I let myself get a little disorganized, like if my trash starts to overflow because I'm Mrs. Cleanly, I'm Mrs. Tidy is basically me, so I noticed... Oh, if a couple of little signs, like my fingernails are very chipped and my trash is overflowing and I'm playing Tetris waiting for it to fall out — I know, I'm not in my normal game. TyAnn: Isn't that interesting? Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: So kind of know that about yourself, like what are these little signs, little guideposts along the way so that you can pay attention to those before you get to sort of the edge of the cliff, and you've fallen off. Unleash Your Best You — The World Needs It Lisa: Okay, this is good.So we have to-dos for them. Okay, we've got lists to make....
TyAnn: Absolutely.
Lisa: Yeah.
One thing I love about your style in this regard is, well, depth, obviously. You get corporate, you get people's busy lives, but you're both empathetic and tough at the same time — not empathy in the Gallup sense of the word, but like, you feel the person for how they need to be seen and heard and appreciated in the moment. But then you can also tell the truth. You're not afraid of... TyAnn: I definitely have huge compassion for people because — especially with the clients we work with — I've been there. You know, we've had these jobs. I have had the job where I felt like I had to be on 24/7. I've had the ex-pat job where I literally felt like I was on 24/7 because I had a whole job on the other side of the world, and just when that job was ending, the US was coming online. I've had the job where I got 300 emails a day. I've had the job where you go into the Ops review, and you have to prepare a 75-page deck that you get yelled at about. I mean, we've lived this, right? Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: I've been in a place where you get promoted to a position that you're like, “I don't want this. I don't want my boss's job. I don't want any of these jobs.” Lisa: “Why did I do this?” TyAnn: “Why did I do this?” But you know what, I've also had things that are great. And I'm just saying, life can be awesome. And you have tremendous and powerful skills. And we just want to harness those so that we can unleash the best of you in the world — because that's what the world needs. Lisa: Yeah. Okay, that is a perfect end to this. One thing I am going to put in the show notes for you is a link to http://leadthroughstrengths.com/negative. There's one called /positive and there's one /negative. And it's a list of emotions. It's like an inventory of emotions. And so if one of your takeaways is coaching — great, bring on Ty. If you are more like, “Hey, I just need to DIY this right now, and I'm going to go back to the very beginning of this episode and do that thing where I'm trying to figure out beyond saying I'm stressed or anxious, what's going on with me with this funk... That list, it just gives you a whole different set of words to say — "Oh, yeah, I think I'm just angry about this thing that got switched up on me at work. And I've just had the bee in my bonnet for a while, using an old saying, and now that put me into a funk.” So that will be a good resource as well, if you have trouble naming it. And remember Ty’s wisdom, I will call it, which is — you don't have to look at these emotions and name these emotions so that you can go tell your boss you're feeling it. This is actually you just doing it so you can understand what is making the funk. Right? TyAnn: Yeah, absolutely. And it could be, I mean, I've seen this before, you could be mad because you're not getting recognized, you know. You're mad, you worked on that project and somebody else got the credit for it. You know, all these things. And you might think, “I can't say that out loud, because that sounds really petty.” You know, then someone's going to be like... But that's a valid feeling. That's totally valid. So I love that lists can help spark that for you. So write that stuff down so you can help in your mind...just get kind of granular on what specifically is it that's causing the funk. Because once we know, and we can drill into that, then we can help start building bridges to get over the funk. Lisa: Yeah. And you layer that with what you described about going back through your report and reading the needs. And if you have the full report, looking at the very bottom, so you might see something that is a soul sucker for you that you didn't know. You have a pretty good inventory either of, “Oh, I've got my early warning signs”, or, “Oh, I've figured out what might have spurred this.” Like that moment where you didn't get recognized, maybe you're annoyed for about 30 seconds, and then you're like, “Yeah, [24:33] ***I'm a grown-up*** so I'm over it.” And then you move on — but you didn't get over it. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: You just told yourself you did. TyAnn: Right. Or maybe that's like the 5th time that that's happened in this job, and it's just like, it's like your bee in your bonnet. It doesn't go away. It's there. And then every time that happens again, it's just that confirmation that's like see, this is in here. And maybe one of your themes is Significance, and maybe yours needs to be recognized. And so that's a really good starting point to think... What's going on here? How can I put more Venn in this diagram than these things that are totally opposite? So I think that's just a great place to start. Lisa: It is. And speaking of starts, we're stopping. [Laughs] So even though we're at the end of the episode, you know we always talk about how using your strengths will make you a stronger performer. And in this time, if you're listening to this, if you are in one of those moments where you are in a funk, don't forget that your strengths do strengthen your performance. Because, I think to Ty's point, it is not the first thing that comes to mind. But if you're experiencing the funk right now and you're feeling like the brass monkey-funky monkey, get over to your CliftonStrengths report and get...reflecting? Is that what you would call it? TyAnn: Yeah. You’re reflecting. Yeah, go back and dig into those Brings & Needs, and I think you'll find some wisdom there. Lisa: All right. With that, we will see you next time. Bye for now. Need More Resources To Help You Further Beat Those Funky Blues? Check These OutLisa mentioned how being in a funk is largely linked to being “stressed” and “anxious,” based on her experience discussing the situation with her clients. Listen to her as she explains how having a bad day, a person/team who frustrates you, and an environment where you feel mismatched might bring out the shadow side of your strengths in What Do Strengths Look Like Under Stress? Here you will learn how to reframe them from bad to better. Or listen to Lisa’s grandma Venetta as she shares 5 career lessons. In one of the lessons, she encourages listeners to simply step back, get some perspective and look for the good in things even when stressed at work and feeling overwhelmed. The rest of her shared nuggets are just as golden! Funky moments, whether major or minor ones, are all part of life, as the path towards our goals is not always straight and smooth. Our episode on How To Start Living Your Best Life with Lisa and Strother Gaines will inspire you to embrace situations that can throw you off your path yet lead you to reroute or arrange new ones. All this points to the importance of anchoring on your CliftonStrengths talent themes in life. See you in the next episode with Lisa and TyAnn. | |||
| Self Care Ideas: Simple Ways That Strengths Can Fill Your Empty Tank | 27 Dec 2020 | 00:27:25 | |
Self Care Ideas That Most Corporate Professionals Haven't Considered You can't go very far when you're running on empty, no matter how hard you push. And that's why we've come up with this fun episode for you — consider it a virtual "filling station." All you need to do for now is hit the brake, find clarity, and refill your tank with self care ideas that use your natural talents. Just like operating from your unique strengths, practicing self care makes a world of difference. Self care is not self-ish, because it results in giving your world the best of you [very punny, right?]. No matter your role in your team, your strengths can guide you in choosing the tasks that replenish you so that you can contribute your best - and achieve goals with less effort. Our host Lisa Cummings is joined once again by TyAnn Osborn, and together they will guide you towards the things that could re-energize you. As you'll find out, filling up on self care ideas doesn’t have to be limited to studying mindfulness, meditation, and massage. Surprisingly, self care can feel really practical in the workplace, despite the typical connotation, which seems to live outside of the office. There are many self care ideas that come right out of your natural talents - ways you can approach your work to re-energize you while you simultaneously get things done. Here’s their conversation: Lisa: You're listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you'll learn to apply your greatest strengths at work. I'm your host, Lisa Cummings, and you know, I'm always telling you, it's hard to find something more energizing than using your natural talents every day at work. Well, something that's just about as energizing is when I get to hang out with my other host here in the room, TyAnn Osborn. TyAnn: Hi! Lisa: Today, we're talking about... We don't know yet what we're talking about, because we're doing a spin-the-wheel, where it tells us what we're talking about for the day. So let's spin. TyAnn: Okay. Lisa: Ooh, this one is talking about self care ideas... TyAnn: Self care. Lisa: When you run empty. TyAnn: Well... Lisa: No, you should just start this Ty, because you've talked about when the cup is empty, you have nothing to give. We definitely need some self care ideas up in here. How These Self Care Ideas Can Help You Avoid BurnoutTyAnn: That's it. So I think this is a really important topic right now. And, you know, we're all facing different struggles, no matter what it is. Depending on when you listen, there can be any number of things happening. Maybe you've got a personal health struggle, maybe you're facing job troubles, potential job loss. Maybe you've got some family stuff going on, kids stuff going on. I don't know, maybe there was a global pandemic. There's all kinds of things happening in the world right now, and something is probably happening in your life. And here's the deal. You know, we have a lot of demands and pulls on our time and our energy. And often, we're trying to give so much to other people. If you're a manager, a people manager, you know, you're really trying to show up and be the best for your team. If you've got kids you're trying to give. If you're a volunteer, you're trying to give. But the truth is, you can't give from an empty cup. And so this is really where we've got to build self care ideas in our own life so that we can have our own replenishment - things that help us so that we can help give to other people. Because, believe me, if you're just gonna keep pouring, nothing's gonna come out. Lisa: That's a good point. It's kind of like, if you use your cup metaphor, I'm going to drink, there's nothing there. I'm trying to take a sip, there's nothing there. TyAnn: Yeah, you're still slurping on that straw, like (slurps)... Nothing happening. Lisa: And I, I see this with a lot of clients where we want to be it all. We want to give it all. We want to do it all. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: I have very high expectations of myself that I never meet. I see customers who have high expectations of themselves that they never meet, and they feel crushing expectations from other people around them, so that same family member, teammate, boss, all of those situations, and they are like, "Everyone wants a piece of me, and I've got nothing." TyAnn: Yeah, "I've got nothing to give." And believe me, that is the number one recipe for burnout right there. Because, you know, we're people and a lot of us are strong in terms of achievement, and being able to really, you know, move forward. That's why we're successful in our careers. And we've kind of gotten to these points. But believe me, there's only so far you can push this before you will just hit a wall. And often, you and I've talked about this before, oftentimes your body will tell you you've hit a wall before your brain will intellectually let you believe it. And, you know, I heard this one time on Oprah, she said, the universe speaks to you. And first, it'll be a whisper. And if you don't listen, then it'll start tapping a little louder. And finally, you know, if you keep not listening, it'll smack you upside the head. So I think it's really important to generate self care ideas, and create a practice. And we can talk about, "What does that look like from a strengths perspective?" Lisa: Yeah. When I think about self care ideas, I think about fitness. I think about fuel in the body, like what you're eating and drinking. I think about, "Am I consciously trying to direct my work to allow energizing things?" TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: I also think about hobbies. Am I doing things in life that fill my cup back up? TyAnn: Yeah. Different Energizers For Different Folks — Scrap The JudgmentLisa: There are a lot of things I think people can list if you ask, "What things energize you?" TyAnn: Yes. Lisa: But then how many do you allow yourself to do, and how do you know the payoff, like, “Okay, if I allow myself to sleep 9 hours a night, which my body thinks it wants…” TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: We can have self care ideas, but we might not give ourselves permission to try them. It feels self-indulgent. TyAnn: So true. Lisa: ...I think, "I don't have time for that. I have too much to do." But I think I also would like to drive to a gym and go do yoga in the morning and then, start work around noon, and... TyAnn: Play with your dogs and the drums and take a nap. Lisa: Yeah, I have songs to write. I have drums to play. I have dogs to take care of. I have a husband to hang out with. I have a lot to do. And that takes up a whole workday all by itself. These are beautiful self care ideas, yet I need to bring home the bacon too. TyAnn: Right?! Did you time for work? Lisa: Who's got time for that? TyAnn: Yeah. So how do you fit these self care ideas into your day? And how does this feel like not just one more thing I have to do? And then where can I get the biggest bang for my buck? Lisa: Yeah. Good point. You can have self care ideas, but they can also feel burdensome because they take up time. So what's the first step? I mean, and we're doing this related to strengths. TyAnn: So what are all the answers to this mystery? So a few things. I will just offer a personal bias. I think this word "self care" is used a lot now. It's thrown around. And sometimes when I hear it, it feels a little soft. Or it's all about like taking long hot bubble baths or something. And I think that feels a little squishy to me. So how about we just say, things that replenish you? Whatever that is for you. Lisa: The magic wand, we are now turning "self care ideas" into "things that replenish you." Very simple. That definitely makes it less squishy. TyAnn: Yeah. And I also think we can take away judgment on that, because something that makes you feel good might not make me feel good. So it's very personal to you. Lisa: Well, I think that we have one of those because I think that you're making fun of bubble baths, but that you actually do like them. And you like to read in the bath. TyAnn: I do. Lisa: Meanwhile, when we built our house, we built a bathless house because we don't take baths. TyAnn: Hey, interesting trend in real estate, right? Lisa: Is it?. I didn't realize that. TyAnn: As someone who just went through that process, now you go in, it's kind of polarizing. Bath person. No bath person. Some people have the big freestanding bathtub, it's a whole spa. Other people are like, "No, that's big waste." So it is a good metaphor for this topic. Lisa: It totally is. TyAnn: Because one person's replenishment is another person’s waste of space. So that's something that I do for myself and actually recommend for my clients as well. It’s just...take out a white sheet of paper. I'm a big believer in like analog tools, or get a whiteboard, and then just list out stuff you like. And here's what's interesting. Sometimes that can be paralyzing to clients, like, “Oh, my God, where do I even start?” So just take away all of the judgment. It can be little things like, "I like chocolate ice cream." That can't be my entire self care regimen, by the way, or I'd gain 50 pounds. But, you know, just start listing without judging the list. Creation and editing are two very different processes. Separate them so we can start listing out things. Start with the creation of a list. Write all of the things that replenish you. If that feels too limiting, just write things that you like - activities you enjoy. Lisa: Don't judge it while it's landing on the page. TyAnn: No judgment. As Planet Fitness says "this is a no judgement zone," (even though they misspelled judgment). So... Lisa: They did? TyAnn: Some judgment... Lisa: You’re judging the judgment spelling, that is. TyAnn: I know, judgment, right? Slightly judgy. So I would just say, try that, or I get clients stuck on... "I can only list work things that I'm excited about..." Lisa: Ha ha. I hear your Maximizer talent coming out. Maybe we can do categories for their self care ideas. Tyann: Yeah. Lisa: Let's come up with some categories. You could list work things that you like, TyAnn: Could be... Lisa: Work people that you like. TyAnn: (laughs) That's a big one. Lisa: Because people are like, “You replenish me. When I'm around you, my energy goes up.” TyAnn: But there are some people who don't replenish us. So they wouldn't go on the list. Lisa: Right? Ha ha. Okay. So we've got work...tasks or responsibilities. We've got people. TyAnn: Maybe workplaces. Lisa: Ooh, like physical places? TyAnn: Yes. Or maybe if you get to travel somewhere that's fun. Or maybe traveling for you to some location you dread that maybe you have to go once a quarter. And that's really a de-energizer for you. So don't put that on your list. Lisa: And you might know, "Hey, I'll make another list of things I need to get my energy up because I know it's going to be drained more...when these things happen." TyAnn: So this is the “things that bring me energy” list. So work stuff... and get as granular as you can in terms of work tasks. So I don't recommend putting things on there like, the XYZ project, because that's way too big. So get very granular about what specifically about that project did you like? Did you like interacting with the project team members, because it was just that awesome team where you really felt like you clicked with everyone? Or was it because you got to be out front? That would be me. You know it to be out on stage or I get to be the one making the presentation. Or maybe you're that spreadsheet jockey and you came up with just a brilliant thing that you pushed a button and all these magic happened, and it was the coolest thing ever. That would not be me. But for someone that could be. Lisa: You can also see trends after the list is complete...if you make yourself stick with the list-making when it gets tough for a minute. Then you can see bigger trends. Like one that I know for me I've figured out is, I like making things, but I like making a class. I like making an audio file. I like making a song up. I like making all sorts of different types of making. Some are very tech-focused. Some are super creative, but I couldn't see that trend until I listed a bunch of the details. That's when you get self care ideas that you never expected. They don't come out on the first pass. TyAnn: That’s great! I love that. So then you can go back and say what is it about these things that are similar? It's a creative process. Embracing What’s 'Weird' And Improving On What’s 'Standard' Are Self Care Steps TooTyAnn: Yeah. And this is for people who are like, "Oh, I can't list that, because that...that doesn't count. Or, I don't want anyone to know that I secretly like to….[insert whatever crazy hobby it is]. I was working with a group of chemical engineers. And this one gentleman, he stood up, and he said, “I like Dutch oven cooking.” And I thought, what a brave thing to say in front of a room of other chemical engineers. And I'm like, “You go! Dutch oven cooking! What a specific niche thing to do.” It's a brilliant self care idea, but he never would have called it that. Lisa: Yeah. It makes me think of "things you do to decompress" as another category for the list of self care ideas. Tyann: I didn't even know that was a hobby. And I like to cook too. And whatever it is, it doesn't matter. It's all about what rejuvenates you. Lisa: Back to your analog self care idea list: I facilitate an activity like this. I'll put the timer on two minutes, and I'll say, “Don't let the pen stop... keep going as a stream of consciousness thing." What did I like doing when I was 9? What am I doing when I lose track of time? What activities are fun? Who is fun to be around? What am I good at? What comes easily to me? What makes me feel alive? What am I saying when I crack myself up? What topics to I love to learn about? What makes me different from the average person? If you just can't think of an answer, keep the pen going and move to another angle." What you brought up for me is my follow-on, that I'll often have people do, which is: Keep this out for a week, because you need to grab the little moments that you didn't even know, “Oh, I got a little spark out of that idea and it reminded me of a whole new set of self care ideas.” And one of them that I think is really cool is: What makes you weird? And if I just ask you that, like, how many things could you list? Well, I might be able to add more than a normal person. But the little things like, what has anyone ever commented on? Because they'll come up. They'll pop in your head later. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: Okay, a weird thing about me is I eat canned things, because I like to eat vegetables and I like to be efficient. And I don't like spending a lot of time on my food. But I do want quality food in me. So somewhere in the middle, I found a jar of beets that I eat for my snack or my lunch. That's weird. I just stick my fork in the jar of beets and I eat it. Isn't that bizarre? TyAnn: Lisa eats green beans out of the can as well. Lisa: I will. Green beans are doable... but.. some of them are too squishy, like canned asparagus and spinach. Those are a no-go… Green beans, corn, beets — all workable for moments of vegetable efficiency. But that is very weird. But if you start looking at it like, what energizes me? The energizing part isn't the beets. It's finding new efficiencies. Finding ways to break a rule, like that rule makes me think about how I don't have to cook because other people do. I remember a moment when I got feedback at my house that I was not running the dishwasher as often as it should be because we were running out of forks. And so my answer was *not* to wash dishes more frequently or run the dishwasher more frequently. It was to buy more forks. And I got a real kick out of that. It was my special way of being efficient and effective. So these weird things about you can generate surprising self care ideas. TyAnn: I love that. Lisa: When you see “Oh, I love coming up with something that is a solution to a problem that is not normal, that no one else would think of.” And I'll get a jazz out of that that will give me an hour-long high. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: So being able to write down those things, like the moments where you got a boost or you got a kick out of yourself. TyAnn: This is so great. So you've said a couple of things that I think are brilliant. Life is made up of all these little moments that are punctuated by the big thing. But 99% of life is...just we go through life, right? So that's where we can look. And so much of what you said is like a Maximizer coming out, which by the way, I'm that as well. But two examples for you in the food realm. So we started getting those home boxes that come with the food and the recipe. The box comes in, you have the recipe and you put it all together. Usually it's my job to put the ingredients together. Occasionally, my husband will put it together but he takes the recipe and goes exactly step by step and it comes out and, you know, it's fine. I'm different. I take the recipe and use it as a launchpad. It's like a starting point because I'm often thinking, "Hmm, you know, what would make this better?Just a little bit of shallot, a little bit of garlic, you know, a dash of cinnamon..." And then I’ll present it to him, he's like, “This is not the recipe.” I'm like, “I know. It's better. It's better.” That's like a hallmark of Maximizers: "I’m gonna make this better!" Lisa: And it makes you really excited. TyAnn: Oh, huge, huge jazz out of it. 'Cause I sort of have this image of myself back at the test kitchen of whatever company being all like, “I made it better,” even though that's not my job and I would never do that. Anyway, in my head, it's pretty exciting. So, and a long time ago, back when the interwebs were still very new, I had this website, and one of the things I did was reviews of restaurants and products. This is really crazy to think about now. But do you remember flight — I know, we'll get back there one day — and in the in-flight magazine, how there were always those lists of like, top 10 steak houses in the United States.... Well, I took that as a challenge. And so I decided to go visit all of them, and then do reviews on them and see if I really thought they were the top 10 steak houses. So then I had a whole thing on. Lisa: And you had this whole energy... TyAnn: I do! Lisa: ...about it. TyAnn: And I'm 100% sure no one ever read that. But it didn't matter. I wasn't doing it for the audience, I was doing it as, like, a quality kind of thing. Lisa: Hmmm. What's your take...you're making me think of...on the topic of self care ideas...how fulfilled we feel as humans and how alive we feel as humans, because I think there's a difference between being alive and feeling alive, like feeling alive for what you're doing. And that so much of it can come from striving and having a goal and that there's something around it even if it's something like, “I have this thing, I'm going to visit these 10…places." TyAnn: Whatever… Lisa: Whatever that thing is, so even making one of those lists...instead of it being an inventory of things you've found yourself get a charge out of it, could be like, “Oh, that sounds fun. I'm actually going to go do that.” TyAnn: You know, there was research that was done about, and this was really done on couples and families. And something that was particularly bonding was something they came up with and called it a quest. But it works for individuals too, that whenever you have a quest, something that you're doing together, and it doesn't have to be like, “We're gonna go visit every continent,” even though that could be fun, but that might be a little unattainable for a lot of people, it could just be, “We're gonna go check out all of the state parks in a 30-mile radius from our house.” Lisa: Yes! TyAnn: Or we're gonna find a public fishing hole near where we live. I mean, it doesn't, it literally doesn't matter what it is. It's just something that's a common goal for you. Bringing Strengths Into Self Care By Focusing On Things That Energize YouLisa: I like that as a very actionable thing that you could do with this, where you're like, "How can I do self care? Can I bring my strengths into it?" And by the way, you can look at them and say, "What would light these up?" And that can be part of your list making. But also, if you do things that feel easy to you and energizing to you, they probably are in alignment with your strengths naturally. TyAnn: That's a clue to strengths, too. Lisa: Yeah! TyAnn: Usually your strengths are things that bring you energy and you feel naturally attracted to. So it doesn't matter if it's, "You know what, I'm going to try a seasonal fruit or vegetable this month. This is going to be the month of asparagus, and I'm going to go try that.” Whatever. Or, "We're going to try a new place." You know, you often hear this, "We're going to try something new." Because if you put yourself out there a little bit, but it's a new adventure of some sort, it kind of satisfies a lot of this neat thing. And that's what really gets a lot of cool juices flowing for you. Doing the same thing over and over tends not to stroke that same area for you. Lisa: Yeah. And I like how you do the... If you're going to come up with a quest as one of the action items like, what could your quest be? And could you have a quest that would be a workplace quest or a family quest? And then could you do one that would feel really enlivening to one of your strengths? And then even if you wanted to have a work or family conversation around it, how could this quest be really fun for this family? TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: Or how could this quest, this big aspirational goal that the team is heading toward, which… How could you find a way that one of your strengths comes alive through it? It would be a really cool conversation. TyAnn: Absolutely. Lisa: I don't know if this is the same video you were talking about with research? Jane McGonigal was a researcher and she was recovering from a concussion. She started a quest to get better. There's a TED talk where she describes what she did to power up. She called it Super Better. And it was how she gamified getting better. She was also a gamer and she figured out a way to get super better, but bits at a time. And this quest notion, whether or not she used those words. TyAnn: I love that. Lisa: ...it was baked into it. And it gives you a way to get there. Instead of feeling like, I think when people are bad at self care, when we're doing ourselves wrong, it's because I'm like, “Well, I'm, I haven't worked out this week, so I'm going to eat tater tots for breakfast.” TyAnn: We like tater tots in our house as well. Gotta say. Tater tots loving family. And then someone might say, well, and if I had tater tots for breakfast, I might as well just go all in and have cake for lunch. And... Lisa: Oh, and I put ice cream on my list of self care ideas. So we have that and then you're all downhill. TyAnn: But it's an interesting kind of this concept too. So you know, a lot of people have workout on their list because they think that's what should be on the list. So I would say stop shooting on yourself. What brings you energy is what brings you energy. No one's creating this, by the way. And so if you feel like a natural attraction to you would like to get more activity in your life, that doesn't have to mean I have to go to the gym for an hour and a half, and get on some torturous piece of equipment that I don't want to be on, that makes me feel icky... Or, I have to go to a Body Pump class where I'm embarrassed and don't know how to do it. That's not what that means. Lisa: Yeah, I think that thing, like remembering, there's a notion, maybe it's one that other people have put out there for you. Or maybe it's something you've made up about what that word means. Workout is a good example of one that's loaded. TyAnn: Yeah, a lot of baggage, Lisa: I think quick shout out to the book, Eat, Move, Sleep. That’s a really good one for self care ideas. TyAnn: Absolutely. Lisa: …asking yourself, how are you on your eating and moving and sleeping? But okay, like if you said, “Okay, I want to move.” TyAnn: Right. Lisa: What kind of moving is fun for me? Maybe for one person, it's taking a walk with a friend, and you got to have the social connection while you were power walking. For the next person, it’s going to a group exercise class. Like I had... I went and hooked up my Xbox again, for the Kinect, to dance to Fergie. I mean, it's silly, but that's a fun workout for me. So why don’t I do it? TyAnn: That counts. That counts. Lisa: And then you go, “Oh, well. Well, I do. Why don't I hook that back up? TyAnn: Right! Lisa: Why do I have that unplugged? TyAnn: So if you want to be Dance Dance Revolution, man, knock yourself out! Lisa: I love Dance Dance Revolution. TyAnn: Or if you just want to crank up the music, or take a walk, or if you want to try some, you know, whatever new class is out there... Lisa: Take a whole new class! Whatever sounds fun for you. TyAnn: ...there’s something. So I think it really is trying to get away again from, if you write something down because you feel you should, I would say take another look at that, because that's not bringing you energy. And this is supposed to be a self care list about things that are exciting to you and bring you energy. So if you feel like you should call your mom every day and spend an hour on the phone with her, but that doesn't bring you energy, don't put that on your list. Don’t put that on your list. Or even working out. If that doesn't sound so great to you, think about, “What does sound great to me? Hanging out with my friend sounds great. So maybe, I get an accountability partner at the gym. Then, that can be where I go to see my friends, I've kind of paired something I'm a little more iffy at with something I'm excited about. So together, I'm sort of killing two birds with one stone in a way that still feels awesome." Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: So I think that's part of that self care. So I would just say, get back to that creative space. Think about those things which bring you energy. Try to get down to those micro-segments. I like organizing, that brings me energy. And so if I'm feeling a little out of sorts, Lisa: Labeler. TyAnn: If I'm feeling a little out of sorts, I might just literally pull open my desk drawer and just get it sorted out. Lisa: Oh, this is the perfect closing to this. Self Care Need Not Be Hard Or Inconvenient — Grow On Micro HabitsLisa: On the best self care ideas: My favorite TyAnn concept of the universe is “stop making things so hard.” I make life hard because I think of all of these things I should be doing or want to do or that would feel great. But then they feel too gratuitous. It just feels like too much time. I don't have that much time for these eight hours of things I would prefer to do during the day. TyAnn: It's too much. Lisa: So the opening one drawer, and organizing one little space... TyAnn: Right. Lisa: The reading one page of a book, not even one chapter, but I like reading, I read one page. TyAnn: Yoohoo, ‘crushing it! I’m winning. Lisa: If you’ve read Atomic Habits, have you checked out that? TyAnn: Yes. Yeah. Lisa: It's like, I will put my workout shoes next to my bed, and I will put my workout shoes on and then maybe...I will do 10 push-ups, and that's your only expectation for yourself — 10 push-ups, just something that is... TyAnn: ...that you can crush, you can win... Lisa: ...very small and doable. TyAnn: Micro-habits. Lisa: ...and let it grow. TyAnn: And you're like, I want to eat more vegetables. Great, I ate one asparagus. Winning! (laughs) Right? As opposed to, “Well, now I have to become a vegan.” ...which seems like a big thing. Lisa: That is so funny as a closing thought too because I have some like vegan experimenting things that… TyAnn: Vegan-curious? Lisa: Yeah! Say I’m plant-curious. If you're listening, hey, Becky Hammond from Isogo Strong! TyAnn: We love Becky! Lisa: Becky's a vegetarian. I was talking about well, you know, if I were to do it, I would just go vegan because I don't eat dairy so I would just like, that's the big battle with going vegan to me anyway, is I can't eat dairy anyhow. So I got past the vegetarian vegan thing. But I don't know about that. And I started giving all of these reasons: "This gets in my way...this makes it a precarious approach...and this makes it inconvenient. And she's like, “Just have one more plant-based meal per day." I said, “Oh, hello!” I hadn't thought of that. TyAnn: Something doable. Lisa: Stop making everything all or none. Stop making everything have a mutually exclusive this or that. TyAnn: Stop making it so hard. Stop making it so hard. Lisa: And with that, I think it is…the perfect ending. So you've been listening to Lead Through Strength. As you think about not making it so hard and bringing your strengths into your self care practice, walk away with your list. Log those moments over the next month, maybe just a week or a few days. But catch the moments that were fun to you. Come let us know on social what they were for you because it is fun to hear the energizing moments for other people. TyAnn: Absolutely. We'll talk about all of the self care ideas. Lisa: We will. Because the variety is so much fun when you learn one person's trash is another person's treasure - in hobbies and in tasks at work. So with that, let us know which ones you're starting to implement. We would love to hear how you took five more minutes for your self care so that you can fill your cup because we don't want you out of water. With that, we'll see you next time. Bye for now. Resources: Self Care Ideas To Help You Fuel Up Your Strengths And Fire Up Your LifeVital to self care is staying at your top form and performing better at work by knowing what keeps your strengths honored and insulted. Visit Lisa’s insightful episode about finding energizing tasks at work to discover what situations (or cultures) can either drain or motivate you based on your strengths. But simply knowing what honors and insults your strengths or talents cannot complete a self care process. Lisa’s Strengths Blind Spots episode serves as a great reminder to “feed our talents the same way we feed our body." Spend time developing and nurturing them instead of squashing them down so they can best serve your performance and, ultimately, that of the team. Finally, check out this episode on Wellbeing: Bravely Build a Fit Body and Mind Through Strengths with Lisa and Matt Swenson. You’ll learn to create healthy strengths habits around the 5 essential elements of wellbeing: career, social, financial, physical, and community. Life-changing self care ideas! | |||
| My Manager Hates Me: The 'Not Savage' Strengths Approach | 13 Dec 2020 | 00:23:47 | |
How Can I Turn Conflicts Around When My Manager Hates Me? Certain situations can highlight the stark differences within a team, especially when your strengths seem opposite of others' strengths. For example, you might think “my manager hates me” when they seem to value other team members' ideas and blow off yours. To conform or to stay true to your natural talents becomes a tough choice to make. When you’re the manager, it takes some skill to build a balance between honoring your team members' strengths and honoring yours, especially where you think the business priorities and values are at stake. And when you manage a team with a very different set of top 5 or top 10 strengths, how exactly do you do it? Welcome to this episode, the first in a series with TyAnn Osborn, who role-plays and reflects with our host Lisa Cummings on the difficult scenarios where team members may have conflicting strengths. How do they handle the situation and turn conflicts around? Here’s the transcript of the episode. Lisa: You're listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you'll learn to apply your greatest strengths at work. I'm your host, Lisa Cummings, and you know, I'm always telling you, it's hard to find something more energizing than using your natural talents every day at work. Well, something that's just about as energizing is when I get to hang out with the other host here in the room, TyAnn Osborn. TyAnn: Hi! Lisa: Today, we're going to talk about a topic that we haven't decided yet, because I am going to use this spin-the-wheel thingy thingy, to tell us. *Spins the wheel* TyAnn: I like the sounds. Lisa: Oh, it says: ‘You don't like a teammate.’ When Someone On The Team Drives You CrazyLisa: So today, we're going to talk about what you could do with your strengths when you don't like one of your teammates. Has this ever happened to you, Ty? TyAnn: No, I've always loved everyone that I worked with... No...[hint of sarcasm] Lisa: But I bet one of your clients has had this situation since you've never had it, 'wink-wink...' TyAnn: Of course, there's always someone that - for some reason - rubs you the wrong way. You just, you know, they're not your love language. And I work with clients all the time who have... there's always seems to be someone on the team who they just can't seem to get along with. Has this ever happened to you too? Lisa: Definitely. I mean, it's funny because I feel like a big thing about me is that I love people. And I love most people. TyAnn: Right. Me too! Lisa: But there are people that I don't jive with as well. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: And it takes some extra effort to understand where they're coming from, or really feel like, ‘Oh, I fully get them,’ or something like that. TyAnn: Which, you know, that's interesting when you're an individual contributor, when you feel that way, because you're like, ‘yeah, maybe that's just him’, you know. But when you're a manager, and you think, ‘Oh, I'm supposed to like everybody on the team’, or, ‘I need to not show favoritism but, eh, I kind of don't like that person. What do I do?’ It's kind of like being a parent; you're not supposed to not like one of your kids. So... Lisa: Or not have a favorite. TyAnn: Or not have a favorite. So, what do you do? Lisa: Okay, so let’s do a scenario? Let's do it like, you’re a manager. It will allow us to see the perspective of the manager thinking, "Ugh, that person is high maintenance on the team." And it will allow us to explore the flip side where a team member is thinking, "Ugh, my manager hates me. What should I do?" TyAnn: Yep. Lisa: You happen to have done CliftonStrengths as a team. TyAnn: Because you're a great manager. Lisa: 'Cause you're awesome. And there is a person on your team that you appreciate as a human, but as a performer, they feel very high-maintenance to you, they drive you kind of crazy. Let's pick some talent themes that might be seemingly opposite each other so we can make it a real scenario. TyAnn: Okay. Lisa: Does one pop up for you as one that is least likely to be paired with another? TyAnn: I see Deliberative being perceived as a problem child, especially when a lot of other people on the team might be more, say Activator, or something that's very forward in motion. Either Achiever, Activator, something like that. So maybe you've got a team that's like, ‘Oh, we're always ready to go!’ And there's one person who seems like they never can just get on the bus. And they're always the one dragging their heels. Lisa: Yeah. Oh, we should do this on both directions. TyAnn: Okay. Lisa: Let's take Achiever-Activator. TyAnn: Okay. Lisa: And then let's take Deliberative. Say these are the two different people. And we can start with the manager, having Achiever-Activator, wanting stuff to get done quickly, and wanting to make decisions quickly. And the person who wants to take a little more time is the team member who reports to you, and then we’re gonna swap it. TyAnn: Okay. Okay, I've got a real life example on that. Lisa: Awesome. Okay. TyAnn: Absolutely. Lisa: So you're my manager. TyAnn: Okay. Lisa: You're Achiever-Activator [role play begins you can also watch the video version to get the subtleties]. TyAnn: Woohoo! Let's get going, man, come on! Lisa: And I'm saying, "Well, bad news. I'm going to miss that deadline that you gave me." TyAnn: Lisa, what's going on? I gave you the deadline. Come on! Chop, chop! Lisa: Well, the thing is, I *could* get it done, but I can't get it done *properly* right now, because we don't have all of the information. I've been trying to work with this other department. They've been dragging their heels. I’m waiting for them. If I do it now, I might just be giving you completely incorrect information because I'm seeing three or four ways this could all go wrong if I blaze ahead today, and it feels like I'm just gonna be wasting time…. TyAnn: Lisa, all I hear is excuses. I have stuff to get done too. We owe the marketing department this information. They're waiting on us to get this stuff into print. We're behind already and you know what, you're never going to have 100% confidence in what you do. So just give me something. Lisa: Uhum...[hangs head]. Okay, now that we've come out of our characters from our roleplay, I would say, you were kind of playing like the in-between our manager where you were trying to give the people listening to the podcast, like a little bit of a glimpse of inside your head, but also be somewhat mature, like, in how you... TyAnn: Right, right. Lisa: ...because you're balancing the two - and that the inside voice and the outside voice are really different. TyAnn: That’s true. My Team Member Frustrates Me: How Can I Moderate My Message To The Person?Lisa: Can you explain what was going on fully inside voice? Unfiltered. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: ...and then how, if you wanted to maturely talk to me, and still keep me engaged...how that might look? Tyann: I think that's a good point because hopefully, as you progress in your career, you just don't say the first thing that pops into your head. I always say, there's the reason why there's a little space between your head and your mouth. Yeah, have a little filter in there. But inside your head, it's very normal be like, "Oh, my God, you are so frustrating! I gave you the deadline. Arrgh, why didn't you say something sooner? You, you always do this. And all I'm hearing is excuses. Now you're throwing this other department under the bus. I cannot count on you. The rest of the team - we're getting it done. And we have to deal with the same things." So typically, what I see when I see this combination of strengths is a lot of frustration. That is usually the emotion that I see a lot, it’s frustration. Whoever has the action, it's like, "Oh, I'm just really angry with you." And whoever's on the receiving side, well, we can debrief how you feel. But usually it's a lot of frustration on that side, too. So that's kind of what's happening inside. And then on the outside, but I'm trying to be a good manager, and I'm trying not to just say, "Oh my God, you're such an idiot, and I hate you." 'Cause I would never say that to someone. But I'm trying to say, "You know, of course, we're never going to have 100% confidence in what we do, because that's not real life. So we have to get to a point where we may feel 80% confident, and how do we do that? And too, you can't always have an excuse for why things aren't happening. You have to take ownership of something, too." So that's what I was trying to moderate in the message. So you could feel some of that? Lisa: For sure. And I put you on the spot and I know this person is thinking, "I know my manager hates me, but I still don't want to deliver shoddy work." TyAnn: Right. Lisa: It's easier when you have time to think out the words for the feedback. It's simpler to give the vibe that, "I've been thinking about how I'm going to coach you and how we can improve this over time." What we've been doing is the in-the-moment heated feeling, "Oh, we just missed a really important deadline. You didn’t tell me. I am so upset." Tyann: Right. And now my butt's in the sling because of you. Lisa: Yeah. And I hear things from managers, like, "Everybody else can do it. You're the only one…" And then you don't want to give that as feedback... TyAnn: Right. Or you start hearing that relationship language like "always," and "never," which we say, you know, anytime you start hearing, "always," "never," that should be a clue. But when you definitely start feeling... Lisa: Alarm bells. TyAnn: Yeah, alarm bells should go off. But when you start feeling inside, like, "Oh, my God, you're always the problem. You're the problem employee. Everyone else can get it done on time, how come you can't?" And that's when you start hearing things like, you know, "Lisa's got to go." Lisa: Right. The employee also feels the My Manager Hates Me alarm bells. TyAnn: Absolutely. From the manager, perspective they're already thinking of firing the person. I always call it "my employee’s broken, I want a new one" syndrome. And, you know, that might be an answer. But I don't want that to be the first answer. To me, I want that to be the last answer. And I would like to try and see, "Can this marriage be saved before we go to it's broken?" Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: Because it takes a lot of effort to get another employee. Lisa: Oh, yeah. And I have something valuable to offer you with the Deliberative talents when they're dialed in well. TyAnn: Right. Yes. Absolutely. Lisa: I might sit in the seat... Okay, here's what I would say, like, what would be in my head if I were this team member? I would be thinking, "Yeah, other people get it done on time. And all of my teammates, ‘always’, ‘never’... all, all my teammates, give crappy work. I'm on a team where no one cares about quality, all they care about is speed. We do so many things three or four or five times because we were refused to do it right the first time because we won't take an extra minute to get the information from the other department, or fix that relationship that's creating the block that won't let us get the information. My manager hates me and hates my style. "And anytime I bring up the ‘what ifs’ or ‘this might go wrong’, people treat me like I’m the negative Nellie so I just shut down and don't say anything. But it doesn't mean I want to give you bad work." TyAnn: Mm hmm. So yeah, so you're surrounded by people that you think are...yeah... Lisa: Half-assing it. TyAnn: Half-assing it. And I like to say why half-ass when you can whole-ass? [smiles] Because you're right - then you're pretty probably seeing a bunch of rework that has to happen. When if we just put in the correct effort to begin with, you know, that wouldn't happen. But meanwhile, you've shut down. Lisa: I've shut down. TyAnn: ...because you've been shut down. Lisa: Yes. And I might be thinking, leading through Deliberative, seeing all of the activity that is resulting in, in my opinion, bad quality work out there, now I'm thinking, "Oh, look, the whole team is running around like chickens with their head cut off. Looks totally foolish. I'm the only one actually putting reasoning behind what we're doing. I'm the only one who's thinking I'm the only one who is bringing some rigor to this process. How is it that my manager hates me when I'm the voice of quality and avoiding a crisis that we're bound to experience if we don't pump the brakes?" TyAnn: Right. Lisa: And no one's valuing it. And then I'm thinking, "Well, clearly, I'm not a good fit for the job, or the company or the team, or maybe my manager. But if the whole team I perceive it like that…" TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: And maybe they are like that. Or maybe they've just conformed to your behavior, because as a manager, you've been so strong in your speed. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: At least you're clear. So that I'm grateful for. You know, opposites. My Manager Hates Me: Do I Conform And Please, Or Do I Look For Another Team?TyAnn: So you said two things that were really interesting. In this scenario, you talked about this, you were waiting on something from another team, so you were the only person who brought up even an interaction with another team. So to me that says you were thinking a little more systematically and holistically. So maybe these other guys should have been interacting with this other team, and they haven't been, so there's something going on there that should be paid attention to. But you also said something about maybe the rest of the team, they actually know things should be being done differently too, but here's what you find in a team. People want to please the manager. Because why? Because we are self-serving creatures. We do self-preservation activities, because that's what help... helps keep us alive. And at work, that's what helps keep us employed and... Lisa: You’re writing my performance review! TyAnn: You’re writing my review, you're helping me keep this job, you're helping me get paid more. And so it's not that there's a diabolical plot, it's just we are human beings, and we are doing these behaviors because if that's what you want for me, that's what I'm going to deliver. Even if I know there's something else that's possibly better. Lisa: Oh, it could even be especially if. What if I think I need you to think I'm a good performer? Because if I want to change roles, because this one isn't a good fit for me, I need you to... TyAnn: ...to support me. Lisa: Yeah, I need your support to move into another team. And when the next manager asks how I am as a performer... TyAnn: Right. Lisa: ...I want you to just say how amazing I am, not that I was your highest maintenance team member, right? TyAnn: So even if I thought you would be good for another role, they're going to say, what was Lisa's performance on your team? And I'm going to have to say Lisa was the worst performer. Who's going to want to take my lowest performer? That's going to be a much harder sell. Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: And so you end up with kind of these, I always call them like aberrant behaviors. And again, not because people are diabolical, or someone sitting around trying to figure out, you know, the worst way to do things. It's just...it's self-preservation in action. And so if we don't make a conscious effort to really stop and think about things, this is what happens unintentionally. So at the end of the day, you have good ideas, probably that aren't being heard. People are running off half-cocked. And you know, there's a bunch of rework - probably not very high quality. You know, ultimately, it's just not the best product and not the best environment, or certainly not as good as it could be something. That's what we tend to see. Lisa: Now even though this could be a perfectly good place to end this example, let's make sure that we've flipped the scenario. Because I think it's a good example for people to experience when the same situation exists, but the themes are flipped around, because it can just change the whole scene of how the team culture looks. You actually said you have a real example of this. So... TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: Is that, is that a shareable example if it's anonymized? Leverage Communication To Resolve StrengthsFinder Talent Theme ConflictsTyAnn: Absolutely. So I had this happen. And it doesn't often happen this way. But it did. And I thought it was a good story. I was working with a news crew, so the people you see on TV to put out the news. And the manager was very high Deliberative. Lisa: Okay. Nice. TyAnn: And the news people as you can imagine, very high action-oriented. I mean, and it was a newsroom. It was very much "we have to get this on the air right now." I mean, it was very high-pressured. And so Deliberative, you know, doesn't like high pressure, needs time to think, really wants to make sure that all the facts are correct, I would hate to put something out and have it be wrong. So the manager was feeling like, "I am working with a bunch of people who don't care about quality, are willing to be excessively risky with the reputation of our brand, because we might have to put a retraction out on the air. And that we're just going to be putting stuff out there that's half-baked, and I work with a bunch of people who I can't trust." Meanwhile, the reporters are saying, “Our manager is a wet blanket. Every time we take him a really cool idea, his first reaction is ‘no’, or he asks me 17,000 questions that I haven't fully thought through, I don't have the answers to. So he makes me feel stupid, or he makes me feel like, by the time I get through all of his questions, you know what, the moments passed, like, it doesn't even matter anymore. Or he'll never get back to me at all.” And so there was this just huge conflict between them with none of them feeling valued on the team. But you know, the funny thing is, I wasn't called in because there…to do a remediation or a problem. I was called in, because they were all high performers. That was a really interesting one to step into. Lisa: Wow. What you're bringing up for me is this idea that it really doesn't matter what the themes are, or what the job is, because you can take any of your top CliftonStrengths talent themes, and they could be applied to serve any role. Because it's easy to get caught up in this thing, where we're like, "On this team, this group of them feels bad and this group of them feels right, or for this manager, this, this serves me, and these are not serving me. But the reality is that our natural talents are (if we allow them to be) our easy buttons to performance." TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: It's this concept of, well, maybe it's gone wild. You know, strengths gone wild. So if they could be honed in a little bit, both things that you were just bringing up in that scenario, are valuable to the organization. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: It's just all of them can't be on blast... TyAnn: ...All the time. Right. So, Lisa, you often talk about keys on a keyboard, and when we play them together, and they're harmonious, we've got some good chords going. It sounds awesome, right? And so you're right, it's not that there's good strengths and bad strengths, or that, you know, these things are naturally in conflict. It's just kind of finding that right level, because I don't think anyone would say, "Yeah, we're just gonna slap junk on the TV. And if it's not, right, well, who cares?" I mean, no one's gonna say that, right? And no one's gonna say, "Well, we're going to chase down every possible lead until we get a 100%, you know, confidence in this. And meanwhile, it's just gonna be black on TV until we feel like we're 100% confident." Because that's not realistic, either. So ideally, it would be great to feel like, we can work with the pace that we need to and put out really quality content that I feel good about. And in the event of an escape, you know, or a quality issue, we have a good process in place to catch that and to do whatever we need to to make a quick correction. Lisa: Yeah. TyAnn: And so what I got him to do was, actually, to codify his thinking process. I said, "What are the top three questions you usually ask when someone comes to you with a new idea?’ And he said, ‘Well, I just wish people had thought through things a little bit better. So I wish they would think about this, this and this." And I said, "Great, let's capture that. Let's get that out to the team so that they can do that thinking and you don't have to." And that's it. That's easy. And I said, "How long would it take you to get back to the team then when they come to you with ideas? What...what would feel good and realistic?" And he said, "I could get back to people within 24 hours." So okay, so we went back to the team said, "Is that a commitment that's workable for you?" So we had both sides in a satisfied position. I wouldn't even say it's a compromise because it didn't feel like anyone was giving something up. It just felt more like communication. And so that together, we're better. And it was like a light bulb went on in terms of, now It didn't feel like I was just doing things the hard way, like it didn't feel like a struggle every day. It felt like people were almost looking for that next opportunity so that they can test the stuff out. Find Out Where One Is Coming From And Assume Positive IntentLisa: Love it. So when you think about action items to give listeners, lets see what they can do with this. Maybe a person is thinking, "my manager hates me, so what are my next steps?" Or a manager is thinking, "Jim wears me out, so how can I give him a chance to show up at peak performance?" It's too bad that this becomes a recurring theme at the office. It's the same frustration over and over again, it's just that they haven't figured out how to talk about it yet. Often they'll bring in Ty to say, “Can you help us communicate better because we haven't been facing the tough conversation with each other - now it's messing things up." Tyann: Right. Lisa: I love that there's the facilitated process that could happen. And by the way, you can bring Ty into your organization to do this, if you need help. Sometimes it just still feels awkward for you to do it because you can't be neutral like a 3rd party. TyAnn: I'm always happy to come in and facilitate awkward conversation [all smiles]. Lisa: You are the number one awkward conversation facilitator. TyAnn: I could totally do that. But you can start this on your own as well. Lisa: Yeah. I think if I were to leave any parting words for the person who's trying to do it on their own first before they blow up to the team, or before they verbalize the feedback to someone else, it would be, really get clear. “Is it because my personal preferences are different from the business priority?” It's personal preference, business priority, which is which? Are they not the same? And if they're not, that can be okay. You just have to get clear with yourself to go, “Ah. I get it - this is why it wraps my gut up in a knot.” This is what I would rather it be like, but it's not like that, because it's real life. TyAnn: Right. Lisa: So I need to proceed like this. And then as I proceed like this with the business preference, because it's my job, it's what they're paying me for, then can I see some positive intent coming from that other person? Like, what are they actually aiming for here? Even though it's making me upset or making me feel frustrated, what are they trying to do that has good intent? Because nearly always, (sure, not always, there are nefarious characters out there somewhere), but nearly always people have good intent. TyAnn: Yep, absolutely. That's one of my favorite things, is assume positive intent. Because believe me, your life will be much better when you do. It's amazing how many people that I run into don't or do think someone's out there trying to get them. Believe me, the vast majority of people go to work, and they want to do a good job. So let's assume positive intent. And I think that's just when you feel yourself getting... getting anxious, or you see that team member and you can just feel yourself getting triggered, or that thing happens again, and you feel it in yourself, that's a really good moment to think, "What is it specifically that is triggering me about this?" And again, it doesn't have to be they are an awful human being, it's just something in them is different than how you would react in that situation. So I think, stop. Think about what it is. Think about the good thing that they bring. And then again, what problem are we trying to solve? What's our ultimate goal? And how can we both get there together? Lisa: What a perfect way to end this one. TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: So next time that comes up for you, be thinking of the other person, what's the positive intent? Where are they coming from that is good and how could that, if you know CliftonStrengths talent theme language, then what are they trying to accomplish? And since you already have the talent themes in a list (or the StrengthsFinder 2.0 book), you might get some ideas about where they're coming from. Tyann: Right. Lisa: Because sometimes you do feel a little baffled... TyAnn: Yeah. Lisa: ...at the beginning, like why do they act like this, or why do they think like this, or why do they approach work like this? Or why does my manager hate me like this? Just going to someone else's CliftonStrengths report and going, ‘Oh, they think this way, aha. This makes sense now.’ TyAnn: Reading the reports is a really good place to start. Lisa: It's great for helping you understand the other person. Alright, with that, you've been listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you've been learning to apply your greatest strengths, to make your work stronger, and now also looking at other people's strengths and trying to notice those so that the whole team can get better together. Thanks, Ty. TyAnn: Thanks, Lisa. Hate Is Unproductive — Understand More With These Additional ResourcesWhether you’re a manager or a team member, you can stop any tendency to hold a theme bias against others’ so-called “bad strengths." Listen to our conversation on that for more. Of course, most teams don't have true hate, but when a team member thinks that a leader dislikes them, their engagement and performance can take a quick nose dive. With the premise that conflicts arise in any widely diverse work environment, Lisa and Lead Through Strengths Facilitator Strother Gaines exchange views and tips in another episode on how to Ignite Better Team Collaboration Through Strengths. All this highlights the importance of energizing tasks at work. What can fuel or discourage best performance lies in how much CliftonStrengths talent themes are allowed and supported within the team — a challenge for some teams but highly doable. | |||
| Using Hobbies To Make Money (AKA Translating Interests To Your Job) | 29 Nov 2020 | 00:05:23 | |
Using Hobbies To Make Money And To Uncover Strengths Outside Of The Office Your personal hobbies — those things you do outside of work for fun and creative expression — are most likely a mirror of your talent themes. That's why discovering your top strengths through StrengthsFinder often leads to that aha moment where it becomes crystal clear why you do those things you are so passionate about. Many even get to maximize and thrive with their natural talents by using hobbies to make money, and you could be one of them. Often you're good at what you like, and you like what you're naturally good at. Sara Regan talks to our host Lisa Cummings in this fun conversation, where Sara shares what arts or passion she’s most drawn into, as well as her reflection on the link between those hobbies and her talent themes. What's cool is that using your hobbies to make money doesn't have to mean that you do something drastic. Often, people think that they should quit their current job and go chase their passion. But then they don't know what the passion is, so they live in this state of dis-ease. Or, they know their passion, but it's not going to earn much cash. For example, Lisa was obsessed with beach volleyball. She loved it. She'd be over the moon to get paid to do it. However, she's short, and doesn't have the best vertical jump in the world. So if she spent decades using hobbies to make money - in this case, she would have made none. Lisa tells on herself with this example because so many people are all-or-none on this topic. In fact, your hobbies don't have to directly earn you a living. You're still using hobbies to make money if you learn from them and re-apply themes from them. For example, Lisa loves to be active, so being a corporate trainer is great because she can stand and deliver while moving around a lot. She also loves to pump people up. She could have done this as a volleyball coach, and she can also do it when she inspires people to see their greatness in corporate life. See, the beauty in all of this is that there isn't one answer. It's rarely about one single passion. It's about watching your energy, and using your "energy makers" in any role. That's emotionally freeing. Imagine the difference in "I can use this in *any* role" (yay), versus "I am eternally hunting for *the* role" (disappointing). Here’s the transcript of the show. Your Hobbies Feed Your StrengthsLisa: Hello, hello everyone! I'm Lisa Cummings from Lead Through Strengths. So excited today to be joined by Sara Regan, one of our facilitators from Lead Through Strengths. And I'm psyched to bring you some new fresh thinking and tips on applying your strengths at work. It's an interesting outcome you can get from strengths — it’s remembering the things that are really fun to you and how they are clues to your talent. When you're remembering what's fun to you, and where you lose track of time, you might be simultaneously figuring out how using your hobbies to make money is possible in your existing job. So Sara, will you, by way of being the model example, will you tell us about some of the things that you personally do for fun, a hobby or two...those kinds of things? And how, when you look back on them, you think, “No wonder I got involved in that thing, because it totally lines up with my strengths.” Sara: Oh, that's a great question, and it's a question everybody should reflect on themselves. That’s great. One of my hobbies, one of the things that I've always been drawn to is music. So I enjoy music. I play piano at home. I play pretty often. And what I have found that I need and I'm drawn to even more so is singing and singing with a choir. So, the idea of going to karaoke or going to sing in a wedding, you know, I've done those things, but I actually don't enjoy those. They give me panic. I can talk to 500 people but I don't really want to go to karaoke. [Side note from the editors: isn't it interesting to see Sara's Relator (her #2) and Connectedness (her #4) talents at work. She likes to sing, but she doesn't want to be center stage as the front person. She wants to be embedded in the whole thing, and a choir is perfect for seeing and hearing the individual parts - and how they make the whole when they come together. If you contrast that with Lisa's Woo (her #5), it's no wonder that she's the lead singer in her rock band. It's all about preferences, and these preferences show up whether you're in your play time or work time. Although neither of them are using hobbies to make money as a career, they're both able to see these connections about how they naturally think and act - whether in a hobby or in the main career zone.] But what I do want to do is I want to sing where I'm part of a larger group, and be part of the whole. I think it goes back to what I was talking about with mosaic tile. It's like many things coming together and being a part of that, but there are some things that can happen when you step back and look at something in its entirety. And so one of the things that I do regularly is that I sing in a choral group, and we do about four concerts a year. We do like hardcore heavy-duty choral music — Bach B Minor Mass, Handel’s Messiah, Verdi Requiem... So things that I didn't have much experience, even though I have a music background. But I love the challenge of learning really hard music. I think it feeds my Learner theme. And I’m not thinking about other things when I am up there. And Connectedness. I think that's part of what also gets fed there, it’s being part of something larger than myself. So that's been one of the things that I have still been able to keep as a hobby, even though life has gotten complicated and busy lately. Lisa: Yeah. It makes total sense. I could see the Connectedness, how you're part of it. You know that you're contributing to it but you're not trying to pop out in the dazzly, “upstage someone else” kind of way. And when you said hardcore and being in a rock band I'm like, “Yeah, she's hardcore metal," and then, “No, we're talking Bach here.” Yes, it’s a whole different thing! Sara: There will be stops, like flicks their lighter when we’re singing. Lisa: Well, if you listen to Rival Sons, one of my favorite rock bands, you'll have gospel choir mixed with lighters, so it can happen. Sara: Yes. We appreciate all kinds of music. I love to listen to most...all kinds of genre — blues and jazz. But as a singer, maybe it's partly because of… I don’t know, I don’t have a rock band that I can be a part of. But the group that I'm a part of is about 80 people and it's often 8-part harmony, so it's something about the harmony. That really is, what I'm…. what I want to be part of, knowing that there's so many things happening at the same time. But... Lisa: Yeah. Sara: Masterplan... Level Up With Insight From Your HobbiesLisa: It makes so much sense when you look at your talent themes. I mean, Strategic and Connectedness really pop out for me about how the pieces would fit together, but 8-part harmony is so complex in how you can get your head around it in a way that simplifies it to you but also having the presence and awareness of the others simultaneously. A cool hobby for that. Oh, and for people who are listening, your Carnegie Hall hasn't happened yet. It’s coming up, right? Sara: That's true. So this is a total bucket list kind of opportunity where our group is going to be traveling to Carnegie Hall in the fall to perform Verdi Requiem, a very powerful piece, and it would be hard not to be blown away and feel that experience of music. So I’m all signed up and ready to go. Lisa: That is so amazing. So depending on when people are watching this or listening to it, we'll make sure that we put it in a blog post format so that if someone wants to search it and see that after the fact, maybe if you get a little video footage, we can upload that and people could come back. Or if they're listening after you've already been, they will see it right now inside of that. Sara: Yeah, fun! Lisa: So cool! I like how you're modeling that you're using hobbies to make money. Even though you're not using Carnegie Hall to directly make money, you're showing how all of your top talent themes are embedded in your everyday thinking and doing. They're "written all over you." I think this will help a lot of people because it's easier to think of what you enjoy rather than to declare what your superpower is. Please let us know when we can see the video of your Carnegie Hall moment. Sara: I'll make sure. I don't remember the date off the top of my head but I will certainly. Lisa: So many useful ideas and examples about how to apply your strengths. Now if this made you say, “Oh my gosh, I totally need Sara at my event to kick-off strengths with my team” — if you're thinking about doing it, you want to request Sara, when you come to our contact page, be sure to request Sara for your event. Using Hobbies To Make Money - Want More Ideas For Translating Them To Your Current Role?Lisa previously interviewed the multi-talented Melissa Dinwiddie on how to spark creativity. Get a dose of useful insights and inspiration on how she discovered, understood and nurtured her strengths through playing the ukelele, dancing salsa and the Argentine tango, doing improv classes, calligraphy and a host of other hobbies, and actually earning money from many of those. You could be feeding your Learner theme when you uncover your hobbies and interests through your strengths. And when you tap on Focus to fully develop these hobbies and share your creations with others, you'll find yourself enjoying your life through the exciting opportunities and experiences that come your way. | |||