Today is International Moment of Frustration Day. I had never heard of this day before, but what a great opportunity for us all to kick our frustrations out the door. Admit it… we all need a little nudging about this at times.When I worked in commercial real estate, I once had a team member who continually described his frustrations - from our sales strategy to the quality of our office coffee. Our whole team knew many of his frustrations; actually, they jokingly recited them at times. Until one day our team leader told him to quit his complaining or leave (there were a few more expletives in there). Much to our surprise, my teammate apologized to all of us. He said he appreciated the wakeup call. He didn’t really even understand the effects it was having on his team…let alone him.Could this be you? Or someone around you? When frustrations fester in the workplace, it is really unhealthy. In corporate America, we sometimes call these frustrations the elephant in the room. That thing that we know and feel compelled to not talk about, because the consequences may not be "pleasant". At Fierce, we call them Mokitas. And we don’t want them near us, so we have to talk and deal with what bothers/scares/surprises us.This week’s tip is to deal with your frustrations in a constructive way. There are many ways to deal with your frustrations from reflection to seeking help to just letting it go. No matter what you choose, your goal should be to end your week with a lighter load than you started with.The longer you hang out with your frustrations, they more they are not going to serve you. They need to be dealt with. And if you really get this, do it now. No more excuses.The post Fierce Tip of the Week: Deal with Your Frustrations…Now appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

If your organization is undergoing a major change, like a new CEO for example, know that a common question running through the minds of your entire company is: How does this affect me?Of course anytime there is variation within an organization, this question is front and center. It can be even scarier with the change of a senior leader. Why? Because it is all about the relationship, and a new leader means that an important relationship within your organization is unknown. This fear, if prolonged, can lead to less productivity and disengagement.The key to managing change  in leadership is providing space for conversations.Often new leaders focus their time and energy on the bottom line by having all the conversations about strategy, vision, and ROI. While these are all very important topics and deserving of those resources, if your employees feel like they don’t know what type of leader you are. They will be less committed.How you have the conversations with those inside your organization will differ depending on the size and location of the company. However, whether you’re the new CEO of a company of 50 or 50,000, the same rule applies: the conversation is the relationship.There’s only one true way to answer your employees question about how your leadership will affect them and that’s by talking about it.The post The "How Does This Affect Me" Conversation appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Harvard Business Review and identifies the common communication mistakes that are holding your team back.Think back to the last time you tried to give a team member constructive feedback. How did it go? For most of us, it usually ends with someone walking away frustrated, angry, or disappointed. With such a predictable outcome, it’s no wonder some managers throw in the towel and relegate feedback to a dreaded yearly event.Yet, studies consistently show that employees want and value feedback. So, where is the disconnect happening? It starts with the way we approach the feedback conversation. Instead of letting our emotions rule the conversation, A Simple Formula for Changing Our Behavior recommends delivering constructive feedback in three steps. Identify the problem. State what needs to happen. Offer Help.Why is change so hard?"Learning — by definition — will always feel inauthentic. Practicing a new behavior, showing up in a new way, or acting differently, feels inauthentic. Changing a dance that’s been danced many times before will never feel natural. It will feel awkward, fake, like pretending. The hedge fund manager was angry, the CEO was annoyed. Not expressing those emotions feels fake."Read the article.The post Fierce Resource: A Simple Formula for Changing Our Behavior appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

Woodrow Wilson said, "You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand."Think of the leaders in your life. The ones that push you and stretch you in new ways. Who do you have in your life that enables you to live with greater vision?Have you said thank you to any of them lately? With our go-go culture, it can be difficult to take the time to celebrate. On top of that, it can be easy to think that the acknowledgment is not needed, or that the person already knows what you would say.But trust me, it is always a good time to pause and share appreciation. When I think of the leaders in my life, I think about one I grew up with. My dad was an Admiral in the Navy, and after his 28 years of service, he still has so many people in his life that would follow him to the ends of the earth - without incentive or acknowledgment. He has impacted their lives in such a substantial way, that they feel forever connected. And he continues to have the same impact now that he is in the private sector. I think most of us strive to enrich people’s lives in the way he has. I’m so grateful for the example.This week’s tip is to celebrate a leader in your life, in a meaningful way. It could be in person, on the phone, or through a different form. It matters more that you do it, than how you do it.I would love to learn about leaders in your life. Who are you going to celebrate this week?The post Fierce Tip of the Week: Celebrate a Leader in Your Life appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

Here at Fierce, we honor a person once a month with the coveted title of Fierceling of the Month. The qualification for a Fierceling is someone who has been nominated by peers for exceptionally exhibiting the fierce values and the 7 principles of our work. There are some great internal perks including choosing your favorite restaurant to catering a company-wide lunch. Each month, I look forward to interviewing these amazing people.This month, I had the honor to connect with Katy Dozier.Why did you come to work here? It seemed like a fun atmosphere to join and grow in.What are some responsibilities for your role? Everything from contracts, billing, workshop logistics, printing and inventory management and vendor accounts payable.What’s the coolest thing you are currently working on? Getting a new hire up to speed in my department.What is your favorite thing about working at Fierce? The people, both internally and externally. They’re fun, creative and incredibly nice.When you’re not at Fierce, what are you most likely doing? Reading, reading and more reading. I’m a book worm.What fierce principle are you working on this month? Let Silence Do The Heavy Lifting. It’s the one I continuously come back to. I try and fill silence with myself as well as others. Trying to be still and wait is a challenge.What inspires you? Challenge, in every aspect. I’m most competitive with myself and encountering any sort of challenge lights me up and gets me going.What else do you want to ask Katy? Tweet @fierce_inc #fiercelingofthemonth to ask any other questions.The post Meet Our October Fierceling of the Month: Katy Dozier appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Entrepreneur and outlines concrete steps leaders can take to improve their leadership skills.Whether you are an aspiring leader or currently managing a high performing team, you should constantly be reflecting and improving on your leadership skills. The 4 Pillars of Better Leadership recommends starting with taking care of your employees.As a leader, your most important asset is your employees. Great leaders understand that happy and productive employees need more than just their intrinsic needs meet. Employees need to feel they are supported on an emotional level as well. This means taking the time to enrich your relationship on a personal level with each of your team members.When was the last time you asked how your employees were doing?"A good leader doesn’t lead from behind a desk or an email account. A good leader leads from the front, interacting with staff, holding them accountable, making sure they know they’re valued and by paying attention to detail."Read the article.The post Fierce Resource: The 4 Pillars of Better Leadership appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

In the United States this week, Halloween will be celebrated with activities like pumpkin carving and dressing up in costumes. And for many (including myself), eating more candy this week than I do all year.Yes, those things may seem juvenile or trivial. So, why should we celebrate Halloween at work? Well it can be great to be pushed in new ways, to act silly, and to not take ourselves so seriously. Doing new activities together as a team allows everyone to learn new things about each other.If you buy into that notion at all, regardless of your role, suggest participating in festive activities with your colleagues. It is not just management’s responsibility to engage. It lives with all of us.In fact, a group of Fiercelings created time for pumpkin carving a couple years ago, and it was an absolute blast mixed with brand pride (hence our fierce pumpkin above). We have some things up our sleeves this year too!So it is your turn now. This week’s tip is to be festive at work and embrace the Halloween spirit. Some ideas are:Host a costume contestHold a vote for best scary storyDecorate your spaceHold a pumpkin carving contestOrganize trick-or-treating at your office for employees’ children What are you going to do? And if you are dressing up, please do share your costume pictures.The post Fierce Tip of the Week: Engage with Halloween Spirit appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

Think of a conversation that you need to have that scares you. Perhaps it is a conversation with your boss about something she is doing that is not helpful. Or a conversation with a peer about what you are noticing that is not working for him. Or taking it home, perhaps it is a conversation with your spouse or family member to discuss something that you do not feel the other is willing to talk about.Ok, do you have a conversation in mind? Does the thought of this conversation make you want to evaporate? Or run out the door? Or go on vacation? If so, that’s a good sign. These are the conversations I am talking about.I do understand the fear. There are legitimate reasons to be scared about having these conversations. Some people do not react well when confronted, regardless of how eloquent and thoughtful you are. Sometimes, certain discussions are not career-enhancing, depending on your colleagues and boss. These are realities.What is equally a reality is that the cost of not having the conversation is much greater than the risk of it going badly. No one will die in this process. And your mental health and wellbeing are at stake here. These needed conversations weigh you down. You know this. Science tells you this. We all know this, yet we justify our way into carrying unneeded weight around.So, here are three tips to overcome the scary nature of some exchanges: Embrace the nervous energy. One of my prior bosses once told me that the butterflies you feel before a tough conversation are an indication of how much you care about the person. I like to think of it that way; put a positive spin on it. Ultimately, if you don’t care about a relationship or a person, you wouldn’t bother having the conversation. So come to terms with the way you feel and expect some nervousness. See it as a good sign instead of wanting to flee.Prepare accordingly. Whether it is a feedback or confrontation conversation, preparation is key for having the conversation align with your intention. Here at fierce we teach the preparation piece for various conversations, and oftentimes, people tell us that it is our magic. The goal is to make your conversations authentic and drive the results you want. So, prepare by scanning some of the tips from this blog. Set aside some unadulterated time to focus and think through the conversation. Take some notes. Practice with someone. Many conversations do not go the way we want them to, because we are not clear and direct. Once you have done some preparation, find a friend or partner to practice with. Ask the person how they felt with your delivery. Ask for feedback. It is not necessary to do a role play situation, but rather, use the practice time as an opportunity to make sure you are not laying blame or using inflammatory language that could trigger just about anyone. These tips definitely can help you stay focused. Ultimately, though, you are the one that has to make the choice to have the conversation. And for your own sake, I really hope you do. You have more to gain than you can imagine.Do you have any tips for our audience about dealing with fear around conversations?The post 3 Ways to Take the Scare Out of Your Conversations appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Tech.Co and explores techniques aimed at boosting employee enthusiasm.Employee engagement isn’t just this "touchy-feely" abstract concept it seems to be, it’s also about an organization’s productivity level. A Gallup study found that the annual cost of lost production in the United States is over $450 billion.If you want to earn back some of that lost revenue, you have to find a way to inspire and engage your team. The Best Tools for Improving Employee Engagement recommends creating a sense of unity by adopting a culture of constant communication. When employees feel like there are kept in the loop, they build a sense of accountability and are willing to go the extra mile.How transparent is you organization?"While some workers function better independently, having constant communication between the managers, the employees, and between colleagues will create a sense of unity. It also makes employees feel like there are others ready to help them if needed, eliminating frustration and bringing passion back into projects, which will inherently make employees more engaged in the day-to-day tasks they’re given."Read the article.The post Fierce Resource: The Best Tools for Improving Employee Engagement appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

Today, we have more outlets than ever to express our individual perspectives and needs. From Facebook to Twitter to Yelp to Consumer Reports, you can share a review, an opinion, or vent about almost everything. Many of us use those tools every day. And yet, as citizens of the United States, we don’t participate in some of the outlets to give our own country feedback and thoughts. I am guilty of this, too. One way we can do this is by voting.Tomorrow is Election Day in the United States. It is a day to make some choices and give feedback. And yet, statistically speaking, a large percentage of us won’t be participating.At a recent meeting, I was talking with some people about this. What I heard most clearly was that people don’t feel connected to some of the larger purposes, and in turn, they are disengaged citizens. This rang bells in my head. Loud ones. Because this is what we talk with CEOs, VPs, and Directors about all of the time in organizations from small to large, from private to public, from non-profit to Fortune 100. The story sounds like: People are not engaged. We have a bi-annual survey and mechanisms to get their feedback. And yet, it is not enough. What do we do? How do we make lasting, necessary change?Just like revolutionizing our workplaces, there is similar work to be done with our government. There is more dialogue required by individuals, by everyone. And we can’t just look to our government officials. Like I mentioned in Stop Your Excuses, You are the Culture, as seducing as pointing the finger can be at times, when you are unhappy with our government, make sure you throw some of that blame your way. You are responsible too.Given that, this week’s tip is to participate and vote. And then challenge yourself with the question: What else can I do to give feedback? How can I better engage in conversations with others about issues most important to me? How can I help?The post Fierce Tip of the Week: The Revolution Starts with Your Vote appeared first on Fierce, Inc..