Mighty Good Work

About Mighty Good Work

From THE YES WORKS, this is MIGHTY GOOD WORK. A podcast built on the stories of people and companies who are making good work happen. Whether it's work as a place to be, work as a product or service, or work as a way to spend your life, we will be talking to those who are committed to excellence and who are succeeding in bringing Mighty Good Work into existence. We aim to deliver actionable guidance to people shaping business about engagement, company culture, and healthy business relationships.

Publisher

The Yes Works

Category

business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 May 2016

Latest episode

22 Jan 2020

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Jan 2020

   MGW #24 - How To Fire People

   MGW #24 -  How To Fire People Welcome back to the newly relaunched Mighty Good Work with your hosts Aaron Schmookler, Co-founder and Trainer of The Yes Works and Kristin Adams, Co-director of Startup Grind and first time founder of ALL2.  Last episode we discussed shifting both the thought process surrounding, dialogue about and facilitation of people quitting their jobs and this episode we are focused on the other side of that equation - how to fire people compassionately. While one might think that goes without saying, you’d be surprised what still occurs in the workplace on the regular.  As a podcast dedicated to leaders and aspiring leaders who insist that work should be good, even in the toughest of circumstances, we’d argue that a refresher course is in order. There's a common saying in the startup world the one great hire and the one great fire.  Both are inevitable milestones – rites of passage in one’s career, if you will – so knowing what you should and should not do is pretty key. Firing DOs: Healthy company cultures champion continuous performance improvement PIPs (Performance Improvement Plans) used solely as a means to document and justify dismissal are not typically effective in managing an under-performing individual back to successful contributors Timely communication, immediate feedback, resetting clear expectations and outlining consequences in the moment are key; summarize and document for the benefit of both parties to follow through Open and encourage dialogue that helps get to the root cause of the performance issue (i.e. not having access to the right tools, inefficient processes, unrealistic expectations, improper staffing, lack of skills or interest, personal issues or life events, etc.) – some may be overcome, others not but determining that together can facilitate a smooth/mutual exit Individuals being fired for cause should know well in advance of the actual termination because of the open and frank discussion leading up it Pre-plan and coordinate the timing of both the internal and external communication/messaging Put it in writing and practice what you are going to say to the individual (i.e. don’t wing it/ad lib) Cut to the chase – no need for a long preamble; start with the statement and acknowledge the difficulty of the situation (NOT how hard this is for you) De-personalize the situation.  Keep the focus on the big picture and if you do say something off-script, stop (apologize if warranted) and come back to topic Be authentic; if it makes sense to acknowledge their positive contributions, say they will be missed, etc. – do it Explain what happens next Keep it conversational Let them speak, ask questions – stick to your speaking points, do not argue the details/circumstances leading up to, etc. Discuss what they are looking for in their next job, provide constructive direction advice if asked Be their advocate to the extent it makes sense Most terminations are rooted in some kind of disconnect (skills, pace, life circumstances, etc.).  This does not make them a bad employee – just the wrong fit Be generous when possible Severance, extension of benefits, etc. Ensure they get home (or to their preferred destination) safely (pay for car service, call friend or family to pick up, etc.) Firing DON’Ts: DON'T fire on a Friday or the end of the day, ideally early in the week around lunch hour Gives the individual the weekend to feel miserable, stew, get angry without recourse (i.e. puts them in a holding pattern until the following workweek) Gives time for the rumor mill to churn whereas a firing followed by a full work week provides the ability to ask questions and return/adjust to the new routine Take security precautions but DON’T perp walk if not necessary Stakes are higher than letting one person go; the performance of remaining employees often suffers if the message/statement being made is one of fear and/or reprisal Preserve the individual’s dignity; embarrassment breeds resentment & fuels gossip Give the individual a choice about when/how they want to collect personal effects, the option to do so without an audience Give the individual an option to say goodbye DON’T hide out after you’ve fired someone Take time to compose yourself if needed but be present, be visible, engage others – show you CARE Make yourself available for questions, concerns – allowing folks to process/vent will prevent other negative outcomes DON’T call a company meeting for the sole purpose of announcing the departure DON’T burn bridges, especially in today’s connected world While today’s topic doesn’t seem to align with workplace happiness, the fact is that as tough as it might be in the moment, the outcomes are usually quite positive.  When handled correctly and with compassion, firing an individual can lead to happier people – both the employees who remain with the company and those who left in their new Folks, thank you so much for your time and attention. If you have questions, want to argue the merit of anything we’ve proposed today, have other ideas to contribute, etc. – we are happy to engage as long as the gloves don't come off. ☺ Kristin Adams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinadams/ Aaron Schmookler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmookler/ This has been Mighty Good Work and you are mighty good folks for joining us. Thanks for listening.

2. 

   8 Jan 2020

   MGW #23 - How to Retain Talent

   MGW #23 - How to Retain Talent Welcome to the Mighty Good Work relaunch. The focus hasn’t changed – this is still a podcast for people who want to make work a place worthy of the time we dedicate to it and for leaders and aspiring leaders who are committed to inspiring the same.  We’ve tweaked the format, including a permanent new co-host, in the hopes of adding diversity of viewpoints, experience and topics for the benefit of our listeners.  We are excited to share version 2.0 with you and on that note, let’s get started! In this episode we focus on shifting both the thought process surrounding, dialogue about and facilitation of people quitting their jobs. With tenure averaging 18-24 months (and dropping), if you're thinking about why and how people leave their jobs in the right way, you have an opportunity to actually do something to retain your best and brightest longer. Conventional wisdom is that people leave their jobs – having outgrown the role.  The latest data would tell you that people leave people, more specifically, their managers.  We contend that this is not an either/or situation, but rather people leave “bad experiences” and as such leaders must address the issue more holistically. If you think about a workplace version of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, successful leaders fulfill those needs by creating a sense of community, providing opportunity for development and growth and communicating the value of their employees’ contributions. Recognition, appreciation and critical feedback are key to how people interpret their experience (i.e. positive or negative), growth (i.e. improvement or stagnation of work product/process) and contribution (i.e. perceived importance of), making all three critical parts of the feedback loop. An oft cited reason for leaving is a lack of meaningfulness/purpose in their work.  Find ways to tangibly connect individual contributions to outcomes. Strong leaders think big picture and balance methodology with results.  Do physical butts in seats matter if objectives are being met?  When is it ok to make process allowances if outcomes are achieved?  Conversely, when is it not? We all have fear based reactions at times but how we address those slips matter.  A private apology may not be sufficient, as public acknowledgment goes a long way towards demonstrating a commitment to the company’s mission and values. Promotions to management positions should not be made lightly.  Tenure and the ability to perform hard skills consistently at an individual contributor level are not sufficient.  Introducing an unskilled/unsupported manager into your ecosystem can quickly lead to employee unhappiness and subsequent turnover. Contrary to conventional wisdom, people do not necessarily have to be good at specific hard skills – be it writing code, accounting or creating content – to be leaders.  Recognize the ability to communicate vision and strategy and give those folks opportunities to lead/influence. Don’t be so quick to dismiss the first-alerters – those you might chalk up to being hyper-sensitive or whiners.  They often can signal early warning signs of problems that if addressed at that point won’t manifest as bigger issues. Strong leaders do not think in terms of a static employment contract, but rather on that allows for change over time.  As employees’ lives evolve, what they need from work to support those changes also evolves.  If the role or the company’s needs do not allow for that, then understanding those limitations and being prepared to gracefully facilitate that transition is key. Strive for better than average tenue.  Nobody goes into a relationship with a predetermined end date in mind. You wouldn’t accept average product/service quality, sales results, etc. so investing in the things that keep your people engaged longer is just good business.  Find ways to measure and improve. How you handle attrition factors into retention, as this communicates/models how others can expect to be treated.  While it may seem counterintuitive, a common recurring theme revolves around the exit. Depersonalize the situation.  Whether viewed as good or bad attrition, neither should it be viewed as an act of betrayal nor an opportunity to malign.  Your ability to facilitate genuine, amicable separations and relay that to your staff will strongly factor into others’ decisions to stay or go. Exit interviews – the ability to give someone a chance to be heard – are important.  Better to get the information first-hand and be able to address it head-on rather than via social media or open forums (Blind, Glassdoor, etc.). Strong leaders should view every employee exit as a way to create an ambassador of goodwill.  You never know where paths will intersect, whether as a boomerang employee, advocate, customer, or partner.  The ability to reengage with someone years later is a good litmus test of a successful exit.

3. 

   18 Apr 2018

   MGW #22 - Putting Core Values to Work

   Here are some action items taken from the episode to help you put your company's core values to work: Step 1: To get your company values off the wall, and actually working in your organization from top to bottom, make sure INTEGRITY tops the list. Without integrity, your other values are just suggestions. Step 2: Define integrity. Don’t take for granted that everyone knows what it means. Many companies define integrity as, “do the right thing.” The problem with that is... people can and do argue all day about what the right thing is. A more practical definition for integrity is Consistency. Consistency of thought word and action. You, your company, me… We have integrity to the degree that our actions are consistent with what we say, is consistent with what we think. Step 3: Get everyone’s explicite buy-in. If you don’t have a shared commitment to integrity on your team, then every other value will collapse when it becomes inconvenient enough. So, Integrity provides structural support for everything you do as a team. Including the primary driver of performance, growth, and fulfillment… A tool that’s difficult to wield: FEEDBACK The shared commitment to integrity helps you as a leader to overcome 4 obstacles to effective feedback. 1st, the THRESHOLD question: A question I hear from leaders often is, at what point do I have to give feedback? How incongruent, how “bad” does behavior have to be before I have to give feedback? My answer… Use your shared commitment to integrity to rethink the question. Integrity is all or nothing. You’re shooting for 100%, so every behavior you see either supports your values and goals, or not. So every behavior is an opportunity for kudos or correction. Thank you. That’s the ticket. Or, hey, we’re committed to consistency -- and that behavior is inconsistent. There is no threshold. 2nd, its corollary, the permission objection: Clients tell me, I give feedback, and my team acts put upon. They think I’m patronizing them or they think I’m picking on them. PArt of a shared commitment to integrity is the idea that we’re going to talk about the behaviors we see with one another as a team. “Maybe you already know what I’m about to tell you. In being obvious about what I’m seeing, I’m supporting your commitment to integrity. THis is the expectation we have of each other, and permission is granted in advance when getting everyone on board with integrity. 3rd, the Respect Hurdle: The VP I mentioned earlier had a respect problem. Her team didn’t respect her because she asked for above and beyond from them, but created policies that prohibited them from going above and beyond for the customer. They felt demoralized, and thought she was a hypocrite. As she committed to integrity -- and as the company came into consistency as well -- the team’s respect for her and the company grew. They became less resentful and even appreciative of feedback. 4th, the self-worth challenge: Acting with integrity, growing ever greater integrity is a matter of aspiration. Inconsistency on occasion is a part of the human condition. And our sense of self worth is tied to it. The more we practice integrity, the greater our sense of self and self worth. The greater our sense of self, the more in touch we are with our responses to one another. We’re more confident both in giving and in receiving feedback with equanimity and balance. So, growing integrity is also growing feedback capacity -- as a giver and as a receivier. For more on how to give and receive feedback effectively, check out my podcast conversation with Elaine Lin Hering on Episode 16 of the Mighty Good Work Podcast. Thanks for your efforts to make work good. Together we can insure that people are good for work, and work is good for people. If you’re ready for High-Performance Accountability Culture in your company, let’s discuss your training goals. Book a call today at TheYesWorks.com.

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