When the Economy Changes ... I'm Outta' Here. Pamela Jett

your sphere of influence, and your team and colleagues will reap the rewards.

      Choose to be, as Tom Peters would say, an “island of excellence.”9

      Regardless of what upper management does or does not do to promote employee engagement, regardless of how our fellow leaders choose to think and behave, and regardless of how our peers choose to function, each one of us can make a personal commitment to be an island of excellence even if we are floating in a sea of mediocrity.

      Choose to do your part to create an engaged culture. Choose to be the type of leader your employees want to work with and for. Choose to engage in positive behaviors that convey respect. Imagine what your workplace or your team could be like if you choose to use engaging communication. Your team would be a happier, more collaborative, more innovative group. Do your part to make that a reality. And who knows? You just might engage others in your efforts and your island of excellence will grow.

      Each tool in this book is a stand-alone technique you can put to work immediately. This means you can read through page by page or just jump in anywhere. Enjoy!

      ~ Pamela Jett

      CHAPTER 1

      Employee Engagement, Communication, and Golf

      Communication is a bit like professional golf. If you’ve ever watched a golf tournament, you’ve likely noticed that the person who comes in first and the person who comes in second are only separated by a few swings or strokes of the golf club – sometimes as few as one or two.

      In terms of prize money, however, as little as one swing of the golf club can make all the difference!

      As with golf, small changes in how we communicate can have a huge impact on employee engagement. Making a conscious effort to choose our words wisely, use techniques that build relationships, and use language that builds people up as opposed to tearing them down can make all the difference with respect to building good working relationships. This is crucial because positive relationships are one of the key drivers of employee engagement.

      If we practice better communication, we will have better relationships, more engaged employees, stronger bonds with our families, enhanced workplace productivity, and a reputation as the kind of person others want to work with and for. Improving communication doesn’t have to be complicated, since small changes in communication can lead to huge benefits. To increase the likelihood that you will continue improving, start small: choose one tip, tool, or technique and start practicing it today.

      Focus on small, well-leveraged changes that will result in an “engaging” style of communication.

      CHAPTER 2

      Choose Your Mindset

      Your mindset – the way you view the world, work, people, experiences, and everything else around you – has a tremendous impact on your ability to use engaging

      communication. Mindset is a simple concept defined by world- renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck after decades of research on achievement and success.10

      Essentially, Dweck contends that there are two basic mindsets: “fixed” and “growth,” and the mindset we choose can have a profound impact on our behavior and on our success. These mindsets can be summed up as follows:

      Traits

      •The “fixed” mindset sees traits such as intelligence as “fixed,” or set. A fixed mindset leader would believe that some employees are simply smarter than others and that training, education, or other opportunities are unlikely to change their intelligence level substantially. What an incredibly “disengaging” mindset! This leader or professional doesn’t believe people can learn or develop, so they withhold opportunities, don’t have meaningful conversations about career advancement, and in general treat those who they see as smart and talented in one way (rewarding) and those who they view as less smart and talented in another (withholding). It is very demoralizing to work for a fixed mindset leader if you are looking to have meaningful performance conversations and/or are looking to report to and work with someone who respects you.

      •In contrast, the “growth” mindset sees traits like intelligence as something that can be developed. A growth mindset leader believes that through training, education, and other opportunities, people can learn, grow, and develop. This belief can be the foundation for creating employee engagement. Respecting people’s ability to grow and develop can be a precursor to meaningful performance conversations, opportunities to work on interesting projects, and other “engaging” behaviors.

      Risk and Change

      •The fixed mindset sees risk and change as threats. So, naturally, these leaders place a low value on innovation and new ideas. A fixed mindset leader finds it difficult to encourage people to try new things. They also exhibit stagnant behaviors, such as trying to keep doing things they way they’ve always been done when innovation would be more effective. It is very disengaging to work in a stagnant environment where opportunities to contribute and collaborate don’t exist.

      •The growth mindset sees risk and change as opportunities to learn. Naturally, these people are less resistant to change. They are more comfortable with a degree of calculated risk because they know that they may learn from the experience. A growth mindset leader encourages people to innovate, try new things, and be open to creative ways of accomplishing goals. This creates an exciting, dynamic, and engaging environment.

      Entitlement

      •An individual with a fixed mindset can often feel special, entitled, or better than others. This mindset can foster a “my way or the highway” leadership style where this leader believes that they know best because they have a position of power or authority.

      •An individual with a growth mindset can feel good about themselves, but not at the expense of others. This mindset can foster a more open leadership style that involves generous praise and a focus on goal achievement rather than trying to look good or better than others.

      Criticism

      •Criticism and feedback (even if it is positive) can be viewed by the fixed mindset individual as a threat to the core of their existence. Imagine that all of your life you’ve been told you have a talent for numbers, that you are “smart” that way. (And remember, with a fixed mindset, you are either good with numbers or you’re not; you can’t really change.) Any data that contradicts this view – such as being told that you’ve made a mistake – can cause you, the fixed mindset person to question your entire view of yourself. Feedback that isn’t consistent with your self-image can be devastating. As a result, fixed mindset people are not open to feedback – it’s just too scary. They also rarely offer feedback. Obviously, this doesn’t bode well for meaningful performance conversations.

      •A growth mindset individual doesn’t see feedback or criticism as a threat. Rather, they see feedback as something that fuels their growth and takes some of the pain out of the learning curve. If they receive feedback that is not in alignment with their self-perception, they don’t instantly accept or reject the feedback. Rather, they consider the source, the motivation, and the accuracy of the feedback. Then they either reject the feedback as inaccurate or accept it and allow their self-concept to change. Clearly, this means they value feedback and can participate well in meaningful performance conversations.

      Failure

      •Fixed mindset people often allow failure to define them. “I failed at this task,” they may think, “I must be a failure.” Failure isn’t a form of feedback or a learning experience; it is devastating to them. A fixed mindset leader is, therefore, very critical of failure in others – fostering an environment where fear rules and innovation suffers.

      •Growth mindset people don’t allow failure to define them. Failure, for them, is another form of feedback they can learn from. It doesn’t devastate them; it motivates them. A growth mindset leader is, therefore, tolerant of failure in others as long as they learn from it – fostering an environment where innovation and creativity thrive.

      Without