New Year, New Intentions, New Me!

REFLECTION!

How many of us actually dedicate time to reflect on prior year? How many of us create goals in the beginning of a new year? How many of us actually follow through on these new goals in the new year?

STOP CREATING GOALS, START WITH CREATING INTENTIONS!

This is a time to reflect and look back to a very challenging 2020 year. Yeah, there has been major life shifting situations, hardships, struggles, and conflict. The real question to ask yourself, is how did you handling these uncontrolable situations? What did you embrace or choose not to embrace?

I like to think of 2020 as the year of creativity. You may be asking yourself… what the hell… creativity?

Yes, that is the word I would like to focus when reflecting on 2020.

CREATIVITY.

During a very difficult time in business, I had to channel the negative energy into positive actions. I had to create the change I wanted to see and be. I did that with great success, hard work, and maybe even shed a few tears. At the end of the day, it came down to my intention, not my goals. My intention was to share knowledge, experience and help Salesforce ecosystem learners, however my goal was to make $100k while doing this.

I started 2020 Salesforce Mentor Volunteer. I was matched with amazing individuals who in turn helped me in one way or another. Giving back is so important.

I ended 2020 with A.GAME Academy, a Project Management 7-week program within Salesforce Ecosystem serving under-estimated population for a very small profit to the company, but big returns. Engaging with 10 individuals and now watching their journeys unfold, is priceless feeling.

Through 2020 year, it was shifting perspectives, facing hard decisions, and overcoming struggles of meeting financial needs. This is where I tapped into my intention… sharing knowledge. Where I turned tough times into opportunity to grow my network and help showcase what other amazing humans are doing in Salesforce ecosystem. This took dedicated time, organization skills, and ability to ask for help.

In addition, I spent many countless evenings creating and updating content for training program, website and marketing designs, payment processing, running a business front to back end, just for my intention to share knowledge. I took time to present to User Groups and speak at other virtual events, prepping content and collaborating with peers, again sharing knowledge and tapping creativity.

It was during this creative time, I learned a lot about myself and where I want to go and what I want to do next in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Reflecting back, I did not hit my goal of 2020, but I did go above and beyond my intentions! 2020 was a year of transformation, shifts, and learning and for that I am thankful for all the craziness of 2020.

I am excited to see what 2021 will bring! New Year & New Me!

Collaboration & Productivity in Remote Workplace? Need a Boost?

Hot Topic: Remote working environment

As a business owner, there are many discussions happening to if your organization will allow for 100% remote working. There are questions and risks that are being considered.

I have been working out of my home office since 2014 and never thought I would want to work remote. As a matter of fact, when I was in corporate office, the company was moving in the direction of remote work as an option. At this point in time, I would say…

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” NO WAY! I would not be productive working out of my home. “ ~ Kelly Leslie

I always thought there was only one way for me to stay productive by being in the office.

Today as a remote worker, it would be hard to go back into an office setting on a full time basis. I can not believe how more productive I am working remote. I get more done in 6 hours, then a regular 8 hour work day in the office.

There some myths out there that working from home an employee may not be as productive, feel disconnected, or spend to much time in managing email.

First, this blog is based on my experience, so others may have other thoughts to share that are opposed.

1. Based on the roles at a company should help determine if working remote is an option.
2. Consider the individual opinion and support it either way.
3. Make sure there are tools in place to assist with collaboration, transparency on projects and new expectations are clearly communicated.

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Here we go….

I am excited to share, I have an amazing line-up of interview series. I will be chatting it up with leaders that come from different backgrounds to share tips on productivity, working remote, technologies to consider, and tools to ensure collaboration and productivity.

Look at the how technology is helping businesses make it easier or possible to provide an option to work remote for employees. Make sure to join me on the ……

Need a Boost Series: Connection and Productivity in Remote Workplace. Let’s Connect & Stay Tuned!

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Mistakes Leaders Make With Change

In the last decade, almost every customer I have engaged with during an implementation of new technologies, expressed feelings;  overwhelmed, frustrated and even confused.  I took that as a learning opportunity and started to explore different methods to how I was consulting these unhappy and confused customers.

Consulting is an Art.  Consulting is Agile.

I started deeper conversations with clients, quickly realized it was the workplace culture and how leadership was not managing the transition effectively. 

I started researching resistance change in workplace. That is when fell upon Dale Carnegie class on “Lead Change Effectively”.

 

I am about to blow your minds with Dale Carnegie’s:  8 Most Common Change Leadership Mistakes.

Please know these are my responses and did you know based off Carnegies’ 8 categories.

 

1. Implementing too much change in too short a timeframe  

• YES! This is number one in my consulting book.  Seems like customers want to have everything ‘done’ for go-live with an unrealistic date picked without thinking of the impact on users and the their experience.
• Response:  Clients’ and Consultants slow down and consider a phased approach to the next change. With a phased approach, users get to ‘real’ life experience using the tool, and might express pain for manual processes.
  • Did you know:  User’s  pain will quickly turn into motivation for the next phase. This also gives the users skin in the game, be listen too and overall increase user adoption.

 

2. Lack of a long term vision and strategy

• Oh another great one! With an implementation of new technology, consultant partners do a great job getting customers to the finish line.
• Response:  Clients’ will want to ensure the change ties back to a business strategy with a vision of long term goals.
  • Did you know:  Planning and staffing for how to manage this ongoing change have a great impact on the business long term vision.

 

3. Not making a convincing case for change

• Yuppers! Leadership knows why change is happening, but does the Staff?
• Response:  Leadership start conversations early, asking input and feedback about the change. It’s amazing how quickly buy-in happens and excitement will happen when there is continued conversations.
  • Did you know: Communication is a key method to adopting change in the workplace.

 

4. Limited individuals skills

• In my Consulting book, this would be number 2.
• Response:  Leadership make sure skillset on the team have been identified either before project kicks off or immediately following the change.  Make sure to invest in training in additional training for those individuals managing the change.
  • Did you know:  Leaders who plan ahead and include training costs in budget, have smoother transitions and less resistance to change.

 

Half way done.  Thought I would make sure readers understand the bullet points listed are my thoughts.  But Carnegie studies provided the 8 common mistakes.  Back at it…

 

5.  Shortage of organizational resources

• This is hard one for companies to understand and/or plan for, as they do not know what they do not know.
• Response:  Very common when initiatives start strong, but then day-day work happens for project members, slowing and delaying the results of project.
  • Did you know:  Having a resource dedicated to the managing the change effort will result in seeing the change to completion.  Third parties seems to be best partners for this role.

 

6. Leadership resistance to changing roles

• Ouch! This is one really hurts any change.
• Response:  Resist may occur when leaders see an eroding of their control or responsibility as an outcome of the change.  Make sure this is addressed before implementation change is consider.
  • Did you know:  Bottom up approach is hard method and lacks the ability to impact behavior. Typically, results in the staff leaving the organization.

 

7.  Failing to integrate and align all change initiatives

• Believe it or not, I see this a lot in my role.
• Response:  Think about all the other systems and processes that may be impacted before starting the project. Consider flow diagrams to show the flow of data, processes and think how this will effect the change.  (Risk Analysis, for the Project Managers reading this).
  • Did you know:  If this is not thought through in the beginning of the project planning, it will quickly caught up and impact cost and delay timeline.

 

8. Poor follow-through, measurement and monitoring of change outcomes

• This is key to understanding how the culture handles transition.
• Response:  A. GAME Consulting are experts to help Clients define key measurements upfront and throughout the project.
  • Did you know:  Questions to consider how much were systems and processes improved by the change? How well was the change accepted and embraced. These questions are never asked during implementation and should be practice.

 

As a strategist for change, A.GAME Consulting will assist clients to save time, eliminate confusion and bring cost-effective solutions for long-term success in adapting change.  We focus on the resistance to change and understand behaviors in the workplace during transitions.

A.GAME will work one-one; on project teams; or provide small group training to professionals to become change leaders at their workplace.

I hope you enjoyed my take on the 8 common mistakes made by leaders.  Reach out anytime via @chattyadmn on twitter and continue the conversation on change.