Assumptions – And Pest Control!

by Coach Christy Austin

Working with countless teams over the years has shown that assumptions are like a hidden pest. Like termites in the foundation, they erode our business, resulting in lower productivity, dissatisfied customers, and increased employee turnover. An assumption is defined as “an expectation believed to be true, without facts or evidence.” Though most are unaware, we each make hundreds of assumptions every day and don’t even realize it.

We make assumptions.

Our staff make assumptions.

Our customers make assumptions.

Our potential clients make assumptions.

This affects our overall success and often negatively impacts our bottom line!

Our own assumptions are laced through the DNA of our business. We know what we’re thinking, we know the culture we want, we know our values, we know our daily procedures, we know what we expect from employees, and we know how to work hard to make things work. But, does our team, or our customers, know these things? We often assume they do!

According to a recent Forbes Survey[i], the most common assumptions in the workplace that hold teams back include these.:

  • Management can’t be trusted.
  • I can’t make any mistakes.
  • If someone has an issue, they’ll speak up.
  • This is the way it has always been done.
  • Don’t fix it if it isn’t broken.

Obviously, most of our assumptions are automatic thoughts that “pop” into our minds. We never question them because we think they’re facts. Why? Because, much like family dysfunction, our assumptions are “normal.” They are familiar to us.

What assumptions did you make when you woke up today?

  • I’ll leave at my usual time because there’s never much traffic.
  • Our morning meeting will be productive.
  • The new hire probably won’t work out again.
  • My staff will work hard.

When I walked into my office this morning, I immediately sat in my chair, assuming it would hold me. I flipped a switch, assuming my lights would work. And I began typing away on a keyboard, assuming my computer would precisely function to answer dozens of emails. Interestingly, none of these assumptions are guaranteed and in fact, I’ve had many days these assumptions weren’t true – the chair broke, the lights didn’t turn on, and the computer didn’t send emails. Nonetheless, daily I assume each of these will happen normally without a second thought.

The greatest challenge with assumptions in the workplace is, most often, we can’t identify our own because they’re buried deep in our everyday function and routine. They come from our experiences. We don’t recognize these personal assumptions until they cost us something – time, money, valuable staff members, and other resources. In the end, just like with termites in the foundation, assumptions end up costing business owners much more than they realize!

So, what’s the solution, i.e., Pest Control?

Self-Awareness – Take time to become aware of assumptions, individually and as a team, and then we can begin to assess their validity through evaluation and dialogue.

Communication – Assertive communication is the key to dispel assumptions by ensuring others truly know what we expect, value, and need to maintain the culture and success of our business.

Policies and Procedures – A strong team culture is formed and maintained through simple and consistent procedures and policies, such as continuous improvement programs, which minimizes the pesky assumptions and guides us to achieve our goals and continued business success!

Do you know what assumptions are costing your team and your business?

Coach Christy can help you and your team with Pest Control to minimize those pesky assumptions and build a stronger team and more profitable and successful business. Give her a call today!


[i] https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolebendaly/2019/07/05/14-assumptions-that-are-holding-your-team-back/?sh=aaee6da76ebf

Humor Is In the Eye of the Beholder!

It’s good to have fun at work but you need to be careful with how fun and humor is defined. Horseplay is usually not recommended and often not allowed for good reason. Humor on the other hand is often allowed and even encouraged but it’s still good to be careful. It is useful to know that there are several types of humor that may, or may not, be appropriate in the workplace and when used inappropriately, can get you into hot water. When used appropriately, i.e., “Humor is in the eye of the beholder,” it can raise morale, build team spirit, and improve productivity!

Dr. Rod Martin, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, and his fellow researchers have devised the Humor Styles Questionnaire that allows us to determine which of four styles of humor is being used more often in an organization. The four styles are Self-enhancing, Affiliative, Aggressive, and Self-defeating.

  • Self-enhancing humor is a type of mild humor used to enhance oneself.
  • Affiliative humor is used to enhance one’s relationships with others.
  • Aggressive humor is used to enhance the self at the expense of others.
  • Self-defeating humor is used to enhance relationships at the expense of oneself.

It’s fairly obvious that Self -enhancing and Affiliative humor can be more beneficial than Self-defeating and Aggressive humor. Most organizations have a combination of all four types of humor being displayed at various times and situations.

It’s always good to remember: Humor is in the eye of the beholder! If even one person thinks it’s not funny, it’s not funny. Most businesses don’t think about this, many don’t teach it to their employees, and many don’t consider how it impacts company culture, morale, and employee productivity.

If you are not sure how well your team is doing with humor, Give Us a Shout, so we can help you build a better workplace through positive humor for small business success!

Positive Pressure for the Long Game and Small Business Success!

The journey of a thousand miles, as Lao Tzu said, begins with a single step. This ancient wisdom also applies to the world of small business where the prospect of starting a business from scratch, building a business over the long term, and achieving small business success, can often overshadow the significance and value of short-term objectives.

I often preach, play the long game. Start with the vision and work backwards to your daily task list. This works well but sometimes steps in the middle, such as quarterly or monthly goals, get missed. These short-term goals are important, for small business owners as well as their employees, to pay attention to but often get put on the back burner to make time and energy for the daily firefighting.

Short-term goals serve as a powerful catalyst for long term success, providing positive pressure and motivation that can move small business owners towards their vision. Specific and challenging goals lead to higher performance compared to easy or vague goals. Short-term goals, defined as objectives achievable within a year or less, offer immediate feedback and motivation, allowing business owners to adjust strategies and maintain momentum.

For employees, the benefits are just as great!

  • The immediacy of short-term goals provides a sense of urgency, creating positive pressure that can motivate employee action and foster a culture of achievement within the organization.
  • Short-term goals can also enhance one’s belief in one’s ability to succeed. Achieving them can boost employee confidence, reinforcing the belief that larger objectives are attainable. As motivational guru Tony Robbins once said, “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”  
  • Short-term goals can serve as steppingstones towards long-term objectives, breaking down complex tasks into manageable parts. Known as “chunking,” this process can reduce mental stress and improve employee productivity. It also allows one to leave their comfort zone much more easily. Only through discomfort can we achieve more.

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” – Brian Tracy


Unlock Your Business Superpowers! – Socratic Dialogue and High-Performance Coaching for Greater Success

High-performance coaching involves supporting individuals, business owners, and their team, so they are able to achieve high powered results. Socratic dialogue, a back-and-forth questioning process and a tool in the EA Lewis & Associates toolbox, is highly effective for high performance coaching due to its emphasis on critical thinking, reflection, and self-awareness.

If you want high powered results to grow your business more efficiently and more effectively, whether by defining your USP, creating a new service offering, or getting your team members to lean in, Socratic dialogue can help. Here’s how it works:

  1. Self-awareness: High performance requires a deep understanding of oneself, one’s strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and personal roadblocks. Socratic dialogue, with its emphasis on introspective questioning, can facilitate this self-understanding. A coach will help you answer questions about your own beliefs, actions, and motivations and help you discover insights about yourself that you may not have been aware of.
  2. Critical Thinking: High performance is often about solving complex problems, and this requires strong critical thinking skills. Through Socratic dialogue, a coach can guide you to challenge your own assumptions and consider different perspectives, fostering your ability to think critically and solve problems effectively.
  3. Goal Setting and Achievement: Socratic dialogue can be used to support setting and achieving your goals. By questioning you about your goals, why you want to achieve them, and how you plan to do so, a coach can help you develop a clear and achievable action plan.
  4. Breaking Through Barriers: Often, what stands in the way of high performance are mental roadblocks, such as limiting beliefs or fears. Socratic dialogue can be used to uncover these barriers and challenge them. For example, if you believe that you are not capable of achieving a certain goal, your coach might use Socratic questioning to challenge this belief and help you see that you are indeed capable.
  5. Continuous Improvement: High performance requires continuous improvement, and Socratic dialogue fosters a mindset of continual learning. By repeatedly questioning and reflecting on one’s actions and beliefs over time, one can consistently identify areas for improvement and take action to develop in these areas.

Ready to unlock your true potential and take your business to the next level? EA Lewis & Associates is here to help you do just that. Click HERE to set up a free chat with one of our high-performance coaches who will help you figure out how to excel in what you love doing! Just tell us what you love, what you want to do, and we will match you with a coach to get started!

Motivation

IT'S A CHOICE!
IT’S A CHOICE!

“Motivation is simple.  You eliminate those who are not motivated.”
                                                – Lou Holtz

It’s called…
Self-motivation
Real, honest, practical, necessary
Personal accountability
Tough love

What does it mean to you?

When People Miss the Mark…

Lift people up!
Lift people up!

When people miss the mark, screw up, under perform or just seem to not get it, it’s good to keep in mind:

They may be looking at a different target – My idea of “clean” is probably not the same as your idea of “clean.”

It may be the system – There may be things outside of their control that introduces variation in results, i.e. change in wind speed, different equipment, poor communication…

It could be the consequences – Very often the best employees get “stuck” doing what no one else will and their reward for doing their best is actually a punishment.

Solutions?

Start at home first – It’s our job as leaders to do everything we can to help them do the best job they can.  Make sure you are doing that and…

  • Get on the same page
  • Improve the system
  • Focus on and reward the right behaviors
  • Be a people builder!

Write it on your heart…

Stay in the moment for that is where you find
peace
productivity
prosperity
business will be good…you will be strong…life will be balanced

on your heart

the greatest good…

tis the season for good deeds and the greatest good starts at home

first within
then six degrees
to change the world

changeyourheart

A Peace of Success…

In the solitude on the trail…findpeace

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” – John Wooden

Peace on the inside…brings peace on the outside

Discipline, effort, choice…to find balance, self-worth, value

Not a thing measured but a feeling…and a knowing

Recognize Your Progress

strivebuddhaprog·ress

noun

1.  a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage.

positive change…an attitude…a vision…a change of pace…one more mile…the next level…even the smallest of steps

with heart

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