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Sustained Momentum In Your Leadership Role

Passing the mid-year mark can often leave leaders feeling fatigued and needing revitalization.  By investing in your personal growth and well-being, you can continue to excel as a leader and inspire those around you. Here are some effective strategies to re-energize yourself and maintain a high level of momentum in your leadership role:

Strategies To Sustain Momentum In Your Leadership Role

1. Reflect on Successes: Take a moment to celebrate achievements and milestones reached since January. Recognizing your accomplishments will boost morale and provide motivation for the months ahead.

2. Review your Goals: Reassess your objectives for the rest of the year. Break them down into smaller, achievable milestones, and track progress regularly. Having clear goals will keep you focused and driven.

3. Take time Off: If you have not already, plan a vacation or staycation to recharge and disconnect from work. Time away from the office can help you return with renewed energy and a fresh perspective.

4. Develop New Skills: Identify areas where you’d like to grow professionally and seek opportunities to develop those skills. Learning and personal growth can reignite your passion for your role.

5. Foster a Positive Work Culture: Coordinate a fun activity with your colleagues. Cultivate a positive and supportive work environment for yourself and your team. Encourage open communication, collaboration, and a healthy work-life balance.

6. Practice Self-Care: Make self-care a priority. Engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation, such as exercise, meditation, hobbies, or spending quality time with loved ones.

7. Connect with Others: Network and engage with industry or leadership community peers. Sharing experiences and ideas can invigorate your enthusiasm for your role.

8. Seek Inspiration: Read books, listen to podcasts, or attend seminars by inspirational leaders. Their stories and insights can motivate you to overcome challenges and strive for greatness.

Remember that maintaining momentum is an ongoing process, and finding a balance between pushing yourself and taking care of your well-being is essential.

If you have any questions about these strategies for sustained momentum or want to learn more about the powerful benefits of executive coaching to elevate your leadership success, please reach out to askme@jennyreilly.com and book a complimentary 30-minute strategy session.  If you want monthly leadership tips, sign up for my JRC newsletter.

 

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How to Deliver Your Key Message in Under 3 Minutes

As leaders, effective communication is paramount, and this month, I invite you to take on a challenge: deliver your key message in under three minutes.

Our various devices train us to cut through the noise, and our patience and attention span have become shorter. As a rule, try to get your core message across in any forum you work in three minutes or less. If you can do this, you will captivate your audience (internal or external stakeholders, clients, colleagues etc.), they will want to know more, and you will leave a lasting impact.

Craft and structure your core message with a hook, then explain the impact and value to the audience. Your objective should be to provide a compelling ‘aha’ moment and a clear path to fruition.

Embrace your nervous energy and let it sharpen your focus. Tailor your message to resonate and be audience-centric for a more significant impact, and then prepare and practice. Understand that you will have to remain adaptable during your presentation to meet the needs of your audience and be ready to pivot to address identified interests and concerns effectively.

When we present authentically, our personality and style are evident. By being authentic, you will build credibility and trust with your audience. When knowing your content, you don’t need a script. You can speak from a well-prepared outline which will help you overcome the temptation to read word for word and enable you to maintain a natural flow while highlighting key points effectively.

There is real power in your non-verbal communication and body language. Your body language needs to enhance your message, not detract from it. Practice mastering your non-verbal cues so you can see the influence of your body language on what you are saying.

When you are working out what to say in the first three minutes, think of these questions to help guide the points you want to get across:

  1. What is it you want to say and why?
    This will help you conceptualize what it is you are getting at.
  2. How does it work, or how will it help? 
    This will help your audience form a process map for utilizing the information you are sharing.
  3. What is the proof or accountability statement?
    Facts, figures, and proof of what you say must be referenced or provided.
  4. How can you help?
    Define how you can be of assistance, help or reference.

Prepare and practice for impactful communication. You can captivate, influence, and inspire your audience in three minutes. Remember, authentic and concise communication leaves a lasting impression. Step up to the challenge, and watch your messages resonate like never before.

 

7 Point Message Delivery Cheat Sheet

  1. Being a little nervous is a good thing. It will give you the adrenaline to be more alert when giving your message.
  2. Intently craft your message for your audience. Who is your audience? What choice of words and level of detail will work best? Answering these two questions will help you organize your key points correctly for a more significant impact.
  3. Focus on the audience. Even with practice, when the time comes to deliver your message, if the audience wants something different, you need to quickly pivot to what they need, or they will lose attention.
  4. Be yourself – authenticity is key. Let your personality shine when you present, giving you credibility and audience trust.
  5. Speak from an outline, not a script. When nervous, we tend to look down at our note sand read word for word. I encourage you to initially prepare by writing out all you want to say and practice your presentation verbally until you feel confident and then condense your presentation notes into an outline of only key points. Again practice, and you will find that speaking from an outline will enable you to be more natural in your presentation.
  6. Use body language. Not only are your words and tone powerful, but also your non-verbal’s. You want to ensure your body language does not detract from your core objectives.
  7. Nothing can replace preparation and practice. Review your outline and practice out aloud (yes, in front of a mirror, or tape yourself on Zoom and rewatch to critique yourself) until you feel confident in your verbal and non-verbal message delivery.

 

If you have any questions about drafting and delivering your key message, or want to learn more about the powerful benefits of executive coaching to elevate your leadership success, please reach out to askme@jennyreilly.com and book a complimentary 30-minute strategy session.  If you want monthly leadership tips, sign up for my JRC newsletter.

 

Jenny Reilly Consulting, Vancouver Executive Coach

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The Importance of Transitions

“It is when we are in transition that we are most completely alive.”
— William Bridges

This quote from William Bridges emphasizes the importance of transitions in our personal and professional lives. While some transitions can be challenging to prepare for, they can also give us energy, motivation, and inspiration. How we react during a change is critical to our success as leaders. We must focus on our leadership traits and how we react in different situations, primarily how we handle stress and unpredictability.

It’s essential to listen first, act consistently, and communicate transparently.

Here are some tips to keep in mind during a transition:

  • FOCUS on the next best step you can make and act on it.
  • THINK about the consequences of what you say and how you say it – before opening your mouth.
  • LISTEN to your team, ask questions, and be curious.
  • USE facts to back up your perceptions.
  • INVEST in what will put you in a better position to improve productivity.
  • CREATE a one-page document that includes your vision, values, strategy pillars, and targets – this will help you remain focused on what is critical to the triple bottom line and not get sidetracked.
  • FOCUS on what you are good at and what you can get results on that no one else can – delegate everything else, and don’t get stuck in the minutia.

Remember to be conscious of your time management, the talent you are surrounded by, and your operating rhythm to ensure you spend time on what matters most. Conduct a weekly review and preview of your priorities to stay on track and focus time quarterly on organizational operational and strategic issues.

Transitions can be challenging but can also be opportunities for growth and success. Embrace the change, focus on what you can control, and lead with clarity and purpose.

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”
— John C. Maxwell

If you have any questions or want to learn more on the powerful benefits of executive coaching to elevate your success, please contact us or reach out directly to jenny@jennyreilly.com and book a complimentary 30-minute strategy session.

 

 

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First Impressions and Self Care

First Impressions Count

‘You never get a second chance to make the first impression.’
— Andrew Grant

It doesn’t matter the situation; first impressions count. You will always be remembered for your first interaction, so smile and go into it with the intent of the interaction being positive. You can’t fake a smile. You can see it in someone’s eyes (yes, their eyes) and body language and hear it in their tone of voice.

‘ Two things remain irretrievable: time and a first impression.’
— Cynthia Ozick

When you are 100% focused on those you are talking to, you will find yourself paying close attention to their language, mood and tone of voice. The more open and curious you are, the more they will be in return. I enjoy meeting new people. It is not the art of small talk that you need to meet new people; just plain good manners and knowing how to listen.

Take Care

Self Care - Jenny Reilly Consulting, Vancouver Executive Coach

If your child, family member, partner, or workmate is not doing well– you stop what you are doing and take care of them and give them the attention they require. We often put ourselves last in our order of priorities. I have been guilty of not always prioritizing my health and have turned this around – if I am not at my best, how can I be my best with others?

Trust me, it is noticed if you are not sleeping well, eating well, getting exercise, taking note of your appearance or going to work ‘with a low readiness score, ‘ It’s time to take note of how you are ‘turning up at work and home.’

Two clients in January were singing the praises of their Oura ring (ouraring.com) that tracks their sleep score and readiness level, activity, heart rate and body temperature. I was intrigued and purchased one, which is an excellent accompaniment to my Apple watch. Both help me stay on top of how I care for and prioritize my health.

Surround Yourself With The Right People

Surrounding yourself with the right people in your personal and professional life is critical. It impacts your mood, motivation and engagement levels.

I often see in professional settings the hesitance to move someone on if they are not a good performer or fit for the position or team. They may have been a strong performer in the past; however, their heart is no longer in the job, or they are not in the right position. You are only helping an individual if they are in the right job, and placing an underachiever in a team of high performers can pull a team down. It is often assumed that the poor performer will pick up on excellent performer’s habits. However, the opposite tends to happen, and bad habits spread.

‘You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.’
— Jim Rohn

Your team’s makeup is critical to its success. For each person in your team, rank them on their level of effectiveness in their position (1 low – to five high). For anyone, you rank as a three or under, define if training can help performance or if a position shift is the best alternative.

DISC

Everyone has their own psychology, so how you approach and talk to one person may not be the best way to speak to another. I have been using the DiSC profile with my clients and facilitated 100+ coaching sessions with this tool to help individuals be better communicators.

DiSC is an exceptionally popular behavioural assessment that helps individuals identify their behavioural styles and learn how to interact more effectively with others. The assessment profile will help you adapt your communication style and expectations to increase results, improve team performance, target new hires/clients, develop “rockstar” rapport, and more.

If you are interested in the DiSC profile, the cost is $150, and with an hours debrief with me and the assessment, it is $500. If you want a 60-90 minute training session with your team, the assessment costs $150 per person and a $1,500 workshop fee. Please contact us or reach out directly to jenny@jennyreilly.com and book a complimentary 30-minute strategy session.

 

Jenny Reilly Consulting, Vancouver Executive Coach

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YEAR END BUDGETING 2022

2022 in Review

As the year approaches a wrap, it’s time to highlight your achievements and position yourself for 2023. Review and report on topics like your organization’s accomplishments, value creation, budgets, financial ratios, your competitor analysis, and the year ahead. Take time to create a full-year timeline with strategic projections and goals. Use the 2022 Annual Report Components infographic to serve as a guide for elements to include.

Annual Report Infographic - Jenny Reilly Consulting - Executive Coaching

 

“A budget is more than just a series of numbers on a page; it is an embodiment of our values.” – Barack Obama 

Know your numbers

Over this quarter, a primary client focus has been on analyzing financial reports and data to aid the decision-making required for 2023 planning. Understanding the budgeting process is crucial in evaluating opportunities and risks.

Understanding your numbers allows for more strategic decision-making. Your numbers can provide:

  • comparability,
  • verifiability, and
  • understandability

of the next best steps to take in your company.

As a leader, you are expected to have a thorough understanding of your numbers, prepare forward-looking financial reports, set financial targets, determine the usage of resources, and evaluate the costs and benefits of each option.

Business budgets help leaders run a successful business. A budget provides the opportunity to assess the actual budget against what was forecasted and planned.

Steps to take in preparing for 2023

  1. Before developing your budget, it is normal practice to have a strategy session that will review relevant economic factors, sector issues/constraints/ opportunities, and management plans. Develop or review your 2023 budget (that should accommodate your short-term plans, normally one year in duration) and ensure each of your strategic objectives is related to your budget.
  2. Your budget should address each of your strategic initiatives, including cash and payments, sales volumes and revenues, detailed inventories, labour, and production requirements.
  3. Break your annual budget down into monthly budgets that will assist in planning and communication to the team.
  4. If you are working on a unit or department budget, ensure you understand how the budgeting process interlinks with the various budgets in the business.

Can you answer the following?

  • What is your mission, vision, short- and long-term strategic objectives?
  • Have you recently conducted a position analysis of your organization?
  • Who are your current competitors?
  • Do you have a comprehensive forecasting and budgeting process? Can you explain when and how this process is performed?
  • How often do you review your annual budget, identify variances between your forecasted and actual performance and update as strategic initiatives pivot and change?

Understanding your budget will enable you to:

  • identify short term problems
  • promote forward-thinking
  • help in the coordination of units within a business
  • communicate budget guidelines
  • motivate your employees to promote better performance
  • monitor performance relevant to the budget
  • implement a system of control, levels of responsibility, and authorization

If you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, or c-suite executive and have any questions about this month’s topics, or feel this resonates with you and you need executive support to project your budget successfully into 2023, please contact us, or reach out directly to jenny@jennyreilly.com and book a complimentary 30-minute strategy session.

 

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