UPwords Inc

Developing People. Growing Business.

616-464-4100 | info@upwordsinc.com

  • ABOUT
    • What We Do
    • Our Team
    • Our Clients
    • Client Testimonials
    • Recommended Resources
    • Contact
  • SPEAKING
  • LEADERSHIP COACHING
  • PROGRAMS
    • Customized Workshops
    • Team Development Program
    • The Raw Leadership Experience™
    • Open 360 Feedback Process™
    • Enterprise Executive Chef™
    • Organizational Macro-Mindset™
    • Sales Success Program
  • PHILOSOPHY
    • Raw Leadership™ Concept
    • Macro-Mindset™ Principles
    • Raw Leadership™ Process
    • Macro Leaders™
  • BLOG

Engagement.

June 30, 2018 by Heidi Frye

Have you ever driven a zero-point-turn mower? I was recently and reluctantly granted permission to use my dad’s coveted mower while helping my parents manage their five acre yard due to Dad’s health issues. As a kid, I loved driving…anything – tractors, minibikes, motorcycles, snowmobiles, cars, and horses (technically you ride a horse not drive it, but you get my point). And now I was going to add zero-point-turn mower to my list. I anticipated I would put my earbuds in, enjoy the sunshine, and have a relaxing uneventful ride. Well, that was my intention anyway.

I didn’t realize it was initially going to be such a challenge! Full engagement!! This machine required my full attention, so no earbuds. You see, the clutch, the power/gas, the steering wheel, and the gear shift/neutral are ALL maneuvered from the handles…separate right and left handles – requiring supreme coordination. God forbid you itch your nose while driving, and end up veering off in the wrong direction…oops, was that a strawberry plant?

In the first half-hour of my grass-cutting adventure, I could not stop thinking about all of the leadership metaphors! Primarily centered around engagement. I was so “in it to win it”. My senses were heightened. I was excited. I was challenged. I wanted to do a great job for my parents and prove myself worthy of the task, and that meant taming this beast. How silly that I could be having so much fun cutting the lawn?!  But I was!

I realized all three of the factors from Daniel Pink’s book DRIVE were fulfilled – Mastery, Autonomy, and Purpose. Mastery: My desire to learn, master, and quickly conquer this machine was off the charts. Autonomy: My dad had given me a quick lesson while still parked in the barn, covering the basic mechanics and some trouble shooting, and then I was off to figure it out on my own.  Purpose: All of us, my sisters, and spouses included, were helping out during this rough patch with Dad’s health. Taking care of the yard was important to him, so it was important to us.

Engagement is a huge topic in business as the estimated and conservative costs of disengagement are 10-20% of revenue according to the forbesbooks.com article, “The Real Cost Of Employee Disengagement”. And, based on the Harvard Business Review “Disengaged Employees? Do Something About It” article, only 30% of employees are engaged, which means 70% are disengaged! The impact on business is substantial. What to do?

Some of my aha’s:

  1. The challenge of learning something new is/was fun! When’s the last time you were engaged?
  2. Basic training followed by the freedom to figure it out and work out the kinks…mistakes included, was critical.
  3. “Goldilocks” feedback is a critical step in the engagement process – not too much, not too little…training/guiding/tweaking while encouraging.
  4. Mastery takes time. Period. Get out of your head and cut yourself some slack. I know I didn’t do a perfect job, but for a first timer, I did do a great job. [NOTE: I see this with many clients who step into new roles…they berate themselves for not being immediately accomplished and go into “giving up”/disengagement mode very quickly. Incredibly self defeating. Do yourself a favor and discuss and set realistic expectations]
  5. Some people enjoy the challenge of learning something new, some people enjoy the perfection of a job well done, some people want the praise from a respected leader, etc. etc. Learn what your constituents need and want. Find ways to engage them.
  6. My first few rounds were slow. Be patient with yourself. I couldn’t have gotten up-to-speed as quickly if I hadn’t taken time to learn on the front end.

All said and done, it was great to be so engaged in something! My ultimate test was the last section right behind the deck (short up and down turns) …with my father watching. My absolute best and tightest turns of the day. I got the nod.

Filed Under: Development, Leadership, Life, Motivation, Uncategorized Tagged With: autonomy, Bad Boy mower, Daniel Pink, disengagement, Drive, engagement, leadership, mastery, purpose, S&H Farm Supply, TSC, zero-point-turn mower

Leadership and the impact on employee excellence, drive, and performance

November 30, 2017 by Heidi Frye

One of my very cool business-owner-clients sent me a great thank-you note about the culture work we did in 2017, with a motivating message about our 2018 plan. Great note and proudly displayed on my desk. However, my favorite part about his note was the envelope, this envelope…now posted on my bulletin board – I love this quote!

Because I reflect on these words everyday, attitude has been on my mind lately, and a primary focus… The lens through which I am viewing, my lens, is “leadership”. Based on my executive coaching interactions, I can easily say, the majority of leaders with whom I work (ha…like 99%!), go directly to “how do I fix this employee’s bad attitude?” (Do Not Pass Go!). From their perspective, “attitude” is all on the employee. No culpability on their part. Well…that’s not totally accurate. Maybe it’s more like they do not believe, or even realize they directly influence attitude. They can, and they do. You do too.

In the March 2017 Harvard Business Review article, “Motivating People Starts with Having the Right Attitude”, author Monique Valcour states,

Many leaders don’t understand that they are an integral part of the motivational ecosystem in their companies. The motivational qualities…[persistence, being a self-starter, having a sense of accountability for and commitment to achieving results, and being willing to go the extra mile on projects or to help other team members] appear most frequently when employees feel valued, trusted, challenged, and supported in their work — all things that leaders can influence. For better or worse, leaders’ attitudes and behaviors have a huge effect on employees’ drive and capacity to perform.”

Our ability as leaders to directly influence or “fix” an employee’s negative attitude, or at a minimum, enhance an employee’s positive attitude, is threefold.

#1- Are you a leader your followers want to follow? [A great read is the classic HBR article “Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?”]

#2 – Are you a living example of great leadership?

#3 – Are you modeling a good/great attitude yourself?

Are you influencing and motivating a/an (take your pick: positive, productive, performance-enhancing, empowering, engaging, can-do) attitude while being a strong leader? This is key to leveraging your organizational talent. Taken from Entrepreneur.com, and the article “6 Key Tips for Leading by Example”, the 6 key tips impacting employee drive, performance, and excellence are (drumroll please!):

1. Establish an impeccable standard of excellence.

2. Deliver on results promised.

3. Value people and nurture relationships.

4. Promote strategic cooperation

5. Resolve conflict quickly and effectively.

6. Freely develop and support others.

No big surprise take-aways…just basic great-leadership tenets. Do these well, and enjoy the cascading, domino effect.

Lead by example…model positive attitude…influence positive behavior in others…increased engagement…greater ideas, bigger effort, enhanced quality…employee happiness, improved quality, increased customer satisfaction, increased sales, greater profits…

…and it all starts with YOU!

 

Filed Under: Communication, Culture, Leadership, Motivation, Uncategorized

Work Hard, Play Hard

May 31, 2017 by Heidi Frye

Back in the day, when I was cutting my sales teeth at Xerox Corp, my 1st job out of college, we 100% lived the phrase “Work Hard, Play Hard”. We threw ourselves into our jobs during daylight hours – heads down, relentlessly charging forward, driving for results. And after-hours, equally focused on camaraderie, socializing, happy hours, and maximizing fun. Despite the stress and accountability, we loved our jobs, our teams, and our lives. We were living large.

Fast forward to today. How the phrase plays out (as I’ve matured – lol) has changed, but the concept remains as relevant as ever. Every one of my client companies is pushing the boundaries. Workload, goals, expectations. That’s all fine. IF balanced. In my role, I see/hear/feel employee frustration, disengagement, and burnout, firsthand. In one form or another, they are looking for the release valve. One form of release? Quite literally…quitting! Other high-ranking side-effects…poor work product, attitude, conflict, inefficiency, stress, strained relationships.

An across-the-board game changer for high-performing cultures is “fun”! Intentional fun. Team fun. Creating balance, camaraderie, connection, and engagement!

One of my clients, Kevin Toler of Kevin Toler & Associates, is a hard-working-intense-go-go-go kind of guy, and has created a many-plates-spinning-while-serving-the-client sort of culture in his super successful business. As a big believer in “people” and team development, I was hired to focus on continuous improvement, corporate culture, and raising “the organizational bar” while positively impacting the client experience.

One of the things we have done is to balance “Work Hard” with “Play Hard”. After tweaking some internal processes, Kevin immediately got on board, signed off on monthly events (in and out of the office), team building exercises, a formal meeting schedule, and deliberately scheduled fun! Given my love of delicious food, I was excited to attend the May event – a Friday evening cooking event – “Cooking with Beer!” at the Downtown Market Test Kitchen. Team members brought spouses, teamed up (Kevin and I were partnered), grabbed a cocktail, and proceeded to have a blast preparing an amazing meal, all recipes including some form of beer!  By the time we sat down, we were pretty hungry, and consequently, absolutely devoured our meal. The menu consisted of Beer Braised Pork; Beer BBQ Sauce, Apple Slaw, and Cilantro Beer Rice, topped off with a deliciously rich Chocolate Stout Cake (my personal favorite)…YUM! After the meal, the team headed out the door, chanting “Work Hard, Play Hard” in pursuit of more spontaneous fun!

Filed Under: Culture, Leadership, Life, Motivation, Teamwork Tagged With: balance, continuous improvement, corporate culture, culture, disengagement, Downtown Market, employee burnout, engagement, fun, high-performing culture, Kevin Toler, play hard, work hard

Leveraging Teams

January 27, 2017 by Heidi Frye

team development program

I am a first-generation American, and grateful to have “inherited” some wonderfully noteworthy instilled traditional traits from my really fantastic German parents…hard-work ethic, integrity, courage, forthrightness, quality, and…well…self-reliance. I hesitate. This last trait/mindset has mostly worked in my favor…mostly. In my family “pot-luck” was a dirty word…”Heidi, you don’t invite people into your home and then have them bring their own food!”. In theory Mom was right. What was intended as “serving others” (literally!) for me, turned into a “do it on your own” message…equating self-reliance with capability, service, pride, stamina, and even worthiness (ugh!).

I see this trait show up in my leadership clients, so I know I’m not the only one! Maybe you? Are you overboard on “self-reliance”? How are you at delegation? Do you feel some moral code to “do it all yourself”? Delegation is definitely multi-layered (distrust, wanting it done a certain way, losing control, feeling guilty, etc. etc.), so let’s focus on the I-can-do-it-better-on-my-own-loner part of self-reliance. When Mom chose to forego help  in favor of making the entire elaborate spread on her own, yes, everything was delicious and fantastic but at what cost? Exhausted hostess, and an aversion to big family gatherings. It was just too much. Not sustainable. Last night I had an experience that showed me how non-leverage-able and non-greatness-oriented this mindset has been. It was an excellent lesson in how to harness the power of many.

I joined 100+ women in a charitable-giving effort called 100 Women Who Care.  (btw, there are chapters popping up all over the place, this one was here in MI). Simple concept with a BIG impact and built on not doing it on your own! Imagine the (minimal) impact of your many random $50 donations. THEN imagine the impact of 100+ women simultaneously writing $100 checks for the same charity!!! Voila, $10,000! It’s a quarterly effort of two hours (minimal effort), and $100 individually to raise $10,000+/quarter! Genius, right? Now that is leverage!

It might seem like a stretch but I can’t help but apply this concept to leadership. Essentially we are asking our teams to do the same thing…to leverage the team vs. the individual performances. Subtle but different. Leading your team members to plug into the bigger overarching goal and collecting as a team to make big things happen versus handing in individual performances that hopefully connect at the top is an art. Coming together emotionally and driving toward the bigger goal. Connect as a team first, then connect to the bigger goal. Whatever is preventing you/your team from truly leveraging the team dynamic, inspire around it. Get emotionally rallied. Aristotle’s famous words “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” has taken on a whole new meaning.

Filed Under: Leadership, Motivation, Teamwork Tagged With: 100 Women Who Care, charitable Giving, charity, leverage, leveraging teams, self-reliance, teams, teamwork

Empathy in leadership is a big deal (Canoe Leadership – #2 of 3)

November 11, 2016 by Heidi Frye

Rogue River

Canoe Leadership #2  (Click here for Part #1)

Our “Canoe Leadership Event” was held on the Rogue River in Rockford, Michigan (thank-you AAA Canoe Livery!) – 2+ hours canoeing, food, and a hearty debrief afterward.  Thirty people, 14 canoes, and 2 kayaks. The scenery was gorgeous – fall leaves just beginning to turn. The sun streaming through the trees. A peacefulness that was palpable…breathtaking! Once in the canoes and on the river, the team couldn’t help but get in the groove. Despite the initial challenges, everyone was in flow…chilled out, connected, motivated, energized, having fun…well, for the first two-thirds of the river anyway, which was narrow, shallow, “twisty” – interesting. The last third however, was less so – wide, with l-o-n-g stretches of nothingness. Almost overwhelming when you’re tired.

One of my favorite moments during the debrief was a comment, an aha, from one of the higher-level leaders who talked about how grueling it was on that last stretch. How it took every ounce of energy to get to the endpoint. And just before the last bend, with no end in sight, how exhausted he was (remember the competitiveness from the last excerpt?! Paddling at breakneck speeds!). In that final stretch, most of the group felt a rush of “I-give-up-when-is-this-going-to-end-ness?”. He wasn’t alone.

This was a perfect metaphor for their business. This company has been growing exponentially. They have a seasonal business, and the holidays are crazy-insane. The regular pre-season business has eclipsed the previous year’s seasonal business! No letting up!!

Sometimes it is difficult for leadership to understand/identify with/“feel” what employees are going through. Empathy in leadership is a big deal. Employees are willing to go the extra distance, especially when leadership recognizes the obstacles and can empathize with (and cheer on!) extra effort. But leaders are often unable to connect to this trait. The leaders canoeing definitely did. The toughest part of the journey, the last leg, was their “seasonal business”, when they were expected to paddle harder and faster than ever. They got it, the leadership team understood first hand what the team feels like during their peak season. So right then and there, during the debrief, the group did some problem-solving and came up great ideas to help the team get/feel that sense of accomplishment along the way – adding milestones, progress indicators, and increased communication.

How can you tap into your leadership empathy?

Filed Under: Leadership, Life, Motivation, Teamwork, Uncategorized Tagged With: AAA Canoe Livery, canoe, empathy, employee disengagement, go the extra distance, leaders leadership, leadership event, Rogue River

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

SUBSCRIBE TO UPWORDS!


LATEST BLOG POST

Positively impacting many through development

HOTTEST TRENDS

Authenticity authentic leader autonomy business coaching college students communication communication style culture Daniel Pink disengagement Drive ego engage engagement Gallup goals growth interview job search Lake Michigan lead leader leaders leadership leading life mastery Michigan motivate motivation perfection personality perspective purpose rally cry recruiting recruitment resistance strategic team teams teamwork The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us trust

REQUEST CONSULTATION

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

FROM THE BLOG

  • Positively impacting many through development
  • West Michigan Woman Magazine – I Am Not Invisible
  • Transformation
  • Engagement.
  • What does your leadership say about you?

BLOG CATEGORIES

  • Communication
  • Culture
  • Development
  • Job Search
  • Leadership
  • Life
  • Motivation
  • Networking
  • Personality
  • Recruiting
  • Teamwork
  • Uncategorized
Leadership Macro-Mindset Principles

What We Do

We break it down so you get it. Period. There’s a difference between understanding it and “getting it”. Ever try explaining what it’s like to be married to a friend who isn’t? Or having kids to a friend who doesn’t? Maybe the love for a pet to a non-pet-owner? They understand but they don’t get it, and you can’t … READ MORE

ACCREDITATION/MEMBERSHIP

Integrative Enneagram

Testimonials

Linda M. Peasley, Ph.D. & Sally A. Camper

“The Department of Human Genetics would like to thank you for presenting the ‘Dealing with Conflicts’ workshop last weekend at our annual retreat…Our graduate students certainly appreciated the various exercises and, most of all, the role playing…The interactions with faculty,… Read more “Linda M. Peasley, Ph.D. & Sally A. Camper”

Linda M. Peasley, Ph.D. & Sally A. Camper
Department Administrator Prof. and Chair,The University of Michigan Medical School, Department of Human Genetics
Read more testimonials

Lori Stokes

“I have reached out to Heidi during the many phases of my management career for leadership coaching.  Her advice and wisdom has helped me identify ways to grow professionally as a individual and leader.  She is  honest, professional, and highly… Read more “Lori Stokes”

Lori Stokes
Materials Manager
Read more testimonials

Suzette Jaskie

“What a great asset Heidi has been to our team…Heidi in essence became part of our team and was able to assist key leaders in advancing their leadership approach and in turn – able to produce better results for the… Read more “Suzette Jaskie”

Suzette Jaskie
President and CEO of MedAxiom Consulting (Former CEO at West Michigan Heart)
Read more testimonials

Larry Gibbons

“I have worked with many executive search firms across the USA and Canada. Upwords Inc. has proven to be among the best, coming through where others have failed to meet our needs…Heidi Frye has demonstrated her ability to understand our… Read more “Larry Gibbons”

Larry Gibbons
VP HR, Kinectrics Inc.
Read more testimonials

Julie L. Novak

“I started working with Heidi about 18 months into my tenure as CEO, and …I soon realized it was essential to my growth as a leader. In the early days, she put a variety of concepts and tools in my… Read more “Julie L. Novak”

Julie L. Novak
Chief Executive Officer, Michigan State Medical Society
Read more testimonials

J.C.

“In one sentence:  Heidi made me a better leader, employee, spouse and friend…Heidi is an outstanding coach that helped me achieve more than I thought I could, in a short period of time.”

J.C.
Director of Marketing, Meijer
Read more testimonials

Spectrum Health Physician

“I have to admit I was a little skeptical when I first learned that we were to have this type of team meeting [Open 360 Feedback Process], but it definitely exceeded my expectations…You did a fabulous job with us and… Read more “Spectrum Health Physician”

Physician
Spectrum Health
Read more testimonials

David Purpura

“I wanted to share this and tell you how much you have helped me in my career in so many ways.  Your knowledge of the industry and mentoring is among the best and I hope that we remain professional contacts!!!!!! … Read more “David Purpura”

David Purpura
Director of U.S. Business Development
Read more testimonials

Melvin Gottschalk, Jr.

“Pat Riley said ‘Great effort springs naturally from great attitude.’ Heidi Frye’s executive coaching enlightened me to the truth behind these words…I would not be where I am today without Heidi and highly recommend her leadership coaching to anyone focused on… Read more “Melvin Gottschalk, Jr.”

Melvin Gottschalk, Jr.
Read more testimonials

Juli B.

“Working with Heidi was one of the most rewarding experiences in my career.  I am a better leader, co-worker and person…She has been one of the most influential people in my life.  I would recommend her expertise to anyone inspired to invest in advancing their career… Read more “Juli B.”

Juli B.
C.F.O.
Read more testimonials

Matt Schad

“…Nucraft has worked with Heidi to create internal peer groups to improve our internal communications and teamwork skills…Heidi facilitates these groups and the feedback has been uniformly positive from the participants…Heidi and UPwords Inc. have become a trusted Nucraft advisor.”

Matt Schad
CEO, Nucraft Furniture
Read more testimonials

Stephan W. Waltman

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for the service that you have provided Stiles Machinery for the last 15 years. Your contributions…have been immeasurable…Personally, I feel privileged to have had access to your advice and counsel. We… Read more “Stephan W. Waltman”

Stephan W. Waltman
Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Stiles Machinery, Inc.
Read more testimonials

UPWORDS INC.

cropped-UpWords_Logo_New2.png

4519 Cascade Road
Building 1 - Suite 4
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546
info@upwordsinc.com
616.464.4100
616.464.0105 FAX

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2021 · UPwords Inc. · Log in