Author: brigette

I resigned from a job because of the toxic work culture. Yes, the salary was great but the job was consuming all my time. You do owe your employer your best work everyday, but you don’t owe your employer your personal life or health.

A toxic work environment results from a failure of leadership starting at the top of the organization and filtering all the way down. You cannot fix a toxic culture with imposing vision and mission statements. It takes more than some catchy phrases to create a great culture. It’s been my experience that toxic work cultures are caused by bad bosses. This is because of their corrosive effects on employee morale and job satisfaction.

The effects of a toxic work culture are far reaching. Just look at Wells Fargo; misdeeds went on for years, in plain light of day, and nothing changed until the problem got too big to be ignored. Yet aftershocks are still taking place.

A toxic workplace will never change as long as management allows bullying, gossiping, unprofessionalism, favoritism and office politics to occur. These behaviors undermine trust and are associated with empire building, rather than people building. People building promotes teamwork. Teamwork is all about collaboration and support for each other.

“There is no magic formula for great company culture. The key is just to treat your staff how you would like to be treated.” – Richard Branson

Toxicity is lethal to growth, innovation and creativity. It can also make employees sick. Disengaged employees, high turnover, poor customer relations and lower profits are examples of how the wrong culture can negatively impact the bottom line.

When people leave your organization, find out why. (Exit Interviews) Consequently, when people stay with your organization, find out why (Stay Interviews). It’s important to act on feedback and make the necessary changes. Show employees you are interested in creating a healthy workplace environment.

A strong culture is a common denominator among the most successful companies. The Golden Rule still applies today. “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” It’s important that managers focus on relationship building and encourage a family atmosphere at work. Get to know your employees, meet them where they are and be flexible. If you want a great company culture start with implementing kindness, empathy, respect, transparency, accountability, humility, authenticity and integrity in your core values.

If you are an employee in a toxic workplace. I would like to let you know that it is possible to replace your job. You don’t have to stay stuck in a dead-end job that consumes your life. There are many great companies out there, where owners and top management understand how to treat people right. Start taking small steps to where you want to be. You deserve so much better! Send out resumes, take courses online, learn new skills and make sure to Network. Maybe it’s even time to start your own business. Life is too short for anything else!

Trust is the foundation of any successful relationship, whether professionally or personally and when it’s broken, it is extremely hard to repair. I once had a supervisor if I was over one minute on my lunch time, she would send an email to remind me of my lunch hours, even though most of the time I never took my full lunch hour. I couldn’t even send an email without her approving it first. She was so inflexible that it was overbearing. I couldn’t trust her. When employees feel they can’t trust their boss, they feel unsafe, like no one has their back, and then spend more energy on survival than performing at their job.

The corporate world is littered with such micromanagers. Sadly many organizations prefer these managers because they seem to be on top of, and in control of everything. In the short term, they may produce results but in the long run they leave a trail of destruction in their path.

“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to to. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” ― Steve Jobs

5 Damaging Effects of Micromanagement

1.Decreased Productivity – When a manager is constantly looking over their employees’ shoulders, it can lead to a lot of second-guessing and paranoia, and ultimately leads to dependent employees. Additionally, such managers spends a lot of time giving input and tweaking employee workflows, which can drastically slow down employee response time.

2. Reduced Innovation – When employees feel like their ideas are invalid or live in constant fear of criticism, it’s eventually going to take a toll on creativity. In cultures where risk-taking is punished, employees will not dare to take the initiative. Why think outside the box when your manager is only going to shoot down your ideas and tell you to do it their way?

3. Lower Morale – Employees want the feeling of autonomy. If employees cannot make decisions at all without their managers input, they will feel suffocated. Employees that are constantly made to feel they can’t do anything right may try harder for a while, but will eventually stop trying at all. The effects of this will be evident in falling employee engagement levels.

4. High Staff Turnover – Most people don’t take well to being micromanaged. When talented employees are micromanaged, they often do one thing; quit. No one likes to come to work every day and feel they are walking into a penitentiary with their every movement being monitored. “Please Micromanage Me” Said No Employee ever. I have never seen a happy staff under micromanagement.

5. Loss of Trust – Micromanagement will eventually lead to a massive breakdown of trust. It demotivates and demoralizes employees. Your staff will no longer see you as a manager, but a oppressor whose only job is to make their working experience miserable.

“Please Micromanage Me” Said No Employee, EVER.

Micromanagement is a complete waste of everybody’s time. It sucks the life out of employees, fosters anxiety and creates a high stress work environment. If you hired someone, it means you believe they are capable of doing the job, then trust them to get it done. A high level of trust between managers and employees defines the best workplaces and drives overall company performance. When you empower employees, you promote vested interest in the company. How can you empower others? Understand their strengths, support and utilize these strengths. An empowered workforce is more engaged. Engaged employees drive higher customer satisfaction and boost the bottom line. A Gallup study concluded that companies with higher-than-average employee engagement also had 27% higher profits, 50% higher sales and 50% higher customer loyalty.

Empowered employees are more confident, more willing to go the extra mile for employers, and more willing do whatever it takes to care for customers. In this volatile global marketplace, happy loyal employees are your biggest competitive advantage. If you want performance at scale: Select the right people, provide them with the proper training, tools and support, and then give them room to get the job done!

Naysayers can be very frustrating and annoying to deal with. They can distract or discourage you from pursuing your goals. At every step, you will encounter the naysayers. To be successful in life one must master the ability to overcome them.

Here are 5 ways to overcome the naysayers:

 

1. Ignore them. The bigger your dreams or goals the more the naysayers will flood in. Don’t let their words sink in and take root. Avoid over thinking the criticism. Don’t give them residency status in your head, redirect them to your short term memory. People will always have something negative to say. Stay focused. “You wouldn’t invite a thief into your house, Why would you let negative people invade your mind?” ~Unknown

2. Respond don’t react. If you must engage in discussion, respond politely  & respectfully.  Let your emotions subside. Never respond in the heat of the moment. If you respond wisely sometimes you can win them over. However, don’t waste time trying to convince them, you can’t always be justifying yourself to everyone. There is a difference between constructive criticism and personal attacks.  Additionally, not all criticism is a bad thing. Be open to listen and learn.

“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” ~Winston Churchill

3. Safeguard your Dreams. Your dreams are precious. Be very selective about who you share your goals and dreams with especially when it’s in the infancy stage. You don’t have to let everyone know what you are planning on doing. This is life and not everyone will like you. Don’t take it personally, it is not a measure of your self–worth.

“They say I dream too big. I say they think too small.” ~Unknown

4. Take control of your environment. If certain individuals are constantly bringing you down it’s time to eliminate them. If it’s someone you cannot avoid then reduce contact with them or just tune out when they are speaking. Have a close network of people who you can really trust. I always emphasize this because your deepest wounds will not come from outsiders but those in your inner circle.

“People inspire you or they drain you. Pick them wisely.” ~Hans F. Hansen

5. Personal development. Make yourself stronger. Develop thicker skin. Remember it’s not about them. It’s about you. They are just an extra in your movie whilst you have the leading role. Look at areas where you can improve and focus your energies on the things you can change. Seek continuous self-improvement. Negativity offers us a chance to evolve and learn from our experiences.  Personal development (spiritual, emotional, mental, social and physical) is crucial. People always tell me I am mentally strong but this just didn’t happen in a day. It’s a process I keep working on daily.

“Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.” ~Christian D. Larson

Negativity is always all around but it’s important not to let it paralyze us.  Everything in life must be used as a growing experience. If we only receive positive feedback we would become complacent and wouldn’t grow.

How do you stand out from the crowd when everyone is racing towards the same goals? How do shine brightly when there are already a million stars around?

Here are my top 5 tips to get others to stop and take notice of you.

1. Be prepared to work hard. “The universe will fill your cup if you carry a big cup, a little cup or a thimble” –Sonia Choquette. Passion and Persistence is key. Most people say they want something but are not willing to make the necessary commitments to get it. Work hard but also work SMART. Learn the rules of the game and play it better than anyone else. Networking is crucial. Plan and Strategize: “A wise woodcutter indeed is he who rather than constantly chopping wood will occasionally stop to sharpen his axe.” I have made a lot of sacrifices and it has cost me tremendously to get where I am today.

2. Be You. Dare to be you, the real authentic you. It’s okay to show your human side. “Don’t be a rat, be a person.” Learn from others but don’t try to imitate them. You will be a poor replica. “Be a voice not an echo.” Focus on your skills and talents. What you have to offer is incomparable and will definitely set you apart from the crowd. No one can play your role better than you. I’m by nature very inspirational so everything I do, has my unique signature on it. Embrace your distinctiveness. Being a chameleon will get you lost in the crowd. “Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world…if you do so you are insulting yourself.” –Bill Gates

3. Take Risks – Embrace change and take advantage of opportunities that others overlook. “Go the extra mile. It is never crowded.” Ask for what you want. Be unconventional. Be disruptive. “In order to be successful your focus has to be so intense that people call you crazy” Don’t let fear hold you back. Being a pioneer will definitely get you the attention of the masses. Most people set up shop in the comfort zone, then wonder why nothing is happening. “The one who follows the crowd will get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been.” –Albert Einstein

4. Keep Learning. Keep Growing. Personal development is continuous. Learn everything about the field you are in. Become the expert others look to for advice. However, having knowledge alone is not sufficient. What will set you apart is wisdom. I always pray daily asking God for wisdom. Wisdom is the sensible application of knowledge. It is understanding, discretion and discernment. It is a rare commodity. Wisdom is fundamental to leadership existence. “ To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.” –Author, Marilyn vos Savant

5. Add Value – Forget the cheese, go for significance.“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” –Novelist, James Matthew Brice. In whatsoever I do, I always seek to make a positive contribution. Whatever you put your hands to, do it will all your might, from the simplest to the greatest of tasks. Strive for excellence. Money should not be your sole motivator. Research shows that most people are self-centric, even if they believe otherwise. Flip the card over and don’t just ask what can I get but also what can I give.

The rat race is never ending. It sucks you in and has it’s grip fixed so tightly that you forget to enjoy the journey and those around you. Life is full of moving targets. The bar is constantly being set higher and higher.

Crossing the finish line: The finish line is just the beginning of a whole new race” Unknown

5 Questions to Bring Clarity

1. After you have won the coveted prize. What next? Do you leave it on the shelf to collect dust and rush after the next one?

2. Does your reward give you satisfaction and fulfillment?

3.Is the price (health, family, time, peace of mind…etc) you are paying far too steep? Is it really worth it in the end?

4. What is your purpose? What is your ultimate goal?

5. What do you really want?

What consumes your mind controls your life… What’s on your mind?”

urn the hamster wheel faster than anyone else and all you’ll do is end up exhausted and frustrated. The wheel just keeps spinning.“Most people don’t live; they just race. They are trying to reach some goal far away on the horizon, and in the heat of the going they get so breathless and panting that they lose sight of the beautiful, tranquil country they are passing through…” –Jean Webster

Maybe it’s time for you to re-define success and the criteria for winning. Enter the race you are designed to run. “I am in competition with no one. I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone. I am simply trying to be better than the person I was yesterday.” I run for a higher purpose.

I teach a free financial planning course in my community. Most of the attendees are from poor circumstances with minimal educational background. My greatest joy comes at the end from hearing the words, “you have helped me.”

“The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you‘re still a rat.” –Lily Tomlin. If you are caught on the wheel you must take responsibility and the initiative to change. When you lead, call those you lead to a higher purpose and you’ll bring out the best in yourself and others. Only by using your gifts and talents in the service of others can you win a life that brings lasting fulfillment.

 

A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and deadline. Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow. Here are 7 P’s Leader’s use to achieve their goals:

• Purpose is the reason you journey. A purpose serves as a lighthouse. It gives instant focus and direction. A life without purpose is like a ship without a sail drifting aimlessly. Have a vision and mission statement. Ask yourself what’s really important to you, what are you good at, and what you would like to have achieved when you look back at the end of your life? “Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” – John F. Kennedy

• Passion is the fire that lights your way. Thomas Edison failed more than 1,000 times when trying to create the light bulb. When asked about it, Edison allegedly said, “I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.”
• Perseverance – Probably one of the greatest example of persistence is Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business, his fiancee died. He suffered a nervous breakdown. However in 1860, he was elected the 16th President of the United States. Pain – Get accustom to rejection and failure and take it in good stride. Never take things personally and no pity–partiesallowed.The road to success is not smooth. “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”– Abraham Lincoln

• Planning – Preparation -Positioning– Les Brown worked as an errand boy in a radio station. He often stayed in the control rooms and soaked up whatever he could until the deejays would ask him to leave. Then, back in his bedroom at night, hepracticed. One day while Les was at the station an opportunity presented itself and he was ready. He blew away the audience and the station manager. “It’s better to be prepared for an opportunity, and not have one than to have one and not be Prepared” – Les Brown
  

• People – Invest and form meaningful relationships. Have a good supportive network of people you can really trust, who believe in you, are honest with you and will encourage you. Networking is key. The friendship between Henry Ford and Thomas Edison spanned more than 30 years. “Iron sharpens iron”. From their earliest meetings, they encouraged and inspired one another, often contributing to each other’s work.“If you want to be a lion, you must train with lions.” – Carlson Gracie

• ·Patience – For everything there is a time and season. ”No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time. You can’t produce ababy in one month by getting nine women pregnant” – Warren Buffett

• Positive Thinking – Always believe in yourself and have confidence in your abilities. “Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade.Your mind will seek to develop the picture… Do not build up obstacles in your imagination.” ― Norman Vincent Peale.

Personal development is a vital part in a person’s growth and maturity. It is like how you nurture a plant. People give more importance to academic and professional achievement rather than personal growth. This has caused a lot of emotional struggles.“Personal development is a major time-saver. The better you become, the less time it takes you to achieve your goals” Brian Tracy

Pray – Prayer brings Peace of mind in the midst of turmoil. Just trust God and have Faith that all things work out for your good. Praise Him and be Thankful. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. Never underestimate the power of prayer. “Every time I have had a breakthrough in my life, it has been because of Prayer” John Maxwell