Author: brigette

A few years ago, I missed out on a huge promotion because I didn’t comply with an action from a CEO of my then establishment. He instructed me to hold back a delinquent customer’s payment, so their mortgage would be transferred to the non-accrual status, so that his colleague could supposedly submit an offer to purchase this prime property. Reality check: doing the right things may not bring on the welcoming committee rather you may be beaten for it. I faced the brunt of his wrath thereafter. I knew then I didn’t have a future in that organization. I left with my integrity intact which is more valuable than any job.

Integrity is something that is built over time, not overnight. The seemingly trivial decisions and choices you make behind closed doors when no one is looking, will ultimately carve your character. Eventually, the truth always comes to light.

7 Deal-breaking behaviours that makes employees lose trust in their leaders.

1. Taking credit for someone’s work.
2. Blaming others and not standing up for your team.
3. False promises to get someone to do something.
4. Favoritism and being unfair.
5. Downplaying employees’ accomplishments to make oneself look better.
6. Not appreciating loyalty, hard-work and efforts of others.
7. Treating others poorly – not showing respect or empathy, micromanaging employees, not trusting them to do their job.

Your ability to influence is not just based on skill or intelligence; it’s based on trust and requires integrity, which is the foundation of real and lasting influence.

Even if you possess emotional intelligence, creativity, vision, passion, (and all the important leadership skills), but you lack integrity, no one will believe or trust you. Integrity is the foundation on which leadership is built. If there is no integrity, your leadership influence will crumble. Lack of integrity renders all other leadership traits ineffective.

People want a leader who practices what he or she preaches, and who follows through on promises. Many companies are struggling with low employee engagement. An employee’s relationship with their manager sets the tone for their level of commitment to the organization’s success. It’s hard to feel passion for a job after you witness a lapse in integrity in your manager.

If you are not a person of integrity— your team won’t trust you, vendors won’t believe you, and customers will not support your business.

Employees might tolerate a boring job or long commute, but they are more prone to leave if their boss lacks integrity. For loyalty, there has to be a relationship that develops between employee and employer and this develops over time through trust. Transparency, authenticity and walking the talk are essential for building trust. You can’t buy employee loyalty, but you can certainly foster and nurture it by being a person of integrity.

Check out my latest Bestselling Book

 Leading the Workforce of the Future

I was speaking to a friend and she told me something that I’ll never forget. “For the first time, I feel important doing my job.” She’s a delivery driver and said she always felt like a nobody since many people never acknowledged her and treated her quite poorly. Now with COVID19, people treat her quite different than before – with respect and appreciation. This is what she’s always wanted. Many even thank her for her service which hardly ever happened. Now she feels like “Somebody.”

I hope COVID-19 will teach us to stop judging people based on their JOB titles or earnings. Grocery store workers, bus drivers, delivery drivers, fast food workers, garbage collectors, sanitation workers, etc, they are the ones taking us through this crisis, making sure we have the essentials to survive on and even risking their health.

I understand what living below the poverty line is like, and I know that a minimum wage job is not indicative of a person’s intelligence, work ethic, or character. Honest work is honest work. Never look down on anyone for the job they have. This superiority complex, especially where some people think that “I’m more valuable than you” because they make more money needs to end. Everybody is important and their contribution matters.

“When I talk to managers I get the feeling that they are important. When I talk to leaders, I get the feeling that I am important.”

Leaders who make people feel good about themselves and the work they do have loyal employees.

In life we should always make everyone who comes into our presence feel like they matter.

How can you do this:

• Smile at everyone you meet.
• Thank people for their service even if they are being paid for it.
• Be respectful in your tone of voice and body language.
• Let them know how awesome they are.
• Give them your full attention when speaking to them. 
• Focus on their positive qualities. Don’t tear them down. Build them up.
• Treat everyone the same from the janitor to the CEO.
• Be kind. Always.  It costs nothing but it can mean everything to someone else.

Even with social distancing, we can take the time to make others feel important. Let them know you see them, you appreciate them, and you’re grateful they’re here. Regardless of your status or position in life, be nice to people around you. Kindness and humility are a beautiful combination.

You have two options when you meet someone – you can make them feel better or worse off. I prefer to make everyone I come in contact with feel better off. Life is too short for anything else.

If you are reading this, I would like to tell you, “You are awesome, amazing and thank you for all you do.” ❤

Check out my latest Bestselling Book

 Leading the Workforce of the Future

The stories are all too common: After years of hard work, many leaders let success get to their head. They gain satisfaction from pushing people around. Little do they know, humility is an incredibly powerful choice. It is a critical success factor. “With pride comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2). Scientific inquiry into the power and effectiveness of humility has shown that it offers a significant “competitive advantage” to leaders. Leaders are more powerful when they’re humble.

Humble leaders show vulnerability which makes them more approachable. Such leaders don’t point fingers or divert blame, and are willing to listen to differing opinions. If you don’t listen or won’t admit you’re wrong, you can’t grow. If you don’t grow, your business won’t grow. Success requires continuous growth.

“Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people or find a different room.” Michael Dell

Humble leaders are great listeners. Listening forms the foundation of good relationships. Why? Because it shows you care. Humility and emotional intelligence go hand in hand.

Humility is a sign of strength, not weakness. When you can shift your focus from taking to giving, from hoarding the credit to recognizing the contributions of others, it shows inner strength. We know success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It is a team effort. Learn to appreciate and value the people around you.

What you want won’t always come easy, but if you work hard, and never give up, you will get there. Small steps everyday.

In spite of how much success you attain. Stay humble. “Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real” -Thomas Merton. Humility if consistently pursued and prudently polished over time, is a powerful force for good, that helps one to reach and sustain success.

Check out my latest Bestselling Book

 Leading the Workforce of the Future

Employees are your most valuable resource. Yet many companies ignore and treat their employees poorly. Our system has fallen into a self-reinforcing command loop construct as follows: Increase shareholder value at all costs without regard for the human factor. Sadly, if you do not cure the cancer in the root of the tree, not only with the branches and leaves die; but so will the tree.

I have seen many employers take loyal employees for granted. They assume they will not leave so they refuse to give in to any of their requests whether it be a pay raise or even extra vacation. Employees want to be compensated fairly for their workload and contribution, but money is only one factor. Most people want to feel appreciated and valued at work. They want autonomy and flexibility. When they have ownership for their work, they feel and act more responsibly towards the well-being of an organization. Moreover, employees are less prone to be dissatisfied when they know there is room to learn, grow, take on additional responsibility and move up the ladder.

Take care of your employees and they will take care of your business. It’s as simple as that. -Richard Branson

Loyal employees are a major asset for a strong business. When a company loses a great employee it causes the other employees to have reason to start thinking, “Why would that person leave the organization, and why would the organization let them get away? Perhaps I should start looking elsewhere myself.” Not only will other employees question it, but clients often question it as well. When clients trust an employee and that employee leaves, the clients begin to feel a sense of loss. The ripple effect of losing a great employee is tremendous and it goes well beyond what is easily quantified.

Julie sent me this:

“My company went out of their way to accommodate me while my husband was in hospice care, never asking about how much PTO time I had, never asking how many hours I put in. I give my all at every job I work at, but now I give 110% because of the respect and compassion that my employer gave to me. Then when he died, they even gave me 3 extra days. That was nine years ago and guess what, I still work there. This company has my loyalty till I retire.”

“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” – Richard Branson

Employees are a company’s greatest asset. They are your competitive advantage. They are your best brand ambassadors. Your brand position is determined by the customer’s experience. The experience is delivered by your front line employees. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the business. Your employees know your customers best. They use your internal tools and systems every day. They have the answers on how to improve customer service and your products. They have the solutions on how to improve systems which can save money by driving efficiencies.

Employees are the backbone of any organization. In order to remain strong in an industry, employees have to be kept happy. Happy employees are always willing to do more, they will go to great lengths to help the company grow. Charity begins at home. If you want to get the best out of your employees – Treat them well.

Check out my latest Bestselling Book

 Leading the Workforce of the Future

According to research conducted by Gallup, 75% of workers who voluntarily left their jobs did so because of their bosses and not the position itself. When employees feel disconnected, undervalued, and unappreciated, it doesn’t take long for them to jump ship and look for another job that will recognize their contributions. Often poor management lies at the heart of an employee’s departure. Employees are loyal to their boss before they are to the organization. In the end, people don’t quit their jobs. They quit their bosses.

Many managers think that employees are automatically loyal just because they’re getting a regular paycheck. The truth is loyalty isn’t for sale. Loyalty has to be earned. All the money, perks or well-structured team building exercises, will not retain employees if you keep treating them poorly. If your company has high employee turnover, maybe it’s time to look in the mirror.

Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to. – Richard Branson

To increase Employee Loyalty- A Greater Focus must be placed on how you Treat your Employees:

* Don’t treat employees like machines – Employees want to know that their employer understands the need for a work/life balance and respects their personal time.

* Create opportunities for growth and development – Always make sure there are ways your employees can grow and can do work that inspires them.

* Recognize Employees’ efforts and accomplishments – Everyone wants to feel appreciated. Frequent sincere recognition keeps your team engaged and productive.

* Don’t micromanage – Trust employees. Give them autonomy and breathing space to get their work done.

* Provide adequate training and support. Training demonstrates a company’s commitment to employees in terms of personal and professional growth.

* Show Empathy. Show that you care. Very few bosses show empathy towards their team members and this helps improve overall team morale and performance.

* Open Communication – Communicate often with employees and welcome feedback. Listening and acting on employees viewpoints demonstrates that you value their opinion.

ERIC sent me this: “I actually received a phone call saying my wife was on the way to the hospital and my district manager. was with me and when I informed him that I was leaving he asked me to give him 5 more minutes. That moment I lost all respect for him and I am actively looking for a new job after 17 years of loyalty.”

Employees are the backbone of any organization. In the end, people make companies successful. Any strategy or business plan relies on motivated and engaged people to make it happen! This is why the most successful companies focus on people and relationships, and make sure both are not just managed but lead and cared for as good as humanly possible. Happy employees are always willing to do more, they will go to great lengths to help the company grow.

Loyalty is a two-way street. If you want employee loyalty, you must first give it. Employees spend half of their lives at work. They are not asking for much. Employees want to work in an environment where they are valued. Sometimes it’s the little things that you do, that counts the most. A little respect and empathy goes a long way. If you want to get the best out of your employees – Treat them well.

Check out my latest Bestselling Book

 Leading the Workforce of the Future