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“Creating Successful Leaders”

Tag Archives: Margaret Smith professional speaker

August 2, 2023 5 Ways Micromanaging Hurts Your Team

Many leaders achieved their status through hard work, commitment, and perfectionism. Generally, these are positive attributes that can help lead to success. However, you can have “too much of a good thing,” particularly when it comes to perfectionism.

If your perfectionism helps you catch project flaws or edit reports, great. If it causes you to constantly look over your team’s shoulders, criticize, and take a narrow view of how things should be done…not so great.

How can these micromanaging tendencies hurt your team? Let’s talk about 5 negative effects and how to avoid them.

Stifled Creativity and Innovation

If your team is restricted to always doing things your way and from your perspective, you miss a huge opportunity for creativity and innovation. As a leader, you might have ideas about certain projects or initiatives, but you don’t necessarily have to voice those ideas right away. Instead, allow your team some time and space to brainstorm ideas and come up with potential solutions. This lets them feel empowered and invested in the project, and they just might come up with the company’s next million-dollar idea!

Lack of Problem Solving

When leaders micromanage, their team members start looking over their shoulders. They wonder if they’re doing things the right way, and if they’re meeting the leader’s approval. Because of this, the team will be disincentivized to seek solutions for any problems they encounter. They don’t want to get in trouble for doing things the “wrong way,” so they’ll inevitably turn to the leader for direction. This creates a culture of neediness instead of competent problem-solvers, AND it puts a lot more work on the leader’s plate, since they’ll have to constantly troubleshoot problems.

Diminished Trust

Micromanaging can erode trust and respect between leaders and their team members. When leaders constantly nitpick and micromanage every detail, employees can feel like their skills and abilities are not trusted or valued. If trust doesn’t exist between leaders and team members, that shakes the foundation of the entire team. Why would team members entrust their manager with sensitive information or confide any struggles or pitfalls to them if trust is absent?

Reduced Job Satisfaction

Nobody likes being micromanaged. It is frustrating, demoralizing, and can make team members feel like they are not trusted or valued. When team members feel like they have no autonomy or control over their work, their job satisfaction can suffer. This can lead to burnout, turnover, and a lack of motivation.

Waste of Time and Resources

Micromanaging is incredibly time-consuming. Leaders who micromanage spend significant amounts of time reviewing work, checking in with team members, and correcting mistakes. This can take away time from other important tasks. Additionally, when team members are prevented from making their own decisions and solving problems, they may come to rely too heavily on their manager. This can be a waste of resources if the manager or leader is needed elsewhere. Micromanaging might scratch your perfectionist itch, but it can have serious negative consequences for your team. No one wants someone constantly looking over their shoulder or telling them precisely what to do all the time. Instead, trust your people. Learn to let go a bit and allow your team to feel empowered, creative, and invested in their work through independent problem-solving and decision-making. By avoiding micromanagement, you can create a more satisfied, motivated, and productive team and foster a culture built on trust and respect.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE. 

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July 12, 2023 Unlocking the Power of Visual Communication (4 Ways)

There’s a reason blockbuster action movies make your pulse quicken, or Pixar animations can make you teary-eyed. Images can have an impact, and visual storytelling can be powerful. In the movie Wall-E, the main character is a robot who doesn’t really speak (aside from chirps and whistles), and yet we feel empathy for this machine.

Fortunately, you don’t have to work in an animation studio to communicate effectively in a visual medium. Here are four ways to make your work more visual (and powerful!):

Cut Words from Your PowerPoints

If a PowerPoint presentation is too text-heavy people either A) get bored or B) focus so much on reading the slides that they don’t pay attention to what you’re saying. One way to avoid this is to cut down on the words in your slides. Instead, use images, graphs, and videos to convey your message. This will help your audience stay engaged and make your presentation more memorable.

Use Infographics

Infographics are a great way to present data in a visually appealing way and can be used to show data trends, compare statistics, or explain complex ideas. Instead of just giving your audience a list of numbers, turn that data into a graphic that tells a story. This can help your audience better understand the information and make it more impactful. There are many online tools (such as Canva) that make it easy to create your own infographics, even if you don’t have a design background.

Tell a Story

Humans have been using stories to communicate for thousands of years, and for good reason. A good story can capture an audience’s attention and keep them engaged. Try to incorporate storytelling into your presentations or reports. This can be done by using anecdotes, case studies, or personal experiences to illustrate your point. Not only will your audience be more interested, but they will also be more likely to remember the information you’re presenting.

Use Color

Color can evoke emotions and influence our moods. Use this to your advantage by incorporating color into your visual content. Choose colors that are appropriate for the message you’re trying to convey. For example, blue can be calming and trustworthy, while red can be energetic and passionate. Colors are also a great way to present a concept—I rely on the colors of the Insights® Discovery color wheel to talk about individuals’ and teams’ communication preferences, ways of processing information, dynamics, and more.

Just make sure to choose colors that are visually appealing, are not too distracting, and make sense with whatever you’re presenting.

Communicating effectively is crucial in today’s world, and using visual storytelling is a powerful way to do so. By following the tips mentioned above, you can create visually appealing content that captures your audience’s attention, conveys your message clearly, and stays with them long after the presentation or report is over. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different visual elements and techniques to find what works best for you and your audience. With practice and persistence, you too can harness the power of visual storytelling to communicate your ideas effectively.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE. 

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May 31, 2023 5 Meaningful Diversity and Inclusion Actions in the Workplace

For the past few years, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been a hot topic in the workplace. Companies have pledged billions of dollars to DEI initiatives (although they haven’t necessarily followed through with those pledges), have hired DEI directors and consultants, and have declared their support of DEI efforts. While these intentions are good, not all of this work has been effective or impactful. It’s easy to talk about doing something, and far more difficult to follow through in a meaningful way. When it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, it’s not enough to make surface level changes; this work requires collaboration, strategy, data, and the will to take meaningful actions. Here are 5 actions you, as a leader, can take:

1. Create a Diversity and Inclusion Council

Creating a diversity and inclusion council is a great way to involve a variety of employees at different levels of the company in the work of promoting diversity and inclusion. This council can help develop and implement diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout the company, and help ensure that different perspectives are represented. Remember: make an effort to invite a wide variety of people to serve on this council. It can be counterproductive for a fairly homogenous group to make decisions that will affect others with very different backgrounds and experiences.

2. Collect Data

If you don’t have data about diversity metrics, how will you know when and if your DEI initiatives are working? This data could be quantitative (stats about demographics, numbers related to hiring practices, promotion rates, etc.) or qualitative (responses to surveys, complaints or negative feedback, testimonials from either private meetings or forums, etc.). Collecting diversity metrics can be a powerful way to identify areas where the company is excelling and where improvements can be made. Once the data is collected, use it to inform strategies and initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion.

3. Embed DEI Principles into Performance Goals

Incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into performance goals can help ensure that these values are front and center in the work that employees do every day. When employees see that DEI work is valued and rewarded, they are more likely to take it seriously and make it a priority in their own work.

4. Review and Update Policies

Policies that are not inclusive can have a negative impact on diverse employees. Reviewing and updating policies to ensure they are inclusive is a crucial step in promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This includes policies around hiring, promotion, performance evaluations, and workplace accommodations.

5. Foster a Culture of Inclusion

Creating a culture of inclusion requires effort from everyone in the company. Leaders can set the tone by modeling inclusive behavior and encouraging others to do the same. This includes listening to diverse perspectives, actively seeking feedback, and ensuring everyone feels valued and respected. It also means creating opportunities for employees from diverse backgrounds to participate in decision-making and leadership roles.

While it’s beneficial to conduct diversity and inclusion training, don’t stop there! And don’t make this a one-time endeavor. DEI work must be ongoing and embraced by people at all levels of the company, from the leadership to support staff.

Incorporating meaningful diversity and inclusion actions in the workplace is necessary for creating a more equitable and welcoming environment for all employees. It requires a strategic and collaborative effort from everyone in the company—all voices and contributions make a difference. While these five actions are a good starting point, they should not be the end goal. Companies must continue to prioritize diversity and inclusion and be open to ongoing adaptation and improvement. True progress requires ongoing effort and a willingness to adapt and improve.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE. 

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