Strengths: Building Blocks to Success

Why are people so good at that? Have you ever asked yourself why something seems easy or natural for others to do and yet, for you or a coworker in the next cubicle, that same task is difficult? Everyone has a combination of skills, strengths and knowledge that is unique to them and makes up their “character.” They use this combination daily to interact with coworkers and to accomplish their goals.

Employees who know their strengths and work from them tend to be among the highest engaged employees around the world. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace Report, only 13% of employees worldwide are truly engaged at work. In spite of this knowledge, employee engagement has not increased significantly since 2009 when Gallup began reporting engagement worldwide.

Companies that fail to engage their employees are missing out on the powerful results that can come from engagement. Gallup studies show that businesses in the top quartile are 17% more productive, experience 70% fewer safety incidents, experience 41% less absenteeism, have 10% better customer ratings and are 21% more profitable compared to companies in the bottom quartile.

Gallup has identified a straightforward way businesses can get top notch results. Simply manage their workforce by focusing on their strengths! Employees who understand their strengths and apply them in the workplace have discovered a transforming effect on their lives and work. Employees who use their strengths daily are three times more likely to say they have an excellent quality of life and six times more likely to be engaged in their work.

There are numerous “self-assessments” available that focus more on an individual’s personality, or behavior style or preference. Some assessments assign you a color indicative of your personality or relate you to a certain animal, like a lion or an otter, based on behavior patterns. The highly-researched Myers-Briggs Type Indicator inventories psychological types in four dimensions, including: General Attitude (Extravert or Introvert); Perception (Sensing or Intuitive); Judging (Thinking or Feeling), and; Processing of Information (Judging or Perceiving). There are 16 distinct personality types.

The way we perceive, process, and implement information is important and worthwhile information. However, at the Alber Enterprise Center, we have seen a greater return on investment when employees learn to leverage their strengths. “For too long, performance evaluations focused on fixing weaknesses vs maximizing strengths. By exploring the gaps in which you naturally think, feel, and behave, the  CliftonStrengths® can identify and build on the areas where you have infinite potential to grow and succeed,” states Gallup.

Gallup recently completed global research on companies that implemented strengths-based management practices. They discovered that 90% of the groups studied had performance increases at or above the following ranges:

  • 10% to 19% increase in sales
  • 14% to 29% increase in profit
  • 3% to 7% higher customer engagement
  • 6% to 16% lower turnover (in low turnover organizations)
  • 26% to 72% lower turnover (in high turnover organizations)
  • 9% to 15% increase in engaged employees
  • 22% to 59% lower safety incidents

Even at the low end these are impressive gains. To help organizations achieve these outcomes, we encourage corporate and business leaders to consider what Gallup has discovered by studying thousands of work teams and millions of employees.

A focus on employee strengths proceeds from the simple notion that we are all better at some things than others and that we will be happier and more productive if we spend more of our time doing those things. Gallup has identified 34 work related strengths which they divided into four leadership domains:

Executing (make things happen)
Influencing (reach a broader audience)
Relationship Building (create entities greater than the sum of parts)
Strategic Thinking
(focus on what could be)

The CliftonStrengths®  assessment yields in-depth analysis of  your Top 5 strengths. These highly customized insights will help you understand how each of your Top 5 talents play out in your life on a personal level, and what makes you stand out compared to millions of people they have studied.

If you or the organizations you work with are interested in learning more about discovering strengths, the staff at Alber Enterprise Center would be delighted to have further conversations with you.

Gary Kuhn is an Organization Development Consultant with the Alber Enterprise Center located at The Ohio State University at Marion.

Looking for Leadership?

Leadership! It is a basic fundamental need for any organization to perform at its best. And whether you want to learn more about public service or have thought about becoming more involved in your community, participating in a formal leadership development program may be helpful.

OSU Extension has been involved in such programs for over half a century and recent research shows such programs make a difference. Currently, OSU Extension Clermont County is working to address the needs of local elected officials and appointees of local government committees, zoning and planning commissions, school boards or task forces. The Clermont County Organizational Leadership Academy (CCOLA) includes eight, weekly two-hour workshops involving foundational principles of organizational leadership and decision-making tools enabling participants to learn more about their leadership style and those of others. It also provides opportunities to explore effective strategies for team-building, conducting effective meetings, communicating with citizens and media, managing conflict and building sustainable communities.

The components of the CCOLA can also be customized to fit a specific organization for hands-on training. The workshops below are available on single-session basis in addition to the multi-session Academy format. The sessions are:

  • Public Officials and Public Service: Build a framework for improving your tenure and service in public office. Topics include Duties and Responsibilities of Public Officials, Codes of Ethics, Standards of Conduct, Conflict of Interest, and Open Meetings Laws/Executive Sessions.
  • Team Building: Explore the principles for building effective working relationships with others, with organizations or local governments. Learn more about these relationships with Real Colors ®.
  • Conducting Effective Meetings and Decision Making: The goal for every public official is to “make good decisions.” What is a good decision?  How do we make them? Learn the most effective techniques to conducting effective meetings as well as decision-making processes.
  • Communicating and Working with Citizens and the Media: How can you develop positive and effective working relationships with all community residents, as well as with media representatives? Polish your skills for building effective relationships, while engaging community residents and improving media relations.
  • Building Sustainable Communities: Explore the relationships between growth, development, environment, ecology, social structures and the civic culture. Learn how to build sustainable communities in the areas you serve.
  • Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution: Learn how to work through difficult situations by developing conflict and dispute resolution skills needed to create strong, lasting collaborations.
  • Leadership Skills and Styles: Do you know your leadership style? Do you know that understanding leadership styles and types can help improve  interpersonal relationships and the effectiveness of your organization(s)? Gain skills to improve the operations and effectiveness of your governing body and your personal decision-making.
  • Intergovernmental Relations: Opportunities and Challenges for Cooperation: Explore Ohio law pertaining to opportunities and limitations for intergovernmental agreements and cooperative arrangements. Invest in opportunities to cooperate with others.

For more information about the Clermont County Organizational Leadership Academy or how to register, go to OSU Extension – Clermont County, go.osu.edu/ccola, or contact me using the information below. How are you making your organization or your community better?

For further information, contact Trevor Corboy, Clermont County Community Development Program Coordinator, at 513-732-7070 or email at corboy.3@osu.edu.

2017 New Year’s Resolutions – How wide is your impact?

resolutions-2017-01-05With the beginning of 2017, many of us are creating our New Year’s Resolutions. These resolutions are often focused on our individual welfare, benefiting our physical and mental well-being. So we may resolve to join the local gym to get more exercise, go to bed earlier to get 7-8 hours of sleep and commit to eat more fruit and vegetables. With these lifestyle changes, we hope to live a long and healthy life.

While personal resolutions are good, might we also add New Year’s resolutions that challenge our leadership abilities to benefit the health and long-term vitality of our community?

Engaging in Your Community in 2017

There are many different ways to engage in community and many different levels of involvement. For example, one can volunteer within a local organization, using their skills to help advance organizational goals. One may also resolve to involve the business, institution or organization they work for in bringing resources to assist local communities. Another possibility involves donating one’s work place technical skills to assist local governments, non-profits or faith-based communities to complete tasks they cannot fund. For example, if you have the skills needed to create or manage a website, you could contribute that skill to keep web-based information current and relevant. Another example is volunteering one’s facilitation skills to aid in goal setting, strategy building or other planning processes.

Call to Action!

Now is the time to get creative with your New Year’s resolutions that cause you to become more engaged in your community. Work with others if needed, to identify ways that you can benefit the health, well-being and long-term vitality of your community and its residents. And don’t forget to also keep those personal resolutions regarding your own health and well-being. Chances are, by accomplishing both, you will feel more empowered, realize you have made a difference during 2017 and your physical/mental health benefits will be multiplied.

Myra Moss is an Associate Professor and Extension Educator (Heart of Ohio EERA).

Pivotal Conversations: Will you have one today?

In the title of this message, I have posed an impossible question. I have asked you to somehow determine, in advance, whether or not you will engage with someone in a conversation today that may change a life… theirs or yours! So why would I ask an unanswerable question? Well, it’s to challenge you to think, and to be more engaged in our everyday interactions.

pivatol-conversations-2016-10-20Here’s my contention: any one of us may have a pivotal conversation at any time; but we may or may not recognize it at the moment. This happened to me a dozen years ago when I nearly left Extension after my application for promotion from Educator II to III was voted down. I felt like a failure; and I decided I must not be cut out for Extension… an organization I had grown to love. But one evening at 4-H Camp Graham, Jeff King took a little bit of extra time to talk with me, explain the disconnect, and share a personal story that was similar to mine. That pivotal conversation changed the course of my career.

In Urban Meyer’s book, Above the Line, he presents Jack Canfield’s idea of E+R=O.  An Event happens, we Respond, and the Outcome results. Jeff King had my “event” land on his doorstep. He responded, not just because it was his job, but with care and insight and attention. That changed my “outcome” and indeed my life.

So we may not know when a pivotal conversation is coming. But join me and let’s challenge ourselves to step-up our game, to be more present in conversations, to be a more active listener, and to truly give attention. I often struggle. But by keeping it in the forefront of my mind, I will hopefully improve and be able to help others as I have been helped.

Please take a moment and think about a pivotal conversation you have had. Then challenge yourself to be on the lookout for opportunities each and every day.

Brian Raison is an Assistant Professor and Extension Field Specialist for Community and Organizational Leadership.

All Things Community Development in Clermont County

WOW! What can one get into just six months into a brand new CD position in Clermont County? As one of two ‘seeded’ CD positions in Ohio, I have learned the answer to that question and it is a great deal of excitement!

local-foods-2016-09-22After a very engaging and successful Ohio Local Foods week in August, there was a variety of interest expressed in pursuing a center for small business owners to collaborate within Clermont County. As envisioned, this center would incorporate an incubator kitchen for cottage foods producers and other locally sourced value-added products to supply a wide variety of market sectors within the agriculture industry of Clermont County. A preliminary working group has been established to facilitate the process. Over the coming weeks the group will research facilities and design after which a larger group of producers and supporters will be convened to expand upon the foundation work and decide on the next steps in this venture.

leadership-2016-09-22Leadership! It is a basic fundamental need for any organization to perform as a well-balanced machine. We have learned from an earlier developed plan of work that addressing the needs of county elected officials is a necessity. Many of the public officials I met with during the first few months in my position confirmed this need. They have asked for education in leadership development, conducting effective meetings, communicating more effectively, and other key areas. Based upon these conversations, the Clermont County Organizational Leadership Academy has been formed. The Academy will allow public officials to build and enhance existing leadership skills and decision-making abilities through their active participation in eight ‘themed’ workshops held monthly. Learn more about the Clermont County Organizational Leadership Academy.

clermont-county-2016-09-22Through early discussions with townships and villages, many officials and community members have expressed an interest in strategic planning and goal setting for their communities. This has added to the growing excitement of expansion and redevelopment of infrastructure throughout Clermont County, and community-based projects of this nature are currently being planned.

I’ve been on the job for only six months, but it has been exciting to see people working together to address opportunities and issues. It is especially satisfying to be part of the process of bringing people together to make their communities better.

To learn more about county-based Community Development programming (Clermont County-style) please contact me, Trevor Corboy, Community Development Program Coordinator at corboy.3@osu.edu. Learn more about all of the educational opportunities and services available to you and your community through Community Development and Ohio State University Extension by visiting your local extension office or find one here.

Trevor Corboy is a Program Coordinator for Community Development in Clermont County (Miami Valley EERA).

A matter of trust

What would you say is the most important element of any relationship? Good communication? Accountability? Honesty? Or are these characteristics and behaviors part of something larger, something much more fundamental? Perhaps, the most important thing, the bedrock that supports the foundation of all relationships, is trust.

Trust 2016-06-09Countless scholars, experts and ordinary folks throughout history have touted the importance of building and maintaining trust. Noted educator and author, the late Dr. Stephen R. Covey, often wrote about its importance to relationship building. “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” Covey continues, “When the trust account is high, communication is easy, instant, and effective.” When individuals trust each other, they have empathy for one another, forgive easily, and give each other the benefit of the doubt.

Unfortunately, trust is one of those gifts that can be easily taken for granted. Trust is built over time, when intentions, words and actions align. Yet like a dry forest in the path of a raging wildfire, it can be destroyed in just a moment, damaging relationships, undermining teams, and negatively affecting performance and satisfaction.

So, how can we be sure that our intentions, words and actions are in alignment? We can refer to the “4 Cores of Credibility” outlined by Covey’s son, Stephen M.R. Covey, in the book The speed of trust: The one thing that changes everything:

  • Integrity – being open and honest; keeping commitments; and standing for your beliefs
  • Intent – examining and refining your motivations; declaring your intent; and choosing win-win solutions
  • Capabilities – identifying your strengths and then continuing to develop and leverage those in a spirit of lifelong learning; creating a path of action by setting and working on goals
  • Results – taking responsibility for results; expecting to be successful; learning from mistakes

To learn more about OSU Extension’s educational programs focusing on leadership and organizational development, visit go.osu.edu/seekexcellence.

Becky Nesbitt is an Assistant Professor and Extension Educator in Community Development with OSU Extension. 

Raison begins role as field specialist for community and organizational leadership

Are you interested in leadership issues? Do your clientele request programming around leadership? Are you aware of others in Extension who are working on or conducting leadership programming?

Raison, Brian CDFSAs of May 1, I assumed the role of Extension field specialist, community and organizational leadership development. In this new role, I will be working to identify potential programmatic relationships with faculty and staff throughout OSU and with partner organizations. Some of those will include the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (OFSWCD), County Commissioners’ Association of Ohio (CCAO), Ohio Tourism Association (OTA) and Ohio Township Association (OTA). I will also try to identify and address new opportunities for community and organization-focused engagement involving leadership.

To begin, I’ll be conducting an inventory of existing leadership programming around the state (seeking input from county Extension personnel and state specialists). I’ll also reach out to other CFAES departments and partner organizations. I’ll be in communication with our CD and other Extension colleagues as the position begins to unfold; and I’ll seek opportunities for partnership at all levels.

My new position also includes a partial appointment in the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership where I’ll engage students in applied research and community service as well as participate in resident instruction. I will be co-located with the Greene County Extension office; but you’ll likely find me on campus and across the state as well!  Again, please be in touch with ideas and opportunities!

(Submitted by Brian Raison, Assistant Professor & Extension Field Specialist, Community and Organizational Leadership)

The Future is Ours: Involve us now in our Community Readiness Processes

In most communities, people say that they care about their youth and believe that there should be youth programs. Another view is that young people themselves can shape the communities in which they live. Most youth are in some way affected by the community in which they live  and they have much they can contribute to that community’s growth and prosperity.

Community Readiness 2016-04-21

Youth in Fayette County participated in a discussion on the future of OSU Extension in rural communities.

In Fayette County, youth are involved in programs such as Junior Achievement and 4-H Youth Development to stimulate lifelong learning of values and skills. Recently, the youth aged 14 to 30 were engaged in deliberating the future role of OSU Extension in communities like Fayette County. This effort focused on enhancing skills, building confidence, and fostering a sense of ownership to prepare them for what lies ahead. Among the discussion was the following:

  • What are three words that would describe your community?
  • What are the strengths of your current community?
    • What are the strengths of the community you want to live in in the future?
    • What are the resources needed to get the ideal community?

Participants indicated a desire for a close-knit group full of caring and giving residents ready to help others. They also thought the community (technologically, socially or within the government) needs to continue to move forward.

These fruitful discussions presented a significant opportunity for advancing Extension education and programming, and contributed significantly to the development of Extension programs and policies as it looks into the future. Also, a continuous engagement of the youth in Extension programs provides an opportunity for long-term involvement and ownership of community and Extension programs.

Reference:

Brennan, M. A., Barnett, Rosemary V., Baugh, Eboni (2007). Youth Involvement in Community Development: Implications and Possibilities for Extension. Journal of Extension, Vol 45 (4).

(Submitted by Godwin Apaliyah, Extension Educator, Fayette County & Miami Valley EERA)

Holy Toledo! Local Government Leadership Academy graduates 15th Class

The quality and long-term sustainability of any community depends on the caliber of its local leadership. One thing we can do to ensure a deep pool of qualified leaders is to engage individuals in leadership development, and the Toledo Local Government Leadership Academy is one such program.

Toledo Local Govt Leadership Acad 2016

Toledo Local Government Leadership Academy – Class of 2016

This educational offering marks the 15th year of an outstanding local partnership with the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Sea Grant College Program and is the longest running local government leadership academy in Ohio. The 2016 class had twenty-eight graduates from various local government backgrounds. Since 2002, the Toledo Local Government Leadership Academy has produced over 300 graduates.

The Ohio Local Government Leadership Academy is designed for elected officials from county, municipal, and township governments, and for appointed individuals who serve on local government committees, commissions, boards or task forces. The purpose of the Academy is to provide useful programs that will enhance the leadership and decision-making skills of public officials. The Academy curriculum includes eleven workshops. A leadership certificate is presented to each individual who completes seven of the workshops.

General Workshop:

All participants in the Academy must complete the basic course, Public Officials and Public Service, which includes:

  1. Duties and Responsibilities of Public Officials
  2. Codes of Ethics
  3. Standards of Conduct
  4. Conflict of Interest
  5. Open Meetings Laws / Executive Sessions
Elective Workshop Topics:

To earn the Leadership Certificate each candidate must complete five additional workshops from those listed below. Most workshops are designed for two hours.

  1. Conducting Effective Meetings
  2. Communicating and Working With the Media
  3. Communicating and Working With Citizens
  4. Building Sustainable Communities
  5. Team Building (between each other/ other officials / and staff)
  6. Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution
  7. Leadership Skills and Styles
  8. Effective Decision-Making
  9. Intergovernmental Relations: Opportunities and Challenges for Cooperation
  10. Technology in Local Government
Schedule:

The Academy workshops can be offered on a local or regional basis as requested. The Academy will be sponsored by a local or regional organization or association that will be responsible for making all local arrangements, including facilities, equipment and securing participation. Enrollment fees will be determined by the sponsoring organization. Expense reimbursement will be paid to the instructor(s) for travel and workshop materials.

For more information, contact Joe Lucente, Assistant Professor and Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension and Ohio Sea Grant College Program.

15 minutes could save your … strategic plan

We’ve all experienced it, or heard about it. A team spends weeks or months developing a strategic plan, and nothing happens with it after the glossy document gets printed. Why does this great new plan just sit on the shelf gathering dust? Business scholars over the past two decades have been researching why plans fail to be implemented.1 The overarching theme of their conclusions: people resist change. How do we address this challenge? Through a structured plan for execution. Your team needs to commit to the plan, yet they are busy with their daily duties (the “whirlwind”) and they don’t take time to focus on the strategic plan.

WIGs 2018-02-04An effective execution plan starts with committing to a series of 15-minute segments on planning and implementing the strategic plan. Franklin Covey’s 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX)2 is one formula to follow. The four disciplines are:

  1. Select one or two “wildly important goals” (WIG) that drive your strategic plan and can be measured and tracked.
  2. Identify the activities that lead to achieving the WIG(s), ones that your team can influence.
  3. Create a compelling scoreboard: simple, visible to the team, shows the lead and lag measures, and tells immediately if you are winning.
  4. Establish a weekly cadence of accountability in which each team member commits to working on one or two of the lead activities as well as reports on the efforts toward the WIG.

This 4DX plan is easy to implement by committing to 15-minute segments for each discipline:

  1. 15 minutes to identify and establish your WIG from your strategic plan. If you need two WIGs, spend another 15 minutes on the second one.
  2. 15 minutes per WIG to list all of the leading activities required to meet your WIG.
  3. 15 minutes to determine how you will show (scoreboard) the team’s progress toward leading activities and WIG and where it will be displayed.
  4. 15 minutes per week – the same day/time each week – for the accountability meeting.

We facilitated a strategic plan for one of our clients a year ago. After following up with them to see their progress, they reported that the leadership team implemented a few goals but felt they needed our help to really drive the plan throughout their organization with all employees. They embraced 4DX and are starting to see results.

This works! Try it, and let me know how it works for you.

If you need help in setting up your 4DX plan, the Alber Enterprise Center can show you how. Call 740-725-6325.

(Submitted by Myra Wilson, Program Director, Alber Enterprise Center at Marion)

1:

Govindarajan, V., & Trimble, C. (2010). The other side of innovation: solving the execution challenge. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Gudmundsson, H., Ericsson, E., Tight, M., Lawler, M., Envall, P., Figueroa, M., et al. (2012). The role of decision support in the implementation of “sustainable transport” plans. European Planning Studies, 20(2), 171-191.

Hahn, W., & Powers, T. (2010). Strategic plan quality, implementation capability, and firm performance. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 9(1), 63-81.

Kotter, J. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Larian, L., Day, M., Backhurst, M., Berke, P., Ericksen, N., Crawford, J., et al. (2004). What drives plan implementation? Plans, planning agencies and developers. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 47(4), 555-577.

2:

McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2012).  The 4 disciplines of execution: achieving your wildly important goals.  New York:  Free Press.