Inward Blog

Honoring Commitments Requires Knowing When to Say Yes And When to Say No

You’ve heard it said that the path to failure is paved with good intentions. Commitment and enthusiasm certainly inspire others and can create a culture of high engagement. But after listening to words, people look for concrete actions and follow through before truly trusting others and becoming fully engaged in the cause. I realize there are exceptions, but I would like to believe that most people have great intentions and truly mean to follow up with those things they speak about or commit to. But others cannot see intentions…they only see action and behavior.

Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am

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What’s In It For Me?

This is the sixth submission in an 11-week series on how to launch an employee engagement program. Last week I spoke about message architecture and laddering. In this post I will discuss the importance of WIIFM (What’s in it for me?).

Posted by Allan Steinmetz at 11:00am

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Leaders who think they can control everything are setting themselves up for disappointment

I admit it. I’m a control freak. Sitting on my desk is a plaque with a constant reminder of the need to overcome that weakness… a saying by Reinhold Niebuhr, “Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference”.

Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am

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Employee Engagement Blog - Message Relevancy and Architecture

This is the fifth submission in an 11-week series on how to launch an employee engagement program. Last week I spoke about having a codified sequential framework and process. In this post I will discuss the importance of message relevancy and message architecture.

Posted by Allan Steinmetz at 2:00pm

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Accountability Drives Commitment And Performance

Commitment and accountability go hand in hand. In order to have a culture of high engagement and performance, all team members need to be accountable to each other. Notice I said ALL team members. Whether in a leadership role or not, everyone on a team must be accountable to each other for their part in achieving the vision, strategy, goals, and objectives. The greatest attribute of effective leadership is leading by example. To create an inspired and engaged workforce, leaders must be willing to be held accountable to those they lead, while holding others accountable for their commitments.

Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am

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Employee Engagement and Internal Branding require a sequential framework and process. Without it your efforts will likely fail

This is the fourth submission in an 11-week series on how to launch an employee engagement program. Last week I spoke about setting clear goals and objectives. In this post I will discuss the importance of following a codified sequential framework and process.

Posted by Allan Steinmetz at 11:00am

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It’s My Decision And I Stand By It!

Leaders are faced with making decisions every day that have consequences impacting themselves, their companies, and those they lead. How leaders make decisions and how they deal with the consequences of those decisions has a direct impact on their ability to engage and inspire others. Some of those decisions end up with very positive outcomes. But often, even with the best intentions and best intelligence available, decisions are made that end up with less than desirable results. Effective leaders understand that there is no decision that is 100% risk free. There is always one more piece of information that could be reviewed before making a decision. There are those who make impulsive decisions with little or no input and there are those who analyze information to death and do not make decisions in a timely manner. Effective leaders find the balance between making a quick decision and considering intelligence and input before making that decision.

Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am

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Setting Clear And Measurable Objectives To Create Internal Brand Alignment

This is the third submission in an 11-week series on how to launch an employee engagement program. Last week I spoke about understanding your internal audience and how to conduct internal research. In this post I will discuss how to set clear and measurable goals and objectives.

Posted by Allan Steinmetz at 3:00am

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The Team With The Best Players Doesn't Always Win

Is it possible to have a team of very high performers and yet not be a high performing organization?  It happens all the time, in sports and in the business world. How many times have you watched a ball game where a roster of highly talented players can’t seem to work together to win the game? Similarly, how many organizations do you know with an extremely talented leadership team, and yet they consistently fall short of expectations and goals? Individual talent alone is not enough to win in team sports, and in many ways, running a business is in fact a “team sport”.

Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am

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Understanding Your Employees And Establishing Clear Goals And Objectives

This is the second submission in an 11-week series on how to launch an employee engagement program. Last week I spoke about finding and securing a budget. In this post I will discuss due diligence and the necessary steps for discovering and establishing clear goals and objectives.

Posted by Allan Steinmetz at 11:00am

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