I meet a lot of amazing people as I train and speak in Belize and across the region. When I read the story below it resonated so well as I once was the character “cousin Mel” and I meet so many cousin Mel’s in my line of work that I thought it was necessary to share and help others break out of their proverbial shells, so here goes.

My cousin Mel used to be a “Yes Woman” for the longest time. Ever since we were kids, she was the sweetest person in my family.

She’d always go out of her way to accommodate people even if it meant getting taken advantage of.

For instance, I was usually the one to speak up whenever the other kids were cheating at hopscotch (or whatever game we were playing).

But then Mel would always give them a pass just to avoid squabbling with them.

And this attitude continued into our teen and early adult years. It was frustrating to see her getting pushed around by pretty much everyone in her life.

The Transformation

Over the years, Mel and I lost touch. But she emailed me recently, saying that she was going to be in town for a work-related event that happened to be nearby.

So, we met up for coffee to catch up, and boy, was I surprised the moment she walked in!

It wasn’t just Mel’s confident stride or the sharp power outfit she was wearing. There was just something different about the way she carried herself and talked.

She even made it clear in no uncertain terms how the slacking barista had mixed up her order with another customer’s drink.

I was floored!

The old Mel would have kept her mouth shut and suffered drinking that other guy’s decaf soy latte with extra cream in silence.

Whoever this brand-new woman was, she certainly wasn’t the mouse of a girl I knew years ago.

As shocked as I was, I managed to slip in a joke.

“Who are you and what did you do with the real Mel?” I quipped.

Judging by the half-flattered, half-smug look on her face, I knew she was waiting for me to ask her that.

And so, for the next hour and a half, we talked about how she pulled a complete 180 and finally came out of her timid shell…

Are You a “Mousy Mel”?

Have you ever had trouble speaking up, putting your foot down, drawing the line in the sand or giving someone a straight-up NO?

Maybe thought of the other person’s disapproval (or hostility) petrifies you. Or perhaps you find it almost physically painful turn down even the most outrageous request.

If you can relate to my former predicament, I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to keep up this compliant, spineless version of yourself…

…nor do you need to turn into a rageaholic out for blood over the slightest offense.

You can live in the happy middle ground called assertiveness where you can stop putting yourself in the backseat and get your feelings and opinions across.

With These 5 Easy Steps to Grow an Assertive Backbone, you can stop being the office and family doormat:

#1: Drive the point home – gently

“One of the first things I learned about standing up for myself is simply stating the obvious…over and over again,”

This approach isn’t just elegant for its simplicity, but an effective one, too.

The key is to express how you feel about something and refusing to do it multiple times in a conversation.

For example, you could tell someone in a cool-headed manner, “No I can’t go with you this weekend, I’ve already made plans,” a few times throughout until they get the point.

It’s important not to raise your voice. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of being diplomatically assertive (i.e. saying “no” without being a jerk).

I know this is easier said than done, but the only thing keeping from you from asserting yourself is good old-fashioned PRACTICE.

If you’re feeling unsure of this approach, Manuel J. Smith, author of “When I Say No I Feel Guilty”, says:

“One of the most important aspects of being verbally assertive is to be persistent and to keep saying what you want over and over again without getting angry, irritated, or loud.”

Like any skill, you’ll need to hone this one a little before getting better at it. But don’t worry, we’ll get to that in a while…

#2: Hold your tongue (at first)

Another technique in resisting the urge to “let the other person have it” and hearing them out first.

She said, “I was too quiet before, and I didn’t want to go the opposite extreme just to be assertive.” So, she learned the subtle skill of understanding the other party to form a rational, measured reaction.

Remember, being assertive and turning people down isn’t about going gung-ho on them. Instead, calmly acknowledge the point they’re trying to make, and then issue your own statement based on their input.

For example, you could say at work, “Yes, I can see that getting this project done is important to you and that’s a fair point…However, I’m caught up in an urgent task myself and need to prioritize this one before I can work on your request. I hope you understand my own situation.”

#3: Say “no” … then let them deal with it

It’s also vital to understand that you really can’t do anything about someone’s reactions. If they throw a fit or stomp their feet over your “no”, then that’s on them.

This is uncomfortable to deal with at first, but the fact that their feelings are ultimately beyond your control is liberating when you embrace it.

“Is it selfish to let people deal with the fallout after I refuse? Maybe. But if You are polite and diplomatic about it, then your conscience is clear,”

#4: Give them options

Maybe giving an outright “no” is just too much for your kind soul to bear. I get that.

One alternative is to consider the other person’s request over a period of time, get back to them and give them a counteroffer.

Mel said, “One time a guy I just started dating was forcing me via text to meet up at his place at an unreasonable hour.”

Then she continued: “He was being borderline rude about it, so I told him I’d think about it first. Then I finally replied, ‘Sweetie, that won’t work for me…how about we meet up tomorrow or the day after instead?’”

He stopped seeing Mel after shortly after that. It didn’t work out, but Mel says she “dodged a bullet” by gently putting her foot down.

So, if the other person STILL insists on what they want after you tried to meet them halfway, don’t lose any sleep over turning them down.

This way, you don’t always have to dig in your heels and flat-out refuse someone. You can save the straightforward no for non-negotiable situations that you feel strongly about.

#5: Get your “NO” game together

Like I mentioned, you’ll need to LEARN how to deliver your “no” if you’re not feeling 100% confident about doing it.

To do that, it helps to make a mental note of what exactly doesn’t work for you.

The better you can cite the specific reasons you’re saying no and why you’re uncomfortable with the whole thing, you’re less likely to turn it into a confrontation. Don’t say no for the sake of it. It’s not about being negative it is about putting your needs in priority, so you don’t feel like the office doormat.

You can concentrate on articulating your feelings about the matter in order to avoid throwing out negative labels against the other person.

Then this will give you the leverage to make a request of your own ASIDE from saying no (e.g. “Could you not do that?”, “I’d appreciate it if you ________”).

With this kind of framework, you can refine your diplomatic approach by acting it out with someone. In Mel’s case, she went as far as hiring an assertiveness coach to get over her lifelong fears of turning people down.

If your case isn’t as extreme as hers, rehearsing your lines with a trusted friend or relative will do. You can run through several scenarios with their own set of possible outcomes for each.

I know it feels kind of awkward at first to do this, but you’ll be doing yourself a huge favour.

This is an effective way to purge those toxic, pushy people from your life and help you let go of that heavy burden.

Once you’ve practiced all the things you’re going to say, you can slowly build your confidence in the real world. Look for opportunities to assert yourself, even if it doesn’t necessarily warrant you telling them “no”.

The important thing is that you’re building your social muscles. This will definitely come in handy when it’s time to stand your ground and say “no” especially if you are a proverbial people pleaser. Be kind but don’t sacrifice your personal value.

Sometimes, you need to push back when the situation calls for it. Maybe life’s challenges will try to move you one way, and you’ll have to dig deep and push in the opposite direction.

There’s virtue in getting what you want by holding your own against the tide. I learned this myself a few years ago when I was spreadsheets big myself too thin and feeling used and abused by others who never made me their priority.

I had put everyone first even those who put me last and I had to force my way out of it.

By using a scientific set of basic principles, I harnessed my inner energy to FORCE the universe to give me what I truly desired.

Are you a doormat? Do you need to strengthen you and get your own spine back? Tell me what you do to stand up for you ……, respectfully. I sometimes have to regrow a few missing bones, I need your guidance.

Have an awesome week!

Namaste.

Remember early bird tickets to Leadercast 2018 ends March 31st. Save your $100 by buying today.

All the best,

Dionne Chamberlain Miranda

 Do you have the passion to Thrive?

The strongest may survive but it is the passionate that will thrive.

Whether I’m speaking to a corporate team, school principals, or leaders of organizations such as Rotary or Belize 2020 my core message is the same:

If you want to be successful today, you must load your “Energy Bus” with passionate people… and most of all you must be passionate yourself.

In the past you could be lukewarm and mediocre and still be successful.

Not anymore.

Now, in today’s competitive environment, your passion and your purpose must be greater than your challenges.

You must be willing to work harder, run faster, drive further, study more, practice longer, lead better, sweat more, love deeper and this requires passion. Look at the letters PASS I ON. How do you pass yourself on? That is passion!

Passion wakes you up 30 minutes earlier. It dials your phone one more time to make one more sale. It rallies your team together when times are tough. It moves you to see one more patient after a long day at the hospital. It inspires you to help a struggling student. It provides legendary customer service.

Passion transforms workplaces, powers champions and fuels winning teams.

But what about someone who has a low paying job or who is in a job that quite frankly is hard to be passionate about you might ask? I get this question often and my answer is: It’s not the job or the money you are being paid but the passion that you bring to your job that matters. After all, I’ve met bus drivers who are more passionate about their jobs than top executives making hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Sure, I realize that not everyone is going to be passionate about their daily responsibilities associated with their job, however, in these cases you can be passionate about the organization you work for. You can be passionate about your team members and helping your team improve, grow and succeed. You can be passionate about your mission and customers. You can be passionate about making a difference. You can be passionate about the salary though small that feeds and educates your children.

Leaders, you must also foster this passion in your organization and make passion an essential element of your culture. Stop sucking the life out of your employees and wonder why they aren’t delivering the results you want. Instead create a team that is passionate about their mission, driven with purpose and energized by working together. Inspire your team with passion and they will drive your organization to success with and for you.

If your people aren’t passionate about the work they do and the people they work with, and if they aren’t passionate about your brand and mission, then you need to let them off the bus, so they can find another bus where they can live their passion.

This is good for them and it’s good for your team.

By letting disengaged employees off the bus you make room for those who are passionate about your team and organization – and with a bus filled with passionate people you will thrive while others merely try to survive.

Are you living and working with your passion? How can you start today? I pray that our politicians, security forces, psychologists and clergy use the passion for their jobs to help lead all of us to a safer better country. What can you do in your own way to contribute?

Adopt or mentor a child to reverse the cycle of hopelessness, feed the hungry give a hug. Share with me what we can do so we can take it into action.

I need your ideas. Have a better week!

With love,

Dionne

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I have been meeting with different groups of women over the past month as we celebrate women’s month under the theme #pressforprogress and many don’t seem to know what progress they want until we get into deep discussion. My newest group this past Friday summed it up well. They simply want KINDNESS in the workplace. For them this meant feeling supported, being told they are appreciated and having dependable peers. They believe that leaders can be more effective communicators if they focus in these three areas and create a culture built on trust, respect, dependability, accountability and ownership.

Most leaders are shocked when they find out their employees aren’t happy. The employees I speak to always provide the same feedback I hear time and time again: Leaders are pretty good at sharing information and telling you the culture they want, but they’re lousy listeners and enforcers of what it takes to create the cultures they expect. Wants and expectations are too different things. Wants are dreams, they reside in the brain. Expectations are actions they reside in the physical realm of what has been done.

As a leader myself, I know how hard it is to slow down and pay attention to what your team members are saying–when you’re thinking about the 87 other issues you must address and you’re pretty sure you already know how to solve the team member’s problem.

But you can’t be a great leader if you’re a terrible listener. As Matthew McKay, Martha Davis and Patrick Fanning write in How to Communicate, “Listening is a commitment and a compliment.

“It’s a commitment to understanding how other people feel, how they see their world. It means putting aside your own prejudices and beliefs, your anxieties and self-interest, so that you can step behind the other person’s eyes.”
And listening is a compliment because it says to the other person, “I care about what’s happening to you; your life and experiences are important.”

What’s the most effective way to become a better listener? Identify the barriers that prevent you from listening effectively–and then use one important strategy for overcoming those barriers.

The 5 most common listening barriers for leaders are:

1. Mind reading. As McKay, Davis and Fanning write, “The mind reader is trying to figure out what the other person is really thinking and feeling . . . (paying) less attention to works than to intonations and subtle cues in an effort to see through to the truth.”
2.  Filtering. You listen to some things and not to others. A common way that leaders filter is to avoid hearing “certain things–particularly anything threatening, negative, critical, or unpleasant. It’s as if the words were never said: You simply have no memory of them.”
3. Judging. This is a major challenge for leaders–especially when dealing with people you perceive to be “problem” employees. “If you prejudge someone as stupid or nuts or unqualified, you don’t pay much attention to what that person says.” You know you’re judging if you’ve made up your mind before you hear the content of the message. Learn to focus on the message not the messenger. Even trouble makers can make amazing contributions.
4. Advising. This one has me written all over it. McKay, Davis and Fanning describe the barrier this way: “You are the great problem solver, ready with help and suggestions. You don’t have to hear more than a few sentences before you begin searching for the right advice. However, while you are cooking up suggestions . . . you may miss what’s most important.” Ouch.
5. Being right. Another weakness for leaders: You go to any lengths to avoid being wrong. “You can’t listen to criticism, you can’t be corrected, and you can’t take suggestions to change. Your convictions are unshakable.” Of course, it’s entirely possible that you’re completely wrong, but you don’t want to listen to that possibility.

Now that you’ve admitted you have a problem, here’s the simple thing you need to do differently: actively listen using the familiar technique of “paraphrasing.” You probably learned this method in school or in a leadership course; paraphrasing simply means “to state in your own words what you think someone just said.”The authors of How to Communicate believe that paraphrasing is “absolutely necessary to good listening. It keeps you busy trying to understand and know what the other person says, rather than blocking.”

Paraphrase by using such lead-ins as:

• “What I hear you saying is . . .”
• “In other words, . . .”
• “So basically, how you felt is . . .”
• “Let me understand; what was going on for you was . . .”
• “What happened was . . .”
• “Do you mean . . .”

McKay, Davis and Fanning recommend that you paraphrase “every time someone says something of any importance to you. When you do, you’ll find it much harder to mind read, filter, judge, advise or even cling to being right.”
As a result, the people talking to you will feel like you’re listening–and they’ll appreciate your careful attention and amazingly, when we truly learn to listen we start taking action and progress happens without even a push!

Let me know which one of these are challenges for you and what you do to overcome it.

Let’s share and grow together. Have an amazing week!
Namaste!
With love,
Dionne
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As I meandered through the past few weeks doing career day presentations at three different high schools and conducting several company workshops, I realized that everyone spoke of what they didn’t have or have enough of, whether it was time, respect, communication or resources. This made me decide to write about how we could turn this around, because excuses or rationalization for “why” not does not build accountability or ownership which is where leadership begins. I realized that as we create limiting mindsets, so would our lives be limited and that the universe would not provide us with the abundance that is available to all of us.
I read the article below and thought it was appropriate to share ways “To Create and Maintain an Abundance Mindset”

Some feel strapped for time, while others feel they don’t have the connections but in time of constant need, a positive mindset can put you at ease.

Put these five methods to the test and see if you can build – and maintain — an abundance mindset. You’ll feel like you have all the world’s resources at your fingertips.

1. Focus on what you do have

“Count your blessings, not your problems.” –Unknown
This one’s all about switching up your train of thought. Instead of focusing on what you lack, focus on what you do have. You’ll feel more abundant, and you’ll appreciate the good – and even the bad — just a little bit more.
Sure, you may not be able to afford a new car, but at least you’re lucky enough to have a wonderful neighbour who screams out for you every morning or the co-worker who offers a ride when he/she is passing your area in the evening. Maybe your days aren’t as long as you’d like, but you do have time to play with your kids and eat a healthy meal in a country which is still not obsessed with processed foods. By paying extra attention to the things you have and love, you’ll train your brain to jump to available resources – instead of unattainable ones — when a new idea comes to mind.

2. Give yourself a confidence boost.

“We gain a sense of self-efficacy when we see ourselves mastering skills and achieving goals . . .. This is the confidence that, if we learn and work hard in a particular area, we’ll succeed; and it’s this type of confidence that leads people to accept difficult challenges and persist in the face of setbacks.” – MindTools
You may look around and think the people next to you are more abundant than most. Odds are, that’s not the case. They just have the confidence to tackle tricky tasks.
Those with increased self-esteem are more willing to seek solutions to common problems because they’re confident it will turn out with a positive result.
By finding ways to boost your own confidence, you’ll begin to do the same. Start celebrating the small wins at work and at home. Revamp your LinkedIn profile. It’ll require you to look at your qualifications and skills. Begin speaking up at meetings so others can hear your thoughts and ideas. The best complement to an abundance mindset is newfound confidence.

3. Think Positive.

“Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.” –Harvey Mackay
Positive people can find the good in every situation. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the bad, by identifying silver linings when they appear, you’ll gradually cultivate a positive and abundant mindset. Imagine what you could accomplish with that kind of attitude.
Those with abundant mindsets also spread positivity for others. Instead of carrying a win-or-lose attitude into every situation, they create win-win scenarios that benefit everyone involved. They do not believe that the world is out to get them but rather that the world is conspiring in their favour. They don’t compete – they collaborate. This makes it that much easier to maintain a positive mentality and help others build their own feelings of abundance by not taking things personally.

4. Get organized.

“Organization isn’t about perfection. It’s about efficiency, reducing stress and clutter, saving time and money, and improving your overall quality of life.” –Christina Scalise
Maybe you do have the resources you need, and you just can’t find them. A little organization may help you uncover extra assets that are hiding just under the surface.

Worried that you don’t have enough money to pay for school or start that retirement plan, start slow and steady, but remember if you don’t take step number one, you’ll never be able to take step number two. Procrastination is a deterrent to success.

Feeling like your days are a little too short? Pull out a planner or calendar, write out your responsibilities, and find gaps in which to do the things you enjoy. Keep your bucket full. Take care of you.

Thinking you lack the connections to make something happen? Everything happens through and with people. Scroll through your contacts list and think about the people they may know. Who knows – you may stumble upon something you weren’t even looking for. Start building relationships. The bible talks about seed emptors. New business, continued business, referrals etc come from relationships built by not who you are but how you make others feel. Start appreciating others and thanking them. They will be happier but, you will be too.

5. Surround yourself with similar people.

“Invest your most valuable possession—your time—around the right people.” –Andrew HortonWhen all else fails, surround yourself with people, who already carry abundance mindsets. Their positivity, can-do attitudes, creativity and organizational skills will rub off on you, making that feeling of abundance almost contagious. Spending time with other abundant minds will also help you maintain the right attitude when times get tough. I know in life we are forced to be around others who are energy vampires. Limit your time with them. Find the OQP’s in your life. The other quality peoples. The sum total of your worth after all is the people you hang out with.
Remember, you don’t have to have all the resources under the sun to feel abundant. Instead, building and maintaining the right mindset will help you achieve what was previously impossible.
Let me know what you do to improve your mindset in the ocean of negativity we are often forced to traverse?

Have a fantastic week. Namaste!
Remember to book your Leadercast stickers and mark May 4th on the calendar!
With love,
Dionne Chamberlain Miranda

This morning I woke up to find the message below from my mentor and trainer last Thursday morning. It started with the words “Do you know The Law of the Lid, Dionne Miranda?” I wrote him back and said of course I do, you thought me all about it and that’s how Victor and I have been living our life over the past 5 years since we met you. He joked and said, “I have to check in and see if you’re a being a good girl.” At my age anyone who calls me girl gets massive points lol. Now back to you. Do you know the law of the lid?

When you think about spending your money, what do you think of first? Is it to eliminate your bad debts? To keep a roof over your head? To support the vehicle, you choose to drive? Or to invest it with a potential for positive return–in other words, to make it grow?

I believe the first investment with any money you earn, or gain should be in yourself. Many who are much more successful than me will share that the primary source of their happiness and wealth was investing in themselves.

Unless you change who, you are, you’ll always be where you are. You are where you are in life because of the choices you’ve made. To change your circumstances, it’s a matter of becoming more, doing more, developing more worthy relationships, and learning more. Once that door to learning opens, you can’t go back. You’ll see the world differently. Many of us get stuck in who we are, if you are not growing you are rotting, that’s Gods design. Check any fruit tree. We are the fruits of his labour and we are meant to evolve and grow not stay stagnant.

There’s a great quote by Oprah that goes like this, “You do what you know. When you know better, you do better.” Listening to new ideas, developing new strategies, and meeting new people is essential to success.

There’s a law I refer to in my training taught to me by my mentor and coach. It’s called the Law of the Lid. The “lid” is your imaginary ceiling on the amount of achievement you can have or that you deserve. It’s what we’ve conditioned ourselves to believe about our life circumstances. When we get knocked down, we may get back up, but not rise above where we were before. That self-imposed lid limits us from achieving massive success. We all have one, but WE are the ones who control it. Current circumstances don’t have to be a permanent condition. Don’t allow your situation to determine your destination. Your own limiting beliefs limit you.

Pick just one thing about your life that you’re not 100% satisfied with. It could be a relationship, your income, the home you live in or the car you drive, the way your boss treats you or simply who you have become over the years of being a victim. It could be any number of things. Just pick one.

Next, close your eyes. Imagine that you have a magic wand that will create literally anything. What would you want your circumstances to be with that one thing? See it. Feel it. Smell it (if it has a smell). Hear it. Feel the wave of happiness and satisfaction roll through you. Got it? Now, write it down or record it in your own words. Then read or listen to it over and over again until you get motivated enough to seek out the changes you need to make in order to make it real.

Remember to be a leader, you have to lead yourself first. Have a great week.
Namaste!

With love,
Dionne
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I am currently with a Dream Team of executives at beautiful Dream Valley Resort and I want to talk to you about The Story of Squeaky and other similar cases in Belize.

Several years ago, Squeaky was known as the annoying older guy who hung around the Belize Bank downtown area who bothered staff and the employees to wash their car.

After being noticed by a senior manager many complaints and positive comments about him, the manager brought him into his office. He found out what his employees already knew. Squeaky wasn’t there to open an account or bother anyone he just wanted to have conversations and talk to people and make a living.

Squeaky had liked the coffee and atmosphere so much he came back to hang out daily. The Belize Bank realized that he wasn’t looking to bother anyone. He was looking for a family.

Instead of telling Squeaky to get lost and stay away from the Bank, he actually hired him to be part of their customer service team. He helps people park, cleans cars and delivers on the outside with passion the Belize Bank. Jim Scott GM at the Radisson also hired Cici a crack addict who used to hang around the Radisson talking to guests to pick up cigarette butts. She is now fully cleaned up and drug free as a full-time staff at the hotel, because he decided to give her a chance.

“What does he/she do,” I asked?

“Anything we ask,” Is the answer I got from both men “He/she does a little bit of everything.”

At first the employees weren’t happy with the leader’s decision. But the more they worked with them and learned their stories, the more they grew to love and appreciate them. They have now become so popular and indispensable to the team.

Both created opportunities for themselves by being the people no one wanted to now a beloved team member that represents the brand of the businesses they now serve all because these managers took time to listen.

It’s a great lesson for all of us. Everyone we work with and everyone we meet has a story to tell. I’ve learned that amazing things happen when we get to know their story.

If you are a leader or member of a team, remember that everyone you work with is bringing their story to work. Your job is to get to know their story. When you know their story, you will know them a lot better. When you know them better, you will be less likely to see them as annoying, difficult or negative and more likely to see them as someone who is searching to belong; to matter and to add value.
When you look for the good and see the good in others you find the good in them and yourself.

They took the time to listen and look for the good in both these people and give them a chance and they found it (all of us have positive attributes to bring value) and the beauty is that both Squeaky and CC found a job and a new family.

Start looking around for the beauty in others. Please share with me someone you gave or will give a chance to and how? Or what will you do to start?

All the best for a great week. Namaste!

Remember to book your tickets with super promo price for Leadercast at 610-3032 and block your calendar for May 4th.

With love,
Dionne

In a couple minutes, I walk on a stage to talk to 620 teenagers in San Pedro about the value of “how beautiful it is when your passion becomes your career.”

I honestly believe that PASSION is how “I PASS I ON” and I believe you do this just by showing up and doing your best every time.

You won’t be passionate about everything you do but you can put your passion in doing everything that has your stamp on it well. I am not passionate about cleaning the toilet but I sure am passionate about doing my best. Even dirty jobs need to be done and we need to start creating the kind of culture that is appreciative of people and make them want to do their very best to very time. So here’s

14 Thoughts About Building A Great Culture:

1. Great leaders build and drive great cultures. They know it’s their number one priority. They can’t delegate it. They must lead and be engaged in the process.
2. Culture is the reason why great organizations have sustained success. Culture drives expectations and beliefs. Expectations and beliefs drive behaviour. Behaviour drives habits. Habits create the future.
3. Culture beats strategy. Strategy is important, but it is your culture that will determine whether your strategy is successful.
4. If you focus on the fruit of the tree (outcomes and numbers) and ignore the root (culture) your tree will die. But if you focus on and nourish the root you always have a great supply of fruit.
5. When building a team and organization you must shape your culture before it shapes you. A culture is forming whether you like it or not. The key is to identify what you want your culture and organization to stand for. Once you know the values and principles that you stand for, every decision is easy to make; including the people you recruit and hire.
6. A culture of greatness doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when a leader expects greatness and each person in the organization builds it, lives it, values it, reinforces it and fights for it, and the leader is willing to shift, change adapt and make the culture that is worth emulating.
7. Culture is dynamic, not static. Everyone in your organization creates your culture by what they think, say and do each day. Culture is lead from the top down, but it comes to life from the bottom up.
8. Your culture is not just your tradition. It is the people in your building who carry it on.
9. When leading a new team or organization, it will take longer to build a new culture if you allow negative people from the previous culture to contaminate the process.
10.  When you build a strong, positive culture most of the energy vampires will leave by themselves because they don’t fit in. But you may also have to let a few energy vampires off the bus.
11.  Creating a culture where people are afraid to fail leads to failure. Allowing people to fail and learn from failure ultimately leads to success. Always critique privately with respect and praise in public. This is the only way you will get the change in behaviour that is required.
12.  Change is a part of every culture and organization. Embracing change and innovating will ensure that your organization thrives. Don’t get stuck in your old ways and your old traditions. It’s time to chart new waters, expose a new you and leave that legacy of greatness you were destined to leave behind. It’s never too late. Start today. Now.
13.  Progress is important but when innovating and driving change make sure you honour your tradition, purpose and culture. This generates power from your past to create your future.
14. Culture is like a tree. It takes years to cultivate and grow and yet it can be chopped down in a minute. Protect your culture but don’t hesitate to create one build on honesty, authenticity, integrity and love.

Let me know what bold step of leadership you are taking this week.

Have a great week. Namaste.

Remember to call Teresita and book your Leadercast tickets. 610-3032.

All the best,
Dionne Chamberlain Miranda

As I have been doing research for my next book as well as conducting organizational reviews I’ve noticed that when it comes to employee engagement, there’s no shortage of information online about how to measure and improve engagement levels. But perhaps less talked about is the fact that an employee who is not a fully engaged employee may not simply be indifferent. There are different types of disengagement, ranging from mere indifference to active disengagement.

According to Getty-Actively disengaged employees are on the other end of the spectrum from fully engaged employees.

While an engaged employee will be productive and proactive, a disengaged employee will simply go through the motions and meet the requirements. An actively disengaged employee will show it and take steps to express his or her dissatisfaction—which will likely end up bringing down morale and productivity.

Engaged employees are more likely to:

• Be happy, productive, energetic, and enthusiastic;
• Take on additional responsibilities;
• Lead others; and
• Have a clearly positive attitude.

Disengaged (or simply “not engaged”) employees are more likely to: 

• Merely meet minimum requirements;
• Not actively seek out or volunteer for new projects;
• Be absent more often;
• Spend more work hours doing nonwork activities;
• Be overlooked when assessing possible problems (they’re not causing problems, yet); and
• Stop giving as much input.

Actively disengaged employees are more likely to: 

• Vent frequently to others, expressing their frustrations and dissatisfactions;
• Have a bad attitude, publicly;
• Have chronic attendance issues;
• Not be as productive;
• Demotivate others on the team;
• End up costing the company in terms of the extra time required to manage them;
• End up costing the company money from lost productivity and increased administrative costs;
• Steal from the company; and
• Be looking for a new job.

There are several things employers can do to try to address active disengagement. Here are a few examples:

• Get information about general engagement levels. If you’re not already conducting employee engagement surveys to see where the entire workforce stands, consider starting. It’s easier to measure improvement when you have a baseline; it’s not likely that disengagement is as isolated as you’d like it to be. If you are interested, we can provide this service.
• Assess what recognition programs you have in place. Often, disengagement starts when employees feel their hard work is ignored. Perhaps they were passed over for a raise or promotion or didn’t get a coveted assignment. There are many root causes that may stem from lack of recognition of employee efforts. Having programs in place to ensure employees get the recognition they deserve can help keep employees engaged longer.
• Talk to employees about their goals and put development plans in place (and follow through). Sometimes, employees lose engagement because they are bored or feel that their talents are not being utilized or they feel they are being taken advantage of. It can be as simple as having a conversation with employees to understand their career goals—and then taking steps to help them achieve those goals over time.
• Pay attention to workload and unrealistic expectations. Sometimes, disengagement stems from feeling overworked—which is often within the employer’s control.
• Look for signs of bad managers, supervisors and worse if the top is feeling the same and not leading with honesty, authenticity, integrity and with love. Employee engagement is often directly affected by how the individuals interact with their supervisors, managers and boards.
• Ensure employees have the right tools to do the job well, which can reduce unnecessary stress and frustration.
• If you’ve singled out actively disengaged individuals, talk with them to find out the root of their dissatisfaction and see what—if anything—can be done at the individual level or at the company level. In some cases, it may be too late, and you may have to consider letting an employee who is actively disengaged go before he or she causes additional problems.

While it’s probably impossible to have a fully engaged workforce at all times, these are a few steps employers can take to improve the outlook, after all engagement is closely tied to the bottom line and who doesn’t need to grow profits and reduce expenditure.

Stop thinking about you and think of them and their needs. Remember rules without relationships lead to rebellion. What you attack you will ever attract and that by engaging them, this will lead to improved bottom line that establishes your success. Tell me what you will do this week to evaluate your leadership and engage your team.

Have a fantastic week!
Namaste!
With love,
Dionne

P.S. Please Remember to book your early bird discounted tickets today and refresh your leadership. Call 610-3032

Today I wanted to share with you something I read in an article.

The Law of The Skyscraper

When builders begin building a skyscraper they don’t start by building up. Instead they start by digging below the ground in order to create a foundation of stability. They have to go down deep and excavate soil, sand, clay, etc. to reach the bedrock so that they can build something that will reach incredible heights.

Our lives, careers and teams work the same way. If we want to build up, we must first dig deep and develop our foundation. We need to dig deep within ourselves and identify who we are, our purpose and the legacy we truly want to leave behind.

It’s not always easy to unearth the stuff below (the fears we have, the wounds we carry and the things that hold us back) but once we uncover them we can reach the core of our foundation and begin the building process to reach greater heights.

Today I want to encourage you to do some digging. Think about what’s holding you and your team back. What needs to be unearthed and dealt with? I know it’s easier not to address or confront it but remember the law of the skyscraper. If you don’t dig, you’ll never be able to build the foundation you need to create the life and team that you want.

One of the ways I have built my foundation over the years is by choosing/receiving One Word for the year that is meant to shape and mould me to be my best. Seven years ago, my word was Purpose. Then it was Surrender, Serve, Pray, Rise, Forgive and Still. Looking back, I realize that in choosing my word each year I was digging and building a foundation.

My word for this year is Connected. I didn’t choose this word. It chose me. I wanted to pick “Grow” but “Connected” came to me on a walk New Year’s Eve. I knew that I still had some digging and building to do and that involved being connected. Connected to God. Connected to my family when I’m on the road. Connected to people. We live at a time when we have more ways to connect but are often not connecting meaningfully. To dig and grow I want to connect meaningfully and create a life filled with meaning.

I don’t know what kind of digging you must do personally or professionally, individually or collectively but I hope you’ll consider building your foundation this year, so we can grow to greater heights together. Sometimes we must start a whole new building process like the Pallottine sisters.

• Identify what you stand for. Once you know what you stand for, decisions are easy to make.
• Have a vision for the road ahead. If you have a vision you also have the power to make it happen.
• Know your why. When you know your why you will know the way and won’t let obstacles get in the way.
• Let go of what’s holding you back. Choose faith instead of fear.
• Pick a word and live it this year.
• We know that there’s a limit to how high skyscrapers can physically be built but there’s no limit to how high you can soar when you are willing to keep building your life, work and team.

I wish you great growth this year, recommit to the words you chose along with me at the beginning of the year. I’d love to hear what it is if you haven’t already shared.

Enjoy your week and be grateful that we get to experience a new day!

Namaste

With love,
Dionne

Whenever I read the Bible I didn’t understand the huge deal made about the subject of betrayal. Over this past week as I continue a spiritual fast with some 60 strangers and friends across the country led by our fearless leader Marcia Mohabir it became a lot clearer.

be·tray·al
bəˈtrāəl,bēˈtrāəl/
noun

the action of betraying one’s country, a group, or a person; treachery.
“the betrayal by the French of their own refugees”
disloyalty, treachery, badfaith, faithlessness, falseness, duplicity, deception, double-dealing;

Over this week I lost confidence in someone I held in high regard due to a blatant lie they told to exert power and influence to achieve something they wanted personally. It was an outright abuse of the office they hold. This was not a political post but the post of an educator, and in my mind the worst offense of betrayal. Educators are role models and examples to so many and can cause an erosion of generations by their lack of example to fellow educators in their direct circle of influence and the children in their care. This blatant disregard for leadership is often the beginning of a slippery slope of accountability, ownership and responsibility. We are all educators in some way or other as we impart knowledge and growth on a regular basis. My fear was that my children are being led by those I cannot trust. The reality is that it takes a village to raise a child and I must surround them and myself by those with vision, morals, clarity and a sense of focus.

This faith fast made me realize that although I was offended since the treachery was directed at me, that it was not about me as the impacts will be greater on the society. Knowledge of betrayal prepares you to create insulation for those who surround you and most importantly yourself. We cannot change others, but we can remain resolute in our trust, faith and commitment to a better world through guidance where we may. We are our brother’s keeper. We owe it to others as leaders to confront these issues and persons as some actions are done wittingly or unwittingly. The bible points out betrayal to remind us that we must learn to listen, but be skeptical, to forgive but mostly to guide mentor and ensure that we do not allow these behaviours to fester. This week I ask you to forgive someone or even yourself. It’s time to move on… Surround yourself with those of like thoughts and aspirations while being aware of those who are not.

Leaders do not take you where you want to go, they merely guide you along life’s way as your decisions are your own and they create your standards, habits, consequences, rewards and ultimately your outcomes. The lessons of life can be painful and pleasurable. The universe gives you what you give to it. Give what you want to get, we do reap what we sow after all. Use your decisions to attain your dreams and the kind of life you want, so that your legacy can live on.

Have a fantastic week,
I look forward to seeing you all on May 4th, at Leadercast 2018 as we reinforce our leadership in a community of like minds. “Lead yourself”!

Namaste!

With love,
Dionne