Tag Archive for: professional development

Leadership Spotlight: The Key To Performance is Executing

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We’re excited to announce that after appearing on Episode #31 of the Elevate Business Podcast, Jeff McCann has been selected for the Intuity Performance Leadership Spotlight series.

Jeff McCann, is shaking up the insurance tech industry, leading his team as CEO at APOLLO Insurance. Combining his experience in developing digital marketing solutions, and ten plus years in the industry, Jeff is shaping the future of how people buy insurance. He is also a professional travel writer and you can find his publications at the Vancouver Sun and National Post.

Here are the top 3 insights Jeff shared with the community.

1. What was it that turned you from corporate to starting your own business?

I think that it’s a product of the Vancouver ecosystem. You know, we’re very fortunate to have the HootSuite’s of the world that are leading the way and to be surrounded by entrepreneurs and people who have started businesses. There was a very marquee kind of moment with a mentor/adviser of ours. He had built a company over 13 years and ended up having a great business and I’m like, well, wait a minute, all these people are starting businesses in other areas of tech. We can go do that too.

I think the word entrepreneur is kind of a weird word. I think people use it in different ways, it surrounds these titans that people look up to like Elon Musk, but also, there’s a lot of everyday people that are building great businesses. So I think it really breaks that barrier when you’re surrounded by people that have done it, and that can help and advise you.

2. What does the word performance mean to you and what role has it played in your journey?

Performance is definitely an interesting word. I played sports while growing up and ended up playing football at University. I think performance was always something that was really a focus of mine. I think that kind of grit and work ethic goes a long way. I was never really the most talented athlete, just on a raw basis, but I was always able to work hard through that and sort of drive that performance. So I think for me, the word resonates around hard work preparation and then putting in the extra grind

I think you can translate that when you start a company, in terms of the extra hours you have to put in, because sometimes you have to overcompensate for the things you don’t know by learning, by reading, by talking to advisers. I think where we translate that word performance for me is in the word execute. The execution is something that is taken for granted. People think you go start a business and it’s all going to happen, but you have to be able to knock things off the list.

Your performance is measured by how much you can execute? Can you do what you say you’re going to do one month to the next, quarter over quarter? This is what gives your investors confidence. It gives your team and your employees confidence. So for me, performance is all about execution.

3. Stepping into this new role, shifting from the corporate environment to starting your own business, what have been some key learnings you’ve had as CEO and leading a team?

Yeah, that’s a great question, I think being a first-time CEO there is a lot to learn. For me, the path has been to choose authenticity. I think remaining authentic resonates with the team. It resonates with investors – being able to communicate what you don’t know, as much as demonstrate your expertise. I think that really gives people confidence that you’re not going to embellish, you’re not going to overreach on things. I think if you check your ego at the door, then it’s a lot easier to be a great teammate.

Being a CEO can put you in a vulnerable position, it can be lonely. If you can drop your ego and bring your collaborators in with you, and demonstrate that vulnerability, and be authentic, I think that goes a long way. You have to stay authentic and be that same person regardless of your accumulated success.

I think that’s been the biggest thing for me, and it’s played out well in terms of my relationships with the team, with investors, and all the way through, the bigger it gets, the more unreal everything gets. You check your bank account one day and you have 14 million bucks in it. You’re like, all right, and stay the course of being yourself and being authentic.

If you’re interested in hearing more from our Spotlight Leaders check out Todd Usen’s Leadership Spotlight on Building Team Trust.

Leadership Spotlight: Supporting Women in Business

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We’re excited to announce that after appearing on Episode #39 of the Elevate Business Podcast, Tanya Priske has been selected for the Intuity Performance Leadership Spotlight series.

Tanya Priske is the Executive Director at the Center for Women in Business. She brings global and corporate connections to drive her community forward with big-picture strategies with a focus on women business owners across Nova Scotia. With a passion for people, economic development, and the ability to identify new opportunities where ever she goes, Tanya and her team are on a mission to provide the resources women entrepreneurs need to overcome challenges and thrive.

Here are the top 3 insights she shared with the community.

1. How do you create the type of environment that enables your team members to thrive?

Covid has given us a gift, and I hate to say it that way, but it has. It has allowed us to reach more women, especially under-represented women, because through video chat, and through interactions like this, we have evened the playing field. During meetings etc. there are interruptions like kids popping up, but it’s happening to all of us.

Also, because we are working in unprecedented times, I put a lot of focus on employee needs and creating a human-centred environment. Do you need another screen? Do you need your computer from work? Do you need your chair from work? Do you require help with professional development?

When we first went virtual, we connected no less than three times a week, so checking in to make sure everybody is doing okay is important.

I mean, I’ve worked remotely for 17 years, so it’s easy for me, but the transition was difficult. And even some of our team members, who I had said before to them before the Pandemic closed us down, you don’t have to be in the office.

I feel it is important to trust and understand that objectives and tasks will get done, regardless of what my team has on their plates.

2. What programs or development are you seeing women business owners seek in relation to growth during this time?

Over the last 14 months – a lot of the changes have been digital assets. Upgrading of websites, upgrading of shopping channels, for trainers and facilitators it was taking their programs totally virtual. There were also a lot of opportunities. A lot of businesses couldn’t keep up, depending on what sector they were in. I’m growing exponentially!

There has also been a focus on maintaining employees, both from the financial perspective of the business owner as well as the human perspective of their employees.

And of course the mental anguish the current situation is presenting, women are suddenly all things to everyone: babysitter, teacher, caretaker to elderly parents.

I try to help women understand that there are outlets for them and that they are not alone.

3. What exciting things can we expect to see from The Centre for Women in Business in the next 12 months?

We are turning 30 which is big! We’re looking ahead in terms of helping women with growth in their companies in terms of export markets and virtual markets. Virtual markets have been great, especially for women, because it can be challenging to not only just get away from your office, but also, to find time away from family, so the opportunity to be virtual has been tremendous.

Getting more women into supply chains, and making sure that women know of the advantages has been my passion for ten years. So that’s a piece that we’ll continue to look at.

In a few weeks our Greater Heights for Growth project is launching, which focuses on working specifically with women across Canada that have a million plus revenue.

We will also have a new President at Mount Saint Vincent University in the coming months, and we are excited about the new direction, and the focus that the Mount is putting on helping women on the entrepreneurship side.

If you enjoyed Tanya’s discussion on supporting women in business, check out Todd Usen’s spotlight series on Building Team Trust.

How Perfectionism Impacts Performance

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Have you ever wondered the impact of your perfectionism on performance?

I’d like to tell you about my ‘Why’ in becoming so passionate about helping professionals elevate their performance.

The world has a funny way of pushing you into paths. I won a Facebook contest and could choose a 1/2-day group session or a one on one coaching session. I choose the one on one session as I am conditioned for coaching. My intention was to grow from coaching, but I had no idea what I was about to discover. And (know now) subconsciously believed I could breeze through it.

For the coaching session all I needed to do is show up, be honest and vulnerable, discover and choose how I will move forward. EASY I thought.

WRONG! What came out of this session with Ricky Goodall was a flood (I mean literally a flood) of emotion that my perfectionism was a result of feeling like I am not enough. I am not smart enough, experienced enough or brave enough.

Let me back up. Throughout my career I’ve always done well, finding ways to make it to the next corporate step but feeling small along the way. I’d do one of two things: 1) avoid and delegate; or 2) often time take personal time to perfect the report, the program or strategy.

I’d go out of my way to help other leader’s successes instead of focusing on my own success.

After self discovery, and responding to some really hard questions: it boils down to; am I enough and what does that have to do with performance, you ask?

EVERYTHING! Working through my career, I was sarcastic (which many found funny), and wore a corporate veneer while letting others take the limelight because I always told myself it wasn’t important to me. But that was a fib. It was a defense mechanism to navigate through corporate worlds from fabulous bosses to the bosses that shouldn’t be bosses.

It gave me an out from things that may intimidate me or challenge me in a good way.

As an entrepreneur, now, those defense mechanisms are stunting me, come to find out. I’ve read so many books and articles and follow the Gary Vee’s, Simon Serik’s, etc. that you do not have to be perfect but you do have to put yourself out there.

My gap was always things like: someone else has talked about it, someone else is the subject matter expert or someone else says it so much better.

My own realization: You do not have to be perfect and you do not have to be the first to the mark, because no one will say it how you do. Perfectionism and avoidance are red flags sometimes disguised as being too busy.

My defense mechanisms are what drive my passion to help others grow their performance. Now, however, I have a different lens, a developing lens that says I can play ‘big’ AND help others.

I do not have to downplay myself to help lift others. I can sit with them, in their communication language and help them elevate their performance from within.

I’d enjoy sharing more of my learning opportunities with you! Feel free to subscribe to Intuity Performance for more great performance, coaching and facilitation moments!

Contact us for your complimentary consultation.

Leading Staff Through Change

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The global pandemic has brought forward major change to the way we work but teams need to prepare themselves for additional iterations of what work looks like in this day and age since organizations are bound to evolve if they want to prosper. Leading staff through change and giving them the tools to perform to the best of their ability is therefore imperative.

Innovation as a Centrepiece

Change can be traumatic even when we know about it ahead of time. But having to deal with something new without any notice is stressful – for management and staff alike.

This being said, change is not always bad.

As a leader, you must learn to welcome change yourself, and to encourage a similar mindset within your team.

In fact, according to the McKinsey Global Survey, companies are more than five times more likely to have a successful transformation when leaders have role-modeled the behavior changes they are asking of their employees.

Lead the change, don’t let it lead you. In other words, place change and innovation at the centre of your organization. Encourage yourself and others to question the status quo, to be creative and to think outside of the box.

This is a great way to tackle the beast and to nurture positive conversations on the topic. When innovation is part of everything that we do, when we are constantly challenged to change our perspectives, we are better prepared to welcome change, even when it is unforeseen or negative.

Obviously, the time will come when change will happen whether you like it or not. But leading your organization as if change could happen any day will make it better prepared for the real challenges ahead.

The Role of Empowerment

Organizations that encourage staff empowerment perceive risk-taking and mistakes as opportunities for employees and employers alike to learn and to grow.

The trust you display by handing over the reins to your team allows for innovation to emerge and encourages workers to experiment and to share new ideas – making them feel more at ease with change and therefore more inspired and more satisfied in their job.

Leading staff through change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long process that constantly needs to be tweaked, refined and reinforced.

Empowering your team slowly but surely is one thing you can do to set it up for success before change hits.

1. Encourage personal growth

Act as a mentor to your team or implement a mentorship program. Provide professional development opportunities inside and outside of the office. If you cannot pay for them, be at least flexible towards your staff’ work schedule so they can attend classes, and make your commitment to personal growth known within the organization.

Identifying potential within staff and offering them early leadership experiences is also the way to go.

Whether it’s from a hard skills or human skills perspective, providing skilling opportunities to your talents will not only improve their satisfaction and retention but also make them more rounded individuals capable of taking on new challenges to support the organization in the future.

2. Leverage your team’ strengths

Indeed, we all have something new to learn. But it’s also important to be cognisant of people’s personalities, strengths and weaknesses. In the wrong job, the most talented and dedicated individual can become miserable and underperforming. Place people where they have the most potential to thrive.

3. Encourage time off

Observe your team. Take note of their time off. Whenever you see someone in need of a vacation or even just someone who hasn’t taken some time off in a while, encourage them to do so. Disconnecting from work and resting can do miracles for performance.

4. Show appreciation

As obvious as it may sound, leaders don’t express their appreciation often enough . Even when something may seem trivial, take time to thank your staff and to express how grateful you are for them, even if it’s just by stopping by their desk or sending them a heartfelt email. We all need a tap in the back every now and then.

5. Learn to forgive

We’ve said a lot about the importance of creative thinking to develop an innovative and ‘ready-for-change’ workforce. But not all ideas are brilliant. When an individual fails, practise forgiveness. Employees cannot thrive when afraid of being reprimanded. Use failures as opportunities to learn and to grow.

Need help?

Intuity Performance can support you in leading staff through change. We offer educational, training and coaching solutions on individual and team performance and can also create effective systems that are personalized to your specific organizational needs, in collaboration with your HR team in place.

Intuity Performance applies a Whole Person Performance approach to cultivate an environment for growth within organizations. Contact us to find out more.