Cindy Dean, MS., Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Senior Consultant, Grays Peak Strategies

Years ago leaders of large companies seldom turned outside of the organization for help in solving problems. Today, however, with more and more diverse work forces, changing technology and global markets, leaders need help with many aspects of organizational day-to-day functions. The list of topics for which they seek help is endless and consultation within organizations is a fast growing enterprise. Whatever the topic, it is help that is being solicited and understanding how to help is important to any consultant.

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The United States was created by immigrants settling the Atlantic coast and wave after wave of immigrants after that to the present day. One important attribute of American culture is the process of assimilation into the existing culture and the input into the evolution of our culture. 

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We’ve all heard the wildly disappointing stereotypes about this generation: “millennials are so lazy,” “millennials are too self-absorbed,” “millennials only care about themselves,” etc. Sadly, as this happens far too often, the unfavorable actions of a few have tarnished the reputation of the entire generation.

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Having a new business is somewhat like having a new baby. I don’t mean to undermine the significance of having a baby, I have had three and two are teenagers now. But like having a baby, starting a business sometimes keeps you up at night, it needs constant supervision, it’s hard, sometimes you feel overwhelmed and feel like you are doing it all wrong. 

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The child support system is full of acronyms and legalese language that can be confusing and overwhelming to parents. Like the medical field was to my family, we are discussing stressful and life altering events and facts that can’t really be changed. Child support impacts, children, money, relationships, and employment. These are often of the biggest stressors in life. Empathy means listening, being open, and displaying understanding. We may not realize it, but we can make a lasting impact and difference on the outcome of a case by treating our child support clients with empathy.

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“I walked out of the meeting with a smile, motivated and excited to get working on the project”…. Or “I walked out and wanted that hour of my life back.” If you are in charge of the meeting, you get to help decide what people’s mindset it after they leave your meeting. The gооd nеwѕ is that there are 5 easy steps to help ensure you have a meeting that people will want to come back to. When done wеll, a structured meeting саn bе a valuable tооl for pushing your tеаm’ѕ progress forward. You are the leader, so ensure you have a set agenda, gather feedback ahead of time, invite the right people and manage to the clock.

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Col·lab·o·ra·tion is by definition the action of working with someone to produce or create something. It is not working on the same project separately. It seems in the world that we operate today that collaboration is more than a “nice to have”, but a “must have”. 

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A recent study published in the Harvard Business Review shows that happier employees are more productive, innovative and help to create a work environment that your competition would be envious of[1]. There are increased demands on employees and the stress can take a toll on their health and resiliency. There are small and inexpensive things that we as leaders can to do increase workplace positivity:

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Hiring the perfect candidate is difficult. First you need an updated and meaningful job description and particularly in the Public Sector where responsibilities tend to shift over time, that is harder than you would think. 

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Whenever I am planning a training I like to visualize a funnel.  I start at the top with the largest amount of information and number of ideas and then work my way to the bottom to fine tune the focus of the material and approach.  Planning for this training seemed to neatly follow my imagery but what was surprising to me was what ended up at the end.  Maureen and I spoke to several key leaders about what they wanted to see in this customer service training.  They gave us really great recommendations to build on and develop.  We also spent time talking about context as an influence to high quality customer service.  We heard from leaders from MAXUMUS that the Baltimore office had experienced a lot of change in a short period of time including changes in leadership.  Any change, even good change, requires energy and can take a toll on people.  So we asked ourselves, “What if we use part of the training to allow them to talk about their passions and the importance of self-care?”.  What?!?  How is this related to customer service?  What will they think?  Will they stand up mid-training and leave?  Well, we took the risk.  We took the risk to go off script a little and tune into the people.  

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Recently I was asked to coordinate a workshop on Women in Leadership to take place at a Child Support Conference.  Child Support is a field with a lot of women in leadership roles, and this seemed like a great place to have this discussion.  In preparation for this session, I have been reflecting on my own story. I have spent time discussing these concepts with successful women, listening to TED talks, listening to podcast, and reading a lot of articles. I have become interested in women’s experiences, how they’ve overcome obstacles, how they find balancing of motherhood, and how they have stuck with their vision. In having these conversations, I am learning a lot from not only the women in leadership roles that I admire, but I have learned a lot about myself. Everyone defines success differently and there is not one path to success.  This is true and in my mind it has come down to three top themes:

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If уоu talk аbоut орtіmіѕm, you will find no shortage of quotes, clichés, proverbs or stories to guide уоu. Орtіmіѕm is the original Amеrісаn drеаm. Have you ever had a period of time in your job where you felt like everything was right and hopeful? Why did you have those positive feelings? Were you connected to the mission of the organization, felt like you had purpose, felt valued as a whole person, or all of the above?

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Hоw dо you hіrе mіllеnnіаlѕ tо work fоr government аgеnсіеѕ? Like any good huntеr, you nееd to go where the object of your search lives. Recruiting millennials does require some rethinking of old methods. This technology-dependent crowd are not only enticed by money but also a job with a purpose.  Here are some key strategies to attract this generation to your workforce.

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Have you ever experienced a reorganization in your work environment? How did it make you feel? Unsettled, uneasy, anxious are all been words expressed by employees going through changes at work. A few years ago my wonderful high functioning team was being moved to a new division under a new Director. At some level everyone on the team felt anxious about what the changes meant for each of us personally and as a team. There were new members being added and some of our team were being moved elsewhere. Change is inevitable and everywhere, this we all know. We also know that change can be very productive and healthy. So how then do leaders ensure that they are managing change in a way that is accepted, increases productivity, reduces stress on staff, and creating an environment that embraces change rather than resist?

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Imagine this: you are late for a really important meeting.  You are approaching a red light.  There are three cars in each of the three lanes ahead of you:  a minivan, a red corvette and a 1979 Volkswagen bus.  Which lane do you choose?  The red corvette, right?  Surely, they will go fast.  Now imagine you are waiting for your 17 year olds daughter’s date to come and pick her up.  Of the three cars mentioned, which one would you prefer pull up in your driveway?  We can cross off the corvette, I mean, what teenager drives a corvette and if they do, I am even more worried.  But the minivan and bus?  Way too much room inside those vehicles.  You might ask if there is another option at this point, maybe a bicycle? 

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When most people think of leadership they think of executives, people with fancy titles, the highest ranks or those with many degrees. For me it's more about the qualities of the individual or behaviors one conveys.  Leadership takes many forms and I've been as impressed with the leadership qualities of front line staff as I have of a CEO, it has more to do with their ability to motivate or inspire others to take action.  The qualities of a servant leadership resonate with me as a style that is most effective to drive meaningful results. 

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It is always nerve-wracking to be responsible as the manager of a big project knowing how many projects never succeed. A critical part of successful project management is to assess the risk at the beginning of the project. One way to do that is called a premortem analysis. This does not sound like something fun since mortem means death.  In a nutshell, the project team comes together at the beginning of a project and performs an interactive discussion assuming it’s the end of the project and that the project or organization has failed. The team then works backwards to figure out what lead to the failure and how to mitigate the danger.  There are many benefits to a premortem which include providing a safe environment in which threats to the project can be openly discussed without fear of the speaker being seen as negative. The reverse of a premortem is, of course, a post-mortem which means looking at the project at the end and analyzing which pieces of the project were successful and which were not.

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