#6: Inspiration

Inspiring group pride and fostering a positive emotional tone is another key quality in the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory. There are many ways for leaders to inspire and encourage positive emotions, but one of the best we’ve found is to give employees a way to give back to others.

Intertech has a long history of volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, which provides housing for families of terminally ill children. Four to six times per year for the past five years, Intertech employees have taken time off during the workday to host birthday parties at the RMH. We bring cake and treats, we play games, we sing songs and we generally act like goofy kids ourselves while helping sad children forget about hospitals and critically ill siblings for a little while.

Not only do we help them; they help us too. Our parties make us feel happy and they bring us together as a team. Employees have told us consistently that the chance to participate in this special activity is one of the best parts of their association with Intertech.

 Next post: Teamwork

#5: Developing Others

The Emotional and Social Competency Inventory asks leaders to assess how well they coach and mentor others “with compassion” and whether they “personally invest time and energy in mentoring.” Most importantly, the inventory asks whether you “provide feedback that helps people with their professional development.” Call it enlightened self-interest, but developing others is something we’re totally passionate about at Intertech. 

Every team member here participates in an annual review that covers four simple areas: (1) strengths/accomplishments in the review period; (2) defining an area for improvement; (3) what could help to make these improvements; (4) what role will you grow into within two years?

Those four simple questions are powerful because the major focus is on where an employee is heading and how we can help him or her get there. We also strongly encourage ongoing professional development through training and new skill development. Our people know that we are willing to invest in them and that we want them to stay professionally vital. We’re so committed to this value that we offer employees a paid sabbatical after seven years of service.

Our commitment to employee development has been rewarded by their commitment to Intertech and our clients. We have been named a best place to work for seven years. This honor means so much because it is based on confidential employee surveys.

Next post: Inspiration

#4: Influence

In the Inventory by Goleman and Boyatzis they ask “Do you persuade others by engaging them in discussion and appealing to their self-interest?  Do you get support from key people?”

Real influence with others is developed over time.  Also, while it ends with someone following, it starts by letting them lead.  A board member shared that for us to truly have influence and work with others we must “Seek first to understand before being understood.” I agree.

For me, authenticity and altruism are traits I require for influence (on me).  Those who consistently put the firm ahead of themselves and selflessly deliver, make it easy for me to trust, and be influenced, by their ideas.

Next:  Developing Others

#3: Organizational awareness

In chapter 18 of my new book I share how we involve the team at Intertech when defining our values.  Inspired by author Jim Collins’ Mars Group Exercise, we asked everyone at Intertech to name the individual who best represents who we are as a company. The exercise requires pretending that a space alien drops by for a visit and wants to learn what kind of company he has discovered. After employees decide who should be the official representative, we ask them why.

With almost dozens of employees you might expect that this would be a long and difficult exercise. Surprisingly, it was not. People were almost unanimous in their identification of the ideal Intertech ambassador and even more clear about why that person was selected. Through this exercise, we identified the following key values:

Attitude:  Each day we choose our attitude. Attitude is contagious.  For others to be positive, excited, and inspired, we must be. 

Commitment:  As a team, we deliver.  We demand more of ourselves than others could ask.

Excellence:  We’re committed to a world-class customer experience and world-class customer satisfaction.

 In other words, at Intertech if you’re living our values, you’re an ACE!

 Next post: Influence

#2: Attunement

Are you familiar with the old saying, “Communication takes two: one to speak and one to listen”? Seems like a lot of us forget about the listening part. Running a business can be overwhelming and it can be tempting to stop listening in favor of simply reacting, especially during time-crunched situations. Don’t give in to that temptation. Good leaders care about what others think and feel. From our clients, business partners and employees to colleagues and even vendors, paying attention to others is how we stay in touch with trends, make sure we’re meeting expectations and keeping everyone in our network connected with us in meaningful ways.

At Intertech, we have processes in place to make sure we are listening on a regular basis. Employees know our open door policy is real, but they also have an opportunity to anonymously tell us how they feel every year as part of our annual partner goal-setting retreat. Prior to the retreat, employees gather in small groups led by another employee who acts as a facilitator. There they talk candidly about their ideas, concerns, beefs , etc. The facilitator then recaps the feedback without attributing any information to any specific person. That feedback is carefully considered when I meet with the other Intertech partners at our annual planning retreat. We care about what Intertech team members think, how they feel and their ideas for making our business better.

Next post: Organizational awareness