Can a Leader Give Too Much Praise?

Is it possible to give someone too much recognition?

Yes -- too much recognition or praise can backfire.   First, a leader needs to be sincere and make sure that the specific achievement is worthy of kudos.  Next, you need to know how each staff member wants to be rewarded most.  What may be a reward or great recognition for one person, may be an aversion or distasteful experience for another.  

We measure 10 key "Driver + Rewards Needs".   One of these is "Fame + Feedback" and I have two quick stories where the impact of rewards given with positive intent backfired. 

We had a health care client who rewarded a nursing manager as the "leader of the year."  

To honor her and to celebrate this distinction, they picked her up in a limo and brought her to a surprise party in the parking lot with employees there to cheer.  Unfortunately, she scored under 5% (out of 100%) on her need for Fame + Feedback.   She told me that if they ever did anything like that again that she would resign immediately. She was mortified and humiliated. She said it was the worst day of her life and tries not to think about it.  Her highest driver was actually Humanitarian Efforts so serving others was her calling, not calling attention to herself.

At a university's leadership institute, one director I had coached, who had a very low score on Fame + Feedback, rewarded a new employee with a balloon bouquet as thanks for bringing in a new corporate client.  She was trying to acknowledge that others frequently have a higher need for recognition than she did so her intent was positive. Well, with this gentleman, she was wrong. She sent the bouquet without having his Drivers + Reward data -- later to find out that his score on Fame + Feedback was even lower than hers. Of course we laughed after that situation happened but this did re-affirm the point of the need to know your direct reports' drivers and reward needs.

Interestingly, people with high Fame + Feedback scores may be compelled to leave jobs because they do not get sufficient thanks or appreciation for their contributions. Without being show the respect or visibility they so need, they feel disappointed or demotivated and may ultimately leave to seek something more satisfying. Keep in mind -- recognition doesn't cost the company anything.

The other 9 Drivers + Reward facets we measure include: Business + Finance (money, economic issues), Artistic Endeavors, Companionship + Affiliation, Amusement + Hedonism, Humanitarian Efforts, Power + Competition, Scientific Reasoning, and Safety + Security.  So the question is on all of these for each person: is it a driver, non-interest or aversion or unimportant to you?  Managers typically err by rewarding what they personally value most which may or may not match what the employee really wants and needs. While the intention may be sincere, rewards can backfire.  

Bottom line, learning what specifically motivates your employees (and what they don't like) will help you to keep them happy, fulfilled, energized and loyal.

Nancy Parsons 

Self Awareness is a Must for Exceptional Leadership

The most successful leaders share a variety of qualities that help them in becoming the best kind of 

leader. It isn't about emulating a role model or an historic figure. Rather, a leader must be rooted in one's true self and be able to recognize and develop their true talent. How can a leader find their true self?

Leaders who have a strong understanding of their true self have a greater ability to motivate staff, serve as role model, build effective teams and relationships, and to reach personal, professional, and organizational goals. Equally important for exceptional leadership is recognizing and managing one’s own inherent personal risk factors.   Tapping into one’s true strengths, while managing one’s risk factors productively, allows the leader to build positive relationships with staff, clients, senior leaders, and all other key stakeholders. 

What can happen to the leader who is unaware or is unwilling to look squarely at themself?  Derailment, job-hopping, sub-par performance, high turnover, alienation of staff, are common occurrences. Or, the results can be as simple as rejection of feedback and the failure to accept responsibility that can erode trust and credibility.  The latter is a slower road to derailment or lackluster performance results.  

When members of the C-Suite get the boot, it is not because of their intelligence or lack of knowledge.  Typically, it is because of their lack of self-awareness and ineffective behaviors gone unchecked. They lack the ability and humility to build and maintain appropriate relationships with the right people.   Leaders who lack personal self-awareness are generally not good at being keenly perceptive about others and tend to lack objectivity. 

For example, imagine the CEO who has strong Egotist tendencies and surrounds himself or herself with Pleasers.  This is not healthy from the outset. Egotists tend to see themselves as infallible and do not accept feedback well.   Pleasers are yes people – so they are unlikely to push back. Egotists see themselves as superior and smarter than everyone else.   Often, this comes with a sense of self entitlement too.  In this type of group scenario, the Egotist CEO tends to bully or run slipshod all over the team.  So the lack of self-awareness, in this case, is devastating to the organization. In operating or plant environments, this dysfunctional team can pose safety or environmental risks.   Keep in mind Egotists play up well and are often charismatic, so the Board of Directors, may take a long time, if ever, in realizing what is going on and the damage may be done.

There have also been executives who, after going through self-awareness coaching say, “We’ll that is who I am they will just have to live with it.” One such CEO was a Perfectionist to the highest degree and required constant updates from all executives that were not necessary in the retail industry.  His executives never had a full day off.  Burn out was rampant and he refused to back off – even though he knew his demands were not required for the business, but merely to satisfy his comfort level and need for excessive information. He did not yield to the feedback and eventually lost his position due to his micro-management and rigidity. 

Self-aware leaders are clear about their strengths – even the nuances of their capabilities and are able to leverage those.  Then, they are humble and open about their short sides and risks and work each day to keep those from interfering with relationships and bottom-line performance.  They welcome the differences of each team member and work to cultivate and maximize the diverse team strengths while neutralizing risks and gaps.  Exceptional leaders are authentic leaders who are willing to look at themselves and others with clarity, compassion, objectivity and courage.

Since 1998, CDR Assessment Group has been focusing on helping our clients to increase their self-awareness through leadership coaching feedback CDR  3-D Suite of assessments.

The CDR 3-D Suite is a robust leader/talent development tool that provides specific tangible performance and development suggestions measured through:

•   Character leader acumen, strengths, best-fit role, emotional intelligence and more

•   Drivers, intrinsic motivation, aversions, and values

•   Risk factors that can impede effectiveness, damage relationships and lead to derailment

If you want to know your true self, email cdrinfo@cdrassessmentgroup.com or call 918.488.0722 today to get started.   We have CDR certified executive coaches available globally to debrief your confidential assessment results to heighten your self awareness.  Go to www.cdrassessmentgroup.com to learn more.  Your calls are welcomed!  

Webinars to Neutralize Leadership Risk Factors!

Are Leaders' Risks Running Amok in Your Organization?  

CDR-U, the corporate development division of CDR Assessment Group, Inc., offers 12 exclusive webinars for your leaders and employees designed to help them minimize or prevent RISK behaviors that undermine success.  Some examples of these nonproductive behaviors are:

• Indecisiveness or refusal to act swiftly due to fear of failure; over-analyzing too much 
• Mistrustfulness, negativity that inhibits innovation and creativity
• Selling too hard – inability to listen and read clients or audiences well
• Back stabbing, negative politics, withholding information, or passive aggressiveness
• Conflict avoidance 
• Cold shoulders, the silent treatment, isolationism, or non-communications 
• Micro-managing, perfectionism, the do it "my way" syndrome
• Impulsivity or recklessness
• Does not admit mistakes, too full of self, sense of entitlement, tough on staff
• Inability to say no or set appropriate boundaries
• Bullying behaviors (a difficult "moving against" profile)

Do any of these ring true?  Do any of your leaders or professionals show these behaviors on occasion?  Do you know the impact on your organization? 

CDR-U’s webinars are based on the CDR Leadership Risk Assessment that identifies eleven inherent risks that can impede individual, team and organizational performance.    

CDR-U's 12 Risk Factor Webinar Topics are:

1.        How Inherent Risk Factors Are Interfering With YOUR Success

2.        Opening Up to Feedback & Keeping the EGO in Check

3.        Don't Worry - Be Decisive!  (Public Session Feb 13, 2015 see post below)

4.        The Cynic’s Tightrope: Healthy Skepticism vs. Harmful Mistrust

5.        Why Pleaser’s Finish Last – and What To Do About It!

6.         Leadership Disconnect: Hiding & Ignoring Problems

7.         When Marching to your Own Beat Undermines Your Credibility

8.         How Hidden Agendas & Working Behind the Scenes Holds You Back

9.         Are You a Wrecking Ball or a Change Agent?

10.       Micro-Managers, Control Freaks & Nit Pickers Welcomed!

11.        Drama, Drama, Drama – When Hogging the Airtime Goes Too Far

CDR Coaching Services for Developing Leaders
  
CDR coaches are available to provide accurate assessment and one-to-one coaching to help leaders pinpoint their RISKS to help them neutralize and manage them more productively.  (Of course, strengths are identified too!)                                                     

CDR’s executive coaches are exceptionally skilled, insightful and direct.  They do not beat around the bushes and will help your leaders to accelerate positive results.  Our feedback equips leaders with a new level of self-awareness and the clarity needed to minimize risk behaviors while enhancing their strengths and gifts.

Act now and call 918.488.0722 or email cdrinfo@cdrassessmentgroup.comto learn more!

Attention Worriers: At Last, A Webinar for YOU!

"Don't Worry - Be Decisive!" CDR Leadership Risk Webinar

Webinar Date:  Friday, February 13 @ 11:00 AM CST     

ENROLL TODAY!  

Info below -- space is limited

Many leaders over-think, worry, and delay decisions. This cautious and slow approach can inhibit performance and frustrate others.  Frequently, too much worrying can result in creating unnecessary “CYA” or busy work for staff.  Worriers are known for hesitating when they should be converting ideas into action. They may become overwhelmed when dealing with change.  Worriers may hold back during key meetings due to concerns that they may say something wrong or not have all of the information.

Does your fear of making a mistake or the idea of failure cause you to over-analyze key projects or tasks?  Have you ever been told you were a slow decision maker?  Do you, at times, study and restudy issues, paralyzing progress?

Worriers often feel more comfortable in larger, more methodical environments rather than in dynamic quick moving settings.  While Worriers vet ideas very, very well, their worries are often are overblown and seldom come to fruition.

So, if you are pretty clear that you are likely a “Worrier” by nature, what is the toll of your worrying on your career?  Have you been bypassed for promotions?  Do you feel overworked, frustrated and overwhelmed at times?  Does your worrying impact your overall satisfaction, ability to relax, and joy?

If you have tendencies to worry, over-analyze, or fret too much, this webinar is for you!

What you will learn:

• How Worriers can derail their own success
• Impact worrying can have for aspiring leaders and gender differences
• The costs of worrying
• The Top Ten Tactics to Fret No More
• Building your decision making skills for success
• Action plan ideas for Worriers
• Additional development resource suggestions

Enrollment Fee:  $99  
Early Enrollment Discount:  Register by January 30, 2015 for a discounted fee of $79

Register today by calling @ 918-488-0722
or email: cdrinfo@cdrasessmentgroup.com
MC/Visa accepted; pre-pay required.

Webinar Time:   75 minutes (estimated)

Executive Assistant Job Opening (PT) - Houston Area

See our Job Post on LinkedIn!   

Executive Assistant - Richmond TX 

Great Hours - 9 to 3 pm

You will be responsible for administrative support for the President for scheduling meetings, arranging travel, email correspondence, and general administrative and organizing duties. You will also provide support with some key marketing initiatives such as:  social media updates, coordinating webinars, presentation support, newsletters, e-blasts, public relations, client/prospect communications, editing, SalesForce, and more. 

  

This is a new position based in Richmond, Texas, will begin as part time (9 am to 3 pm) although could evolve into full-time with some virtual work possible. 

  

Qualifications

Exceptional candidates will: 

• Be extremely smart, well organized with strong attention to detail 
• Be driven to achieve and energized 
• Serve a key team member and as the go to person for the President 
• Have terrific communication skills (written and oral) - communicate well with executives and leader client base 
• Have critical thinking skills – able to identify, tackle and solve problems   
• Be proficient with Microsoft Office:  Word, Power-Point, Excel, Outlook 
• Have positive experience in marketing and sales environments 
• Capable of monitoring and managing social media (company Twitter feeds, web updates, LinkedIn, blogs, etc.) 
• Deal effectively with confidential information (HR, Assessments, Clients, new products, and so on) appropriately 
• Coordinate travel arrangements, calendar management, scheduling of meetings, webinars, and conference calls as required 
• Maintain/update various contact databases in Outlook and SalesForce 
• Be responsible for coordinating initial marketing responses and packages 
• Coordinate and create marketing email blasts 
• Coordinate mass marketing mailings 
• Be trustworthy, dependable, and service focused. 
• Have a sense of humor and enjoy interacting with people 
• Attend some professional organizational meetings and events 

Desired Skills and Experience

Minimum of five years of administrative experience is required.  Associate or Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing or human resources, or equivalent, required.  We seek a candidate that is truly a go-getter.  

We offer:  competitive compensation, flexible scheduling and an exceptional professional developmental opportunity for a candidate who wants to join a growing global business with unmatched assessment tools and consulting services. 

  

PLEASE SEND YOUR RESUME FOR IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION TO:  houstoncdr@gmail.com

  

About this company

Following company

CDR Assessment Group, Inc. is a globally recognized assessment and talent development firm leading the way with revolutionary products, consulting services, research, and training solutions.   

  

We deliver unmatched assessment tools and services for leadership and talent development. We provide consulting, executive coaching, and training services that wrap-around all areas of human performance and maximize the clients’ utilization of our breakthrough tools. We have a consulting and coaching team that provides services worldwide. 

  

We are committed to providing cutting-edge leadership and human resource development products and services designed with the foremost psychological insights and applied business know-how. 

Our clients can be found in all sectors:  banking/finance, service, health care, energy, chemical, transportation, manufacturing, insurance, technology, pharmaceutical, logistics, government and academia.   We also train and certify executive coaches to use our assessment tools with their clients.  Since 1998, we have been based in Tulsa and in late 2014, a Houston area office was opened.  

'Tis the Time for Thanks...

A message for our customer, colleagues and network associates:

We give thanks to our customers and professional colleagues.   Our work is a joy because we reveal the unique gifts and talents of our clients.  We help them understand obstacles to their success so that they can navigate past them.   Last, we help our clients re-focus on what they love to do.   Thank you for trusting us to serve you. Wishing you great joy this          Holiday Season and  prosperity in the New Year. All the best to you, your family, and your organization, Nancy Parsons, President,  the CDR Assessment Group, Inc. Team &  CDR Executive Coaches! www.cdrassessmentgroup.com    visit our blog:  www.cdrassess.blogspot.com  STAY CONNECTED:

Are Any of the Eight Universal Leadership Derailers Undermining Your Success?

UNIVERSAL LEADERSHIP DERAILERS 

(Excerpted from the CDR Leadership Risk Assessment)

Leadership success and derailment largely depend upon two factors:  

1) the perceptions of others about your performance which includes your relationships with them; and 

2) your contributions or results produced for the good of the organization.  

Overwhelmingly, the first of these is the most critical in terms of leadership derailment.  A leader may have produced outstanding results; yet if he/she has damaged relationships along the way, or has operated with a lack of integrity, derailment may be inevitable.  Universally, or across organizations, leadership derailers can be defined as:

LEADERSHIP DERAILERS	Examples
1. Erosion or betrayal of trust	lack of integrity (honesty, acting congruently with core values, showing respect, etc.), loss of credibility, over-focus on personal agenda, failure to meet commitments
2. Failure to deliver and be accountable	slow to act, studies issues and solutions too long, waits for instruction, short on results
3. Failure to adapt	resists change, difficulty with multiple priorities, lacks flexibility
4. Lack of courage and decisiveness	risk aversive, freezes under uncertainty, fails to assert views; avoids making decisions
5. Creating or endorsing a dysfunctional work environment	failure to support staff, displays  inappropriate emotionality or lack of "emotional intelligence", supports or tolerates hostile work environment
6. Failure to develop people and organization	fails to coach, mentor others, or provide developmental resources; and, unconcerned with bench strength,organizational growth planning issues
7. Lacks forward-looking and inspirational approach	lacks a vision, can't rally troops to produce; does not build enthusiasm toward stretch goals
8. Lack of objectivity and broadmindedness	narrow views, undervalues diversity, strives to preserve personal wishes and bias, not perceived as fair, shows favoritism, does not consider sufficient views or sufficient data in decision making

Copyright © CDR Assessment Group, Tulsa, OK. 1998. All rights reserved. No portion of this may be copied or reproduced without the copyright owner's written permission. Contact:  nparsons@cdrassessmentgroup.com to request permission.

(Authors:  Kimberly Leveridge, Ph.D. & Nancy E. Parsons)