As a leader you know that ideas present themselves in a multitude of ways. Its also important to consider where ideas might be hiding. Often, a member of a team possesses ideas they would like to share but fear speaking up or is drowned out by more outgoing teammates.Here are some tips on bringing out the quieter voices on your team:Use anonymity to your advantage: Ask everyone to write their idea down and have the meeting leader present and debate each idea Reverse roles: Instead of having those with the most experience speak first, reverse roles and seek out the opinions of those with less experience to get the ball rollingAsk what youre missing:&nb …… Continue reading →

As Christopher J. Nassetta, President and CEO, Hilton Worldwide puts it, "Its really about developing a culture and creating an environment where people feel like theyre part of something that is bigger than they are."At Disney, we call that a common purpose. A simple statement on the surface; it represents what we stand for and why we exist. This statement defines the expectations of our Cast Members and goes like this: "We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages, everywhere."What is your organizations common purpose? What other ways are you able to provide inspiration to your staff? …… Continue reading →

A culture is idealistically a force that drives and unites people with a common focus. PeopleMatter has released an infographic citing the factors ranked as having the biggest impact on company culture.Not surprisingly, employees recognized "regular, candid communication" as their most impactful contributor to culture. In comparison, executives chose financial performance as a major indicator of an organizations culture.At Disney, communication is built in to all culture related processes. We take that communication a step further by soliciting feedback and ideas from our team, which instills a sense of ownership and expands the creative pool from which we can pull. While this is just a single step in the process, we believe that in the long term a culture …… Continue reading →

Make solid eye contact. Give a firm handshake. Smile. Tips not to be forgotten, sure, but what makes your introduction a memorable one? Jeff Haden of Inc.com argues that it is your audience.“Do you prop up your courage with your introduction? Do you include titles or accomplishments or ‘facts’ when you dont need to? If so, your introduction is all about you, not your audience.”How do you make the audience your focus? Consider these four tips:See less as more: Staying brief is always best. Enough is revealed through the natural, unforced flow of a conversation to make a lengthy introduction unnecessary.Stay in context: For example, If you meet another parent at a soccer game you might say, “Hi, I’m Matt. My daughter is on the green team.” Staying in context with the setting gives your audience something in common to talk about and an immediate l …… Continue reading →

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