May 8, 2024

WELCOME TO CODIFICATION!

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Click on the button below to access the document.

2. Set aside about 2 hours to sit with and reflect upon the Codification questions.

3. Answer the questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. (Refer to your weekly emails.)

4. Send to Beth and David 48 hours prior to your Codification Discussion.

May 8, 2024

Additional Content #4

An eagerness to learn from and acknowledge others.

There are many ways to be “eager to learn from and acknowledge others.” In the Audio Note below Tim explores the connection between Gratitude and specifically being “eager to learn from.”

Cable, Dan. “How Humble Leadership Really Works.” Harvard Business Review. 2018, April 23.
You can find the Audio Note transcript HERE.

Recognition Vs. Appreciation

Tim shared how being eager to learn from others is a way to be a more Humble leader. 

Let’s talk about other ways to acknowledge others: appreciation and recognition; and, no, they are not the same.

In his episode on the Be Worth* Following Podcast, author, researcher, and speaker Zach Murcurio said this:

Affirmation is when we show people how their uniqueness makes a unique difference. Recognition is showing gratitude for what someone does. Appreciation is showing gratitude for who someone is, showing people the specific evidence of their significance. Affirm comes from the Latin roots, which means “to firm up or make strong.” What's powerful about that is you're giving people the evidence in their environment to make their “self belief” stronger. Anytime you say “thank you” or “good job,” make sure you tell people the difference they make. Collect and tell stories of their impact. One of the most powerful five words I've heard leaders say is, “If it wasn't for you…”

Mike Robbins, speaker and Fortune 500 consultant, said it this way: recognition is positive feedback based on results or performance. It tends to be conditional, based on the past, scarce (a limited amount to go around), and often needs to come from the top to be meaningfully received.  "Appreciation, on the other hand, is about acknowledging a person’s inherent value. The point isn’t their accomplishments. It’s their worth as a colleague and a human being. In simple terms, recognition is about what people do; appreciation is about who they are."

Laurie Butz, President and CEO of Captial Credit Union, thinks back to her younger days: 

“I would've gone to the ends of the earth for somebody who appreciated what I gave, what I did. If they showed any level of appreciation, whether it was a card or even just a thank you or, my God just acknowledged me, that would be helpful. But I think we get so tied up. I have heard leaders say they get a paycheck, that's how I thank them. But I think that's where Bob's [Bob Chapman] message really resonates. We could all lose together at the end of this game, but I'm still going to love you.”

So how can you acknowledge others through appreciation? Mike Robbins, offers three practical ways:

1. Listen. Hello, Attentive! Laurie says this: “Really listen for the rumble. Listen for the discontent. Listen for the pleasure, listen for the joy, listen for the laughter, but listen. And it's easy to get caught up in the work and you stop listening or you stop hearing.”

2. Tell people what you value about them, proactively. Be intentional to affirm who a person is, and communicate why they matter. 

3. Check in. If you are listening and paying attention you will be able to ask your people how they are, and really mean it.

Back to our definition: do this eagerly. The dictionary says “Someone who is eager wants to do or have something very much and feels excited pleasure at the prospect of it.” 

Find a way to eagerly appreciate someone this week.

Small Group #4 Questions

Incorporate the questions below into your Small Group Discussion:

April 24, 2024

ADDITIONAL CONTENT #3

Transition from AOb to Gratitude.

You made it. Welcome to our focus on Gratitude.

How saying “Thank you” can truly drive a spirit of gratitude.

Gratitude is often touted as the antidote for the thing that ails you, and while it’s true that gratitude does wonders for your mental health, it may not be something you consistently practice—especially at work, and especially with those you lead.

A 2013 survey conducted by the John Templeton Foundation showed that people are less likely to feel or express gratitude at work compared to other facets of their lives. For leaders, showing gratitude at work is a no-brainer. Ninety-three percent of those researched said they believed grateful bosses are more likely to thrive, while only 18 percent associated gratitude with weakness in leadership. This is because gratitude is positively correlated with motivation. Studies conducted by Adam Grant and Francesca Gino showed that without acknowledgement, collaboration, productivity, and the willingness to help plummeted by half.

This link to engagement is not new when you know the Who* Not What Principle and the Arc of Leadership. The research always shows that increased engagement and higher productivity result from exceptional leadership, but our work to become more Humble through gratitude is an effort to serve others. Yes it benefits our own mental health and even our company’s bottom line, but that’s not our motive. 

As you focus on gratitude over the next several weeks, you will probably find yourself saying two words that mirror AOB’s “I”m sorry,” and that is “Thank you.” But checking the box of saying these two words doesn’t make you grateful. In fact, your thank-you might be self-focused.

Social psychologist Heidi Grant says this:

“More often than not, human beings are a bit egocentric by nature. We have a tendency to talk about ourselves even when we should be thinking and talking about others. So naturally when we get high-quality help and support, we want to talk about how it made us feel. Though to be fair, we assume that’s what the helper wants to hear — they were helping to make us happy, so they must want to hear about how happy we are. But this assumption isn’t quite right. Yes, your helper wants you to be happy, but the motivation to be helpful often is tied directly to our own sense of self-worth. We help because we want to be good people, to live up to our goals and values, and, admittedly, to be admired. Remember this the next time you receive support from a colleague or friend. Helpers want to see themselves positively and to feel understood and cared for—which is difficult for them to do when you won’t stop talking about yourself.”

One way to move into a spirit of others focused gratitude is to power up your “thank you.” Mark Goulston suggests a three-parts thank-you. The first two parts are “other praising” while the third shows the “self benefit.” Exclude the first two and your thank-you might not have the gravity it could. Use all three and you make a really impactful acknowledgement that moves you to a spirit of gratitude.

1. Use specifics. Tell the person specifically what they did instead of making general statements.

2. Acknowledge their effort and the personal sacrifices they made. This is also an opportunity to appreciate who the person is, not just recognize what they did.

3. Tell them what it personally meant to you.

Showing gratitude by simply saying “thank-you” can go a long way in acknowledging others and helping you become a more Humble leader. Who will you thank today?

Gino, Francesca. “Be Grateful More Often.” Harvard Business Review, 29 Mar. 2024. 
Goulston, Mark. “How to Give a Meaningful ‘Thank You.’” Harvard Business Review, 7 Aug. 2014.
Grant, Heidi. “Stop Making Gratitude All About You.” Harvard Business Review, 29 June 2016.
Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas, et al. “How Grateful Are Americans?” Greater Good, Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.

SMALL GROUP #3 QUESTIONS

Incorporate the questions below into your Small Group Discussion:

1. Do you count yourself in the subset of people who find gratitude challenging due to arriving at your current station by overcoming incredible odds or obstacles with hard work and effort (what Tim calls a “bootstrap” worldview)? Who or what contributed to the “raw materials” of your hard work and effort? Can this move you to become more grateful?

2. Tim mentions the distinction between saying “thank you” and being grateful. Discuss this distinction in greater detail with each other.

3. Have your thank-you’s been “others praising” or “self benefiting? What do you think of the “power thank you”?

April 10, 2024

ADDITIONAL CONTENT #2

Article + Audio Note

This week we go one step further after our Awareness of Brokenness to “Two Words that Win Over Followers.” You may be surprised at what they are. In addition, click on the Audio Note for some Humble inspiration.

You can find the Audio Note transcript HERE.

SMALL GROUP #2 QUESTIONS

Incorporate the questions below into your Small Group Discussion:

1. Give an update on your Small Group Plan. What is working well? What has been challenging?

2. The article “Two Words That Win Over Followers” poses the rhetorical question: When was the last time you gave a [meaningful, heartfelt] sorry to someone? Do you agree that saying sorry can increase connection and engagement from followers? Do you disagree? Do you have any examples you can share?

3. What are your thoughts on “How To Apologize Properly”? Can you imagine using this method in your daily life with those you lead and influence? Why and why not?

4. What stood out to you from the Audio Note stories of Ayla and David? What connections can you make to the specific Humble work you are engaged in?

March 27, 2024

ADDITIONAL CONTENT #1

Article + Audio Note

This week’s Additional Content offers two items: an article and an audio note. Both provide practical concepts surrounding Awareness of Brokenness. Click below!

You can find the Audio Note transcript HERE.

SMALL GROUP #1 QUESTIONS

Incorporate the questions below into your Small Group Discussion:

1. What concerns you about the execution of your Small Group’s Humble Plan? What excites you?

2. The article “The Questions Great Leaders Ask” asks, When it hits the fan, what do you find yourself thinking about most? How have you historically responded to things going wrong? What else from the article stands out to you?

3. In the Audio Note “Itch to Fix? Don’t.” Tim talks about wanting to fix our brokenness as soon as we become aware of it. Do you struggle with a fix-it mentality? Do you struggle with over-exaggerating your brokenness? What might help to right-size your AOB?