It's a Wrap

Okay Leaders - the countdown is on.  It's Friday and the year 2012 is quickly wrapping up.
Here are a few things to do today to ensure that you wrap up those loose ends:

• wrap up who you may have missed along the way that needs more development
• wrap up who needs to move to new projects, new teams, new adventures
• wrap up the clients that need to have all the details done by the end of this year - you have 3 more days
• wrap up your goal list - what did you accomplish this year, how does it make you feel, what's left - will you move it to 213
• wrap up your plans - you should have a neat little bow on your plans for next year - you should come in on January 2nd ready to hit the ground running
• wrap up those thank you's - anyone you may have missed in the last week....time off, missed shifts, skipped emails and just general busy-ness could have caused this - simply go back and fix it

Helping your team see your leadership this past year has been critical to your success & theirs - be on top of it and finish strong!

That's a wrap!  Including my new website - check out www.loracrestan.com - would love your feedback!

Merry Christmas

May the joy & blessings of Christmas be yours,

today & throughout the year.

Lora

Reflection Time

This is the time of year that many people spend tying up loose ends, finishing projects, planning for the next year.

It is also time for reflection -
take some time to think about a few things.....

• What will you do about the things you did not like about the last year?  What changes will you make?
• What did you LOVE about last year?  How can you duplicate that in years to come?
• What opportunities did you seize?  Are you ready to seize the ones that may come your way next year?
• Who came into your life?  Who left?
• What is the one thing you will truly treasure - that you will hold in your heart and allow it to guide you forward next year?

Sounds mushy, I know.......you will thank me later if you simply read these questions over each day until January 1st.  I have been thinking about all of this - and grateful that I can.

Birthdays & Milestones

Tomorrow my husband turns 50.
This got me thinking about birthdays & milestones.
What do we celebrate and how do we celebrate the milestones in our lives?
At home? or at work?

As leaders (and he exemplifies this to the T), knowing the milestones that mark the path to success for each person on the team can lead to mini or maxi celebrations that provide encouragement, develop engagement and help facilitate change in habit and growth in culture.

What do you take time to celebrate?
Before you answer that question -  what are the milestones that make a difference to you, your team and your organization - that should be celebrated?
Not only that - who have you told about those milestones and what will the celebration be?

It can be as simple as donut-day for 30 accident-free days to as large as a cruise for hitting the Million Dollar Club - fact is, good leaders know that milestones are important - and sticking to them builds credibility and trust.

2013 is just around the corner. Take some time today to write out 1 milestone for each quarter that will help you highlight your road to a successful year.

It`s Not Yet New Year`s Eve But....

I love to watch movies.....and watch them over & over again.  Each time I do, I usually get struck by a line I missed last time or a phrase or action.  All very interesting how the universe conspires to allow you to hear & see (and feel) things when you need them.

In the movie New Year`s Eve there is a short speech by Claire Morgan - she is the Vice President of the New Year`s Eve Ball Drop Committee - the ball is stuck on it`s way up due to an electrical issue - she has called in the Great Kominski to fix it!  In the meantime, the crowd is getting restless so she gives them an update and a few words from the heart.  To me, this is leadership - stepping up, at all costs to say words from the heart.

Claire Morgan: As you all can see the ball has stopped half way to its porch. 
It's suspended there to remind us before we pop the champagne and celebrate the New Year, to stop and reflect on the year that has gone by. 
To remember both our triumphs and our missteps, our promises made and broken. 
The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures or close ourself down for fear of getting hurt. 
Cause that's what New Year's is all about, getting another chance. T
he chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more. 
And stop worrying about what if and start embracing what will be. 
So when that ball drops at midnight, and it will drop, let's remember to be nice to each other, kind to each other. 
And not just tonight, but all year long. 
Thank you.

So my wish for you today as we head into the busiest last few weeks of the year is to take that time out to remember each other, think about what may be on one another`s plate that we may not see - be kind.  Today & always.

Connect NOW

What are you waiting for? The time to connect is when you...
See someone
Meet someone - put their contact info in your phone
Walk past someone - smile...it starts a connection, and at least makes their day
When you overhear a conversation.....like I just did. Two very passionate individuals in the local Starbucks - I simply reached out and let them know I love their spirit and invited the Icarus Session I will be hosting on January 2, 2013.....like a lot of Seth Godin Tribe members.

So Connect. And do it immediately.
Do not put off what you know could make a difference for someone. After all, getting to know you is important....you could be their hope, their solution, or just the challenge you need.

Future Leaders

Transitions are happening in organizations around the globe.  As time marches on, people age and grow...and it becomes time to 'pass the torch' of leadership.  How do you prepare for this eventuality?
This will become fact in your business - you will either close your company, sell your company or pass it along in succession to others.

Leaders have to face this fact.

Stop right now and ask yourself the following questions:

1. who am I grooming to be future leader?
2. do I have the capability within the organization or am I going to have to look outside?
3. how am I developing this future leader?  is there an actual plan in place ON PAPER?
4. in which activities are they participating to stretch them and tap into their leadership skills?
5. am I focused on only their developmental needs or are those opportunities married to the future of the organization (trends, obstacles, forecasts)?

As the leader, part of your role is to envision the future and help the team/organization see it with you.  Take some time today to tap into this area of visualization - what do you see & how can you implement it?

People Planning?

With the New Year right around the corner, what is your plan for your people?  Did you ever think to do 'people planning'?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. What is the pulse of the company and it's culture?
2. How will you strengthen the culture in the New Year?
3. How will you attract new talent?
4. How will you retain the great talent you already have on board?
5. Who in your organization will you groom for the future?

These questions form the basis of your People Planning.  Now take the time to flush out some answers - this is time consuming and well worth the effort.  After all, does your organization live and breathe because of the people within it?

Let us all know how you are doing with this exercise.....happy to help brainstorm solutions with  you!