values

Leading a Remote or Hybrid Team

May 4, 2022
Priscilla Archangel
hybrid work, Leadership, remote work, Team, Team Building, teamwork, values
Leading a Remote or Hybrid Team

It’s no secret that many companies are struggling to find the right balance between remote and hybrid work policies for their knowledge workers. After over two years of forced remote work, announcements and retractions of return-to-office dates, remote local hires who have never stepped foot on site, and remote countrywide hires who will never be expected to work on site, many hope there is light at the end of the tunnel. They just don’t know if it’s sunlight or a train headlight. (more…)

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Are Your Organizational Values Still Relevant?

January 5, 2022
Priscilla Archangel
Communication, values
Are Your Organizational Values Still Relevant?

As leaders welcome the new year and identify priorities for themselves and their organizations, one topic stands out that may be badly in need of more attention. It’s their organizational values.

Organizational values are at the core of each company’s culture. They are the key principles that guide and direct the decisions made at all levels within the group, and lead to the desired business results. Astute leaders understand the importance of ensuring their values provide a foundation to govern behaviors both at an individual and team level. They are therefore purposeful in identifying the most critical beliefs that will drive performance to create the desired culture. (more…)

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Great Leaders Offer Hope

June 3, 2020
Priscilla Archangel
Communication, Leadership, Strategy, values
Great Leaders Offer Hope

During the first five months of 2020 we’ve experienced multiple crises. People started the year preparing their vision for 2020, drawing a comparison with having 20/20 visual acuity. But I’m sure no one had this vision for five months filled with: Political uncertainty, a pandemic, economic meltdown, Supply chain interruption, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, killer hornets, senseless killings, protests, and riots

Any one of these crises requires good leadership to navigate through it. But for leaders in government, businesses, community services, health care, and families, to manage all of it together is overwhelming. Yet every organization has some role based on their purpose, to address these situations. And as people are looking for solutions, answers, and a way forward, it’s the responsibility of leaders to offer hope in the midst of turmoil. (more…)

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Developing Your Authentic Presence

December 4, 2019
Priscilla Archangel
Behavior, Character, Credibility, Leadership, Peronal Brand, Presence, values

Developing Your Authentic Presence

This is a conversation I’ve been engaged in with multiple leaders over the past month. These are individuals trying to move their careers forward and balance their own desires and interests with the expectations of others in their environment around appearance, style, communications and behaviors.

In recent years, trends have moved from organizations being very prescriptive about the appearance and behaviors of their employees, to understanding the need to be open to more variety. This shift is focused in part on the recognition that employees want greater ability to bring their “whole self” to work, and the risk of losing talented individuals who can contribute to improved results. So, what is authentic presence? (more…)

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Saying No: Managing Your Time in a Hyperconnected World

June 6, 2018
Priscilla Archangel
Decision Making, Leadership, Priorities, values

Saying No: Managing Your Time in a Hyperconnected World

How do you say “no” to the myriad of requests impacting your time?

As your leadership role expands, you are likely discovering that the demands on your time to deliver results and to connect with people inside and outside your organization are increasing. You’re finding that you’re unable to be responsive to the needs that you used to easily fulfill in the past. You want to spend time investing in others but are faced with the challenge of prioritizing the greatest return on investment for your time spent. You find that you must make the most productive connections that are mutually beneficial to all involved.

So, what do you do with the increasing requests for connection on social media? Then there’s the follow up emails to just get 15 minutes of your time to discuss an important topic. Meanwhile, in the office you’re encouraged to support employee engagement by increasing your interactions with team members at all levels of the organization. (more…)

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Six Steps to Collaborative Problem Solving

August 2, 2017
Priscilla Archangel
Collaboration, Leadership, Problem Solving, values

Six Steps to Collaborative Problem Solving

Many years ago, when I began my career in human resources, a colleague gave me a piece of valuable advice. He told me that when working with our business partners, I should avoid being a “no” person, but instead find ways to say “yes.”

Now, you must understand the context of this conversation. There were times when our business partners would make what I call “end” requests. That means when the business partner had a problem, they decided what action needed to be taken, then came to us and told us what to do. Obviously, in our humble yet expert opinion, their solution wasn’t the appropriate way to resolve the issue. Our partners weren’t necessarily trying to be difficult, or to violate policies or procedures, they simply wanted a quick resolution that fit their expectations. As HR professionals, the temptation for us, at least periodically, was to take charge of the situation and to do the proper thing. But the better result always included collaborating with them in understanding how to assess the problem and in finding the best solution. (more…)

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Developing Leadership Perspective: Fact vs. Reality

June 7, 2017
Priscilla Archangel
Decision Making, Leadership, Process, values

Developing Leadership Perspective: Fact vs. Reality

There’s an old fable about three blind men who touched an elephant to find out what it was like. One man touched the leg and declared that the elephant was like a tree trunk. Another touched the elephant’s tail and declared that it was like a snake. The third man touched its side and declared that it was like a wall. A disagreement ensued as they each defended their perspective on the animal. After all, they knew what they felt.

Were each of them right? Yes, and no. They each experienced a part of the elephant, but none experienced the whole. They each described the elephant from their perspective, but due to limitations in their vision and space, none of them could see it in its entirety. Only when they began to compare notes, and to walk around the elephant feeling different parts of it, could they begin to piece together a view of the entire animal. They had to experience it from different angles. Later, a sighted man came along and immediately saw the entire elephant. He quickly walked around the animal, sized it up and fully described it to the men. Their facts were not the same as reality.

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The 3 C’s to Establishing Tone at the Top

May 4, 2017
Priscilla Archangel
Behavior, Character, Commitment, Leadership, values

The 3 C’s to Establishing Tone at the Top

Michael left the office early for once. He was on his way home to celebrate the position he had just accepted at a new company. After 25 years of hard work and great personal sacrifice, he finally got the VP position he felt he deserved. He had more than enough experience to step into the role and produce solid wins for his new employer. Everything was moving along smoothly until that night when he got the call from the executive recruiter. There was a problem with background check they just completed. They couldn’t find record of him having completed his MBA. He recognized that when he presented his credentials, he neglected to mention that he was two classes short of graduation, but he felt that his vast experience more than made up for that. Unfortunately for him, his new employer disagreed. The offer was withdrawn, not because he lacked the degree, but because he hadn’t come clean about it.

Joan was celebrating for a different reason. Her team exceeded their stretch sales target for the fiscal year, a herculean effort on the part of everyone. Her leadership, strategic planning, and ability to pull the group together to find innovative approaches to problems had paid off. This news would be well received by investors and provide her and the team with a significant bonus opportunity. The president called and asked her to stop by his office. As she walked down the hall to see him, she imagined his congratulatory words. She might even get a promotion! But when she opened the door and saw a somber look on his face, and the HR VP already present, she knew the message was going to be very different. Someone had reported a few irregularities in Joan’s sales tactics. She had simply taken a bit of interpretive license in several guidelines, just a gray area that didn’t hurt anyone. But the president didn’t see it as a minor issue. And he dismissed her on the spot for her lack of integrity. (more…)

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