By: Lynne Breil

It’s not second nature to any of us. Giving a presentation to an audience face-to-face is challenging enough. Going virtual presents a new set of rules. The following 5 points (following the acronym VOCAL) help you know what to keep in mind when going virtual.

• Visible: Rather than look like you’re in the witness protection program, remember that humans look best when they’re lit from the front. Use a light and shine it in front of you. Remember how you got your picture taken by a photographer? Same idea. Dress professionally, wear make-up (ladies), use gestures, and adjust your camera to include not just your head, but your head and shoulders.
• Organized: Have a non-distracting background. Virtual backgrounds might be fun, but they are not always professional and appropriate. Take down distracting pictures on the wall behind you, put a stack of books on your bed to make it look like it’s a credenza if there’s where you need to be when presenting, and add a plant behind you to show depth. Organized also means that you give your listeners any virtual meeting protocols (I call them “ground rules”). That might be to unmute your video (I tell my audiences, “If I can’t see you, you’re not here”), tell them to be prepared to participate in breakout rooms, polls, and use the chat feature if you’re building that into your presentation.
• Compassionate: Use eye contact; treat the camera like a person. But don’t stare – it will creep out your viewers. Establish and maintain eye contact, look away at times, but always go back to the camera. And remember – any amount of emotion you have will be evident in your voice.  Speak with 10-20% more energy than you would face-to-face. Consider reaching out to your viewers (or audience) early on. For example, send everyone an email to introduce yourself, ask them to give you short feedback about the topic you’re presenting, ask about their experience with the topic, etc. By doing so, you’re already communicating care, concern, and compassion.
• Analytical: There’s a time and place for charts and graphs, but in the virtual classroom your viewers want to see you and your personality. Include data in your presentation, but don’t let it BE the presentation. Rather, give viewers links or videos to watch or read on their own.
• Lead by Example: It’s hard to show leadership when you don’t have a face-to-face event or an audience, but you need to show your viewers that you’re the person behind your position. You always need to communicate, but in changing times and situations, more frequently. Find ways to give hope to your viewers that this virtual platform will work for them. Encourage them to look forward, not back. English Prime Minister Gordon Brown had it right on point when, instead of saying “I’ll do what I can”, he said, “I will do what it takes”.

By: Rob Fazio

“How do we keep people motivated with all of this uncertainty and fear?” This is a question I continue to get asked from clients during the Covid-19 crisis. The answer is simple but not easy. What’s needed is a shift from trying to motivate people to invite people to be motivated. I believe that motivation is personal and needs to come from within. We consistently confuse motivation with inspiration. Inspiration is often short term. For example, what you experience after hearing a feel-good speech. Gifted speakers tap into your emotions and tell stories that make us feel positive and inspired, but it usually doesn’t last.

Motivation matters more than ever today. The way we lead will either cost us or give us a large ROE, return on our efforts.  Aon found that in the current digital age, the impact of reputation events on stocks has doubled. How a company’s management prepares, handles, and behaves following a crisis can add 20% of value or lose 30% of value. According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety have a significant economic impact. The approximate cost to the global economy is $1 trillion lost in productivity annually. Given the perfect storm of predictors of anxiety during the Covid-19 crisis such as lack of control, ambiguity, no clear path, and constant media coverage, that number is likely to be larger. One way to offset these risks and increase engagement is to shift the way you think about motivation and diversify your approach so you meet people where they are.

The type of motivation that increases engagement comes from what naturally drives people and lasts longer than a booster shot of enthusiasm. The way to reach people where they are is to appreciate the diversity of drivers and communication styles in people. A simple way to remember this is to key into mind Vibe, Vocabulary, and Vision. Vibe is how you interact with people and demonstrate that you genuinely want to play a role in their success. Vocabulary is using language that taps into people’s motivators. Vision is being forward looking, positive, and painting a picture of how individual contributions lead to collective success.

In order to accomplish paying attention to Vibe, Vocabulary, and Vision our team wanted to create a simple approach to a complex challenge. How do we know what motivates people and, just as important, what do we do once we know? Think of motivation as a diverse approach to reach people where they are. In his book Human Motivation, Harvard psychologist David McClelland looked at social motives and what drives our behavior inside us. His work led to the development of motivational currency, which is a simple approach to reading and leading based on an appreciation of what drives each individual person. The core four motivators are Performance, People, Power, and Purpose.  With fewer in-person interactions and more virtual interactions, it’s even more important to increase the probability of successfully influencing people by suspending your initial instinct and leading with intention.

As much as we wish it were as simple as a one size fits all, when it comes to motivation and much of psychology, people are unique, and we take action based on our personalities, previous experiences, and current situation. Therefore, although most people will have a primary motivator, it is often the case that people have multiple motivators. Someone can be highly motivated and driven by Performance as much as they are by People. The stronger your motivators are in one area, the easier it is for you to make decisions and the more challenging it is to manage your impulses.

Below are descriptions of the four motivators presented in an intuitive and straightforward way. The goals are to be able to: a) recognize what your primary motivators are, b) read what the motivators are for others, and c) lead with intention so you can motivate others quickly and effectively.

Performance                                                                                                                                                                                       

The Performance motivator is about results. Individuals who are driven by performance want to get things done. They pride themselves on not just completing tasks but excelling. A person with a drive for performance thrives on meeting challenges and exceeding standards. They are often fast paced, direct, and focused on outcomes. Performance driven people are not afraid to challenge the status quo and expect others to have as much drive as they do.

People                                                                                                                                                                                                     

The People motivator is about relationships. Individuals who are driven by the People motivator are most concerned about getting along, teamwork, and collaboration. They are focused on what impact things have on other people. They tend to have a strong social radar and can read people well.

In groups, the People driven person is often the person who asks a lot of questions, is inclusive, and focuses on getting everyone’s option. A common descriptor of someone who is People driven is “nice” or “team-oriented.”

Power                                                                                                                                                                                                     

The Power motivator is about influence. People are motivated by Power put a premium on being persuasive and offering their point of view. They often are effective at providing advice and communicating the importance of brand and reputation.

Purpose                                                                                                                                                                                             

The Purpose motivator is about helping others and contributing to something outside of themselves. They often crave having purpose and meaning in their work. Many Purpose driven people are motivated by developing others or volunteering and community involvement. They excel at getting people to focus on the greater good and can be tremendous enterprise contributors. They can get people to think across business silos and think about what is best for the entire group or business rather than individuals or teams.

From analyzing the data, we have from the Motivational Currency Calculator across industries, we have found that women rate themselves higher than men on Purpose. Men rate themselves higher on Performance and Power. There are similar related to People. Men and women do not differ on their accuracy scores for “Leading,” which is identifying the correct communication approach based on someone’s primary motivator. However, women tend to have a higher accuracy score related to “Reading” which is how effectively one can identify what is someone’s primary motivator.

In regard to generations, our team was surprised to learn that millennials have more similar motivation profiles to baby boomers than generation X. Millennials rate themselves highest on Power and Purpose. Generation X rates themselves highest on Performance. All generations rate themselves similarly on People. Generation X scores highest on “Reading.”

Connect with us and continue the conversation. On October 7^th, in partnership with HRDQ, we will have the opportunity to further the conversation on motivation. You can register here: Motivational Currency®  The Coins of Influence and Inclusion.

The more effort you put into understanding what drives people, the further you will go together.

Rob Fazio, PhD of OnPoint Advising, has over 20 years of experience advising executives on crisis, power, influence, and motivation with elite and emerging talent. Rob is the author of Simple is the New Smart and the Motivational Currency Calculator. He is the founder of Hold the Door a 9-11 inspired nonprofit focused on growth through adversity.

By: Devin C. Hughes

Have you noticed that some people are able to maintain a relatively positive attitude regardless of what’s happening around them right now? Like everyone, they can appreciate the good times, but they also seem to be able to focus on the positive in the face of so much uncertainty and a string of negative events that seem almost daily.

Fortunately, a positive attitude can be cultivated, with a little practice. Although we are born with specific temperamental tendencies, the brain is a muscle, and you can strengthen your mind’s natural tendency toward optimism if you work at it. And also, fortunately, working on building your “gratitude muscle” can be enjoyable in itself. But the benefits you gain would make it worth the effort even if it was a dull, difficult task.

In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it

Recognize:

Your job this week is a simple one. Choose one person in your world that makes you feel truly thankful for their part in your life. It can be a spouse, a friend, a family member or a co-worker. It really doesn’t matter who they are — what’s more important is the feelings of gratitude they elicit in you.

Write:

Now, I want you to write them a letter. As you write this letter, tell them why you value their relationship and include a few points that are especially noteworthy — a great ability to listen, the best time you’ve ever shared with them, character traits you really appreciate. Anything that comes to mind and helps to build the whole of your gratitude.

Reveal:

Here comes the more difficult part — you need to read them your letter be it over the phone, Skype, or any other number of means, you need to convey it to them personally. Follow up by mailing or hand-delivering it.

Reflect:

As you do this, make note of the different feelings it might bring up — nervousness, happiness, contentment, giddiness, or maybe even a little sadness or distress.

Each of these emotions and responses plays into that overall gratitude you feel, and as you begin to recognize its different components, you’ll notice that these come up in day-to-day life, and you will soon start noticing how small they can be and that they, too, are grounds for gratitude.

A positive attitude makes for a happy life!

What tips do you have to share on keeping a positive outlook right now?

By Priscilla Nelson and Ed Cohen

Adapted and updated from an article that first appeared in Strategy & Business Magazine, September 2010.

While working as senior talent leaders for a global organization that went through a 2.5 billion dollar scandal (not counting peripheral damages) when the Chairman confessed to “cooking the books” causing the near bankruptcy and closure of the company, we had the opportunity to observe and be a part of culture’s true influence. During turbulent times, like those we are going through now with Covid-19, leadership is not determined by rank but by the strength of the talent and conviction to build the relationships necessary to bring about collaboration and seek solutions. In our situation, leaders came from all areas and from all levels. There was a sincere desire, but without knowledge, they required continuous guidance. This is a must-start, high-impact area for HR and talent professions. HR and talent professionals should continuously communicate with leaders, provide advice on how to lead during turbulence, and make available rapid skill enhancement. One such area where they can have tremendous impact is by educating (yes, we mean educating) leaders about how much they influence their organizational culture.

The “fallout” from organizations going through turbulent times like Covid-19, extends itself to the employees, their families, the public and many times the greater global community. Recall the ramifications of the volcanic eruptions over Iceland. It had a tremendous financial impact on the airline industry and those of us who fly hither and yon. It also resulted in many people being laid off. Peripherally, businesses (many of them small) all over the world dependent on the airline industry were also impacted. From taxi drivers, to hotels and the local flower shop down the street from where you live that could not import the special arrangements you wanted. The culture of an entire industry, those working for that industry and each of these examples were influenced.

Consider the Toyota crisis. Cultural differences between Japan and the United States brought about other challenges. In Japan, subtlety and withdrawal have very deliberate intentions, where in the United States they would be seen as arrogant or dismissive. Rooted in many aspects of Confucianism, Japan puts much more focus on the responsibility of the individual to others. Building and helping community is an expected responsibility and when an individual does not meet those expectation there is great shame. There is, therefore, a great pressure to unite around ideas, projects and causes than what we might see in the United States.

Roland Kelts addresses this in detail in an article in the Christian Science Monitor, February 2010. According to Kelts, “…we tend to prize opinionated, headstrong mavericks who are often lauded for their capacity to stand out from the crowd. In Japan however, it is the individual who can facilitate and sustain maximum harmony among group members – the Japanese concept of wa – who achieves praise for leadership in society…”

Never wanting injury or death from such an event, in many ways their culture of humility drove Toyota, a Japanese-based corporation, where Mr. Akio Toyoda took this as a very personal catastrophe and, again, according to Kelts…” a surer sign of a successful corporate leader in Japan is that he (they are almost all men) remains virtually invisible to the public eye, while his organization thrives, and face saving, allowing others to maintain their dignity even when they have erred, is tantamount to ensuring that all group members feel respected. Openly admitting a mistake, or forcing another to do so, invites embarrassment and disharmony. Far better to indirectly make or exchange concessions; indirection eludes confrontation, thus avoiding conflict.”

Do you see where we are going with this? When Toyoda testified on Capital Hill the entire exchange of plans for the event and his subsequent trip to Washington, D.C., were fraught with cultural mishaps and miscommunications. His apology was akin to the ultimate public humiliation. For the sake of Toyota and the global community he called upon all the strength he had available to do so. Toyota employees around the world saw him as a great leader and a hero. This selfless act helped to begin rebuilding the lost employee pride in the never-before tarnished reputation of Toyota. They felt more united and the organization began its recovery.

BP employees also experienced what it feels like to have shame introduced into their culture. It’s quite common for employees to take on the embarrassment caused by of the actions of others and good leaders must recognize the need to care for these wounded leaders and employees. If the organization has planned and prepared well, many programs and systems would be in place for such turbulent times. If not, the road back is tricky and filled with additional challenges because it requires shifting the organization’s culture to get it back on track. An event that rocks their world, such as the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, can be the catalyst that introduces many new and unwanted elements into the culture.

Turbulence of any kind can affect an organization’s culture. To prepare for these changes, the necessary steps to protect and adjust the organizational culture must be planned, and this planning needs to be done before, during, and following turbulent times. This is an area where talent professionals play a primary role. They have regular access to more people than those in any other part of the organization making them are uniquely prepared to play a powerful role in its revitalization. They can gather information, facilitate learning solutions, communicate changes, assist in determining necessary cultural changes, and provide coaching for leaders to introduce and reinforce desired outcomes. Moreover given their scope of responsibility, they are well positioned to observe the organizational culture as it grows over time. And thus they also tend to be well aware that people tend to be become comfortable with the current organizational culture, for them to consider cultural change, a significant event must usually occur. Any major event can be the catalyst for shifting the organizational culture. Even so, attempting to change this culture could well be the most difficult project anyone will ever take on.

Let’s take a look at BP. Their perceived lack of disclosure and transparency has now become part of their culture. In addition to impacting their brand, it influenced the decisions of employees around the world. The collateral damage is well known, the small fisherman who closed his family owned business after three generations and 30 years, the restaurant owners who were unable to provide fresh oysters for their guests and saw diminishing sales as customers went elsewhere, the families who survived one crisis after another in the Gulf, and the thousands of species at risk for extinction. Had BP come forth earlier with the facts about how many gallons of oil were actually leaking into the Gulf perhaps better or faster methods might have been available for containment. Until the leaders decided to be more transparent and forthcoming with information, they continued to have consequences that became a long term part of their culture.

Looking further at BP’s culture, how could they have overcome the shame that their employees are now carrying with them? The could have added it to the leadership development agenda, and taken measured steps to constantly reinforce the need to communicate with employees, to let them know everything about what is known and unknown. Beyond that, an organization like BP needs to invite their people to be a part of the solution (which is much more than capping the well in the gulf). With the right steps, BP could have reduced the fears of their people and engaged them in the process of revisiting their culture from the inside-out to reap the benefits of having more than 100,000 brand ambassadors. Instead, they suffered for years and have yet to come back to the strength and reputation they enjoyed prior to the spill.

Remember healing always starts from within. These lessons don’t have to be learned in crisis. Organizations can create and sustain a culture that welcomes the positive influences and eliminates the negative with talent professionals can be right there at the front lines, using leading through learning strategies to help their organizations.

Join our upcoming HRDQ-U two-part webinar series titled “Leading Through Learning in Turbulent Times like Covid”.

Leveraging a Lights On Strategy on September 2, 2020 at 2pm ET/11am PT.

Renewing your Employee Value Proposition on September 23, 2020 at 2pm ET/11am PT.