Why Asking Open-Ended Questions is Important for Creative Businesses

How? Why? What? Open-ended questions are questions that start this way. They are designed to be thought-provoking and allow for longer and more detailed responses. Differing from closed-ended questions that typically are answered with yes or no or have some short response, they have no predetermined answers and will require some explanation. A good open-ended question always seeks genuine interest in the person’s answers. Since these types of questions require deeper thinking they can often end with breakthrough answers. The point is not about having a right or wrong answer with these so that they can elicit collaboration within a team. You can already see why this type of thought provocation within your business can be beneficial, especially when you’re trying to solve some problem. They can build rapport between employees and foster positive relationships within the company. If you’re not sure where to start with asking open-ended questions here are some tips and examples.

1.     Be mindful: Keep an eye on yourself and the types of questions that you tend to ask naturally. Are they closed or open-ended in nature? If they are mostly closed, try turning them into open. For example, you ask, “Did you like the presentation?” Now, let’s turn this into an open-ended question instead by saying, “What did you think of the presentation? Do you see improvements that need to be made? What things do you particularly enjoy? Now, instead of a yes or no and possibly even a meh it was ok answer, you have opened up the door for discussion.

2.     Follow up with an open-ended question: First, look at the above example again by asking, “Did you like the presentation?” Followed up with, “What did you like or not like about it?

3.     Don’t go through the motions: Try to remember that sometimes running off on a tangent will happen. These questions are designed to provoke thought and collaboration. Sometimes you may have to reel it back in a little but don’t be too rigid on how the conversation should go. “Be like water my friend” - Bruce Lee.

If you need some ideas of examples for open-ended questions to get you started here are a couple to get you going.

1.     What do you believe is the root of the problem?

2.     What objectives can help solve this problem?

3.     Could you provide an example of what you’re talking about?

4.     If this isn’t working for you, can you help me understand why?

5.     Would you mind elaborating?

We hope this helps you on your way to opening up discussions within your teams for your business. Having a team that thinks deeply in the creative spaces of advertising is crucial to coming up with good ideas. Sometimes all you need is a conversation to take your minds where they hadn’t thought to go yet.

Using Grateful Practices to Expand Your Business

Every morning I sit and journal for 20 minutes to unload my mind and declutter my thoughts. If you’ve ever read The 5 am Club by Robin Sharma, then you know what this 20/20/20 rule is all about. I digress though. If you want to know what it’s about you’ll have to read the book. Wink Wink. Once I’m done with this journaling practice, I write down 5 things I am grateful for that day. It can be as complicated as, “I am grateful for the ability to shift my focus to things I can control when I am burdened with situations that are out of my control.” Or they can be as simple as. “I am grateful that I woke up today or for the roof over my head.”  

Business is truly about the relationships that we foster. Our relationships with other businesses, our team, and our customers are all equally important. According to Forbes, 134% of people are more likely to stay in work cultures where leaders prioritize gratitude. As a leader do you want your company to be fueled by gratitude to grow? Of course, you do. Who wouldn’t? As leaders, we’re always seeking ways to expand our businesses but usually, this is done through business strategies and less of a mindset approach. However, practicing gratitude can transform your mindset and your business model. When people feel heard they feel valued so while simple thank you’s are nice, they aren’t all you need to cultivate a gratitude culture at work.

To embrace gratitude as a business skill you need to practice a few things.

1.     Self-reflection for what you are grateful for in your business and why daily

2.     Enhance relationships with your team through genuine appreciation for your team and others you do business with

3.      Promote growth by being grateful for what your business already has and it will create new opportunities

4.     Advocate positivity at work and create gratitude routines as an entrepreneur

You can use these tools and grateful practices to overcome challenges and increase employee satisfaction. Following just a few strategies as a leader can improve your business model. What is it that they say? “Your attitude determines your latitude.” Your mind is your most powerful weapon.

Developing a Growth Mindset

What is it that sets extremely successful people apart from others? Take a second. We’ll wait…. OK, so what do you think? Is it that they can work harder than others? Well, in short, that’s part of the equation but no. That’s not it. Successful people have only become successful after more failures than most could even imagine or endure. It’s their grit to keep working toward that goal no matter what until it’s achieved. This comes not only from their “grit” but also their growth mindset. So, what exactly is a growth mindset? It’s the belief that talents, skills, and intelligence are malleable and can be improved with practice, hard work, and time. Why do you ask if is it important in business? Well, without this type of mindset success will not come. One has to implement this to keep the brand afloat. Trust us, we know from experience since we started Locomotive Content from the ground up. Here are our top 3 ways to help your growth mindset flourish or develop one if you haven’t already.

1.     Seek feedback: whenever, wherever, and from a multitude of people. Look to mentors. Look to those already in your industry. Seeking feedback will help make the brand better and being able to take constructive criticism well to use it as a tool can be the thing that makes you stand out as a leader. Don’t be afraid to ask your team if you have one already their thoughts. Not only will they feel respected, they will be happy to help. Because when you succeed the business succeeds and so do they. It’s a win-win for everyone.

2.     Embrace your failures: failures are a learning lesson. As much as failing at something is no fun, embracing your mistakes is the only way to begin to get curious as to why something didn’t work out in the first place. Then you can begin the process of improving and/or changing things to achieve that same goal. Remember those successful people we talked about in the intro? That’s what they all did over and over until they got it right. Failing upward.

3.     Look for the hard stuff: find challenges and run at them head first. Being uncomfortable is a great way to increase your skill set. What have you got to lose? The answer is nothing. You fail. You learn. You succeed and you have learned something new about yourself and your business. So, look for projects that might be slightly out of your skillset wheelhouse. It might be uncomfortable at first but you’ll thank yourself later.

Well, that’s it. Sounds easy but it can be challenging and there are many more ways to help you develop a growth mindset as a leader for your business. Remember to focus on taking pride in the journey and celebrate the small wins. Lessons learned along the way are priceless. As Rainer Maria Rilke said, “The only journey is the journey within.”

7 Steps: A Guide for Logical Decision Making

Critical decisions can be tough to make in the business world. Rational decisions are important when we as humans tend to be highly emotional. However, there is a model to help those who have to make these difficult choices daily in the workplace. This guide can make the process less stressful and help you come up with clear solutions that are the best. Here’s how it goes:

1.     Identify the decision that must be made: Clearly define your decision or problem.

2.     Gather relevant information: Find all data pertaining to the problem or decision that must be made. This can be internal (inside the workplace) or external (outside the workplace). This is where the brainstorming begins once the data has all been gathered.

3.     Find alternative answers: How many different ways can you spin this? How many solutions are there? Write down a pros and cons list of each one. Do the pros outweigh the cons? SWOT analysis and decision matrixes are helpful here too.

4.     Weigh your findings: Place each alternative in order of ranking from highest to lowest based on the pros and cons lists you created. Which ones make the most sense?  

5.     Choose: Now it’s time to choose the best solution for your problem. Sometimes a blend of a few of the alternatives may be the answer and not just one single solution. Being an effective decision-maker involves creativity and confidence.

6.     Act: Now that you have chosen it is time to act. Implement your decision but take the time to create a plan so that the team is on the same page.

7.     Monitor and Review: Did the decision solve the problem? Here is where you can look at the results of the solution. Look at the solution and evaluate whether or not it has resolved the problem properly. Are you satisfied with the outcome? If the answer is no, this is when you can try another option.

Human nature causes us to be emotional but decisions should be made rationally. We shouldn’t make decisions based on reasoning that is backed by feeling. Logical decision-making can be tough to do sometimes. Following this guideline can help you and your team make the right decisions for the brand/business. Good luck and we hope this helps!

Marketing Communications 101

Otherwise known as MarCom, marketing communications refers to the combination of promotional tools, channels, messages, and media that brands use to communicate with their audience. The role of marketing communications is to:

1.     Shorten sales funnel

2.     Increase customer loyalty

3.     Increase brand awareness

4.     Create a demand for products/services

5.     Reach the right people

6.     Promote brand innovation

Advertising falls under the umbrella of marketing communications as well as digital marketing, direct marketing, public relations, sales promotion, and branding. Marketing communications strategy falls under the Four P’s. We’ve talked about the Four P’s in past articles, but now it has been updated to the Seven P’s, which are:

1.     Product

2.     Price

3.     Promotion

4.     Place

5.     People

6.     Process

7.     Packaging

Marketing communication channels are important because they are the foundation of all brand marketing. The beauty of the digital age is that you can reach much larger audience pools through social media channels with your marketing communications. Traditional channels, such as print, radio, and television are no longer required to reach your target audience. This is why user-generated content advertising is just getting started. All brands, large or small can benefit from a digital marketing strategy. With UGC, your brand can leverage low-cost digital marketing ads while increasing brand reputation and consumer trust. Pew Research’s recent study showed that “26% of people are online constantly and 43% are on at least once a day.” Digital communications marketing also extends to B2B with some slight differences. B2B will be more logic-focused than emotional. They will also take slightly longer because more than one individual will be involved. The bottom line here is marketing communication strategies have changed vastly over the last decade. Traditional marketing communications aren’t a thing of the past but rather no longer a requirement and can supplement digital marketing efforts. UGC has a place within this new marketing communications world. If you would like to learn more feel free to contact us.

5 Years on the Rails

Happy birthday to us! We absolutely cannot believe that it has been half a decade already on the tracks together. We’ve officially turned five years old and couldn’t be more excited about the years to come. We would like to thank all of our partners for trusting us with their UGC advertising campaigns. You helped us turn a dream into a reality. Thank you to all of our employees, especially those who have been with us since day one! You all are the cogs in the machine that makes this company run efficiently with all of your hard work. Lastly, big thanks to all the content creators out there! Without your amazing photos and videos, there would be nothing to source and use for the spots we’ve been a part of. It’s been a pleasure partnering with every one of you who has been an ally for us over the years! Cheers to many more together!

Tips to Help You Calm Nerves Before Giving a Big Presentation

We recently wrote an article with some tips to become a better public speaker, which is very important in business. But, no matter how many times you have given a big presentation, your nerves most likely won’t go anywhere. This is a good thing. It means that you care. You want it to go well. That said, sometimes the anxiety can cause you to bomb or affect your confidence. So, how do you calm your nerves down before presenting? Here are some ways to help curb the nervousness that comes along with public speaking.

1.     Focus on deep breathing: Take deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. A good 4-second count in and out as you breathe. This helps regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, and stress. You can do this before, during, and after speaking.

2.     Stretch: Do this before the presentation. This can help with your body language to be more relaxed and natural. It can also improve posture.

3.     Visualize: See yourself in the first person giving the presentation to the group in a confident way. The first person is important here. Make sure you aren’t visualizing in the sense that you’re watching yourself from the outside like a movie. Engage the audience and see positive outcomes, such as applause. This can help curb negative emotions.

4.     Positive affirmations: These reinforce strengths and goals. Write them down and put them in places where you will see them often. We like to put them on the bathroom mirror, and in the car, and we state them aloud before bed and after waking. An example of a positive affirmation is, “I speak confidently and with conviction.”

Public speaking is never easy but you can use these tips to help manage anxiety that inherently comes along with it. Following these guidelines can help your presentations flow more naturally so that you can focus on your message. Remembering the value that you have to offer your audience is important to keep in mind as you present. If you make a mistake during the presentation, don’t freak out. You’re only human and mistakes are bound to happen. Let it go and move on to the next section. Redirect your focus and keep it organic. Practice makes permanent and the more you do it, the better you will get!

VUCA: Finding Order in Chaos

Que “Barbie Girl” song voice, “I’m a VUCA girl… in a VUCA world.” VUCA is chaos but what does it mean and how do we bring order to the mess? This concept came about to help us understand the complexities of the world around us concerning uncertainty, rapid changes, disruption, flux in the markets, etc. It seems uncontrollable right? Well, wrong. VUCA helps bring order to the chaos. The acronym stands for volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. Let’s break each one down and see how one can use this as a guideline in a chaotic world.

1.     Volatile: This refers to the speed of changes in industries. We’re up. We’re down. Life is truly a rollercoaster ride. In business, it’s important not to react immediately to volatile changes. Take a second to take a deep breath. Let’s take 5 actually to help you remain calm and make sound decisions. Another way to combat volatility is to leave slack in certain areas of your business. For example, keep a cushion in the bank account to help out with low revenue times or stockpile some inventory.

2.     Uncertain: Refers to all those unknowns in life and business. There is so much we cannot control in our lives. So, let’s take the thought-out approach and focus our efforts on those things that we can. Some things are almost impossible to predict in business. Focus on things that can help you be more certain, such as data. What information can you use to see what works and what doesn’t?

3.     Complex: There are a plethora of factors that have to be considered for anything we do. More factors equal more complexity. One way to deal with this is to surround yourself with people who can help you slow down and figure things out. Remember Occam’s Razor? The best answer to something is typically the most obvious and simplest one. Find allies who can help you break things down into more clear and concise forms to problem solve.

4.     Ambiguity: This is the lack of clarity on how to interpret something. Pretty much everything in life falls under that “grey area.” A way to deal with this is to be expeditious to abrupt changes that you may not have been expecting. Being able to pivot quickly is the best way to deal with vagueness in cause-and-effect situations.

In our urgency culture, VUCA isn’t going anywhere any time soon. The plus side is that there are ways to combat it in a more clarified and structured way. In business, it can help leaders manage the rapidly changing markets and maintain the right mindset while doing so. Long-term success is the end game, so understanding VUCA will help you and your team follow that non-linear line to the top!

Presentation in Business: Become a Champ at Public Speaking

Did you know that, “About 77% of people have a fear of public speaking,” according to Cross River Therapy Group. Why is having good presentation skills important in business? Well, it can mean the difference between getting a new client, sharing knowledge efficiently with the team, and/or it will improve the impact of your message through a self-assured and grounded persona. Here are some reasons why it is vital in business.

1.     Time management: Inefficient presentation skills can waste unwanted amounts of time. the more efficient your skillset, the more time you will save for everyone.

2.     Leadership: Delivering a message in a confident and inspiring way makes others want to listen. If you’re a leader in the organization, you need to be able to deliver messages this way to keep the respect of your employees.

3.     PR: Good presentation skills can give you a better public image. People tend to judge those in higher positions, so give them a positive one.

4.     Business success: As we stated above, it can be the difference between landing that new client or not. Conveying your presentation with confidence and a little pizazz will increase the likelihood of your business’s success.

This skill takes practice. Trust us. But, the good news is that if you’re not great at it, it can be improved. Here are some tips on how to become a better presenter.

1.     Practice speaking in front of groups: Like anything else in life, practice makes perfect. Start small and practice in front of a mirror. Then, increase to a few friends or family members.

2.     Make eye contact: Look at different members of the audience in the eyes throughout your presentation. This will engage them by speaking more directly to them.

3.     Be you! Be your authentic self. This will automatically make the presentation feel more relaxed.  

4.     Pay attention to body language: Your body language can speak volumes for you without saying a word. Make sure to use open and friendly gestures. Don’t cross your arms. Don’t put your hands in your pockets.

5.     Big visuals: A lot of people are visual. Striking visuals will grab attention and make things easier to understand. Simple is not too distracting and will get your points across. Make sure there is a structure that flows as well.

6.     Encourage questions and comments: Make sure your audience knows that comments and questions are welcome. You want to make sure they feel comfortable doing so.

7.     Avoid awkward pauses: Try to refrain from using the word “umm” a lot. Natural pauses should happen so this is another reason why practicing will help you know where those are.

Most people don’t like getting in front of groups of people to speak and that’s ok. However, if you’re in certain fields of work it will require that you do so, whether you like it or not. The good news is, you can take steps to get better at it. They can take time to develop but just can have a very positive impact on your professional career.

Business Strategy vs. Business Tactic

Strategy: an action plan that you will take to achieve a final goal. These are set to help businesses figure out what their long-term goals are. Tactic: individual steps taken to help the business achieve the end goal. These two work synonymously together to help a brand reach its goals. Both are necessary for brand success. How do you know if you have a good strategy and a good tactics plan?

Good strategies include:

1.     Clear vision and goals

2.     Realistic goals

3.     Back up plans

4.     Efficient resource allocation

5.     Prioritization

6.     Streamlining the team toward common goal

Good tactics include:

1.     Assign specific tasks to those most qualified

2.     Evaluated for effectiveness

3.     Well-reasoned

4.     Have a timeline

5.     Use results for future planning

The relationship between these two but strategy will always come first. The goal must be clear to assign specific tasks on how to get there. Tactics alone will fall short alone. First, identify the overall business goal and then work on tactics on how to get there. Together they will take your brand to new heights.

Importance of Curiosity

Desire. The desire to know something. This incredible motivator for learning facilitates the pursuit of knowledge and creativity. Children have this inherent trait of curiosity to learn about the new world they are in, childlike wonder if you will. We believe that when you stop being curious about things and become complacent it inhibits learning and thusly, growth will decay, whether it be personal or professional. When we think of the traits of successful people, the first one to come to mind is probably not curiosity. However, research shows that allowing curiosity to be piqued in a way that you don’t know the answer to something can increase the curiosity of a task and primes your brain for learning. All great, successful leaders were deeply curious in their respective fields. As humans, we have this attribute of wanting to seek out new information and experience. The workplace can benefit greatly from an environment that cultivates curiosity. There are some serious benefits as well, such as gaining more respect as a leader from your team, inspiring creative solutions, and enticing deeper, more rational thinking. Your employees won’t feel stressed about coming to you for questions when they’re encouraged to do so; this communication will remove many barriers. Here are some ways to encourage curiosity in the workplace.

1.     Ask employees daily “why” questions, such as:

a.     What is one thing that you are curious about today?

b.     What is one thing that you take for granted that you want to ask about?

2.     Emphasize learning: it’s been proven that focusing on learning instead of the goal is more beneficial to the business. Looks like the old saying, “It’s about the journey, not the destination,” may be on to something here. Emphasize learning goals over performance goals, such as hitting numbers, etc. According to Harvard Business Review, “When people are motivated by learning goals, they acquire more-diverse skills, do better at work, get higher grades in college, do better on problem-solving tasks, and receive higher ratings after training.”

3.     Hire with curiosity in mind: ask potential employees about their interests outside of work. People that read about a wide variety of topics typically are curious about learning things. You can administer curiosity assessments in the hiring process as well as take note of the questions that the potential employee asks.

4.     Lead through an example: leaders can always foster curiosity in the workplace by being inquisitive. Ask questions from your employees when you may not have an answer. This shows them that you are human and will foster trust in the relationship because you trust them enough to ask for their help.

5.     Encourage employees to broaden their horizons: For example, companies such as Facebook give their employees time off to explore their interests outside of work. Some brands even pay for further education for their employees. Whatever your resources may be, encourage your employees to go out and explore their unknown.

Curious people tend to be more open-minded and create relationships with others more easily. Curiosity will increase creative thinking, collaboration, and deep problem-solving that can lead to innovative ideas. If you want your brand to be one of the top brands in the world in your niche, then creating an environment that promotes curiosity in the workplace and outside is a must. Stay curious my friends!  

Successful Business Partnerships

A business partnership is like a relationship. Success depends on communication, negotiation/compromise, collaboration and mutual investment. Turns out, “65% of businesses fail due to conflict and relationship breakdown between partners,” according to Harvard Business School. Both relationships and business partnerships are complicated so it’s important to follow some guidelines in order to be successful.

1.     Create a strong foundation: draft a co-owner agreement where all parties are clear on how things will be run. How will decisions be made? How will profits be split? Have uncomfortable conversations now to avoid turmoil later. Be upfront and honest in the beginning and keep that ball rolling throughout your time as a partner.

2.     Discuss long-term goals: this is a BIG one. Knowing what each other’s goals are will be important. You will want someone with similar values and fully committed to getting there together.

3.     Clear communication and act like an adult: it’s inevitable that conflict will arise. How you handle it will speak volumes about you as a leader. Listen, respect your partner(s) and take responsibility for your own mistakes.

4.     Lay out strengths and weaknesses of each partner: one of the benefits to a business partnership is that they complement you with things you may lack.

These are just a few of many guidelines to follow when creating a business partnership. We’ve only listed a few of our top points. The advantage of a successful business partnership includes: new perspectives, extra support, possible expanded expertise, varied incomes, shared expenses, etc. The list goes on and on. However, that being said there are some typical pitfalls, such as personality conflicts but if you follow good guidelines when creating the partnership, they will be avoided.

Decision Making in Business

We’ve all had to make tough decisions in life at one time or another. Whether it be in our professional or personal lives, the process is always the same. It always involves identifying the goal, collecting all the relevant information and finally, weighing out the options to make the best choice. The benefit to making sound decisions is that they will stand the test of time, they weigh out all possible outcomes, they can eliminate conflicts of interest, it creates less second-guessing and provides somewhat of a roadmap. There are so many types of decision-making models out there. Ethical, formal, 5/6/7/8 step processes, analytical hierarchy process, rational, managerial, etc. The list goes on and on. Your goal can help determine your process. Let’s just look at the 8-step decision making process as an example.

1.     Identify goal

2.     Gather relevant information

3.     Determine criteria for critiquing alternatives

4.     Brainstorm all options

5.     Compare alternatives (pros/cons)

6.     Make your decision

7.     Execute decision

8.     Evaluate decision after implementation

Being strategic when making decisions is crucial. It’s important not to overthink but to appropriately analyze. Pragmatic decisions are made from using a systematic process that will guide you along to the right outcome.

Economic Trends

Yesterday we wrote an article on the economic cycles, so what is the difference between that and an economic trend? A trend is the direction that the market is moving over time. The cycle, as we learned yesterday, is the different periods that the economy goes through. Economic trends show you what part of the economic cycle we are moving towards. Trends can go up, down or sideways. Upward is how it sounds, and wages are rising. Downward means that the economy is shrinking and unemployment is rising. Sideways just means it’s a steady economy. There are some indicators to look at in the market to see what trend may be occurring, such as gross domestic product, unemployment and consumer confidence. Others include:

·      Stock market trends

·      Interest rates

·      News

It’s important to track trends in the market if you’re in business. It can help you make better decisions, plan and identify opportunities. That being said, it’s important not to focus too heavily and get tunnel vision on the market. This can lead to missed opportunities and making the wrong assumptions. A happy medium needs to be achieved to be successful at tracking economic trends.

Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Did you know that 15-20% of people are estimated to be neurodivergent? We know, it sounds like something from the movies, but it is a real term. It describes, “the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one ‘right’ way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits,” according to Harvard Health. This includes conditions, such as ADHD, dyslexia, Asperger syndrome, dyspraxia and autism. When most of think of DEI we think of POC, women and multi-cultural workplaces. However, this should extend to neurodiversity as well and most businesses have done so in the past decade. There are many advantages that come with hiring individuals from diverse backgrounds and neurodiverse people can bring many new and different perspectives. Although individuals on the spectrum may have social quirks different from most people, they tend to be highly productive and their IQ’s are insane. According to a report done by JPMorgan Chase, professionals with autism made fewer errors and were 90-140% more productive than neurotypical employees,” in an article by Forbes. So, if you’re an employer looking to diversify your team it’s important to understand how to make your business more neurodiverse-friendly. Here are some ways to help with communication for you and your team.

1. Use clear communication:

   1. Concise verbal and written communications

   2. Avoid sarcasm and euphemisms

2. Try to give plenty of notice if things are changing around the office and reasons for it

   1. This one should be done anyway…

3. Be kind and patient

4. Allow for sound sensitivity breaks:

   1. Provide head phones or quiet spaces

5. Allow for fidget toys and movement breaks

6. Never make assumptions

   1. Again, this is something that shouldn’t be done in general in the workplace with neurodiverse or neurotypical people. Clear communication is key

Neurodiversity is somewhat of a new concept and was coined during the 90’s social justice movement by Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist. Neurodiversity advocates for inclusive language that is nonjudgmental. Most people that are on the spectrum prefer to be identified as first person, such as “an autistic person” and not a person with autism. That being said, one should always ask. It’s time to start expanding the notion of DEI to include neurodiversity that is crucial for innovation within business.

Adaptive Leadership

Think about the two words here. Adaptive: the ability to make suitable requirements or conditions; adjust or modify fittingly. Leadership: person who guides or directs a group. Put these two together. Someone who guides others through their ability to adjust or modify fittingly to the situations. Why is this important? Businesses are constantly changing with their respective fields so it’s vital to have leaders that can do the same. They should also be able to somewhat predict challenges that may arise, what risks are worth taking and they are open to constructive feedback. Adaptive leaders embody the 4 A’s:

1.     Anticipation of future needs and trends

2.     Articulation of needs to get support and action from business

3.     Adaptation for constant learning and adjust when needed

4.     Accountability of their actions and willingness to take on challenges

COVID 19 really brought out the adaptive leaders in the world. Those that were able to take on this massive change that went worldwide and still keep their businesses thriving understand how to be an adaptive leader on a deeper level. They embody certain unique traits.

1.     Emotional intelligence

2.     Organizational justice

3.     Development

4.     Character

As with any style of leadership there are some pros and cons. Some pros are that change is anticipated, welcomed, all opinions are considered and the team’s strengths are effectively applied. Some cons are that there is a heavy emphasis on rules or structure and decisions can be made more hastily. With this style of leadership solutions to challenges within the company may take more time than a single decision. That being said, we really like the concept of adaptive leadership.

Interpersonal Skills in Business

Social skills are important for all of us in life in general. However, their importance at the workplace are crucial to building positive relationships at work in order to improve the overall work culture and success of a business. A list of interpersonal skills that employers will look for are:

1.     Active listening

2.     Dependability

3.     Empathy

4.     Good communication

5.     Leadership

6.     Conflict management

7.     Negotiation

8.     Positivity

9.     Collaboration

10.  Body language

11.  Patience & flexibility

These are some great examples of interpersonal skill sets. Let’s say you have trouble with one or a few of these. What are some ways that you can improve on your interpersonal skills? Here are some quick tips for you.

1.     Attend workshops or classes

2.     Be thoughtful in your business interactions

3.     Practice your compassion skills

4.     Don’t be a complainer

5.     Show interest in other employees at work

6.     Ask for constructive criticism and be intentional with the feedback

7.     Mentor someone you trust

Remember that interpersonal skills are face to face interactions that can be verbal and nonverbal. To be a meaningful part of the team your interpersonal skills don’t have to always be perfect but they should contribute to the efficiency and teamwork of the business most of the time. You also don’t have to be a “people person” either in order to have good interpersonal skills and they will be an asset to having a successful career.

Things to Tell Younger Self for Locomotive

We’ve all heard the saying, “If I knew then what I know now.” That’s the trick to life, right? You learn as you go, so the older you get, the wiser you become. It’s easy to wish that you were wiser when you were younger, but that does take some of the fun out of the journey does it not? However, we thought this was a fun idea to use for a blog topic. What are four things that we wish we would have known when we started this business? So, we asked our founder, Dustin Pagliughi his thoughts and this is what he said.

1.     I wish I would have known just how many hats I would have to wear. When you’re a founder, you have your hand in everything from accounting to training hires. You have to be extremely organized to schedule it out for efficiencies.

2.     Most of the time, convenience does not equate to a better end product. Of course, you want to find efficiencies, but do not cut any corners. By not cutting any corners, it will ensure that you’re learning each task the right way, the first time.

3.     Do not get discouraged. There will be times when the business is slow and you might feel you’re not going to survive. Those are the times that you’ll need to dig deep and stay the course on trying to share your vision. Most of the time, everything will work out!

4.     If you’re providing a service, remember, your goal to help people should remain #1. Yes, you’re in business to create a living, but it’s not always about turning a profit. Remember, you started your business to provide a solution and help people along the way.

Well there you have straight from the man himself. It’s always eye opening to look back and appreciate how far you have come, whether it be professionally or personally. Locomotive has come very far over the past few years and we’re so appreciative for all that we have learned on this journey. If you’re thinking of starting your own business we always encourage it. Although, it will never be the easy road, we find it will be the most rewarding!

Importance of Creative Thinking in Business

Brands that embrace creativity are more innovative and resilient. Creative thinking is important in all fields, not just those of art. As we’ve learned from our past articles, we know that creativity is key for all types of business to strive and grow. It allows employees to think outside the box and come up with new solutions. This can create something new from different perspectives. Aside from this there are some key benefits to creative thinking in the workplace. Here are our top picks.

1.     Fosters innovation. Outside the box thinking will bring your brand forward with new ideas. You can end up with unexpected opportunities and solutions.

2.     Improves collaboration. Bouncing ideas off of one another lends to open-mindedness. They will have to work together with flexibility in mind and hone in on their listening skills. This improved collaboration will inherently happen through creative thinking at the workplace.

3.     Increase productivity. Using your creative mind and critical thinking mind allows you to work smarter, not harder.

4.     Allows for adaptability. When you have a creative environment at work, it allows your brand and those within it to be more flexible in terms of shifting when unexpected changes happen or need to be made. 

5.     Growth necessity. We talked about the learn-it-all mindset for growth and have a creative mind at work is no different. Listening to new ideas and learning from others will help your brand grow.

Creativity isn’t limited to the art world. It’s required in all businesses for problem solving. One method of creative problem solving is called the SCAMPER method.

Substitute: What can I substitute to improve product/service?

Combine: How can I combine this product/service with something else to improve?

Adapt: How can I adapt this product/service?

Modify: Can I modify to make better?

Put to Another Use: How else could this be used?

Eliminate: What can I remove or how can I remove costs?

Reverse or Rearrange: Can I rearrange to improve?

There are immense amounts of topics and subjects within business that are perfect for the creative mind. New ideas in any department will make a difference. Thinking differently will open your mind to explore new realms of opportunity. Time to get creative!

Setting Business Goals in the New Year

Chances are that in your personal life you’ll be setting some new goals for the new year! We know we are. But why stop there? You’ve obviously had a vision for your business since the beginning so how can you make it what you’ve always dreamed? Well, the answer is goal setting and a plan of action. You will never achieve your dreams by keeping them inside your mind. All dreams were once a thought that were then made into a reality through planning! We’ve all heard the saying, “your dreams won’t work if you don’t,” and as cliché as that sounds, it’s very true.

Let’s start with how to determine what your brands goals should be. There are some methods to help you determine the right goals for your business. SWOT analysis is a way to help you get very clear on what needs to be addressed. It stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This can help break down your business into simpler terrain in black and white. Another method is the Porter’s Five Forces. This is a technique for understanding the market place of your field to better improve your spot within it. The five forces are: 1. Competitive rivalry 2. Bargaining power of suppliers 3. Bargaining power of customers 4. Threat of new businesses and 5. Threat of substitute products/services.

Now that you know what goals you need to set, there are a couple of methods to help you make them efficiently. The SMART model means: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. Another, not so heard of style of goal setting, is called WOOP. This stands for wish, outcome, obstacle and plan. It was created by a German psychologist, Gabriele Oettingen and has been known to reduce stress while increasing engagement and solve problems. Another way to tackle your goals is to set micro goals where you break your long-term into smaller steps of daily acts to reach the larger one faster.

Now that you have your plan of action set into motion, it’s important to track the progress along the way. Use KPI’s and data to determine the results of your efforts. Is it working? Is it failing and if so, how can you shift to reassess the process and/or set a new goal? The most important things to remember when setting business goals is that they have to be realistic. If you aim too high, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Another important component to success of your goals is communication within your team. It helps everyone if they’re working together and it helps keep you accountable. Share your vision with everyone on your team! It will also help them feel invested as a contributor to your success. Work engagement will increase as well as positive company culture. Happy New Year to you all and good luck achieving your brands vision!