Team Engineered Podcast

Team:Engineered

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How To Present Yourself As A Leader

When we become adults and assume leadership positions in the workplace, we understand that poise and standing up straight can shift the way we behave and dictate how everyone else perceives us.

You only get one first impression; what message do you want to send? Jade describes the picture you've already seen before: walking into a meeting or a group setting, you naturally flock to that person who's carrying him or herself confidently. Many instances happen where everyday workers are more postured than their supervisors and managers.

Standing up straight changes how you feel, but it also changes how everyone perceives you. Kyle shares how you can allow your body to fool your mind in times when you feel scared, unprepared or insecure by focusing on one simple thing — your posture.

Posture brings power to the leader by inducing confidence, changing cognition and improving behaviour.

Team leaders run huddles like it's an inconvenience. Be careful when you start looking at team meetings as a mindless chore. I've met clients who roll in the room, check their watches, do a million other things and forget the value of why they need to huddle with their people. Non-verbal communication, body language and bringing the right energy when you show up will determine an engaging team and ensure they do what they need to do.

Social psychologist Amy Cuddy acquainted the world with the potent hack of the "power pose." Her findings teach that the body can influence the mind. Making a superhero pose for a few minutes before addressing your team or audience will make you feel more confident and capable. Body language affects you as a leader and the people around you.

You've probably come across the classic saying, "dress for the job you want, not for the job you have." This is a piece of basic advice that many people still overlook. Remember, what you wear makes the right impression and projects the image of confidence as a leader.

Tune in to this episode of the Team:Engineered show — Present Yourself as a Leader with Jade Green & Kyle Probert. ▶️

Key points covered in this episode:

[00:00] Introduction

[01:48] British hypnotist Paul McKenna's ideas on posture and confidence

[01:59] The brain is this marvelous thing that a) we have control of and b) does its own thing.

[04:23] Amy Cuddy and the power pose

[05:19] Standing up straight changes how you feel and how everyone else perceives you.

[09:15] Jade states: You only get one first impression; what message do you want to send?

[11:21] Why team leaders should stop running huddles like it's an inconvenience.

[13:00] Kyle reminds us: Stand up straight like your mother always said.

[14:13] Dress for the role that you want.

[21:06] Hack your brain through breathing.

The Art of Delegation - How to get the Monkeys off your back

How many monkeys do you have on your back?

A classic piece published by Harvard Business Review in December 1974 describes this monkey-on-the-back analogy of how managers spend so much time and energy trying to address problems jumping from the backs of their bosses, peers, and subordinates.

You must delegate tasks correctly and ensure that concerns are resolved without carrying everything on your own. Get the monkeys off your back to do your best work and not be bogged down.

On taking ownership and assessing 'Where did I go wrong?" If the tasks are unaccomplished or failed, consider if you have clearly defined what should have been the outcome. Think of yourself as a painter. You have to study every detail that will go into the perfect picture you imagine creating. Pass the vision you expect everybody to accomplish and clearly explain what the image of success should look like.

The way to simplicity is in the details. If we want a system to run simply and repeatedly, a detailed plan ensures nothing goes wrong. Set individual instructions for specific execution and teach at the granular level for each one to understand the purpose of their role.

If we want people in our team to do a great job and do it as well as we want to be done, they need to know WHY we're doing it. If they understand the why, they are far better at the how and get sold in the mission, motivated to get more skin in the game.

Eliminate the shadows. Blind spots can be the Achilles heel of any company. We can purposefully seek other perspectives to illuminate the different aspects of our projects that we cannot see. The more we limit our blind spots, the higher our effectiveness.

Tune in to this episode of the Team:Engineered show — Getting the Monkeys Off Your Back with Jade Green & Kyle Probert. ▶️

Key points covered in this episode:

[00:04:20] The story of ownership and why it is all your fault

[00:06:57] Paint that picture of success right down to the absolute detail

[00:09:06] Uncovering the problem behind the problem

[00:13:06] Remind team members of the value of each task and the purpose of their role

[00:14:41] The importance of mapping out the milestones

[00:16:59] Eliminating the shadows and blind spots

[00:18:41] Success relies on the simplicity and repeatable process

[00:25:02] The value of documenting each step

[00:31:02] Stop feeding the monkeys

Win The War For Talent with Jade Green

If the best talent can work anywhere globally, why should they choose you and your company?

Business Consultant Jade Green goes deep in this episode on how you can win the war for talent. She encourages business owners and managers to think of recruitment as an NFL talent scout going after the very best in the business.

Think about it: How did the recruiters get quarterback Tom Brady to leave the New England Patriots after 20 years to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

As a scout, you need to know who the players are and who you want, but you also need to think about how you will court them to convince them to jump ship. Always be recruiting and get ready to pull the top talent. Look at the skills and attributes to get the players with the right talent in the right places at the right time.

Every business has a culture — whether good, bad or indifferent.

If you're looking to attract people, ask first: are your job ads attractive enough?

A powerful way to do so is to describe the behaviour of the ones already on your team. Are they always pumped and ready to rock and roll the minute they get in the door? Or are they dragging their heels throughout the day to reach their deliverables?

Get honest about your culture first; if it isn't working, fix it and avoid letting your reputation in the market be pulled down by any of those.

Every talent, every team member, and every candidate is a customer. You are selling an opportunity. You are asking candidates to get on board with your company to pay with their most precious resource in the world that they can never get back – their time.

If you're getting full-time workers, they're giving you more time away from their hobbies, children, and loved ones. So you better sell it better. Make your opportunity worth their investment.

Tune in to this episode of the Team:Engineered show — Win The War For Talent with Jade Green.

Key points covered in this episode:

[00:02:46] Exercise: Who are the top athletes or models you know?

[00:06:31] There's a war for talent going on forever

[00:10:58] #1 thing you need to think about when hiring

[00:15:21] On culture and your people's behaviours when you are not around

[00:20:18] The value of having crystal clear communication around expectations and not holding people accountable

[00:21:53] Values versus virtues

[00:24:08] Why performance reviews are not effective

[00:27:57] Building your employer brand with credible reviews and social proof

[00:32:00] Writing an advertisement, not a job list

[00:38:20] Satisfying the six human needs and beating the competition

[00:47:55] Samples of excellent ads

[00:56:08] Be like an NFL talent scout

On Remote Working - Freedom Is Not Without Constraints

In 2020, over one-third of the employed work from home due to the pandemic. And, now there are reports (according to Pew Research Center) that over 61% of people want to continue working from home, even after all of the Covid-news and variants die down.

However, as employees return to the office versus working from home, it can be met with resistance. And, with our modern lives and technology supporting us, we need a much more blended approach to give team members more flexibility.

Flexible working arrangements should satisfy all the needs and create a system that will serve the team, allow all parties a win-win, and establish transparency and trust that quality work is not sacrificed regardless of the new arrangements.

When you control your calendar, you control your life.

Tune in to this episode of the Team:Engineered show — Freedom Is Not Without Constraints by Jade Green & Kyle Probert.

Key points covered in this episode:

[4:04] Learn about the generational differences between working from home versus working in the office. And how it can affect productivity.

[7:14] How can we satisfy the needs of the people in the business while still giving them freedom (and constraints)?

[10:30] Discover how to get employees to buy in on what the constraints will be when it comes to working from home.

[17:05] If you're expecting something to be finished on time, lay down those expectations clearly so your team understands what you want to accomplish.

[23:18] Unravel how to master your calendar for more freedom in your life.

[24:37] Know what energy state you need to be in to conquer your day.

Non-Emotional Feedback - Ways To Get Results Without Losing Your Cool

Do you withhold constructive feedback while managing your team? Remember, not providing honest feedback to your employees is a lose-lose situation.

Giving truthful and constructive criticism is a sign that you care personally about your team and business.

And if you are genuinely giving feedback, remember to deliver it face-to-face, whether it’s on a Zoom call or in-person — not through an email and never in a million years through a text message.

Tune in to this episode of the Team:Engineered show — Providing Non-Emotional Feedback with Jade Green & Kyle Probert.

Key points covered in this episode:

[00:24] Discover how to take control of your emotions while delivering important messages.

[02:16] Explore facts on leading with IQ (Intellectual Quotient) versus EQ (Emotional Quotient).

[06:04] When we're looking at high flow communication, the key thing is around care.

[16:52] We need to remember that our employees are not necessarily trying to make life hard for us.

[23:31] The key to feedback is having radical candor. Leaders who practice a culture of candor are seen as most empathetic and effective.

[30:21] Delivering feedback without emotion does not mean you're emotionless.

Speak So They Can Hear You With Kyle Probert & Jade Green

Does it feel like your team isn't hearing you? Look at their learning styles, and you'll find out why they may be struggling to understand. If there's no workshop or activities included in your training or upskilling sessions, everything they've been taught is forgotten just when they get out the door (or log out of the zoom call).

Tune in to this episode of the Team:Engineered show — Speak So They Can Hear You with Jade Green & Kyle Probert.

Key points covered in this episode:

[00:04:14] Jade Green explains how even if we see our people as extroverted or introverted, that doesn't necessarily mean that's how they process information. Remember, knowing their personalities doesn’t determine how they need to be able to put together their thoughts to take action.

[00:08:40] Kyle Probert shares that the best way to cement learning is to be able to teach it. It's not actually the easiest thing in the world to do. But as soon as you can teach someone how to do it, often as you're sharing information with someone, you'll have an AHA moment and realize how everything makes a lot more sense.

[00:10:28] Typically, adult learners need to integrate as they learn and actually apply it. Pay attention and make sure that you let everyone experience a teaching process that accommodates how well they absorb the information as they receive the message differently.

[00:17:03] Don't say what you want to say. Say what they need to hear and think about the outcome. Let me get this clear as a leader: It's not about you. It's about them. Ten minutes of planning on how you can communicate your message will ultimately save you so many hours when your team implements the instructions, systems and tasks effectively.

So bear these in mind every time you prepare for the people you're speaking to: What is their learning style? How do I talk so they can hear me? What's the real outcome I want to have? Does it serve me to fly off the handle or get heated? Am I going to get the results I want if I'm a calm person, but I want to excite a blaze or a dynamo? How do I raise myself into that energy to get them up with me?

[00:19:42] Create a team of unique people. These visual, auditory and kinesthetic adult learners in the workplace need to be considered when rolling out new systems and information. This doesn't mean that they're lazy. It means they operate differently; therefore, we must cater to them to create a great team and balance the different types in the organization.

[00:26:02] Communicate how you want people to talk to you.

As the team leader, if you need your team to come out with notes so that you can absorb them later, make sure that they understand why that's important to you. Communicate this: "Yes, I heard you. I was listening, and I heard all of your words, but my brain doesn't work that way. So I need you to make sure that you've got those key points down for me. It's not because I want you to write an essay every day. It's because, otherwise, I just can't absorb your information."

Communicate how you want people to talk to you, and in the same way, be wary of the learning styles that work best for ALL the people in the team, too.

Find Out Your Team's Learning Styles With These Easy Tips

As a team leader, boss, or business owner, often we feel like, "Oh my God, is anybody actually listening to me? Why does it seem that I'm speaking a different language and people just are not getting it?"

Well, I'm here to say that it's all your fault. Often it's a problem of not understanding the differences in communication and learning styles that you quickly need to see in your team.

Please don't beat yourself for it because we've all been through it. In this episode, learn how to profile people fast and see how well you can communicate with them.

Tune in to this episode of the Team:Engineered show — Easy Ways To Know Your Team's Learning Styles with Kyle Probert.

Key points covered in this episode:

[00:00:48] Hydraulics Specialist Kyle Probert shares learning and communication hacks he implements in his teams. Easily profile a student, an employee or a team member when they come into a team that can help you understand and categorize them as Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic (VAK) learners.

[00:03:29] In a diagram, Kyle shows how to assess and ask a couple of questions when you introduce yourself to someone or when you're trying to get a read on who they are and what they do.

[00:04:50] Observe without judgment: are they slow or fast? Can they catch things relatively quickly, or do you need to explain again? The next thing to look for is are people-oriented or task oriented?

[00:09:27] Kyle explores more on talent dynamics. Assess people in the team that have creative type energy and tempo energy.

[00:09:54] Adjust your communication style to people's learning styles. We all take in and process information differently. We can be categorized into these three:

Visual Learners need to see and read, including pictures, diagrams, graphs, and other observable things.
Auditory Learners need to hear the information whether in the spoken word of self and others or through sounds and noises.
Kinesthetic Learners need physical experience and engage in an activity to grasp a concept.

[00:17:48] Communicate with your team and work out how to do it without all the fancy tests and everything else. When you do, your people can hear you and actually do what you want them to do.

Flow Secrets for Leaders - How To Get Unstuck

Nothing beats having a good day at the beach for the stressed and overwhelmed business leader to be able to take a break and recharge.

In the past decades, "surf therapy" has proven its calming effect on those dealing with post-traumatic stress and children with autism spectrum disorder.

Tune in to this episode of the Team:Engineered show — Flow Secrets for Leaders - How To Get Unstuck.

Key points covered in this episode:

[00:01:29] Welcome to the show! Kyle and Jade talk about their impromptu sabbatical for two days and "forcing" flow triggers by going surfing. It can be easier said than done, but it takes intention to actively pursue having downtime and achieve recovery to expand our brains and tap into our flow states.

[00:03:48] Jade shares her first custom board, and her #1 prized possession in the entire world is her eight-foot longboard.

[00:09:35] You don't get all of the recharge benefits your brain needs running on a treadmill vs. running in nature. The excitement and unpredictability of going into nature help us more than we think we know. The reasons why surfing, mountain biking, trail running, and similar physical activities are flow triggers that keep our brain focused at the moment rather than thinking of pending to-do lists and other sources of stress.

[00:13:10] Jade explains that surfing teaches the hard lessons of being patient, waiting for the perfect wave, enjoying the process, holding your center, achieving being in your power zone, standing up, and catching the perfect waves, whether in the water or any aspect of life.

[00:21:42] Instead of wasting time and procrastinating for three hours, Kyle recommends an alternative. Putting yourself in a flow state proactively is a habit you can regularly include into your busy calendar. By slowing down, you eventually achieve your life goals faster.

[00:24:31] Know what your flow triggers are. Put yourself in a flow state proactively by engaging in nature. It's a habit you can regularly include into your busy calendar. By slowing down, you eventually achieve your life goals faster.

Rouge Waves and Becoming Unfuckwithable

Brace yourself. A rogue wave is upon us.

It’s the ironic answer to, “What’s the worst that could happen?”

When your team is occupied with the hustle and bustle of completing a project, this wave can unexpectedly emerge, and it can either ruin everything or take you to greater heights that you didn’t know you could reach.

The challenge you faced today won’t be the biggest one in your life.

Just like a doomsday prepper, establishing plans and expecting the worst will make you unfuckwithable.

Tune in to this new Team:Engineered show — Rogue Waves and Becoming Unfuckwithable

Key points covered in this episode:

[00:05:41] Jade Green chooses to ride the wave. Instead of getting consumed by self-blame and lashing out at others, just learn to roll with it. “What’s done is done. What’s not here isn’t here.” You can prevent a meltdown and complete destruction of your day just by figuring out ways to calm yourself as the rogue wave crashes onto you.

[00:07:04] Kyle Probert encourages pausing and re-centering. “What’s the best solution? What’s our objective?” Taking a breath, accepting what has happened, and asking the right questions can help with mental clarity and reaching a resolution.

[00:12:25] Always have a Plan B and expect the worst. When accomplishing projects with a team, you’ll eventually run into a rogue wave at some point. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to set up multiple backup plans - from B to Z - and foresee any bumps in the way of your goals.

[00:18:42] Thrive in the chaos. Kyle Probert delights in fast-paced and chaotic situations. Working under pressure pushes him to do his best and creatively solve problems. Jade Green also emphasizes the importance of trust among teammates and relinquishing control.

[00:22:40] You have the grit to overcome it. Kyle Probert and Jade Green give advice on different methods that team leaders can utilize to teach grit and resilience to their members. No matter what stressful situation life brings, people have the ability to stick it out - mind over matter - center their breathing, and push through the wave.

[00:24:44] Have mental preparation. Becoming unfuckwithable requires practice. Jade Green encourages leaders to partake in the experience of taking an ice bath. Training one’s grit through such methods strengthens our minds and teaches us resilience for even more uncomfortable circumstances.

[00:34:12] Build connections through a shared tough experience. Just like comrades in a war, you and your team can strengthen fellowship by overcoming a challenging ordeal together. Going bungee jumping or surfing, finishing a gargantuan task, and taking cold showers can be ways to nourish and reinforce camaraderie among members.

Personality and Energy Profiling for Success

In this episode, we dive deep into how to cultivate energy, manage state, and how you can step up and embrace your own genius and consistently be in peak performance mode. Learning to hack personality and energy profiles is a valuable piece that you can use for building your own team and relationships in your life.

Tune in to the Team:Engineered show — Personality and Energy Profiling for Success with Jade Green and Charlotte Lane.

Key points covered in this episode:

[00:01:48] Understanding energy kinds and profiling personalities help people find the way that they work best when they might not be sure what they should be doing and help them avoid procrastination.

[00:02:11] Everybody is a genius. Just because one person has one style and another person has another doesn't mean there is a right or wrong way to do things. The key problem is how we try to conform to society's norms, and we try to fit in the box that the industrial age created through programming.

[00:05:49] Familiarize yourself with the profiling system by James Hamilton. Understand the four primary genius energies that we have out in the world based on Chinese methodology and the I Ching.

[00:06:37] People of dynamo energy, which is of the wood element and spring season, are those that see the really big picture and has lots of ideas.

[00:08:27] Those with the Fire sign that symbolises the summer season are the ones that talk a lot. They're on the extroverted side and are all about people and connection.

[00:09:33] The tempos like to keep the pace that they run at because they're more grounded. They represent the autumn season. Tempo people are great at project managing and wonderful in customer service.

[00:10:53] Those with a Steel profile represent the metal element and the winter season. They often get a bad rap for being "cold" because they usually sit way over on the introverted side.

[00:13:17] Understanding these gives you the ability to figure out how you get energy, what takes your energy.

[00:17:39] There is a fifth element that is super important for everybody, the Why. The spirit element allows us to reconnect to our soul and inside, as well as our unique natural genius.

[00:23:04] How task auditing works wonders. This is the thing that people say has changed their lives the most. Doing the tasks to understand your genius empowers you to get yourself into a flow state while doing something you don't like to do.

[00:29:00] The best way to change state is to cultivate the environment that you're in at any moment. That's everything down to the sounds you're hearing, what you're smelling, and the things you see and feel.

[00:35:34] Cold therapy used for the treatment of anxiety effectively improves your state. When you can control yourself long enough to stay cold that you don't want to be in, you can reaffirm that you've got this, and you're in control.

[00:45:06] Truly understanding the profile types and energy types of all the people around you improves your communication and knows how to speak so they can hear you. You also don't get offended or frustrated when they talk in a language that isn't normal for you.

Coping Through the Great Awkward — Inspired By Brené Brow

Welcome to The Great Awkward.

It’s that overarching emotion of hesitation and frustration after the adjustments and sacrifices we made during the pandemic.

Employees are reluctantly returning to their offices. Others are getting new-job jitters after realizing their previous one wasn’t cut out for them. Families and couples are discovering new things - both pleasant and insufferable - about each other in more tight-knit daily routines.

The Great Awkward has also become a return to the humane and the things that matter most.

This time in our lives doesn’t have to be complicated.

Tune in to this new Team:Engineered show — Coping Through the Great Awkward.

Key points covered in this episode:

[00:06:31] Kyle Probert and Jade Green emphasize the importance of compassion. People all around the world are going through the same thing and are just trying to get by. - from being caught wearing undies in a Zoom call or getting busy taking care of kids. Just an ounce of understanding can go a long way in this current situation.

[00:09:59] Create a ritual where everyone can be vulnerable together. Before the pandemic, chatting with our workmates by the water cooler in between breaks was our social habit. Jade Green explains how we are disconnected more than ever. Nobody wants to break the ice as everyone is experiencing their own “awkward” phase - whatever COVID has brought upon them. “If you've got everybody that's feeling like that, who's going to step up and break the ice?”

[00:12:34] Make everyone feel like they’re on the same playing field. Kyle Probert shares how others may seem like they’ve got their stuff together. And this makes you feel left out and question your self-worth. But you have no idea what’s going on underneath. The pandemic has turned into a great equalizer. “It’s really good to let everyone know that we are all human. We all face the same problems. Our food comes from the same place. We drive the same sort of car.”

[00:15:49] Be wary of the divisiveness of opinion. Physical distancing doesn’t just happen in public places. It has also seeped into the collective beliefs. As people are glued to the internet 24/7, misinformation and differing ideas about health, politics, and inclusivity stir up our already-chaotic lives.

[00:18:34] Kick unconscious bias. The conversation of discrimination continues to thicken in the workplace during the pandemic. Minorities are left out in the job market as employers push their biases in their recruitment. Fight against racism and societal segregation with self-awareness and filtering our decisions with our personal values.

[00:23:31] Equip your team with the tools to eliminate unconscious bias. Our personal virtue set is the golden compass, guiding us in making informed and thoughtful decisions in these challenging times. Whether you’re a business owner, a recruiter, or an employee, play your part in eliminating discrimination and internal racism in your workdays. Be responsible by not putting people at risk of getting sick.

[00:25:13] Discrimination should not be tolerated. Kyle Probert and Jade Green describe their stand on offensive language in the workplace and how it's our responsibility to police ourselves and others - whether ill-intended or accidentally. “If you're offended by something, make sure you speak up because no one here is trying to offend you.”

Monday Mindset: Motivation and Magic Milestone Sessions

How can you make it a culture for employees to find Mondays motivating rather than awful? As a business leader, learn to ask questions that help everyone envision and paint what their picture of success looks like. How would it feel to check those tasks off, reach a team goal, and achieve that incentive and recognition?

Tune in to this new episode of the Team:Engineered show — Monday Mindset, Motivation And Magic Milestone Sessions with Jade Green.

Key points covered in this episode:

[00:00:41] Stop the dreaded Monday morning-itis. Jade takes us step by step on how Monday huddles should be and how meetings are done differently. Make your team love instead of hate these weekly sessions.

[00:04:29] Teaching better coping mechanisms and more awareness for the team to establish their third space between meetings and tasks and shifting the energy between the home and the workplace.

[00:08:03] Jade guides us in a simple breathing exercise to disconnect from the outside world and the sensory deprivation to be present, calm down and come back focused and relaxed.

[00:12:13] Facilitate asking this question to lead your team to achieve peak performance: What does success look like for you this week?

[00:15:37] Help your people and yourself find out your flow triggers. What habits suck out your energy? What conditions need to be set for you to be in high creativity? How can I assist you to be in "get shit done" mode?
What changes in the work environment needs to be changed?

Help your people and yourself find out your flow triggers, and you will be blazing your way to your goals together.

[00:22:21] Get everyone to commit to the routines and habit changes that they think will have the biggest impact on them. Whether it's to reduce the wine they drink at night or the number of coffee in the afternoons that affect their sleeping, eating fewer doughnuts and more walking -- whatever their goals are, declaring them to the group increases accountability.

[00:24:49] A deck of cards can be the best tool to encourage openness and connection when you organize your next team meeting. Questions about their personalities, beliefs and dreams will allow you as the leader and as a workmate to relate better with each other and support them in their personal and work goals.

[00:34:15] CONNECTION is your #1 secret power and massive weapon if you're looking at staff retention and engagement. Create a container where your people share stuff that's not just work-related but also fun and creates community. What builds camaraderie is what will rake in money for your company. People feel they've got a friend at work and have someone who genuinely cares about them stay seven times longer than other employees and are seven times more productive. That's a big, big win, considering that staff attrition usually costs you twice someone's salary.