What's good, Culture Change Leader! Welcome to The Mid-Level Up Newsletter! Each week I, Ray White, want to provide you with a lil' sumthin-sumthin to equip you for a belonging workplace culture! You will find notes of encouragement, perspective, and reflection that could assist you to take action in your leadership. Let me know what you like, how you plan on implementing the content, and share it to a friend. P.S. If this was forwarded to you, subscribe here! Subscribe Here!

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The Quick Check-In: Tell me what's good! (or a priority)

Today's check in comes in a form of a poll!

Many factors contribute to your workplace environment. Here are a few that clients have expressed to me that I want to see whether they are a focus are for you too!

Thanks for your contribution! Now let's get into this issue:

The Mid Level Up: Stay Ahead of the Game

I realized early on in my leadership that it is my job to get my team in a position to be successful.

Not my one-up. Not the staff themselves. Not my momma.

It's on me!

To do that, I had to put in the work to anticipate the organization’s and the industry’s needs and be ready for almost anything that comes our way.

In sports, that would look like watching film, studying the game plan, simulate game-like situations during practice, and so on.

That mentality can translate in the corporate space in a number of ways.

Here are the 5 habits I started to do when I first became a middle manager 12 years ago to stay ahead of the game:

Understand the value-driven activities and trends

Every organization has a strategy. Every industry has trends.

Once I studied the efforts associated with our organization’s key goals and metrics, I then took the time to analyze how our team worked to influence those goals effectively.

I also took note in finding trusted news outlets and articles that were striving towards the same goals to connect the dots to what we may be doing in our organization.

Google can be your friend if you can critically use it.

Regularly engaged superiors, the team, and the customers

Rounding and 1:1’s were strategic tactics for me to build relationships across the organization.

It helped improve my communication at all levels because I could connect the strategies through multiple perspectives, which again increased effectiveness.

If you are not meeting with your team's on a consistent bases, start with scheduling monthly 30 minute conversations to check in with them.

And if you are looking for more structure to have those conversations, check out my friend and leadership consultant Jacob Espinoza's resource The Managers Guide to 1:1! (Not an affiliate link, just a major supporter of his work!)

Provide resources for effective skills-building

It is difficult to ask someone to complete the tasks if they do not have the training to do so.

In collaborating with senior staff and understanding the industry, we crafted opportunities to increase their skill sets within teams to gain the experience necessary to handle barriers, strategic projects, and maintenance work.

Plus, providing these resources allowed staff members to chart their path for growth within the industry.

Your team wants to do great work! Give them the tools necessary to do that well!

Seek and implement feedback for improvement

Constructive feedback is good for continuous growth.

Knowing that we are not all perfect, but we want to progress, I started to ask anyone I came in contact with how we could improve.

The goal was to create a space to encourage opportunities for innovation without seeing it as a personal attack on an identity.

Focus on the process, not the person.

Then the next step was to implement that feedback using change management, crucial conversations, and lean management system tactics.

Build a Community!

Leadership can be a lonely role.

There were times when I needed to connect and collaborate with a peer to navigate the complexities of middle management.

Without having a space for knowledge sharing, support, or continual encouragement, I will probably be in a totally different space in my career.

Find your people, in or out of work, who can help sustain you on your journey! If you don't have one around you, hit me up and let's grow together!

These are just some of the tactics I used and continue to use to keep myself anticipating the needs of those around me. What are some tactics you use to stay ahead of the game in your leadership? Send me a reply back with your answers!

Rooting for your success!

Ray

Follow me on social! ​​​​

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P.S. [In The Lab] - Where's the video!?

I don't have a video for you on this [In the Lab] segment this time, partly because I spent majority of the summer spending time across the beautiful state of Oregon with my family and friends. But I will be back!

On Instagram, I often post a "Fresh air & #SelfCare" picture in my stories as a reminder to step out side and take care of you.

We stare at screens too long, we get bogged down with work, we can get overwhelmed with all the things that need to get done.

(BTW...I am the "we" in these statements... smh).

What can get us back on track is the ability to get into nature and explore the world around us. If anything, it gives us a different (fresh) perspective on life.

Feel free to share your "Fresh Air & #SelfCare" photo on your IG Stories and tag me in them @raydevante! ​

Oregon Coast

Oregon Coast

Central Oregon