For our 2nd Advisory Perspective Series of 2016, here is a question for you. Do you know your strengths? Are you someone who knows how to maximize your strengths, talents and gifts to achieve maximum performance?
The Bureau of Labor American Time Use Survey results show that 8.9 hours per work day are devoted to working and related activities. That is indeed an eye opener and our featured professional is an expert in helping you identify and utilize your unique strengths to benefit you and your results.
It is a pleasure to introduce Liz Ramos, Founder and CEO of Engeniate. Liz guides C-level business leaders and their teams in creating strengths-based work cultures that accelerate success in productivity and profit. Through her proven team-building programs and leadership coaching, Liz’s clients learn how to leverage their particular strengths and core values for peak performance in achieving team, as well as individual, goals. Liz believes that each client engagement is a personal partnership, and she enjoys facilitating hands-on practical exercises with her teams where she can witness their powerful and immediate shifts from “knowing” to “doing.”
With over ten years in human resources management and triple-certified business coaching, Liz’s deep understanding of employee engagement and interpersonal communication skills have put her in demand by forward-thinking corporate clients. Welcome Liz!
Question 1. What do you enjoy about working with your clients?
I love the reaffirmation that while every organization, every team and team member are unique in their culture, dynamics and talents, they all share a common desire to achieve, to have a congenial spirit as a group and to contribute in a way that’s authentic to them. From a self-serving perspective, I feel like I become an extension of each of the teams I work with. And of course, the learner in me loves the opportunity to learn about the various industries I’ve done work with: education, financial services, marketing, rental companies, etc.
Question 2. How would you suggest a potential new client prepare for a 1st meeting?
Anytime a company considers meeting with an external consultant, I think it’s important for them to be able to:
· Describe their current situation – what does it look like, what isn’t working, what would they like to see improved? In other words, what is the goal they are looking to achieve?
· Describe the desired outcome – how will things look post an “intervention?”
· What metrics does your organization use? This is a really important one, because often times companies look outside of their organization to get feedback on their ROI. When evaluating current state and progress made, it’s important to identify the metrics that will be utilized or that are already utilized. These can be engagement surveys, sales figures, productivity levels, employee turnover, etc.
· Also, what internal resources are available to help with the initiative? In order to have create meaningful and sustainable culture and behavior change, organizations really need to evaluate the level of engagement, commitment and time of their management team to carry the initiatives forward. Knowing what they can leverage internally will help a company determine how much external support they need.
Question 3. When someone agrees to become a client, what can they expect immediately? Over time?
In one word: partnership. We will provide our recommendations based on the client’s needs, resources, situation, and will work them to allow our process to fold into how they naturally do business. Our process is a cycle of the following four areas:
· Partner with our clients to identify the results they seek, personalize the approach, and bring our ‘A game’ every day to achieve those results.
· Assess, using our powerful toolbox of tried-and-tested processes, what the level of employee engagement is, what our leaders and their team members are great at, what their core values are, what motivates them, what innate talents they have to contribute.
· Facilitate hands-on, practical exercises where team members learn how to take that ‘knowing’ to ‘doing’ with actionable skills and plans – which result in higher achievement and satisfaction for the team, as well as the individual.
· Coach our corporate clients in areas of leadership development, including how to leverage their strengths, maximize their human resources, and create a high engagement workplace culture where their people are valued, inspired, confident and productive.
Question 4. What is your service philosophy?
The spirit of service infuses and inspires everything we do and are, this is one of our core beliefs. Partnering and work with our clients and not just for them is at the core of how we live our spirit of service. This rings true in all of our steps, including providing proposals with pricing that includes an entire solution rather than the “nickel and dime” approach that often times takes up more time than it’s worth and draws away from the trust in ensuring that your partner will deliver their side of the deal. The spirit of service also comes alive in our consultative approach, as we ask, hear and learn about challenges in your business, we openly share resources, knowledge, etc. that adds value and helps create solutions.
Question 5. What resources do you provide to assist “laypeople” with understanding what is being discussed?
In its simplest form, we do our best to speak the language that matters to the businesses we serve. Additionally we have a few resources that attempt to bring the point home with things we do on a regular basis, such as setting goals and leading teams to achieving them, as highlighted in our free guidebook: “Great Leaders, Great Teams: 5 Steps To Boost Your Goal Achievement” http://engeniate.com/free-guidebook-download/
Bonus Question! If you were to relay one piece of advice to anyone reading this, what would it be?
I would want everyone who reads this to reflect on another of our core beliefs, which is that leadership is a choice to serve others no matter what the job title! Your job title might be mom, dad, teacher, manager, etc. and the way that you lead yourself and carry yourself in your role as leader might be one of the most impactful things you ever do…
The Living Planner supports developing business owners and employees. Well-being begins by knowing who you are, where you are, developing strategies to move forward and having access to resources and support when needed. Contact us to learn more about how we work with business owners and employees to identify precautionary measures you can take at work and in life via Email or online @ The Living Planner