What Part Are You Called to Play in Racial Healing?

I’m not Racist. Wait, am I???? Self-protective reflexive denial keeps us from deeply exploring the ways we all have biases. We can’t help but consume stories and images that reinforce the idea that people with one skin tone are inherently better or worse than others. We can’t override autopilot thinking if we don’t acknowledge it’s on.

The context of my coaching and consulting is the workplace. So, I’ve been feeling through what role I’m meant to play to support meaningful change since Black Lives do indeed Matter. Here is where I’ve landed as of now.

Stephanie HartmanJune 15, 2020Comment

Beware Energy Vampires

Vampire

Toxic people with one or more Cluster B personality disorder are commonly called Energy Vampires because they initially create a lot of excitement but then slowly drain the lifeblood from others. It is a cute little name but the harm they cause can be profound if left unchecked. While anyone can be an Energy Vampire, people who are in leadership positions can be especially damaging to the organization. Equally damaging are subordinate Energy Vampires who target leaders or others in a position of influence.

Witch

It’s a Witch Hunt! Denial is a standard tactic of an Energy Vampire. When confronted with evidence of wrongdoing, he or she will craft a pitiful tale of being unfairly targeted. They are so compelling, drawing on your known vulnerabilities, you may even walk away from a conversation calling out the leader for proven fraud or sexual misconduct and feel badly for making the accusation.

Stephanie HartmanOctober 29, 2019Comment

Tats, Trucker Hats and Rug Rats

Over the next few months I will be transitioning my life and my business from Hood River, Oregon to Austin, Texas. There I will nurse my wounds from a divorce amidst old friends and my loving family.

I am reflecting on my last big transition. Before coming to rural Oregon for my husband’s job in 2010, I provided leader, team and organization development support as an employee inside typical corporate environments (think financial services, software, aerospace and defense). Since there were no companies in Hood River at that time big enough to have a staff Organization Development job, I started my own consultancy serving small businesses in our community.

Stephanie HartmanApril 7, 2018#SmallBusiness, #LactationRoomComment

My Value of Authentic Relationships

I am at a Consulting Psychology conference, awaiting a breakout session on Values. Ordinarily I’d be drawn to sessions about measuring a leader’s behavior change from coaching to demonstrate a return on investment.

At this moment in my life, I am reflecting on a value I hold deeply - Authentic Relationships, which is rooted in a basic human need for connection. Why Authentic Relationships? The first reason is that when life happens and stuff gets real, transactional relationships offer no room for error. Yuck. The second is that Authentic Relationships give you the courage to step into the discomfort when you are unsure what to say but show up anyway to be present with people in their suffering. I want to feel that safety and offer that safety in my relationships.

Stephanie HartmanFebruary 10, 2018 Comments

Do I really have to compliment my employees all the time? That's why they get paychecks.

In my last post, I shared the Hartman Performance Diamond as a model to think about the four key enablers to effective employee performance. Those were 1-Expectation Clarity, 2-System for Success, 3-Competence, and 4-Motivation.

When I conduct assessments to uncover why team members are not performing well, the most frequent breakdown I find is Expectation Clarity, which I recently covered. The next most frequent breakdown I see is in the area of Motivation.

Uh, Thanks for Vacuuming the Broom Closet…. Not! – Tips for Managing Employee Expectations and Motivation

Sometimes employees believe that they are taking initiative and being helpful by doing a little ‘something extra’. Their initiative and intentions are great! However, if the extra thing is something that doesn’t make any difference to you or your business, the employee can feel unappreciated when no one causes a fuss.

If an employee isn’t performing in the way they should - you may ask yourself if they know what is expected. Employers think this should be obvious or common sense. Unfortunately, common sense isn’t common. That is unless your employees grew up in the same neighborhood as you, were born in the same year, in the same birth order, with the same parents as role models, etc., etc..

Why a Red Gucci Purse is Totally Part of Strategic Planning

You might be asking yourself, “What in the world does strategic planning have to do with a Red Gucci Purse?” My answer to that would be EVERYTHING!

It’s the beginning of the year. You’ve updated your strategic plan, including your 2017 goals, and are getting back to business at hand. This is great, but how do you keep focused on achieving those goals while keeping everything else going? And for multi-step goals, at what point do you claim success?

I Love Them, I Love Them Not

We’ve all had them. The ones who’ve made things feel so exciting and effortless. The ones you think about and can’t wait to see again and again. No, I’m not talking about the Valentines of years gone by, I’m referring to the favorite customers of your present. There are the customers you LOVE to love and the customers you love ‘not so much’.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could just love them all? Or at least figure out how to make the ones who you don’t love, more lovable? Or just wrap things up and move on?

Catalyst Performance ConsultingFebruary 14, 2017Customer Appreciation, Customer Assessment

What the Heck is Strategic Planning and How Do You Do It?

Many people have heard the term but are unsure what strategic planning is. Strategic planning is a process that helps leaders design their organization’s destiny with intention, instead of simply reacting to what the world throws at them. If you own a small business, you might think strategic planning sounds like corporate hogwash. Even if you see value in it, perhaps it seems daunting and boring. Frankly, if done poorly, it can be all of those things.

By helping over 20 businesses a year in many different industries do strategic planning, I’ve had the benefit of LOTS of cycles of learning. So I am confident to say that my version of strategic planning, which I call Own Your Future, provides the structure to get business and life-altering results, is fairly straightforward to follow AND is fun. Boom!

There's a Tear in My Beer

It is strategic planning season and I’m reflecting on some of my favorite client memories. A few years ago, I worked with Everybody’s Brewing on some long term planning. They set a target on their milestone timeline to: “Get Everybody’s beer in a can.” This strategy would not only allow for much greater distribution beyond their immediate community, but would help them grow and move closer to their vision of putting little old White Salmon, Washington on the world map.

Fast forward to the next year: I was visiting another client in Portland and we went to lunch. In the fridge at the deli, right before me, I saw