Blog, culture and engagement | Ambition In Motion

by Mike Johnson

Wed 24 June 2020

I recently joined an executive peer mentoring initiative led by Ambition In Motion (https://ambition-in-motion.com). A big part of the reason is that my coaching practice, (www.coachfortomorrow.com) is continuing to expand in leadership development, career development and management, and career transition. I’m now also part of another new initiative, Culture Fit 20/20 (https://culturefit2020.com), and I’m extremely interested in views from an HR executive’s desk on employee well-being, engagement, training and development.

What intrigues me about the mentoring focus is how the AIM team did a “work orientation” assessment as a key basis for pairing me with another leader, Geoff McCuen. We’ve been introduced, met again, and have discovered that we’re really closely aligned in our outlook on life and career. We each share a sense that the calling or purpose behind what we do as a career or job, is critical. So we’re both excited to be speaking together, and affirming of AIM’s process in connecting the two of us. A part of this was the power of story – the types of questions we asked each other nudged us to be open and authentic. As part of articulating the “why” behind what I do, I found myself remembering key people and conversations en-route to my deciding on coaching as my next career.

Another facet of this is the notion of “peer mentoring”. Most of us probably equate a mentor as a more senior, more skilled, more experienced sage, giving the benefit of his or her experience and wisdom to a younger, developing professional. Our thinking is shaped by centuries of tradition (the development of novice-apprentice-journeyman from the guilds of the middle ages) to the more recent Jedi Master-Padawan apprentice from the Star Wars franchise. I remember realizing with a shock years ago that I was no longer the “new guy” at IBM but had become one of the “veterans”.

But why not “peer” mentoring? One way to look at this could be “networking on steroids”. Or, think of this quote from the book of Proverbs - “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). Each of us can both add value and perspective to another, and learn from the other.

Looking forward to our next conversations!

by Andrea Butcher

Tue 23 June 2020

Ambition In Motion President Garrett Mintz sits down with Andrea Butcher, President at HRD, Podcast Host, Talent Strategist, Executive Coach, to discuss mentoring relationships which have had an impact on her career.

Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader. Extensive experience as a talent management professional, focusing on the growth and development of individuals, work teams, and leaders. Specializes in executive coaching, development and facilitation of learning, performance consulting, succession planning, talent attraction, and Human Resources.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abutcher0201/
Website: hrdadvisorygroup.com
Twitter: abundantempower

Ambition In Motion leverages horizontal mentorship to help professionals elevate their work skills and break through communication barriers.

Ambition In Motion's core values are: be growth-oriented, people first, empower efficient leaders, be data-driven, and have integrity and vulnerability.

Ambition In Motion's vision is a world where the vast majority of people are excited to go to work, when they are there their expectations meet reality, and when they come home they feel fulfilled.

Ambition In Motion has programs for companies to match their internal employees together for horizontal mentorship (within departments, across departments, within special interest groups, for onboarding employees, identifying emerging leaders, upskilling middle managers, etc.), for professional associations to match their members together for mentorship, and for executives to connect them with other executives outside of their company for mentorship.

Learn more here: https://ambition-in-motion.com/

by Megan King

Mon 22 June 2020

Original Post - https://cma1902.com/crma-partners-with-ambition-in-motion-to-create-a-manufacturing-mentor-program-for-members/

Chattanooga, TN, June 22nd, 2020: The Chattanooga Regional Manufacturers Association (CRMA) is creating a horizontal mentor program to pair members with each other to help them become better leaders, avoid wasted time from mistakes by connecting with those that can relate, and take their businesses and professional goals to a new level.

Horizontal Mentorship means a mutually beneficial mentor relationship between professionals in which both professionals are open to learning from each other and teaching each other.

There are 6 tracks for members in CRMA to choose from: Supply Chain Professionals, Human Resource Professionals, Relationship Managers, Small Business Owners and Executives, Tax and Finance Professionals, and Environmental Health and Safety Professionals. If you don’t know which track is best for you, you can contact [email protected].

CRMA has partnered with Ambition In Motion to create this mentor program. Ambition In Motion helps people and teams communicate better through horizontal mentorship. Ambition In Motion helps companies avoid losing their best people by connecting them with the right mentor at the right time.

This manufacturing mentor program will catalyze deep relationships between members in CRMA and allow members to engage with the association in a deep, meaningful, and virtual way. The deadline to sign up for this program is July 15th.

by Garrett Mintz

Mon 22 June 2020

Executive Horizontal Mentoring means pairing two executives together for a mutually beneficial relationship. In contrast to traditional mentorship, there isn’t a “mentee” and a “mentor”, but two executives that are open to learning from each other.

After operating Executive Horizontal Mentoring programs, one of the biggest things I have learned is the benefit of being able to relate to another leader and how powerful connection can be.

In a recent discussion, a CEO of a software company compared it to a therapist going to another therapist for therapy.

The Chief Financial Officer of an insurance company found it relieving to know that even somebody in a different industry and size of company as him faced very similar issues.

The Chief People Officer for a financial firm felt that he could be significantly more vulnerable in a mentor relationship with an HR executive outside of his company than with somebody from within the company.

As an executive, being able to relate to somebody else has immense benefits. This article sheds light on 3 major benefits of executive mentoring and the benefit of being able to relate.

Affirmation

A person doesn’t become an executive by accident. It takes hard work, persistence, and patience waiting for the proper circumstances and the right opportunity to align itself. Once you have earned your way to this position, you might feel like you need to have all of the answers. As an executive for my own company, I personally felt this. It felt like because I had worked up to this role for so long, I needed to be the bedrock of answers that I thought my team needed, even when I had no clue what the best move should be.

Having an executive mentor can help reinforce and affirm your decisions. You may have a team that is reluctant to challenge you. Because of this, their words of affirmation probably won’t mean as much to you since they may have additional reasons to agree with you (even if they don’t realize it!).

Hearing honest feedback from another executive who has been through similar things is powerful. You know they don’t feel the pressure to simply affirm your beliefs. Instead, they choose to agree because they truly believe that you made the right decision and this feels incredible!

That feeling of affirmation from a peer can be exalting. It gives you the confidence to continue taking strong steps in the direction you have chosen because an unbiased, but experienced, party is backing you up.

To give an example of this, I will share the story of my business partner, Dave Criswell, who is incredible at affirming people. Dave and I met on the tennis court (we both play in a doubles tennis group). Dave is in his mid-50’s, doesn’t move particularly fast, and doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard. But he rarely loses in doubles. Why? Because he is incredible at affirming his partner. Dave has played tennis long enough that he knows what good strategy is. He never gets mad at his partner for mistakes but is great at conveying the positives and negatives based on certain strategies deployed during a rally (e.g. hit down the line, lob over the net player, hit cross-court, etc.). When you are his partner in tennis, even if you take an action that he doesn’t agree with, he is great at affirming your move by understanding the potential upside if your action works, while also doing a great job of conveying the alternative options that are available that might have been an easier method to achieving the ultimate outcome (e.g. winning the point). Dave brings out the best in me (and anybody he plays tennis with) because I know that the feedback he is giving me is authentic, that he trusts me to make whatever decision I believe is best at that moment, and that he could easily get angry when I make a mistake but he instead chooses to teach me. Individually, Dave and I aren’t necessarily the best tennis players. Together, however, we have (occasionally!) beaten guys who played tennis in college. No small feat!

In an executive mentoring relationship, having somebody to affirm you and believe in you feels incredible.

Vulnerability

Having somebody outside of your company to be vulnerable with can be life-changing. As an executive, I have friends that I grab drinks with and share business updates with, but those conversations are inconsistent and usually unfocused. They have their own business to focus on and we aren’t truly intentionally listening, reflecting, and empathizing with each other.

In an executive mentoring relationship, there are two executives who have committed to building a deep relationship with another executive who can relate. This is another person who is in a similar position as you, maybe not the same industry or size of company, but that cares about listening, learning, and understanding your situation just as much as you are of theirs.

Once rapport is built, it is significantly easier to be vulnerable with each other which then leads to trust and legitimate business outcomes.

To put it into context, how often do you share your business goals with your executive friends? If you do, how often are they intentionally listening to what you are saying, willing to challenge you based on inconsistencies you have mentioned in the past, and follow up with you monthly to see if you are on track for these goals?

The answer is probably no for the first question, but if it is yes, it is probably no for the second question. Why? Because executives are busy! If you haven’t set an intentional agenda and consistent meetings committed to you working on these goals, you are probably not achieving the outcomes you would like from your executive peer network.

An executive mentoring relationship creates an environment conducive for two busy executives to spend their time effectively and meaningfully so then they can achieve maximum business results in the least amount of time.

Those results multiply when both executives feel comfortable being vulnerable with each other.

Growth

Growth incorporates both business and personal outcomes. If your business is growing but your personal life is falling apart, eventually your personal life will creep into your work life and those effects could be irreversible.

An executive mentor can help you find a balance between work and personal life. The benefit of being able to relate is that your excuses for why you can’t spend time with your family, spouse, and friends, are no different from theirs: they are in the same position as you. If they have discovered ways to find balance, you can too. And they will probably pick up a tip or two from you at the same time.

You may not be comfortable sharing these personal issues with just anyone. Whether it’s your colleagues at work, multiple people in your executive peer network, or a coach, they may not know or be able to relate to exactly what you are going through.

An executive mentor solves this by providing a safe place for you to share. Just by being able to acknowledge the challenges you are going through, you are already on a trajectory towards growth. Holding it all in doesn’t help you or anyone that you live or work with.

The ability to relate to another executive in a mentoring relationship can not only drive professional growth but personal growth as well.

Overall, executive horizontal mentoring can have a massive benefit on the impact of leaders. The ability to relate to another executive provides a lens into what could be for an executive and an opportunity to drive personal and professional growth. Executive mentors help executives avoid wasted time and mistakes by being able to build a bond with another executive who can relate.

by Geoff McCuen

Wed 17 June 2020

One of the most exciting things that I did in the Navy was to get our ship “underway”. That’s when we “cast off all lines” and push (or get pulled) away from the pier. Whether we were headed across the globe or just out for a day or two of exercises, it marked the beginning of a journey, of an adventure. Last week we got “underway” with our new HR Mentoring adventure when Garrett introduced us to our mentors, our “shipmates”.

I was very pleased to meet my mentor, Mike Johnson, and learn about his background and his current role. We were both a little surprised by the results of our Work Orientation, and not totally sure of the methodology that paired us up (yes, he does provide a written explanation). However, the more we’ve shared with each other, the more excited about where our relationship may take us.

It took us very little time to warm up and open up. After the first official meeting we already started to peel back the onion and share a few things about our plans and dreams for the future. It was sort of freeing to share some of my thoughts that I had not shared with anyone before. Having Mike listen and then respond without negativity or judgement was really encouraging. It already made me more excited to see where our path would lead us.

I’ve also been impressed with the materials that Garrett has put together. The website is clean and easy to navigate. He has well organized materials and provided a nice meeting guide to help us get started.

We were asked what was something that we learned from our mentor this month and I think the thing I learned from Mike this week is that when you have a sense of your purpose, or your calling, it is very exciting and energizing. Hearing him tell his story and talk about his “why”, it’s clear that he is in his sweet spot. I can’t wait to see what next month brings.

by Aaron Grady

Wed 10 June 2020

Ambition in Motion’s mentor program is different than anything I’ve ever heard of. When I think of a mentor, I think of someone who is older and wiser and honestly, really hard to find. AIM has flipped that on its head. They made everything super easy by matching me with someone via an assessment and algorithm. They also match you with peers that have a similar career orientation, which is way less intimidating than some kind of in-person process. It’s comforting to know that you and your mentor will automatically have some things in common, even before you get started. You also know that they’re eager to learn and grow as well.

In our first meeting, we talked about our backgrounds and even though our roles are different, our paths were certainly not. My mentor has a degree in Music and I have one in IT, now we’re both in Human Resource and Training Roles. The stories of how we got there are long and varied, but now we enjoy what we do. We also both used to work in different roles at our current employers, which gives us a unique perspective on not only our current workforce, but also gives us more in common and builds trust.

Speaking of starting in different roles, even within our own companies, we were able to transition into new positions that aligned more with our passions. I started out as a Project Manager that helped with recruiting on the side and my mentor was a Financial Advisor that really mastered the process so well that they wanted him to train everyone else! Any chance to learn something new is a chance for growth and, if nothing else, a resume builder.

We also learned that it’s not so uncommon to have many extraneous roles and responsibilities in addition to our core job duties. I have lots of non-HR related responsibilities like IT Support and Facilities Management and my mentor is responsible for Social Media content as well. We could choose to see these as busy work or unnecessary tasks, but we’ve both chosen to frame them as opportunities. Never say no to an opportunity if you can manage it.

by Annie Meehan

Wed 10 June 2020

by Susan Lindner

Wed 10 June 2020

Ambition In Motion leverages horizontal mentorship to help professionals elevate their work skills and break through communication barriers.

Ambition In Motion's core values are: be growth-oriented, people first, empower efficient leaders, be data-driven, and have integrity and vulnerability.

Ambition In Motion's vision is a world where the vast majority of people are excited to go to work, when they are there their expectations meet reality, and when they come home they feel fulfilled.

Ambition In Motion has programs for companies to match their internal employees together for horizontal mentorship (within departments, across departments, within special interest groups, for onboarding employees, identifying emerging leaders, upskilling middle managers, etc.), for professional associations to match their members together for mentorship, and for executives to connect them with other executives outside of their company for mentorship.

Learn more here: https://ambition-in-motion.com/

by Garrett Mintz

Mon 8 June 2020

A shift is taking place in management. Today, more people are working remotely than ever before. Managers that are (usually) staunchly opposed to letting employees work remotely are being forced to let down their guard and take the chance. But once people are allowed back into the office, will these managers still be open letting their employees work remotely?

As we all adjust to these changes in work, this article will help by sharing some tips that professionals can leverage with their supervisors to continue to work remotely, even after things start going back to normal (a term used loosely).

The biggest hurdle most managers face when it comes to allowing remote work is trust. Managers may be hesitant to admit it, but they convey this information in their word choice and explanations.

For example, I interviewed a professional who commutes 3 hours every day to work. 3 hours every single day! He knows he can be just as productive at home as in the office. But when he brought this up, his manager dismissed the idea, responding, “we allowed one person to work remotely one time and it completely backfired.”

Managers that don’t fully trust their employees often cite one-off events they’ve heard from other colleagues to ‘inform’ their decisions for managing their employees.

These divisive, stubborn decisions are based on a limited sample set with a completely different set of people! Why do they do this? Their answer often boils down to fear of “getting burned again”. The simple fact is that people are inherently resistant to change. Until the pain or pressure overcomes this resistance to change, they will continue to choose the familiar path (i.e. inaction) over uncertain outcomes that require action. Their risk-averse approach can lead their direct reports to think that their manager is prioritizing their own comfort over taking a chance to give their employees flexibility.

This is human nature!

The best managers override this natural tendency. Unfortunately for many people, their manager may not share this open-minded approach to work.

Here are some tips for building trust with your manager so you can eventually stake a claim that you deserve to work remotely.

Be open about your obstacles

Vulnerability is a powerful way to build trust with your manager. If your goal is to work remotely full-time (except when necessary) but your manager opposes it, be open about the obstacles you will face working from home. Let’s be fair: these choices do have potential downsides. An honest assessment is a powerful tool for tempering your manager’s fears. If your pitch pretends there are zero downsides to remote work, you will be leaving the manager forced to come up with their own assessment of downsides because we all know that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

They will begin making assumptions about your capabilities and how working remotely will affect your productivity. And if they started out skeptical, their assumptions are going to draw from this pessimistic outlook and distort reality, thus dashing your hopes of remote work.

By being open about the obstacles you face working remotely, you build trust. You work together with your manager to brainstorm what the obstacles are and how you can overcome those obstacles. You empower your manager to be on your team and empathize with you. You flip the script and the manager becomes a teammate instead of the barrier between you and your goal.

Pro tip: Dr. Robert Cialdini in his book Pre-suasion discusses the best way to deliver obstacles. He mentions that if you are going to deliver an obstacle or a weakness, that you should follow it with the terms “but”, “yet”, or “however” followed by reasons you can overcome that obstacle or weakness. From a psychological perspective, it forces the listener to focus on the last thing you said, not the obstacle itself. For example, “Working at home will definitely have distractions like the television, but I have turned my second bedroom into an office strictly for work and that will help me separate me from the rest of the distractions in my house.”

Share your motivations

Why are you interested in working remotely? If you don’t share this, they may assume that you are up to no good. I learned some insight from a body language expert that I believe is relevant to this situation: you build trust with your hands. If somebody can’t see your hands (e.g. one was behind your back), the biological and instinctual assumption is that the hand is hidden for nefarious purposes.

When you don’t show your hands, or in this case, the motivations behind why you want to work remotely, the natural assumption a manager may have is that you hid them for a reason.

Everyone has reasons for the actions they take, even if they aren’t immediately apparent. Showing that your motivations are reasonable and sensible is critical to your manager being open to supporting your goal of working from home.

A quick note on this, your motivations should be mutually related. If we look at the example earlier in the article about the guy commuting 3 hours every day for work, that reason alone will probably not move the needle for a manager. The reason is that it only provides benefits to you and not to your manager. Instead, if you can say that you could work more effectively and be even more productive, but that the 3-hour commute can drain your energy. This provides a clear, mutual benefit to the manager – greater productivity from their employees.

Create fail-safes

Fail-safes are self-imposed regulatory guidelines for you to follow while working remotely. These provide indicators showing how productivity has changed compared to working at the office. Fail-safes provide your manager a clear metric they can use to decide whether to pull you back in. The manager’s fear is that if she allows you to work from home and your productivity falls then it will be difficult to have that conversation with you. This difficulty could lead to you getting fired or quitting, which your manager definitely does not want to have happen.

Fail-safes allow your manager to look at the data, consider your output and self-imposed guidelines, and make a case for whether remote work is effective without letting their emotions or biases influence the decision. It is just data; either you hit your goals, or you didn’t.

Part of these fail-safes should incorporate the communal component of being physically present at the office. Some managers may not be concerned about your productivity but instead are concerned by the impact it may have on the team dynamic and company culture. One of your fail-safes should address how you will schedule regular, frequent conversations with colleagues, both in and outside of your department. These conversations should be about the obstacles that you and your colleagues are facing without being explicitly work-related. These types of conversations are the foundation of horizontal mentorship, and you would be creating your own network of horizontal mentor relationships within your company.

Ultimately, you may find out that working remotely doesn’t work for you. But for some people, it makes a massive difference on their productivity and their emotional health. If you follow these 3 steps, you should be able to make a strong case for why you should be allowed to work remotely.

by Chaundra Covington-Rousseau

Wed 3 June 2020

Imagine that you and a colleague with similar qualifications and backgrounds started working at a company around the same time. You watch that colleague ascend the corporate ladder at lightning speed while you remain stuck in the same position, struggling to gain recognition and promotion for your efforts. You’ve tried various tactics, all to no avail. In a moment of frustration, you ask yourself, ‘What does this person have that I don’t?” It’s not skills or knowledge, and it’s certainly not a lack of trying on your part. But there’s something that sets them apart from you and other employees. How do I know this? Because I was in the same predicament, and I asked myself this question. When I saw a fellow employee obtain his dream job, I took the initiative to ask how he did it. To my surprise, it wasn’t his stellar resume or career accolades. He had a mentor guiding him along the way.

Mentors are not just applicable in the corporate or professional environment. When you consider the education to workforce pipeline, mentors are equally critical during one’s learning years. As a new doctoral student, I had an inkling of the challenge that awaited me when I experienced the never-ending cycle of writing and editing assignments in my very first class. I discovered a life line in connecting with dissertation students and recent graduates. They shared their tales of woes as well as victories. This small group gave me a sense of community, and if they could do it, so could I with the proper guidance. From among them, my mentor emerged – a dissertation student with the same major – and it was a match made in heaven!

The path to success is never traveled alone. It is marked by instrumental relationships, connections, and perhaps, most importantly, a mentor. What if I told you that instead of admiring the great accomplishments of someone else, you could experience shining moments of own with the help of a mentor? A mentor is someone who has already arrived where you are trying to go. He or she has experienced and successfully navigated the challenges and obstacles that you may encounter along your journey. What better treasure than if they could share their experiences and expertise?

Think of a mentor as your coach and professional partner. This is someone who wants to see you succeed, has your best interests at heart, and understands the road you are traveling. While you are responsible for putting forth the effort, a mentor wants to help you reach your destination. The mentor is here to help you with several things: accountability, insight, pathways, and motivation. What many don’t realize is that the mentor-mentee relationship is mutually beneficial. There is a well-known adage that says, “iron sharpens iron.” The mentor delivers feedback that shapes the mentee into a stronger, purpose-driven professional. Throughout this process, the mentor is challenged in thought, creativity, and capability in ways that might not occur outside of this relationship. There is also the intrinsic satisfaction of helping others in a meaningful way. One person cannot influence every other person in the world. However, a single mentor has the capacity to plant seeds among individuals and communities and watch those fruits blossom and multiply. This is the power of mentorship. If more people would become mentors to others, the impact would be phenomenal and far-reaching.

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"Why Get A Mentor?"

2020 Episode 1

CRMA Partners with Ambition In Motion to Create a Manufacturing Mentor Program for Members

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