S5 E10: Featuring Consuela Munoz

Speaker 1: Tracie:

All right. So, let me um go over here to the intro and we will jump right on in. Hello everyone and welcome to Traceability podcast. I am your host Dr. Tracie Edwards. Today my guest is Consuela Munoz. She is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, a certified Gallup strengths coach, and host of the Lead to Achieve podcast. She's the author of the leader engagement gap, the missing piece of employee engagement and creator of the strengths activated engagement process and lead framework, helping leaders ignite their own engagement and unlock the full potential of their teams. Consuela, welcome. I am so happy to have you join me today.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

I'm so excited uh to be on your podcast and and talk strengths and everything engagement. Uh thank you for having me.

Speaker 1: Tracie:

You bet. So you in uh you did a wonderful video by the way uh sharing your story and in that video you kind of described a moment of clarity that um shifted you from just average to fully activated.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Sure.

Speaker 1: Tracie:

Would you mind sharing that story again with us? 00:01:25

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

So, I um walking into work one day and just like every other day, right? And I'm walking in, the sun was like playing through the window. It's I'm in Wisconsin. It was winter and the sun came in and it hit me and all of a sudden it was super clear in my mind. that I was completely average. Like just average. Like every piece of my life I was just average. And you know, so I I talk about, you know, being um pretty but not gorgeous and smart but not a genius. And I make a joke about my height, which you guys can't see in podcast land, but I'm not overly tall. And so, but not only that, but with my work, too. Like I average, I did all the standard things. I, you know, graduated from high school, went to college, got a degree, got a job, you know, got a husband, got children, got all got all the things and did all the things that are kind of that default, that standard way of approaching our life and career. 00:02:38

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And I'm sitting there like, but whoa. because one, I don't want to be average, and two, I know that I'm meant for more than that, but how do I get from where I am feeling this average to where I'm meant to be? And and for me, that fully activated was knowing what I wanted and then really leaning in to what are my strengths? What are the strengths that I have? What are those natural abilities? those things that I showed up with and how can I use them to do more and more and get to the place that I was meant to be and really activate um me in a more full way.

Speaker 1: Tracie:

Well, I think you describe a process that so many of us go through a few years after college, right? Where we're, oh my goodness, I have this job. I didn't realize I would have this job. Uh, what is it that I'm doing? and and uh where do I want to be and and that kind of thing.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Right? 00:03:45

Speaker 1: Tracie:

So, it can be sort of an existential kind of thing there where um suddenly you're faced with whoa, what is what do I really want my life to be like?

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

What do I want my life to be like? You know, what is the point? What is the point of all this? Like I just get up and I go to work and I go home and I do it over and over and over again. Where's the meaning? Right? They'll talk about people having their second career that it's really that point where you're like, whoa, right? Like, this isn't all there is. There's got to be more. And it's being courageous and brave enough to say, I'm going to go get that bigger thing and not just stay there where it's comfortable.

Speaker 1: Tracie:

So maybe tell us what drew you to sort of the strengths uh coaching framework. I know um the Gallup strengths uh framework has been very popular in in business for uh many years now. What sort of drew you to that um as a way of of um ditching average 00:04:54

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Yeah. So, strength, strength, strength. Um, I am a Gallup certified strength coach as you mentioned. So with that I feel like I should say there's going to be a little bias towards them. Uh but with that like again for me discovering my strengths very powerful very powerful for me. So, I went to I was in just any old session and somebody was talking about strengths and I was like, "Oh, yeah. When I get back to the real world, when I get back to my desk, I'm going to do something with the strengths and this is going to be amazing because it was a great session." Right?

Speaker 1: Tracie:

Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And of course, I got back to work and I did not I did not do my strengths, right? You get back to work and you're like, "Oh my gosh, I'm behind in emails. on behind and all this stuff and everything you did at a conference is like that's really nice but what do we actually pick up and so I was back at work a little bit and I was like oh yeah I was going to do that thing let me go check it out and so I took the strength assessment and let me tell you so I take the strength assessment and I'm like holy cow first of all I was like are they watching me like how how do they know from these questions that I just answered how do they know this specific things about me like the first sentence of the first strengths was so correct about me that they had to have been watching me for years to know this about me right um so very powerful and then as I as I look through it more I'm like everybody needs to know this about themselves that the thing I love about strengths is that it's all the most amazing parts of you it's like all the best things of you And the thing that's really powerful of it, cuz you answered the questions, but it's written in words on a page, right, in black and white. And these words are coming from somebody else saying, "You're amazing. This is how specifically you are amazing and what makes you so unique and different from other people." So reading that because it's from someone else and not just you, very powerful. And my thing with that is more people need to know this and sooner than rather than later, right? Like, you know, oh, I wish I'd have seen this when I was in college. Maybe I would have made a different choice way that long ago, right? Like, it's just really powerful. And for me, I knew I wanted to do more and more with it. Now, at the time I took it, they didn't have um a certification for individuals to get certified to teach this. And yet I still was like driven like, "Oh my gosh, everybody needs to know about this." So I would tell people and then eventually developed my own coaching program, then got certified and started uh really putting more and more into it.

Speaker 1: Tracie:

Well, you know, it's so life affirming um validating kind of thing when you hear what your strengths are because I think so many of us tend to focus on our shortcomings sometimes and so to to actually have have something that validates and sort of gets you uh I think goes a long way to um you know just just helping us to see ourselves more positively. 00:08:26

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

to see ourselves more positively. One of the other things that I really like about strengths over some of the other uh assessments that somebody might take are that they're really well-known specific words. So, you're not finding out you're a color or you're a bird or you're anything else. You're like you're you get this and you're like, "Oh, your number one strength is communication." That makes sense. And if I say to somebody else like, "Oh, my number one strength is communication." They already have an idea what that means. They know what it means.

Speaker 1: Tracie:

That's true.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

If you list off what your strengths are to somebody else, whether they've taken the assessment or not, they have a good idea what that means about you, right? And that is another reason when you talk about the affirming like yes, yes, this is really good. Now, when you talk about we tend to focus on the negative, an interesting thing, um you can get your top five, right? But now it's affordable to get all 34. When I originally was working with it, we could only get top five. 00:09:29

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

It was very expensive to get more than that. So, everybody only got the top five. So, it was pretty cool. Once it became more reasonable to get all 34, I started noticing something really specific happening. And that is that the first things people will do when they get their results is they will look what are my top five. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Very next thing they will do right to the bottom. What don't I have? what's not at the top of my list. Right? And as humans, we can start to fret. We can fret over ah I really wish I had this strength or why is this so low for me and worried about what's at number 34 versus what's at number one for us. And I'll I'll tell you and I as I tell lots of people, we only have so much time to work on developing ourselves. Tracie Edwards: Right.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Like nobody's sitting out there with like oodles and oodles of free time. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

So when we only have so much time to develop ourselves, it makes the most sense and the biggest gains for us to focus on what's at the top of our list. 00:10:29

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

How are we already like really good that we can become really great by focusing on that? And the more you do that, the less the things at the bottom matter because nobody's going to ask you to do those kind of things. We're going to want you for those things that you can do that nobody else can do. Tracie Edwards: Right.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Yeah. Tracie Edwards: Well, that uh that reminds me of a conversation I had with a a boss a few years ago when I was sort of worried about my uh uh role and and where things were going. And he he was like, "You were hired for your brain. You weren't hired for this or that and you don't need to worry about this or that. Um you were hired because you bring these qualities kind of thing." And

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Awesome. Tracie Edwards: uh you know that ended up being very helpful for me.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Yeah. And and knowing and knowing how to maximize what you're given makes all the difference in your dayto-day and your week after week at work. 00:11:30

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

For sure. Tracie Edwards: Right. So speaking of leaders, you know, now as a leader with a formal leadership role, it's now your responsibility to help sort of activate the strengths of everybody within your team.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Sure. Tracie Edwards: Um, do you have maybe some practical sort of first steps for leaders who who may be new to strengths and and what they can do to sort of begin to activate that in their teams?

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

The first thing I would say would be have some focus on yourself as well. So, uh, you talked about the bestseller and I have my new book very excited about. Um it's the leader engagement gap missing piece for employee engagement and when I say work on yourselves when we look at the industry overall on leadership on but specifically on engagement and getting reaching into our teams the focus is all about how can the leader help their team and my thing is whoa whoa whoa let's take a second here and focus on the leader as well and so start with yourself make sure you understand your strengths. 00:12:44

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Make sure that you are energized by your strengths, that you're activated by your strengths, then start working with those that report to you, right? Then you start working with those. Now, as a group together, it's very powerful when everybody has that same language. So, if you've all taken the strengths assessment and you know what you your strengths are, you know what their strengths are. Tracie Edwards: Mhm. Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Um, this can really help with one of those issues where uh if people haven't taken this or even if they have like trying to hire people that think the same way, you as a leader want to if you have the option, try to hire people that think in a different way from you, right? Each of us, we we can't do everything at the greatest level, but our team can. Tracie Edwards: Mhm. Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And so, understanding your strengths, understanding who you need to balance you and who to lean on for what parts of what tasks, right? Like, you know, in in your situation, you were hired for this specific thing, not these other things, right? 00:13:51 Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

So, that means somebody else is doing that. Somebody else is doing X and Y. We want you to do Z over here. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

But the whole team then gets it all covered. And so as a leader, understanding where each of your persons really thrive, what they do best, and giving them the empowerment to do that each day. If I hear things like, "Oh, I wanted to give them a stretch assignment or I wanted to, you know, push them outside." If you want to stretch somebody, stretch them in an area of their strength. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

That's where you're really going to see the magic happen. If you're stretching somebody in a an area where they struggle, that's just um not going to help you. It's not going to help them. It's not going to help the team. Find out where they're really good and stretch them there and and let them just be amazing for you. That's how I would stay. Start with yourself and then really it makes it easier to understand where everybody else is coming to the team, what power they bring to the team. 00:14:56 Tracie Edwards: I think that's a really great point. I think um sometimes we're so sort of other focused that we're not sort of paying attention to our own impact um and what we're trying to accomplish with a group. So having that self-awareness I I think um is super helpful and also focusing on the strengths otherwise I think um you know the that takes you back to that just average kind of thing almost Right.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Yep. Just average. You know, you're you're you're there and you're doing work, but you're not like, you know, doing work at the at the best level that you could, right? You're just in and out. There and then gone. Tracie Edwards: Right. So, you have a method called the lead method with the different stages. Um, can you break down the lead method for us and and um what are some maybe um practical starting points for each stage?

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Yes. So, uh I love acronyms. I worked in corporate for a long time, so we always had them. 00:16:08

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

But I really do uh like the the puzzle of creating uh acronyms that work. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Um but so this one is lead and the L is leverage your strengths. Best place to start. The E is empower engagement. You want to empower others to be engaged. The A is achieve aspirations and then the D is driving performance. Um really to as I've already kind of spoke to starting with our strengths but leveraging them. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

It's one thing to find out what they are like anyone can take the assessment and get the report and be like oh that's cool put it on the shelf right like that any of us can do that when Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

I say leverage the strength so to me that's like how can you put them in motion for you how can you execute on them implement them grow them that's where you really want to start and leverage also speaks to for yourself but then for each person on your team how do we leverage the strengths of the whole team to do what we need to do. 00:17:16

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Now the engagement really speaks to the empower engagement uh speaks to another one of my uh processes and that is really the strengths activated engagement. So we have engagement which is being present and strengths activated engagement is being fully lit up from within and giving everything. That is that is a difference right and so for me that empowering engagement is helping each person on the team to really find and grow their strengths in such a way that they're completely lit up from within. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And it it can sound a little hokey but I've seen it. Tracie Edwards: What the hell?

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

I've seen somebody go from being disengaged, showing up all in gray, barely speaking, to being lit up to the point where people are asking her, "Did you lose weight? Have you changed your hair? Like, what are you doing different?" And it was because she was so engaged with her work, with her strengths, that they weren't sure what it was, but something was different about her. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And so, that's what this being lit up is. 00:18:21 Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And that's how you want to make sure you empower everybody on your team. Now for me, the achieve aspirations then is when you have everybody on your team fully lit up, what do you want to achieve? Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

We talk about aspirational goals, like those big goals that like seem kind of out there. If everybody on your team is doing what they do best and they're all actively engaged, you can achieve whatever you want to. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And then the driving performances just keep driving from there. Keep everybody motivated, engaged, knowing what they do best, and then just bring the performance to where you need it to be. That is the lead framework. Tracie Edwards: So, I'm wondering if there are some potential pitfalls um with the some of these u pieces of the acronym, right?

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Okay. Tracie Edwards: Uh, so for folks who may not be driven or driven by achievement kind of thing, um, are there some things that, um, leaders might want to be aware of as they're trying to implement that lead framework for for some of those folks who are more settled? 00:19:42

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

So when you say that they're not driven, that they that they don't want to achieve, um I don't know if you can expand on that a little bit. Tracie Edwards: Sure.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

I mean, if you're if you're actively working, um you you have to achieve, right? Like everybody is assigned goals and so you have to be working towards those goals. So if you can expand a little Tracie Edwards: So, for example, I had a um engineer that I work with um come to me and and just, you know, we were talking about some things he could do for career improvement and that kind of thing. And he was like, "What if I'm just not into that? What what if I'm not really motivated that way?" kind of thing.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Okay. Tracie Edwards: and uh he's just sort of content to do the 9 to5 and accomplish his tasks and that's all that he wants to do kind of thing.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Okay. Tracie Edwards: So, not particularly driven to be um successful in the way some of us might think of success, right? 00:20:58

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

So he's not really like motivated by getting to the next level or um any of those kind of things. So what I would say with that is though that none of us are showing up at work to do a bad job, right? So, we all want to go to work. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Even if he only wants to be there from 9:00 to 5, go in, do his work, and and leave, he still wants to do a good job while he's there, right? Tracie Edwards: Mhm. Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And so, to me, it comes back to that strengths piece of things. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

um what are his strengths and how do they align with the activities that he's doing for work, the goals that are are set that those tasks that he's working on in his nineto-5, how how do they align into Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

those things? Um and when I talk about empowering engagement, this is maybe where we would spend that some time. We talk about engagement, we talk about motivation, satisfaction, all those kind of words get thrown around in there. 00:21:59

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And so, how do we get this individual to tie into the tasks and goals that he's been given for me? Tracie Edwards: Right.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

You know, a lot not a lot of people necessarily achieve their goals. It's a really small percentage. And part of the reason is because the goals are handed to us from somebody else or we assume a default goal as entrepreneurs that we need to do. So how do we get this individual to personally tie into the goal in front of him? Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

When I say personally tie in, he may have just been given this goal, but I want to do some work with that individual to say, okay, if this is your goal, why is that important to you? Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And so we play this game of five W's to figure out why is that goal even though it was set by somebody else. Why is that goal important to him personally? And then we rewrite that goal. So when they read it they have this strong um personal reaction to the goal. 00:23:06 Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And when we get to that level then they're going to be ready to achieve. It doesn't mean that they still want to get to some big crazy level like they don't want to move up levels, but they do want to bring their best to the work that they're doing and to the team that they're working with. And we need to find that personal connection. And I'm telling you, if you can rewrite the goal to the point where somebody looks at it and they're like, "Yes, that's that's what we need to be doing, especially with individuals that are in a like, no, I'm Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

just going to show up and I'm going to leave." And I'll tell you that it sometimes feels like to leaders that I don't want to say uh you know like it's it's really hard to do. It can be worth the effort. It really can to help individuals really realize why they're doing what they do because all the people I've spoke to in all the different places and all, you know, almost everybody does the work that they do, whatever that 00:23:55 Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

work is because they want to help other people. Tracie Edwards: Right.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

If we're all out there doing that, if we're showing up at work because we want to do this to help somebody else, maybe we lose sight of that a little bit and we're just going to get in and get out. But if we can remind ourselves, this is why this is important to us, we we have a better shot of being engaged and enjoying what we're doing and helping the team in a different way. Tracie Edwards: Mhm. That makes sense. I think um you know the importance of reframing um the the task or the goal or or that kind of thing. And I think often that's probably uh where leaders um I don't know are are maybe less effective with certain individuals is because um some of those folks need that reframe to um sort of tap into where their strengths really lie.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

I mean, I'm not going to say it's always going to be easy, but it's not necessarily as hard as people think it is. 00:25:15

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Uh but if people even have an inkling of that, they might not want to work on that. So I was talking um you know a situation uh brought out in my book. I was working with this individual. He's like, "I came to see you. Um they said you could help me improve my engagement numbers." I'm like, "Cool. This is exciting. I got a brand new software. I I would love to have a beta tester." and we go through the whole thing and at the end he was like, "So, I'm actually going to have to listen and then make changes to get the numbers." Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And I was like, "Yeah." And he goes, "Oh, I don't want to do that then. I just thought you could help me with the numbers." And a little alarm bell, like, "Does he think I was just going to go in in the system and change the numbers?" like I don't know what this individual thought but there are leaders out there who don't want to do any of that effort right and so again this is where I say it comes back to that individual to start 00:26:05 Tracie Edwards: Mhm. Uhhuh.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

with so if we want those people on that team to be more engaged is the leader themsself engaged because an engaged leader be like what do I got to do all right I got to do these things all Tracie Edwards: Mhm. Good.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

right I'm going to do these things that's going to help my team somebody who's like what I have to do things they're not engaged either And so that makes the system. It's like kind of like um you know if all the lights light up, if we think about Christmas lights or you know if one of them goes out then the whole chain can be affected. Well if the leader goes out that really can affect the entire team and what they're going to be able to accomplish. And so making sure the leader is leading from a place of being lit up can make all the difference in what the team is able to achieve in their level of engagement. Tracie Edwards: So, I'm interested. Were you able to help sort of um enhance that leader's perspective, help him? 00:27:13

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Not at that time. Tracie Edwards: Okay.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

No, not at that time. Not with that leader. uh basically uh you know he walked away and that was that was that like I I'm like okay he doesn't actually want help and it's that pl where I was wasn't really part of my role it was just like something I could help some people with and um but it was a little disheartening right but everything we learn is what we use when we get further and further like me learning that years ago as I'm writing Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

reading this book now I'm like oh I remember that very clearly and help determine you know the whole answer for me and that if the leader's not there it's hard to get the team there you can't throw a Tracie Edwards: Right. Yeah.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

pizza party and hope the team's going to be more engaged now um you know if the leader themselves is not engaged right like that those are the things um you know that influence what you what I know now. Tracie Edwards: Mhm. 00:28:18

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And yeah, Tracie Edwards: Yeah. Well, well, speaking of pizza parties, I I think there's a lot of um talk these days about what really is culture uh in an organization. And you know, it it's not pingpong, it's not pizza, um it's not some of those um sort of in your face kind of things. So, do you maybe have a a definition or some insight into really what is culture and what are some things we can do to help create that culture?

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

So I mean to me as far as culture I'm more focused on engagement and culture culture takes time to develop right. Uh there is there has been a push for years like if you can't I want to quote the the Braveheart movie if you can't get it then you you know whatever we we don't that is kind of the focus like if we can't change the culture we'll bring in new culture right um because culture itself takes consistent effort over time to change um for me because I'm so into the strengths and I really think Tracie Edwards: Mhm. 00:29:36 Tracie Edwards: Mhm. Right.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

that makes a difference in whether someone is engaged or not. If you're trying to change the culture, you really need those visionaries that want that culture to be really engaged and then to really focus on those consistent actions with everybody that reports to them and and helping them to Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

have those consistent actions as it flows down the list, right? like if we're going to make that change but consistent um if one leader is saying one thing and another leader is is you know acting in a different way any kind of confusion and now the the culture is not going to develop the way you think it's going to right I think again it starts with how are how are we setting the culture who how engaged are they the people that are setting it and how does Tracie Edwards: Mhm. Right. Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

that message get consistently um delivered over time. We're not changing the culture. It's kind of like a big ship. We're not changing it. 00:30:51

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

We're not going to turn it around quickly. We have to we have to be consistent and and and move it about in a consistent manner. Tracie Edwards: Great, great point.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Yeah. Tracie Edwards: um reinforcement and making um minor adjustments uh um is all part of that uh getting the ship to where the ship needs to be.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Yeah. Tracie Edwards: So, um, what are maybe some conversations about leadership that we could use more of today, especially in an age of return to office and um maybe a little more power in um the the leadership these days than in the um rank and file.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

So, as far as conversations, um I was just speaking with a a a group. Um I was at a college campus last week and we were talking about uh the different strengths and um what was interesting about the team that I was working with this this specific team of students in the same class or whatever is that they had a large number of relationship building strengths and there's this big fear of I don't say fear but there's this like unwritten thing that good strong leaders are like executing or strategic versus how do you lead from relationship building? 00:32:19

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

So there the four domains are executing, influencing, relationship building and strategic thinking and and h how do you be a leader when you're relationship building versus executing like getting things done or very being very strategic, right? There's this, you know, when people fret about the things that they don't have, right? Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

They can fret about that. Tracie Edwards: Right.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Um, but at the same time, I'm like, "Yeah, but you don't lead in a really good way unless you can develop relationships." Like, relationships are culture. Relationships are being a leader. You're not going to lead your people well if you don't have a strong relationship with them. And how do we get strong relationships? Well, we need a couple things. We need trust. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

right to get those and how else conversations. So when you ask me about conversations, conversations with each individual on your team, really understanding them, um whether you've done strengths or not, really understanding what do they want, what motivates them, where are they trying to go, you know, what are they, what are they nervous about, what understanding those specific things, you know, I'll talk about being very unique with strengths, like what kind of recognition are they looking for? 00:33:34 Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

What in what way do they want to be recognized? In what way would they like to be motivated? What motivates them? Like having that conversation. Those are the conversations understanding each other and building that relationship and that trust. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

That's that's where I think leaders need to focus. And we talk about you know it is postcoid and people are starting to want people back in the office more. One of the reasons they might say is is because of that. You can establish these relationships just fine online, but in person it's a different level, right? Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

So, if you're bringing people in, you want this. It's an area that can be stepped over. Like, there's so many things that have to be talk. We have to talk about what work needs to get done and what fires we're fighting today that maybe it's being missed to spend time on just developing a relationship with each person on your team. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

whether you're in charge of them or whether you work with them. 00:34:41

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Having those relationships and developing make all the difference in how well you can implement culture, implement change, do any of the things, achieve those big goals because when the, you know, when the stuff hits the fan, and I'm Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

going to tell you, we don't know what it is all the time, but we know it's going to something's going to go. Having a strong relationship in place means you can get through that. You can get past it. you can get over it without we're not sure if you'll make it, right? Like if there's not a good relationship in in place, depending what it is, it might not get through that. Tracie Edwards: Right.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And so having those conversations to really understand. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Now, the thing about conversations is it's two-way. So it isn't just you coming in there and talking to them or them talking to you. It's back and forth, a conversation to understand each other, to really grow that trust and build that relationship. And that's what I think people are missing because they're so wrapped up in work that if they put more focus on, they can make bigger changes and differences uh faster if they were putting more focus on that. 00:35:53 Tracie Edwards: Yeah, I agree. And I think about um the the meeting culture today, right? Especially for leaders who, you know, my boss could be in meetings from 7 to 5 every day without a break. And that can impact the ability to build those relationships because you're so focused on the tasks and that kind of thing. Um, do you have maybe some suggestions for how to build those uh relationships when we are in an age of of busyness and productivity monitoring and that kind of thing?

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

So I one thing I would recommend not being in meetings straight from 7 to 5. Like if you cannot do that like not do that. um not always possible but I do as far as productivity and I we want to be productive a good rule of thumb is uh 6040 for this and so 60 is is meaning that 60% of your day you might plan with meetings but leaving space for stuff to happen you know like the doctor has appointments that they leave for emergency situations sick people sick appointments you need to leave those on your calendar as well. 00:37:08 Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And so having those spaces actually can make you more productive. That's when somebody shows up and they've got an issue and you're like, you know what, I have an opening at two that I I reserved. So let's take that spot and we'll talk about it's a meeting, but now it's a relationship meeting that we're having uh you know, a building time. Tracie Edwards: Mhm. Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And that's what I would say. Even if you can't leave them open, plan them into your calendar. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

If you're gonna if your calendar is going to be booked all day, solid anyways, put some in there that are building relationship with each person on your team. Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

If it can sound like it's not being productive, like it's not working on a specific task, and yet it is. As a leader, that is one of your biggest jobs is to lead your people. And so, if you're not taking time to develop your individuals, then you're not really getting all your work done. 00:38:04 Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

that you have to see that as what is part of your job responsibility and put it on your calendar appropriately. That's what I would recommend for that. Tracie Edwards: I love that. I think um too often we're so driven by the task at hand that we forget what is really the key role of a leader is to develop other leaders kind of thing.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Yeah. be that leader, that leader of leaders, somebody who develops other leaders and I mean there is some where people are kind of thrown into being a leader and they're not necessarily giving a lot of training and so they Tracie Edwards: So Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

like keep doing all your own work but now you're in charge of these individuals and so they don't not really sure what to do with all that except you have to make sure that they you do your review or you know have a one-on-one with them for some frequency. Tracie Edwards: Thank you.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

I don't even know. Like that is the majority of what you should be doing. 00:39:11

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

And so often they're stuck in like still doing the work and the goals and the tests that they had from before and just add this thing on as an add-on. And they have to start looking at it with a different mindset about what it means to be the leader of that team. Tracie Edwards: Yeah, totally agree. So, as we wrap up today, um if someone is listening to this episode and they they want to start activating their strengths or u what's maybe one small action that they could do to get themselves started.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Well, I'll joke and say, you know, take the StrengthFinder, right? Like it's not Strengthfinder, it's Clifton Strengths Assessment. Taking that report is just magical and powerful, right? So taking that but even if you're not doing that what I would say as a first step if you're like okay I'm going to do that but I can't do it until like a week from now what I want you to do right now today is think about okay in the past you had some amazing result on a project on a task that you had to do and you got a result that was above and beyond. 00:40:17

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Now I want to think about what was it that I brought specifically that nobody else could do to achieving that above and beyond result and start figuring out where are you energized in the work the that you do the most. So if you go to work and there's this piece you love. Now for me I found a way in every job I had to train. I even one job there was no employees to train. I said, "We should train the customers." All right, we train the customers, right? Like I found a way because when I would be training, I would be energized. I'd be like, "Yeah, I could train for like nine hours straight and I'd get home like, "Yeah, woohoo." Like I'd just be energized because that's something I'm naturally good at and I enjoy doing. And so I would ask you to figure out what is something you do at work, you lose track of time, that you get lost in it, that you can't wait to do more of it, and figure out why 00:41:21 Tracie Edwards: Mhm.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

that is and how you can do more of that each day and each week. That's where I would say that you should start. Tracie Edwards: Perfect. That's that's such a great note to to end on to, you know, understand your strengths, understand the things that that really engage you and and get you going every day and and um make sure that you're spending some time to do them.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Yes. Tracie Edwards: So, Canuela, where can people connect with you, please too.

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

So, I am on LinkedIn. I am Canuela Munoz on LinkedIn. Fairly easy to find. I would love to connect with you there. or if you're interested, sorry if I plug my book a little bit. All right. So, my book is available on Amazon. It is the leader engagement gap, the missing piece of employee engagement um by me, Canuela Munoz. And um there's more information in the book on how we can connect from there. Tracie Edwards: Fantastic. So for those of our listeners today, uh we are so grateful that you are here and uh would ask for a call to action from you to please uh we are on Apple and Spotify. Please leave us a review, let us know how we're doing and um we would love to hear from you. and Consuela Munoz, thank you so much for being with us today for for uh making the time in your schedule to share with us about uh lead and and leading from our

Speaker 2: Consuela Munoz:

Thank you for having me. It's always a blast to talk about