Last month, several key leaders of the Prime team attended the 3rd Annual National Leadership Development Conference (NLDC), held at Grand Casino Hinckley. They returned to the office with renewed commitment to inspire growth, professional development, and fresh creativity among employees, who spark the energy day in and day out for our clients.
Conference Overview
The theme of this year’s conference was “Be the spark! – Ignite your team!”—a fitting topic for Prime’s vision to “spark the energy.” Key speakers included
- Joe Nayquonable Jr. – CEO of the Mille Lacs Band’s Corporate Commission and founder of the Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures.
- Bob Schlichte – Workshop facilitator and ship builder: a builder of friendships, relationships, partnerships, and sponsorships.
- Pam Borton – President & CEO of Borton Partners and founder of TeamWomenMN and Empower Leadership Academy for Girls.
- Kat Perkins – Finalist on the Voice and a top selling iTunes rock artist.
Conference Focus
The speakers presented inspirational ideas for leaders who want to support, engage, re-invest, value, and empower their team by
- Building up relationships, friendships, partnerships, and sponsorships.
- Maximizing a team’s time, talent, and technology.
- Making a difference, finding a passion, and communicating a vision.
Conference speakers encouraged leaders to embrace their strengths and expand their performance threshold. Servant leaders demonstrate care and stay engaged. They strive to challenge their team and foster connection. These are just some of the leadership qualities that enhance employee development.
We asked Mark, Shauna, Garrett, and Roclyn to share their takeaways from the NLDC seminars.
Prime Team Takeaways
Mark Murray
- The power of giving real-time feedback.
- The importance of recapping meetings right after they close.
- Employees want feedback—how am I doing, how am I making a difference? Give feedback right away, and they can make adjustments right away.
Shauna Smart
- Change happens outside of your comfort zone.
- Constructive feedback is necessary and is best in the moment.
- Ask for employee feedback before reviews and do reviews more often (quarterly reviews, 1:1s weekly/monthly).
- Lead individuals as opposed to whole teams – not all learn or understand in the same way.
- Praise: be specific, immediate, and personal.
- Instead of saying “Yes, but,” use “Yes, and” to encourage and inspire.
- Passion, passion, passion.
Garrett Eichhorn
- Mentor/mentee relationships are critical for career growth. It’s important for all levels in the hierarchy – from secretary to CEO – to experience both roles and recognize that every perspective is valuable in shaping a balanced outlook.
- Micro-managing is vilified for good reason – it deteriorates our willingness to step outside the box and engage with creativity. Defined roles and expectations, a well-communicated mission statement, and feedback mechanisms will reduce the need to micro-manage.
- When it comes to brainstorming, team members will always provide more valuable contributions when they’re celebrated for original thinking instead of denigrated for trying to fit the mold. Leaders are responsible for creating an ecosystem of trust and safety, and not just the quickest solution to an immediate problem.
Roclyn Bradshaw
- Favorite Statements
- “Leadership is influence. People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.”
- “Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to results.”
- “Teamwork makes the dream work.”
- Employee Engagement
- Makes happier and more productive employees.
- Is maximized if we inspire versus require.
- Grows profits as much as three times faster.
- Mentoring
- If a mentor isn’t good at giving hard feedback, then they are not in the right role.
- We stop listening when we are not authentic.
- Not everyone likes to mentor or be mentored. Focus on the employees who do.
- Did you know?
- 80 percent of learning happens between mentor and mentee.
- 98 percent of society doesn’t know where they need to be coached.
- 79 percent of millennials and 75 percent of executives say mentoring was critical to their success.
- 77 percent of companies with mentoring programs measure improved retention, job performance, work quality and effort, and engagement.
- 81 percent of millennials with mentors are twice as likely to stay at a company five or more years.
Looking Forward…
The National Leadership Development Conference inspired us to BE the spark, so we can spark the energy for you. Prime Advertising & Design believes in strong team unity. We are graphic designers, print coordinators, web developers, social media gurus, copywriters, and seasoned marketing consultants. Just like our leaders motivate and train our team with enthusiasm, we ignite our boardroom with creative energy for our clients. As we maximize the potential of each Prime team member, we bring out the best in YOUR business! Learn more about our full-service marketing capabilities or schedule a free consultation to develop your marketing strategy.
