Posted By: SCMFG/Staff September 29, 2021
Many years ago, an executive director I worked for told me, “I don’t pay you to think.”
After a moment of shock, I replied, “I guess that explains why you pay me so little.” During my time with that organization, I spearheaded many projects, some of which are still in existence over 20 years later. Thankfully my willingness to create and improve systems to serve our clients better wasn’t squashed. It easily could have been, as this was my first “real” job after college and I was working with team members with higher education levels. This environment was not conducive to talent innovation, motivation or retention.
Space for Innovation
Our employees can be our most significant source of innovation. As leaders, it is our responsibility to create space where it is safe to offer new ideas. For many of us, just the thought of being embarrassed or shamed will keep us from sharing when we identify opportunities for improvement.
I love this quote by Peter Sheahan,
“The secret killer of innovation is shame. Every time someone holds back on a new idea, fails to give their manager much needed feedback, and is afraid to speak up in front of a client you can be sure shame played a part. That deep fear of being wrong, of being belittled is what stops us taking the very risks required to move our companies forward.”
“If you want a culture of creativity and innovation, start by developing the ability of managers to cultivate an openness to vulnerability in their teams. This requires that first they are vulnerable themselves. This notion that the leader needs to be ‘in charge’ and to ‘know all the answers’ is both dated and destructive. Its impact on others is the sense that they know less, and that they are less than. A recipe for risk aversion if ever I have heard it. Shame becomes fear. Fear leads to risk aversion. Risk aversion kills innovation.”[1]
Shame and Innovation
Shame is an enemy of innovation in all walks of life, including work. As humans, we are hard-wired for connection. Shame is closely correlated with fear of disconnection and is highly avoided by most. The fear of presenting an idea that may be dismissed or even mocked is a powerful motivator to keep our mouths shut and our heads down. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Arkwright Mill Smoke House
Local Innovation
One of my favorite stories about employee innovation occurred in my front yard. Our home was previously the foreman’s home of Arkwright Mill. I was told that during the Great Depression, one of the employees at the mill told a supervisor that he knew how to smoke meat. A smokehouse was built in our front yard (across the street from the mill). According to history, selling smoked ham up the east coast saved the mill and the city of Spartanburg. Can you imagine how different things might have been if there hadn’t been the trust and respect required for innovation?
Creating Space for Innovation
What can you do as a leader to inspire and motivate your employees to share innovative ideas? Start by creating a culture that includes a safe space with mutual respect and trust. Be willing to be vulnerable – nobody is perfect! Commit to improving conversational and emotional intelligence. Offer contests for innovative ideas that are implemented. Practice active listening without judgment. The changes won’t happen overnight, but with good modeling, leadership and inspiration, there is no limit on opportunities for innovation.
If you would like to learn more, I recommend 2 Second Lean[2] by Paul Akers. He states, “Our job is not to build products, but to improve the process of how we build our products.”
[1] Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (p.65)
[2] 2 Second Lean by Paul Ackers
April 2026
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Golden Career Strategies Announces Special Veterans Day Offer
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff November 9, 2022 In honor of Veterans Day, Golden Career Strategies (GCS) offers a complimentary Stress and Well-Being Assessment to veterans who call or register online. This special offer ($100 value) includes a 30-minute review and tips for reducing stress, becoming more resilient and building one’s capacity for resilience. “We truly value those who have served our country and want to serve them in return, even if in a small way,” said GCS CEO Stacey Bevill, who personally supports veterans as a volunteer coach for Stand Beside Them, a national 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping veterans transition out of the […]
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Safe Harbor Provides HeartMath® Training for Staff to Build Resiliency
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff November 1, 2022 South Carolina domestic violence ranking improves from #6 in the nation to #23 Since 1987, October has been designated as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Over the past 30+ years progress has been made to support domestic violence victims and survivors, to hold abusers accountable, and to create and update legislation to further those goals. Safe Harbor, a private non-profit serving four counties in the Upstate, offers ongoing support and training to its staff in keeping with its mission to provide a continuum of services to victims of domestic violence and their children, and to eliminate […]
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Press Release: Golden Career Strategies Adds Change Management to Portfolio of Services
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff July 21, 2021 Greenville, SC, July 13, 2021 — Golden Career Strategies (GCS) is pleased to announce the company has added another valuable offering to its portfolio of services: Change Management, which focuses on helping organizations be successful in implementing special projects or major strategic initiatives. This comes on the heels of GCS President Stacey Bevill earning the prestigious designation of APMG International™ Certified Local Change Agent (CLCA). As a CLCA, Bevill can serve organizations as a Local Change Agent to execute change success for her clients and help train others to become APMG International™ Change Management professionals. “By engaging professional assistance to […]
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Onboarding for Mergers and Acquisitions
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff July 19, 2021 We often think of onboarding for new hires, but effective onboarding is also imperative for successful transition during mergers and acquisitions. Even before the final contracts are signed, it is beneficial to have an onboarding plan. Sadly, more often than not, little preparation has been made for onboarding staff members who may feel uneasy even in the most exciting of times. To successfully onboard an acquired team, great care must be taken to move these team members into their new corporate “homes” quickly and carefully. This calls for a particular set of change management activities that […]
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Workforce Resilience
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff August 16, 2021 One of the common attributes’ employees list for an ideal job is a stress-free work environment. Even if there was such a thing as a stress-free job, the reality is we would still carry our stress from home and other sources. To make matters worse, a study from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig indicates that stress is contagious. “Observing another person in a stressful situation can be enough to make our own bodies release the stress hormone cortisol.” [1] Most of us are familiar with cortisol, but few know that over a thousand […]
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Talent Innovation
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff September 29, 2021 Many years ago, an executive director I worked for told me, “I don’t pay you to think.” After a moment of shock, I replied, “I guess that explains why you pay me so little.” During my time with that organization, I spearheaded many projects, some of which are still in existence over 20 years later. Thankfully my willingness to create and improve systems to serve our clients better wasn’t squashed. It easily could have been, as this was my first “real” job after college and I was working with team members with higher education levels. This […]
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Energy in Leadership
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff August 2, 2022 Energy Measurement We all feel each other’s energy, whether we’re aware of it or not. Each time our heart beats, a magnetic field travels out of our bodies and extends in all directions. This field can be measured with magnetometers. Gerhard Baule and Richard McFee first demonstrated the first biomagnetic signal in 1863 with a magnetocardiogram (MCG) that used magnetic induction coils to detect fields generated by the human heart. Research indicates that we feel each other’s energy as far as three feet away from the body.[1] Many scientists believe we can feel each other’s energy further, […]
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Improving Communication by Building Trust
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff October 13, 2022 Communication is part of everyday life, whether in person, via phone, texts, email, online meetings, social media, or other avenues. The messages often include tone, body language, facial expressions, and perspective clues. Communication has the potential for understanding and productivity or misunderstanding and disengagement. Including care and compassion in our conversations during stressful times becomes even more critical. Those who have experienced trauma in their lives may be experiencing re-traumatization and others may experience anxiety, worry, fear, and other depleting emotions. Can you think of a time when communication activated feelings of inspiration and connection? What […]
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20 Ways to Minimize Fear
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff October 30, 2023 Fear is an emotion everyone experiences in their lifetime. A perceived threat that activates fear can be physical, psychological, or emotional. It can also be real or imagined. We often think of emotions like fear or anger as bad, but every emotion serves a purpose. Fear activates our survival instincts. It can motivate us to take action that will prevent us from harm. Some of us even enjoy being afraid, and we purposely watch scary movies or engage in high-risk adventures such as skydiving for the natural high of an adrenaline rush. The impact of fear […]
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Identifying Concerns in the Workplace and Beyond
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff January 15, 2024 About five years ago, I was asked the following question: What issue for today’s working women is of most concern to you? When I started writing my response, I noticed that I had more concerns than I realized and that they were the concerns of many –not just women. Taking the time to identify these concerns motivates me to do what I can to lessen them. Acknowledge Concerns My concern is multifaceted. We live with the belief that self-sacrifice is more honorable than self-care. We have forgotten to say “No.” to yet another request. We forget to ask, […]
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Are You Ready for Better?
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff April 25, 2024 Ready for Better Do you want to become a better leader, embrace personal development, or improve your team’s engagement and innovation? Perhaps you have an idea for a book or a passion for learning a new subject or language. After founding and working in a marketing company for 17 years, I knew it was time for a change. This is my journey so far, followed by several tips to support your journey. I hope it inspires you. “What one man can do, another can do.” (The Edge)[1] Opportunities Abound For over a decade, I had the […]
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Sustainable Mental Well-being with Coherence and Resiliency
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff October 8, 2024 My sister used to tell me, “Use your powers for good.” Growing up with Wonder Woman as one of my heroes, this was easy to imagine. As I matured, it was harder at times to remember that we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made…” and capable of much more than we realize. Learning to manage emotional and mental well-being is crucial for success, enjoyment of life and physical health. In today’s fast-paced world, knowing how to obtain a state of coherence and resilience quickly helps us and impacts those with whom we interact. I love that, […]
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Taking Flight with DISC: Revolutionizing Team Dynamics in Manufacturing
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff March 4, 2025 Effective teamwork and communication are crucial in today’s fast-paced, high-stress work environments. As to-do lists grow and deadlines loom, organizations require innovative tools to enhance self-awareness, team performance, engagement and effective leadership. Introducing “Taking Flight with DISC” – an enhanced version of the classic DISC assessment that’s taking team building to new heights. The Evolution of DISC The traditional DISC assessment, a long-standing tool in organizational development, has been a go-to resource for understanding personality styles and improving teams. With over a million assessments sold annually, its effectiveness is well-established. However, a common challenge persists: How […]
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Taming Everyday Lions
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff April 6, 2025 Have you ever been to a circus and watched a lion tamer with a four-legged stool? While the effectiveness of using a stool against a lion is debatable and not scientifically proven, the idea that a four-legged stool can prevent a lion from attacking is an intriguing concept that combines elements of animal behavior, psychology, and human ingenuity. Let’s examine the reasoning behind this unconventional defense strategy and explore how to apply these concepts to tame the lions in your life. Visual Confusion The primary theory behind using a stool against a lion revolves around visual […]
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From Pruning to Growth: What Plant Care Can Teach Us About Employee Well-being
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff August 15, 2025 Recently, while pruning plants that had suffered from sun and water stress, I noticed that after pruning, beautiful new growth emerged rapidly. This experience inspired me to express the importance of leaders in fostering similar rejuvenation in their teams by addressing stress and promoting a supportive and collaborative work environment. Recognizing Stress The leaves of my Hosta plants were not just yellowed; they were browning and droopy. Before this recent experience, I did not enjoy working with plants. But on this day, I spent over three hours tending to our plants and garden, and for the […]
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Golden Career Strategies President Stacey Bevill Earns Harrison Assessments Debriefing and Coaching Accreditation
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff August 2, 2022 Stacey Bevill, Owner and President of Golden Career Strategies, recently became a certified Harrison Assessment provider. Harrison Assessments’ Talent Solutions Platform empowers businesses and leaders across the globe to create engaged, fulfilled and high-performing teams by providing insights for talent acquisition, employee development, team development, leadership and succession planning, employee engagement and organizational analytics. Harrison’s award-winning, cloud-based technology provides secure, job-specific predictive analytics designed to enhance the candidate and employee experiences. Organizations save time and money by utilizing Harrison’s assessment science and technology to hire the best candidates, validate high potentials, and accelerate individual and team […]
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Golden Career Strategies CEO Stacey Bevill Earns Specialty Designations for Board Certified Coach (BCC) Credential from the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE)
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff October 6, 2022 Stacey Bevill, BCC, PCC, MPM®, is one of fewer than 12 Board Certified Coaches in the Greenville-Spartanburg area and part of an elite group of only 66 in the entire state of South Carolina. Stacey Bevill, Owner and CEO of Golden Career Strategies, recently earned two prestigious specialty designations for her Board Certified Coach (BCC) credential from the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE). These specialty designations are voluntary accompaniments to the BCC credential emphasizing areas of expertise. Bevill’s specialty designations include Executive/Corporate/Business/Leadership Coach and Career Coach. The BCC credential is a mark of distinction for credential holders and a source […]
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Team Engagement and Collaboration in a Hybrid World
Posted By: SCMFG/Staff June 1, 2022 Unprecedented Stress Over the last couple of years, employees have experienced unprecedented stress from external sources including significant losses or changes, health issues, social division and more, all while managing their personal and professional obligations. As a result, employment expectations for both employers and their employees have shifted and will continue to change. Work View Shifts One primary shift is how employees view work. They want a position that is more closely aligned with personal values. Many want their job to have a purpose in their life and not just a way to make a living. […]
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March 2024
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Identifying and Removing Stressors
This summer I addressed little things in my life that either annoyed me or added stress. Once identified, it was easy to take action. Below are a few examples. I hope you will be inspired to identify and remove some of your own stressors. 1. Every morning I felt frustrated with having dirt and dog hair on the kitchen floor. Action: Bought a robot vacuum. Result: A smile each morning as I see the floors and empty the vacuum. Love it so much we now have one for the carpeted rooms and will be getting one for the upstairs. 2. […]
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Peace Begins with Me
Recently I attended a Peace Conference. Early in the day we were told that “peace begins with us.” Peace begins with us. I have been contemplating those four simple words since the conference. Peace is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as “In a general sense, a state of quiet or tranquility; freedom from disturbance or agitation; applicable to society, to individuals, or to the temper of the mind.” If peace begins with our own ability to enjoy peace, what are our chances for peace beyond us? How many of us have peace in our daily lives? Today during my morning walk […]
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Resolve to be a Better Communicator
A study by the Joint Commission for Transforming Healthcare revealed that up to 80 percent of serious medical errors can be attributed to miscommunication among medical staff. The good news is that we can easily learn skills to help us communicate more effectively and improve our business and personal relationships. Making effective requests of others is an integral part of good communication in the workplace and at home. But many of us haven’t learned how to deliver a concise request with clear expectations. Oftentimes, we expect others to read our minds or intuitively know how to respond to our requests. […]
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Being Compassionate in a Time of Crisis
If I had to pick one word to describe what we need during this time, that word would be compassion. Compassion for self and compassion for others. Why compassion? When we are under duress or experiencing stress we are more likely to make mistakes, communicate less effectively and present with emotions and behaviors that vary from our norm. For many, the changes and the challenges that we are currently facing trigger unresolved grief or trauma. We feel rocked to our core. Trauma lives in cellular memory, not just the brain. When we experience a traumatic event such as what […]
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Communication and Trust During Times of Chaos
It is virtually impossible to go through a day without communication. We communicate in person, via phone, texts, email, online meetings, social media, and more. The messages can include clues such as tone, body language, facial expressions, and our perspective. During times of chaos and uncertainty, it is even more essential that we begin our conversations with care and compassion. In stressful periods, many experience fear, worry, and anxiety. And those that have experienced trauma in their lives may be experiencing re-traumatization. There is much potential in communication – the potential for productivity or for misunderstanding. We can all think […]
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January 2022
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The Impact of Fear and 20 Ways to Minimize It
Chronic fear impacts our physical health, memory, brain processing, and our mental health. This article will explain what happens in our brains and bodies when we experience fear and ways that we can move from fear to resilience. We feel the emotion fear when we are threatened. The perceived threat can be either physical, psychological, or emotional and can also be real or imagined. We often think of emotions like fear or anger as bad, but every emotion serves a purpose. Fear can help to keep us safe by motivating us to take action that will prevent us from harm. […]
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September 2019
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Does Cultural Fit make for Group Think?
In advising clients we often mention the cultural fit of an organization. Do you like ping pong tables next to your desk? Is the organization one where all-nighters are part of how the work gets done? In looking at culture on your way in you certainly want one where your core values are in alignment. Violating this maxim creates a stressful work environment. I would suggest that if you do take a position violating the rule of alignment of your basic core values (the gap between your values and the values of the organization) you create a space for stress […]
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August 2019
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Are You Agile Enough?
What does it mean to be agile? How many businesses do you know that espouse agility but couldn’t find it in the dictionary? There are a lot of demands in the commercial world-Faster-Better-Cheaper. And on top of that the other guys—whoever they may be—are already doing it, so now you’re in catch up mode. In this WSJ article by Sue Shellenbarger she discusses the pros, cons and potential harm of corporate agility. Enjoy!!!
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Overqualified or Unemployed, What Kind of Choice is That?
Ok, you’ve got great experience, killer credentials, you score the first interview, then the second. And then you get the call, “we appreciate your submittal and participation in this process, however we going with a candidate who is a closer match to our needs.” “Wait” you say, “my resume looks almost exactly like your requirements, in fact a little better.” “Too much,” they say, “you’re OVERQUALIFIED.” The kiss of death, or is it? Organizations want hungry applicants who meet their needs but not too much experience. Sometimes the overqualified rejection seems like a veiled age discrimination, but it can happen […]
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July 2019
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Boss Management 201
So ….. have a new boss? And perhaps you’ve heard off bosses like this — demanding, unrealistically demanding, not supportive, perhaps you’ve even questioned they’re emotional stability with other members of the management team. A little while back we had a GCS Roundtable discussion on boss management, we touched briefly on how to engage and manage bosses like this. Bosses who aren’t team players who impressed the hiring committee with their take charge, self-confidence, change agent presentation. You can’t hide from such a leader. In fact, you mustn’t take these tirades, or put downs personally. This is your opportunity to […]
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May 2019
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The Challenges of Finding that First Job
The ever changing career market throws challenges at seekers as they try to out think employers desires. I have seen a number of graduates working hard to give employers what they want. First a graduate degree, then intern experience and now it would seem that job experience helps to set one apart from the crowd. How does a student and ultimately a graduate find and secure the position they desire? First, have a target. Internships, graduate degrees and work experience will not add much to your resume if there isn’t a target in mind. As you gather your education create […]
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March 2019
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Making your next interview work for you
Perhaps you’ve had this experience, you interview with a potential new employer, or for a promotion/job change within your existing employer, its a great interview from your standpoint but you don’t get the nod. It isn’t always easy to find that right combination to get to that next step and I don’t have a silver bullet to offer you to overcome resistance. But, you can make some extra preparations for that interview. Be prepared to tell a story about how you overcame adversity to meet a goal. Include as many details as appropriate, you see we remember stories, particularly real […]
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February 2019
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Promotions can Change more than just your office.
So you’ve been at your current position for sometime, you’ve achieved some success and you’ve established a number of relationships. The boss, noticing your effort and your success, extends a promotion. Its just what you were hoping for, more salary and the chance to impact the direction of your organization. You turn around to celebrate with your friends and … where did they go? You’d like to think that a title change would not affect your relationships, but it does. How you manage that effectively is key to avoid misunderstanding and confusion, In this article from the Wall Street Journal, […]
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January 2019
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Another reorganization, is it time to head for the exit?
We’ve all experienced a company reorganization. Sometimes its economically driven, sometimes it is new ownership, it always causes anxiety. It often surprised me how quickly my co-workers would want to head for the exits before the reorganization was fully rolled out, before they knew how it might affect them. There’s a great deal of emotion expended in a reorganization many times leading to irrational choices. My question often was how can moving to a new company you don’t really know be better than staying where you are and finding out your new role? But, sometimes its just reorg fatigue, too […]
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Is it time in your career to yield, make a u-turn, or exit?
We all work hard to make our careers a success. This can be a detailed plan, it might be an opportunistic path as others pursue you, or it could be that as you reach each point you merely look for the next step. In many situations there comes a time of re-evaluation. Is this leading to where I thought I was headed? Can I afford to stay in this job? Do I have to check my personal values at the door each day to follow through on my assignments. Under conditions where you are challenged each day, where the space […]
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December 2018
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The Impromptu Speech, rational or rambling?
Some years ago the manufacturing company where I was VP was about to embark on a major change. It was important enough that the president wanted to hold a company wide meeting first thing on Monday morning. Over the weekend I considered how I would approach this topic and the major points. Monday morning we settled into our cafeteria, the only room big enough, the president came in and started. “I suppose you’re all wondering why we’re meeting this morning” … “Steve’s got something to tell you,” he said pointing at me. Wow, talk about impromptu. I was blessed. I […]
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Career Advice in 3 Words
Everyday we get advice from all around us. What to do, what not to do, the best phone, car, etc. Here is some great investment advice: Invest in Yourself! As The Golden Course strives to impress upon clients — reflection upon and improvement of your skills is always valuable. The skills we focus on and hone during our coaching serve clients not only in their career search, but in community, family and in their new career. In this Inc. article Warren Buffet speaks to the value of Investing in Yourself. Advice can be basic, but even basic advice is important. Cement […]
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November 2018
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Gratitude makes for happier people, and a more successful business
Ah, the simple things. Gratitude. Grateful people are happy people. “What have I got to be grateful for?” you might ask. Indeed, there are those days, those seasons in our life when we might start to believe that we don’t have much to be thankful for. Perhaps our boss steals our ideas, haven’t had a review or raise in 3 years, the company let me go with no warning or negative feedback ever, my co-workers are cliquish, and my secretary talks behind my back. It certainly sound like we’re asking you to drink the Kool-Aid to say there is a […]
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Does it pay to be nice?
So, is civility just a garnish on the plate of business? We grew up learning how to be nice to those around us, sometimes that gets lost in the busyness of business. I recall an incident years ago, the factory had a high pressure line break and I shouted to the supervisor to, “Go, shut it off right now!” He stopped came back and asked if it was too much trouble for me to say, “Please.” I was completely taken aback. That said, I have been guilty in the past of sacrificing relationship on the altar of expediency. I did […]
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October 2018
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What is Leadership and Who make the best Leaders?
For a long time businesses have looked for that over the top, larger than life personality to lead. But is that really what benefits the organization. Think about the leaders you’ve known in your work life, think about historical leaders and consider what traits serve best. Oh, sure there is the strong leader who is able to push, pull, or throw the organization against a goal, but what is the steady form of leadership that draws the best out of the team. A super star doesn’t get the job done, unless the rest of the team is engaged and plays […]
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July 2018
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Less is more … Happiness comes in small packages
So what is the basis of happiness? We often hear money can’t buy happiness, but then most of our time, attention, and effort goes into making more money. Happiness just may be aligning our efforts with our core values, the more divergent our work is from our core values the more stress and anxiety we experience. But there is more, sometimes we need to get the stuff out of the way. Check out this TED talk called, “Less stuff, More Happiness.”
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Change takes time…
We can be in a big hurry to move through change, to gain closure, to put it all behind us. But is this really the case? Change, whether it is perceived as good or bad requires us to leave something behind. When we graduate we leave behind some rather happy times as a student. When we marry we leave the single life, and even though we prefer to be married (most days), we have to recognize that we have chosen a new life over the old. The old life is not forgotten, nor do we want to put it behind […]
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