Do you have a to-do list a mile high? Too much on your plate? Have you ever had a hard time delegating? I know this has been a struggle for me over the years.

With guidance from my team of coaches, I have been focusing even more attention on delegating and empowering others.

First, I was guided to notice which tasks did not “light me up.” I got honest and realized they were mostly administrative in nature. I asked my internal team to step up and take ownership of their newly delegated responsibilities. 

I see how they are more empowered as I let them take the lead. My long-term finance manager truly took the increase in responsibility and ownership to heart and led the operational side of our UK office opening.

Her efforts were rewarded when we promoted her mid-year.

Second, I was faced with giving up those activities that do “light me up.” I love to write and create, yet do not have the capacity to promote my line of mindful children’s books or my themed, soft squeezable Zendoway cubes with motivational prompts on each side.

I handed over the social media platforms that support my books and cubes to two interns, one leading the way as this is her second year working with me. At first, I “helped” them by giving them ideas and guidance, but I soon saw that I was just getting in the way. Steve Jobs once said, “The greatest people are self-managing. Once they know what to do they’ll go figure out how to do it. What they need is a common vision.”

I took this to heart; sharing my vision, I let them go and watched my interns create from their authentic selves as they successfully transformed the “Zendoway” social media sites.

The result of delegating and letting go of the details are increased sales, leads, and a fun and unique social media presence.

Watch the video that Maddie, my second-year intern, created: ​

Each time I see a new post, I smile. I am proud of letting go of a couple of my babies. I am proud of the accountability Maddie has exhibited in her role. And what an experience to start her career! I love that I am providing a meaningful internship, giving her the opportunity to shine, manage the other intern, and build her resume with something tangible she will always remember. The other good news is that Maddie has told me of the positive impact my work is having on her life, helping her be more mindful and less stressed.


How can you get started with delegating?

• Look at all your responsibilities.
• In the next month, try to delegate or get rid of 3 tasks.

When my coaches requested the above, I laughed. Yet, now it is a focus and I am continually asking myself, "Do I need to do this task, or would it be better served by another member of my team? Is this task even necessary?"
The result? I feel lighter and free to focus on my passion of helping others. My team and interns are rising to the challenge wholeheartedly and feeling more empowered to lead. And this approach shows an example of me being an intentional leader which is the first principle in my book Culture Infusion.
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Ask me how I can help your organization to Make a Great Day and help your teams delegate more.

​Recently I shared about how to allow your teams to totally unplug. Watch my video on my vacation confession of how I was not following my own advice nor was I sharing it with the entire team.

Now others are giving themselves the gift of a clean inbox upon return from vacation.

​When I think of the 4th of July, my mind immediately jumps to fireworks and the way they light up the sky and our spirit. This picture is my son after being able to take the lead on lighting fireworks (notice the lighter in his hands). Did you know that our passion can do the same thing? Passion excites us and lights us up to chase our goals and dreams. What are the fireworks in your life?

Think back to a time at work or school where you enjoyed a project you were working on. Did it feel like work? When we are passionate about what we are doing, the time we spend “working” seems more like time spent playing.

This is a lesson I’ve used as both a parent with my kids and as a leader at Actualize. With my kids, this lesson has helped me come up with summer projects to keep their academic skills sharp - projects they actually enjoy and do without me telling them to!

A few years ago, at work, our team was complaining about how we were setting goals and doing performance reviews; They weren’t sure how what they were doing aligned with our firm’s mission. We decided to shift our goals to focus more on our people. We came up with 3As – accountability, acumen and aspiration – to help our employees identify areas that they can be accountable for that will not only hone their skills but also help them aspire to reach more goals.
This week, I challenge you to think about where you might be pushing someone. Where might you be pushing yourself? How can you align your goals or your team’s goals with joy? What lights you up? 

In Culture Infusion, I noted the importance of finding your passion and using it to fuel both your personal and professional lives. We can find inspiration anywhere and everywhere, as long as we are open. I discovered this truth anew when I attended the National Kids Yoga Conference in October 2017; I had no idea I would be leaving with a new partner and co-creator—the Amal Alliance—as well as a new cube idea—The Happy Cube—for my wellness company, Zendoway.

All the cubes I’ve created so far have meaning, but this one is special because it was made to provide emotional support to children in refugee camps. We even worked with psychologists to get the wording just right and make sure teachers can use the cube with children who have survived trauma to guide them in coping with their emotions.
The Happy Cube is intended to engage children through movement on multiple emotional levels inspired by self-compassion, mindful expression, self-regulation, happiness, and loving-kindness.

When we give back, we share a deeper sense of connection. This is true both personally and professionally. In my book Culture Infusion: 9 Principles to Create and Maintain a Thriving Organizational Culture, encouraging team connection and giving back is principle 9. Giving back is engrained in the culture of Actualize Consulting, and as one way of enhancing corporate social responsibility, we encourage cause-related employee activities that we are passionate about.

So far, I’ve sent 150 Happy Cubes to the Amal Alliance’s Smile 4 Happiness pilot program, which “aims to channel inner strength and positivity through recreational activities, athletic programs, mindfulness, and fostering creativity for displaced youth.” For every Zendoway Cube package purchased, I will donate an additional cube to a displaced child in an Amal Alliance safe learning space.

I’ve always been passionate about kids. They are the reason behind why I started making Zendoway cubes in the first place—as a way to get breathing into my kids’ schools without using words like “meditation.” What started out as one cube has morphed into 12, and now even counselors and corporate offices use them. At Actualize, we give out a Principles cube—which outlines many of the components of Culture Infusion like breathing, communication, and the 3P Method—to all new hires. We encourage them to keep it on their desk as a physical reminder to take care of their well-being.

More cubes and their uses:

1.     Questions. This is a cube designed to empower, with questions that focus on training us to think positively and reflect inwardly. It’s perfect for meetings since it makes a thoughtful icebreaker.

2.     Play, Happy. With questions and activities perfect for children, these make a great mindful gift for any event to which children are invited.

3.     Yoga Poses, Chakras. Because these cubes are perfect for stretching and affirming our bodies, they make great activities for corporate retreats and team building. They make it easy to teach a little bit of yoga and meditation to fuel team well-being—no experience needed.

If you have a passion, chase it. It will take you places you’d never expect and can turn into incredible things—much like the Smile 4 Happiness initiative.
If you’d like to learn more about the Smile 4 Happiness initiative, you can check it out here: http://bit.ly/PRzendoway or the cubes here: www.zendoway.com/cubes.