Individualism vs Teamwork with Rita Ernst, Part 1

05/31/23 • 36 min

Rita Ernst, Positivity Influencer and Consultant, joins Tim Sweet on the show to talk about big changes in business. When exactly does a business go from thriving to struggling, and why? Rita’s hint is that it happens far before the impact is seen in the financial bottom line. She and Tim unpack the signs.

Rita identifies how a change in work habits is the first sign of a business in the midst of change. She illustrates this with examples from COVID, where organizations all buckled down and gave their all during the first years but now are experiencing a push back, a difference in how people are interacting with customers, work that was always on time before now being unfinished. This is where righting the business should start, but businesses wait until they see it in the bottom line to call in a consultant like Rita or Tim.

Tim Sweet and guest Rita Ernst dissect how an individual can right the course of a business going through big change. If everyone is afraid to say the hard truths to the boss, how will change begin? It’s not about being toxic, it’s about showing up with an honest desire to help. Positivity is the key ingredient in Rita’s book Show Up Positive and she discusses specific lessons from her book with Tim. It’s a conversation every level of employee in a business needs to hear.

About Rita Ernst

In 2005 Rita Ernst left corporate life and established her independent consulting and coaching practice. She has an extensive catalogue of satisfied clients in organizations that range from construction to pharmaceuticals to non-profits.

Rita leverages her expertise in organizational psychology to craft solutions for business owners and staff members that break through the hostility while restoring pride, teamwork, and profits. Through her ground-breaking training and lessons, she reveals how to intentionally cultivate positive thoughts and behaviors instead of automatically reacting from the trappings of a depleting cycle of frustration and discontent.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Peter Block

—

Contact Tim Sweet | Team Work Excellence:

Contact Rita Ernst | Positivity Influencer, Authour, Consultant:

—

Transcript

Rita Ernst: [00:00:00] You need to stand up and challenge that behavior and stand for your values in that moment. And that is showing up positive. So it's not about just smoothing everything out. And like we were talking about earlier, it's not about avoiding conflict at all, but it is about being true to who you need to be to have the workplace around you that you desire.

Tim Sweet: [00:00:28] I'd like to ask you some questions. Do you consider yourself the kind of person that gets things done? Are you able to take a vision and transform that into action? Are you able to align others towards that vision and get them moving to create something truly remarkable? If any of these describe you, then you, my friend, are a leader. And this show is all about and all for you. Welcome to the Sweet On Leadership Podcast Episode 6.

Welcome to the Sweet On Leadership Podcast, where we unlock the secrets of the most influential, trusted and impactful leaders in business today so you can become your best version of a leader. And now your host. He once saved a company $2.5 million with a $15 rubber stamp, and he won't shut up about it. Tim Sweet.

Tim Sweet: [00:01:23] Hey, everybody, welcome again to the Sweet On Leadership podcast. I'm joined today by my friend Rita. We're having a great conversation already and we want to pull you into it. Today we're going to be talking about really what is it like to be part of an organization that is going through big changes. And many organizations all around the world right now are facing this. I mean, we're coming out of perhaps the most tumultuous time that many of us have been through. And so in talking to Rita, I'm learning all sorts of new things, although we share that, you know, as you said, we share this collegial passion for improvement and everything else, Rita. But I'm just learning all sorts of things, and I...

About Rita Ernst

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Peter Block

—

Contact Tim Sweet | Team Work Excellence:

Contact Rita Ernst | Positivity Influencer, Authour, Consultant:

—

Transcript

Previous Episode

The Feelings Of Leadership with Paul Farmer

Tim Sweet welcomes guest Paul Farmer of Mentoris to the show to talk about feelings. Specifically, how feelings apply to business and leadership. Paul works to get leaders to understand exactly how the feeling of a purchase or investment drives consumers and employees far more than logic when you get to the heart of things. He and Tim break down how it works.

Paul’s saying is “it’s not the thing that they want, it’s the feeling that it gives them” and the driving force behind his coaching hits on exactly that. He takes the example of a cup of coffee. Do we buy a cup of coffee for the hot water, beans, and milk? No, we buy it because of the feelings attached to it, because we want that emotion, that sense. And business works the same way.

Tim Sweet and guest Paul Farmer discuss what Paul identifies as the three levels of feelings where they pertain to business: with the clients, with the team that includes internal employees and external supplies and contractors, and with the roles and responsibilities of each. Paul breaks down how finding the feeling a leader wants in their business clarifies the logic and strategy of moving forward. And he shares why feelings are vital to understanding employees and their job satisfaction within the organization, which is directly linked to productivity and efficiency. Everything in this episode is important for any employee, business owner, or leader to hear.

About Paul Farmer

Paul Farmer, Business Mentor and Founder of Mentoris Group, completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Southern Queensland before he moved to Brisbane to pursue an accounting career. He worked for both Bentleys MRI and Snelleman Tom, being admitted as a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) in 2002. Playing Premier Rugby Union for Norths (1996), GPS (1997 – 2002, Club captain 2001), Australian Combined States U21 and Australian Barbarians in 1996 enabled Paul to develop a strong network of professional contacts.

In 2002 Paul took a sabbatical to the UK, gaining invaluable exposure to different cultures, work practices, travel opportunities and sporting pursuits. After 20 years working for large organizations both in Australia and the UK, it was time to give something back. Leaving a strategic leadership role, Paul saw coaching as a way of guiding others through the ever increasing uncertainty and pressures life presents, similar to those he encountered. Paul is a registered CPA, Associate Member of the International Coach Guild, Member of the Coaching Institute, working towards being an International Accredited Professional Master Coach and currently holds a Blue card for working with children and youths.

—

Contact Tim Sweet | Team Work Excellence:

Contact Paul Farmer | Business Mentor, Founder of Mentoris Group:

—

Transcript

Paul Farmer: “If we value integrity and someone isn't doing what they say they're going to do, what's the feeling that pops up? Frustration. It's not, We're in flow. We're out of flow so things aren't going as they are, because at the end of the day, if we are in alignment, then it feels good.”

Tim Sweet: [00:00:01] I'd like to ask you some questions. Do you consider yourself the kind of person that gets things done? Are you able to take a vision and transform that into action? Are you able to align others towards that vision and get them moving to create something truly remarkable? If any of these describe you, then you, my friend, are a leader. And this show is all about and all for you. Welcome to the Sweet On Leadership podcast. I'm so glad you're here. Welcome to Episode Five.

Announcer: [00:00:33] Welcome to the Sweet On Leadership podcast, where we unlock the secrets of the most influential, trusted and impactful leaders in business today so you can become your best version of a leader. And now your host. There's no I in team, but there is in Tim. Tim Sweet.

Tim Sweet: [00:00:58] Today you're in for something really special, my friend and former colleague Paul Farmer. Paul is an amazing coach and consultant who calls Brisbane, Australia home. Today you're going to hear Paul's unique take on how he creates profound and lasting change with his clients by focusing them in on the feelings they want to create in their lives. When he clarifies the feelings they need to...

Next Episode

Individualism vs Teamwork with Rita Ernst, Part 2

Tim Sweet welcomes Rita Ernst, Positivity Influencer and Consultant, back to the show to discuss the differences between generational education and how school focus has shifted from individualism to teamwork. How does that shift translate into business preparedness? In talking about this, Tim and Rita address the fundamental occupational processes they both respect and the order in which necessary change must be addressed.

Rita explains how she experienced a shift from her own education to the education of her children, where schools her children went through very much encouraged collaboration and community. She and Tim examine conformity versus individuality and how systems function both through the more team-based approaches of the modern day versus the more solo-focussed approaches from earlier decades.

Tim Sweet and guest Rita Ernst look at what makes individuals unique and how that translates to business strength, and how individual skills are still highlighted and valued in the current collaborative operational style. Rita explains organizational development using the analogy of Kentucky Derby horse racing and breaks down, with Tim, why a right answer might not be correct for your business if it’s not answering the question at hand. Both host and guest are dedicated consultants who share their unique insights into business in a very open and meaningful conversation.

About Rita Ernst

Resources mentioned in this episode:

—

Contact Tim Sweet | Team Work Excellence:

Contact Rita Ernst | Positivity Influencer, Authour, Consultant:

—

Transcript

Tim Sweet: Before we get going, I would like to talk a little bit about what you're about to hear. I'm joined by Rita Ernst, owner of Ignite Your Extraordinary. She's a true expert in organizational psychology. And in this episode, Rita and I are going to be diving deep into the fascinating world of teamwork and collaboration in the workplace. This conversation evolves from what we've learned in school and how that differs from how we approach the workplace to the impact of general perspectives on collaboration and building high performance teams from scratch. We'll be discussing the history of team based systems in business, the influence of Japanese processes and the importance of trust and collaboration in organizations. But that's not all. We're going to discuss our individual perspectives on just what's at stake when it comes to poor teamwork. And Rita offers up an analogy of horse racing in Kentucky, which beautifully illustrates the importance of aligning individual potential...