Author: Rolande Sumner

Rolande S. Sumner is a retired US Army veteran and the CEO & Founder of Life After Service Transitional Coaching LLC®. Rolande enlisted in the US Army National Guard in 1995 and retired in 2015. During her career, she was an Admin Clerk, Heavy Vehicle Operator, and Human Resources Manager. She served as both a traditional National Guard Soldier and as an Active Guard/Reserve (AGR) Soldier; and stationed in Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Afghanistan. She is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) via the International Coaching Federation, a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP). Rolande is also one of the bestselling authors of Behind The Rank, Volume 3.

3 Keys to Employee Engagement: Meaningfulness, Safety, and Availability

10 Mar 2023 by Rolande Sumner, posted in Employee Engagement

There are three factors of employee engagement, meaningfulness, safety, and availability. When employees are engaged, they are more productive and committed to their work, leading to better results. To ensure effective employee engagement, it is essential to prioritize meaningfulness, safety, and availability. These three elements are the keys to creating a productive and engaged workforce, so understanding their importance and how to cultivate them is essential. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of meaningfulness, safety, and availability in employee engagement and how to promote these values in your workplace.

4 Essential Leadership Skills for New Managers

21 Dec 2022 by Rolande Sumner, posted in Leadership

Are you a newly appointed manager? If so, it's important to understand the essential leadership skills necessary for success. To support your leadership development, it's critical to recognize the importance of decision-making, communication, organizational alignment, and problem-solving. In this blog post, we'll discuss the four essential leadership skills for new managers and how to develop them.

Fair Does Not Mean The Same

6 Oct 2022 by Rolande Sumner, posted in Leadership

Instead, fairness in leadership development means offering each direct report what they need to take advantage of the opportunities available to everyone.

Signs Your Employees Are Disengaged and What It Costs Your Organization

27 Sep 202228 Sep 2022 by Rolande Sumner, posted in Uncategorized

Disengaged employees often leave after their paid time off is exhausted, their performance has dropped, they've been verbally (and sometimes illegibly) disciplined, and their negativity has spread through the team. Essentially, 1/3 of one employee's salary is flushed down the drain when a company chooses not to address employee disengagement. If a team's average salary is $16/hour or $33,280 annually per team member, then one disengaged team member costs $11,093 per year. Unchecked employee disengagement can kill a team's profitability, as the entire will be disengaged by default, negatively affecting the organization as a whole.

8 Questions To Ask When Assessing Termination, Demotion, or Reassignment Of A Direct Report

6 Sep 202221 Dec 2022 by Rolande Sumner, posted in Uncategorized

Leaders understand that the problem lies with the direct report while maintaining that they could have done more to help, which is where progress stops. The leader will repeat the same cycle until a terrible and avoidable situation arises or their direct supervisors apply enough pressure to inspire action.