Archive for July, 2010

Every Thursday, we provide you with a thoughtful way to coach yourself – something all leaders need to do. So take five and enjoy the inspirational quotes and reflect on the questions that follow. 

“… the deepest and most satisfying relationship is based on mutual advocacy. I don’t need to get anything from you. What I’m interested in is you living the best life you can, you achieving a sense of satisfaction and contentment. I’m going to advocate you, because I want your happiness and your well-being.” ~Will Marre’

• As a leader, is it possible for you to take a stance of mutual advocacy with your stakeholders and still get results?
• What might it require for you to believe that you really only want others’ happiness and well being?
• Do those in your circle of influence achieve a sense of satisfaction and contentment at work?
  • What will you do to assure this is so?
  • What will you stop doing to assure this is so?

The actor Christopher Reeve was a leader. Not in the traditional sense that those of us who work in the corporate world may think, but nonetheless he is an example for us. It was in his journey from Superman to being trapped in a body following a tragic accident that we can begin to understand how we, as leaders, might choose to respond to the adverse and trying times that happen in our leadership and our lives.

A handsome actor who starred in the Superman movies, Christopher Reeve fell off a horse and broke his neck, severing his spinal cord and losing his ability to breathe or move on his own. There was very little chance that Mr. Reeve would get his life of privilege back. Yet only a few short months after his accident, he was appearing on television and telling the world what a lucky many he was.

Reeve chose to dedicate the rest of his life to being a positive force, raising funds and awareness for spinal cord injuries. Even after his death, I’m not sure that we can fully grasp yet the impact he has had in the medical world on these complex injuries or the inspiration he provided to thousands.

In his words:

“When a catastrophe happens, it’s easy to feel so sorry for yourself that you can’t see anybody around you. But the way out is through your relationships. The way out of your misery or obsession is to focus more on what…. other people around you need. It’s very hard to do, and often you have to force yourself. But that is the answer to the dilemma of being frozen – at least it’s the answer I found.”

Start a plan for your relationships today, not “someday”

Mr. Reeve had good relationships before his tragic accident; he didn’t wait to build good relationships “someday”. These good relationships were already in place to help him to live out the rest of his life with grace and meaning.

This prompts some questions about your work relationships. What shape are they in today? Will your followers be by your side when catastrophe strikes or will they let you muddle through it on your own?

Evaluate the quality of your relationships today, act on improving those that need to be better, and put a plan in place to sustain those that are already great. Not only will this lift up your organization at this time, it will also assure that you have followers who are firmly with you when the going gets tough.

Divide a piece of paper in half. On the left side, write out a list all of the people responsible for your success, one by one. On the right side, next to each name, scale the quality of your relationship with that person between 1 and 3, with one being “poor”, 2 being “satisfactory” and 3 being “excellent”.

Now consider: where do you need to focus your attention? What relationships in categories 1 and 2 do you need to put emphasis on and improve today? What relationships in category 3 do you need to actively sustain?

When will you start?

As we slowly dig out of this recession, everyone is talking about creativity and innovation. I figured it was time for me to say something too from the standpoint of the relationships you have in the organization.

So what is your role in influencing creativity and innovation in others?

We know it isn’t enough to simply add creativity to a list of values your organization espouses or to bring in consultants who get staff keyed up about innovating. You must be an advocate; someone who demonstrates that you really mean it.

Your best chance of having creative, innovative initiatives will occur with behaviors that:

Encourage curiosity: Ask open ended questions, encourage forums where it is easy and safe to brainstorm, and model curiosity for others on your staff.

Use discernment: Leaders can stifle curiosity by expressing their own opinions about new ideas too soon. Express your opinion only when you must; better yet, let the forums and brainstorming sessions happen without you. You can always speak up if you have to later.

Tolerate risk: Many leaders say they want creativity and innovation in their organizations, but they have a low tolerance for risk. Innovative ideas tend to require more risk than “more of the same”. If you normally avoid risk, you must be willing to be comfortable with more of it in order to grow a culture of innovation.

Moderate bureaucracy: If innovation becomes difficult because of bureaucratic barriers, employees will stop trying. Paperwork, forms, and excessive structure can stifle creativity. Eventually employees will lose the will to be creative. It’s your job to clear away the barriers that prevent innovative ideas from coming into fruition.

Set priorities When you get overwhelmed with new ideas (wouldn’t that be great?, ask the people who were involved in coming up with the ideas to assist in priority-setting. This will increase buy-in for the projects you decide to move ahead with.

Communicate the successes: Having some successes and communicating them will energize your organization to step up to the plate on additional creative efforts. Consider how Apple has been able to capitalize on the first I-Pod with additional, similar products that capitalize on its attractive design and user interface features.

Celebrate success: Celebrating is not only a way to say thank you to those who shared in the achievement, but will also keep the creative juices flowing and encourage future success. Make celebration part of your creative culture.

I’d love to hear from you. What has worked for you to promote creativity and innovation? What have you seen work for others?

Every Thursday, we provide you with a thoughtful way to coach yourself – something all leaders need to do. So take five and enjoy the inspirational quotes and reflect on the questions that follow. 

“Ultimately, man is not subject to the conditions that confront him; rather, these conditions are subject to his decision. Wittingly or unwittingly, he decides whether he will face up or give in, whether or not he will let himself be determined by the conditions.” From Prisoners of Our Thoughts by Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.

• What conditions are you currently allowing to determine you?
  • Will you face up or give in to these conditions?
• How can you mindfully and proactively decide about conditions that confront you in the future?
  

I  have a dream. Some may call it a fantasy, but I like to think of it as a real possibility. My dream becomes full reality before I leave this earth (I never claimed not to be ambitious!) when I see that we no longer need to use 360’s in our organizations because:

There are no toxic managers. Our successful organizations are filled with the right kind of leaders; those who are brilliant but balanced with attention to both the business and the  people side too. They truly “get” and act on the worn out maxim that “our people are our greatest asset” (but they don’t need to say this because it is so evident).

Leaders know - and act on –  being of service to followers. Our organizations are no long hierarchical. At last; the time has come when leaders understand that their role is to serve and not “running” our organizations and communities. They are instead orchestrating workplaces with significance and meaning for employees and customers.

Leaders receive honest feedback on a regular basis without asking for it. Leaders in our future don’t need 360’s to give them anonymous information on their behavior. Positive and “corrective” feedback is given freely and without consequences to the messenger. The leaders continually get better because they act on the feedback they receive. They know that by identifying less than helpful behavior and improving themselves, they will make the biggest impact on their organization and the bottom line.

Developing staff is as important as the bottom line. Leaders are paying full attention to assuring that there are new leaders with the potential to take their place when they leave. Their organizations don’t balk at allocating resources to develop a pipeline of leaders. Dare I mention that annual performance evaluations are also a thing of the past because leaders coach their staff on a daily basis?

Every workplace is a “best” one.  The idea that “you should be grateful that you have a job” is long gone. Instead, leaders are grateful to have the best employees working at their organizations. All of those “best places to work” contests have gone out of business because of the abundance of best places to work; it’s too hard to choose with so many contenders.

360’s are a featured item in the Leadership Museum. You walk into the Leadership Museum and are guided past wax replicas of ruthless leaders and famous consultants. You stop at a window that has an aging, yellowed 360 report and think, “What is that?”. You listen to the recorded history lesson and are astounded and saddened that such a thing ever existed.

What will you see when 360’s are obsolete?

I recently spoke with an organizational leader (let’s call him John) who had stretched his thinking about someone who reported to him (we’ll call her Liz) in such a way that it provided great benefit to Liz, John and the company they worked for. Liz was not someone considered to have “leadership potential” before John took over the division they worked in.

John discovered that when he expanded his thinking to seeing something “more than met the eye” in Liz and invested some time in coaching her, the results were amazing and gratifying. With John’s help, Liz was able to change the behaviors that were holding her back and she has now had a well deserved and significant promotion in another part of the organization.

There is freedom in “and”

John was able to see the “and” in Liz that others didn’t see.

“And” allows us to see people holistically and encourages deeper workplace relationships. It also allows us to see that those we have rejected for traits judged as negative may be prime candidates for development. Seeing the “and” works to improve any/all workplace relationships that may be less than ideal; with peers, customers and managers.

How liberating it can be when we comprehend that the complex human beings that surround us in our workplace have the possibility to grow, develop and change! This frees us up to seeing what’s possible, helping that person to change, and deepening our relationships.

The potential found in “ands”

Is it possible for someone to be:

Quiet and a leader? Take notice of the quiet one. What leadership traits are hiding behind the silence you see? What is your role in surfacing them?

Aggressive and kind? Look beyond the aggressiveness that concerns you. Is it possible that when you open your heart, you may find a germ of kindness in that person that could blossom into empathy and great leadership?

Tactical and visionary? Give this person a chance; there may be a vision you can’t yet see. Can it be that when you  believe that this person has an essence of vision, that you may help them to manifest it?

Risk averse and creative? Consider the barriers that might be inhibiting this person from unleashing their right brain. How can you help remove them and coax the creativity out?

Technically brilliant and collaborative? You may be making assumptions about this brilliant individual’s latent ability to connect to others. What can you do to help them to learn appropriate ways to interact?

Be open to some surprise in what’s possible in those around you. What relationships could use your attention? Who could benefit from your belief in “and” to realize their full potential?

I received a note today from a former client who was working on the transition from doing all the work herself to prioritizing, delegating, and enabling her staff to do more. She said she was leading in a way that assured that her staff can proceed without her, thus creating space for her to do some of the more important things that she really wanted to do, rather than those that she needed to do. These more important things include planning and strategizing for the future.

I know this leader. I can assure you that the stuff that needs to get done is now getting done in the right spot in her organization. She is now doing exactly what she should be doing. I know that she was willing to let go of the other stuff for a higher purpose, and that she – and her organization – are happier and healthier as a result.

How did she do it? We can all learn a lot from her with a few of her action plan items:

She changed her mindset from being the person who knew everything and who did everything herself to one who trusts her staff to know and do the daily work. She was wearing down with all the doing that needed to be done, and understood that in order to have the time necessary to do what Stephen Covey calls the Quadrant II activities (Those that are important but not urgent).

She made sure her staff knew her expectations in terms of the work outcomes. It took some time and excellent communication skills to make sure the team was on board with what she expected from them.

She coached her team to help them understand the appropriate way to proceed with how the work needed to be done. She knew that when they grasped the “how”, that it was only a matter of time before the entire staff could be more proactive.

She separated herself from day to day operations: Instead of being intimately involved in all of the inner workings, she trusted her managers to do that and then to come to her with issues and barriers that required her assistance.

She developed her staff: She knew that developing her senior staff through learning opportunities and coaching would be time intensive for her, but would also free up time later (see Coaching: Short Term Pain for Long Term Gain) to focus on the things that were more important.

She pushed herself to take action on activities that were more visionary/strategic for her organization. She’s been successful and is looking forward to leaving a legacy for the initiatives she has undertaken.

None of this was easy, but this leader was persistent and consistent! All of the above happened because she dreamed of having some free time to make a bigger impact on her organization. Now that you know what it takes, what will you do with your free time?

Every Thursday, we provide you with a thoughtful way to coach yourself – something all leaders need to do. So take five – enjoy the inspirational quotes and reflect on the questions that follow. 

“All the leaders I have known have a high degree of optimism and a low degree of pessimism. They are, as Confucius said, “purveyors of hope”. Look at Reagan; in a way, look at Clinton and Martin Luther King, Jr. These are people who have held out an idea of what we could become and made us proud of ourselves, created noble aspirations – sometimes audacious, but noble. Leaders have to express in an authentic way that there is a future for our nation and that you have a part in developing that future with me”. ~Warren Bennis

• What is the great hope that you have for your organization?
• What noble, (maybe even audacious) aspirations do you have for your employees?
• What part will employees and customers play in your organization’s future?
• How will you invite others to have a part in developing that future with you?

In many ways, it makes sense to try to make your followers happy; and it might sound strange that I, your peaceful workplace advocate, would encourage you to stop trying to please others. Hang in there with me on this one, I think you might agree with what I have to say.

When you try to make others happy, you – well – try. That’s all you can do is try; no guarantees. And when you don’t get it right, you get frustrated and may even think there is something wrong with the person you are trying to please.

Some examples that didn’t work

Let’s take a couple of real examples. Robert, a manager of managers, has an open door policy and regularly lets his staff know that they can come in anytime he’s in the office to ask questions or discuss concerns. He listens well and is great at solving problems. Yet he has started to dread these meetings. Every time someone walks in her door, he ends up with something added to his “to do” list.

He thought his helpful ways would make his staff happy. Yet there is a fair amount of discord amongst them, and they don’t seem to be stepping up to the plate in terms of learning and accepting responsibility on their own.

Paula, also a senior manager, has been doling out “on the spot”  bonus checks for over a year to the employees in her organization to reward them when they’ve completed things on time and on budget. Her level of frustration has been rising as surveys show that some of the employees complain that she plays favorites and they express concern that they have been left out of the reward system. The ones who receive the checks don’t seem to be understand the “reinforcement” she’s trying to emphasize with the money; their performance is inconsistent.

What works

Instead of trying to make others happy with a one-size-fits-all sort of happiness program, how about respecting your employees enough to ask them what would please them?

Happiness is personal; the best chance of success is when employees are rewarded with things that are meaningful specifically to them. One person might appreciate the 1:1 time with you to help them sort things out (NOT to solve their problems), and another might appreciate a bonus check for a job well done. Others (I was always in this oddly unusual group) would prefer increased responsibility, a new assignment that will stretch them or the opportunity to learn through a workshop or class.

Ask and keep track

It’s a simple concept to respect others enough to ask them what they want and then to follow through and give it to them (within reason, of course).  Ask them:

• What can I do to help you to be your best at work?
• What rewards motivate you?
• How can I contribute to your success?

Keep track of the answers you get, by name. When the time is right, follow through and make them happy by providing them what they asked for.

What have you tried that didn’t work? How did you find what did?

Every Thursday, we provide you with a thoughtful way to coach yourself – something all leaders need to do. So take five – enjoy the inspirational quotes and reflect on the questions that follow. 

“I have a great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift.” ~Septima Poinsette Clark

• What is your belief about chaos? Is your belief serving you and your organization?
• If your belief is not serving you or your organization, how might you reframe your belief about chaos?
• Is there a time and a place for chaos in your leadership? If so, how might you handle it?