I am staying in a hotel for a few days as I work at a client site. Yesterday, when coming back to the hotel, I automatically passed through the lobby and took the elevator up to the floor my room is on. When I got off the elevator it hit me that this hotel is built on a hill and the lobby is on the third floor. My room is on the second floor – duh – I should have taken the elevator or stairs down. I’ve stayed in my share of hotels, and it’s always worked for me before to enter the lobby and take the elevator up to my room.

Robert Hargove describes a “winning strategy” as something that works for us that we do over and over again. We may not think much about it, because it consistently gets us results (going “up” from the lobby always got me to my room before!). We’re often on autopilot with these behaviors, until something doesn’t work anymore. We no longer get the results we’ve been used to.

I notice the failure in “winning strategy” in my clients when they become stuck in motivating others or they find that their business goals are not being met at an acceptable pace. It is not unusual for them to notice this six months to a year into a new position or organization. Or the organization’s culture may be changing, and they aren’t. Or a new boss may have less tolerance for how the my client gets things done (the “what” is acceptable, but the “how” is not). What worked for them before no longer works in the new context.

An example: Bob is a successful senior executive who has taken a new position in an organization. In previous organization, his very direct style and talent in solving problems got results. He is now in a culture that is very team oriented and appreciative of a more facilitative style of leadership. Yikes! His pushing (rather than motivating)and his telling (rather than asking) individuals what the solutions to the problems are, have created some real problems, and people are leaving or avoiding him. They don’t bring up problems (because they don’t want his solutions, but feel obligated, even if they believe they are wrong, to use them).

So, the talented people in his organization, accustomed to solving problems as a team, have shut down. They don’t tell Bob when there are problems. They avoid him, because he’ll always have a solution and be insistent that it is THE SOLUTION.

Bob’s winning strategy is now a losing strategy. He will need to learn to be more facilitative – to ask rather than tell. To honor the work of the team, rather than to expect individuals to solve problems with his solutions.

What’s your winning strategy?